Germany and France seek relaxation of bank capital rules: report (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? France and Germany will call on Monday for a relaxation of global bank capital rules to prevent lending to the real economy being choked off, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble and his French counterpart Francois Baroin will urge special treatment for banks that own insurance companies, according to a joint paper seen by the newspaper.

The pair will also urge important elements of the Basel III guidelines on capital requirements to be watered down to mitigate any "negative effect" on growth, according to the article.

The FT said the paper calls for a three-year delay to the mandatory deadline to disclose leverage ratios, a measure of bank borrowing and risk.

"European institutions should agree on achieving the EU financial market regulation agenda while taking due consideration of its impact on the financing of the real economy," the draft proposal states.

The FT said the German-Franco move is likely to infuriate policymakers in London, who have been fighting hard to stop French-led attempt to dilaute the Basel III accord.

Banks across the world will have to follow Basel III accords for disclosing the size and quality of their capital safety buffers from 2013 to help reassure investors they are stable.

(Reporting by Stephen Mangan; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120123/bs_nm/us_france_germany_regulation

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Vote in the 3rd Annual iVillage Entertainment Awards!

Would you consider leaving your husband for Robert Pattinson or Ryan Gosling? If you could steal one star's style, who would you pick? What TV show would you stay home to watch? Are you more obsessed with the Twilight movies or the Hunger Games? We want to know what you think. The time has come to voice your opinion in the 3rd Annual iVillage Entertainment Awards!

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Senator Rand Paul detained by airport security (reuters)

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Online Gamers Achieve First Crowd-Sourced Redesign of Protein

An enzyme designed by players of the protein-folding game Foldit was better than anything scientists could come up with. Image: Foldit

Obsessive gamers' hours at the computer have now topped scientists' efforts to improve a model enzyme, in what researchers say is the first crowdsourced redesign of a protein.

The online game Foldit, developed by teams led by Zoran Popovic, director of the Center for Game Science, and?biochemist David Baker, both?at the University of Washington in Seattle, allows players to fiddle at folding proteins on their home computers in search of the best-scoring (lowest-energy) configurations.

The researchers have previously reported successes by Foldit players in folding proteins, but the latest work moves into the realm of protein design, a more open-ended problem. By posing a series of puzzles to Foldit players and then testing variations on the players' best designs in the lab, researchers have created an enzyme with more than?18-fold higher activity than the original. The work was published January 22 in?Nature Biotechnology.

"I worked for two years to make these enzymes better and I couldn't do it," says Justin Siegel, a post-doctoral researcher working in biophysics?in Baker's group. "Foldit players were able to make a large jump in structural space and I still don't fully understand how they did it."

The project has progressed from volunteers donating their computers' spare processing power for protein-structure research, to actively predicting protein structures, and now to designing new proteins. The game has 240,000 registered players, 2,200 of whom were active last week.

The latest effort involved an enzyme that catalyses one of a family of workhorse reactions in synthetic chemistry called Diels-Alder reactions. Members of this huge family of reactions are used throughout industry to synthesize everything from drugs to pesticides, but enzymes that catalyze Diels-Alder reactions have been elusive. In 2010, Baker and his team?reported that they had designed a functional Diels?Alderase computationally from scratch³, but, says Baker, "it wasn't such a good enzyme".?The binding pocket for the pair of reactants was too open and activity was low. After their attempts to improve the enzyme plateaued, the team turned to Foldit.

In one puzzle, the researchers asked users to remodel one of four amino-acid loops on the enzyme to increase contact with the reactants.?In another puzzle, players were asked for a design that would stabilize the new loop. The researchers got back nearly 70,000 designs for the first puzzle and 110,000 for the second, then synthesized a number of test enzymes based on the best designs, ultimately resulting in the final, 18-fold-more-active enzyme.

Science by intuition

"It's a refreshing twist on enzyme engineering," says Stefan Lutz, a chemist?at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, who was not involved in the research. "Using the Foldit players allows the researchers to use human intuition at a scale that is unprecedented."

Foldit allows people to explore more drastic changes to the protein than are possible using standard methods such as directed evolution ? in which a large pool of randomly mutated enzymes is screened for mutants that improve the original. These mutations are typically just amino-acid substitutions, not the 13-amino-acid addition the players came up with. Systematically testing a change of that size?would require testing astronomical numbers of proteins.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=651bc0d21025400c78f810094745257f

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Four Personal Finance Truths That Will Keep You Off Judge Mathis ...

