UPDATE 3-Cricket-South Africa leave NZ batting in disarray again

(Adds quotes)
* New Zealand close day two on 47 for six
* Hosts declare on 525 for eight
* We are being outclassed, says Kiwis coach
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, Jan 12 (Reuters) - New Zealand collapsed again against South Africa's pace attack when they staggered to 47 for six in their first innings in reply to the hosts' 525 for eight declared on the second day of the second test at St. George's Park on Saturday.
The pace duo of Dale Steyn and Rory Kleinveldt ended the day with figures of two for 14 and two for 18 respectively, while left-arm spinner Robin Peterson claimed two wickets in two balls.
After South Africa had declared 25 minutes into the evening session, New Zealand, who were bowled out for 45 on the opening morning of the two-match series, were again in disarray.
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson made no excuses for his team.
"We prepared very well, we knew what we would be confronted with, but the most disappointing thing is that when we got under pressure we weren't able to cope," he told a news conference.
"We all share the load. I can't fault the work ethic. We have a support staff that works extremely hard and behind the scenes the players have put the work in, but in this test match and the last one we just haven't been up to it.
"All we can say to the people back home is that the players are trying their very best and at the moment we are just being outclassed."
Steyn, bowling with pace and aggression with the new ball, reduced the Kiwis to eight for two after he had Martin Guptill (1) and Kane Williamson (5) both caught in the slip cordon.
Kleinveldt then took over when he had Dean Brownlie (10) caught behind by keeper AB de Villiers and Daniel Flynn (0) lbw as New Zealand slumped to 27 for four inside 16 overs.
Captain Brendon McCullum battled his way to 13 off 61 balls before he edged a delivery from Peterson to Jacques Kallis playing an extravagant drive. Debutant Colin Munro was caught at short-leg from the next delivery.
South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis said the hosts could not have asked for much more over the first two days of the test.
"We've had two excellent days," he said. "Yesterday was hard-fought with the bat. Today was the same to a degree up until lunch, and then with the ball we did everything right so it was very close to the perfect day.
"There was a lot of swing on offer, and when Dale Steyn gets a bit of swing he's very hard to face, so I can understand that it was tough for New Zealand."
Hashim Amla, Du Plessis and Dean Elgar all reached three figures for the world No1 side.
Du Plessis, who began the day on 69, eventually scored 137 off 252 balls with 14 fours and two sixes before he became medium-pacer Munro's first test wicket when he was caught in the covers.
Elgar brought up his first ton, in his third test, off what turned out to be the last ball of South Africa's innings to end not out on 103 off 170 deliveries with 14 fours and a six.
Elgar and Du Plessis combined for a partnership of 131 off 38.5 overs, a South African sixth-wicket record stand against New Zealand, beating the previous best of 126 scored by Darryl Cullinan and Shaun Pollock at Auckland in 1998.
Amla added just four runs to his overnight total before he was caught down the leg-side by keeper Watling off a delivery from left-arm seamer Trent Boult.
He was out for 110 off 235 balls with his innings including eight fours while he and Du Plessis put on 113 runs for the fifth-wicket off 36.5 overs.
South Africa hold a 1-0 series lead.
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Tennis-Revised Australian Open men's singles draw

MELBOURNE, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Revised Australian Open men's
singles draw after final qualifying (prefix denotes seeding;
w-indicates wild card; q-denotes qualifier):
1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) v Paul-Henri Mathieu (France)
Ryan Harrison (U.S.) v Santiago Giraldo (Colombia)
q-Arnau Bruges-Davi (Spain) v Felciano Lopez (Spain)
Viktor Troicki (Serbia) v 31-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic)
20-Sam Querrey (U.S.) v q-Daniel Munoz-De La Nava (Spain)
q-Alex Bogomolov Jr. (Russia) v Brian Baker (U.S)
Tobias Kamke (Germany) v Flavio Cipolla (Italy)
q-Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (Germany) v 15-Stanislas Wawrinka
(Switzerland)
11-Juan Monaco (Argentina) v Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia)
Kevin Anderson (South Africa) v Paolo Lorenzi (Italy)
Xavier Malisse (Belgium) v Pablo Andujar (Spain)
David Goffin (Belgium) v 22-Fernando Verdasco (Spain)
26-Jurgen Melzer (Austria) v Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan)
Fabio Fognini (Italy) v Roberto Bautista Agut (Spain)
q-Julian Reister (Germany) v Guillaume Rufin (France)
Michael Russell (U.S.) v 5-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic)
4-David Ferrer (Spain) v Olivier Rochus (Belgium)
Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) v q-Tim Smyczek (U.S.)
w-John Millman (Australia) v Tatsuma Ito (Japan)
Albert Ramos (Spain) v 28-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyrpus)
23-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) v Matthew Ebden (Australia)
Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) v Adrian Ungur (Romania)
q-Maxime Authom (Belgium) v Carlos Berlocq (Argentina)
Victor Hanescu (Romania) v 16-Kei Nishikori (Japan)
10-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) v q-Steve Johnson (U.S.)
Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spain) v Lukasz Kubot (Poland)
Bjorn Phau (Germany) v Somdev Devvarman (India)
Simone Bolelli (Italy) v 24-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland)
32-Julien Benneteau (France) v Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria)
Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) v q-Ruben Bemelmans
(Belgium)
Lukas Lacko (Slovakia) v Gilles Muller (Luxembourg)
Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) v 8-Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia)
6-Juan Martin Del Potro v q-Adrian Mannarino (France)
Aljaz Bedene (Slovenia) v Benjamin Becker (Germany)
Jeremy Chardy (France) v q-Adrian Menendez-Maceiras (Spain)
Grega Zemlja (Slovenia) v 30-Marcel Granollers (Spain)
21-Andreas Seppi (Italy) v Horacio Zeballos (Argentina)
Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) v Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan)
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) v q-Rajeev Ram (U.S.)
Marinko Matosevic (Australia) v 12-Marin Cilic (Croatia)
14-Gilles Simon (France) v Filippo Volandri (Italy)
Tommy Robredo (Spain) v Jesse Levine (Canada)
Lu Yen-hsun (Taiwan) v Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain)
Gael Monfils (France) v 18-Alexander Dologopolov (Ukraine)
25-Florian Mayer (Germany) v w-Rhyne Williams (U.S.)
q-Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine)
Joao Sousa (Portugal) v w-John-Patrick Smith (Australia)
Robin Haase (Netherlands) v 3-Andy Murray (Britain)
7-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) v Michael Llodra (France)
Go Soeda (Japan) v w-Luke Saville (Australia)
w-James Duckworth (Australia) v w-Benjamin Mitchell
(Australia)
Blaz Kavcic (Slovenia) v 29-Tomas Belluci (Brazil)
19-Tommy Haas (Germany) v Jarkko Nieminen (Finland)
Ivan Dodig (Croatia) v w-Wu Di (China)
w-Josselin Ouanna (France) v Alejandro Falla (Colombia)
Albert Montanes (Spain) v 9-Richard Gasquet (France)
13-Milos Raonic (Canada) Jan Hazek (Czech Republic)
q-Jamie Baker (Britain) v Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic)
q-Amir Weintraub (Israel) v Guido Pella (Argentina)
Steve Darcis (Belgium) v 17-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany)
27-Martin Klizan (Slovakia) v q-Daniel Brands (Germany)
Bernard Tomic (Australia) v Leonardo Mayer (Argentina)
q-Dudi Sela (Israel) v Nikolay Davydenko (Russia)
Benoit Paire (France) v 2-Roger Federer (Switzerland)
(Compiled by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by John O'Brien)
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Tennis-Revised Australian Open women's singles draw

MELBOURNE, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Revised Australian Open
women's singles draw after final qualifying (prefix denotes
seeding; w-indicates wild card; q-denotes qualifier):
1-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) v Monica Niculescu (Romania)
Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) v Karolina Pliskova (Czech
Republic)
q-Luksika Kumkhum (Thailand) v Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden)
Jamie Hampton (U.S.) v 31-Urszula Radwanska (Poland)
21-Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) v Polona Hercog (Slovenia)
w-Caroline Garcia (France) v Elena Vesnina (Russia)
Mathilde Johansson (France) v q-Akgul Amanmuradova
(Uzbekistan)
Silvia Soler-Espinosa (Spain) v 16-Roberta Vinci (Italy)
10-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) v Sabine Lisicki (Germany)
Andrea Hlavackova (Czech Republic) v Donna Vekic (Croatia)
q-Daria Gavrilova (Russia) v Lauren Davis (U.S.)
q-Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) v 24-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
(Russia)
26-Hsieh Su-wei (Taiwan) v Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino (Spain)
Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) v Lourdes Dominguez Lino
(Spain)
Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) v Christina McHale (U.S.)
Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) v 7-Sara Errani (Italy)
3-Serena Williams (U.S.) v Edina Gallovits-Hall (Romania)
Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) v Garbine Muguruza (Spain)
Ayumi Morita (Japan) v Anna Tatishvili (Georgia)
Annika Beck (Germany) v 28-Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan)
20-Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) v w-Jarmila Gajdosova (Australia)
q-Greta Arn (Hungary) v Jana Cepelova (Slovakia)
Rebecca Marino (Canada) v Peng Shuai (China)
14-Vania King (U.S.) v Maria Kirilenko (Russia)
12-Nadia Petrova (Russia) v Kimiko Date-Krumm (Japan)
Shahar Peer (Israel) v Alexandra Panova (Russia)
Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (Spain) v Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia)
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (Croatia) v 17-Lucie Safarova (Czech
Republic)
29-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) v Simona Halep (Romania)
Kristina Mladenovic (France) v Timea Babos (Hungary)
Melanie Oudin (U.S.) v Laura Robson (Britain)
Francesca Schiavone (Italy) v 8-Petra Kvitova (Czech
Republic)
6-Li Na (China) v Sesil Karatantcheva (Kazakhstan)
Pauline Parmentier (France) v Olga Govortsova (Belarus)
Kristyna Pliskova (Czech Republic) v w-Sacha Jones
(Australia)
Coco Vandeweghe (U.S.) v 27-Sorana Cirstea (Romania)
18-Julia Goerges (Germany) v q-Vera Dushevina (Russia)
Romina Oprandi (Switzerland) v Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria)
w-Zhang Yuxuan (China) v Zheng Jie (China)
Chang Kai-chen (Taiwan) v 9-Samantha Stosur (Australia)
13-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) v Melinda Czink (Hungary)
q-Chan Yung-jan (Taiwan) v Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia)
q-Maria Joao Koehler (Portugal) v q-Karin Knapp (Italy)
Johanna Larsson (Sweden) v22-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia)
32-Mona Barthel (Germany) v Ksenia Pervak (Kazakhstan)
Heather Watson (Britain) v Alexandra Cadantu (Romania)
Irina-Camelia Begu (Romania) v Arantxa Rus (Netherlands)
w-Bojana Bobusic (Australia) v 4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland)
5-Angelique Kerber (Germany) v Elina Svitolina (Ukraine)
Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic) v Kiki Bertens (Netherlands)
Casey Dellacqua (Australia) v w-Madison Keys (U.S.)
Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) v 30-Tamira Paszek (Austria)
19-Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) v q-Michelle Larcher de Brito
(Portugal)
Camila Giorgi (Italy) v Stephanie Foretz Gacon (France)
q-Vesna Dolonc (Serbia) v w-Olivia Rogowska (Australia)
Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) v 11-Marion Bartoli (France)
15-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) v w-Ashleigh Barty (Australia)
Mandy Minella (Luxembourg) v q-Valeria Savinykh (Russia)
Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) v Nina Bratchikova (Russia)
Chanelle Scheepers (South Africa) v 23-Klara Zakopalova
(Czech Republic)
25-Venus Williams (U.S.) v Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan)
Alize Cornet (France) v Marina Erakovic (New Zealand)
Petra Martic (Croatia) v Misaki Doi (Japan)
Olga Puchkova (Russia) v 2-Maria Sharapova (Russia)
(Compiled by Ian Ransom/Greg Stutchbury; Editing by John
O'Brien)
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UPDATE 1-NBA-Timberwolves overcome lost Love to clip Hawks

