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Halle Berry hospitalized, released after head injury on movie set Amanda Schwab / AP By Alex L. Loinaz, E! Halle Berry was hospitalized in Los Angeles Tuesday night after being injured on the set of her new movie. Per USA Today, Berry's rep confirms that the actress suffered a minor head injury while shooting an action scene, but is doing all right after being rushed to a hospital. "Halle Berry suffered a minor head injury while shooting a fight sequence on the set of her film, 'The Hive,'" her rep told the paper. She was taken to the hospital as a precaution, but she checked out healthy and was released. She'll continue production as planned. MORE: A hobbled Halle! See broken-footed Berry crutching around Spain Several reports indicate that the 45-year-old actress, whose new flick costars Abigail Breslin and is due in theaters next year, was injured at around 10 p.m., and she was subsequently taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in an ambulance. It's the latest health setback for the Oscar winner, who seems to have had a frightening run of on-set health scares: Earlier this year, she broke her foot while on location in Spain for "Cloud Atlas." The injury eventually forced her to skip out on attending the Academy Awards in February. She also recently endured a nasty custody showdown with baby daddy Gabriel Aubry, before confirming her engagement to beau Olivier Martinez.

'Dead Space 3' is an epic sci-fi horror Expansive vistas and massive monsters redefine Dead Space's horror while staying true to its roots In-Game's Todd Kenreck reports.

Video: Email reveals police 'gave information' to Sun editor The inquiry into press standards heard that police briefed Ms Brooks, then editor of The Sun, about their investigation into the illegal interception of voicemails within weeks of the arrest of royal editor Clive Goodman and private detective Glenn Mulcaire. Scotland Yard assured Rebekah Brooks in 2006 that it was not planning to extend its phone-hacking inquiry to include News of the World staff other than Goodman, the Leveson Inquiry heard. The police also told how they uncovered evidence of more than £1 million in payments by News of the World publisher News International during the phone-hacking investigation. Tom Crone, the News of the World's head of legal, summarised Scotland Yard's briefing in an email headed "strictly private and confidential" to the paper's then-editor Andy Coulson on September 15 2006.

Calgary mayor immortalized in gumballs CALGARY, Alberta, May 20 (UPI) -- The mayor of Calgary, Canada, admitted seeing his portrait created from 12,000 gumballs was a little strange. American artist Franz Spohn enlisted some Calgary youngsters this weekend to help him build a mosaic of Mayor Naheed Nenshi at the Museum of Contemporary Art Calgary. "It's still a little weird," Nenshi told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. after he swung by the museum to see the work in progress. It's still a little awkward, but it is very neat to see all these people of every age come together and make this art together. Spohn's vision was realized meticulously with the kids placing each gumball into a tube then dropping it into place until his honor's likeness came into view. Art lovers can chew on the finished work at the museum all week as part of the Calgary International Children's Festival.

BBC Sport - Scotland were bullied by South Africa - Andy Robinson

Welfare reforms clear Parliament - UK Politics - UK - The Independent Prime Minister David Cameron has hailed "an historic step in the biggest welfare revolution in over 60 years" after the Government's controversial reforms cleared Parliament. Peers last night ended their stand-off with the House of Commons, paving the way for the Welfare Reform Bill to reach the statute book. The legislation brings in a £26,000-a-year household benefits cap and sets up the universal credit. Mr Cameron said: "These reforms will change lives for the better, giving people the help they need, while backing individual responsibility so that they can escape poverty, not be trapped in it. Past governments have talked about reform, while watching the benefits bill sky-rocket and generations languish on the dole and dependency. This Government is delivering it. Our new law will mark the end of the culture that said a life on benefits was an acceptable alternative to work. He added: "Today marks an historic step in the biggest welfare revolution in over 60 years. My Government has taken bold action to make work pay, while protecting the vulnerable. The Bill had a stormy passage through the Lords, with peers inflicting seven defeats on the Government when the legislation was first considered and a further one after MPs had overturned all the setbacks. But last night independent crossbencher Lord Best withdrew without a vote an amendment on the final point of dispute between the Houses - the so-called bedroom tax which penalises council tenants for under-occupancy - and the Bill will now be sent for Royal Assent. Mr Cameron said: "While we've been putting in place a sensible, modern welfare system that protects the vulnerable, our opponents have shown they are on the side of Britain's something-for-nothing culture. We've stood up against the abuse that left taxpayers footing the bills for people on £30,000 or even £50,000 a year in benefits. It's a fair principle: a family out of work on benefits shouldn't be paid more than the average family in work. This is a core part of the Government's task of turning around the legacy of debt, overspending and waste we inherited. We want money to go to people who need it, not subsidising the consequences of our broken society. By reforming welfare we will get people into fulfilling jobs - not abandon them to poverty and dependency - save billions of pounds of taxpayers' money and make sure those who really need help get it. That's compassionate modern government in action. It's also a huge tribute to the Secretary of State for Welfare, Iain Duncan Smith, who has worked tirelessly and with real moral purpose in tackling the blight of welfare dependency. The Government suffered a series of high-profile defeats this year as the Bill made its way through the Upper House. The most prominent came when the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Rev John Packer, led a move to exempt child benefit from the £26,000 cap. Last night, shadow welfare minister Lord McKenzie of Luton told peers that the Lords had improved the Bill "in some respects." But he added: "In too many ways it imposes unacceptable burdens on the most vulnerable. They are entitled to better from their Government. Welfare Reform Minister Lord Freud rejected an amendment from Lord Best which would have set up a review of the bedroom tax. But he said: "We will carry out research on this measure once it has been introduced to understand its effect. However, I do not see the need to put this on the face of the Bill. Following his assurances, Lord Best withdrew his amendment, ending the so-called ping-pong between the Houses.

Can Religion Save Africa's Elephants and Rhinos? Religious leaders are joining the fight to end the slaughter of Africa's elephants and rhinos by poachers. Poachers are escalating their assault on Africa's elephants and rhinos, and conservationists warn that the animals cannot survive Asia's high-dollar demand for ivory tusks and rhino horn powder. Seeing a dire situation grow worse, the animal conservation group WWF ramped up efforts on Friday to enlist religious leaders to take up the cause in the hopes that religion can help save some of the world's most majestic animals. Dekila Chungyalpa of WWF argues that the killing of elephants, rhinos and Asian tigers is a moral issue. She said that conservationists are not doing well enough getting the anti-poaching message across.

Joel M. Lerner - Green Scene: Some ideas for an environmentally friendly landscape Green Scene: Some ideas for an environmentally friendly landscape By Joel M. Lerner Friday, February 25, 2011; 6:56 PM Now is the time to formulate your spring garden plans. Before you choose the plants you will install this year- or design the entire landscape-consider the ways you could make your gardens more productive and environmentally friendly. l Enhance your garden with self-sustaining native plants. Sustainable landscapes are practical. They save energy, money and labor. Creating a landscape design that takes care of itself might require a little more thought and effort in the beginning, but as you learn how plants perform, the results are better for the environment. Ecologists have determined that installing native plants in soil high in organic material reduces maintenance and increases rainwater retention. Once natives are established and growing, they can endure most conditions without synthetic chemicals, fertilizer or irrigation. In addition, insects that depend on native plants are important food for wildlife. Each of these points is just a part of the larger picture called sustainable living. Search for native plants that are already adapted to local growing conditions. lInstall a wide variety of flora to encourage biodiversity for a balanced environment where wildlife will want to live because it offers food, shelter and nesting opportunities. One common request I receive is for plants that attract birds. They like blueberry, dogwood, hawthorn, holly, beautyberry, blackgum, serviceberry and viburnum. Mammals such as deer, fox, raccoon, squirrel and groundhog are attracted to brush piles where they can see you but they can hide, nest and feed without danger of detection by owls, hawks, foxes, raccoons and other predators. Squirrels and chipmunks love nuts and seeds from beech, cherry, hickory, oak and walnut trees. Don't forget our helpful insectivores -bats and frogs. They eat massive numbers of insects and must have good nesting areas, which require specialized conditions. Bat habitats are excellent high in trees or urban forests, but they need a protected location. This is why caves or bat boxes on tall trees are so desirable. Frogs feed on moth larvae, grubs mealworms and crickets. Tree frogs are kept as pets, but they should be free to create natural habitats. And, let's not forget some of our best mousers - snakes and birds of prey. lRestore the soil to a healthy condition. Amending the soil with homemade compost, other organic material or leaf mold does this. Using your own composted organic material is best. This saves energy because you are not using a truck that requires gas and oil to haul it to you. Another benefit is the exercise you get from incorporating it into the soil. Organic material mixed into the earth's minerals forms the substance called topsoil. It takes nature 100 to 1,000 years to make an inch of properly mixed topsoil. It is this medium that causes flora to root deeply and thrive. lCollect rainwater to clean tools, decks, a patio and cars, as well as to irrigate plants. Rain barrels are excellent receptacles for collecting rainwater. Low-lying areas or spaces near downspouts are good places to install plants with high water needs. Collect water from the condensate line of your air conditioner and from dehumidifiers. Irrigate your plants with "gray water," such as bath and dish water and water used for cooking pasta or vegetables. It can be poured around the roots of plants. Do not collect water that contains bleach, automatic dishwashing detergent or fabric softener. lKeep storm water on your land. This helps control runoff of chemicals and sediment into streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Rain gardens are popular and practical methods of keeping water on your property. They are installed by creating a 10- to 24-inch depression toward the bottom of slopes. Dig an area about eight to 10 feet long and wide to collect rain. If the depression holds water for more than four hours, dig 10 to 15 inches deeper and provide an underdrain of gravel. Plant with native trees, shrubs and perennials that thrive in wet areas. A few choices for trees are sweetbay magnolia, river birch and red maple. Some appropriate shrubs are summersweet, Virginia sweetspire, southern bayberry and winterberry holly. lControl the use of pesticides. Pesticide is a generic term for materials designed to kill insects, mites, weeds, fungi or algae. Employ natural remedies such as soap sprays and weed-pulling. Weed-Aside Herbicidal Soap, one of the fatty acid-based herbicides available, kills weeds and biodegrades in the soil. It is a nonselective weed killer that affects only the foliage. Always follow instructions on the label. Weed-Aside is labeled to control broadleaf weeds, annual grassy weeds, mosses, algae and lichens. Always use the least-toxic pesticide and encourage beneficial insects such as ladybugs and parasitic wasps. And only use pesticides when problems are beyond a tolerable level. Learn about pests to control them more safely. lRecycle whatever you can. With proper drainage, some teapots and pans are perfect containers for plants. Save purchasing a scoop for potting soil and fertilizer by using carryout containers. Punch holes in the bottom of gallon jugs to water plants during droughts. Compost plant materials; reuse masonry for paths, patios, walls and drainage to keep the landfills from getting larger. Recycle scrap lumber to use for a fence. But do not reuse or burn lumber from old decks, fences, playground equipment or any pressure-treated wood structures from before 2008, because the wood was probably treated with chromated copper arsenate, which is poisonous. lIncrease your food production. The local food movement has garnered much attention and is burgeoning daily. Plant more fruits, berries and vegetables locally and seasonally, decreasing the need for food importation to your area. Edible plants and herbs can be beautiful as flower beds or trained on trellises, arbors or other structures. Combine beneficial flowers such as marigolds, a natural insect repellent. Two resources are "Homegrown Harvest: A season-by-season guide to a sustainable kitchen garden," Rita Pelczar, editor in chief (American Horticultural Society, 2009), and the 480-page New Encyclopedia of Gardening Techniques, edited by David J. Ellis, Fiona Gilsenan, Rita Pelczar and Graham Rice (Octopus Publishing, 2009). lUse less energy and cut noise pollution. Disturb the land as little as possible with heavy machinery that uses fuel and compacts the soil. Build solid soil berms to reduce the din of highway sounds. Employ plants to provide shade and reduce cooling costs and windbreaks to reduce heating costs. Expend muscle power- not horsepower -whenever possible. Even small devices, such as hedge trimmers use nonrenewable energy. lAssess plants before installing them by asking several questions. How much water is required? How much fertilizer and pesticide? How much electricity? How much gasoline or other fossil fuel? Consider altering your plan, if necessary, to reduce your garden's carbon footprint and create a landscape design that offers a more-renewable and energy- efficient property.

Captain Cattermole heaps praise on O'Neill The Sunderland captain, Lee Cattermole, yesterday credited the club's new manager, Martin O'Neill, with restoring confidence there. The Black Cats will head into Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round match against the 23-year-old midfielder's former team, Middlesbrough, having lost just two of the nine games they have played under the Ulsterman since he replaced Steve Bruce at the helm. The Teesside-born Cattermole admits he was devastated to see Bruce, who signed him for both Wigan Athletic and Sunderland, shown the door, but has been delighted with the impact O'Neill has made since. He said: "It's the first time I have had a manager [who has] been sacked, and I was devastated for Steve and absolutely gutted for him. But a new voice has come in and straight away, you just want to impress and that's what you do. But just winning games as well, people automatically start to say you are playing better. We are just winning games. It is not necessarily everyone is playing better, it's winning games. The confidence is there and it's great. We have been flying. We have had a great start, it couldn't have gone any better under the new manager. We are playing well, we just need to keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard and not get too carried away. Cattermole will do well to contain his excitement about this weekend's fixture after the draw for the fourth round pitched him into battle with the club he, his family and friends have supported all their lives. The midfield enforcer made his name at the Riverside Stadium under the then manager Steve McClaren. And it was McClaren who handed him his full debut as a 17-year-old in the heat of a derby trip to Newcastle United in January 2006. Six years on, he will lead the Black Cats into battle with the Teessiders, but with little room for sentiment as he and his team-mates set their sights on FA Cup glory. Asked if they could reach the latter stages of the competition, Cattermole said: "Yes, definitely, that's our aim, that's what we are in it for. We want to try to win every game and if we can go on a good Cup run... The semi-finals are at Wembley, but we don't get anything unless we win it, so we just want to do the best we can. We need to have a good Cup run. It's my third season here now and we haven't got past the first couple of rounds, so it would be nice for everyone. It's going to be tough for us. Boro have been doing well - I know they have had a couple of bad results in the past few weeks, but they are a good side, so we are going to have to approach it right. Meanwhile, Sunderland have joined forces with Africa's largest independent oil company, Tullow Oil, to launch a pioneering social and business development scheme. The Invest in Africa initiative, which was unveiled in Accra, Ghana, yesterday, will seek to stimulate and sustain long-term economic growth across the continent and, in turn, develop the skills of the workforce, boost domestic job markets and help to build and develop local capacity. Niall Quinn, who travelled to Ghana in his role as the club's director of international development, said: "We are genuinely excited about this ground-breaking opportunity to bring Sunderland into new territories. The global appeal of the Premier League is something that we can harness as a powerful tool for change through our innovative partnership with Invest in Africa. Africa's passion for football is both heart-warming and inspirational and, as a football club with community, people and international aspirations firmly at its core, there is a natural synergy between us and this wonderful continent. We look forward to growing and developing the partnership in the coming months.

Lawyer apologizes for Zimmerman's apology George Zimmerman smiles after his bail hearing at the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center in Sanford, Florida on April 20, 2012. SANFORD, Fla., April 23 (UPI) -- The attorney for the Florida man accused of killing an unarmed black teenager apologized Monday for the timing of his client's apology to the victim's family. Mark O'Mara, who represents neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, said he didn't realize the family of Trayvon Martin would think the apology came at a poor time, CBS News reported. Had I known or been told that that wasn't the time, it wouldn't have happened. So, I apologize for that," O'Mara said. During his bond hearing last week, Zimmerman addressed Martin's family, saying he was sorry for the loss of their son. Zimmerman had apparently asked if he could apologize privately but Martin's parents rejected that suggestion at a news conference, the report said. He had a Web page -- never apologized there. Had the voice mails we've heard -- never apologized then," the family's attorney, Benjamin Crump, said. So, we feel that you all can conclude for yourselves what motivations there are. O'Mara said Zimmerman wouldn't have apologized at the hearing had he seen the news conference. After the bond hearing, the Martin family's attorney said Zimmerman's apology appeared "insincere." Zimmerman, whose father is white and mother is Hispanic, was released early Monday from a Florida county jail on $150,000 bail while awaiting trial for second-degree murder. One of the bail conditions is that he doesn't contact the victim's family. O'Mara said he still is concerned for Zimmerman's safety, even though he hasn't received any serious threats recently, MSNBC.com said. He said he was maintaining contact with law enforcement officials. Zimmerman, 28, of Sanford, was released just after midnight. County probation officials will track Zimmerman through an electronic monitoring device. Zimmerman told police he shot the unarmed teen in self-defense Feb. 26.

House of Lords reform halted after largest Tory rebellion of the parliament House of Lords climbdown means that the coalition will enter one of its most difficult phases as Tory MPs question Cameron's authority. Photograph: Tim Graham/Getty Nick Clegg's hope of reforming the House of Lords, completing a journey begun a century ago by his Liberal predecessors, ran into severe trouble on Tuesday after the coalition was forced to stop the bill in its tracks. An alliance of Labour MPs and Conservative rebels prompted David Cameron to conclude that he had no option other than to abandon a vote on a "programme motion" that would have set a timetable for the bill, led by his Liberal Democrat deputy. The bill, which would ensure that 80% of the members of a slimmed down chamber are elected by 2025, received overwhelming support when MPs voted to give it a second reading on Tuesday night after Ed Miliband instructed his MPs to give their backing. The bill was given a second reading by 462 votes to 124, a majority of 338, in one of the largest votes of the parliament. But 91 Tories, including two tellers, and around 25 Labour MPs rebelled against their respective leadership, demonstrating that the bill will face a rough ride over the coming months. The vote represented the largest Tory rebellion of this parliament and came close to the post-war Tory rebellion record. For the moment the bill can not proceed because the programme motion contained a provision to send it to its next stage - consideration on the floor of the Commons at committee stage. One senior government source said: "This was a tactical withdrawal to avoid an operational defeat." The strength of feeling was highlighted when Conor Burns, the Conservative MP who is closest to Margaret Thatcher, resigned as a ministerial aide to allow him to vote against the bill at second reading. The climbdown means that the coalition will enter one of its most difficult phases as Tory MPs question the prime minister's authority. A central tactic by Downing Street - to delay a ministerial reshuffle to persuade aspiring MPs to support the government - backfired as loyalists joined the rebels who numbered close to 100. "There was strength in numbers," one senior MP said. But they were brave. Downing Street insisted that Cameron, who persuaded Clegg to allow him to withdraw the programme motion to give him more time to try to bring Tory MPs onside, believes the bill can be saved. But Clegg and Cameron, who held a series of tense meetings through the day, face a formidable challenge when they try to revive the bill in the autumn. Government sources say that ministers will seek to table an allocation of time motion, following the practice of the last Labour government to impose a time limit on debates. But Miliband and the Tory rebels insisted they would stand by their respective positions. The Tory rebels are opposed to the bill and Miliband rejects out of hand any timetabling of the bill. Jesse Norman, the rebel Tory ringleader, told Radio 4's PM programme: "The bill is a dead duck. The question is how long will the government go on before it recognises that and how much further will it have to go in putting the country through a lot of additional pain when the real energies of parliament and the government should be focused on fixing the howling economic gale that we are now in. Lib Dems hope the new motion will represent a challenge to Miliband. An allocation of time motion can be amended, unlike the programme motion dropped on Tuesday. "Ed Miliband will have to answer the question he is refusing to be drawn on: for how many days should the bill be debated," one Lib Dem source said. Clegg had told Cameron the Lib Dems would have to review their support for his plans to reduce the size of the House of Commons if the programme motion was defeated. David Laws, the former Lib Dem chief secretary to the treasury, reinforced this message when he told the BBC that a defeat for the programme motion would have "set off a chain reaction." Laws said: "In coalition you sign up to a deal and it's not a kind of pick and mix combination ... A deal is a deal and we do have to honour these agreements that we made to each other. Downing Street said that Cameron's decision to withdraw the programme motion had avoided a major crisis in the coalition. In the end David Cameron has boxed clever on this. He has averted the car smashing into the wall. We will do our level best to take the heat out of this. The coalition plans to intensify pressure on Miliband, who is a supporter of Lords reform but says it is wrong to impose a timetable on debating such a major constitutional issue. Lord Oakeshott, the former Lib Dem Treasury spokesman, said: "It is a real test of leadership for all the party leaders. Nick Clegg has to hold his nerve. Dave must not cringe to the Tory dinosaurs who have tasted blood. But most crucially of all, Ed Miliband has to show whether he is really genuine about reform. Miliband was criticised for double standards by Clegg aides. But Labour sources insisted that Miliband has adopted a consistent and credible position. Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, told the BBC: "This is not a wrecking tactic - far from it. We've already given our assurances we'll do all we can to ensure the bill progresses. Instead, it's about making good an inadequate bill. And that means allowing parliament the time to revise, amend and improve the bill free from the threat of debate being stifled. The future of a reformed House of Lords should be all the better as a result. In his resignation statement Burns, aide to Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson, voiced unease at being forced to vote against Tory thinking. Burns told MPs: "I couldn't look myself in the eye if I voted for this bill at second reading and clearly that is incompatible with membership of Her Majesty's government ... what an Alice in Wonderland world we now live in that by voting for something that's been a mainstream view in this party for decades, indeed generations, now leads to incompatibility with serving in the government."

Flooding hits south eastern Australia South eastern Australia is reeling from torrential rain which has caused flooding throughout large parts of the region. One man is known to have drowned after losing control of his vehicle as they tried to cross a fast flowing creek. His two friends were washed downriver but survived. The group's dog was rescued by state emergency workers after spending 14 hours on the bonnet of the car. Meanwhile, emergency teams have been rescuing and evacuated stranded residents in the town of Wagga Wagga, as rising flood waters threatened to make it completely inaccessible by road. Nearby town, The Rock, is already mostly submerged, and can only be reached by helicopter. Preparations are underway to evacuate the few people remaining. One resident told reporters: "We've just been sitting here watching the water come slowly flooding in, very gently. We feel like we're in Venice. Flood levels are continuing to rise, with water levels expected to remain high in the town and surrounding countryside for two to three weeks, according to local media reports.

Apple grabs 53% of U.S. smartphone market Apple has become the leading smartphone company in the U.S. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg) December 21, 2012, 10:18 a.m. Thanks to sales of the iPhone 5, Apple has now seized 53% of the U.S. market for smartphones, according to a report by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech. That's a new peak in terms of percentage for Apple. And it comes at the expense of Google's Android mobile operating system. Apple's 53% share is up from 35.8% a year ago. Android has seen its share in the U.S. drop from 52.8% last year to 41.9.%. RIM, makers of the BlackBerry, saw its share evaporate, from 7% to 1.4%. Windows showed a glimmer of hope, with its share rising from 2.1% to 2.8%, with the official release of Windows Phone 8 in October. The story remains brighter in Europe for Android, where it has 61% of the market across that continent's five largest countries, up from 51.8% a year ago. Apple, however, also gained share but at a slower pace, climbing from 22.8% to 25.3%. Windows grew from 2.6% to 4.7%. Those gains, again, primarily came from the decline of RIM and Symbian. The iPhone faces a steeper challenge in what the report calls "Urban China," where Android has captured 72.2% of the market compared with 19.2% for Apple.

Malala Yousafzai's family arrives to visit UK hospital

Mortgages - Shopping for the Best Rates - NYTimes.com THE lowest interest rates in decades sound enticing enough, but they are often out of borrowers" reach. Mortgage lenders adjust their rates based on perceptions of risk, so unless you can show you're a low-risk borrower, you are unlikely to qualify for a rate that matches those seen in all the advertisements or headlines. The rates quoted by Freddie Mac and others are averages drawn from a variety of financial institutions, and lenders use varied approaches to set them. As its base line, for instance, the Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union uses rates posted on the Credit Union National Association Web site for New York, according to Daniel Alejandro González, the credit union's director of lending. Others, like Chase Mortgage, use markers like Treasury yields and agency mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae. Consumers who want to try for the lowest rates available need to consider these basic factors. CREDIT SCORE The ideal borrower has a FICO score of 740 or higher, said Thasunda Brown Duckett, the senior vice president of Chase Mortgage's East Region. "That puts you in the best place for pricing," said Ms. Duckett, whose office is based in Manhattan. According to MyFICO.com, borrowers in New York with scores of 760 to 850 could qualify for an annual percentage rate of 3.95 percent on a $500,000 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, while those with scores of 620 to 639 qualify for 5.53 percent. POINTS The lowest rates usually are decreased by paying a fee called a point, or 1 percent of the loan amount. "You need to buy points in order to get the best rates at many banks," Mr. González said. In Freddie Mac's weekly survey on mortgage rates, points have averaged 0.7 percent on loans in the last year. Points might make sense depending on your financial situation and how long you expect to stay in a home. So ask for a zero point quote, too, and compare. PROPERTY TYPES If you're buying a duplex or a four-unit building, your rate will almost certainly be higher. Condominiums may also have a rate premium, especially if they are newer or your down payment is below 25 percent. Lenders charge more if you are not planning to live in the home. Commercial properties like apartment buildings have the highest rates, as they are considered riskier, Mr. González said. DOWN PAYMENT Ms. Duckett says that borrowers who put down at least 25 percent are more likely to obtain "attractive pricing" at Chase. Lenders offer different breaks on rates if equity is higher, so you should ask what is available. LOAN LENGTH A lot depends on how long you plan to live in a home. If you're likely to move in a few years, an adjustable-rate loan with a low interest rate fixed for, say, three to five years, and adjusted afterward, might work best. Also, rates on 15-year fixed-rate loans are lower than those on the 30-year - 0.77 percentage points, on average, last year, according to Freddie Mac. "Some people may not need a 30-year mortgage," said Jed Kolko, the chief economist of Trulia, the real estate information Web site. Borrowers may also be able to reduce their mortgage rate when they enter into a "lock-in" agreement with a lender. "Lenders typically offer a lower rate for a shorter lock period," Mr. Kolko said. Lenders typically agree not to change an offered interest rate for 60 days, but borrowers confident of a quick closing may be willing to accept a 45-day rate guarantee, or even a 30-day lock, in exchange for a small discount, because the transaction's speed helps the lender reduce its risk. Borrowers must make sure, too, that they consider the entire cost of a home, looking carefully at monthly payment calculations. According to Mr. Kolko, about a third of homeownership costs are in addition to the mortgage - among them property taxes, insurance, maintenance and repairs.