TV court shows like The People?s Court, The Judge Mathis Show and Judge Judy fill up the daytime television schedule. If you?ve never seen these shows?which is doubtful?you?re missing out on a parade of people trying to get their money back from someone else. Just a few hours of watching these cases can give you all you ever need to keep yourself out of these situations. For those of you who don?t watch, here are four truths that will keep you out of small claims court if you can remember them the next time you?re about to part with your money.

If someone has bad credit, you shouldn?t be letting them use yours. Now, this may seem harsh but it?s true. Bad credit comes from taking out accounts in their name and not paying the bills associated with them. What makes you think they?ll suddenly have enough money to pay the bills once it?s just your name on it? Putting someone?s car, phone or electricity bill in your name is usually a recipe for you to end up with bad credit, too.

Family, friends and money don?t mix. Do remember that time you borrowed your sister?s jeans and lost them? She does. And, she?ll never let you forget it. Now, if you two are still going at it over a piece of clothing, the odds that you two will get over a lost couple thousand dollars are slim. Relationships have been ruined over smaller amounts of money. If you must mix money with your loved ones, consider making it a gift instead of a loan for the sake of your relationship.

Nobody really pays you when they get their tax refunds. Ok there are definitely exceptions to this one but more often than not, it?s true. It?s so true that as soon as the plaintiff starts talking about how the defendant was just waiting for her tax refund, Judge Mathis starts laughing. That?s because there?s usually a long time between when you give her your money and when she gets her refund. And what if she doesn?t get a refund that year? Or something else comes up? You may find yourself chasing her all through tax season and the rest of the year, too.

If you?re going to do it anyway, you need a contract. It?s easy to say these things here but sometimes you find yourself breaking with conventional reasoning. If you do, don?t forget to get it in writing. It doesn?t have to be a formal, notarized document. Just get the details down on a piece of paper with your signatures. Don?t forget to date the contract and include the specific date you expect to be paid back. That way if you do end up in small claims court, you have something to show the judge when you get there.

Source: http://madamenoire.com/130805/four-personal-finance-truths-that-will-keep-you-off-judge-mathis/

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[OOC] The Mercenaries part one

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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?The Mercenaries part one?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

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Five-Star Fridays: Etta James, RIP (Theagitator)

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BASF, Philips team up to create transparent OLED car roof

If you're the sort who wished your car had a transparent roof when the rain falls down but want some shielding when the sun's up (or, you know, vice versa) then BASF have good news for you. It's showing off the transparent OLED technology it developed with Philips that behaves like glass when inactive, turning opaque when activated. We're already familiar with the technology here, because it's the same kit that the chemicals giant showed off on its custom Smart Forvision it produced with Daimler back in September. As before, it's also been able to pair them up with transparent solar cells, for environmentally friendly sky watching: just remember that people will be able to see you pick your nose from all angles now, okay?

Continue reading BASF, Philips team up to create transparent OLED car roof

BASF, Philips team up to create transparent OLED car roof originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Battery Patent Hints at Thinness, Creativity in iDevice Shapes

A recently published patent shows how Apple can continue its legacy of ultra-thin device designs -- and even overhaul iDevice shapes -- thanks to oddly shaped batteries.

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Novartis drug investigated after 11 deaths

LONDON (AP) ? A multiple sclerosis drug made by industry giant Novartis is under investigation after at least 11 patients taking the medicine died.

The drug, Gilenya, was licensed last year in the European Union to treat patients with a severe type of multiple sclerosis.

The deaths raise concerns Gilenya could trigger heart problems after patients take their first dose, according to a statement issued Friday by the European Medicines Agency. The agency, which is now investigating the drug, said it isn't clear if it caused the deaths.

One of the deaths was in the U.S., where a patient died within 24 hours of taking the first dose.

The European agency said it didn't know where the other 10 deaths occurred, but that they were reported to its drug database, which monitors side effects from medicines in the European Union.

A spokeswoman at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it also is conducting a data analysis but has not made any definitive conclusions and does not know when its review will be complete.

More than 30,000 patients have taken Gilenya worldwide. The European Medicines Agency advised doctors to increase their monitoring of patients after the first dose of the medicine. The agency said the risk of a slow heart rate after the first dose of Gilenya was known when it was approved.

Novartis AG said it was advising doctors of new recommendations on using Gilenya. They had previously recommended all patients be monitored for six hours after their first dose, but are now tightening that to include continuous heart monitoring using electrocardiograms and measuring blood pressure and heart rate every hour. In certain patients, that monitoring should be extended, the drug maker said in a statement.

This new guidance applies only to patients taking their first dose, Novartis said in a statement.