* Rubio returns for Timberwolves
* Hawks lose third straight
Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Minnesota Timberwolves coped with the absence of head coach Rick Adelman and All Star forward Kevin Love to beat Atlanta 108-103 on Tuesday, ending a near seven-year winless run against the Hawks.
Timberwolves coach Adelman missed the game for personal reasons, while Love is out indefinitely after reinjuring his right hand last week, but the home team still had enough beat the Hawks for the first time since April 2006.
Nikola Pekovic scored 25 points and had 18 rebounds, Andrei Kirilenko added 21 for Minnesota (16-15), who had lost 11 straight to the Hawks before Tuesday's game.
"We were really motivated," Pekovic told reporters. "I think everyone wants to step up and show more."
Minnesota led 100-89 with four minutes remaining but Atlanta managed to cut the deficit to one in the final minute. Minnesota's Dante Cunningham made a crucial jump shot with 15 seconds left and the Timberwolves added free throws to put the game away.
Minnesota's Ricky Rubio returned from a four-game absence with back spasms and had eight assists in just 19 minutes of action.
Josh Smith and Louis Williams each scored 21 for the Hawks (20-13), who have lost three straight.
"If this doesn't change there's going to have to be some changes, that's plain and simple," said Hawks coach Larry Drew.
"(To) come out and not be energized to play, that's totally unacceptable."
Atlanta fell behind early, trailing by as much as 17 in the second, but they sprang to life late in the fourth, with Kyle Korver making two straight three-pointers. Al Horford had 19 and 11 rebounds in the defeat.
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Timberwolves overcome lost Love to clip Hawks

(Reuters) - The Minnesota Timberwolves coped with the absence of head coach Rick Adelman and All Star forward Kevin Love to beat Atlanta 108-103 on Tuesday, ending a near seven-year winless run against the Hawks.
Timberwolves coach Adelman missed the game for personal reasons, while Love is out indefinitely after reinjuring his right hand last week, but the home team still had enough beat the Hawks for the first time since April 2006.
Nikola Pekovic scored 25 points and had 18 rebounds, Andrei Kirilenko added 21 for Minnesota (16-15), who had lost 11 straight to the Hawks before Tuesday's game.
"We were really motivated," Pekovic told reporters. "I think everyone wants to step up and show more."
Minnesota led 100-89 with four minutes remaining but Atlanta managed to cut the deficit to one in the final minute. Minnesota's Dante Cunningham made a crucial jump shot with 15 seconds left and the Timberwolves added free throws to put the game away.
Minnesota's Ricky Rubio returned from a four-game absence with back spasms and had eight assists in just 19 minutes of action.
Josh Smith and Louis Williams each scored 21 for the Hawks (20-13), who have lost three straight.
"If this doesn't change there's going to have to be some changes, that's plain and simple," said Hawks coach Larry Drew.
"(To) come out and not be energized to play, that's totally unacceptable."
Atlanta fell behind early, trailing by as much as 17 in the second, but they sprang to life late in the fourth, with Kyle Korver making two straight three-pointers. Al Horford had 19 and 11 rebounds in the defeat.
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Microsoft's Ballmer, group to pay $500 mln for NBA's Kings-report

SEATTLE, Jan 9 (Reuters) - A group of investors including Microsoft Corp CEO Steve Ballmer and hedge fund manager Chris Hansen is close to a deal to buy the Sacramento Kings professional basketball team for $500 million and move the National Basketball Association franchise to Seattle, Yahoo Sports reported on Wednesday.
The Maloof family is close to agreeing to sell the Kings to the Ballmer group, which hopes to move the franchise to Seattle in time for the 2013-14 season, Yahoo Sports cited league sources as saying. Reuters could not immediately confirm the accuracy of the report.
As part of the proposed deal, the Kings would play for two seasons in KeyArena - the former stomping grounds of the Seattle Supersonics - before moving into a new facility built with the help of a public financing deal already in place, Yahoo reported.
Ballmer, the NBA and representatives for Hansen all declined to comment.
The Sacramento Kings did not immediately respond to phone calls or emails seeking comment. Seattle city officials told Reuters they were aware of the rumors, but were not in a position to comment.
Seattle lost the SuperSonics franchise in 2008 when it moved to Oklahoma City and was renamed the Thunder. At the time, its owner faulted Seattle officials for not coming up with a plan to build a new arena.
Then last October, officials from Seattle - a stone's throw from Microsoft's corporate base in Redmond - signed off on a pact to bankroll a new NBA arena. That was built on an earlier agreement struck between would-be franchise owner Hansen, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and King County Executive Dow Constantine.
But McGinn was coy when asked about the report on Wednesday.
"I know as much as you do about the Sonics," McGinn told reporters at a re-election news conference on Wednesday. "But if it's true, ain't it cool?"
Industry observers said there remained a welter of factors that could undermine any potential agreement.
Hansen has spent millions of dollars on land south of downtown Seattle to house a new arena, though locating it there is contingent upon the outcome of an environmental assessment and a review of other potential sites.
"It's not a done deal. There are discussions, I'm told," said Marc Ganis, president of consultancy SportsCorp Ltd in Chicago, who is not involved in the deal. "There are lots of unknowns. I think $500 million sounds like the right range."
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, himself a former NBA star, also weighed in on the widespread reports on Wednesday.
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NBA-Knicks' Anthony banned one game for approaching Garnett

Jan 9 (Reuters) - New York Knicks All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony has been suspended one game by the National Basketball Association (NBA) for approaching an opposing player on multiple occasions after a recent game, the league said on Wednesday.
Anthony confronted Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett in the arena tunnel near the players' locker rooms and again in the parking garage following New York's 102-96 home loss on Monday.
The incidents occurred after a game in which Anthony and Garnett jawed at each other, including one exchange during the fourth quarter that lead to technical fouls for both players.
"There are no circumstances in which it is acceptable for a player to confront an opponent after a game," Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations, said in a statement.
"Carmelo Anthony attempted to engage with Kevin Garnett multiple times after Monday's game and therefore a suspension was warranted."
Anthony, second in the league in scoring behind Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers with a 29.0 average, will serve his suspension on Jan. 10 when the Atlantic division-leading Knicks play at the Indiana Pacers.
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Huawei unveils two new quad-core Android phablets

Huawei (002502) on Monday took the wraps off its colossal Ascend Mate and Ascend D2 smartphones at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Ascend Mate is the larger of the two and is equipped with a 6.1-inch 720p display, a 1.5GHz in-house quad-core processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a massive 4,050 mAh battery. The smaller Ascend D2 features a 5-inch 1080p display with a class leading pixel density of 443 pixels-per-inch. The smartphone is equipped with the same 1.5GHz quad-core processor as its larger sibling, and includes a 3,000 mAh battery and a 13-megapixel rear camera.
[More from BGR: Smooth sailing is over for Apple]
The Ascend Mate also includes a “Magic Touch” feature, which provides enhanced screen responsiveness even when wearing gloves, and the Ascend D2 is dust and water resistant. Both devices run Huawei’s Emotion user interface atop Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and also feature on-screen navigational keys.
[More from BGR: New ‘higher-end’ iPhone reportedly launching by June, low-end model could be coming as well]
No pricing or North American launch details were announced.
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Diminishing Returns: The Cold, Hard Truth for CES Smartphones

Sony has a new flagship phone at CES called the Xperia Z, and it is pretty decent. The company has another one, called the Xperia ZL, that’s also fairly nice. They’re both roughly as okay as the flagship Ascend D2 phone that Huawei was showing off in another part of the room.
If my descriptors seem lacking, that’s intentional. The truth is that none of these phones seem markedly better than last year’s holiday handsets. They’ve got a few perks that some older phones don’t, like 1080p displays and quad-core processors, but in real world use it’s hard to see the added benefit.
When I sampled another new phone this morning, Pantech’s Discover, the experience seemed practically as solid as Sony’s and Huawei’s flagship devices, despite a mere 720p display and a dual-core chip. The biggest difference is that Pantech’s phone will sell for $50 on AT&T, starting this Friday. Huawei’s and Sony’s phones will likely be more expensive if they ever reach the United States.
This is the bitter reality for Android phone makers right now. The improvements in the latest, most premium phones aren’t really that big of a deal. A 1080p display doesn’t look much different from a 720p display at normal viewing distances. A quad-core processor doesn’t provide much of a real-world benefit over a dual-core one. Photos from a 13-megapixel camera don’t look significantly better than photos from an 8-megapixel one, and shutter lag on most good smartphone cameras dropped to near zero a year ago.
As a result my brain feels a bit mushy as I look at the latest phones from CES. In the context of quick hands-on demos, there aren’t a lot of remarkable things to relay about the cream of the crop. At a glance, they’re all just pretty good phones. (Okay, let’s give the Xperia Z credit for one cool trick: It can survive up to 30 minutes dunked in water.)
Jared Newman / TIME.com
Google is partly to thank–or to blame–for this situation. Ever since Android 4.0, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, Android phones have become a lot smoother and more polished. It’s now hard to tell the difference between a phone with a top-of-the-line processor and one with the next-best thing. Software, for that matter, tends to be the source of most innovation in smartphones nowadays, and while Android phone makers tend to add some of their own software bells and whistles to their phones, I’ve yet to see any innovations from them on par with, say, Google Now.
This isn’t only the case with Android. As I wrote last March, diminishing returns seems to have hit Apple’s latest products as well. In general, spec boosts in mobile devices just don’t have the same wow factor as they did a couple years ago, when an increase in display resolution or processing power produced noticeable differences to the average user.
There’s a chance that some real innovation will happen at Mobile World Congress next month, where big shots like Samsung, LG and HTC may announce new phones. But I’m willing to wager the story will be a lot like it is here: A bunch of incremental improvements in tech specs that don’t make much of a difference. That’s not so tragic–there are worse things, after all, than a really solid smartphone with no defining traits. It’s just kind of boring.
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Iranian Bank Hackers, the Fate of the Dreamliner, and a Poetic Inauguration