Roger Federer back to his best in Australian Open victory Roger Federer showed no sign of back trouble as he cruised into the second round of the Australian Open today with a 7-5 6-2 6-2 victory over qualifier Alexander Kudryavtsev. The 30-year-old Swiss, who withdrew during the leadup Qatar Open after suffering back pain, was at his clinical best, blasting winners from all angles as he wrapped up the match in 98 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. The 2010 champion, bidding to extend his men's record to 17th grand slam, traded baselines punches with his 172nd-ranked opponent early before landing a sublime backhand winner down the line to seal the first set and seize the initiative. Kudryavtsev drew a rare scowl from Federer, however, when he won a furious baseline skirmish to break the Swiss's serve and claw back to 3-2 in the third set. But the 26-year-old rued clipping a net cord in the next game that set up an easy backhand winner that allowed Federer to break back and cruise to victory.

Governors see risks from tone, length of GOP nomination fight Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, a supporter of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, said he wishes that his candidate could wrap up the nomination by Super Tuesday, March 6. "The longer it goes on, the longer money has to be spent against a Republican as opposed to President Obama," he said,"the more fodder there is for the record for pundits through the fall and the Obama campaign - that's certainly true. So, yes, a more immediate resolution is clearly preferable. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who has not endorsed anyone but thinks Romney will emerge as the nominee, said he worries that a protracted fight could result in side issues, rather than economic messages, defining the party and the eventual candidate. "Any day they're not talking about the economy is a wasted day in terms of contrasting with the president," he said. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said that despite the possibility of a long nomination battle, the president remains highly vulnerable due to the economy, despite some recent improvements. Once the GOP contest is over, he said, the Republican nominee will have plenty of opportunities to make his case. "I think a lot of the miniature issues and squabbles and supposed stumbles of today will be long forgotten," he said. The governors were gathered days ahead of crucial primaries in Michigan and Arizona. Romney predicted Sunday that he would win both contests over former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) but also suggested that there will be no quick conclusion to the nomination battle. "I'm convinced I'm going to become the nominee, and we'll be willing to take however long it takes to get that job done," he said on "Fox News Sunday." Although Michigan is his native state, Romney fell behind Santorum there immediately after the former senator won three contests on Feb. 7. Romney has staged a significant comeback, with polls showing him in either a dead heat or slightly ahead. In response, Santorum has escalated his attacks on Romney and has vowed to keep the campaign going as long as possible. Santorum, on NBC's "Meet The Press," said he thinks his message is resonating in Michigan and described his rival's economic prescriptions as "sort of warmed over pabulum . . . ideas that are timid, ideas that are institutional, insider" and designed by Washington lobbyists. "It's not inspiring anybody," he said.

Unemployment rises to 8.2% in May as job growth stalls again WASHINGTON -- The nation's unemployment rate rose for the first time in nearly a year, to 8.2% in May, as the economy added a disappointingly small number of jobs for the third straight month. The government said Friday that employers created on net just 69,000 jobs last month -- less than half of what analysts were expecting. What's more, the Labor Department revised downward the job-growth numbers for the prior two months, putting the average monthly job growth at 96,000 for the last three months. In the prior three-month period, from December to February, the economy added an average of 252,000 jobs a month. The May jobless rate ticked up from 8.1% in April, after steadily declining since last August, when the unemployment figure was 9.1%. The latest data are certain to heighten fears that the economy has slipped into a dangerous spring stall similar to the prior two years -- and it could create trouble for President Obama and his reelection bid. The president is today scheduled to visit a Honeywell manufacturing facility in Minnesota, where he is expected to talk about creating more job opportunities for veterans. With Europe still on the ropes with its debt problems, and the big economies in China and India slowing, global economic growth is weakening and presents a serious threat to the American economy. The government said Thursday that U.S. gross domestic product, or economic output, grew at a sluggish 1.9% annualized rate in the first quarter. Friday's jobs report showed weakening activity in a wide variety of industries. Construction payrolls, which got a lift from the unseasonably warm winter weather, fell by 28,000 in May. Hiring stalled at professional and business services, which include many higher-paying jobs, such as accounting and engineering services. Government continued to shed jobs, eliminating an additional 13,000 jobs last month. Job growth in manufacturing slowed to 12,000 after adding 42,000 jobs a month on average in the first quarter. The only major bright spots were in transportation and warehousing, which added 36,000 jobs last month, and in healthcare and social-assistance businesses, which beefed up payrolls by 34,000. For all private-sector workers, the average workweek slipped a notch to 34.4 hours last month. And the average hourly earnings in May rose by just 2 cents, to $23.41. That's an increase of 1.7% from a year ago, less than the annual inflation rate. U.S. jobs report takes on outsize significance Europe debt crisis dragging world economies down Graduating collegians cope with student debt in a weak economy

Top websites for expats on their travels FlightStats.com provides up-to-date flight details, airport delay maps, weather conditions and airline contact details. If something goes wrong at the airport, things might be easier at the ticket counter if you can suggest an alternative flight, and it gives you a better chance of creating the itinerary most convenient to you. If you lose your passport, encounter visa problems or need emergency assistance abroad, contact your embassy for help. Bookmark EmbassyWorld, which offers a comprehensive list of contact details for all of the world's diplomatic offices. The site is easy to navigate, and its search engine will help you quickly locate the office nearest to you. If you need quick access to first aid information while travelling, the web may be a lifesaver. Try St John Ambulance. If you're feeling seriously ill, don't waste time on the internet; go and see a doctor. A good map service is essential and we like both Google Maps and Bing Maps, which offer international directions. Check the advice of the 1st Special Response Group on what to do when lost. Save this webpage for offline use, so you can access it later even with no mobile coverage. Loading a language translator on your mobile browser can save you in those lost-in-translation moments. Google Translate supports 58 languages, and it automatically detects the input language before translating the text to the language of your choice. Save quick web access to weather forecasts including local temperature, wind speed, humidity and water temperature. Use Accuweather and Telegraph Weather to plan the best days for outdoor sightseeing or hitting the beach, to avoid a ruined day of soggy clothes. The exchange rates between currencies vary every day, so go online to check the most recent rates. Today's sterling prices are on our offshore finance page and, if you want to transfer money abroad, use our International Money Transfer mini-site. Travel presenter Ian Wright is currently promoting Opera Mini Speed Dial, a phone browser with website shortcuts that work like a speed dial. "In my 20 years of travel experience, I know things will always go wrong when you're out and about in a strange country," he said. Keeping helpful online info at your fingertips with Speed Dial is a brilliant way to be more prepared. What are your favourite websites for getting the most out of your holidays?

The Morning Fix: Cable takes over Boston! Probing Uncle Walter. Before deciding if my status updates are what caused Facebook stock to fall. The Skinny: ESPN Classic was running old episodes of "Battle of the Network Stars." For those who don't remember this gem, the network stars would compete in races and endurance contests with Howard Cosell anchoring. Time for a revival with Bob Costas or Dan Patrick hosting. Wouldn't you watch a race between the cast of "Two Broke Girls," "New Girl" and "The B in Apartment 23?" Ratings gold! Tuesday's headlines include a look at what Dalian Wanda Group's deal for AMC Entertainment means, a recap of the cable show in Boston, and a review of a new Walter Cronkite biography. Daily Dose: It was 20 years ago today that Johnny Carson signed off as host of NBC's "Tonight Show." What better way to remember the king of late night than a Facebook trivia game? That's right, Carson has now been immortalized with "Here's Johnny," from Carson Entertainment Group. Want to test your knowledge of all things Johnny? Here's a link. Getting the word out. As consolidation among movie studios, production companies and movie theater chains continue, it is tougher than ever for independent films to find a way to reach consumers. One platform that is starting to emerge for indie filmmakers is video on demand. Besides big cable operators offering the service, there are smaller video-on-demand online options popping up to try to boost independent cinema. The Los Angeles Times looks at Prescreen, a site that is less than a year old but is already starting to get noticed. China's coming! The $2.6-billion acquisition of movie theater chain AMC Entertainment by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group has Hollywood wondering if it will be the first of many investments from that part of the world. Dalian also has invested in karaoke clubs so I hope they are not thinking of putting karaoke in theaters. A look at Dalian Wanda and what the deal may mean for the entertainment industry in Hollywood and China from the Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times. Stay out of our way. Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell, who is now the chief executive of the National Cable & Telecommunications Assn. and the industry's top lobbyist, said the government needs to take a light touch when it comes to regulating the Internet. Powell made his remarks at the cable industry's annual convention in Boston. Other news out of the show included several cable operators agreeing to a WiFi partnership of sorts. News about the show from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Multichannel News and Fierce Cable. And that's the way it was. An exhaustive new biography of legendary CBS anchor Walter Cronkite by Douglas Brinkley leaves no stone unturned and uncovers a few nuggets that do more than suggest a liberal bias. There are also examples of some questionable reporting practices. Daily Beast media columnist Howard Kurtz zooms in on the dirt from "Cronkite." I can't wait to read it but my hunch is what will be most revealing to me is just how much the media landscape has changed since Uncle Walter was telling us what was what, and not whether he took a free flight or two from Pan Am or had a wild time in a strip club one night. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Thought of the day. This is a little outside the wheelhouse of the Morning Fix but good advice should be shared. Former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt told graduates of Boston University to take a break from the computer and "have a conversation, a real conversation." If the man who ran the company that made it easier for us to waste all that time online says to turn the computer off for an hour a day to actually engage with real people, then it must be worth doing. More on Schmidt's remarks from Reuters. Inside the Los Angeles Times: An appreciation of Robin Gibb. Follow me on Twitter. I get up awful early to do this column for you.

M90 Perth crash death woman named as Winifred Gilroy

There's constructive anger, and there's putting nine bullets in a laptop. How do you draw the line? For days, I have been resisting watching the YouTube video of the father who put nine bullets into his daughter's laptop after she posted an angry screed on her Facebook page about her chore load. Among other things, I had a sneaking suspicion that I - as a parent who deposited a bag of abandoned fast food (found under a car seat) on top of a child's bed, and who once snatched up a video game mid-Mario race and hid it so well that it took me an extra week after the punishment expired to find it - might feel an unwelcome sympathy for this father, who had clearly overstepped the bounds of what any rational adult might do in response to even the most disrespectful teenager. I grew up in a house where explosive arguments weren't at all unusual, and I've always had trouble controlling my temper. I know what it is to unleash that fury. Of course, this father would probably tell you that he did not lose control; that he calmly set up his video camera, lined up the laptop, lighted his cigarette and recorded his response to his daughter's transgression. That he was just trying to get through to her. Our measured anger is sometimes the most powerful weapon in a parent's arsenal, and we can use it to convey the force of our message. But now that I've finally joined the 18-million-and-counting people who have viewed this on YouTube, I'm reasonably sure that Tommy Jordan hadn't yet regained his cool after he found his daughter Hannah's poorly hidden Facebook post announcing (with many modifying adjectives that I cannot include here) that she was not her parents" slave, that the cleaning lady should clean up after them, and that they could get their own coffee, while bemoaning the struggles of her chore-ridden teenage life. I think he was still enraged. And I think he was trying hard not to cry. Have you felt that anger? That anger that's not only directed at your child, but at yourself? Have you ever nearly wept over all the things you've said and done and tried that so clearly just have not worked? It's part anger and part despair, and underneath it lies a fear that you have failed at the biggest challenge you ever took on. It's that fear that overreacts: the fear, taken to what seems like a logical extreme, that of course this child will never, ever grow up, will never take responsibility, will head off into the adult world incapable of adult behavior. And sometimes, with teenagers especially, the worry masks a fear that no child that really loved a parent could possibly treat them in that way. I've felt a similar fear a hundred times in the decade since I became a parent, and I heard it ringing out in every word of the Mr. Jordan's ill-considered video, most particularly in the many times he repeated that just the day before - just the day before - he had spent hours updating his daughter's laptop, getting it all set up just right, only to find that this Facebook post was the kind of thing she had been using it for. He is bitter, outraged and disappointed - at his child, and at himself. Of course Mr. Jordan acted childishly. Of course his impulse - to trump her Facebook insult with one of his own by posting this for all to see - does not well represent the parent most of us want to be. But I understand Mr. Jordan better than I wish I did. This is probably a good time to mention that although I have a liberal's views about gun control, I come from an area where gun ownership is common (my parents live down the road from a store called Cheaper Than Dirt Guns), and in any case a cavalier attitude toward guns isn't the question here. Nor is the question whether parents should become social-media vigilantes, fighting disrespect and disobedience and disappointment in our children in the forum in which they will feel it most. Of course we shouldn't. The question is simpler than that, and it's one from which only the most saintly of parents is immune. When our children disappoint us, as they inevitably will, how do we make use of our emotional responses without taking things too far? There's a fine line here between anger that teaches, and, well, unloading your gun into a laptop. O.K., maybe not so fine a line, but if you've grounded a kid in anger, or yanked an arm or felt an ugly expression on your face and heard a tone in your voice that you've never used with anyone other than your beloved child, you know what I mean. Our children infuriate us like no one else. How do you stay on the right side of the line?

Western & Oriental has a three-night break at the Excelsior Hotel and Spa, departing on St Valentine's Day, for £380 per person. It includes BA flights from Gatwick on 14 February, transfers and B&B accommodation at this five-star hotel overlooking the Adriatic, plus flowers and a bottle of local wine in your room on arrival. Wandotravel.com Sardinia Spend the May bank holiday at the beautifully rustic Hotel Arathena on the Italian island's north-east coast, near San Pantaleo. A week-long stay costs £649 per person with breakfast and easyJet flights, departing from Gatwick to Olbia on 5 May. The deal also includes car hire. Book by 31 Janurary. Sardinianplaces.co.uk Toronto Virgin Holidays has a three-night break in eastern Canada's premier city for £499 per person. It includes Air Canada flights from Heathrow for departures between 15 and 22 March and room-only at the Strathcona Hotel in the Downtown area, close to the CN Tower and the harbour overlooking Lake Ontario. Chamonix First Choice has a week in the French ski resort of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. It includes Thomson Airways flights from Gatwick to Geneva on 18 February, transfers and B&B at the Hotel Pointe Isabelle for £508 per person. Firstchoice-ski.co.uk

Tokyo exporters hit as yen strengthens The strengthening yen continued to harry Japanese exporters on Tuesday as Asian trading was cautious for a fourth consecutive session, caught in the shadows cast by the resurgent eurozone debt crisis. The Nikkei 225 fell 0.8 per cent to 9,468.04, with Nissan Motor off 0.6 per cent at Y831 and Canon 1.1 per cent lower at Y3,745. Financials also took a hit, with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group down 1.9 per cent, Nomura Holdings off 1.5 per cent and Dai-Ichi Life Insurance retreating 1.6 per cent. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial dropped 1.5 per cent after the Nikkei business daily reported the firm will restructure its business to beef up its derivatives and overseas investment products, moving away from its investment focus on Japanese government bonds. Advantest was a bright spot, jumping 4.5 per cent to Y1,168 on a Nikkei report that the company was set to return to profit. In Hong Kong, metal producers were a drag on a rising market, with Jiangxi Copper off 0.4 per cent at HK$25.15. Property stocks bounced back to drive the wider gains, looking like good value after recent losses. Hang Lung Property rose 0.7 per cent to HK28.7. The Hang Seng was 0.3 per cent higher at 20,677.16. South Korea's benchmark failed to get much lift from a recovery among automakers ahead of first-quarter results later this week. Hyundai Motor regained 2.8 per cent to Won257,000 and affiliate Kia Motors gained 0.9 per cent to Won79,300. Nonetheless, the Kospi fell 0.5 per cent to 1,963.42, hampered by industrial stocks, with chemical and steel makers taking the biggest toll at sector level. In Sydney, Newcrest Mining dropped 3.6 per cent to A$26.6 as the gold miner cut its full-year output forecast following heavy rains. Other metals firms were also lower following recent weak Chinese economic readings, with Fortescue Metals shedding 1.9 per cent to A$5.81. Wesfarmers gave some support to the market, rising 1.8 per cent to A$29.88 after its Coles grocery store chain posted a 5 per cent increase in third-quarter sales. The S&P/ASX ticked 0.2 per cent higher to 4,360.45. Overall, the FTSE Asia Pacific index slipped 0.2 per cent to 238.3.

All ages and abilities make fun run success FUN runners of all ages and fancy dress took part in the Edinburgh Big Fun Run yesterday. Many of the participants donned costumes to take part in the 5km event, which started and finished next to Holyrood Palace on Sunday. The popular event, organised by GSi Events in association with Edinburgh Leisure, was officially started by five members of the Edinburgh Leisure Pink Ladies programme. Fortunately the rain held off for the 320 runners who took part in breezy conditions. Raceday organiser Shona Aitken said: "It's been a great success, thankfully it hasn't rained and there are plenty of people dressed up, with a good mix of abilities. We're slightly down numbers wise on last year but that's to be expected considering the recent weather. It's still been a great day though. Most of those taking part raised money for one of the organisation's 76 partner charities. Runner Gary Keniry, 34, from Broxburn, who was raising £300 for charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer said: "There's a great atmosphere around and it's a pleasure to run in such beautiful surroundings. It's an added bonus to raise money for such a wonderful cause too. The Edinburgh Leisure Big Fun Run joins 21 more Big Fun Runs being staged across the UK from July to November. John Comiskey, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Leisure said: "Edinburgh Leisure is proud to be part of an event which fits so well with our vision to inspire Edinburgh to be a more active and healthy city. The Big Fun Run series is a great example of events that allow lots of people of all ages and stages to participate and see physical activity as fun. Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Big Fun Run in Edinburgh. Ian Grimwade, Head of Sales and Business Opportunities at Edinburgh Leisure, who also ran the Big Fun Run, said "We are delighted to have some of our Pink Ladies who have trained with us here to start (and run) the Edinburgh Leisure Big Fun Run today."

Woman in Airport Rape Case Just Trying to Breathe A woman who says she was raped at Denver's airport by a man who spoke with her at a bar says she didn't scream because she was being choked. The Denver Post reports (http://bit.ly/RxlgFO) the woman, now 23, told jurors Tuesday that she stopped saying no and was just trying to breathe when she was attacked last year on a concourse after refusing a request for a kiss. The woman testified that suspect Noel Bertrand of Portland, Ore., told her during the attack that the gagging sound she was making was sexy. Two airline mechanics intervened during the incident at Denver International Airport. Bertrand's lawyer Wadi Muhaisen (moo-HAY-sen) claims the woman had rough, consensual sex with Bertrand then regretted it. The trial continues Wednesday.

Fire at bungalow in Cefn Bychan, Pentyrch, investigated

Steroid injection under suspicion in U.S.A An infected steroid solution used for injections to relieve back pain in the United States is suspected of causing an outbreak of meningitis which has claimed five lives. The government is warning doctors not to use any products from the company which supplied the solution. It is working with the authorities to try and find the source of the infection. More about: Health, Inquiry, USA

Colts' Manning expects to play, but mum on where Tue Jan 31, 2012 5:50pm EST (Reuters) - Peyton Manning expects to be cleared to play again sometime soon but the Indianapolis Colts quarterback was not as certain about where that might be, he told ESPN in an interview on Tuesday. The four-time National Football League (NFL) most valuable player missed the current season after having neck surgery and his future has been the subject of intense speculation in the buildup to Sunday's Super Bowl in Indianapolis. The Colts (2-14) finished with the NFL's worst record this season and will have the number one pick in April's draft where they are expected to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, adding even more intrigue to Manning's future with the Colts. "That's hard for me to answer," Manning told ESPN when asked about whether he expected to be back with the Colts next season. Certainly (Colts owner) Jim Irsay and I are going to talk. We will do that at the appropriate time and when we do I think some decisions will be made after that but until then I am just continuing to rehab, work hard and enjoy this week because it really is a special week for the city and for my family. Manning's younger brother Eli is in Indianapolis where he will lead the New York Giants in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. The Colts must play Manning $28 million by March 8 or risk losing him as an unrestricted free agent, adding a sense of urgency to talks between the 11-time Pro Bowl quarterback and Colts owner. According to Manning, he expects those talks to take place next week. Manning also shot down rumors that he might be considering retirement, saying his rehabilitation is progressing as planned and that he expects to receive the green light from doctors. I feel good. I've continued to make progress every day," said Manning. Everything that the doctors have told me has been on point, which is encouraging to me. I just had a great day today of rehab, just got back from the facility and that's what I'm going to continue to do. Just keep trying to get better. So far I have and that's the plan from here on out ... everything looks good and I'll be cleared and ready to go.

Kardashian family signs 3-year deal with E! network E! thinks there's even more to keep up with: The network confirmed Tuesday the Kardashian brood has signed a three-year deal with it. The pact gives viewers three more seasons of the network's flagship "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," taking the show into Season 9. The deal covers the entire Kardashian litter, including those who don't boast the last name formally: Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian Odom, Rob Kardashian, Bruce Jenner, Kris Jenner, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner - and also extends the network first-look deals with the clan for unscripted ideas, concepts and projects. The apple, it seems, doesn't fall too far from the money-making tree. News of the deal comes a day after Ryan Seacrest, whose production company backs "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," inked a deal with Fox to continue on as host of "American Idol." Seacrest has yet to finalize an agreement covering the three years "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" will remain on the air, but likely will as part of an upcoming agreement with E!'s parent company, NBCUniversal. It's only logical that E! would aim to keep the celebrity family on its roster. "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" has produced hit spinoffs for the network, including "Kourtney and Kim Take New York" and "Khloe and Lamar," which is currently airing. The most recent season of "Keeping Up With the Kardasians" averaged more than 3 million viewers - a far cry from the less than 1 million it garnered for its premiere when it launched in 2007. The 18-episode seventh season of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" premieres May 20. 'American Idol' isn't sending Ryan Seacrest home Kim Kardashian to appear on 'Drop Dead Diva' Photo: The Kardashian sisters Khloé, left, Kourtney, mother Kris Jenner and Kim, share a laugh at Kitson on Robertson Boulevard Feb. 7, 2011.

Euro hits three-week low on Greece tensions The euro sank to a three-week low against the dollar on Thursday amid tensions between eurozone officials over an impending bail-out for Greece, leading to investor fears the country could experience a disorderly default. The single currency lost 0.5 per cent to reach a low of $1.2929 while the dollar strengthened against other major currencies as risk aversion spread across the currency markets. "The headlines were a wake-up call to a market that had grown complacent about the risks around the current negotiations," said Geoffrey Yu at UBS. The yen continued its weakening trend over the past two weeks to reach a fresh post-intervention low against the dollar of Y78.80, a fall of 0.5 per cent and its weakest level since October 31. Sterling lost 0.1 per cent to $1.5677. Stronger than expected jobs data from Australia failed to provide sustained support for the Australian dollar, which gave up earlier gains to fall alongside other commodity and risk-on currencies as the move into the American dollar intensified. The Aussie fell 0.3 per cent to $1.0660 while the New Zealand dollar lost more than 1 per cent to $0.8254. The Canadian dollar shed 0.4 per cent to $0.9961. The Swedish krona hit a two-week low against the dollar after the central bank cut interest rates by 25 basis points to 1.50 per cent. The Riksbank had cut rates previously in December after the slowing economic growth in Europe had harmed exports. The dollar rose 0.7 per cent to SKr6.7695. The Norwegian krone fell 0.5 per cent to NKr5.8097. The euro was flat against the Swiss franc at SFr1.2067 after steadily losing ground against the Swiss currency over the past week. The Swiss franc was weaker against the dollar, which rose 0.5 per cent to a high of SFr0.9297.