The EU drug regulator hopes to finish its review of the drug by March.

___

Online:

www.ema.europa.eu

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-01-20-EU-Novartis-Drug-Review/id-3890fcac626e4b35abc11ca2f2189a28

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Cuban document details charges versus jailed American (Reuters)

HAVANA (Reuters) ? An American convicted of subversive acts in Cuba last year tried to keep his work undercover and was aware of its political aims, Cuban officials said in a leaked court document published this week.

Alan Gross, 62, has been jailed in Cuba since December 3, 2009, and is serving a 15-year sentence for providing Internet gear to Cubans under a U.S. program that Cuba views as subversive. Gross' attorney said he went to Cuba only to help the island's Jewish community, not for political purposes.

A leaked copy of an 18-page Cuban sentencing document came to light this week, providing details about Cuba's allegations and Gross' trial for the first time.

Neither Cuban officials nor Gross' attorney denied the authenticity of the document, which was published this week by Cafe Fuerte, a Miami-based news blog heavily focused on Cuba.

The court document said Gross tried to avoid detection by using American tourists to transport sophisticated satellite Internet gear to Cuba and showed residents how to use the Internet without the Cuban government's knowledge. Information is tightly controlled on the Caribbean island, Internet use is limited and visitors are not allowed to carry satellite technology.

Gross worked in Cuba in 2009 for a U.S.-funded program to promote political change by increasing Internet access and the flow of communications. Cuba views such programs as part of longstanding U.S. attempts to topple the island's Communist government.

Gross, a veteran development worker, went to Cuba five times as a subcontractor for Maryland-based DAI, which had a contract with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

USAID said in a statement on Friday that Gross's job was "simply facilitating Internet connectivity to the Cuban people so they could communicate with the rest of the world."

"Alan Gross has been unjustly imprisoned for more than two years," USAID said in an emailed statement.

According to the sentencing report, Gross set up the Internet in Jewish centers in Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Camaguey as part of what was planned to be a network of undercover Internet outlets around the country.

It said he was to meet with a member of the fraternal organization known as the Masons to discuss setting up Internet networks in Masonic lodges on December 3, 2009, the day Cuban authorities seized him.

The court said it found evidence, including on the flash drives and computer confiscated during his arrest, that Gross knew more than he admitted and took action to avoid detection, including using American tourists to bring Internet equipment to Cuba without telling them what it was for.

GROSS ATTORNEY: NO PROOF OF SUBVERSIVE ACTS

The gear included three satellite Internet terminals, or BGANs, along with Blackberry phones, iPods and an assortment of other electronics.

The court said he could have been paid up to $258,274 for his work, which showed "the lucrative, conspiratorial and concealed character of his actions."

The court said Gross got involved in Cuba as early as 2004 when he accepted $400 from another U.S.-backed program to take a video camera to Jose Manuel Collera Vento, a member of the Masons in Cuba.

Collera was an agent for the Cuban government, the court said, implying that Gross was on the radar of Cuban intelligence services well before his current problems.

Gross' lawyer, Peter Kahn, said the court document proved nothing about the allegedly subversive acts for which his client was convicted in March 2011.

It "is further confirmation of what we have said all along. The Cuban authorities cannot point to any action that Alan P. Gross intended to subvert their government," he said in a statement. "The Cuban government knows that Alan never intended to, or in fact ever was, a threat to them."

"The trial evidence cited in the document confirms that Alan's actions were intended to improve the Internet and Intranet connectivity of Cuba's small, peaceful, non-dissident, Jewish community," Kahn said. "All this document evidences is that it was the USAID program that was on trial in Cuba."

Not mentioned, he said, was testimony from Cuban Jews "who unequivocally testified that Alan never uttered a single word nor took any action which could be considered subversive."

When Gross himself brought in one of the BGANs, he declared it at the Havana airport and was not told by Cuban customs officers it was illegal. The court said he told them that it was a modem.

During his trial, Gross said, "I did nothing in Cuba that is not done on a daily basis in millions of home and offices around the world ... I am deeply sorry for being a trusting fool. I was duped, I was used."

CRITICS SAY PROGRAMS PROBLEMATIC

The new document, if authentic, fuels some critics' long-held view that the clandestine nature of the program and U.S.-government funding was destined to backfire.

"The programs did not involve our intelligence community, but the secrecy surrounding them, the clandestine tradecraft (including the use of advanced encryption technologies) and the deliberate concealment of the U.S. hand, had all the markings of an intelligence covert operation," said Fulton Armstrong, who until recently was a lead investigator with the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff.