Behind the New York Times pay wall, you only get 10 free clicks a month. For those worried about hitting their limit, we're taking a look through the paper each morning to find the stories that can make your clicks count.
RELATED: Wheelchairs, Miguel Cabrera, and 'Impressionism and Fashion'
Top Stories: Recent online attacks on U.S. banks, which were responsible for "transforming the online equivalent of a few yapping Chihuahuas into a pack of fire-breathing Godzillas," are said to have originated in Iran.
RELATED: Afghanistan Casualties, 'Call Me Maybe,' and Michael J. Fox
World: In the now peaceful Helmand Province, where the battle against the Taliban raged two years ago, there are worries about "the ability of the Afghan government and security forces to maintain the security gains won by the huge American and British military effort here."
RELATED: The Man Who Fights Gay Marriage, Walruses and Whales, and Tasting Menus
U.S.: Nashville, with trendiness that gave it clout in 2012, would be the place "on a Venn diagram...where conservative Christians and hipsters overlap."
RELATED: The Arab Spring, Yom Kippur, and Women in Science
New York: Asian-Americans are a growing power in philanthropy.
RELATED: Why Are We Selling Saudi Arabia $60 Billion in Arms?
Business: Though there are high hopes for the Boeing 787, a fuel leak was only one of many recent setbacks.
Sports: The Baseball Hall of Fame now weighs including players connected to steroids but has a history of letting stars of the game with personal histories of bad behavior join its ranks.
Opinion: Ted Gup writes that the C.I.A. "invokes secrecy to serve its interests but abandons it to burnish its image and discredit critics."
Art & Design: Michael Kimmelman writes an appraisal of Ada Louise Huxtable.
Books: The inaugural poet, Richard Blanco, felt a "spiritual connection" with Obama.
Dining & Wine: The post-inauguration lunch will feature "sustainable, artisanal and local ingredients" and the menu will include lobster and bison.
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Rosa Rodriguez Pens New Book Helping Parents and Daughters Plan for the Important Celebration

The Quintessential Guide to Planning a Sweet 16.

Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) January 10, 2013
Party planning can be quite overwhelming, especially when it’s in preparation for something as important as a Sweet 16 birthday party. The popularity of MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16” has raised not only the excitement for the celebration, but also expectations. To help plan for one’s Sweet 16, Rosa Rodriguez has penned the new book, “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen: A practical guide for planning and celebrating a Sweet Sixteen” (published by AuthorHouse).
“Teenage girls and their mothers will no longer have to look at wedding books or types of party books and adjust what they read for the Sweet 16 party,” Rodriguez explains. “This book is practical, with short to the point chapters, and doesn’t assume the parents can afford to spend $20,000 or more on a Sweet 16 party. In fact, it actually discourages parents from over spending.”
Rodriguez has practical experience planning and celebrating Sweet 16s and Quinceañeras, having planned several herself. Now she takes her wealth of knowledge and helps other parents and their daughters plan for their own celebrations.
“Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen” shows the benefits of planning with attention to detail through to the party itself, showcasing how proper planning can lead to a successful and stress-free party for both parents and children. In addition, it is colorfully illustrated by artist Alana Lively, whimsically leading readers through the book.
About the Author

Rosa Rodriguez has a certificate in travel and tourism from New York University which included learning how to plan and celebrate parties and events. She has practical experience planning and celebrating Sweet 16s and Quinceañeras. As an administrative assistant to high level executives, she planned business breakfasts and lunches, and while working at the public relations department of a large New York law firm she learned the behind-the-scenes aspects of planning a big event, assisting in pre-event activities, during the event and with post-event activities.
Alana Lively is an illustrator, painter, writer and stay-at-home mom. She grew up in Denver and attended the University of Kansas where she studied art and majored in English creative writing. She lives in Denver with her husband, Peter, and her two beautiful red-headed daughters, Katie and Ellie. She is currently taking film acting classes and co-producing short films with her husband. Lively enjoys running, going out for coffee and organic gardening.
AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industry’s only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrated 15 years of service to authors in Sept. 2011.For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.
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Hollywood's 'Golden Age Theater' Arrives in Las Vegas for One Performance Only

Performance of L. Ron Hubbard’s science fiction thriller “Tough Old Man” taking place at Church of Scientology Las Vegas on Saturday, January 12 at 1:00 PM

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) January 10, 2013
The Golden Age Theater located in Hollywood, California has sent a team of popular actors to perform the science fiction thriller written by master storyteller L. Ron Hubbard. It is called “Tough Old Man”— Moffat is sent for final training under the senior constable of the Frontier Patrol in interplanetary service—Old Keno. Moffat searches to discover why Old Keno doesn’t feel extreme cold or heat, and never seems to eat, and what he finds provides a totally unexpected ending.
The performance of “Tough Old Man” features Skip Harris, Ryann London and Gino Montesinos.
Gino Montesinos has starred at such premiere American theaters as The Mark Taper Forum, Lincoln Center and the New York Shakespeare Festival. His film work includes supporting roles in Collateral, Cellular and Bruce Almighty. In television, he has guest-starred on CSI:NY, 24 and ER.
Skip Harris is a veteran Broadway stage actor and a talented and versatile singer. His stage performances include appearances in the original Sweeney Todd, Cats and Beauty and the Beast.
Ryann London began her acting career in theater at the age of 13 with a role in Steel Magnolias. She’s shared the screen with such performers as John Travolta, Dennis Farina, Tori Spelling and Zachary Quinto.
It will take place at the Church of Scientology Las Vegas, 2761 Emerson Avenue, on Saturday, January 12. Doors open at noon and the show starts at 1:00PM. The performance is free. All are invited.
The Golden Age Theater has received CBS Radio’s highest four-star rating giving the shows “FOUR STARS (Highest Rating) [for] Southern California’s most refreshingly unique entertainment experience.”
Stories from the Golden Age contains 153 stories all written by Hubbard during the 1930s and 1940s—in genres ranging from Mystery to Thriller, Science Fiction and Fantasy to Adventure and Western, using his own and fifteen pen names—widely considered America’s Golden Age of Fiction. The print version of each work includes the pulp fiction artwork that originally accompanied the story in magazine publication.
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JazzMyApp.com - Pinterest for Mobile Apps

The team behind mobile9 launched JazzMyApp.com to be the Pinterest for mobile applications. It is designed for users to share and discover trending apps with a click of a button.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (PRWEB) January 10, 2013
JazzMyApp (http://www.jazzmyapp.com/) - the Pinterest for mobile applications - lets users easily share and discover awesome apps with a click of a button.
With over a million apps available, finding good apps remains a challenge for consumers. JazzMyApp aims to solve the app discovery problem by highlighting trending apps with help from bookmarklet, a little browser tool popularized by Pinterest.
"JazzMyApp users can 'pin' apps from any articles on the Internet using our bookmarklet. On top of that, we automatically pull in recommendations from over 100 blogs including TechCrunch, The Next Web, Mashable and many others. With the two combined, we hope to help users discover the most talked about apps and app deals. Our users are able to discover trending apps even before the native app store lists them." said Patrick Ooi, founder of JazzMyApp and mobile9.com.
To get started, users have to connect their Facebook account with JazzMyApp. Once done, install the "Jazz App" bookmarklet by dragging and dropping the button onto the bookmark bar. When users jazz from an app store or website, JazzMyApp automatically grabs app and features it on jazzmyapp.com for other users to follow, re-jazz and comment on. As users start jazzing, the apps will go to their personal jazz board, making it easy for them to organize all their favorite apps in one place. Users can also browse through other users' collections and add to their own jazz board. It builds an enjoyable journey through sharing, exchanging and discovering awesome apps.
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FACTBOX-Soccer-African Nations Cup finalists South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Factbox on African Nations Cup finalists and hosts South Africa ahead of this year's tournament from Jan. 19 to Feb 10.
Previous appearances African Nations Cup finals: 7
Best performance: Winners in 1996; Runners-up in 1998
FIFA world ranking Dec 2012: 87
Coach: Gordon Igesund was appointed last June after the country's poor start to the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. He was given six months to get ready for the Nations Cup and ordered to deliver at minimum a semi-final appearance if he wants to keep his job past next month. The 56-year-old is the most successful coach in South African domestic football with four league titles with four different clubs since 1997. As a player he had a spell in Austria.
Key players:
Thulani Serero (Ajax Amsterdam). Age: 22. Pos: Midfielder Playmaker who moved to Ajax after being crowned South Africa's best footballer in 2011. Working his way back after a groin injury suffered in September but coach Igesund says a Serero at 60 percent is still a potential match winner for his team since the retirement from international football of Steven Pienaar.
Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs). Age: 28 Pos: Winger Scorer of a cracking goal to open the 2010 World Cup finals, he is arguably the most popular footballer in South Africa with his smiling face and dreadlocked hairstyle adorning advertising hoardings across the major cities. His form has vacillated over the last two years as he has struggled physically to keep up with the demand of both club and country commitments.
Anele Ngcongca (Racing Genk). Age: 25 Pos: Defender. Utility defender, likely to play at right back, who was virtually unknown in his home country until he emerged at Belgian club Racing Genk, with whom he won the league in 2011 and competed in the group phase of last season's UEFA Champions League. He has trials as a teenager with Arsenal.
Prospects:
South Africa might have regressed since the disappointment of not making it past the first round of the 2010 World Cup when they hosted the finals but could ride a tide of emotive support if they get off to a good start and win over sceptical fans. They have been hampered by injury setbacks but Igesund is confident they can still go on and win the title as happened the last time the tournament was hosted in South Africa in 1996.
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FACTBOX-Soccer-African Nations Cup finalists Morocco