Protesters offer to return PM's shoe CANBERRA, Australia, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Australian indigenous leaders promised more protests after a clash between demonstrators and police in which the prime minister was hustled to safety but lost a shoe. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott were in a Canberra restaurant attending an official function before they were pulled away and bundled into waiting cars. Television cameras caught the dramatic events, including scenes of dozens of demonstrators banging on the glass doors and windows of the restaurant. They were protesting for Aboriginal rights and many were shouted "shame" and "racist" and pointed fingers at the leaders inside. Security staff and body guards are seen grabbing Gillard and hauling her -- sometimes backward -- outside and into a car, but minus a shoe. A report in The Age newspaper said an Aboriginal protester found the shoe and shouted, "Gingerella, come get your shoe!" There were scenes of police and protesters grabbing and pushing each other as the cars drove off. In a spirit of conciliation, and a lot of humor, one of the Aboriginal leaders later, in an arranged scene for the media, invited Gillard to retrieve her shoe. "We wish it be known that we are appalled at the brutal behavior that the Federal Police and the Australian Security Services handed out to the prime minister of Australia that forced her to lose her shoe," Paul Coe, a long-time Aboriginal rights activist and former barrister, said. "We would like to extend an invitation to the prime minister to attend the new Aboriginal Parliament to receive her lost shoe," Coe said, surrounded by cheering and laughing protesters. We are not a nation of thieves and we hope that in a gesture of goodwill the prime minister will respond in a like accord and start looking at issues that seriously affect aboriginal people. No one was injured or arrested in the demonstration, part of an ongoing Aboriginal protest movement since the 1960s against racism, poor educational opportunities and lack of progress on land claims issues. They want recognition in the Australian Constitution as a first people of the continent as a way to setting land claims. The restaurant protest took place on Australia Day, the anniversary of the first British settlement in Australia 224 years ago. But many Aboriginals view it as an invasion of their land. Aboriginals, numbering around 500,000 are 2.5 percent of Australia's population of 23 million. The restaurant protest was spontaneous and, ironically, not initially aimed at Gillard but at Abbott. The day before, Abbott made a comment broadcast on television that it might be time, after 40 years this month, the protesters closed their Tent Embassy, set up on the lawn of Parliament House. For many indigenous Australians the Tent Embassy has become a permanent symbol of their struggle for rights. A report in The Age newspaper said Abbott was asked if the Tent Embassy was still relevant or should it move. "I think the indigenous people of Australia can be very proud of the respect in which they are held by every Australian," Abbott said. I think a lot has changed since then and I think it probably is time to move on from that. Protesters at the Tent Embassy, when they heard Abbott's comments and discovered he was at a nearby restaurant, went to show their displeasure. "The opposition leader on national television made a comment to tear down something that we built over 40 years, which is sacred to us," chairman of the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations, Fred Hooper, said. So what do you expect us to do when we are 200 yards away from the person that makes that comment? Do you expect us to say, 'Yeah, Tony, we're gonna rip it down. Land rights for Aboriginals may be closer than ever before, a report in the Economist newspaper said. Earlier this month, a panel of 22 experts -- more than half of them Aboriginals -- handed a report to Gillard and her Labor government. It recommends possible questions for a referendum designed to have indigenous peoples mentioned in the country's founding document. Gillard has promised a referendum before the next federal election, set for 2013.

Senegal President Concedes Defeat to Ex-Protege President Abdoulaye Wade conceded defeat to his former protege Macky Sall late Sunday, congratulating him several hours after polls closed when preliminary results showed the opposition candidate had trounced the 85-year-old incumbent. Wade called Sall around 9:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) Sunday to congratulate him on his victory, state television reported. The move alleviated fears that Wade would attempt to stay in office after 12 years or would challenge the runoff results. Even before Wade conceded, Sall's supporters began celebrating in the streets of the capital, singing and marching through downtown Dakar. Some danced on the roofs of moving vehicles, and one man did a cartwheel amid the traffic near the Place de l'Independance. Wade, who first took office in 2000, has seen his popularity suffer amid soaring costs of living and unemployment in this country on Africa's western coast. His decision to seek re-election had infuriated many voters. Violent protests left at least six people dead, and analysts had warned of further unrest if Wade won. Marieme Ousmane Wele, 55, said she had voted for Sall because the rising prices of basic goods have made her life increasingly difficult. Supporters of Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, unseen, cheer outside the polling station where he was voting, in his home Point E neighborhood of Dakar, Senegal Sunday, March 25, 2012. Senegalese voters are deciding Sunday whether to give their 85-year-old president another term in office, or instead back his one-time protege Macky Sall in a runoff election that could oust the incumbent of 12 years. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Close I sell cereal made from corn but the price of corn has really gone up. Now, I don't have many customers and it's becoming difficult to feed my own family," she said, as men sat nearby on plastic lawn chairs in the sand listening to news about the election on portable radios. On the streets of Senegal's capital, images of Wade on campaign posters had their eyes scratched out. And his convoy was hit by rocks in the final days of the runoff campaign. Sall, 50, is a geologist by training who worked for years under Wade. The two, though, had a subsequent falling out and Wade has been describing Sall as an apprentice who has not yet taken in "the lessons of his mentor." Wade's image began to suffer after he started giving an increasing share of power to his son Karim, who was derisively called "the Minister of the Sky and the Earth" after he was handed control of multiple ministries including infrastructure and energy. The president also tried to rush a law through parliament that would have reduced the percentage a candidate needed to win on the first round from 50 to around 25 percent. He was forced to scrap the proposal after riots immobilized the capital. Dr. Johny Assane said he voted for Wade in 2000 but has since become disillusioned. While he says he is financially secure, he has seen how others have failed to benefit from Wade's leadership. "The situation of my patients who come to get medicine in my office has really deteriorated," he said. Everywhere there are children whose parents are finding it difficult to pay for their treatment and that shows me that the country is not working. Associated Press writer Tomas Faye in Dakar, Senegal contributed to this report. Krista Larson can be reached at www.twitter.com/klarsonafrica.

Our last Daily Shoe of the season comes from Louis Vuitton, where an extreme Mary Jane with a supersquare toe and crystal closures came perched atop a three-inch platform. Now that's ending on a high note.

Man producers agree deal with Julie Taymor

Ford will close three European plants at a cost of $1.5 billion Ford Motor Co. has launched a broad restructuring of its European operations, a move that will shutter plants in England and Belgium, cost about 6,000 workers their jobs and will incur a $1.5-billion loss for its business in the region this year. The challenges facing the European car industry have become more structural than cyclical in nature and require decisive action. The actions we are proposing come after extensive review and consideration," said Stephen Odell, chief executive of Ford of Europe. The automaker said its business in the U.S. and elsewhere is strong enough to offset the money it is bleeding in Europe. Excluding one-time items, its third-quarter 2012 pre-tax profit and earnings per share will top this year's second quarter "despite the substantial loss in Europe," Ford announced. Previously, Ford said it expected to lose about $1 billion in Europe this year. Ford will release its full third-quarter financial results on Oct. 30. The moves are a "solid step toward restructuring" Ford's European business, said Peter Nesvold, a Jefferies & Co. analyst. The auto industry has gone into a tailspin in Europe, as the region's debt crisis has put many national economies into recession and slashed auto sales. Ford said it is addressing a surplus in factory capacity resulting from a 20% plunge in vehicle demand across Western Europe since 2007. Auto sales have fallen to a nearly 20-year low in the region this year and are expected to remain flat or continue to dip next year. Automakers have been reluctant to close plants because of national regulations and union agreements. "Ford is demonstrating the vision and industrial courage to make tough decisions today that will pay off long-term," said Adam Jonas, an analyst at Morgan Stanley Research. The biggest unknown is, can others follow in Ford's footsteps? Nesvold said he estimates the plant closures and layoffs will generate annualized cost savings of $450 million to $500 million, which "cuts the operating losses in Europe in half." They will help the automaker operate more efficiently in the region. Ford now operates its factories there at a 68% to 70% rate. But by reducing its production capacity, Ford's plants will jump to an 86% to 88% utilization rate, Nesvold said. A turnover of its model lineup also will stabilize Ford's position in Europe, he noted. Ford will be introducing 15 new vehicles over the next five years in the region. A similar product renaissance in the U.S. in recent years has helped Ford increase its profits domestically, he said. "We are fully committed to transforming our European business by moving decisively to match production to demand, improve revenue through new products and a stronger brand, improve our cost efficiencies and take advantage of opportunities to profitably grow our business," said Alan Mulally, Ford's chief executive. In Thursday morning trading, Ford's shares rose 14 cents, or 1.4%, to $10.31. California likes quirky Flex Toyota Prius is California's best-seller

Friends: The One Where Stanley Fink Takes Charge "What do you want me to do, Stanley?" said Dave, clicking back into the all-too-present horrors of his weekus horribilis. Take them upstairs for kitchen supper... I mean, dinner... no, tea, is it? We could throw in a gallon of four star, maybe, and a diamond leaded crystal glass set. Plus decanter? "Erm, not quite, Prime Minister," said Stanley, nervously fingering the knot of his tie. You got all the figures right, but I don't think you read the small print. Stanley pointed to the top of the page. The thing is, Prime Minister, they're now prepared to give shedloads, not to have dinner with you. Dave looked back over Horse Guards. A guardsman crumpled to the gravel in the unseasonable heat. He knew how he felt. Oh, how he'd once loved that first pulse of spring warmth; how he'd been looking forward to the Easter break in Cornwall - a spot of beach cricket, a 99 from the ice cream van, or maybe a locally sourced, savoury, typically Cornish snack? Nope - that was out of the question now. Dave's spirits plunged beneath the floorboards in the general direction of the COBRA bunker - where they were, this moment, laying out the tea and biscuits for the fuel crisis emergency meeting. "Don't take it personally, Prime Minister," said Stanley, "You come out of it really very well indeed. The head of Spes Victa Wealth Management is only prepared to pay a million quid not to have dinner with you. But he's pledged two million not to have dinner with Eric Pickles. And he's prepared to go as high as five million, as long as he doesn't have to have supper in the kitchen, or anywhere else, with Francis Maude. They had now loaded the guardsman into a khaki truck. Another platoon of soldiers were manfully leaning against the back of the truck, and slowly pushing it towards Whitehall. Hadn't the army invented the jerry can? They couldn't run out of petrol, too. Could they?

Chicago teachers strike enters 3rd day; 'long strike' warned Chicago entered the third day of its teacher strike on Wednesday with both sides seemingly holding fast as they hunkered down in their positions. "This could be a long strike," Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey told reporters as the parties prepared to begin talks to potentially end the walkout at the third-largest school district in the nation. "There's still a ton of work to do at the table," Sharkey said. There are many issues that I think, in terms of the critical areas, the board is hardening up their position on. Union leaders said they would meet Wednesday morning to review a new, comprehensive proposal from school board negotiators that addresses all the issues still on the table. The board on Tuesday demanded either a written response to its positions or a comprehensive counter proposal from the union. About 350,000 students have been out of classes since Monday because of the strike by 26,000 unionized teachers. Some school buildings have been open for various activities, including supplying free meals. Community groups have also stepped in, offering places where parents can take children. School officials announced that, beginning Thursday, the 147 drop-off centers where students can get free breakfast and a morning of supervision will be open six hours a day rather than four. The job action has inconvenienced many, but the first poll of Chicago voters since the strike began showed 47% supporting the teachers union, 39% opposed to the strike and the rest uncommitted, according to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper. The poll of 500 registered voters was conducted by telephone and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. Board President David Vitale, the lead schools negotiator, has insisted that the strike was unnecessary, a position often repeated by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has sparred with the union before. Among the key outstanding issues is a new teacher evaluation procedure and a system for rehiring laid-off teachers. "There's been - let's put it this way - centimeters [of progress] and we're still kilometers apart," union President Karen Lewis told reporters after Tuesday's bargaining session. Earlier, she said it was "lunacy" to think the contract could be quickly resolved at this point. She said the union has signed off on just six of the 49 articles in the contract. Emanuel has been a specific target of the teachers. "The only way to beat a bully," Lewis said at one recent teachers rally near Emanuel's office, "is to stand up to a bully!" Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who was once the chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools, issued a statement calling for a settlement. But like President Obama, he has carefully chosen to remain neutral in the fight between the teacher's union and Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff. "I'm confident that both sides have the best interests of the students at heart," Duncan said, "and that they can collaborate at the bargaining table - as teachers and school districts have done all over the country - to reach a solution that puts kids first." Court blocked the release of Guantanamo detainee who died Bear food, bear feces? Not proof of bear-feeding, N.J. judge says First work permits sent to illegal immigrants under Obama program Join Michael on Google+. Email: michael.muskal@latimes.com

The Mystery of Edwin Drood, BBC Two, review Given that we saw Jasper throttling his ward, the eponymous Drood, with his necktie right off the bat - even if it was only an opium dream - you did start to wonder whether the "mystery" part of the story would pass muster with modern audiences attuned to Agatha Christie's reversals and the pretzel plotting of Hollywood thrillers. We presently found out that Jasper harboured an unhealthy stalker-like fixation on Drood's fiancée; when he started manhandling urchins in the graveyard as well, it looked like a done deal. But wait! Surely that's too obvious? There were plenty of other suspects in the quaint cathedral town of Cloisterham, reportedly modelled on Rochester but not quite as vividly realised in our imaginations as Dickensian London. How about Rory Kinnear as lovable Reverend Crisparkle, or Alun Armstrong (veteran of many a Dickens adaptation) as kindly lawyer Hiram Grewgious? Both of them seemed too good to be true, but could they be concealing sinister secrets behind those amiable exteriors? Personally, I had my own suspicions about Ron Cook as the stonemason Durdle - too simple-minded by half, and with a fishy habit of referring to himself in the third person. Perhaps the culprit would turn out to be the unfeasibly innocent-looking Rosa Bud (Tamzin Merchant), who made half of a small but perfectly formed couple with her betrothed Drood (Freddie Fox)? And young Edwin himself was precisely the sort of privileged brat most of us want to slap. I actually felt like throttling him myself. So no shortage of suspects there. Maybe it was like Murder on the Orient Express and everyone clubbed together. But sadly no, the climax of this intriguing and intermittently thrilling episode left us in no doubt who the murderer was, which at this stage certainly felt like a disappointment. So unless the second part reveals that it has all been another of Jasper's opium dreams, we're left with a Columbo-type situation; less a whodunit than a will-the-murderer-get-away-with-it. All the same, I was absorbed from the start by this dark little gothic tale. The Mystery of Edwin Drood is only the latest demonstration that Dickens and telly go together like custard and jelly.

Lawyers Ask to Block Marine Discharge Hearing Lawyers for a Marine who made critical statements about President Barack Obama on Facebook are seeking a federal court order to block a discharge hearing slated for Thursday at Camp Pendleton. According to the filing, lawyers for 26-year-old Sgt. Gary Stein say his views are protected by the First Amendment. Stein, a nine-year member of the Marine Corps, has said he started a Facebook page called Armed Forces Tea Party to encourage fellow service members to exercise their free speech rights. The military has had a policy since the Civil War limiting the free speech of service members, including criticizing the commander in chief. Military law experts and free speech advocates say Stein may have crossed the line.

Sandinistas Win Most Municipal Races in Nicaragua The ruling Sandinista Front has won at least 134 of the 153 mayoral races in local elections the opposition and the U.S. government say lacked transparency, according to results released Monday. At least three people have died and dozens more have been injured in clashes between rival political groups since Sunday's elections, authorities said. Police Commissioner Fernando Borge said two people died in Ciudad Dario, about 28 miles (45 kilometers) north of the capital. Octavio Alvarez, Sandinista Front's political secretary, said a member of the Sandinista Youth was shot to dead in the town of Nuevo Segovia. With more than 91 percent of the Sunday vote counted, the Sandinistas had 76 percent of the vote, said Roberto Rivas, president of Nicaragua's Supreme Electoral Council. Led by President Daniel Ortega, who was re-elected for another five-year term last year, the Sandinistas have made major advances in municipal elections. The party currently governs 109 municipalities, including the capital, Managua, where journalist Daysi Torres was re-elected. But the opposition argues there was widespread fraud and the U.S. government said it was concerned the elections were not fully transparent, echoing claims made during local elections four years ago. "We do not believe in the results given by a completely discredited Electoral Council, with no credibility and that plays on the side of (the Sandinistas), and that allows dead people to be listed as candidates," said Congressman Eliseo Nunez, of the opposition Independent Liberal Party, referring to reports that in several cities in northern and central Nicaragua there were people listed as candidates who had died or live abroad. "We participated because the people should have a choice," Nunez added. But we know that everything was rigged and the Electoral Council did what Daniel Ortega ordered. In the town of La Paz Centro, supporters of the Sandinista Front and those of the Liberal Independent Party fought each other and anti-riot police with stones, tear gas and rubber bullets. Opponents do not know how to lose. They have burned and destroyed public buildings in acts of vandalism that must be punished," said Lesbia Abarca, mayor of the town located 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Managua. Before polling stations opened on Sunday, the opposition denounced the voting lists were confusing and had been altered. They also claimed supporters of the Sandinista Front were allowed to vote twice. The U.S. State Department in a statement expressed concern that the elections "failed to demonstrate a degree of transparency that would assure Nicaraguans and the international community that the process faithfully reflected the will of the Nicaraguan people." Irregularities observed on election day included citizens being denied the right to vote, a failure to respect the secrecy of citizens' votes, and reported cases of voters being allowed to vote multiple times, it said. "These disturbing practices have marred multiple recent Nicaraguan elections," it added. After the 2008 municipal elections in Nicaragua, the U.S. suspended some $64 million in development aid because of the fraud allegations.

"I'm trying to discover more and more of America," says Bobby Dekeyser, the Belgian founder of the outdoor furniture company Dedon, who recently moved to New York. Really looking forward to Nashville. Definitely want to see Wyoming. Dekeyser may be based here (in an apartment in Chelsea that he shares with his girlfriend, the actress Gina Gershon), but he's constantly traveling: to the Philippines, where his wares are manufactured and where he recently opened Dedon Island Resort, on the island of Siargao; to Geneva, home to his philanthropic Dekeyser & Friends Foundation; and to Ibiza, where his summer house is like a "small hotel" for family and friends. "We're modern gypsies, both of us," he says about himself and Gershon. I don't have an office anywhere in the world. I don't like houses. My plane is my house. My home is people. See the interactive slideshow >>

Firm confirms Pakistani gas pipeline work STUTTGART, Germany, March 6 (UPI) -- A German engineering company confirmed it landed a consulting contract for the Pakistani section of a natural gas pipeline from Iran. Pakistani media this week reported that Islamabad offered Germany company ILF Consulting Engineering a $250 million contract for part of a natural gas pipeline from Iran. "Our company has a consulting contract for the Pakistani section of the project," a spokesman for ILF told United Press International in response to an e-mail query. The spokesman added the company wasn't offered nor had it signed a contract for pipeline construction. Iran has pushed for the natural gas pipeline from its South Pars field in the Persian Gulf since the 1990s. Islamabad has expressed keen interest in the project, along with a rival natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan, because of a lingering energy crisis. Washington prefers the Turkmenistan option because of the economic benefits Iran would receive from its pipeline. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told lawmakers there would be "consequences" if Pakistan went ahead with the Iranian option. ILF said it wasn't able to comment on Clinton's warning.

Construction stocks lift Nikkei - FT.com Asian shares rebounded from a four-day losing streak as construction stocks in Japan lifted the Nikkei and real estate groups buoyed Hong Kong. The FTSE Asia Pacific index gained 0.8 per cent to 220.57 as sentiment was lifted by better than expected US housing data. Much of the rally was defensive in nature, however, as the region's export stocks continued to trade cautiously amid the uncertain economic outlook. "The region remains more exposed to the global economic cycle than other parts of the world as the share of exports in its GDP is unusually high," said strategists at Crédit Agricole. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.8 per cent to 8,730.49, led by the likes of Japan Tobacco , Asia's largest cigarette maker by market value, which rose 3.7 per cent to Y2,305 as investors preferred defensive stocks. Kajima Corp was the index leader, however, on speculation that the construction sector will see a surge in housing demand ahead of a proposed sales tax increase in 2014. The stock climbed 6.7 per cent to Y224. Sector peer Taisei Corp gained 6.5 per cent to Y213, while Obayashi Corp climbed 5.9 per cent to Y342. Oracle Corp Japan was another notable gainer, adding 3.6 per cent to Y3,165 after the software maker's profit forecast topped market estimates and the company lifted its dividend to Y87 from Y75. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 1 per cent to 19,176.95 as stocks were buoyed by reports that Beijing will unveil a new package of policies for the territory on, or before, the 15th anniversary of its return to China from British rule. Real estate stocks were among the biggest gainers, with China Resources Land up 4.9 per cent to HK$15.56 and Cheung Kong adding 2.5 per cent to HK$93.20. Mainland stocks, however, were down for a sixth consecutive session. The Shanghai Composite ended 0.2 per cent lower at 2,216.9.

Traders at the Frankfurt stock exchange on Monday. LONDON - Reaction to the Greek elections in financial markets followed a familiar, disconcerting, pattern on Monday as early relief gave way to anxiety about the future of the euro zone, pushing Spain's borrowing costs above the 7 percent barrier, seen by many as unsustainably high. European and Asian markets opened higher Monday after the Greek legislative election Sunday handed victory to a center-right party, New Democracy, that supports Greece staying in the currency union. But by midmorning, Europe had given up those gains, with major indexes down from Friday's close, and the focus shifting back to the problems of Spain, whose banks are heavily exposed to loans which have lost much of their value because of the country's real estate crash. Analysts said that the rise in Spanish borrowing costs reflected investor skepticism about the euro zone's willingness to address its fundamental problems, even a dramatic new crisis had been averted in Greece. "The market positioned itself last week for a good result in Greece," said Lefteris Farmakis, a rates strategist with Nomura International in London. They got the result and the follow-through is brief. Then attention turns to the fundamental issues. Although Spain's cost of borrowing is at the level that caused Greece and Ireland to consider themselves locked out of the markets and ask for international bailouts, Spain has a much lower overall debt load than those two countries. As a bigger nation, it also has a larger debt portfolio and therefore can sustain higher borrowing costs for longer. Nevertheless, Spain and its central role in the euro crisis will be much on the minds of the leaders of the Group of 20 nations, who are meeting Monday and Tuesday in Los Cabos, Mexico. Mr. Zoellick said European leaders had increased market uncertainty by taking "incremental" steps to end the crisis, and by fumbling the announcement of a €100 billion, or $126 billion, rescue for Spanish banks at the beginning of last week. Financial markets are awaiting a summit meeting of E.U. leaders in Brussels at the end of next week at which a more comprehensive plan to shore up the currency, including a banking union, will be discussed. In a reminder that European policy makers remain deeply divided on how to respond to the crisis, the Bundesbank on Monday underlined its opposition to plans to issue debt backed by the euro zone, rather than individual countries, often known as euro bonds. The argument in favor of euro bonds is that they would leverage the good credit ratings of countries like Germany and lower borrowing costs for countries like Spain and Italy, giving those countries more time to fix their economic problems. But in its monthly report, the Bundesbank, the German central bank, said that euro bonds would only be possible after euro zone countries have formed a fiscal union with power over the budgets of member nations, something that is years away at best. The Bundesbank also rejected a plan by the German Council of Economic Experts, an official advisory panel, for euro zone nations to pool their excess debt in a fund that would be paid off over 20 years. Debt guaranteed by all euro zone members in common "would substantially throw off the balance between liability and control," the Bundesbank said. Opposition from the Bundesbank would make it more difficult for Chancellor Angela Merkel to support some form of euro bonds, a step some analysts see as a crucial tool to end the crisis. While Greece's international lenders insist that the basis of the bailout agreement must stay intact, there is speculation that Athens might be given more time or better terms to pay back loans, and that European funds might be used to try to spark economic activity.