"We confirmed that State and USAID had no policy in place to brief individuals conducting these secret operations or that they are not legal in Cuba," said Armstrong, writing in a recent opinion column in The Miami Herald.

"Nor did State and USAID brief them that U.S. law similarly does not allow unregistered foreign agents to travel around the United States providing satellite gear, wide-area WiFi hotspots, encryption and telephony equipment and other cash-value assistance."

The Gross case has put a hold on U.S.-Cuba relations that warmed slightly after U.S. President Barack Obama took office in January 2009.

The U.S. government has said Gross should not be jailed for providing Internet access to Jews and has repeatedly demanded his release.

His wife, Judy Gross, has pleaded for his freedom because their daughter and his mother have cancer.

(Additional reporting by Andrew Quinn)

(Reporting by Jeff Franks; Editing by David Adams and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120121/wl_nm/us_cuba_usa_contractor

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Legal Responsibility for Insane Robots | Law and the Multiverse

Insane robots that turn against their creators or try to destroy humanity are a pretty common theme in lots of media, not just comics. ?Of course, this is a blog primarily about comic books, so we?ll take an example from there, as inspired by a question from TechyDad, who asks about Henry Pym (aka Ant-Man) and his potential liability for the creation of the robot Ultron, which in its various incarnations has done all kinds of terrible things, including attempting to destroy the world.

I. The Setup

The first thing to consider is whether an intelligent robot could be criminally or civilly liable for its own actions. ?As with all other intelligent non-humans, the answer seems to be no unless Congress explicitly allows for it. ?Cetacean Community v. Bush, 386 F.3d 1169 (9th Cir. 2004). ?Since Congress doesn?t seem to have done so in the comics, we must now consider whether any of the liability falls to Pym, and for that we need the facts of a particular case.

The example TechyDad wanted to know about comes from the TV series The?Avengers: Earth?s Mightiest Heroes, specifically the episode The Ultron Imperative. ?In the episode, Ultron nearly destroys the entire world by launching S.H.I.E.L.D.?s nuclear arsenal. ?Ultimately, Pym stops Ultron at the last second, but Pym is blamed for the incident, since a) he created Ultron and b) infused it with his own mental patterns, although it may have been corrupted by Kang the Conqueror?and was definitely weaponized by Stark Industries, albeit with Pym?s help. ?Pym accepts the blame and admits that it was his fault.

So, then, who is liable here and for what? ?We?ll start with torts.

II. Tort Liability

There are three major bases for tort liability: intentional misconduct, negligence (and its close cousin, recklessness), and strict liability. ?We can definitely weed out intentional misconduct, since Pym neither intended nor had knowledge to a substantial certainty that Ultron would turn violent and try to destroy the world.

Next we consider negligence. ?The key question (although not the only question) is whether Pym used reasonable care in the design and deployment of Ultron (i.e. whether the cost of avoiding the incident was more or less than the expected value of the harm caused by the incident). ?This is a complicated question. ?On the one hand, Pym is a genius and seems to have tried very hard to make Ultron a force for good. ?And before Ultron 6 showed up Pym was in the process of destroying every last Ultron component he had previously created. ?On the other hand, the potential for serious harm caused by a nigh-indestructible, highly intelligent, weaponized robot is so high that it?s possible that even that level of care was not enough. ?In fact, the potential for harm is so high that it might even fall under strict liability.

Strict liability?(i.e. liability without regard to the level of care or fault) is rare in torts. ?There are two main cases where strict liability is applied: abnormally dangerous activities (aka?ultrahazardous activities)?and some kinds of products liability. ?Since Ultron wasn?t a product, that leaves abnormally?dangerous activities. ?Examples of abnormally?dangerous activities include transporting gasoline, dynamite blasting, and the ownership of wild animals. ?The Restatement (Second) of Torts defines abnormally?dangerous activities thus:

In determining whether an activity is abnormally dangerous, the following factors are to be considered:
(a) existence of a high degree of risk of some harm to the person, land or chattels of others;
(b) likelihood that the harm that results from it will be great;
(c) inability to eliminate the risk by the exercise of reasonable care;
(d) extent to which the activity is not a matter of common usage;
(e) inappropriateness of the activity to the place where it is carried on; and
(f) extent to which its value to the community is outweighed by its dangerous attributes.

It seems that the creation and weaponization of Ultron meet all of these criteria. ?There?s a high degree of risk of harm because robots are unpredictable. ?The likelihood that the harm will be great because it was equipped with powerful weapons. ?Pym couldn?t eliminate the risk despite (in the comics) decades of trying. ?Such robots definitely aren?t common. ?Ultron was meant to protect people, which necessarily means he would be close to?bystanders, which doesn?t seem appropriate. ?Ultron?s value to the community seems to have been pretty low since existing superheroes were capable of handling the threats Ultron was meant to help with.