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Factbox on African Nations Cup finalists Morocco ahead of this year's tournament in South Africa from Jan 19 to Feb 10:
Previous appearances in African Nations Cup finals: 14
Best performance: Winners in 1976; Runners-up in 2004
FIFA world ranking Dec 2012: 74th
Coach: Rachid Taoussi was appointed in September to replace former Belgian international Eric Gerets after Morocco had lost in Mozambique in the first leg of their decisive qualifying tie. Taoussi, 56, engineered a 4-0 turnaround in October's second leg to qualify the side for the final and has since made dramatic changes to the squad. In 2011 Taoussi took the unfashionable Maghreb Fes to the African Confederation Cup title.
Key players:
Younes Belhanda (Montpellier). Age: 22. Position: Midfielder French-born playmaker who was chosen as the best young player in Ligue 1 last season after playing a significant role in unfashionable Montpellier's winning of a first-ever championship. Chose to play for Morocco in late 2010 after featuring for France at junior level.
Mehdi Benatia (Udinese). Age: 25 Pos: Defender Former French junior international who had trials at both Chelsea and Manchester United and signed for Olympique Marseille but never made the grade. He signed as a virtual unknown for Udinese, penning a five year contract in early 2010. He will captain the team in South Africa.
Youssef El Arabi (Granada). Age: 25 Pos: Forward. A 4.5-million Euro ($5.89 million) signing by Spanish club Granada in July after spending a season in Saudi Arabia. Originally from Caen, where he made his Ligue 1 debut in 2008, and spent three seasons before a surprise move to the Middle East. Debuted for Morocco in 2010, now in his second finals.
Prospects: Morocco were among the favourites at the 2012 finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon but crashed spectacularly after losing their first two games of the tournament. They had a squad full of talented players but never got all the individual flair to gel together. A coaching change has seen potential match winners like Mbark Boussoufa, Mehdi Carcela and Adel Taarabt left out in something of a surprise but Morocco are seeking to play to a plan rather than just winging it.
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FACTBOX-Soccer-African Nations Cup finalists AngolaJan 9 (Reuters) - Factbox on African Nations Cup finalists Angola ahead of this year's tournament in South Africa from Jan. 19 to Feb. 10: Previous appearances in African Nations Cup finals: 6 Best performance: Quarter-finalists in 2008 and 2010 FIFA world ranking Dec 2012: 84th Coach: Gustavo Ferrin made his name in youth soccer, starting at Defensor Sporting in his native Uruguay and then taking his country's under-17 and under-20 teams to world championships. His only previous senior job was at Montevideo-based Defensor Sporting, where he was responsible for a turnaround in fortunes in 2004. He took over as Angola coach in June from Lito Vidigal, who was fired after the team failed to reach the quarter-finals of the last Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Key players: Djalma Campos (Kasimpasa). Age: 25. Pos: Forward After scoring only one goal for Portuguese champions FC Porto he was sent on loan to Turkey where he is again struggling to find the back of the net. He has been more effective with the national team where he plays as a foil to Manucho. His father Abel Campos played at Benfica and also for Angola. Manucho (Real Valladolid). Age: 29 Pos: Forward Two quick goals in the vital qualifying tie against Zimbabwe in October allowed Angola to squeak into the finals and confirmed Manucho's status as their lead striker. His three goals made him joint top scorer at the 2012 finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. At Real Valladolid last month he scored twice against Real Madrid. Zuela (Apoel Nicosia). Age: 29 Pos: Defender Zuela was born in Luanda and brought up in Portugal but most of his career has been spent at clubs in Greece, Russia and now Cyprus. Three years ago he went to Wigan Athletic on trial but did not prove successful. Can play at full back, centre defence or as a defensive midfielder.

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Factbox on African Nations Cup finalists Angola ahead of this year's tournament in South Africa from Jan. 19 to Feb. 10:
Previous appearances in African Nations Cup finals: 6
Best performance: Quarter-finalists in 2008 and 2010
FIFA world ranking Dec 2012: 84th
Coach: Gustavo Ferrin made his name in youth soccer, starting at Defensor Sporting in his native Uruguay and then taking his country's under-17 and under-20 teams to world championships. His only previous senior job was at Montevideo-based Defensor Sporting, where he was responsible for a turnaround in fortunes in 2004. He took over as Angola coach in June from Lito Vidigal, who was fired after the team failed to reach the quarter-finals of the last Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Key players:
Djalma Campos (Kasimpasa). Age: 25. Pos: Forward
After scoring only one goal for Portuguese champions FC Porto he was sent on loan to Turkey where he is again struggling to find the back of the net. He has been more effective with the national team where he plays as a foil to Manucho. His father Abel Campos played at Benfica and also for Angola.
Manucho (Real Valladolid). Age: 29 Pos: Forward
Two quick goals in the vital qualifying tie against Zimbabwe in October allowed Angola to squeak into the finals and confirmed Manucho's status as their lead striker. His three goals made him joint top scorer at the 2012 finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. At Real Valladolid last month he scored twice against Real Madrid.
Zuela (Apoel Nicosia). Age: 29 Pos: Defender
Zuela was born in Luanda and brought up in Portugal but most of his career has been spent at clubs in Greece, Russia and now Cyprus. Three years ago he went to Wigan Athletic on trial but did not prove successful. Can play at full back, centre defence or as a defensive midfielder.
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Abound Resources Community Bank Survey Reveals That Regulations, Rates, and Economic Recovery Dampen Optimism

Abound Resources, a leading bank consulting firm, released the results of its recent survey of community bank executives.

Austin, Texas (PRWEB) January 08, 2013
Abound Resources, a leading bank consulting firm, released the results of its recent survey of community bank executives. The results highlight that community bank CEOs are much more pessimistic going into 2013 than they were going into 2012. The primary driver of the pessimism is an increasingly difficult regulatory environment.
In 2012, despite uncertainty about the economy and regulations, CEOs felt they could plan for the impact of bank regulations. However, going into 2013 they are concerned about increasing regulations, uncontrolled powers of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and increasing inconsistency among bank examiners.
“This year bank CEOs are decidedly more pessimistic than they have been since we launched our annual survey four years ago,” said Brad Smith, President and CEO of Abound Resources. More than one-third (36%) of bank CEOs report they are either very or somewhat pessimistic about their bank’s outlook for 2013. In 2012, only 21% were pessimistic and none were very pessimistic. Only about one-quarter (28%) are optimistic or very optimistic about 2013, compared to 45% in 2012.
Other major issues of concern are a weak economy and loan demand. Both of these factors were mentioned by 67% of CEOs as major concerns in 2013.
In terms of setting growth priorities for 2013, growing commercial loans, growing mortgages and mortgage originations and increasing market share among the small business segment were the top three.
On the operating side of the equation, priorities are consistent with prior year surveys in that streamlining work flows and increasing operational and technology efficiencies are the primary focus.
2013 is the year of bank workflow improvements. In 2012, streamlining bank workflows was cited by 45% of CEOs as a priority, second to improving efficiency ratios (64%). This year, improving bank workflow is the number one efficiency and cost saving priority for CEOs (60%), followed closely by improving the bank efficiency ratio (58%). According to Brad Smith, “There is a built-up demand for improving bank workflow since so few banks made workflow improvements last year. Bank workflow improvement projects are tricky as middle management is often resistant to changing how they work, or they don’t know how to make changes beyond a few tweaks.”
A complimentary copy of a White Paper analyzing the complete survey results is available for download by clicking here.
ABOUT ABOUND RESOURCES
Abound Resources is a full service bank consulting firm with the sole purpose of helping community banks achieve their goals - whether those goals are for growth, efficiency, technology or risk management. In fact, we guarantee it.
Abound Resources offers an array of services designed to improve performance and profitability and help community banks cope with an increasingly stringent regulatory environment.
Our seven practice areas are each headed by an experienced practice leader:

    Technology – bank technology plans, bank vendor evaluations, core vendor RFPs, bank contract negotiations, bank vendor management
    Performance Management – bank workflow improvement, revenue enhancement, bank efficiency improvement
    Lending – loan process improvement, loan origination vendor evaluations and implementations
    Small Business and Commercial – small business deposit and fee income growth programs, bank cash management programs
    Strategic Planning – bank strategic plans, risk tolerance planning, one page strategic plans, competitive differentiation
    Sales and Marketing – branch performance improvement, sales coaching and training, e-marketing strategies and campaign management
    Risk Management and Compliance – ERM, bank IT audits, information security assessments, bank compliance, BSA review
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Rosacea Care Company, One of First Out of the Gate With Sea Buckthorn, Will Introduce New Products Featuring the Remarkable Ingredient in 2013

The Rosacea Care Company, one of the first to use Sea Buckthorn in the treatment of rosacea and sensitive skin, will introduce new products featuring the ingredient this spring. The soothing and healing qualities of Sea Buckthorn, which contains contains high concentrations of Vitamins C and E as well as flavonoids and oils rich in essential fatty acids, have proven to be an effective approach to relieving the irritation, discomfort and facial redness often associated with rosacea .

Pittsfield, Massachusetts (PRWEB) January 08, 2013
It may sound like a race horse -- perhaps the son of Seabiscuit -- but Sea Buckthorn has proven to be one of the richest and most effective skin care ingredients for treating rosacea and sensitive skin. The Rosacea Care Company, which features the ingredient in its popular Night Cream, will shortly add two new products incorporating Sea Buckthorn. The specific products are currently in the trial phase and will be released in the spring.
Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) has a long history of use in Asia and the Far East as a primary healing agent. It is a shrub with vibrant orange berries and grows in the mountainous regions of Russia and China as well as along certain maritime coasts. It contains high concentrations of Vitamins C and E as well as flavonoids and oils rich in essential fatty acids. It is also a potent antioxidant.
According to Marina Perry, Vice President for Product Development at Rosacea Care, the soothing and healing qualities of Sea Buckthorn provide an effective approach to relieving the irritation and discomfort often associated with rosacea, a skin disorder characterized by facial redness, frequently accompanied by pimples and visible blood vessels. There is no cure, but it is possible to control the symptoms, and that’s where the healing powers of Sea Buckthorn can play a major role.
Perry was born and raised in Russia, where households regularly maintain a supply of Sea Buckthorn Oil to use for treating burns and healing wounds. “In my family,” she says, “whenever there was any kind of burn, abrasion or skin problem, my mother immediately reached for the bottle of cling-berry, as we called it, and the pain and inflammation disappeared.” Perry also notes that some cosmetologists today see anti-aging properties in Sea Buckthorn. “My mother used it as a skin moisturizer, and I can attest that well into her 60’s she had skin like a baby.”
The botanical name for Sea Buckthorn contains the Latin word Hippophae, which means ‘shiny horse.’ Perry explains that there is a legend that ancient Greeks believed that horses who fed on these plants recovered more quickly from battle wounds and developed shiny coats in the process. She adds, “So maybe the reference to Seabiscuit isn’t that far off after all.”
Rosacea Care offers the world’s most comprehensive line of professional skin care products for the treatment of rosacea and sensitive skin. Each of the Rosacea Care products has been exclusively designed and developed by leading dermatologists and research laboratories to provide a helpful and supportive response to these skin conditions. The family-owned company, founded in 2000, is based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Rosacea Care has customers in 80 countries.
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Pwnie Express Participates in Department of Energy Cyber Security Workshop

Pwnie Express, Leader in Innovative Pentesting Products Joins Leaders in Government and Academia at Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Discuss Cyber Security.