Birds of Kaena Point, Hawaii, Enjoy a Revival Thanks to a Fence KAENA POINT, Hawaii - Before Polynesian settlers arrived here hundreds of years ago in their outrigger canoes, Hawaii had more than 120 species of birds - and no mammals to eat them. Land birds flourished in the absence of land predators, and seabirds flew in from all over the world to nest undisturbed on the ground. All of that changed with the arrival of humans - and the dogs, cats, rats and mongooses that came with them. Hawaii became the extinction capital of the world; all but a few species of land birds disappeared or diminished to tiny numbers, and many seabirds avoided extinction only by flying to other islands. But here on this wild, windswept point just 30 miles from Waikiki's crowded beaches, the first predator-proof fence in the United States, built last year by Xcluder, a New Zealand company, is helping to restore the land to a pristine state and proving a boon for scientists and bird-watchers. The fine-mesh green fence zigzags about four-tenths of a mile, from the south coast to the north on Oahu's westernmost spit of land. It is fitted with an overhang that lets rats climb out but not in. People enter through a two-door chamber, in which one door won't open unless the other is closed. What has resulted is a slow-motion explosion of life. "The fence is doing its job," said Eric VanderWerf, a biologist who, with his wife, Lindsay C. Young, is studying populations of albatrosses and shearwaters on a grant from the Packard Foundation. The cats and mongooses were killing 15 percent of the chicks every year, and now they're all gone. Each week, Dr. VanderWerf drives from Honolulu to check a system of 1,100 traps, cameras and poisoned-bait stations for any indication that a predator may have sneaked in. "The rats used to eat the seed of this plant, and now we're seeing them sprout everywhere," he said, pointing to a rare native ohai bush with exquisitely chiseled red flowers. Nearly all of the 400 or so Laysan albatrosses that spend the nesting season here have been fitted with leg rings and have had their DNA taken, and many have been given GPS tracking devices, said Sheila Conant, a professor of zoology at the University of Hawaii. "There will soon be a unique record of the individual history of hundreds of birds - where they went, who their mates are, who their offspring are and so on," Dr. Conant said, adding that this kind of accessibility to data had led to the discovery a few years ago that nearly one-third of the nesting pairs are made up of two females, the biggest proportion of any known bird colony. Kaena Point, a nature reserve, was a favorite haunt of off-road enthusiasts until 1990, when boulders were placed at the entrance to bar vehicles and protect native plants. Laysan albatrosses and wedge-tailed shearwaters soon began nesting there, the albatrosses on the surface, the shearwaters in burrows. On a recent afternoon, Dr. VanderWerf walked across the point's sandy soil, studded with white Laysans, the most common of the three Northern Hemisphere albatrosses. According to the first count since the fence was put up, he said, there are about 400 birds here this season: 62 nesting pairs, 38 chicks and maybe 200 others, mostly juveniles who come to court or just to hang out. Some rested, their heads swung around and beaks tucked between folded wings; others waddled ungracefully. Pairs engaged in elaborate mating rituals involving a cowlike moo. Meanwhile, the chicks, covered in chocolate-brown down, favored the shelter of low-growing naio bushes, while their parents, which can travel thousands of miles while hardly moving their wings, roamed the northern Pacific for squid and small fish that they pick off the surface and later regurgitate into their chicks" open beaks. All around were thousands of burrows dug by the shearwaters, whose mating season comes later in the year. "Since we've had the fence," said Dr. Young, who studied the Laysans of Kaena Point for her doctorate at the University of Hawaii, "the number of albatrosses that come here has risen by 25 percent, and I expect it to continue." A glimpse of the future can be found at the world's largest albatross colony, on Midway Atoll, 1,200 miles away in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where about 1.5 million Laysans roost each year. They are so numerous, and such poor fliers at close quarters, that in nesting season bird counters are regularly knocked off their bicycles by low-flying birds. This correspondent, standing atop of a low hill, was knocked down when a Laysan flew into his forehead. A Midway albatross, named Wisdom, was ringed 60 years ago and is the oldest documented wild bird. She was spotted feeding a new chick this year. On Midway, the density reaches 1,000 birds per acre, and about half of the 64 acres on Kaena Point offer terrain suitable for Laysans, so having "30,000 Laysans nesting at Kaena Point wouldn't be unreasonable, and certainly 1,000 within 10 years," Dr. Young said. As Dr. VanderWerf surveyed a group of eight Laysans with his field glasses, he noticed that one was not ringed. So he simply walked over. The ringed ones took off, but the unringed bird just stared at the biologist, who caught him with ease. "It's obvious he's never been caught," Dr. VanderWerf said as his assistant, Mike Lohr, carefully placed a ring on each foot. Dr. VanderWerf said that Kaena Point offered advantages over Midway. Birds fight less because it's less crowded. Fewer die from ingesting floating trash, because Oahu is farther from the denser parts of the Great Pacific garbage patch. And Kaena Point's elevation is greater - a haven from rising sea levels. Last year's tsunami killed a third of the chicks on Midway. And from a scientific point of view, it's easier to keep track of a smaller population. For bird lovers, it represents the only place in the world where albatrosses can be observed at close quarters without supervision, fee or guide. Today, an estimated 50,000 people visit the point; they are asked to not bring dogs and to stick to roped-off paths. "Most seabirds are in decline, and introduced predators play a big role," said Dr. Conant, of the University of Hawaii. The fence, which cost $290,000, "is an affordable way to save them."

Barney Frank Does Not Want Secret Service at Wedding Representative Barney Frank is getting married in July to his partner, Jim Ready, and he says that the president is not invited to the wedding. It is nothing personal; it is the Secret Service. Mr. Frank says that the hard-partying agents are actually party poopers. "If he and Michelle wanted to come, I would be delighted and honored to have him, but he will bring the Secret Service," Mr. Frank said in an interview taped Friday for the C-Span program "Newsmakers." We're having this in the city I live in, in Newton, Massachusetts, on a Saturday afternoon. I don't want to be accused of having shut down the entire region for a five-mile radius on a holiday weekend. I don't want my guests going through a magnetometer. I would be flattered to have the president do that, but it would ruin the party to have the Secret Service. I'm not critical of them, but they can go take their layered protection of the president somewhere else. Not to my party. The Boston Globe has more on Mr. Frank's long road to marriage.

British open inquiry into UAV use in Afghanistan LONDON, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Members of the British Parliament are opening an inquiry into Britain's use of unmanned aerial vehicles to kill Afghan militants. Members of Britain's House of Commons Defense Select Committee said they intend to investigate the use by British forces of armed UAVs in Afghanistan. That would be part of the two-year Parliamentary investigation into Britain's use of lethal force in Afghanistan. Britain primarily uses U.S. manufactured MQ-9 Reaper UAVs, built by General Atomics. The Australian reported that MPs and members of the House of Lords are also considering whether to have a joint debate on Britain's UAV deployment policy and the ethics of "remotely" killing suspected insurgent targets in Afghanistan battling the International Security assistance Force troops. There also remains the possibility that British ministers could face questions as to whether they share British intelligence with the United States under terms of the 1946 U.K.-U.S. intelligence sharing agreement to help UAVs operated by the CIA to kill terror suspects in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

Total signs $2.3 billion shale deal with Chesapeake PARIS (Reuters) - Oil major Total SA (TOTF.PA) signed a $2.3 billion deal with Chesapeake Energy Corp (CHK.N) and EnerVest, continuing a trend of European and Asian oil and gas companies buying into U.S. shale plays. The deal will give Total a 25 percent stake in a joint venture with the two U.S. companies in the liquids-rich Utica Shale area of eastern Ohio, the French company said in a statement on Tuesday. North America has in recent years seen a boom in energy resources such as shale gas, raising the prospect that the world's largest economy may lower its dependence on imported energy. Total has paid $610 million to Chesapeake, while EnerVest is receiving $290 million. Chesapeake will receive a further $1.42 billion contribution to drilling and well completion costs, expected by the end of 2014, it said in a separate statement. "This is consistent with our strategy to develop positions in unconventional plays with large potential and, in this case, with value predominantly linked to (the) oil price," Total Exploration and Production President Yves-Louis Darricarrere said. He added that the venture would provide Total with "a material position in a valuable long-term resource base under attractive terms." Total, which already has a joint venture with Chesapeake in the Barnett Shale area in Texas, has said it is looking to boost its position in U.S. shale basins that have crude oil or natural gas with a high liquids content, making it more valuable than dry gas. Chesapeake, the second-biggest U.S. producer of natural gas, had previously announced a joint venture with an undisclosed major international energy company on some of its prospective acreage in the Utica Shale area in November. The latest joint venture with Total covers about 619,000 net acres, of which 77,000 were contributed by Houston-based EnerVest, Chesapeake said. Analyst Dominique Patry at brokerage CA Cheuvreux wrote in a research note that the deal was not cheap, with Total -- whose shares he rates as "outperform" with a target price of 46 euros -- paying $14,800 per acre. "This deal is consistent with Total's strategy to develop positions in unconventional plays with large potential especially when they are linked to oil prices," Patry wrote. There is no production to date but 13 wells have been drilled across the acreage with very promising results seen from each well in terms of productivity and liquid content. Thin profitability, due to low U.S. gas prices, has not diminished foreigners' enthusiasm for the controversial energy resource. Statoil (STL.OL) last October paid $4.4 billion for Brigham Exploration BEXP.O to boost its unconventional energy resources in the United States, one of its key growth areas. India's Reliance (RELI.NS) is also looking to invest more in the U.S. shale gas sector. Concerns about water table pollution, tremors and gas leakage are slowing the expansion of shale gas, but with the biggest oil and gas reserve holders limiting foreign investment in their energy sectors, the big western oil and gas majors are increasingly focusing on OECD countries such as the United States and Australia. Total shares were little changed, down 0.2 percent at 39.93 euros by 0853 GMT. Additional reporting by Tom Bergin and Caroline Jacobs; Editing by Christian Plumb and David Holmes

NYSE Liffe proposes position limits NYSE Liffe, the London-based derivatives market home of benchmark cocoa, coffee and sugar contracts, has proposed limits to the number of contracts that speculators and physical can hold, replicating measures already in place in US commodities markets. The proposals, published on Thursday and expected to be implemented in late 2012, come as the NYSE Liffe exchange has faced criticism because of volatile price movements in cocoa and coffee. A squeeze in the cocoa market two years ago - where a large chunk of the world's stocks were bought by Armajaro, the London based commodities hedge fund - raised the ire of some European cocoa processors. Robusta coffee prices have also been subject to occasional gyrations - including a large squeeze earlier this week - due to dominant positions. The exchange, in a circular to market participants, said that after an initial consultation, it was proposing a "a more formalised and prescribed position management regime." The exchange said that it was seeking feedback from its members by early March and aimed to introduce the limits by late 2012. "The proposals are part of the continuing development of the Exchange's existing monitoring and position management arrangements which are designed to maintain market confidence," the exchange said in its circular to members. NYSE Liffe proposed the limits for contracts for delivery at 7,500 contracts for cocoa and robusta coffee and 5,000 contracts for white sugar. The exchange said that it had reviewed deliveries during the past ten years and found that, had the new limits been in place, "they would not have been exceeded in the significant majority" of months. Ian Dudden, director of commodities at NYSE Liffe said: "We believe we've structured the figures in a way that would allow, as far as is practicable, all normal commercial activities." Along with position limits, NYSE Liffe has also proposed "accountability levels" at 200 per cent of the position before delivery. If a position is in excess of the accountability level, the market participant will need to explain the rationale for the holding. Positions limits are a common tool in US commodities markets, but their adoption has been slow in Europe. The London Metal Exchange, for example, has rejected their use. Commodities traders and policymakers are divided about their effectiveness. NYSE Liffe has belatedly started to respond to calls for more transparency. Last September it started reporting weekly "commitments of traders" reports - aggregating bullish and bearish bets by traders in the futures markets. They have also started reporting similar data for options trades. ICE Futures Europe started publishing information on trading of Brent and gasoil futures and options last July.

Britain's Home Office says radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri has lost an appeal regarding his extradition to the United States and that authorities will hand him over as soon as possible. Al-Masri, considered one of Britain's most well-known extremists, had appealed to the European Court of Human Rights to stop the extradition. But the Home Office said Monday the Strasbourg, France-based, court has rejected his appeal. The Home Office said in a statement that it will work to ensure that the cleric will be handed over to U.S. authorities soon. Al-Masri is wanted in the United States for a raft of alleged terrorist offenses.

Crude oil tops $98 - UPI.com A motorist pumps gas in Denver on April 15, 2011. Consumers paid an average price of $3.87 a gallon nationwide on Thursday according to the travel group AAA. UPI/Gary C. Caskey 13 (UPI) -- Crude oil prices jumped Thursday morning, topping $98 per barrel, as traders anticipated a U.S. Federal Reserve policy announcement. In the afternoon, the U.S. Federal Reserve may or may not announce a third round of bond buying, called quantitative easing, meant to stimulate a sluggish economic recovery. Price movement has been low-key for the week, but traders Thursday morning revealed a perceptible itch, as West Texas Intermediate crude oil for October delivery jumped above a range in place since early August, adding $1.17 to reach $98.18 per barrel. Natural gas, which tends to move in the opposite direction of crude oil, shed 3.9 cents to $3.024 per million British thermal units. Home heating oil added 1.09 cents to $3.2261 per gallon. Reformulated blendstock gasoline lost 1.85 cents to $2.9831 per gallon. At the pump, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $3.869 per gallon, up from Wednesday's $3.858, AAA reported.

Syria says army still undecided on ceasefire move By Oliver Holmes and Shaimaa Fayed BEIRUT/CAIRO (Reuters) - Syria said on Wednesday its military command was still studying a proposal for a holiday ceasefire with rebels - contradicting international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi's earlier announcement that Damascus had agreed to a truce. The statement threw Brahimi's efforts to arrange a pause in the bloodshed in Syria into even more confusion, as the rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad have given no indication they would be willing to sign up to it. A previous ceasefire arrangement in April collapsed within days, with both sides accusing the other of breaking it. Brahimi, the joint U.N.-Arab League special envoy, had crisscrossed the Middle East to push the warring factions and their international backers to agree to a truce over the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha - a mission that included talks with Assad in Damascus at the weekend. "After the visit I made to Damascus, there is agreement from the Syrian government for a ceasefire during the Eid," Brahimi told a news conference at the Arab League in Cairo. Within an hour, Syria's Foreign Ministry said the proposal was still being studied by the armed forces' leadership. "The final position on this issue will be announced tomorrow," a ministry statement said. The holiday starts on Thursday and lasts three or four days. Brahimi did not specify the precise time period for a truce. Nor did the initiative include plans for international observers and rebel sources had earlier told Reuters there was little point if it could not be monitored or enforced. The two sides are now locked in a battle with huge potential ramifications in the northwest. Syrian warplanes carried out bombing raids on Wednesday on the strategic northern town of Maarat al-Numan and nearby villages while rebels surrounded an army base to its east, an activist monitor said. Five people from one family, including a child and a woman, were killed in the air strikes, according to Rami Abdelrahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Maarat al-Numan has fallen to the rebels, effectively cutting the main north-south highway, a strategic route for Assad to move troops from the capital Damascus to Aleppo, Syria's largest city where the insurgents have taken a foothold. But without control of the nearby Wadi al-Daif military base, their grip over the road is tenuous. Its capture would be a significant step towards creating a "safe zone" allowing them to focus forces on Assad's strongholds in southern Syria. The rebels say the ferocity of counter-attacks by government forces shows how important holding the base is to Assad's military strategy. Opposition activist footage on Wednesday showed a column of grey smoke rising after a bomb hit the village of Deir al-Sharqi, a few kilometers (miles) south of the base. Meanwhile, hundreds of Syrian refugees have poured into a makeshift refugee camp at Atimah overlooking the Turkish border, fleeing a week of what they said were the most intense army bombardments since the uprising began. Some of the bombs were so big they sucked in the air and everything crashes down, even four-storey buildings. We used to have one or two rockets a day, now for the past 10 days it has become constant, we run from one shelter to another. They drop a few bombs and it's like a massacre," one refugee, a 20-year-old named Nabil, told Reuters at the camp. The army has lost swathes of territory in recent months and relies on air power and heavy artillery to push back the rebels fighting to topple Assad. More than 32,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which began with peaceful pro-democracy protests in March 2011 before descending into civil war as repression increased. Human Rights Watch said the Syrian air force had increased its use of cluster bombs across the country in the past two weeks. The New York-based organization identified, through activist video footage of unexploded bomblets, three types of cluster bombs which had fallen on and around Maarat al-Numan. Cluster bombs explode in the air, scattering dozens of smaller bomblets over an area the size of a sports field. Most nations have banned their use under a convention that became international law in 2010, but which Syria has not signed. Russia said on Wednesday the rebels had acquired portable surface-to-air missiles including U.S.-made Stingers - a weapon that would help bring down warplanes and helicopters which have bombed residential areas where rebels are hiding. Opposition activist footage has shown rebels carrying Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles, but footage of Stingers has yet to appear. In contrast to the Libya crisis last year, the West has shown little appetite to arm the Syrian rebels, worried that weapons would fall into the hands of Islamic militants. Russia, which has supported Assad through the conflict, sold his government $1 billion worth of weapons last year and has made clear it would oppose an arms embargo in the U.N. Security Council. A total of 190 people were killed across Syria on Tuesday, the Observatory said. Reporting by Marwan Makdesi in Damascus, Oliver Holmes in Beirut, Erika Solomon in Atiha, Yasmine Saleh and Tom Perry in Cairo, and Steve Gutterman in Moscow; Writing by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Mark Heinrich

Crime rates in Scotland directly linked to number of off-licences in area THE level of crime in a community is directly linked to the number of shops selling alcohol, claims new research. Neighbourhoods with six or more alcohol outlets suffer twice as much crime as areas with three, according to the study by Glasgow University. The findings have prompted calls for a crackdown on the number of shops, bars, off-licences and supermarkets allowed to sell drink in any one community. Campbell Corrigan, assistant chief constable of Strathclyde police, said Holyrood should legislate to make it easier to stop alcohol sales. Meanwhile, academics said the Scottish Government may need to reduce the number of outlets selling alcohol to combat the country's drink problem. The "causes of crime" research, which is based on statistics from police and the local council, found that the availability of alcohol is the most important factor after deprivation. The academics calculated crime rates for areas of the city that contained about 500 homes. An increase in the number of alchol outlets from three to six was linked to an almost-doubling of the crime rate. They also discovered that an increase in poverty from 20 to 40 per cent of households resulted in a 50 per cent increase in the crime rate. Mr Corrigan said: "This study provides the science to what we had suspected for a long time. We should not be allowing too many alcohol outlets to open in these areas. The body of evidence suggests we should make it a lot easier to restrict provision. We need policing and we need to encourage people to get out of the cycle of drinking too much alcohol, but we need tighter legislation that allows for the restriction of alcohol outlets. Jon Bannister, one of the Glasgow University academics who conducted the research, said government policies that currently concentrate on alcohol promotion and price may need to be extended. "Our research indicates policy on "over- provision" may be under- developed," he said. To reduce crime, the Scottish Government may need to reduce the availability of alcohol through licensed premises. Karyn McCluskey, the co- ordinator of the national Violence Reduction Unit, said: "There is an overprovision of alcohol and I can't believe it is sold in petrol stations, but I don't think the problem is just about provision. I fully believe in minimum pricing because we need to change the mood music in Scotland. But it is not just about pricing: we need to look at why people are drinking. Ade Kearns, professor of urban studies at the University of Glasgow, one of the researchers on the study, said: "The health and wellbeing of Scottish communities depends upon government being effective in tackling alcohol culture to at least the same degree as they have been successful in reducing the social acceptability of smoking. But this means being robust in addressing alcohol availability within communities as well as trying to reduce demand through the price mechanism.

One in 10 British parents contribute up to £5,000 towards their child's gap year Parents in this country spend as much as £995 million each year to fund their children's gap year adventure. Only three per cent of parents expect the money they contribute to eventually be paid back, with a third (32%) considering the donation to be a gift for their child. The study found that almost a fifth of gap years (18%) are funded, either fully or partly, by parents. Parents are paying an average of £763 towards the gap year according to the survey, which quizzed 1,500 British parents with children aged between 17 and 30. James Hickman from Caxton FX, who commissioned the study, said: "The gap year has become a rite of passage for thousands of young people around the world, and it's clear that parents are willing to help in order to ensure that their child is able to embark on the trip of a lifetime. However, with parents contributing so much to the gap year, young people need to have a clearer sense of their budget and better control over their finances while abroad. It is estimated that 20,000 young people will embark on a gap year this year. The research has revealed the cost of the items most commonly provided by parents: Accommodation - £2,500 Round the world flights - £1,100 Medical costs - £490 Deposit - £250 Travel equipment - £219 Clothing - £129.97 Shopping - £100.00 Insurance - £96.56 (backpacker travel insurance) Visas - £48

State officials divided on meaning of judge's health-care ruling By Amy Goldstein and N.C. Aizenman Washington Post Staff Writers Tuesday, February 1, 2011; 8:52 PM A day after a federal judge struck down the government's plan to overhaul the health-care system, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen issued a stern statement: "This means that, for Wisconsin, the federal health care law is dead," and that his state "was relieved of any obligations or duties" to carry out the statute. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), on the other hand, pointed to the 700 people in his state with serious medical problems who already found insurance under the law. "Who goes to these people," the governor said in an interview, "and tells them, 'Sorry, a judge in Florida has decided we now need to put you out in the cold?' " Wisconsin and Colorado are among the 26 states joined in the legal challenge that prompted Monday's opinion by U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson in Pensacola, Fla., that the law is invalid because it goes too far in requiring most Americans to buy health insurance. The opposing reactions from Van Hollen and Hickenlooper reflect striking disagreement over the ruling's practical effects, even for the states in which the decision has the greatest direct impact. Officials in Idaho and Florida, the state that initiated the lawsuit last March, said the ruling gives them the freedom to stop the work they have begun to put the law into effect. "We are not going to spend a lot of time and money with regard to trying to get ready to implement it," Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) told reporters in Tallahassee. Meanwhile, the governors of Georgia, Iowa and Mississippi said through spokesmen that they did not think the court decision gave them license to stop work on the law, in part because the ruling is destined to be appealed to higher courts. "The state cannot halt midstream, because that would be irresponsible," said Brian C. Robinson, communications director for Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R), inaugurated last month after years in Congress. It would put us too far behind if our litigation is not successful in the end. Officials in some of the other 26 participating states said they simply have not yet determined what the ruling means in practice. The interpretations by these states are significant because, under the ruling, only the direct parties to the case potentially are exempt from the law's requirements, according to the plaintiff's attorney, David Rivkin. At issue, he said, are sweeping changes to the nation's health-care system that the law delegates to states. They include an expansion of Medicaid, the public insurance program for low-income Americans, so that it becomes available to people with higher incomes. They also include the design of insurance "exchanges," new-fangled marketplaces through which individuals and small businesses will be able to buy coverage. Both changes are to take effect in 2014 and require intricate preparations. However, Rivkin said, the ruling does not touch any provisions of the law that relate to insurance companies and employers, because they are not part of the lawsuit. This means, for instance, that the opinion does not jeopardize some aspects of the law that already have gone into effect, including the ability of young adults to remain longer on their parents' insurance policies. As states struggled to parse the practical meaning of the judge's ruling, the decision elated congressional Republicans, who, as the court battle progresses, are waging a parallel effort to dismantle the law. The House, where Republicans became the majority last month, already has passed a bill to repeal the law. On Tuesday, Senate Republican leaders announced that they intend to try Wednesday to force the same measure to a vote in the Senate, where Republicans remain in the minority. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) proposed the repeal legislation as an amendment to an unrelated bill - involving funding for the Federal Aviation Administration - that is the first the Senate will consider since the start of the new Congress. Senate Democrats said Tuesday, however, that they intend to use a parliamentary maneuver to try to obstruct the vote. Democrats are more receptive to another amendment, sponsored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), which would eliminate a provision that increases the paperwork burden on small businesses in filing tax forms. That provision is the one aspect of the law that President Obama and many congressional Democrats have said they are willing to abolish. Also Wednesday, Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) is scheduled to lead a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee to examine the constitutionality of the law. Democrats maintain that the law is constitutional, while Republicans, including state officials in 25 of the 26 states participating in the case that led to Monday's ruling, maintain that the insurance requirement and other provisions exceed Congress's constitutional limits. Top officials in several states participating in the lawsuits are divided on the question. In Colorado, Hickenlooper supports the law, while the state attorney general opposes it. In his decision, Vinson did not issue an injunction formally blocking the law from moving forward, reasoning that one was unnecessary because his opinion was "the functional equivalent." Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said the agency is considering whether that means it would be helpful to request a stay of the ruling, to clarify that the work of putting the law into practice can go on during court appeals. Legal scholars interviewed Tuesday, including some who have held senior positions in Republican administrations, said the judge's legal reasoning that his ruling amounted to an injunction was unusual."I think the judge has misread some of the precedents he cites," said William Buzbee, a law professor at Emory University. goldsteina@washpost.com aizenmann@washpost.com

18 workers at JFK Airport charged in theft ring of airline mini-bottles of alcohol By George Lerner September 13, 2012 -- Updated 0040 GMT (0840 HKT) Prosecutors say 15 employees of LSG pilfered bottles of alcohol left over from various American Airlines flights and sold them. 18 airport employees accused of stealing more than 100,000 mini-bottles of alcohol The retail value of the alcohol is $750,000 Most of the workers are employed by LSG Sky Chefs, an airline beverage supplier The LSG employees were arrested at an early morning meeting in their uniforms New York (CNN) -- It was a security breach at one of the country's busiest airports conducted on a tiny scale. Eighteen workers at New York's JFK Airport were arrested on Wednesday and accused of stealing more than 100,000 mini-bottles of alcohol from LSG Sky Chefs, which provides food and beverages for American Airlines. The arrests capped off a nine-month investigation, dubbed "Operation Last Call" by the Port Authority's Office of Inspector General. Most of the accused were employed by LSG, but three were security guards hired by private contractors to guard JFK Airport and American Airlines. The guards are charged with taking bribes to look past the thefts and for receiving stolen property. "The defendants arrested in Operation Last Call violated and sold out their position of trust and access to the secure areas of the airport, including access to commercial aviation, all for personal greed," said Robert Van Etten, inspector general for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates JFK Airport. Prosecutors allege that 15 employees of LSG pilfered bottles of alcohol left over from various American Airlines flights and sold them on the underground market to local liquor stores and bodegas. Taking place over many months, these thefts yielded an estimated retail value of $750,000. Law enforcement sources said the ring revolved around Domingo Duran, a retired LSG Sky Chefs employee. An early morning raid on Duran's home in Queens uncovered more than 50,000 mini-bottles of alcohol and $34,000 in cash. Duran faces 15 years in prison on charges of grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. CNN's attempts to reach Duran for comment were unsuccessful. Two of the three security guards worked for FJC Security Services, which has responsibilities for guarding the facilities at JFK Airport. The third security guard was employed by SCIS Air Security, which has a contract to guard airline property. An FJC spokesman said that the firm had been alerted to the alleged activity by an anonymous tip in November 2011, a half year after taking over the security contract at JFK. FJC immediately turned over the information to the Port Authority, which commenced a formal investigation. The case culminated when the LSG workers were summoned to an early morning meeting, where they were arrested in their uniforms. "They were engaged in the widespread theft and distribution of liquor and other duty free items," Van Etten said. These arrests will serve notice that the Port Authority of will not tolerate criminal activity at its facilities. LSG Sky Chefs declined comment. The accused each face between seven and 15 years in prison.