So then, it may not matter whether Pym was blameworthy or not. ?If strict liability applies then the rule is ?you makes your insane robot and you takes your chances.?

III. Criminal Liability

Luckily for Pym, strict liability is even less common in the criminal law. ?In fact, it?s usually only found when the stakes are very low (e.g. speeding), although there are exceptions (e.g. statutory rape). ?It doesn?t apply to anything Ultron did, in any case. ?Another thing we can say is that Pym wouldn?t be guilty of attempted murder (or attempted anything, for that matter) because attempt requires intent, and Pym clearly didn?t intend for Ultron to attempt to kill anybody.

That doesn?t clear Pym of wrongdoing, however. ?There?s still criminal negligence (which is a higher standard than ordinary tort negligence). ?For example, in New ?York, criminal negligence is defined by N.Y. Penal Law ? 15.05(4) this way:

A person acts with criminal negligence with respect to a result or to a circumstance described by a statute defining an offense when he fails to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk that such result will occur or that such circumstance exists. The risk must be of such nature and degree that the failure to perceive it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the situation.

So, in New York criminal negligence requires a ?gross deviation? from reasonable care. ?Since Pym seemed to try very hard to avoid harm, he might escape criminal liability unless a reasonable person would say ?there is no way to make this safe, so I won?t even try to make a robot like Ultron.?

IV. What About Other Defendants?

So that?s Pym?s potential liability, but what about the other people involved? ?After all, it was Tony Stark and his company that weaponized Ultron in the first place, and Stark says that he is ?just as responsible.? ?That probably doesn?t take Pym off the hook, however, since Pym was involved with that work. ?It might make Stark and Stark Industries liable, however.

V. Evidentiary Issues

Finally, we?ll note that Pym?s admission of responsibility could be used against him in court. ?Ordinarily one cannot testify as to something someone else said out of court?that?s basically the definition of hearsay. ?But a statement offered against the opposing party (i.e. Pym, as the defendant) that was made by that party is specifically excluded from the definition of hearsay in the Federal Rules of Evidence, specifically Rule 801(d)(2)(A), and many states have similar rules. ?So Pym probably should have kept quiet until he talked to a lawyer; his invention did nearly destroy the entire world, after all.

VI. Conclusion

Creators and owners of robots, even intelligent autonomous ones, are (generally) responsible for injuries caused by those robots. ?Between that legal rule and robots? terrible track record of violent rebellion, it?s kind of surprising that so many comic book inventors keep making them. ?Maybe Matt Murdock can lead a class action suit against Stark Industries for all the trouble Ultron has caused over the years, although the statute of limitations has probably run on some of the older stuff, since he first appeared the late 1960s.

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Source: http://lawandthemultiverse.com/2012/01/19/legal-responsibility-for-insane-robots/

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In pictures: Dickens's London

Dickens's Victorian London is a collection of 19th-century photographs which has been published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the author's birth.

This picture shows Custom House, one of London's best surviving examples of 19th-century architecture, viewed from the river circa 1875. Part of Billingsgate market can be seen on the left; the crane is probably being used to demolish the old building, and help construct the new market.

Picture: 'Dickens's Victorian London' by Alex Werner and Tony Williams "; s+=""; document.getElementById("google-ads-container").innerHTML=s; // Slightly hacky, but if we're in a section then the container div needs a different class if (google_max_num_ads == 4) { document.getElementById("google-ads-container").parentNode.className = "googleadssection"; } } // -->

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatpicturegalleries/9018185/In-pictures-Dickenss-London.html

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Santorum: Romney ???too timid??? on entitlement reform (Daily Caller)

SPARTANBURG, S.C. ? Rick Santorum called Mitt Romney ?too timid? on his plan to reform Social Security and compared the former Massachusetts governor with President Obama?s positions on the issue.

Talking about reforming entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare is generally unpopular politically, but Santorum ?went there? Wednesday evening during a campaign stop at a conference center with a few hundred South Carolinians, many of them children, in attendance.

?He?s afraid to be honest with the American public about what it?s going to take to actually change those programs,? the former Pennsylvania senator told the crowd, speaking of Romney. ?We don?t need a president who doesn?t tell the American public the truth about our problems. We already got that. What we need is someone who is going to be honest with the American public.?