Oak Ridge, TN (PRWEB) January 08, 2013
Vermont-based Pwnie Express, leader in innovative penetration testing products, will be a Silver Sponsor at this year’s Cyber Security and Information Intelligence Research Workshop (CSIIRW) held at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on January 8-10, 2013.
The conference brings together like-minded leaders, researchers and practitioners from Government, Industry and Academia to meet and discuss pertinent issues and needs, establish relationships and identify opportunities for collaboration - to ensure a comprehensive strategy for cybersecurity and information intelligence founded on sound principles and technologies.
Approximately 300-350 mid-senior level researchers, as well as agency and industry executives are expected to participate in this year's workshop. DOE National Laboratories participating include: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
About Pwnie Express

Pwnie Express is the premier global provider of innovative, cost effective, rapid deployment penetration testing products. Their products have been incorporated into the cyber-security toolboxes of over one hundred security service providers, several Fortune 50 companies and various federal agencies. The Pwn Plug has been named as the Editors Choice in PC Magazine and Pwnie Express has been named by CIO On-line as one of the 7 hottest security companies to watch. They have recently been featured in Wired.com, The Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) Journal, Ars Technica, PC Magazine, and Slashdot. Pwnie Express has also been named one of the the 2012 Industry Innovators in Analysis and Testing by SC Magazine.
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India's top cop calls for rape crackdown

nts and other AP reporting, Bikram Singh …more
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NEW DELHI (AP) — India's top law enforcement official said Friday that the country needs to crack down on crimes against women with "an iron hand" to prevent attacks such as the fatal gang rape of a student on a New Delhi bus last month.
That attack has sparked outrage across India and led to calls for tougher rape legislation and reforms of a police culture that often blames rape victims and refuses to file charges against accused attackers.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said crimes against women and marginalized sections of society are increasing, and it is the government's responsibility to stop them.
"This needs to be curbed by an iron hand," he told a conference of state officials from across India that was called to discuss how to protect women.
He called for changes in the law and the way police investigate cases so justice can be swiftly delivered. Many rape cases are bogged down in India's overburdened and sluggish court system for years.
"We need a reappraisal of the entire system," he said.
Five men were charged Thursday with murder, kidnapping and rape in the attack on a 23-year-old student who died over the weekend in a Singapore hospital from massive internal injuries. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Saturday at a new fast-track court inaugurated this week to deal with rape cases in the capital.
In the wake of the rape, several petitioners appealed to the Supreme Court to take an active role in the issue of women's safety.
On Friday, the court dismissed a petition asking it to suspend Indian lawmakers accused of crimes against women, saying it doesn't have jurisdiction, according to the Press Trust of India. The Association for Democratic Reforms, an organization that tracks officials' criminal records, said six state lawmakers are facing rape prosecutions and two national parliamentarians are facing charges of crimes against women that fall short of rape.
However, the court did agree to look into the widespread creation of more fast-track courts for accused rapists across the country.
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India rape victim's friend recounts ordeal

NEW DELHI (AP) — The companion of a woman who was gang-raped aboard a bus in New Delhi recounted in a television interview for the first time Friday how the pair was attacked for 2 1/2 hours before being thrown on the side of the road, where passersby ignored them and police debated jurisdiction issues before helping them.
The Dec. 16 attack has outraged Indians and led to calls for tougher rape laws and reforms of a police culture that often blames rape victims and refuses to file charges against accused attackers. The nation's top law enforcement official said the country needs to crack down on crimes against women with "an iron hand."
The 23-year-old woman died over the weekend from massive internal injuries suffered during the attack. Authorities charged five men with her murder and rape and were holding a sixth suspect believed to be a juvenile. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Saturday.
The woman and her male friend had just finished watching the movie "Life of Pi" at an upscale mall and were looking for a ride home. An autorickshaw driver declined to take them so they boarded the private bus with the six assailants inside, the companion told the Indian TV network Zee TV.
Authorities have not named the man because of the sensitivity of the case. The TV station also declined to give his name, although it did show his face during the interview. The man has a broken leg and was sitting in a wheelchair during the interview.
After a while, the men on the bus starting harassing and attacking the pair, he said.
"I gave a tough fight to three of them. I punched them hard. But then two others hit me with an iron rod," he said. The woman tried to call the police using her mobile phone, but the men took it away from her, he said. They then took her to the rear seats of the bus and raped her.
"The attack was so brutal I can't even tell you ... even animals don't behave like that," he said.
Afterward, he overheard some of the attackers saying she was dead, he said.
The men then dumped their bleeding and naked bodies under an overpass. He waved to passers-by on bikes, in autorickshaws and in cars for help.
"They slowed down, looked at our naked bodies and left," he said. After about 20 minutes, three police vans arrived and the officers began arguing over who had jurisdiction over the crime as the man pleaded for clothes and an ambulance, he said.
The man said he was given no medical care. Instead, he spent four days at the police station helping them investigate the crime. He said he visited his friend in the hospital, told her the attackers were arrested and promised to fight for her.
"She has awakened us all by her courage," he said. "People should move ahead in the struggle to prevent a similar crime happening again as a tribute to her."
On Friday, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said crimes against women and marginalized sections of society are increasing, and it is the government's responsibility to stop them.
"This needs to be curbed by an iron hand," he told a conference of state officials from across India that was called to discuss how to protect women.
He called for changes in the law and the way police investigate cases so justice can be swiftly delivered. Many rape cases are bogged down in India's overburdened and sluggish court system for years.
"We need a reappraisal of the entire system," he said.
In the wake of the rape, several petitioners appealed to the Supreme Court to take an active role in the issue of women's safety.
On Friday, the court dismissed a petition asking it to suspend Indian lawmakers accused of crimes against women, saying it doesn't have jurisdiction, according to the Press Trust of India. The Association for Democratic Reforms, an organization that tracks officials' criminal records, said six state lawmakers are facing rape prosecutions and two national parliamentarians are facing charges of crimes against women that fall short of rape.
However, the court did agree to look into the widespread creation of more fast-track courts for accused rapists across the country.
Read More..

India gang-rape victim's friend recounts attack

NEW DELHI (AP) — Passers-by refused to stop to help a naked, bleeding gang-rape victim after she was dumped from a bus onto a New Delhi street, and police delayed taking her to a hospital for 30 minutes, the woman's male companion said in an interview. It was his first public account of the gruesome attack that killed the 23-year-old student and prompted demands for reform of a law enforcement culture seen as lax in crimes against women.
The gang-rape victim's brother blamed a delay in medical treatment of nearly two hours for her death last week in a Singapore hospital.
The woman's male companion, who has not been named, sat in a wheelchair with a broken leg in his interview aired Friday on Indian TV station Zee News. He recounted the 2 ½ hour rape and beating by a group of men on a bus, which the pair had boarded as they were returning from seeing a movie together.
"I gave a tough fight to three of them. I punched them hard. But then two others hit me with an iron rod," he said. The woman tried to call the police using her mobile phone, but the men took it away from her, he said. They then took her to the rear seats of the bus and one-by-one began raping her, beating and violating her with an iron rod.
Afterward, he overheard some of the attackers saying the woman was dead before dumping both onto the street, he said.
On Saturday, police officer Vivek Gogia denied the companion's assertion that police officers debated jurisdiction for 30 minutes before taking the rape victim and her friend to a hospital.
In a statement, Gogia said police vans reached the spot where the rape victim and her friend were dumped within three minutes of receiving the alert. "Police vans left the spot for hospital with the victims within 12 minutes," he said.
That time was spent in borrowing bed sheets from a neighboring hotel to cover the naked rape victim and her friend, he said.
Also Saturday, a court asked police to produce five men accused of raping the student for pre-trial proceedings on Monday. Police have charged them with murder, rape and other crimes that could bring them the death penalty.
A sixth suspect, listed as a 17-year-old, was expected to be tried in a juvenile court, where the maximum sentence would be three years in a reform facility.
Prosecutor Rajiv Mohan said the summary received from Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore said the rape victim's death was caused by septicemia and multiple-organ failure, the Press Trust of India news agency said.
He also told Magistrate Namrita Aggarwal that the DNA test confirmed that the blood of the victim tallied with the blood stains found on the clothes of all the accused.
Meanwhile, the rape victim's brother said the delay in providing medical treatment led to complications which perhaps caused her death.
"She told me that after the incident she had asked passers-by for help but to no avail, and it was only after the highway patrol alerted the police that she was rushed to hospital, but it had taken almost two hours," the Press Trust of India quoted the brother as saying in his ancestral village, Medawara Kala, in northern Uttar Pradesh state.
"By then a lot of blood was lost," he said.
The 23-year-old woman died last weekend from massive internal injuries suffered during the attack.
On the night of the attack, the woman and her companion had just finished watching the movie "Life of Pi" at an upscale mall and were looking for a ride home. An autorickshaw driver declined to take them, so they boarded the private bus with the six assailants inside, the companion told Zee News.
After the pair were on the bus for a while, the men started harassing and attacking them.
"The attack was so brutal I can't even tell you ... even animals don't behave like that," the man said.
The men dumped their bleeding and naked bodies under an overpass. The woman's companion waved to passersby on bikes, in autorickshaws and in cars for help, but no one stopped. "They slowed down, looked at our naked bodies and left," he said.
"My friend was grievously injured and bleeding profusely," he said. "Cars, autos and bikes slowed down and sped away. I kept waving for help. The ones who stopped stared at us, discussing what could have happened. Nobody did anything."
After about 20 minutes, three police vans arrived, but the officers argued over who had jurisdiction over the crime as the man pleaded for clothes and an ambulance, he said.
Finally, he said, they were taken to a hospital.
The man said he was given no medical care. He then spent four days at the police station helping police investigate the crime. He said he visited his friend in the hospital, told her the attackers were arrested and promised to fight for her.
Authorities have not named the man because of the sensitivity of the case. Zee News also declined to give his name, although it did show his face during the interview.
Indian law prohibits the disclosure of the identity of victims in rape cases, and police have opened an investigation into the TV station for broadcasting the interview, New Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said Saturday. Violators of the law can face up to two years in prison and a fine.
The woman's companion said he gave the TV interview because he hopes it will encourage rape victims to come forward and speak about their ordeals without shame.
He said his friend was determined to see that the attackers were punished. "She gave all details of the crime to the magistrate — things we can't even talk about," he said. "She told me that the culprits should be burnt alive."
He added, "People should move ahead in the struggle to prevent a similar crime happening again as a tribute to her."
Most people in India are reluctant to get involved in police business because once they become witnesses, they can be dragged into legal cases that can go on for years. Also, Indian police are often seen less as protectors and more as harassers.
On Friday, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde called for changes in the law and the way police investigate cases so justice can be swiftly delivered. Many rape cases are bogged down in India's overburdened and sluggish court system for years.
In the wake of the rape, several petitioners appealed to the Supreme Court to take an active role in the issue of women's safety.
On Friday, the court dismissed a petition asking it to suspend Indian lawmakers accused of crimes against women, saying it doesn't have jurisdiction, according to the Press Trust of India. The Association for Democratic Reforms, an organization that tracks officials' criminal records, said six state lawmakers are facing rape prosecutions and two national parliamentarians are facing charges of crimes against women that fall short of rape.
However, the court did agree to look into the widespread creation of more fast-track courts for accused rapists across the country.
Read More..