Boeing Lifts Forecast After a Strong Quarter An increase in airplane deliveries helped the Boeing Company report stronger-than-expected earnings on Wednesday and signaled that the company was getting past the problems that slowed production of its new 787 Dreamliner and 747-8 jets. Boeing, based in Chicago, said its first-quarter profit surged 58 percent and its revenue shot up 30 percent. It delivered 137 commercial planes, up from 104 in the same quarter a year earlier. The deliveries included five 787s, the first passenger jet made substantially of lightweight carbon composites, and six of the 747-8 jumbo jets. Both programs had suffered repeated delays and cost increases before the planes entered service last fall. Cai von Rumohr, an aerospace analyst at Cowen & Company, noted during Boeing's conference call on Wednesday that this was "the first quarter I can remember" in which the company did not report some kind of snags with the 787. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the award you just gave us," Boeing's chief executive, W. James McNerney Jr., responded. But he said the company was increasingly confident about its plans for increasing production of the 787, which had more advance sales than any other plane in history. He said that by this summer, Boeing should no longer have to make many small fixes on the 787s after they come off the assembly line. He also said the company still planned to increase production of the planes from three and a half a month now to five a month later this year and 10 a month by the end of 2013. Buoyed by the news, Boeing's shares jumped by more than 5 percent, to $77.03 a share, in late-session trading. Robert Stallard, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said in a note to clients that the first-quarter results represented a "very good start to 2012 by Boeing." Boeing said its net income rose by 58 percent to $923 million, or $1.22 a share, from $586 million, or 78 cents a share, in the first quarter of 2011. Its revenue jumped 30 percent to $19.4 billion from $14.9 billion. On average, analysts had expected Boeing to report a profit of 93 cents a share, according to Bloomberg. Boeing said the latest earnings included 11 cents a share from a reduction of its litigation reserve. Because of that extra money, it increased its earnings forecast for all of 2012 to $4.15 to $4.35 a share from its previous guidance of $4.05 to $4.25 a share. Several analysts asked during the earnings call why Boeing was not increasing the guidance even more in view of the first-quarter results. Greg Smith, Boeing's chief financial officer, said the company was being cautious and could change the guidance if production increases went smoothly. Boeing also plans to increase production of its highly profitable older models, the 737 and the 777, as the economic recovery spurs worldwide demand for new planes. Over all, Mr. McNerney said, the company expects a 40 percent increase in plane production over the next three years. He said an updated version of the 737 being designed now drew 301 orders in the first quarter, bringing the total to 451 since last summer.

Amid Tax Debate, a Closer Look at Small Businesses Is it only right that wealthy Americans chip in more to help the government meet its obligations? Or does raising taxes on the rich hobble the country's "job creators"? When President Obama proposed this week to let the Bush-era tax cuts expire for high earners, polar-opposite reactions from Republicans and Democrats were as swift as they were consistent. Mitt Romney repeated an argument he makes in almost every stump speech: that a tax increase on upper earners will slow hiring because most Americans work for small businesses, whose owners report earnings on their individual returns. "Fifty-four percent of American workers work in businesses taxed as individuals," Mr. Romney said at a fund-raising event in Montana on Wednesday, repeating a figure he uses often. So when the president wants to raise taxes on individuals - as he's proposed from 35 percent to 40 percent - he kills jobs. Mr. Obama had anticipated this objection when he proposed on Monday to extend middle-class tax breaks beyond 2012, while urging - once again - that rates rise on earned incomes of more than $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples. "Now, we can already anticipate - we know what those who are opposed to letting the high-end tax cuts expire will say," Mr. Obama said at the White House. "They'll say that we can't tax "job creators." " But most small-business owners would be exempt, he said, because "97 percent of small businesses fall under the $250,000 threshold." Republicans, by reframing the issue of taxes on the wealthy into a debate about job creation, have cannily evoked Americans" patriotic support of small businesses as an engine of economic growth. Democratic and Republican politicians are equally given to praising small businesses for creating a majority of jobs. But the world of small businesses - more specifically, of individuals who report business earnings on their tax returns - is complex. Many enterprises do not fit the rosy image of a tech start-up in a garage or a mom-and-pop florist. Mr. Obama is correct that only a tiny sliver of business owners make enough to land in the top tax brackets. The Joint Committee on Taxation, a nonpartisan Congressional office, estimated last month that 3.5 percent of taxpayers with business income in 2013 would fall in the tax brackets that would rise under the president's proposal. But the tax committee also supported Mr. Romney's assertion that this sliver represents a significant share of the economy: those top earners generate 53 percent of all small-business income. Mr. Romney's figure that a majority of Americans, 54 percent, are employed at companies whose owners file taxes as individuals is from a report by the accounting firm Ernst & Young, according to the Romney campaign. The report examined all types of "flow-through" businesses, in which profits pass from the business to the individual owners for tax purposes, including partnerships, sole proprietorships and other entities not subject to corporate taxes. The number and share of the economy of flow-through businesses have steadily grown in recent decades, to the point that many would hardly be considered small businesses. Seventeen percent of workers in flow-through enterprises work at companies with more than 500 workers, according to Ernst & Young. Flow-through businesses include large law partnerships and hedge funds. Before it went public in 1999, Goldman Sachs was a flow-through business. Republicans often argue that the owners of flow-through businesses are sensitive to marginal tax rates in making hiring decisions. "I used to run a small business; I used to have pass-through income," the House speaker, John A. Boehner, said on Tuesday, promising to kill the president's proposal in a vote later this month. I would have been affected by this tax increase that the president's calling for. This is not going to help our economy. But the question of whether small-business owners are encouraged or deterred by marginal tax rates is robustly debated by economists. "If I've got $100 after taxes and you raise my tax rate and it goes down to $80, I might be less likely to go out and hire an additional worker, because I don't have enough cash on hand," said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former economic adviser to President George W. Bush. Mr. Holtz-Eakin has done research linking an entrepreneur's lower individual tax rate with a decision to hire more workers. Another expert, William G. Gale, a director of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, disputed the notion that raising marginal tax rates on small-business owners depressed hiring. These businesses can deduct wages from their revenues, he said, with the potential to lower their effective tax rate. "They can deduct everything in full," Mr. Gale said. It's a canonical result in economics that if you can immediately deduct the investment, then the effective tax rate should be zero. In any event, recent studies have challenged the notion that small businesses are a key engine of job creation. Older small businesses, it seems, cut more jobs than they create. Research by the economist John C. Haltiwanger and others showed that the only small businesses that create more jobs than they destroy are those less than five years old - in other words, start-ups. "The small-business sector per se is not necessarily a dynamic part of the economy," Mr. Gale said. Reducing taxes on high individual incomes across the board is applying too broad a brush, he said, to stimulate the fraction of small businesses that are young and innovating and generating most new jobs.

Big Oil fights to tax breaks WASHINGTON, March 26 (UPI) -- The American Petroleum Institute said repealing billions of dollars of tax breaks for oil companies is a "destructive" idea that is politically motivated. The trade group began an advertising blitz Monday to convince taxpayers repealing the tax breaks would be bad for the economy -- risking jobs and potentially raising prices of gas at the pump, The Hill newspaper reported Monday. "It's a bad idea, a destructive idea, and we urge all senators to oppose it," API tax policy manager Stephen Comstock said. The tax repeal bill written by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., makes an already unfair system more unfair, Comstock said. "The oil and natural-gas industry paid its fair share and more," he said. The bill is designed to close down tax loopholes and funnel the new tax revenue toward development of alternative fuels. Passage of the bill in the Senate is expected to begin with a procedural vote set for Monday night. In the meantime, the industry has begun a media campaign that will cover Missouri, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Maine, Nevada and the District of Columbia. Each side -- the bill is primarily supported by Democrats and opposed by Republicans -- can point to opposing studies. Some say cutting tax loopholes for oil companies will raise the price of gasoline. Other studies indicate the price at the pump will not be affected. "We can end wasteful taxpayer subsidies to 'Big Oil' and use these savings to invest in clean energy and create jobs and reduce the deficit," Menendez said Monday.

Debenhams boss to get extra £300,000 Michael Sharp will be awarded shares worth £1.23m, the equivalent of 200pc of his annual salary, instead of the £923,000, or 150pc of salary, that Debenhams" remuneration policy normally entitles him to. One-off and discretionary awards attracted the ire of shareholders during the "shareholder spring" earlier this year when companies such as Aviva saw their remuneration reports voted down by angry investors. However, in Debenhams" annual report, Dennis Millard, chairman of the remuneration committee, says that the award to Mr Sharp was made "following careful consideration and personal consultation with a number of major shareholders and investor representatives." He added: "The committee deemed it appropriate to make a slightly larger award to the chief executive this year in light of the strong business performance since his appointment, including significant share price appreciation, his exceptional personal performance and to enhance his longer term alignment with our four-pillared strategy. The committee believes this award will have a very positive retention and motivational impact on the chief executive. During the year to September 1, Debenhams reported a 4.2pc increase in pre-tax profits to £158m. Over the same period, the department store group's share price rose 80pc.

Doug Glanville: The Triumph of the Younger Brother, Eli Manning Eli grabs birth-order theory by the nose in his quest for football greatness Brent Smith / Reuters New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, left, talks with his brother, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning before the start of their NFL football game in Indianapolis Sept. Glanville's first book, The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View, was published in 2010. I imagine Archie Manning, father of super quarterbacks, New York Giants" Eli and Indianapolis Colts's Peyton, is having that parental moment. The one that makes you want to shout from the mountaintop in pride for about 90% of it, while the other 10% creates a sense of dread as you wonder if Eli's success - and the pressures of birth order - just made things harder for his older brother, Peyton. Younger brother Eli earned his second Super Bowl win and second Super Bowl MVP trophy over the machine-like near perfection of Tom Brady and Belicheck's New England Patriots. He has emerged as the quarterback that you most want to give the ball to when the game is on the line. He dominates on third down, he lives for marching down the field in the fourth quarter to break your team's back after breaking your heart. MORE: The Best and Worst Super Bowl 2012 Ads For a while, Eli was a second thought in the family quarterback conversation among armchair fantasy-league GMs. Peyton was racking up the numbers and the accolades. He was the fastest to reaching 50,000 yards passing. Four-time NFL MVP winner. He has so many all-star appearances (11), they might as well call the Pro Bowl the Peyton Bowl. Then again, Peyton had a five-year headstart and Eli is just getting better with time. When Peyton stormed the NFL, as the eldest, we never thought to compare him to his younger brother. In fact, we looked only at his Dad, who was a stellar quarterback in his own right. Peyton seemed to validate his father's knowledge of the game by showing that papa was a great teacher and like so many older sons, the legacy was comfortably preserved with Peyton's excellence. The Manning legacy did not appear to need to be seconded by Eli. Even with the monster numbers, Peyton took some criticism. For quite a while, it was said that he didn't have that killer instinct to win at all costs. He was more funny (TV commercials as evidence) than ruthless. In fact, after Tampa Bay wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson was knocked out of the playoffs one year, he responded to the media's questions about the "bright side" of the loss by saying, mockingly, that they sounded like Peyton Manning. MORE: Jeffrey Kluger: Why Parents Are Hardwired to Have a Favorite Child Peyton would quiet the critics and get his Super Bowl ring and a Super Bowl MVP trophy which took the 800 lb. gorilla off of his back. He also beat his younger brother in a head-to-head match-up which was probably more like a 1800 lb. gorilla lifted off by a crane. But by this point, his younger brother, Eli was about to come into his own. It wasn't instant success; Eli had to fight for his job. He had to overcome a lot of detractors from his so-so statistical success. But then he learned to take advantage of a superstar tandem of wide receivers in Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey. This was 2007 and he rode that wave right to a 2008 Super Bowl victory over the team that was his big brother's nemesis, the New England Patriots. The Pats had knocked out Peyton and the Colts just about every year and little Eli took them out in one shot. So it is part of the new truth that in 2012, Eli Manning would once again topple those Peyton-killing Patriots, acting like the big brother clearing the playground for bullies that were picking on little bro. With his second Super Bowl championship and MVP award, you have to be somewhat in awe of a legacy that is racing towards his older brother. It's probably the same instinct that, instead of shying away from whatever his older brother was doing, led him to take birth order by the nose and arrive at the NFL years after his brother was a household name in redefining the QB position. MORE: Glanville: What Separates a Pro Athlete from His Money? I can relate. I am the baby brother of my family and I embraced my big brother and his dedication to baseball as a giant bull's-eye and a compass. I told myself to follow in his path with my own shoes, discover new ways, take his good work and generous spirit to bring the family name even more pride and joy. My brother mentored me to improve upon his work. Clearly Peyton has been supportive of his little brother, and this has allowed Eli to adopt a healthy attitude that makes birth order less of a burden. Eli could then make his mark in the shadow of his brother and father, knowing that as he moves with the sun's time, people will see his true work emerge from the darkness, and maybe more importantly, know that it is his own. MORE: Tebow's Testimony Glanville, a Major League Baseball player from 1996 to 2004, is an analyst for ESPN and the author of The Game from Where I Stand.

Memories... Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' 9 wackiest moments It was the couch jump heard around the world. Tom Cruise was "in love" with actress Katie Holmes and he wanted Oprah and everyone on planet Earth - or any other planet for that matter - to know about it! Since that iconic (and some say moronic) display of affection seven years ago, TomKat has become one of Hollywood's most eccentric couples, providing us with some crazy remarks, rumors and photos. Here are the moments that puzzled us, the rumors that perplexed us, and the stories that made us laugh ... and often cringe. Katie's Staged Pregnancy Rumor Because Tom's first marriage to Mimi Rogers resulted in no children, and he adopted with second wife Nicole Kidman, the long-running Hollywood rumor of Tom's infertility made everyone scratch their heads at the sight of Katie's baby bump. Pictures revealing Katie's protruding belly button appeared only two weeks after announcing her pregnancy, a commonality that usually occurs in the second or third trimester. Talks of a prosthetic belly began to circulate through the Web, however Suri's ultimate resemblance to mom and dad finally put that rumor to rest. The Marriage Contract The verdict is still out on this one, but it has been suggested that Tom Cruise interviewed various actresses, like "Modern Family" star Sophia Vergara, for the paid job of being his wife. According the alleged contract, Holmes was offered $3 million dollars per year of being together, in conjunction with a bonus for having a child. Further suggesting that Cruise is a master at contrived relationships, was the odd coincidence that wives Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes all divorced the actor at age 33. 7 .The "Fairytale" Wedding With an A-list guest list that included pals David and Victoria Bekham, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith, TomKat's "fairytale" wedding was as over-the-top and pompous as the quirky couple. Held in an Italian castle, the couple was serenaded by Andrea Bocelli, while guests were treated to a post-reception fireworks show. Pictures of the elaborate affair were featured in People magazine. Even stranger, iin the wedding photographs. Tom appeared taller than Katie. Hmm. Katie's "Stepford Wife" Makeover To go along with her new marriage, in 2007 Katie Holmes decided to reinvent herself with a matronly new image. With a short bob and wardrobe makeover, Katie went from looking like a foxy young Hollywood ingénue to a rich soccer mom from Connecticut. Hidden behind oversized sunglasses and conservative designer duds, Katie teamed up with new bff Victoria Beckham to become a fashion aficionado, a far cry from her girl-next-door demeanor that made her famous. Suri's Burn Book This hilarious blog written in the voice of 6-year-old Suri Cruise rags on everything from Gwen Stefani's parenting skills to Shiloh Jolie-Pitts missing tooth (surisburnbook.tumblr.com/). The writer - uh we mean Suri - is scathing in her celebrity commentary but it's just too good to resist. The "Dip" Kiss Trying to turn the heat up on the red carpet, Tom Cruise memorably dipped and kissed Katie Holmes at the 2005 New York screening of "War of the Worlds." Though Cruise was supposed to be promoting his movie, it almost appeared as if his main concern was to promote the legitimacy of his marriage, as he and Katie traveled the world locking lips for the paparazzi at every screening. The 2005 MTV Movie Awards Giggling like a teenager and trying to seem overly complimentary, Katie Holmes awkwardly presents Tom Cruise with MTV's first Generation Award. Playfully Katie goes off stage to grab Tom but the two don't seem to radiate any chemistry as he gives her a very generic hug/pat before addressing the crowd. The pair walk off stage holding hands, with Katie looking more like Tom's daughter than his young paramour. Katie (Tries) to Seduce Tom We aren't sure what stands out most about Katie Holmes" 2010 performance of "Whatever Lola Wants" at an LA charity event. From the bad singing to the bad dancing, this performance (which guest stars Tom Cruise) looks like amateur hour at your local theatre. While the actress was attempting to show her sultry side, the end result was something far from provocative - or good! Tom Jumps on Oprah's Couch What more can we say? Watch it again, for the first time. And stick around for the end -- you may have forgotten the lengths Cruise had to go to to even get his fiance onto Oprah's stage.

Melton's, York, restaurant review - Telegraph I fancied everything so I went for the thing I fancied least (it's a habit I picked up in nightclubs) - artichoke fritters with summer vegetables in avgolemono (£7). It sounded classy (a quasi-mayonnaise of Greek descent, literally, egg and lemon) and indeed, tasted classy, but looked like an incredibly runny Russian salad, of the sort that, again, that hypothetical aunt, might make. The fritter was wonderful, the batter bringing nothing but crunch, putting the full-flavour spotlight on a deeply vegetal, end-of-summer artichoke. I carried on with the 'Whole Hog" (£18.50). Trotter, belly and hock all vied to be the most succulent. They're not radically different in texture, all clustering round that fatty/shreddable axis: as always, I mean fatty as a compliment, but the fantasy-menu planner in me would have had something either more chewy - loin, for instance - or softer - black pudding, perhaps? That's my only quibble. The flavour was exquisite, especially in the trotter and the hock, where you can almost taste the timeless business of digging meat out from the crook of a bone. Pommes boulangère were faultless, a madeira jus did its job - enlivening the mouthfeel while not upstaging anything. J had the braised shoulder and cutlet of lamb with a lamb 'bacon" ratatouille and caramelised onions (£19.50). It puts the fear of God into me when I see bacon in inverted commas, bringing to mind a vegan meat substitute; so I went in suspicious and came out thinking, 'Well, that was nice, but I'm not sure what was bacon-esque about it. It tasted just like slivers of lamb in a ratatouille. The shoulder with the cutlet, however, was a meat medley I'll take to my grave. Harmonious enough that I'd swear they came from the same creature, the two elements were very different in texture, depth, length of cooking and everything else. Between them they added up to everything that's wonderful about lamb, right down to the cheeky, chewy, charred bit of fat without which a cutlet tastes prissy and a bit French. The puds didn't thrill me at all in their description. I went for pear and almond cake (£6.60), even though I visualised it as a stodgy great thing you'd get in a WI competition. But it was utterly lovely, with a delicate crumb and a subtle amaretto pannacotta on the side. J liked it best of everything she'd eaten, but she has a very sweet tooth. This is an idiosyncratic little haven. La Petite Auberge 107 High Street, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire (01494 865370) Hubert and Danielle Martel live above their 10-table restaurant and serve dinner in the cosy, carpeted front room. French classics abound, from escargots (£7.10) and soupe de poisson (£7), to duck breast with a cassis jus (£19.20) Sycamore House 1 Church Street, Little Shelford, Cambridgeshire (01223 843396) Nineteen years ago Susan and Michael Sharpe made this formerly deserted pub their home. Their guests can enjoy spiced sweetcorn soup followed by roast pork tenderloin with a honey sauce (£28.50 for three courses) Artisan 22 The Weir, Hessle, East Yorkshire (01482 644906) There's room for 16 lucky diners in Richard and Lindsey Johns" Georgian town house. The menu is short, but stars their excellent risottos (porcini with truffle cream or roast butternut squash and parmesan), and top-notch fish (£50 for four courses)

Why the Chinese are flocking to U.S. colleges A view of McCosh Hall, built in 1906, on the Princeton University campus in New Jersey. William Bennett says many Chinese want their children to attend U.S. universities. William Bennett: Many Chinese yearn to send their children to U.S. universities Bennett: Chinese students better prepared in science, math; parental expectations higher In China, U.S. colleges represent freedom, individualism, self-improvement, he says He warns that U.S. must approach education as focused as the Chinese Editor's note: William J. Bennett, a CNN contributor, is the author of "The Book of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood." He was U.S. secretary of education from 1985 to 1988 and director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H.W. Bush. (CNN) -- American higher education is in the cross hairs of a heated national debate over the value and cost of a college degree. Yet in China, our fiercest global economic competitor, the popularity of American colleges and universities might be at an all-time high. I just returned from a trip to Beijing, where I spoke with Chinese parents about the value of American education, where we excel and where we fall short. Not surprising was the extent to which the Chinese value education, especially primary and secondary education, and yearn for their children to attend American universities, and if possible, stay in America. When I engaged Chinese parents about their children, they would often say, "My son (or daughter) is going to Princeton (or fill in the elite American university)." I would respond, "Great! What year is your son or daughter right now? And they would say, "Three years old." William Bennett This passion for education starting at such an early age is powerful. After meeting with Chinese teachers, parents and children, three differences were immediately clear. First, their children are better educated than American children in the STEM fields -- science, technology, engineering and math. High standards and high expectations are the norm in China, not the exception, as is often the case in the United States. Second, Chinese parents will sacrifice almost anything for their child's education. They realize firsthand, "History is a race between education and catastrophe," as H.G. Wells put it. In China, the disposable income of middle-class families is more likely to be spent on education than leisure or entertainment. Third, to the Chinese people, American universities, for all their shortcomings and blemishes, are still beacons of freedom, individualism and self-improvement. To them, our universities are emblems of the highest achievement. In Asia, they have a saying: "The protruding nail gets hammered down." In America, we give awards for protruding nails. Our standards should be higher and our achievement better, but we still remain a land of unlimited opportunity. Each of my speeches in China began by reminding the Chinese people of the three, quintessential American values engraved, on our currency: Liberty, In God We Trust and E. Pluribus Unum. Politically, we may be at odds with the Chinese regime, but its people desperately long for a taste of American autonomy. RISE China, the private international education company that invited me to China and for which I am a compensated senior adviser, focuses on teaching idiomatic English to Chinese students to help them get into American universities. It also helps Chinese students develop confidence, initiative, commitment and active learning -- all qualities that are cherished by our higher institutions. As a result, the number of Chinese undergraduate students in the U.S. has doubled in the past two years. In the 2006-07 academic year, 9,955 Chinese undergraduates enrolled in U.S. schools. The next year, that figure jumped to 16,450, and by 2010-11, 56,976 undergraduates enrolled in the U.S. China exports more of its students to the U.S. than to any other country. They are already reaping the benefits educationally and economically. In February 2011, in a meeting with Silicon Valley's biggest entrepreneurs, President Barack Obama asked Steve Jobs of Apple what it would take to make iPhones in the U.S. rather than China. Jobs replied that those jobs aren't coming back. The New York Times reported it this way: "Apple executives believe the vast scale of overseas factories as well as the flexibility, diligence and industrial skills of foreign workers have so outpaced their American counterparts that "Made in the U.S.A." is no longer a viable option for most Apple products." The Chinese realize the potential of American universities when engaged properly. When a student approaches the university with a specific degree focus, applies it with diligence and finances it soundly, understanding the commitment he or she is making, the American university system is still the best in the world. American students must begin approaching their higher education just as smartly and seriously, or our academies will be filled with aspiring and inquiring minds from elsewhere. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William Bennett.