Santorum also criticized former House Speaker Newt Gingrich?s plan to create a second version of Social Security for those currently under the retirement age, one that would establish private investment accounts that participants could use however they wanted. Gingrich?s plan would create a significant funding deficit, which he has said would be offset by savings in the program and spending reductions elsewhere in government.

?Newt has a plan that is actually going to explode the deficit and create moral hazards where the government?s going to end up spending more now and more later. Not a good idea,? Santorum told the crowd. ?Mitt Romney?s plan is too timid. I sorta feel like Goldilocks ? a little too cold, a little too hot. We?re just right.?

But he saved most of his criticisms for Romney, who has advocated raising the retirement age for Social Security ?by a year or two,? and slowing the growth of benefits for retirees who are financially well off. Santorum would like to offer private health care plans that offer benefits equal to Medicare?s, and raise the age of eligibility. Romney would preserve benefits for seniors currently in both programs.

?His plan is too timid because it doesn?t want to deal with any problems today,? said Santorum. ?He doesn?t want to make any changes for ten years. Hello? We have a $1.2 trillion deficit. We have a $15 trillion debt, that?s almost $16 trillion. ? We have a disaster right now, and they want to wait ten years to change the two biggest programs in the federal government. Why??

?Timid.?

Santorum blamed Obama for cutting the Social Security payroll tax by 2 percent, calling it one reason the program will lack funding in the future. Santorum?s plan would also raise the retirement age and means-test Social Security recipients by?cutting benefits for wealthy retirees.

As of 2011, he said, 60,000 Americans who earn more than $1 million per year collect Social Security benefits, and that ?makes no sense.?

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20120119/pl_dailycaller/santorumromneytootimidonentitlementreform

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Look for Less: Kourtney Kardashian?s Boho Chic

The mom-to-be looks amazing in her Alpinestar blazer, Hat Attack wool hat and Celine luggage shopper tote. Check her out, plus our look for less.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/GgMI-UanQRA/

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In gas lines, a look at Egypt's credibility gap

Egyptians wait in their cars at a gas station in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. Rumors of increased prices have led to Egyptian citizens hoarding gas, leading to shortages. (AP Photo/Ahmed Ali)

Egyptians wait in their cars at a gas station in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. Rumors of increased prices have led to Egyptian citizens hoarding gas, leading to shortages. (AP Photo/Ahmed Ali)

CAIRO (AP) ? Rumors about an impending hike in fuel prices sent Egyptians lining up at gas stations, spotlighting the latest crisis in Egypt's political transition at a time when the economy is reeling and anger is widespread over the pace of reform after former President Hosni Mubarak's ouster.

The latest challenge confronting Egypt's military rulers and the interim government came after government approval of a plan to cut energy subsidies for some industries was widely interpreted by the public as a move to cut subsidies for fuel on which millions of Egyptians depend.

Lines formed at gas stations, with some reportedly selling out of key grades of gasoline while others saying they had not received shipments of the fuel. As motorists stocked up, supplies were depleted and some stations turned customers away, further stoking the belief that not enough was being produced by the country.

Wael Ziada, head of Egypt research at Mideast investment bank EFG-Hermes said whatever the root cause of the crisis, it could "become a self-fulfilling prophecy" in which prices rise solely in response to the rumors, irrespective of whether there is any truth to them.

At a time when the government is trying to rein in spending and foreign reserves are bleeding away, Egypt spends about 40 percent of its budget on fuel and food subsidies. The support ensures at the pump and many basic staples in the groceries stores are cheap, a vital consideration for many in the country, where about 40 percent of the population of 85 million is near or below the poverty line.

Egyptian officials have been quick to deny that there is a problem with fuel production, blaming the shortage instead on unscrupulous traders out to make a quick profit.

The fuel crisis is a new, unwelcome headache for officials, already under pressure from a populace angry over the pace of reform and worried whether the military will make good on pledges to hand over power to a civilian authorities following presidential elections slated for June.

Petroleum Minister Abdullah Ghorab was quoted in Monday's edition of the daily Al-Masry Al-Youm as saying that that traders were essentially hoarding fuel to drive up prices.

Deputy Oil Minister Mahmoud Nazim denied that fuel prices would be increasing, reported the official MENA news agency. Nazim said the country was currently producing enough to meet daily domestic demand.

Official denials, however, have carried little resonance in post-Mubarak Egypt. The fuel crisis offers a window into the country's broader economic problems that have mushroomed since the authoritarian president was pushed from power in mid-February.