Samsung Galaxy Muse is like an iPod Shuffle that Syncs with Your Phone

In perhaps the most awkwardly titled tech press release ever, Samsung Mobile announced the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy Muse, a device which appears to have nothing to do with "CORRECTING and REPLACING and ADDING MULTIMEDIA" but everything to do with being a music player crossed with a smartphone accessory.
​Say goodbye to iTunes?
While most handheld music players (and smartphone or tablets with music apps) sync with a PC or Mac music app, like iTunes or Banshee, the Samsung Galaxy Muse syncs with your Android phone itself. It uses the Muse Sync app, which Google Play says will install on devices like the Nexus 7 tablet but which Samsung says will only work with the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II smartphones.
​Plug it in, turn it on
The pebble-shaped Muse connects to your Samsung phone via its headset jack. It doesn't have a screen, so you have to control it iPod Shuffle style, and use the Muse Sync app to see how much of its 4 GB of space are free and decide which playlists to sync. Since it only has those 4 GB, it can only hold a fraction of the music that can be put on the much more powerful smartphones.
​Who is Samsung selling the Galaxy Muse to?
Samsung says "users can sync the songs they want and leave their phone behind," the usefulness of which may depend on whether or not you feel limited by having to bring your smartphone with you. The press release mentions its "wearable design and small form factor," and suggests taking it "in place of [your] smartphone ... at the gym or on the go."
​What other gadgets are like the Galaxy Muse?
The most obvious comparison is to the iPod Shuffle, Apple's similarly tiny and screen-less portable music player. At $49, it costs the same as the Galaxy Muse (although a Droid-Life tipster found a $25 off coupon code for the Muse), but comes in seven different colors and has an embossed click-wheel controller instead of a flat and featureless surface. It requires you to use iTunes on a desktop PC or Mac, though.
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Facebook, Google tell the government to stop granting patents for abstract ideas

Facebook (FB), Google (GOOG) and six other tech companies have petitioned the courts to begin rejecting lawsuits that are based on patents for vague concepts rather than specific applications, TechCrunch reported. The agreement, which was cosigned by Zynga (ZNGA), Dell (DELL), Intuit (INTU), Homeaway (AWAY), Rackspace (RAX), and Red Hat (RHT), notes the only thing these abstract patents do is increase legal fees and slow innovation in the industry. The companies claim that “abstract patents are a plague in the high tech sector” and force innovators into litigation that results in huge settlements or steep licensing fees for technology they have already developed on their own, which then leads to higher prices for consumers.
“Many computer-related patent claims just describe an abstract idea at a high level of generality and say to perform it on a computer or over the Internet,” the briefing reads. “Such barebones claims grant exclusive rights over the abstract idea itself, with no limit on how the idea is implemented. Granting patent protection for such claims would impair, not promote, innovation by conferring exclusive rights on those who have not meaningfully innovated, and thereby penalizing those that do later innovate by blocking or taxing their applications of the abstract idea.”
The companies conclude, “It is easy to think of abstract ideas about what a computer or website should do, but the difficult, valuable, and often groundbreaking part of online innovation comes next: designing, analyzing, building, and deploying the interface, software, and hardware to implement that idea in a way that is useful in daily life. Simply put, ideas are much easier to come by than working implementations.”
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Verizon Offering $5 Shared 4G Plan for Samsung Galaxy Camera

Imagine the powerful Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone, except that it can't make phone calls and its backplate has been replaced by a digital camera -- handgrip, zoom lens, and all. That's basically the Samsung Galaxy Camera in a nutshell, and whether it's a small, awkwardly-shaped Android tablet or a digital camera that you can play Modern Combat 3 on depends on how you look at it.
When the Galaxy Camera launched last month, it was only available in white, and cost $499 on AT&T's network with a month-to-month data plan. But on Dec. 13, it launches on Verizon's network, in both white and black. The Verizon Galaxy Camera costs $50 more up front, but in return it has 4G LTE instead of HSPA+, and Verizon is offering a "promotional price" for the monthly charge: Only $5 to add it to a Share Everything plan, instead of the usual $10 tablet rate.
A 4G digital camera
While it's capable of functioning as an Android tablet (or game machine), the biggest reason for the Samsung Galaxy Camera's 4G wireless Internet is so it can automatically upload photos it takes. Apps such as Dropbox, Photobucket, and Ubuntu One offer a limited amount of online storage space for free, where the Galaxy Camera can save photos without anyone needing to tell it to. Those photos can then be accessed at home, or on a tablet or laptop.
Most smartphones are able to do this already, but few (with the possible exception of the Windows Phone powered Nokia Lumia 920) are able to take photos as high-quality as the Galaxy Camera's.
Not as good of a deal as it sounds
Dropbox is offering two years' worth of 50 GB of free online storage space for photos and videos, to anyone who buys a Samsung Galaxy Camera from AT&T or Verizon. (The regular free plan is only 2 GB.)
The problem is, you may need that much space. The photos taken by the Galaxy Camera's 16 megapixel sensor take up a lot more space, at maximum resolution, than ordinary smartphone snapshots do. Those camera uploads can eat through a shared data plan, and with Verizon charging a $15 per GB overage fee (plus the $50 extra up-front on top of what AT&T charges) it may make up for the cheaper monthly cost.
On top of that, the Galaxy Camera's photos are basically on par with a $199 digital camera's -- you pay a large premium to combine that kind of point-and-shoot with the hardware equivalent of a high-end smartphone.
It does run Android, though, right?
The Galaxy Camera uses Samsung's custom software for its camera app, and lacks a normal phone dialer app. Beyond that, though, it runs the same Android operating system found on smartphones, and can run all the same games and apps.
Some apps don't work the same on the Galaxy Camera as they do on a smartphone, however. Apps which only run in portrait mode, for instance, require you to hold the camera sideways to use them (especially unpleasant when they're camera apps). And while it can make voice and even video calls over Skype, it lacks a rear-facing camera or the kind of speaker you hold up close to your ear. So you may end up making speakerphone calls and filming the palm of your hand.
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Selling flak jackets in the cyberwars

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - When the Israeli army and Hamas trade virtual blows in cyberspace, or when hacker groups like Anonymous rise from the digital ether, or when WikiLeaks dumps a trove of classified documents, some see a lawless Internet.
But Matthew Prince, chief executive at CloudFlare, a little-known Internet start-up that serves some of the Web's most controversial characters, sees a business opportunity.
Founded in 2010, CloudFlare markets itself as an Internet intermediary that shields websites from distributed denial-of-service, or DDoS, attacks, the crude but effective weapon that hackers use to bludgeon websites until they go dark. The 40-person company claims to route up to 5 percent of all Internet traffic through its global network.
Prince calls his company the "Switzerland" of cyberspace - assiduously neutral and open to all comers. But just as companies like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have faced profound questions about the balance between free speech and openness on the Internet and national security and law enforcement concerns, CloudFlare's business has posed another thorny question: what kinds of services, if any, should an American company be allowed to offer designated terrorists and cyber criminals?
CloudFlare's unusual position at the heart of this debate came to the fore last month, when the Israel Defense Forces sought help from CloudFlare after its website was struck by attackers based in Gaza. The IDF was turning to the same company that provides those services to Hamas and the al-Quds Brigades, according to publicly searchable domain information. Both Hamas and al-Quds, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, are designated by the United States as terrorist groups.
Under the USA Patriot Act, U.S. firms are forbidden from providing "material support" to groups deemed foreign terrorist organizations. But what constitutes material support - like many other facets of the law itself - has been subject to intense debate.
CloudFlare's dealings have attracted heated criticism in the blogosphere from both Israelis and Palestinians, but Prince defended his company as a champion of free speech.
"Both sides have an absolute right to tell their story," said Prince, a 38-year old former lawyer. "We're not providing material support for anybody. We're not sending money, or helping people arm themselves."
Prince noted that his company only provides defensive capabilities that enable websites to stay online.
"We can't be sitting in a role where we decide what is good or what is bad based on our own personal biases," he said. "That's a huge slippery slope."
Many U.S. agencies are customers, but so is WikiLeaks, the whistle-blowing organization. CloudFlare has consulted for many Wall Street institutions, yet also protects Anonymous, the "hacktivist" group associated with the Occupy movement.
Prince's stance could be tested at a time when some lawmakers in the United States and Europe, armed with evidence that militant groups rely on the Web for critical operations and recruitment purposes, have pressured Internet companies to censor content or cut off customers.
Last month, conservative political lobbies, as well as seven lawmakers led by Ted Poe, a Republican from Texas, urged the FBI to shut down the Hamas Twitter account. The account remains active; Twitter declined to comment.
MATERIAL SUPPORT
Although it has never prosecuted an Internet company under the Patriot Act, the government's use of the material support argument has steadily risen since 2006. Since September 11, 2001, more than 260 cases have been charged under the provision, according to Fordham Law School's Terrorism Trends database.
Catherine Lotrionte, the director of Georgetown University's Institute for Law, Science and Global Security and a former Central Intelligence Agency lawyer, argued that Internet companies should be more closely regulated.
"Material support includes web services," Lotrionte said. "Denying them services makes it more costly for the terrorists. You're cornering them."
But others have warned that an aggressive government approach would have a chilling effect on free speech.
"We're resurrecting the kind of broad-brush approaches we used in the McCarthy era," said David Cole, who represented the Humanitarian Law Project, a non-profit organization that was charged by the Justice Department for teaching law to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is designated by the United States as a terrorist group. The group took its case to the Supreme Court but lost in 2010.
The material support law is vague and ill-crafted, to the point where basic telecom providers, for instance, could be found guilty by association if a terrorist logs onto the Web to plot an attack, Cole said.
In that case, he asked, "Do we really think that AT&T or Google should be held accountable?"
CloudFlare said it has not been contacted about its services by the U.S. government. Spokespeople for Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, told Reuters they contracted a cyber-security company in Gaza that out-sources work to foreign companies, but declined to comment further. The IDF confirmed it had hired CloudFlare, but declined to discuss "internal security" matters.
CloudFlare offers many of its services for free, but the company says websites seeking advanced protection and features can see their bill rise to more than $3,000 a month. Prince declined to discuss the business arrangements with specific customers.
While not yet profitable, CloudFlare has more than doubled its revenue in the past four months, according to Prince, and is picking up 3,000 new customers a day. The company has raked in more than $22 million from venture capital firms including New Enterprise Associates, Venrock and Pelion Venture Partners.
Prince, a Midwestern native with mussed brown hair who holds a law degree from the University of Chicago, said he has a track record of working on the right side of the law.
A decade ago, Prince provided free legal aid to Spamhaus, an international group that tracked email spammers and identity thieves. He went on to create Project Honey Pot, an open source spam-tracking endeavor that turned over findings to police.
Prince's latest company, CloudFlare, has been hailed by groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists for protecting speech. Another client, the World Economic Forum, named CloudFlare among its 2012 "technology pioneers" for its work. But it also owes its profile to its most controversial customers.
CloudFlare has served 4Chan, the online messaging community that spawned Anonymous. LulzSec, the hacker group best known for targeting Sony Corp, is another customer. And since last May, the company has propped up WikiLeaks after a vigilante hacker group crashed the document repository.
Last year, members of the hacker collective UgNazi, whose exploits include pilfering user account information from eBay and crashing the CIA.gov website, broke into Prince's cell phone and email accounts.
"It was a personal affront," Prince said. "But we never kicked them off either."
Prince said CloudFlare would comply with a valid court order to remove a customer, but that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has never requested a takedown. The company has agreed to turn over information to authorities on "exceedingly rare" occasions, he acknowledged, declining to elaborate.
"Any company that doesn't do that won't be in business long," Prince said. But in an email, he added: "We have a deep and abiding respect for our users' privacy, disclose to our users whenever possible if we are ordered to turn over information and would fight an order that we believed was not proper."
Juliannne Sohn, an FBI spokeswoman, declined to comment.
Michael Sussmann, a former Justice Department lawyer who prosecuted computer crimes, said U.S. law enforcement agencies may in fact prefer that the Web's most wanted are parked behind CloudFlare rather than a foreign service over which they have no jurisdiction.
Federal investigators "want to gather information from as many sources as they can, and they're happy to get it," Sussmann said.
In an era of rampant cyber warfare, Prince acknowledged he is something of a war profiteer, but with a wrinkle.
"We're not selling bullets," he said. "We're selling flak jackets."
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Merry Christmas, America-Haters?