Beverly Johnson remembers first "Vogue" cover Supermodel Beverly Johnson was the first black model to make the cover of Vogue magazine, breaking barriers and redefining what beautiful means in the U.S. Johnson was 21 when she claimed the cover in 1974. It's 38 years later and Tuesday on "CBS This Morning," she said the cover means more to her than now it did that day. "I remember it like it was yesterday," the 59-year-old model said. It's still as exciting as it was that day. And even, it means even more. I went to the civil rights pilgrimage in Alabama (on March 2nd and we walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge that was in 1965 for the voting rights, and to think that I thought that in 1974, you know, I was kind of angry. You mean, we never had a woman of color on the cover? At the time, Johnson said she wasn't prepared for the responsibility that came with what the cover stood for. I knew that's what every model aspires to do, is to be on the cover of Vogue. I mean, that means you have made it as a model. I did not know I was the first person of color on the cover," she said. With that came this huge responsibility that I, as a 21-year-old really wasn't prepared for. (The reaction) was almost immediate," she said. What I did is I made a conscious decision to find out who I was, where I came from and what this whole thing is about. I grew up in Buffalo, New York, and I was very sheltered. I realized that even -- I mean, 1965, we were just doing -- passing voting rights for black people in America. So, 1974, what that cover stood for, (was that) finally mainstream America is recognizing that black women or black people are beautiful, too. These days, Johnson is a grandmother and is documenting that experience with her family on "Beverly's Full House" on Oprah's network OWN. For more with Johnson on "CBS This Morning" on that series and her strained relationship with her daughter who lives with her, watch the video in the player above.

Eurozone crisis live: Angela Merkel blamed as BAE-EADS merger collapses International Monetary Fund's financial counsellor Jose Vinals, in Tokyo today. Despite recent progress, the eurozone remains the main threat to the global economy. That's the message from the International Monetary Fund today, which has warned that risks to global financial stability have risen in the last six months. The IMF's latest Global Financial Stability Report, released in Tokyo a few hours ago, said confidence was "very fragile." Unless conditions improve, the eurozone risks a huge flight of capital out of its banks, perhaps as much as $4.5 trillion. In the latest 'hurry-up' to the eurozone, the IMF said it was vital that policymakers urgently deepen the financial and fiscal ties within the euro area. Here's the key quote from the new report: Despite many important steps already taken by policymakers, this agenda remains critically incomplete, exposing the euro area to a downward spiral of capital flight, breakup fears and economic decline. The IMF did give the eurozone some credit, citing its plans for a new banking union, Mario Draghi's pledge to do everything needed to preserve the euro, and the new €500bn permanent bailout fund. But unless leaders press on, the euro crisis could flare up again. From Tokyo, my colleague Phillip Inman explains: The authors of the report, Peter Dattels and Matthew Jones, said confidence in politicians has waned as each economic initiative fails to unite policymakers. A failure to tackle key financial decisions in Washington and Tokyo is also blamed for the increase in instability, but the governments are deemed less of a threat than the eurozone and are given years rather than months to sort out their problems. "Despite significant and continuing efforts of European policymakers, which have been essential in addressing investors' biggest fears, the principal risk remains the euro area crisis," Dattels and Jones said. Incremental policymaking has been insufficient to fully allay market tensions, despite the recent market rally since the end of July. More from Phillip here. We'll be tracking the reaction to the IMF's report through the day, as well as all the latest news and analysis from across the eurozone, and beyond.

Difference Between Brady and Belichick, in Words If the Patriots lose again in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday night, don't expect a lot of words from Bill Belichick. But then you probably already knew that. Ben Blatt and Andrew Mooney of the Harvard Sports Analysis Collective have gone a step further: they have been counting those words. To get a more in-depth look at the man, we analyzed Belichick's speaking patterns from the transcripts of his post-game press conferences this season and, for purposes of comparison, gave the same treatment to the more media-friendly Tom Brady. The difference in the two personalities becomes apparent when we split these averages up by wins and losses. Brady's answer length barely changes; after a win, his average response length is 59 words, as compared to 62 words following a loss. Belichick is quite a bit less eager to talk to the media after a defeat. Though he averages 82-word answers following a win, he cuts his responses to an average of 25 words after a loss, less than one-third of his post-victory average. Blatt and Mooney, with perhaps a bit too much time on their hands, also examined word frequencies. Their conclusion: Brady and Belichick don't tell reporters much of anything, but less may be more: Personally, we appreciate Belichick's approach. The Hoodie has no intention of giving comprehensive answers to anyone's questions, but at least he doesn't pretend to by dragging out the same timeworn clichés heard all over the sporting world. Also worth reading: Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports focused on Brady's cranky, intense mood this week, and noted this exchange: Reporter: "I know you take losses very hard. How long did it take you to get over that Jets loss last year in the playoffs? Brady: "I don't know. I don't remember. Reporter: "Has that been on your mind this season?" Brady: "No. I haven't thought about anything about last year or last week. I'm trying to think about today and talking to you guys and get done with this and then go back to work. Chad Ochocinco was quoted as saying: "Tom is on you about the littlest things, that you were a step off where you should be or the angle is wrong or whatever it is. Really, he has me walking on eggshells and I haven't done that since I was a rookie. Extra point The article portrays Brady as so fired up that he's halfway to bursting into flames.

Freeh's Penn State report due out Thursday STATE COLLEGE, Pa., July 10 (UPI) -- Former FBI Director Louis Freeh, commissioned by Penn State to investigate the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal, said Tuesday he will issue his report Thursday. Centre Daily Times reported Freeh said he will post his findings online at 9 a.m. EDT and hold a news conference an hour later in Philadelphia. Freeh's announcement said it would be the first time anyone outside his team "will in any way receive the report, including the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees and the Special Investigations Task Force," the newspaper said. Penn State's trustees hired Freeh in November to conduct an independent review of the case and determine whether there was any cover-up. The trustees said there would be no varnishing of Freeh's work. "We look forward to seeing the report on Thursday and reviewing Judge Freeh's recommendations," Penn State spokesman David La Torre said. The university will provide a response in Scranton on Thursday at a time and location to be announced. The Daily Times said Graham Spanier's attorneys said the former Penn State president was interviewed at length Friday by Freeh and members of his investigative team at Spanier's request. "Selected leaks, without the full context, are distorting the public record and creating a false picture," attorneys Peter Vaira of Vaira & Riley and Elizabeth Ainslie of Schnader Harrison Segel & Lewis said in a statement. At no time in the more than 16 years of his presidency at Penn State was Dr. Spanier told of an incident involving Jerry Sandusky that described child abuse, sexual misconduct or criminality of any kind, and he reiterated that during his interview with Louis Freeh and his colleagues. Sandusky was convicted last month on 45 counts arising from years of sexual abuse of boys, often on the Penn State campus.

eurozone could sign off on debt swap deal on Feb 15 if targets met. Eurogroup chief: eurozone could sign off on debt swap deal on Feb 15 if targets met. Feb 9 06:45 PM US/Eastern BRUSSELS (AP) - Eurogroup chief: eurozone could sign off on debt swap deal on Feb 15 if targets met.

Jobless claims down in week WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- The four-week moving average of first-time unemployment benefits dropped by 2,000 to 351,000 in the week ending Saturday, the U.S. Labor Department said. The four-week rolling average for initial benefit claims also dropped, declining by 5,500 to 354,000. The U.S. unemployment rate was 8.3 percent in January, down from 8.5 percent in December. In the week ending Feb. 11, the highest insured unemployment rates were in Alaska at 6.5 percent, Pennsylvania at 4.9 percent and Montana at 4.7 percent. In the week ending Feb. 18, the state with the largest increases in initial claims was Iowa with 438 more claims than the previous week. Florida had the largest decrease with 2,121 fewer first-time claims.

European Parliament warns against UN internet control

Former Israeli PM Olmert innocent of corruption, guilty of breach of trust Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, center, arrives at Jerusalem's District Court for the hearing of the verdict in his trial, Tuesday, July 10, 2012. A Jerusalem court acquitted former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of corruption Tuesday but found him guilty of breach of trust. UPI/Ariel Schalit/Pool JERUSALEM, July 10 (UPI) -- A Jerusalem court acquitted former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of corruption Tuesday but found him guilty of breach of trust. In one of the most significant trials in Israeli history involving a former prime minister, Olmert was tried on charges of corruption stemming from his tenure as mayor of Jerusalem and minister of Trade and Industry. Justice Moussia Arad spent an hour reading the executive summary of a 700-page ruling, Ynetnews.com said. Olmert was accused of allegedly double-billing non-profit organizations for overseas flights and using the extra money to pay for private trips for himself and his family, receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from U.S. businessman Morris Talansky and granting illegal favors to Uri Messer, a former partner and longtime friend. The three-judge panel acquitted Olmert on the first two sets of charges but found him guilty of breach of trust on the third. "This was not corruption, there were no cash-filled envelopes, there was no bribery, there was no illicit use of funds," Olmert said. "The [first two] affairs were the heart of the prosecution's claim against me, and I was acquitted in both cases," Olmert told Israel Radio. The Jerusalem Post noted Olmert's legal troubles are far from over. He is still on trial in Tel Aviv with 12 other individuals on charges of corruption involving bribery, fraud and alleged payoffs to public officials.

Muslims Against Crusades meeting: Mohammed Abdin's father angry at son's conviction

German Store Changes Name After Anti-Nazi Protests A German clothing brand accused of capitalizing on the notoriety of confessed Norwegian mass killer Anders Breivik by naming a new store "Brevik," dropping only one letter from the right-wing extremist's last name, has bowed to public pressure and changed the name. Thor Steinar, a clothing company popular with Neo-Nazis and once banned by the German government for using Nazi imagery, opened its Brevik store in the eastern German city of Chemnitz earlier this week. Thousands of protestors took to the streets to demand the name be changed. On Wednesday, the company that owns Thor Steinar said the connection with Anders Breivik was unintentional and that the name would be changed. A sign above the front door with the name Brevik has already been removed and replaced with a sign reading Tonsberg, the name of another Norwegian town. Hanka Kliese, the local politician who led the protests, called the decision a "partial victory." "We are pleased to have had some impact," Kliese, a representative to Saxony's state parliament, told Reuters. But we will not stop our protest because a company that considered using such a name and with such an ideology has no place here. Breivik, who has confessed to twin July 2011 attacks in Norway that killed 77 people, was indicted on terror charges in Oslo today. Breivik said he detonated a bomb and shot nearly 70 people to protest Muslim immigration. The company had initially defended its choice to name its latest store Brevik by noting that each of their 13 stores is named for a town, and Brevik is a small town in Norway south of Oslo. Thor Steinar had already used the name Brevik for a store three years before the Norway massacre made the name Breivik synonymous with right-wing violence. In 2008, the company opened and quickly closed an outlet called Brevik in Hamburg. "The linguistic similarity of the names Brevik and Breivik is awkward but not deliberate and in no way must be seen as a provocation," said Mediatex, which owns Thor Steinar, in a written statement. The brand also uses other Norwegian imagery in its marketing, including the national flag and other town names. "We consider it very regrettable," said Anne-Kirsti Wendel Karlsen of the Norwegian Embassy in Berlin, "that Thor Steinar uses Norwegian place names in order to associate Norway as such with Thor Steinar and the extreme right-wing scene. Acting at the request of a number of communities, we have asked that Norwegian town names not be used. But we unfortunately have no legal recourse to pursue it through the courts. The company has previously been in trouble for the alleged use of Nazi imagery. It was banned by the German government in 2004 for similarities between its logos and SS symbols, but then changed its products to make them legal under German law. Whatever Thor Steinar's motivation, its choice of Brevik as a store name had sparked outrage in both Germany and Norway. "Such a thing is shocking and completely unacceptable," Katja Uhlemann, a spokeswoman for the city of Chemnitz, told German media. "For us, as a town, it's clear, we do not want such a shop," she added, saying that all legal possibilities for action against the store were being examined. A Saxony-based neo-Nazi group called the National Socialist Underground hid in Chemnitz and a nearby town for more than 13 years before it was broken up by police in November 11. The cell allegedly killed 10 people, nine immigrants and one police officer, in cities throughout Germany between 2000 and 2006, and several members are awaiting prosecution. Anders Breivik will go on trial April 16. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 21 years on the terror charge, but can be detained indefinitely. He may not to go prison at all, since prosecutors believe he is psychotic and will seek to have him committed to a mental hospital, where he can also be held indefinitely.

Blackburn try to quash rumours Bollywood actor will take charge of club on day of wild rumours Blackburn global advisor Shebby Singh has claimed it is "business as usual" at Ewood Park following a bizarre day of rumour and counter-rumour at the managerless npower Championship club. Rovers sacked Henning Berg yesterday after 57 days at the helm and a a run of one win in 10 matches that leaves the pre-season promotion favourites 17th in the table heading into tomorrow's trip to Barnsley. Assistant manager Eric Black, first team coach Iain Brunskill and goalkeeping coach Bobby Mimms were also dismissed and reports emerged this morning that Singh took Friday training alongside Judan Ali - a novice coach with experience limited to youth and amateur level and the star of Bollywood football movie 'Dhan Dhan Dhan Goal'. Singh quashed rumours that Ali was set to take up a position at Ewood Park, insisting his presence at Blackburn's Brockhall Village training base was that of a guest despite television footage of the 39-year-old wearing club training kit. He told Sky Sports News: "No, no - he's a guest of the club and, no, there's been no appointments, there's been no signings. None at all. That's rumour and speculation at the end of the day, what can I say? Please, I am serious now, no it's not true. When contacted by Press Association Sport, Blackburn stated no decision had been made on who would take the team at Oakwell, but Singh offered a glowing assessment of reserve team boss Gary Bowyer and his staff when denying he himself took training today. "We've got capable people," he said. This club is well run, we've got proper people. Gary Bowyer has been reserve team and Under-21 manager for two years, he's been at the club for eight years. Terry McPhillips, Tony Grant (both youth coaches) - these are great guys. They've been working so hard behind the scenes and people don't realise all the good work that they've put in. So nothing of that sort (Singh and Ali taking training), it's been business as usual. Quotes attributed to Balaji Rao, managing director of the Venky's group that owns Blackburn, emerged this afternoon stating that a manager with "Premier League experience" would be appointed after the Barnsley game - something else Singh insists is wide of the mark. He added: "I can safely say that is not true because I was on the phone with him. I've been on the phone with him all morning and no, it's not true. Someone's just decided to be mischievous about it so, no, it's not true. Former Aston Villa assistant manager Kevin MacDonald is the bookmaker's favourite for the post having been heavily linked by a number of national newspapers, while ex-Hull and Preston boss Phil Brown today touted himself for the role via various media outlets. Yet intrigue continues to surround any possible role for Ali in Blackburn's plans. After failing to make the grade as a footballer in England, the former Arsenal trainee enjoyed a playing stint with Spanish minnows Murcia. He enrolled in the FA's COACH Bursary Programme, a scheme aimed at addressing under-representation among ethnic minorities in high-level coaching positions. The FA sponsored Ali while taking his coaching badges and he informed the governing body's official website, http://www.thefa.com, of his lofty ambitions. Ali said: "My goal is to become the first British Asian Premier League manager. I also want to take a country to the World Cup when I have qualified and the 2022 tournament in Qatar is my goal.

Google Privacy Policy: Close But No Cigar Last week was a pretty good one for the notion of privacy in America, which has increasingly become forlorn and tattered as a result of the advancement of digital technology. First, the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Jones that warrantless GPS tracking of a criminal suspect by the FBI was unconstitutional, and then later in the week Google announced its new privacy policy, a model of simplicity and fairness with one sizeable flaw. Oddly, this particular decision by the court sheds some important light on the particular problem within Google's otherwise admirable new privacy policy. The decision of the Court in United States v. Jones was accompanied by two concurring opinions, one written by Justice Alito, and the other by Justice Sotomayor. The unanimous decision and ruling found that the government violated the Fourth Amendment's prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures because a tracking device had been attached to the defendant's car without first obtaining a warrant. The placing of the device constituted a trespass, akin to breaking into someone's home or filing cabinet. Article: Collaborative Consumption, Trust and the Evolution of Credit Justice Alito's well-reasoned concurrence went further, arguing that the notion of physical trespass as a predicate to finding a warrant necessary was outdated, and that beginning with the wiretapping cases of the 1960s, courts began to recognize that a more appropriate standard was whether or not a person had "a reasonable expectation of privacy" in a given situation. This approach, argued Alito, was far more effective in dealing with privacy issues in the digital era—as opposed to limiting the Fourth Amendment to the law of trespass, which essentially dates back to 1215. Justice Sotomayor's opinion spoke to the world as we know it, and she couldn't have been more spot on. She wrote: "… it may be necessary to reconsider the premise that an individual has no reasonable expectation of privacy in information voluntarily disclosed to third parties… This approach is ill-suited to the digital age, in which people reveal a great deal of information about themselves to third parties in the course of carrying out mundane tasks. People disclose the phone numbers that they dial or text to their cellular providers; the URLs that they visit and the e-mail addresses with which they correspond to their Internet service providers; and the books, groceries, and medications they purchase to online retailers… I for one doubt that people would accept without complaint the warrantless disclosure to the Government of a list of every Web site they had visited in the last week, or month, or year. Justice Sotomayor separates the notion of intrusion from that of physical trespass while simultaneously untangling the often-confused ideas of privacy and secrecy. Why should anyone expect that the information that a customer has to provide to their bank will be made available to the Government without a Court-issued warrant? Absent that warrant, anything you intend to keep private should be kept private. Justice Sotomayor cited the decision in the 1967 case of Katz v. United States "[W]hat [a person] seeks to preserve as private, even in an area accessible to the public, may be constitutionally protected." Justice Sotomayor's logic preserves the sanctity of the Fourth Amendment in the context of the massive flow of digital information available on the Internet today, and as such, it is a very important opinion. However, the Fourth Amendment restricts only what the government can do; it bears no relation to the activities or policies of individuals or organizations. There are plenty of other laws that in one way or another seek to protect the privacy of personal information from misuse by the private sector, but the best protection an individual can have is the attitude and policy of the entity to whom one's information is voluntarily entrusted. Happily, but slowly, major players on the web are taking steps to protect your privacy, or at least to let you know just how and why it can be forfeit. So last week's announcement by Google (probably the largest collector of information on the planet, outside of Beijing) regarding privacy is not only important, but very timely in light of the Court's decision in the Jones case. Google's new policy is exemplary in its brevity, comprehensibility, and candor. If you disagree, try reading one from a bank or a wireless carrier (emphasis on the word "try.") In simple language, it sets forth—among other items—the kinds of information being collected, how Google and its associates may use that information, and what you can do to limit that usage. It really does tell you everything you need to know, for better or for worse, and as compared to the policies and procedures of other information collectors, it seems reasonable and fair-minded. It does, however, embody one glaring mistake, best illuminated by the light of Justice Sotomayor's concurring opinion. Article: If You're Worried About Medical Privacy, Better Take Some Xanax Contained in the "Information Sharing" section there are assurances that information provided to Google will be shared with third parties only in limited circumstances. Google lists four circumstances, the first one being when, "We have a good faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to (a) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request…" Hold on, Bucky. What exactly constitutes an "enforceable governmental request?" This sentence should read: "We will share information with a Governmental entity only when presented with a valid search warrant issued by a court of competent jurisdiction." Such a provision would make it obvious that by giving information to Google, you do not intend to waive your constitutional rights, and it would make it clear that despite the fact that your information was shared willingly with a private sector entity, you reasonably retained an expectation of privacy against Government intrusion. If everyone's privacy policy had language of this type, sooner or later every court—and every legislature—would remember all that stuff about the Fourth Amendment. Of course, you may still be dismayed by the fact that Google is able to share your information with anyone at all, whether private or public. Arguably, that is the price we pay for all of the service and convenience that companies like Google provide to us, free of charge. But, that is a conversation we must reserve for another day. The old saw is that the requirement of search warrants makes crime easier for the bad guys. In the Jones case, the defendant was given a life sentence for, among other things, harboring a linebacker-sized cache of cocaine—and that conviction was overturned by the Court's unanimous decision. And that is the price of freedom. Adam Levin is chairman and cofounder of Credit.com and Identity Theft 911. His experience as former director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs gives him unique insight into consumer privacy, legislation and financial advocacy. He is a nationally recognized expert on identity theft and credit.

White space broadband moves a step closer New proposals from communications regulator Ofcom mean the launch of Europe's first consumer "white space" devices moved a step closer today. Ofcom will consult on new proposals that aim to utilise the gaps in the used radio spectrum to improve WiFi and rural broadband, as well as for machine-to-machine communication. The use of "white spaces," which exist in between frequency bands that have been reserved for TV broadcasting, would allow new devices to transmit and receive wireless signals. Such low-frequency radio waves will be able to travel larger distances and easily through walls, as TV signals do currently. Ed Richards, Ofcom's Chief Executive, said: "White space technology offers significant opportunities for innovation and enterprise in the UK. It also represents a fundamentally different approach to using spectrum by searching and recycling unused gaps in the airwaves. This could prove critical in averting a global spectrum capacity crunch, as consumers demand more bandwidth over different devices. Ofcom is proposing a new framework to make sure that devices do not interfere with existing products such as wireless microphones. It needs new legislation to be passed allowing new technology to search for and use white spaces, rather than to be licensed for specific frequencies. Responses to the consultation must be submitted by January 2013; Ofcom will then consult with the European Commission, and hopes to launch white space technologies in the UK by the end of the year. BT and Microsoft have already been testing white space systems in Scotland, Cambridge, Cornwall and Ipswich.

Four players suspended in NFL bounty scandal May 2, 2012 -- Updated 1620 GMT (0020 HKT) The suspensions are the latest by the NFL in the so-called bountygate scandal The league previously suspended a coach and a former defensive coordinator (CNN) -- Four former New Orleans Saints players were suspended Wednesday by the National Football League for their roles in the "bountygate" scandal involving bonuses for trying to hurt opponents. The league announced that Scott Fujita, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith, and Jonathan Vilma were suspended without pay for varying lengths. The NFL previously suspended Saints coach Sean Payton for the 2012 season while levying an indefinite suspension on former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was accused of masterminding the bonus program.

Journeyman Robert Rock revels in 'Rock star' status after defeating Tiger Woods in Abu Dhabi It is strange indeed to recall how, barely a fortnight ago, Rock was but a starstruck guest at the "six-star" Emirates Palace, watching Woods conduct a corporate meet-and-greet. I did see him in one of the restaurants there one evening, when he was involved in an HSBC event. Jamie Donaldson and I were at a nearby table, but we couldn't get too close. He had lots of officials around him. Such barriers have now been removed. Rock proved by his consummate win in Abu Dhabi, beating Woods by two shots as part of the final threeball, that he could not simply hold his own in such company but prevail. He gatecrashed an exclusive coterie - one that included Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington and YE Yang - as one of just nine men who had fended off Woods when the former No 1 entered the closing round at least tied for the lead. So how did he manage it? "A lot of players have found it very difficult playing with Tiger in those circumstances, and I can understand why," Rock says. I was fully expecting to be the next one. But I was just trying my best to hit a good first tee-shot. He's the best golfer most of us will ever see. Although I beat him on that Sunday, he has beaten me every other time we have played in the same tournament together - beaten me by a long way. I was happy just to play with him. It was the highlight of my golfing career. Rock had almost forced his way into the final group on Sunday, making birdies at the 17th and 18th during his third round once he was aware of the opportunity to partner Woods. The status gap between a relative tour journeyman, who had taken nine years to register his first win at last season's Italian Open, and a 14-time major champion could easily have been overwhelming. But the experience did not disappoint. "I didn't know quite what to expect," Rock admits. He's in the position where he could make things awkward for people he's playing against. The fact that he's so good brings its own pressures for anybody in his company. You desperately want to play well, and it can get in the way of how you have played to get alongside him in the first place. But we seemed to get on pretty well. He was quite complimentary. So much, then, for the sanctimony that spilt out after Woods spat on a green in Dubai at this time last year. In Rock's estimation, he was the embodiment of good manners. All the way around, he remarked upon every decent shot I hit. It was "nice shot, "good shot" or "well done, Rob." As far as golf etiquette goes, it was pretty good. There remains a refreshingly unaffected quality about Rock, who, in a piece of intriguing trivia, was also the first man since Holland's Joost Luiten to win a tour event without wearing a cap. The draining pressures of struggling to stay on the circuit somehow conditioned him to stay calm when, on the second hole on Sunday, Woods sank a 40-footer from the fringe to ratchet up the tension. "I was quite happy to see it," Rock shrugs. I wanted him to play well, even though I was still unbelievably overawed. I tried just to switch off, enjoy the moment and watch him do his thing. And there were a lot of people around. What is so impressive is how he copes with all the added little noises: fans not wanting to watch him play a shot, but just to take a picture of him. I had to back off a lot of times. I don't know how he manages to keep to the same routine every time. It affected me, but I thought, "Well, welcome to what he does every single day." The atmosphere around Tiger is unique. I've never played in anything quite so raucous. I lost a play-off in Ireland a few years ago, when Shane Lowery beat me. Shane was the local young amateur at that point, and I was getting booed. But that was as tough as it got. Rock, suddenly, occupies a more rarefied plane. With three more strong finishes before April, he could elevate himself into the world's top 50 and secure an exemption for the Masters. "That's something I wasn't expecting," he says, his bewilderment evident. From Lichfield's Swingers Golf Centre to Augusta's Magnolia Drive: now there is a journey he can measure in more than miles.