Mass protests have built up momentum over the past year, disrupting daily life, helping inject tremendous uncertainty into country's political transition and, in the end, undercutting efforts to attract tourists and foreign investors. Those two sectors are among Egypt's foreign currency mainstays. Net international reserves have fallen by 50 percent since December 2010, reaching $18 billion last month.

On Monday, a team from the International Monetary Fund began a mission to discuss with officials a potential $3.2 billion support package ? measures that could come with the kind of cost-cutting conditions that could stoke further undercurrents of unrest in a country where economic pain has only grown since the Jan. 25 uprising.

Officials turned down the IMF loan in June, arguing they did not want to saddle any new, incoming government with additional debt. But conditions have since deteriorated, with borrowing costs climbing while reserves dropped precipitously.

While the government has blamed the fuel issue on the market and unscrupulous traders, analysts worry that it may be a product of the government's cash crunch.

"If you don't have the cash to buy more gas, then you deal with a shortage and have to face the possibility of a black market," said Abdel-Moneim Said, an economic analyst with the Al-Ahram Strategic Center. "The government is trying to increase production, but local production is at capacity."

Compounding the problems of paying for fuel, the government faces other pressures. The country has also seen borrowing costs spiral as its sovereign credit rating has been repeatedly downgraded by the three main reporting agencies. Meanwhile, it is looking for cost-cuts in hopes of realizing its target budget deficit of 8.6 percent of gross domestic product in the current fiscal year.

The plan to cut energy subsidies that was approved by the government targeted some heavy industries, which have long benefited from low fuel costs.

Cutting those subsidies may have been a prudent step, analysts said, but the fact that it sparked a public panic that prices at the pump would also be going up reflects the government's problems in communicating policy objectives to a population that, after roughly three decades of Mubarak rule, distrusts anything coming from officials.

"This is another example of the lack of direction in terms of policy," said Said Hirsh, Mideast economist with Capital Economics in London. "If you put out notice that you're going to cut subsidies, you're going to get a run on stations."

"I would imagine this (fuel issue) to be related to the sense of confidence in decisions the government is making," said Hirsh.

Most officials agree subsidy cuts must happen in one form or another, especially since the gas subsidies benefit Egypt's rich as well. The issue is likely to come up during the government's discussions with the IMF over the $3.2 billion loan. Still, economists said the IMF probably won't demand drastic moves or impose stringent conditions, given the delicacy of the moment.

"It's a standard IMF approach to look at subsidies," said Hirsh. "They would press the government on how to deal with it. But it would be impossible to deal with it straight away. They would be sensitive to the societal pressures."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-16-ML-Egypt-Economy/id-729930c625e04465a88448dde7949b9c

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What's On TV January 16 To 22: Betty White, 'American Idol,' 'Justified,' & More (PHOTOS)

"Alcatraz" (8 p.m. EST, Fox) two-hour series premiere Produced by J.J. Abrams, this moody mystery series combines procedural elements with a hint of supernatural suspense. Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) and Alcatraz historian Doctor Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia) team up with a secret agency that is dedicated to finding and catching inmates from the infamous prison who went missing 50 years ago and have begun reappearing today.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/16/what-to-watch-on-tv_n_1208976.html

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Samsung seeks to merge smartphone operating platforms (Reuters)

SEOUL/HELSINKI (Reuters) ? Samsung Electronics Co plans to merge its own 'bada' mobile phone operating software with an open-source Tizen platform as the world's biggest smartphone maker seeks alternatives to Google's Android in its devices.

The new platform will have to go further than Nokia and Palm which have both failed with developers and device makers in the last year or so as the market became increasingly consolidated by Google and Apple.

A Samsung spokesman said the company was working on merging bada and Tizen, confirming comments from senior vice president Kang Tae-jin in a Forbes magazine interview last week.

"With a strong leadership from a major vendor such as Samsung, I think the OS may have a chance, as most vendors based on Android now are looking for an alternative to Google's dependency," said IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo.

Support by many handset manufacturers resulted in a more than 50 percent market share for Android, which then faded after Google unveiled its $12.5 billion offer for phone maker Motorola Mobility last year.

Samsung, which emerged as the No 1 smartphone manufacturer on the back of booming demand for Android models in the third quarter, joined forces with Intel last year to strengthen its mobile software push.

TIZEN-BADA

In September two Linux software groups, one backed by Samsung and another by Intel, agreed to jointly develop Tizen, a new operating system for smartphones and other devices, by merging their LiMo and Meego platforms in a bid to gain wider industry and consumer support.

The open-source Tizen platform could be used for devices like smartphones, tablets, Internet-enabled TVs, netbooks and in-vehicle infotainment systems.