When TNT was preparing its annual special "Christmas in Washington" with the president of the United States, you'd think the last star musician they would consider to join the official caroling would be Psy, the South Korean rapper. What on Earth is Christmasy about this man's invisible-horse-riding dance to his dorky disco-rap hit "Gangnam Style"? It's not exactly the natural flip-side to "O Holy Night." But TNT couldn't resist this year's YouTube sensation.
This inane publicity stunt backfired when the website Mediaite reported on Dec. 7 that Psy (real name: Park Jae-sang) had participated in a 2002 protest in which he crushed a model of an American tank with a microphone stand. But that's nothing compared to the footage of a 2004 performance after a Korean missionary was slaughtered by Islamists in Iraq. These lyrics cannot be misunderstood.
"Kill those f—-ing Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives ... Kill those f—-ing Yankees who ordered them to torture ... Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law and fathers ... Kill them all slowly and painfully."
This isn't just anti-American. It's anti-human.
Guess where this story first surfaced in the American media? CNN, from the same corporate family tree as TNT. It was posted back on Oct. 6 on CNN's iReport, an open-source online news feature that allows users to submit stories for CNN consideration.
The Korean one-hit wonder put out the usual abject careerist apology, but he weirdly said, "I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted." Those darn lyrics and those darn people who misinterpret lyrics about killing Yankees' mothers. It is like Barack Obama expressing regret for the awful things said about Susan Rice, ignoring the awful things said by Susan Rice.
Psy is now a millionaire. As Jim Treacher wrote at the Daily Caller: "So far he's made over $8 million from the song, about $3 million of it from the people he once wanted to kill." Brad Schaeffer at Big Hollywood noted his own father fought for South Korea's independence in the Korean War: "Had it not been for 'f——-g Yankees' like my Dad, this now-wealthy South Korean wouldn't be 'Oppan Gangnam Style' so much as 'Starving Pyongyang Style.'" (Gangnam is a posh district in the South Korean capital of Seoul.)
Despite the controversy, neither the Obama White House nor the TNT brass felt it was necessary to send Psy packing before the Dec. 9 taping. On Saturday, ABC reporter Muhammad Lila merely repeated, "the White House says the concert will go on and that President Obama will attend, saying that they have no control over who performs at that concert."
What moral cowardice. On Monday morning, another pliant publicist, NBC correspondent Peter Alexander, calmly relayed that the White House did take control on the Psy front — on its own "We The People" website, where the people may post petitions to the president for their fellow citizens to sign. A petition asking Obama to dump Psy from the Christmas concert was itself dumped. Alexander explained: "But that petition was removed because the rules say the petitions only apply to federal actions. And, of course, the President had no say over who the private charity chose to invite."
This is double baloney. The White House hasn't removed silly "federal action" petitions like the one asking to "Nationalize the Twinkie Industry," or one to "Secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016." They removed one that they didn't want people to sign.
As for Obama having "no say over" who appeared on the TNT show, the president could easily declare he wasn't going to share a stage with this America-hater. Or he could have obviously placed one phone call to Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes (an Obama donor), and expressed the dismay of the President of the United States.
Instead, the Obamas came and honored Psy. Yes, the president honored a man who despised America enough to want its citizens slaughtered.
John Eggerton of Broadcasting and Cable magazine observed, "At the end of the taping, when the First Family customarily shakes hands and talks briefly with the performers, the First Lady gave Psy a hug, followed by a handshake from the President, who engaged Psy in a short, animated discussion — at one point Psy appeared to rock back with laughter — and patted the singer on the shoulder."
I never thought I'd ever view a Christmas special featuring a hideous hater of America celebrated by the President of the United States.
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Canada's seven-month budget gap narrows to C$10.6 billion

 Canada's federal budget deficit narrowed in the first seven months of the fiscal year to C$10.57 billion ($10.68 billion) from C$13.90 billion in the same period last year as personal and corporate income tax revenues rose and debt charges were lower.
The monthly shortfall in October was C$1.68 billion, compared with a gap of C$2.13 billion a year earlier, the Department of Finance said in a report on Friday.
The Conservative government in October pushed back by one year, to 2016-17, the date it expects to eliminate the deficit. Most economists believe that if the economy continues to grow, the books could be balanced sooner.
Ottawa has estimated a 2012-13 deficit of C$26 billion, including a C$1 billion cushion for risk.
In the April-October period, revenues increased by 3.6 percent, or C$4.9 billion, from the same period in 2011, pushed up by personal income tax and corporate income tax. Program expenses rose by 2 percent, or C$2.7 billion, on increases in elderly benefits and direct program expenses.
Public debt charges decreased 6.1 percent, or C$1.1 billion, on a lower effective interest rate.
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"Fiscal cliff" creates waiting game for payrolls firms

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - At payroll processing businesses across the United States, the "fiscal cliff" stalemate in Washington means uncertainty over tax-withholding tables just days before the start of 2013.
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service still has not issued the tables for next year that show how much money employers should hold back from workers' paychecks to cover federal income taxes.
Payroll processors need the tables to get their systems geared up for the new year. The tables are set by many factors, including tax rates and annual inflation adjustments.
In anticipation of late-breaking developments, Rochester, New York-based Paychex Inc will be serving Buffalo chicken wings for staffers working late on New Year's Eve, said Frank Fiorille, an executive at the payroll processing giant.
"Our systems are flexible enough that we can wait almost up until the last minute and still make changes," he said.
The IRS appreciates of the impact of Congress' inaction.
"Since Congress is still considering changes to the tax law, we continue to closely monitor the situation," IRS spokesman Terry Lemons said in a statement. "We intend to issue guidance by the end of the year on appropriate withholding for 2013."
Tax rates are slated to rise sharply for most Americans if Congress and President Barack Obama fail to reach an agreement that averts the "fiscal cliff" approaching at year-end.
"The political process will determine one way or the other what" the IRS must do, said Scott Hodge, president of the Tax Foundation, a business-oriented tax research group.
For now, he said, from the tax-collection agency's viewpoint, "doing nothing is probably the best course." This would be because withholding tables distributed now might only have to be revised if Congress acts in the next few days.
Some payroll servicers are not waiting for formal IRS guidance. The American Payroll Association, which represents about 23,000 payroll professionals, told members on Friday to rely on 2012 withholding tables until the IRS releases the new forms for 2013.
The association said its decision was based on a statement earlier this month from an IRS official.
The agency would not confirm that policy on Friday.
Tax preparer H&R Block Inc said it will use 2012 tax-withholding tables if the 2013 tables are not issued.
Executives said they were frustrated with the uncertainty in Washington, but were doing their best to cope.
"We are not doctors or surgeons and this is not life threatening," said Rob Basso with Advantaged Payroll Services, an Auburn, Maine-based payroll processor that serves 30,000 businesses. "It is annoying and disruptive to people's lives, but we will get through it."
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Future of state estate taxes hangs on U.S. "fiscal cliff"