African Fossils May Show the Future of Climate Change Richard Leakey, a professor of anthropology at Stony Brook University, says fossils of human ancestors found in Kenya can tell a lot about the future. Called from his seat to speak, Richard Leakey rose and seemed to keep going up, until he towered above a crowd gathered Monday evening for a swanky fund-raiser at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. He stands about 6 feet 4 inches, atop metal legs that replaced the ones he lost two decades ago, when he made it his job to hound elephant poachers in Kenya and the plane he was flying crashed under murky circumstances. He is 67 now, and his face shows years under the African sun, as a boy who dug with his parents for the fossilized remnants of human ancestors, as a conservationist and as a political reformer and raconteur. He has fractured his skull falling from a horse, had a wooden expedition boat destroyed by crocodiles, been whipped by political opponents in Kenya, and lost his kidneys to disease and patches of skin to cancer. Discoveries by his parents, and later by him and his associates, of skeletons and skulls that had rested in the ground for millions of years, have shaped the modern understanding of human evolution. Having read the past, Mr. Leakey offered a few blunt words Monday about a future that would be warmer and wetter. "I was wondering," he said from the podium, in a dining room built over the Hudson, "how many dinners you will be able to have at Pier 60 before it went underwater." Mr. Leakey, a tenured professor at the State University at Stony Brook, spends most of the year in Africa, where he has been building the Turkana Basin Institute in eastern Kenya. In conversation, he said the discoveries of origin hunters, or paleoanthropologists, like his wife, Meave, and his parents Louis and Mary Leakey, offered profound lessons for modern human life. "The link between the past and the future, as seen in the present, is fundamental to stewardship of the climate," Mr. Leakey said. Some have taken comfort from evidence that the climate has changed drastically before, he noted, but that misses the point of the revelations of fossil evidence. "Go to the geologic record and say, oh yes - five mass extinctions before," Mr. Leakey said. If this is to be the sixth, there's going to be a disaster. You've got five previous examples. It doesn't matter to say, oh, it's happened before. Indeed it has. We can read it. That makes you twice as scared. Mr. Leakey, whose parents famously excavated Olduvai Gorge, originally wanted no part of a life hunting for fossils. He left school at 16 and set up a business collecting specimen skeletons. Several years later, while he was traveling to Nairobi from Ethiopia, his flight had to change course because of weather and took him over Turkana Lake in eastern Kenya. He noticed sedimentary rock and speculated that it might hold the remains of ancient human ancestry. He managed to persuade National Geographic to give him a small grant for an expedition. Since then, hundreds of bones and fragments found there have revealed that humans had multiple ancestors. To understand how so much could be deduced from fossils that exist only as fractions of the original creature, Mr. Leakey offered an analogy. Imagine a full set of dishes, salad plates and meat plates and fish-course plates. Then picture them all being smashed into pieces, and trying to identify what the bits looked like before they were broken. "You have knowledge of what they look like intact," Mr. Leakey said. There is no way you could stick a piece of a Wedgewood fruit bowl onto a modern plastic thing. Then you have the rim of a piece, and from the curvature, you know this is a main-course plate, but the curvature is not enough to tell me if it had fish on it or if it was used for serving meat. Then you find another piece, and, aha, this connects with that, and it was a fish plate, as opposed to a meat plate. That's what you do with bones. Having spotted Turkana as a likely target and set in motion the harvesting of its fossil riches, Mr. Leakey moved on to other public lives. Most recently, he has raised money for an institute that will be a base for exploration of the region. With help from the musician Paul Simon, who gave a benefit performance, and from Rich Gelfond, the chief executive of Imax, he has raised about $2 million on this swing through New York. As for Chelsea Piers, a study done for the city in 2009 estimated that water levels in the region would rise from 7 to 12 inches by 2050. The piers will be able to hold a few decades more of dinners and hockey practices. As long as it doesn't rain too hard.

John Edwards: Once a cheater, always a cheater? John Edwards makes a statement outside the courthouse Thursday in North Carolina. John Edwards stood trial on accusations of violating campaign finance laws Edwards is accused of using campaign funds to cover up an extramarital affair Edwards was acquitted of one count, and the jury deadlocked on the remaining five counts (CNN) -- John Edwards walked out of a courtroom Thursday a free man. How long will it take women attracted by the flame of celebrity -- even ill-gotten -- to date him? And believe they can convert him to monogamy? The former Democratic presidential hopeful's affair with Rielle Hunter and the subsequent cover-up led to six counts carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine. Federal prosecutors argued that Edwards knowingly violated campaign finance laws by accepting large contributions from Rachel Mellon and Fred Baron to support Hunter and their child, and keep the affair under wraps. A federal jury in North Carolina acquitted him on one count of violating campaign finance law Thursday and deadlocked on the five other counts against him. Prosecutors may still decide to retry him. Politicians like Edwards and Newt Gingrich and celebrities like Ashton Kutcher and Jesse James seem to have no trouble attracting new girlfriends after public accusations of cheating. Opinion: Edwards jury go it exactly right It's always possible that people who have cheated in the past will not cheat in the future. But relationship experts say past behavior is a better predictor of the future than any cheater's promises. "Denial can be really powerful in new relationships," said divorce recovery expert Andra Brosh, co-founder of Divorce Detox in Santa Monica, California. People use it as a defense against knowing the truth. They don't look at all the facts, and ultimately, that ends up being a problem. Flattery works wonders Cheaters are usually unsatisfied about something in their lives, experts say, or they wouldn't stray. But it's not always clear whether they're truly unhappy with their partners or about something they can't fix in themselves. Rarely does the cheater take responsibility for his (or her) life and getting out of it honorably. The spouses generally get the blame. The reputation of Elizabeth Edwards, who separated from John Edwards in 2010 after 32 years of marriage and died of cancer in 2010, seemed to be on trial at times. A full participant in her husband's presidential campaign, she could be tough and blunt with campaign staffers. After reports surfaced of the affair, a witness testified, Elizabeth Edwards confronted her husband and ripped off her blouse to show her mastectomy scars. "You don't see me anymore," former staffer Christina Reynolds quoted her as saying. Edwards charges: The rundown "I've worked with countless people like this, and it's always the same," writes Mira Kirshenbaum, author of "I Love You But I Don't Trust You," a book about rebuilding trust in relationships, in an e-mail. The cheater says, 'My spouse is fat/stupid/mean/boring/whatever (insert adjective) and I need someone who is skinny/smart/nice/interesting/opposite-of-whatever. You are skinny/smart/nice/interesting/opposite-of-whatever. So we can be happy forever.' The cheater's flattery can be intoxicating, convincing the other person that he or she is special and protected from being cheated on in the future. "They think they're special because they've been told they're special, and they want to believe it," Kirshenbaum said. It's not that people don't think. It's that flattery and excitement short-circuit thought. And an ABCNews.com report that a juror might have been flirting with Edwards drew a lot of attention. Edwards flirting? Quelle surprise. Can cheaters change? Of course, many cheaters can change if they have the desire. Much has been made of Callista Gingrich, who had an affair with Gingrich while he was married to his second wife, helping her husband convert to Catholicism. It's possible that Gingrich may stay faithful, if for no other reason than the 24-news cycle means public figures are being constantly scrutinized for evidence of bad behavior. Why politicians lie and why we want to believe them Affairs with married men or women are a high-risk gamble, says Lawrence Josephs, an Adelphi University psychology professor. Look at the evidence: Cheating is how he or she has chosen to solve relationship problems. "When you win such a man, you are winning someone who feels entitled to have his cake and eat it too and then lie about it," Josephs said. So Callista Gingrich or any future Edwards girlfriend shouldn't assume she can change the cheater or that he will be different with her because she's so special. Their love, and his belief in God or occupancy of the White House, will not keep anyone faithful if he doesn't want to be or can't be faithful. Former President Bill Clinton proved that point. Questions to ask It is possible for people in decent marriages to fall in love outside the marriage, but it's important to carefully assess whether the couple can get beyond the fantasy to the reality of love. "I would try to look carefully at the (cheater's) motivation and see what you feel is genuinely true between the two of us," said Susan Piver, author of "The Wisdom of a Broken Heart." Do you admire their character otherwise? Do you feel loved and seen as you are? There needs to be some recognition that your relationship isn't a perfect replacement of an imperfect marriage. A question to ask yourself is, 'Does my relationship include difficulty?' Piver recommended. Are there things that bug me about this person? If there aren't, that would send up a red flag for me. If they seem only motivated by ambition or simply looking for brighter horizons, "delete them from your Facebook account and move on," she says.

Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio hoping to upset Aston Villa in Capital One Cup Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio has been basking in "positive energy" ahead of tonight's Capital One Cup clash with Aston Villa. The Robins head into the fourth-round clash on the back of a convincing 4-0 victory at Stevenage and, despite coming up against Barclays Premier League opposition the Italian insists that he is calmness personified. "You can't wait to start when you have time to wait and I don't know why but I feel positive, I feel happy, I have a positive energy," he said. I was thinking more about it (at the weekend) but I am getting close to the match and I am more relaxed. If we can do something more it would be a dream but I don't feel the pressure. I think there would be more pressure if there were some details I could use to prepare my players better. What we have done already is fantastic and there will be a fantastic atmosphere at the County Ground. Di Canio's Wiltshire side are not short of confidence for the sold-out visit of Villa, who have only won one league match this season. Swindon have already eliminated Championship sides Brighton and Burnley as well as Stoke at the Britannia Stadium - their best run in the League Cup since reaching the semi-finals 17 years ago. And despite scoring three goals or more in every Capital One Cup tie so far this season Di Canio is well aware chances will be at a premium at a ground where Swindon have lost just twice since August 2011. "Even if we have one chance to win the game, we will try to make the one chance a big chance," Di Canio said. The first half-hour is crucial, every first half-hour is crucial. This kind of game is really important tactically but if you stay one versus one and if you cut out silly mistakes in the middle of midfield, then the players can make a difference. It's easy to prepare for this game because the players have 200% commitment to prove their quality. If you are not an intelligent manager you can fall in a trap because you can make mistakes because there is too much enthusiasm. The Robins will be without one of their star performers in the victory over Stevenage on Saturday after on-loan Tottenham playmaker John Bostock hobbled off with a groin injury. The Italian's options could be boosted by a return to the squad for striker Andy Williams, who has not featured since October 6 because of a calf injury.

Letters: Child benefit cap welcomed The suggestion frequently mooted that we need an expanding young population to support the pensioner population is nonsense. The retirement age is set to rise and many like myself in our late 60s are more than happy to take up some of the slack by part-time employment, when we are not busy digging our allotments or doing voluntary work. No doubt there will be howls of anguish from people who believe that capping benefits would increase child poverty. However, if we look at the third world, we see that poverty is directly related to rapidly rising populations. Chris Dacke Portsmouth We can no longer go on in the Labour way of encouraging and allowing people to live off benefit. It is time that all in our society started to take responsibility for themselves. If one cannot afford any more children, then one should not have any more. We are hard-working, taxpaying middle-class people, who every day have to make decisions about our lifestyle choices and what we can and cannot afford. We are sick and tired of paying for those who choose not to act in a responsible way, The two-child benefit cap will finally send the clear message that individuals are responsible for themselves. Laura Maher Hythe, Hampshire Iain Duncan Smith is correct to challenge the moral principle of making welfare payments for children beyond the first two. Contraceptives are widely available. To have children, and the number to have, is a lifestyle choice. In what other area of our lives do we expect others to subsidise our lifestyle choices? The world's environment is being visibly destroyed before our eyes by an explosion in the number of our species, a 10-fold increase in the past 300 years alone. Yet most large environmental and humanitarian agencies remain in a state of denial of the underlying single cause of ecological ruin: too many people. Is Iain Duncan Smith going to apply the same logic to the Civil List as he is for poor families, so that only two children per monarch can be awarded taxpayer money? C Johnson Brigg, North Lincolnshire Mysteries of voting for police chiefs I have received my leaflet about the elections for police and crime commissioners. It says that if there are more than two candidates in my area I have two votes: I put a cross against my first choice candidate in the first column and another against my second choice in the second column (though I don't have to express a second choice). But nowhere does it tell me how my second vote will be used and in what circumstances. I am directed to a website where a small amount of information is available, though not straightforward to find. This is a deplorable situation. Most UK citizens will not have encountered this (discredited) supplementary vote system before, and failing to provide comprehensive information on it can only deepen the apathy regarding these elections. Professor Ron Johnston Salisbury You are mistaken in supposing that the wider electorate takes a keen interest in how their local police force is supervised (Comment, 24 October). The present system works well enough in most areas, so I can't see the point of the forthcoming election of police commissioners. Why should I bother to vote for a candidate I don't know and who is supposed to do better? In the vain hope of registering my protest, I intend to spoil my voting slip. Howard Fuller Steventon, Oxfordshire Bird poison already illegal The article "Minister's astounding refusal to ban deadly bird poison" (18 October) did not reflect the fact that the substance in question, carbofuran, has not been approved under the relevant pesticides legislation since 2001. That means that it is already a criminal offence to advertise, sell, supply, store or use it for any purpose under the Plant Protection Regulations 2012. The committee asked me to introduce a specific regulation on carbofuran, which I am not minded to do at this time. We already have laws in place to prosecute people who store and posses this substance and these have been used to successfully bring people to justice. The assertion that I have ever refused to ban this substance is inaccurate, as is the suggestion that I have made this, or any other policy decision, based on my own personal circumstances. Richard Benyon Environment Minister, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, London SW1 Private schools? Abolish them John Newton, head of a private school (letters, 17 October), makes a long-winded argument for the privatisation of the British school system. This is of no advantage to society. Instead, abolition of private schools is required. They are socially divisive, decoupling a disproportionately wealthy and influential portion of the population from the rest. Entrenching wealth, privilege and social advantage, they contribute to the creation of a section of society with no conception of how the majority live. Worse, private education seems to encourage in them contempt for the most disadvantaged members of society. Privately educated pupils dominate the top jobs in business and politics (their private school connections easing their path through life), leading to the enactment of legislation that hacks away support for the weakest, while protecting and feather-bedding the lives of the wealthy and powerful. Private schools also have a deleterious effect on the state education system. The creaming-off of bright pupils is often highlighted as a problem. But the creaming-off of wealthy, influential parents who take an active interest in their children's education is far more damaging. These are often the people with the attitude, desire, connections and influence who would be able to push for, and attain, greater improvements in state education; but once removed from it, they have little or no interest in its state or improvement. Finland abolished private education in 1970. Their reward: joint top of the World Education Index, 30 places above Britain. Barry Richards Cardiff Proper names for foreign places Guy Keleny's comment (Errors & Omissions, 20 October) on "the relentless march of geographical correctness" usefully draws attention to recent place-name changes, and to the importance of keeping abreast of them. Equally, he demonstrates his own obliviousness to obsolescence and an amount of "unreason." The "creeping geographical correctness" through "the spread of English as a world language through the internet" worries him. "More recently the madness has even reached Europe, with Leghorn and Corunna [the English conventional forms] replaced by Livorno and La Coruña" [Italian and Spanish forms], he writes. But the latter region in Spain is now recommended to be cited first in its Galician language form as "A Coruña," with Spanish as the second "national" form. All this is not necessarily a case of former English name forms being "binned in favour of supposedly authentic local [sic] names, free of any taint of linguistic colonialism." It's also a matter of foreign nations, and major regions, wishing to promote their independence or uniqueness by using their own official languages, and expecting respect for this from other regions and nations. Foreign place-names policy for British writers is well explained on the website of the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use. Francis Herbert Former Curator of Maps, Royal Geographical Society London SW15 Energy: the cost of switching On Friday, millions of people were hit with a whopping 10 per cent rise in gas and electricity prices, courtesy of EDF. Within hours, Number 10 was reported as calling for the public to "get a better deal by switching energy supplier." No wonder people think this government is out of touch. Switching costs. The Big Six energy companies force customers to pay up to £100 to switch to a cheaper supplier. The two cheapest options of the four tariffs on the EDF website included "early termination fees" of £35. The Government should change the law and make it free for customers to switch energy supplier. Steve Reed Leader, Lambeth Council, London SW2 In view of yet another price rise it is time to find out once and for all the best way of using gas central heating. As with most people, we have our central heating and hot water on a programme, to come on morning and evening. I have been told from time to time that it is much more economical to leave the heating switched on all the time, fairly low. This keeps the house warm and the heating ticking over, rather than having to work hard each time it comes on to heat up cold water and a cold house. Is this correct? Mary J Baines St Albans, Hertfordshire Savile victims So sorry to hear that "this Jimmy Savile business" is getting up the nose of David R Williams (letter, 27 October) Maybe if one of the "accusers" was his sister, wife, aunt, niece, daughter or mother, he might not feel quite so sceptical about the genuineness of the " alleged accusations." And he might empathise more with the trauma of the victims. Susan Denning Loyalist victory It is reported that the SNP government in Scotland is investing millions in a new visitor centre at Bannockburn. Will they also invest millions in a new visitor centre at Culloden? Surely there is no shame in commemorating in style an English, Scottish, Irish, German and Austrian Loyalist (to the Crown) army's victory over a Scottish, English, Irish and French Jacobite rebellion, 432 years more recent than Bannockburn? Richard Davis Devizes, Wiltshire

Exclusive Clip: "First Position" - Video Library - The New York Times Video A scene from the documentary "First Position," about young contestants in a ballet competition. Article: Fledgling Ballerinas, Just Learning to Fly Produced by Sundance Selects

Egypt to auction land for tourist developments: minister CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will auction sites covering 28 million square meters of land for tourist developments in the next 14 months to expand the vital industry, its tourism minister said. Hisham Zaazou is tasked with reviving a sector that accounted for 10 percent of economic activity before the revolt that ousted President Hosni Mubarak last year drove away investors and tourists. Tourists are returning to Egypt but do not yet match the levels of 2010, before the uprising, when 14.5 million people visited, earning the country $12.5 billion. Speaking late on Tuesday, Zaazou told Reuters that Egypt could match those levels in 2013. By 2020 the country targets an ambitious 30 million tourists, prompting the government's plans for selling new plots. "I will start auctioning (the land) maybe next month and before the end of 2013 all of the 28 million sq metres will have been put on offer," Zaazou said, adding that the offer has already been met with interest from European and Gulf investors. Some of the sites to be auctioned would be sold, others would be for lease. Sites due to come up for auction will include Red Sea resorts such as Ain Sokhna and Marsa Allam. "Investors will be putting their money in areas that already have customers, not in a barren desert," said Zaazou, who was appointed in August. He worked with private tourism firms, including in the United States, before moving to the ministry. Zaazou said he was studying incentive programmes to lure investors, including a plan for the state to pay social security payments for employees of firms investing within a set period. He also said he was working with the civil aviation and transport ministries to improve access to tourist areas, including plans to improve the quality of overnight trains from Cairo to popular destinations of Luxor and Aswsan in the south. Zaazou said Turkish Airlines had launched direct flights from Istanbul to Red Sea resorts such as Sharm el-Sheikh, helping to lure more Turkish and European visitors, and said he wanted to improve connections to the Far East and South America. Echoing earlier comments, he said Egypt - now governed by an Islamist president - wanted to draw in tourists holding conservative Islamic values but not at the expense of others from the West or elsewhere, who might be discouraged by any move to ban alcohol or impose other Islamic restrictions. He said drawing in Islamic-minded tourists "will not detract from mainstream tourism nor will it be an alternative to it." "I wish that people can co-exist ... like in Turkey and in Dubai," he said. As an example, he said some Arab investors were building a five-star hotel in Cairo that would not allow alcohol, smoking, loud music or gender-mixed swimming pools. It would also focus on spa and health services to cater to customers who want an Islamic tourism package or others seeking a health resort. The biggest present challenge to tourism, he said, was local and international media conveying what he said was an exaggerated image of lax security. Pictures of protests and sometimes violence in Cairo's Tahrir Square have deterred some. "The image that is being conveyed about Egypt is an image confined to 1 square kilometre of the country, so to speak, namely Tahrir square," Zaazou said. This is a challenge. "When tourism to Cairo is affected, this in turn affects the rest of cultural tourism such as Luxor and Aswan," he said, adding that if protests till year-end remained peaceful in the square, this would revive tourists' confidence in Egypt. $1 = 6.1093 Egyptian pounds Editing by Susan Fenton

Fort on St Catherine's Island, Tenby, could reopen as visitor attrction

Bertelsmann balances family and funding Look at the companies that make up Germany's Dax-30 blue-chip index. Not one media business is among them. The commanding heights of German capitalism seem well and truly in the hands of the carmakers, chemical groups and industrial conglomerates that keep the nation a world-class manufacturing centre. Yet the Dax's composition indirectly illustrates another feature of German business: the reluctance of certain companies, usually family-owned, to list themselves on the stock market. One such company is Bertelsmann, the media group which owns the music rights to the Sex Pistols and Iggy Pop but makes much less noise when it comes to corporate finance. Based in the somnolent town of Gütersloh, this 177-year-old company has expanded from its origins as a purveyor of bibles into Europe's largest media group. With an annual turnover of more than €15bn, operating profits last year of €1.8bn and 100,000 employees around the globe, Bertelsmann would surely be catapulted straight into the Dax-30 if it were to hold an initial public offering. The mouths of would-be investors have been watering at such a prospect since Thomas Rabe, the 46-year-old chief executive, signalled in March that Bertelsmann's methods of funding itself might undergo substantial change in the future. Among the various options is, in principle, an IPO. But here some words of caution are necessary. Anyone thirsting for a piece of Bertelsmann's action ought to reflect calmly on the company's recent history - and listen closely to Mr Rabe's explanation of what he hopes to achieve. Few are more familiar with the company's financial capacities than Mr Rabe: before he took over in January as chief executive, he was chief financial officer. Now he is caught on the horns of a dilemma. On the one hand, Bertelsmann, under its present business model, is reaching the limits of its growth potential. On the other hand, the steps required to reinvigorate it risk altering its essential character as a business controlled by the Mohn family, descendants of Carl Bertelsmann, the company's 19th-century founder. Bertelsmann operates in a media environment that is changing at tremendous speed. It needs funds to invest in the digitalisation of its businesses and to pursue its ambitions in music rights, education and information service provision. It also needs to expand more rapidly in the world's most dynamic markets, reducing its reliance on Europe for 80 per cent of its revenues. Mr Rabe reasons that, even if Europe were to overcome its sovereign debt and banking crises, it is unlikely to experience strong economic growth in the long term. Hence his decision to open a regional corporate centre in São Paulo to match those Bertelsmann operates in Beijing and New Delhi. Even so, publicly quoted competitors such as News Corp and Walt Disney are stealing a march on Bertelsmann in the digital arena and in the internationalisation of their activities. Arguably, it is the Mohn family's past hostility to an IPO that has constrained Bertelsmann's ability to make investments on the necessary scale. They dispensed with Thomas Middelhoff as CEO in 2002 partly because he favoured a flotation. Four years later, they spent €4.5bn to buy back a 25 per cent stake in the company which Albert Frère, the Belgian investor, wanted to sell on the stock exchange. This action preserved the family's control, but ensured that for several years debt repayment was a priority. Attracting outside capital while keeping the Mohns in charge may seem as impossible as squaring the circle. But Mr Rabe believes he has an answer. Following the example of Fresenius, Henkel and Merck - each a Dax-30 company - Bertelsmann is to change its legal status to that of a Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien (KgaA). This structure will preserve the Mohns" dynastic control by turning them into partners with a firm grip on the executive board. But it will also enable Bertelsmann to raise capital by means of an IPO or by selling stakes in operating assets to outsiders. The latter path was the means Bertelsmann chose to establish BMG Rights Management, a joint music publishing venture with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, the private equity group. Inevitably, the winds of change are blowing through Bertelsmann. A few months from now, the supervisory board chairmanship is likely to pass to Christoph Mohn, 46, son of Liz Mohn, the family matriarch. Then the company's top board jobs will be held by a pair of relatively young, internationally minded executives. They will be keen to take Bertelsmann in new directions. But will they opt for an IPO? Investors, don't hold your breath.