Tizen is still in development, with its predecessor MeeGo used in a few devices, including Nokia's N9 smartphone.

Samsung's dominant role could also help to quickly kick-start the new platform, but runs the risk of failing if it does not offer other manufacturers the opportunity to have their input.

"This is a logical step but it's strategic importance to Samsung is likely to discourage others contemplating Tizen as an Android alternative," said Geoff Blaber, analyst at British wireless research firm CCS Insight.

Google's Android accounted for 53 percent of the global smartphone market in the third quarter and Samsung's bada platform just 2.2 percent, still ahead of Microsoft's Windows Phone, which Nokia picked as its sole future platform.

Earlier on Tuesday, parent Samsung Group, South Korea's largest business group, said it was raising its 2012 investment to a record $41.4 billion as it banks on logic chips and OLED displays to repeat its success in flash chips, computer memory chips and LCD flat-screens.

(Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner and Mike Nesbit)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/software/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120117/tc_nm/us_samsung_tizen

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Meet Your Winner (Theagitator)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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Learn how cab insurance will be safety

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Source: http://fguide.org/learn-how-cab-insurance-will-be-safety/

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Carnival and cruise sector count cost of disaster (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? The cruise ship industry faces an uphill task to restore confidence among customers spooked by spectacular images of the stricken Costa Concordia flipped on its side and could suffer a major hit to sales in a key booking period.

Carnival, the owner of the cruise ship that capsized off Italy's west coast, said it alone expected to take a hit of around $90 million from Friday's accident just as a result of the boat being out of use for the rest of the year.

"The long-term consequences for the cruise industry could be significant. This accident could have a significant impact in terms of trading because we're in the peak-season for reservations," said Natixis analyst Geoffrey d'Halluin.

The first quarter is a critical booking period across the tourism industry and the images are unlikely to encourage holidaymakers already facing tough economic headwinds to opt for a cruise.

"I think it's going to be horrid, short term," Numis analyst Wyn Ellis told Reuters. "There will be a definite short-term impact because it's a key booking period and many people will be put off cruising in the short term."

However, Ellis believes the industry will recover in the long-term.

"I think people have very short memories. This summer's going to be awful but in terms of the long term valuations and the fundamentals of the industry I think the impact will be marginal," he said.

Carnival had already warned in December that it had lowered its prices for 2012 cruises because of weaker demand in Europe as the euro zone crisis took its toll.

Shares in Carnival were down 16.3 percent to 1,882 pence at 1100 GMT, knocking nearly 700 million pounds ($1.07 billion) off the company's value. Rival Royal Caribbean Cruises' Oslo-listed shares traded down 7.41 percent.

Carnival said the Costa Concordia is expected to be out of service for at least the remainder of its financial year.

"For the fiscal year ending November 30, the impact to 2012 earnings for loss of use is expected to be approximately $85-$95 million or $0.11-$0.12 per share."

That impact is from loss of use of the ship alone and does not take into account the likely impact on bookings. Carnival said it anticipated further costs to the business that it was too early to determine.

Costa Concordia is insured for 405 million euros ($513 million) by insurers including XL, RSA and Generali, with specialist marine insurers providing extra cover for potential injury claims, industry sources said.

An RSA spokesperson said the company's exposure to the disaster was below 10 million euros, while a spokesperson for Generali said the impact on the company would be small. XL could not immediately be reached.

Market expectations for Carnival's earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) currently range between $2.36 billion and $2.64 billion with the average at $2.47 billion, according to a Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S poll of 11 analysts. The average forecast for earnings per shares stands at $2.67.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean account for around three-quarters of the global market.

Europe's two biggest travel companies by sales, TUI Travel and Thomas Cook, also have sizeable cruise ship businesses. Shares in TUI Travel were up 3.2 percent to 166.9 pence with Thomas Cook unchanged at 15.25 pence.

Global demand for cruises almost doubled from 9.7 million passengers in 2000 to 18.8 million in 2010 and the industry generates annual revenue of over 35 billion euros ($44 billion)in Europe alone.

Carnival's Chairman and Chief Executive Micky Arison said the company was prioritizing the safety of its passengers and crew.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragic event and our hearts go out to everyone affected by the grounding of the Costa Concordia and especially to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives."

Rescue workers searching the ship for missing passengers and crew recovered a sixth body on Monday.

($1 = 0.7895 euros)

($1 = 0.6542 British pounds)

(Additional reporting by Kate Holton and Philip Baillie; Editing by Hans-Juergen Peters)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120116/bs_nm/us_carnival

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