(Reuters) - Falling off the "fiscal cliff" is a bad thing, right?
Not necessarily for some state governments that could begin collecting more in estate taxes on wealth left to heirs if the United States goes over the "cliff," allowing sharp tax increases and federal spending cuts to take effect in January.
In an example of federal and state tax law interaction that gets little notice on Capitol Hill, 30 states next year could collect $3 billion more in estate taxes if Congress and President Barack Obama do not act soon, estimated the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank.
The reason? The federal estate tax would return with a vengeance and so would a federal credit system that shares a portion of it with the 30 states. They had been getting their cut of this tax revenue stream until the early 2000s. That was when the credit system for payment of state estate tax went away due to tax cuts enacted under former President George W. Bush.
With the return of the credit system next year as part of the "cliff," states such as Florida, Colorado and Texas - which have not collected estate tax since 2004 - could resume doing so. California Governor Jerry Brown has already begun to add the anticipated estate tax revenue into his plans, including $45 million of it in his 2012-2013 revised budget.
Brown may or may not be jumping the gun.
CLOUDY CLIFF AHEAD
The outlook on the "fiscal cliff" coming up at year-end is uncertain. Democratic President Barack Obama has said he hopes for a last-minute deal to avert it. That would need to get done soon, with Congress just now coming back from its holiday break.
Chances of an agreement became more remote last week after Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives fumbled their own legislative attempt to prevent the fiscal jolt that economists say could trigger a recession.
House Speaker John Boehner abruptly adjourned the chamber for the holidays after failing to gather the votes from within his own party to pass legislation he and other Republicans had drafted, after walking out of negotiations with Obama.
Weeks of inconclusive political drama over the "cliff" have focused largely on individual income tax rates and spending on federal programs such Medicare and Social Security, but many tax issues are also involved, including the estate tax.
At the moment, under laws signed a decade ago by Bush, the estate tax is applied to inherited assets at a rate of 35 percent after a $5 million exemption. That means a deceased person can pass on an inheritance of up to $5 million before any tax applies. Inherited wealth passed to a spouse or a federally recognized charity is generally not taxed.
Obama wants to raise the rate to 45 percent after a $3.5 million exemption. Republicans have called for complete repeal of the estate tax, which they call the "death tax," though Boehner earlier this month called for freezing the estate tax at its present level. It was difficult to determine what the Republicans want after last week's events in the House.
STATES STAND TO GAIN
If Congress and Obama do not act by December 31, numerous Bush-era tax laws will expire, including the one on estate taxes. That would mean the estate tax rate will shoot up next year to the pre-Bush levels of 55 percent after a $1 million exemption.
It would also mean that for the first time in years, a portion of that estate tax would go to the states, through the return of the credit system.
Under that old law, estates paying the tax could get a credit against their federal tax bill for state estate tax payments of up to 16 percent of the estate's value.
If the fiscal cliff were allowed to take hold unaltered by Washington, 30 states would again automatically begin getting their share of federal estate taxes. The state laws are generally written so the state estate tax amounts are calculated under a formula based on the amount of the federal credit.
This would help states that have struggled with lower tax revenues since the 2007-2009 financial crisis and resulting recession, according to research by the Pew Center on the States, though painful federal spending cut backs would also hurt the states.
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Exclusive: Profits up, but Britain gets less tax from big firms

LONDON (Reuters) - Big companies in Britain now pay less tax than they did 12 years ago despite a big jump in profitability, a Reuters analysis of official data shows. Tax campaigners say the trend is the clearest signal yet that tax avoidance has blossomed under a more business-friendly strategy at the UK tax authority Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Large companies' payments of corporation tax - the UK equivalent of corporate income tax - totaled 21 billion pounds ($34 billion) in 2011/12, HMRC data shows. That was down five billion pounds or 21 percent since 2000/01 when the government, then controlled by the Labour Party, took the first steps towards a more collaborative approach to big business.
At the same time, the gross operating surplus for all companies in the UK - a widely watched measure of companies' profitability compiled by the Office of National Statistics - has risen 65 percent, to 329 billion pounds. The economy has grown by 55 percent over the same period, and receipts of both personal income tax and small companies' income tax are higher.
HMRC and the finance ministry denied the figures showed an increase in tax avoidance - legal tactics used by multinationals such as Google, Amazon and Starbucks. They cited recent economic weakness and lower corporation tax rates. The UK's official corporation tax rate was steady at 30 percent between 2000 and 2007 but has been gradually cut. In the last tax year it was 26 percent.
Reuters calculations show the lower tax rate and the weak economy account for about half the fall, leaving around 2.6 billion pounds of the difference in the amount of corporate tax paid between 2000/01 and 2011/12 unaccounted for.
John Christensen of Tax Justice Network, a tax campaigningoogleg group, said the figures show successive governments' attempts to create a more business-friendly administration - which includes a policy known as "enhanced relationship" based on mutual trust - have encouraged companies to use such tactics.
"These figures tell a more powerful story than any figures I have seen so far," he said, adding that senior HMRC staff had told him in recent years that they were "alarmed" at the drop in payments from large companies. HMRC defines these as firms with annual profit of more than 1.5 million pounds.
The finance ministry declined to comment on the calculations.
"PARADOXICAL"
Prem Sikka, a professor of accounting at Essex University who has written extensively about tax avoidance, said that even allowing for the tax cut, the figures were "paradoxical".
"How are they managing to reconcile higher profits with lower taxes?" he said. "It can't be done ... unless they are booking these profits somewhere else." Companies reporting for tax purposes are increasingly diverting UK profits to lower-tax jurisdictions, he said.
Google, for example, channels $4 billion of UK sales through Ireland each year, most of which ends up in Bermuda. Google said it complies with tax law in every country in which it operates but that it also has an obligation to its shareholders "to run our business efficiently".
When shown the calculations, an HMRC spokesman said the downward trend may also have been emphasized by a shift in the way taxes were paid from 1999 which led to "elements of double counting" in 2000/01 and 2001/02. That could make revenues in those years look artificially high. He declined to quantify the impact of this.
Sikka dismissed the impact of this change.
"That wouldn't make any difference to the total tax liability," he said.
HMRC's own data does not point to a spike in corporation tax payments over the period the changes were initiated.
Total corporation tax payments were just 2 billion pounds higher in 2001-2002 than in 1998-1999, a rise of 7 percent, while GDP rose 16 percent over the period.
The government's tax minister, David Gauke, who has described corporation tax as one of "the most economically damaging taxes", called the tax authority's current approach "very successful" in a September speech. He declined requests for an interview.
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House sets Sunday session as "fiscal cliff" deadline nears

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives will return to Washington on Sunday night, just over a day before income tax rates are set to spike higher, in a last-ditch chance to avert the year-end "fiscal cliff."
Senior Republican aides confirmed that House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday told members to be back in Washington in time for a 6:30 p.m. EST (2330 GMT) legislative session on Sunday.
The House may then stay in session until January 2, the final day of the current Congress, according to a Twitter message from House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
That is the day that another component of the "fiscal cliff" - $109 billion in automatic spending cuts to military and domestic programs - is set to start.
The House went on recess a week ago amid a deadlock over how to resolve ways to avoid the $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts that could throw the U.S. economy back into recession.
Some media outlets reported that Obama would meet with congressional leaders on Friday, but several congressional aides said no such meeting had yet been arranged.
If a meeting occurs, Obama is not expected to offer a new "fiscal cliff" solution and he is instead likely to stick to the outline he set out a week ago for a stop-gap fix, according to a senior Democratic aide.
That would include legislation to shield most Americans from any income tax increase starting on January 1, except for those households with net incomes above $250,000 a year. Obama also wants an extension of expiring benefits for the long-term unemployed.
So far, the Republicans who control the House have refused to go along with any measure that would raise income taxes on anyone.
Meanwhile, House Republican leaders held an approximately 35-minute telephone conference call with rank-and-file members on Thursday, according to one Republican aide.
"There were a lot of different members who spoke on the call. All had questions. All had comments," the aide said, refusing to elaborate.
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Merry Christmas, America-Haters?

When TNT was preparing its annual special "Christmas in Washington" with the president of the United States, you'd think the last star musician they would consider to join the official caroling would be Psy, the South Korean rapper. What on Earth is Christmasy about this man's invisible-horse-riding dance to his dorky disco-rap hit "Gangnam Style"? It's not exactly the natural flip-side to "O Holy Night." But TNT couldn't resist this year's YouTube sensation.
This inane publicity stunt backfired when the website Mediaite reported on Dec. 7 that Psy (real name: Park Jae-sang) had participated in a 2002 protest in which he crushed a model of an American tank with a microphone stand. But that's nothing compared to the footage of a 2004 performance after a Korean missionary was slaughtered by Islamists in Iraq. These lyrics cannot be misunderstood.
"Kill those f—-ing Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives ... Kill those f—-ing Yankees who ordered them to torture ... Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law and fathers ... Kill them all slowly and painfully."
This isn't just anti-American. It's anti-human.
Guess where this story first surfaced in the American media? CNN, from the same corporate family tree as TNT. It was posted back on Oct. 6 on CNN's iReport, an open-source online news feature that allows users to submit stories for CNN consideration.
The Korean one-hit wonder put out the usual abject careerist apology, but he weirdly said, "I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted." Those darn lyrics and those darn people who misinterpret lyrics about killing Yankees' mothers. It is like Barack Obama expressing regret for the awful things said about Susan Rice, ignoring the awful things said by Susan Rice.
Psy is now a millionaire. As Jim Treacher wrote at the Daily Caller: "So far he's made over $8 million from the song, about $3 million of it from the people he once wanted to kill." Brad Schaeffer at Big Hollywood noted his own father fought for South Korea's independence in the Korean War: "Had it not been for 'f——-g Yankees' like my Dad, this now-wealthy South Korean wouldn't be 'Oppan Gangnam Style' so much as 'Starving Pyongyang Style.'" (Gangnam is a posh district in the South Korean capital of Seoul.)
Despite the controversy, neither the Obama White House nor the TNT brass felt it was necessary to send Psy packing before the Dec. 9 taping. On Saturday, ABC reporter Muhammad Lila merely repeated, "the White House says the concert will go on and that President Obama will attend, saying that they have no control over who performs at that concert."
What moral cowardice. On Monday morning, another pliant publicist, NBC correspondent Peter Alexander, calmly relayed that the White House did take control on the Psy front — on its own "We The People" website, where the people may post petitions to the president for their fellow citizens to sign. A petition asking Obama to dump Psy from the Christmas concert was itself dumped. Alexander explained: "But that petition was removed because the rules say the petitions only apply to federal actions. And, of course, the President had no say over who the private charity chose to invite."
This is double baloney. The White House hasn't removed silly "federal action" petitions like the one asking to "Nationalize the Twinkie Industry," or one to "Secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016." They removed one that they didn't want people to sign.
As for Obama having "no say over" who appeared on the TNT show, the president could easily declare he wasn't going to share a stage with this America-hater. Or he could have obviously placed one phone call to Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes (an Obama donor), and expressed the dismay of the President of the United States.
Instead, the Obamas came and honored Psy. Yes, the president honored a man who despised America enough to want its citizens slaughtered.
John Eggerton of Broadcasting and Cable magazine observed, "At the end of the taping, when the First Family customarily shakes hands and talks briefly with the performers, the First Lady gave Psy a hug, followed by a handshake from the President, who engaged Psy in a short, animated discussion — at one point Psy appeared to rock back with laughter — and patted the singer on the shoulder."
I never thought I'd ever view a Christmas special featuring a hideous hater of America celebrated by the President of the United States.
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