How climate change, urbanization are changing disaster aid LONDON (AlertNet) - Picture this: a terrible drought forces you to abandon your meager plot of farmland, so you migrate to a city where the jobs are, only to end up living in a slum regularly submerged by floods. It's a scenario that's going to become more and more familiar in coming years as climate change and rapid urbanization play an ever-greater role in shaping humanitarian crises, according to an AlertNet poll of the world's biggest aid organizations. To adapt to the new reality, aid agencies will need to invest more in disaster prevention and learn a trick or two from the private sector about how to make more efficient use of limited resources, the survey of 41 relief organizations shows. "The rising trend in the number of disasters over the past five years shows no sign of slowing down," said Gareth Owen, humanitarian director at Save the Children UK. Year on year, we are responding more frequently and on a larger scale to increasing numbers of disasters. Asked to rank the factors most likely to intensify humanitarian needs, 28 of 41 aid agencies put the risk of more frequent and destructive climate-related floods, droughts and storms at the top. This was followed by mass displacement due to climate change and environmental damage, urbanization, high and volatile food prices, and the expectation of more failing states. With needs expected to grow and national budgets squeezed by the global financial crisis, some rich donor states are pressing the charities they fund to boost value for money in relief efforts. One way to do that is to slash the overheads, bureaucracy and transaction costs of U.N. agencies that often lead aid operations, many of those polled said. Other suggestions included investing in disaster-prone communities to make them more resilient and adopting the bottom-line approach of big business. "We need to increase competition and create an aid 'market', where donors don't need a budget breakdown but rather a set of outcomes they will pay for based on how many are achieved," said Francesco Paganini, director of disaster response for World Relief. Another U.S.-based agency echoed the need for a hard-nosed, performance-based approach. "If our industry could find a way to create a compensation system that provides personal financial reward for results -- as is found in for-profit businesses -- it could radically alter the approach to delivering value to beneficiaries," said one program manager, who declined to be identified. The survey by AlertNet (www.trust.org/alertnet), a global humanitarian news service run by Thomson Reuters Foundation, targeted the world's biggest aid groups by spending and operational scope, excluding U.N. agencies. The agencies included Oxfam, Save the Children, CARE, Danish Refugee Council, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Muslim Aid and World Vision, as well as the global Red Cross movement. AlertNet asked experts to assess the future of humanitarian need, the challenges of delivering relief, spending and funding trends, and value for money in the international aid system. More than half the agencies said focusing more on disaster risk reduction (DRR) -- everything from building more durable houses and schools in safer places to teaching children to swim -- would help the sector cope better in the long run. Experts have long argued that it makes more economic sense to pour money into helping local governments and communities minimize their exposure to disasters than mopping up afterwards. In its 2009 yearly "World Disasters Report," the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said $1 spent on prevention saves $4 on emergency response. But rallying donor interest is hard, some aid groups said. "Funding for disaster risk reduction and disaster preparedness is not very 'sexy' for donors -- global, domestic and private," said Jouni Hemberg, director of international cooperation for FinnChurchAid. For many donors, installing a city drainage system or devising a program to help coastal villagers cope with rising sea levels just doesn't sound as appealing as distributing food rations to 100,000 earthquake survivors or vaccinating 20,000 children in a refugee camp. Lack of donor interest in risk reduction was reflected in the poll. Of the 23 agencies that disclosed what proportion of their annual spending goes to this activity, 16 said it was 10 percent or less. However, 25 of the 41 said they planned to increase this kind of spending or would like to if the money could be found. In 2010, governments gave $12.4 billion in humanitarian aid, almost three times as much as private contributions, which amounted to $4.3 billion, according to estimates from Global Humanitarian Assistance, a British-based aid monitoring group. But 22 agencies forecast a drop in government funding for humanitarian aid over the next five years. Of those, 10 expected private contributions would also decrease while 12 thought donations from individuals and companies would make up the shortfall. The remaining 19 agencies predicted that governments would still provide the bulk of humanitarian funding as they do today. Asked about the main challenges to effective delivery of aid, many agencies cited the exploitation of aid for political ends, increasingly complex disasters, squeezed government budgets and violence against aid workers. Tackling these problems means raising public awareness about delivering aid according to the key humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality, and giving local communities more say in managing aid, some experts said. Others argued the sector should rely less on government donors, and seek longer-term, more flexible funding. But according to IFRC's Matthias Schmale, the best way to increase value for money was simple: "Provide more credible leadership through less marketing and spinning, and ensure actions match words." (AlertNet is a humanitarian news service run by Thomson Reuters Foundation. For more on the future of humanitarian aid, including info-graphics, videos, stories, blogs and full poll results, visit futureofaid.trust.org Editing by Tim Large and Sonya Hepinstall

Moody's targets nearly 30 Calif. cities for downgrades One of the nation's top credit rating agencies will review dozens of California cities for possible credit downgrades amid mounting concern over municipal bankruptcies and bond defaults. Moody's Investors Service announced Tuesday that it would scrutinize nearly 30 California cities for possible downgrades. The announcement follows an August report in which Moody's predicted more municipal bankruptcies and defaults in California, the nation's largest issuer of municipal bonds. Moody's warned that some cities are turning to bankruptcy as a new strategy to tackle budget deficits and abandon obligations to bondholders. Three California cities Stockton, San Bernardino and Mammoth Lakes filed for bankruptcy over the summer, although Mammoth's filing was the result of losing a lawsuit. Cities under review for possible downgrades include Sacramento, Santa Monica, Oakland and Berkeley. Moody's, which rates 95 California cities, also will review San Francisco and Los Angeles for upgrades.

Twitter sees record activity during 2012 Super Bowl

Mexico reports no damage after 5.5-magnitude earthquake MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - An earthquake 130 miles miles away shook Mexico City on Tuesday but officials had no reports of damage in the capital. Traffic and street life continued as normal moments after the tremor that hit on a public holiday, witnesses said. I've lived through plenty of earthquakes. But I didn't feel that one," said Elias Munoz, 70, who runs a kiosk in Mexico City's central Roma. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake that hit the central state of Michoacan had a magnitude of 5.5 and was recorded at a depth of 48 miles. The epicenter was 128 miles southwest of the Mexican capital. Fausto Vallejo, governor of Michoacan, said on his Twitter account there were no reports of damage in the state. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, tweeted that there were no reports of damage there. Mexico has felt several strong earthquakes in recent weeks such as a 7.4 magnitude tremor in late March, without serious damage. Reporting By Patrick Rucker and Veronica Gomez Sparrowe; Editing by Doina Chiacu

How Anxious Europeans Could Decide the Presidential Contest Edgard Garrido / Reuters U.S. President Barack Obama arrives for a news conference on the second day of the G20 Summit in Los Cabos, June 19, 2012. Somewhere in Toledo there is a middle-class family that holds Barack Obama's political fate in its hands. Toledo, Spain, that is. Europe's common currency is vaporizing fast along its southern periphery just months before the U.S. election, and the reactions of everyday Europeans to their predicament could determine the next U.S. President. The last big corporations willing to park their money overnight in Spain, Greece and Italy pulled out a year ago. Six months after that, the last big private investors fled with their cash. Now the shaky banking systems of those countries survive thanks largely to everyday depositors keeping the faith that their life savings won't suddenly be transformed from German-backed euros into pesetas, drachmas or lire or be wiped out completely in a national bank failure. A bank run that starts in Spain won't end there. It could destroy remaining confidence in debt-laden countries, break the euro zone and send shock waves through economies from America to Asia. That could be fatal for Obama's re-election hopes, and there's not much he can do to stop the chain reaction. In theory, Obama could throw American economic might into the fight by publicly embracing a forceful intervention by the International Monetary Fund. He could also urge the U.S. Federal Reserve to support its European counterpart by swapping dollars for euros to prop up the euro if a fiscal mushroom cloud goes up over Madrid or Rome. In exchange for some international cover, Germany and other rich euro-zone nations might accept closer political and financial partnerships with the poorer countries along the Mediterranean. But bailing out Europe via the Fed or worse, via an international institution would be political suicide in an election year. November is already shaping up to be about the proper role of government in the U.S. economic recovery. You can almost hear the GOP crafting the ads that would result if Obama were to get fully behind a U.S.-led bailout of Europe, even if the U.S. were to benefit. And yet if Europe swoons and takes the weak American recovery with it, Republicans will say Obama should have done more. It's a tailor-made trap on the biggest issue of the election. So Obama is left with badgering Europe to fix itself while hoping the bottom doesn't fall out. He has dispatched Under Secretary of the Treasury Lael Brainard with a long list of things the Europeans should do, from streamlining its emergency bailout fund to easing off austerity demands on the staggering southerners. At a June 8 press conference, he called on Europe to take "specific steps right now to prevent the situation from getting worse." The approach is heavy on talk and light on action. At the G-20 summit in Mexico on June 18, the U.S. sat on its hands while emerging-market countries bolstered the funds available to the IMF, which doesn't have nearly enough money to bail out Europe. Frustrated IMF officials complain that Obama and his team aren¹t even leading from behind. MORE: Obama Campaign: Mitt Romney Is "Rooting" for a Worse Economy It's true that only Europe can preserve its currency. IMF chief Christine Lagarde has some prescriptions for the continent's ills. For starters, Europe needs the equivalent of FDIC insurance for depositors. A euro-zone-wide system that reassures small depositors will make any panic-driven bank runs less likely. Second, Europe needs one organization with the authority to unwind insolvent banks, also like the FDIC, which has quietly taken over 450 small U.S. banks since the financial crisis began in 2007. But those steps can work only if Europe achieves true financial union, including one body to monitor and regulate banks to keep them from becoming insolvent in the first place. Eventually Europe, and Germany in particular, needs to embrace the kind of tighter political union that has allowed the U.S. to shift resources from its rich states to its poor ones in service of common economic growth. That requires a level of faith that is diminishing by the hour. Though average Europeans may still believe they belong to a currency union, the euro zone has already effectively ceased to exist as banks have stopped lending to one another and the single euro market has fragmented. European leaders who will meet June 28 in Brussels know that Lagarde's therapies must be adopted. But if all they do is talk, watch out: middle-class savers in Spain, Greece and Italy may yank their deposits, casting a vote against the euro and the U.S. President on fear, not faith. MORE: Decision 2012: To Heckle or Not To Heckle

Stewart Lansley: Enrichment at the top is deepening the recession Spurred on by public outrage and political pressure, the Government is finally to take measures to rein in runaway executive pay. This is an important step. For years, indeed longer, too many bosses have been running their companies in their own rather than their firm's interest, while successive governments have watched idly from the sidelines. But creating what David Cameron has called a "fairer, better economy" requires a much bigger leap - tackling an even more fundamental faultline in the British model of capitalism. From the late 1970s, successive governments have allowed, indeed encouraged, the gains from growth to be increasingly colonised by a small business, financial and corporate elite. This has set the workforce adrift from economic progress and left ordinary citizens with a continually shrinking share of the economic cake. As a result, average real wage growth has been falling behind the rate of output of the economy, and at an accelerating rate. It is this that has fuelled the towering personal fortunes of the modern age and the rise of inequality to pre-war levels. It is a trend that has continued since the 2008 crash. With ordinary living standards on a decade-long downward slide, and the incomes of those at the top continuing to rise, an even bigger gap has been opening up between the rich and the rest. There is nothing new about middle and low income households being made to pay the heaviest cost of economic crises. Indeed, it has become something of an iron law of recessions, one best symbolised by the phrase used by Andrew Mellon, the US Treasury Secretary at the time of the 1929 crash. Mellon, a multi-millionaire, advised President Hoover that the route out of the crisis was "to liquidate labor." Forty-five years later, at the height of the next global crisis, Arnold Weber, adviser to President Nixon, called on business to "zap labor." It was a cry that was widely heeded. For the next 30 years, the workforces of the UK and the US were made the scapegoat for the crisis of the 1970s. In both nations, the share of output taken by wages fell sharply. The "liquidationists," it seems, are still in charge. Hidden away in one of its lengthy reports, the independent Office for Budget Responsibility has published a significant graph, one which predicts that the wage share in the UK will continue to fall until 2016 - by four percentage points. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a couple with two children will be £1,250 worse off on average by 2015 compared with 2010 - a 4.2 per cent drop. Of course, living standards have to take some of the pain during a recession, especially one as severe as this. Yet making the labour-force pay a disproportionate price for a crisis for which it is not responsible is not just a matter of fairness. It is also self-destructive economics. And while the majority of the workforce is being made worse off, big business and multi-millionaires are on a roll. Britain's top 1,000 super-rich are today sitting on fortunes that are collectively worth £200bn more than in 2004. Outside of manufacturing, the largest corporations are enjoying booming profits. According to the Treasury, the corporate sector has a financial surplus worth 4.5 per cent of national output, one much higher than in the aftermath of the 1990s recession and even in the post-millennium boom years. While many small- and medium-sized companies have been badly hit by the downturn, the UK's top 100 companies added a combined £20bn in cash in 2011, a rise of a fifth over 2010. Those seeking an explanation for today's deepening crisis need look no further. The paralysis can be traced directly to these two contrasting trends - shrinking real wages and burgeoning (but unspent) profits. UK consumers now have around £100bn less in their pockets than if the cake was shared as it was in the late 1970s, before the 30-year long wage squeeze began. It is a sum - roughly equivalent to the size of the nation's health budget - that has effectively been sucked out of the British economy in each of the last three years, starving it of the oxygen it needs to escape the slump. It is like wiping out the spending power of a city the size of Manchester. The impact would have been somewhat less damaging if business played a more constructive role in helping recovery. But the leaders of corporate Britain, who long ago dropped any sense of national responsibility, are allowing these near-record surpluses to stand mostly idle. Here is one area in which the UK has not run out of money; far from it. But surpluses that could be galvanised to kick-start the economy are awaiting an era of guaranteed and much higher returns. As a result, private-sector investment in the UK - activity that could trigger recovery - is nearly a fifth below its pre-recession level. It was the skewed distribution of the national economic cake that was one of the key, if mostly ignored, factors leading to the 2008 crash. The same factors are now driving an apparently relentless slide into near-permanent slump. If the division of the cake now stood at its level of three decades ago, idle surpluses would be being spent by consumers, and we would be well on our way out of this mess. Herein lies the path not just to a fairer, but to a more robust economy. Stewart Lansley is the author of 'The Cost of Inequality: Three decades of the Super-Rich and the Economy', published by Gibson Square

Dow has another near-miss with 13,000 The Dow Jones industrial average Tuesday will make its sixth attempt to cross the 13,000 milestone. The blue-chip index has flirted with the psychologically important level for five straight sessions, only to fall short each time. Late-day selling Monday undercut what would have been the stock market's latest milestone in its recovery from the 2008 financial crisis. Investors sent the Dow down 1.44 points, or 0.01%, to 12,981.51. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.85 points, or 0.14%, to 1,367.59; and the Nasdaq composite added 2.41 points, or 0.08%, to 2,966.16. The Dow has jumped above 13,000 several times intra-day in the last week, but slid back each time. The index often has hesitated around big milestones in the past as traders use them as an opportunity to book profits by selling to newcomers who get bullish when they see the milestone within sight. Shares prices fell in the morning but recovered after an encouraging report on existing home sales. The assault on 13,000 has overshadowed a big drop in volatility that has accompanied it. The market was dominated last year by frantic gyrations, with triple-digit moves in the Dow, both up and down, becoming almost commonplace. The pullback in volatility is unnerving some professional market-watchers. Low volatility suggests investors have become complacent - and in the market's counterintuitive ways, that can be a warning sign that stock prices are vulnerable to unexpected bad news. The most widely used measure of market volatility, the so-called VIX index, has settled comfortably below 20 - roughly where it was before the market fell into a sharp swoon in August. It's now just above 18. By comparison, the index surged to near 90 at the peak of the financial crisis. After the last two market downturns, in early 2010 and mid-2011, the VIX went from an overheated 40 to a placid 20 in slightly more than 100 days, according to Colas. The four earlier spikes above 40 coincided with severe economic or political upheaval - the 1998 Asia crisis, the 2001 terrorist attacks, the 2002 lead-up to the Iraq war and the 2008 financial crisis.

Collectibles: Worth more than memories? Union Jack-emblazoned mugs and t-shirts are popping up everywhere as the country prepares for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympic Games. It's the perfect excuse for a big party, not least because we get an extra bank holiday this weekend. But could it provide an opportunity for investors too? sales of HM memorabilia on eBay have risen by 203 per cent since the beginning of the year when preparations for Jubilee celebrations got under way. Even the Duchess of Cornwall is giving her fellow royals a run for their money with sales of Camilla souvenirs rising by 95 per cent over the past three months. "We've also seen a 50 per cent rise in the average selling price of royal memorabilia on the site in recent weeks," says Laura Wilkinson, an eBay spokesperson. The beauty of alternative investments, whether it is royal memorabilia, stamps or toys, is that you can invest in things you enjoy. But getting it right can be tricky. Memorabilia is by no means a safe bet for investment, often because of the sheer volume of items that are produced to make money. While the jubilee and the Games may be a good short-term money-spinner for retailers, investors are unlikely to snap up any gems. The market for royal commemoratives has reduced in recent years, particularly for the more ordinary items, with Staffordshire factories mass producing pottery for jubilees. Royal commemoratives were popular with collectors from the 1930s until the 1980s, but since then, fashion has changed and prices have fallen somewhat dramatically. Prices are low at the moment, despite this year being the jubilee," says Patrick van der Vorst, the founder of valuemystuff.com and a former director at Sotheby's. Mr van der Vorst says that it could still be worth investing in items with intrinsic value such as commemorative gold medals and silver items, or rare and limited edition creations made by renowned factories. Condition and provenance are key to establishing value, but picking the right object is often more specific. For example, a Team GB Sydney 2000 Olympic Games training top worn and signed by Sir Steve Redgrave is valued at £750 to £1,000, marking his historic last appearance at an Olympic Games and fifth gold medal. Selling through specialist auctions will maximise returns but remember you will have to pay seller's commission of between 10 and 15 per cent. You may also have to factor in additional costs in insurance, marketing and illustration fees. As a buyer the commission is higher, starting from 20 per cent plus VAT. With other types of popular culture memorabilia, consider whether it will stand the test of time (an interesting question for Twilight fans) and whether the items themselves are worth collecting. Badges, pens and pillows aren't likely to increase in value but a first edition of a book is a different story - signed copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone sold for $24,000 (£15,000) at auction in 2010. Movie posters can be a good low-cost option simply because they are often chucked away. Nicolette Tomkinson, a director at Christie's, says vintage posters in good condition do very well in their auctions. "Always buy posters in the best condition that you can find them and keep vintage posters behind UV glass or out of direct sunlight," she says. "Auction house specialists are always happy to talk to you about your collection and advise on upcoming sales - gain as much knowledge as you can by asking as many questions as you can," she says. As the first country to issue stamps, with Penny Blacks, Great Britain is a key market for rare stamp collecting. Stamp traders such as Stanley Gibbons are keen to highlight the benefit of stamps and signatories as an alternative asset and a hedge against inflation. Again, modern printing techniques make it easy to run off a sheet of stamps and whether it's a royal wedding stamp or a jubilee stamp it is unlikely to increase in value because so many are produced. From an investment point of view you need to concentrate on age, rarity and quality. Whatever you decide to collect, start with some basic research to determine which path you want to take. Barbie may be getting on a bit, hitting our shelves in 1959, but she remains the biggest-selling toy in history. Barbie collectors typically focus on vintage dolls (manufactured before 1972), pink box dolls (toys made for children and widely available), or collectible dolls (Mattel's Barbie Collector Edition dolls released each year which are designed for display). If it exists, find an index to quantify the market. For stamps there is Stanley Gibbons' index of Britain's 30 rarest stamps, for example. Caring for your collectibles is perhaps the most important thing so find out the best way to store them. Light, damp and humidity are the stamp collectors biggest enemies, so if you're looking at this from an investment point of view, dealers such as Stanley Gibbons do offer to keep your stamps insured and safe in vaults for free. But, no matter how pristine your stamps, liquidity is always an issue for investors. This means that collectibles should make up a very small part of a portfolio and be considered a long-term investment. "It's possible that this type of memorabilia could go out of fashion in 10 or more years, so your collection could suddenly be worth nothing," says Jasmine Birtles, the founder of website Moneymagpie.com. It's important that you get enjoyment out of it, then if it does rise in value that's an extra.

Vicar on 'stunned silence' after soldier deaths

Canada to spend $600 million on new armored vehicles Canada is set to spend more than $600 million on upgrades to its armored and heavy vehicle fleets in response to recent engagement in Afghanistan. OTTAWA, June 11 (UPI) -- Canada is set to spend more than $600 million on upgrades to its armored and heavy vehicle fleets in response to recent engagement in Afghanistan but the delivery of most of the order is unlikely to be completed before the last Canadian troops leave the Asian country. Textron Systems Canada Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced it was selected by the Canadian government for the Canadian Forces Tactical Armored Patrol Vehicle program. The contract provides that the Textron TAPV Team, led by Textron Systems Canada, together with Textron Marine and Land Systems and Rheinmetall Canada, will manufacture 500 vehicles, with an option for up to 100 more. The first vehicle is to be delivered to the Canadian army in July 2014 and the last delivery is scheduled for March 2016. Canada's Treasury Board has budgeted about $1.25 billion for acquisitions designed to upgrade the armor fleet and provide for 25 years of support. The Textron contract is the first major purchase under that program. Canada pulled out of combat operations in Afghanistan last year but retains a heavily armed presence for training Afghan security personnel. Both the Canadian drawdown and continued presence in Afghanistan have sparked controversy from critics of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government. The Canadian armor upgrades are part of a $5 billion program, unveiled in 2008, that aims to combine several different acquisition programs. Since the first news of the acquisition Canada has added more purchases to the list. Critics say the armor refurbishment is well in excess of Canadian military needs, while supporters say Canada needs everything in the program to perform its peacekeeping roles as part of the U.N. missions across the world. The Department of National Defense announced in 2008 its intention to combine three programs into one general set of upgrades to its armored vehicle fleets. The combined program includes "close combat vehicles" that perform as tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicles or Armored Personnel Carriers, alongside Canada's new Leopard 2A6 tanks. The wheeled LAV-IIIs showed limitations during the Canadian military operations in Afghanistan and keeping them in the field requires a lot of maintenance, Defense Industry News said on its Web site. Canada's M113 tracked armored personnel carriers have been used successfully as a supplement but the Canadian military appears to be leaning toward a heavier vehicle for their future close combat operations. There is also support for a "tactical armored patrol vehicle" that would be similar to the blast-resistant vehicles bought and deployed by other NATO member countries. Plans also exist for upgrades to Canada's existing LAV-III wheeled armored personnel carrier fleet and the acquisition of dedicated armored engineering vehicles based on the Leopard 2 tank, and engineering-related attachments for Canada's new Leopard 2 tanks.

Bobcats on Pace to Become the Worst NBA Team Ever Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan continues to struggle as a team executive in the league. The Jordan-owned Bobcats are 3-26 this season and flirting with NBA futility. FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2012 file photo, Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game between the Bobcats and the Chicago Bulls, in Charlotte, N.C. A federal judge has struck a blow to Jordan's lawsuit against a Chicago-area supermarket chain over a magazine ad three years ago. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File) Close Because of the lockout-shortened season Charlotte won't challenge the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers' record of 72 losses. However, the Bobcats have lost 16 straight games and have a worse winning percentage than that infamous 76ers team with the All-Star break fast approaching. Bobcats guard Matt Carroll says the team is well aware of the numbers, saying, "everybody wants to make history but you don't want to make history that way" and "you don't want to be that team." Jordan isn't talking as the losses continue to mount. The Bobcats visit the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

IOC say they will consider whether to strip Lance Armstrong of his bronze medal at 2000 Sydney Olympics "The IOC is aware of the USADA report and is currently studying it with all the corresponding documentation," a spokesman for the Switzerland-based body said. It would be premature at this stage to say if the IOC envisages taking any steps. If we find proof that justifies the opening of disciplinary procedures, we will of course act as a result. Armstrong, who risks being officially stripped of all his seven Tour de France wins, won bronze in the individual time trial in Sydney behind gold medallist Vyacheslav Ekimov of Russia and Germany's Jan Ullrich, who took silver. On Wednesday, the Texan was placed at the heart of what the USADA said was the 'biggest doping programme in sports history', as they published a 202-page document to back up their previous decision in August to ban him for life. The world anti-doping code has a maximum eight-year delay to put forward evidence of drug misuse, but the USADA has exceeded that given the extent of the programme used by Armstrong and his entourage. Tyler Hamilton, one of the 11 former team-mates who testified against Armstrong, handed back the time-trial gold medal that he won at the 2004 Athens Olympics in early 2011, after he confessed to doping. The IOC corrected the podium before the time limit expired, handing the gold to Ekimov.