China: Confession in $10 billion smuggling case

BEIJING?? China's most-wanted man, who was deported from Canada in July after a decade-long legal battle, has admitted to his crimes and will now be handed over to prosecutors, state media reported Friday.

Beijing had sought the deportation of Lai Changxing for years, accusing him of running a multi-billion dollar smuggling ring in the southeastern city of Xiamen in the 1990s.

The move brings authorities a step closer to a conclusion in one of China's most lurid, long-running corruption cases.

Prosecutors indicted Lai for allegedly masterminding a network that smuggled everything from cigarettes to cars and oil and bribed dozens of government workers between 1996 and 1999, China's state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Lai and other key members of the syndicate have "confessed to the facts of the smuggling and bribery charges without concealing anything," the report said.

The "legal rights" of Lai and the other suspects were "fully guaranteed," with Lai able to meet with his lawyer, state radio added.

Lai became China's most-wanted man after he fled to Canada in 1999 and fought extradition for 12 years.

Nothing had been heard of him since he was returned to China over the summer.

Liquor and prostitutes
Before fleeing to Canada, he lived a life of luxury in China complete with a bulletproof Mercedes Benz. He is alleged to have run a mansion in which he plied officials with liquor and prostitutes.

At the time, state TV splashed pictures of the network's allegedly ill-gotten gains: A tiger skin rug laid out on a conference table, confiscated cars belonging to corrupt bureaucrats, a sack of gold rings, and a picture of a young woman, said to be a lover kept for one official by Lai.

Chinese media have said Lai's alleged smuggling operation was valued at $10 billion.

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China put more than 300 suspects on trial and sentenced 14 to death, including provincial officials and a former vice minister of public security, in a case Beijing has used for a propaganda campaign against corruption.

China's Communist Party has struggled to control widespread practices of embezzlement, taking kickbacks, and influence peddling that have degraded public faith and sometimes led to violent protest.

In Canada, Lai had avoided deportation by arguing he could face the death penalty or be tortured and would not get a fair trial in his home country.

But that legal battle ended in July when a federal court in Vancouver ruled Lai should not be considered a refugee and upheld his deportation.

China promised Canada that Lai would not get the death penalty in 2001 when then-President Jiang Zemin sent the Canadian prime minister at the time, Jean Chretien, a diplomatic note with assurances Lai would not be executed if returned.

Loopholes exploited
Lai's alleged crimes occurred in the special economic zone of Xiamen in Fujian province in the mid-1990s when Jia Qinglin, now the ruling Communist Party's fourth most senior leader, was the province's party boss.

Beijing has accused Lai's business empire, the Yuanhua Group, of bribing officials to allow a massive smuggling ring. Jia's wife, Lin Youfang, was among those implicated in the scandal. She denied any wrongdoing.

Lai admitted in a 2009 interview with Toronto's Globe and Mail newspaper that he had avoided taxes by exploiting loopholes in the law, but he denies bribery charges.

Lai may face life imprisonment, state media has reported. But some legal experts and human rights activists have said it was unlikely Lai could receive a fair trial in China.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45825335/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/

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Mitt Romney: A Candidate's Rhetorical Evolution (Time.com)

There are two broad categories of campaign messages: Stories and lists. The list message is the easiest to pull off, and usually the least effective. Put the candidate on a stump, or before a camera, and rattle it off: Less taxes, more growth, less government, more healthcare, less deficit, bigger army, less crime, better education. You know the drill. All good things to all good people. The idea is that if voters listen long enough, they will surely hear what they want to hear. Find their pleasure point, get their vote.

The second kind of campaign message is a story. It has a beginning, a middle and an end. It has a hero and a villain. And it has a moral. The idea is less about hitting pleasure points, than raising hopes, channeling frustration and offering a promise. The list, of course, can make its way into the story, but the story cannot just be the list. It must be bigger. Epic. A fight between the past and the future. Good and evil. Prosperity and decline. (Watch TIME's video "Mark Halperin Interviews Mitt Romney.")

In 2008, Barack Obama mastered the story message, out-narrating the primary and then the general election, first against list-loving Hillary Clinton and then against a befuddled John McCain. The Obama story -- Hope! Change! Aspiration! -- became the very Obama brand. It was what people voted for.

In 2008, meanwhile, Mitt Romney mastered the list message. Just take a look at any of the old stump speeches from 2007 and early 2008, when Romney was still trying to become the Republican nominee by being all things to all people -- a "conservative's conservative," he said at the time, while also claiming to have worked well with Ted Kennedy. He had talking points on everything, health care, taxes, abortion, gays, education, Iraq, etc., and he always somehow squeezed them into a 25 minute address. For some of his list items, he even had PowerPoints, a.k.a. sublists. Romney offered his lists relentlessly. He didn't win. He didn't really even come close.

But this time, for the moment at least, everything has reversed. The new and improved Romney travels the country not with a list, but with a story. "This is an election not to replace a President but to save a vision of America. It's a choice between two destinies," he said a few weeks back in New Hampshire. "This will be a campaign about the soul of America, about American greatness. I'm confident that Americans won't settle for an excuse that 'it could be worse.' " In Romney's new story, he is a proven business wiz battling a liberal optimist in over his head. (Read "Mitt Romney: Mr. Plurality.")

If this arc sounds familiar, that's because it's just a few steps removed from Obama's winning 2008 story. It is about hope for an American future that seems to be slipping away. Just make some substitutions. Replace the war in Iraq with the economy. Replace health care reform with getting deficits under control. Replace the villain George W. Bush with the villain Barack Obama. And then tell the people that the country is in danger, and there is a bright shining hero, full of confidence and smarts, who is ready to save the day. Mitt Romney wants to be that guy. He will never inspire people the way Obama did. But he can at least make them believe he can get the job done.

The irony here, of course, is that for the moment, Barack Obama doesn't have a story to tell. As Romney points out, "could be worse" won't cut it. And the list of Obama's accomplishments -- repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell; health care reform; Wall Street reform; student loan reform; green energy investment, etc. -- is not going to cut it either. Of course, the campaign is still young. Obama has plenty of time to lay out his storyline. If Romney is the nominee, it will no doubt posit him as the villain, a rich financier who benefited from a rigged game that rewards the puppet-masters while laying off workers. Obama will play the hero, fighting valiantly to protect the little guy against a rigged game dominated by Republican congressman and Wall Street henchman. It will posit two visions of the future: Obama's vision of rebuilding the country with investment, and a Republican vision of austerity that falls hardest on Main Street. The script has already been written by Obama's advisers in Chicago and at the White House.

But the difference in 2012 is that Obama's storyline will not stand alone. If Romney wins the nomination, the President will face a narrative far more potent than anything Obama's opponents came up with in 2007 and 2008.

See TIME's Top 10 Everything of 2011.

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China reveals its space plans up to 2016 (AP)

BEIJING ? China plans to launch space labs and manned ships and prepare to build space stations over the next five years, according to a plan released Thursday that shows the country's space program is gathering momentum.

China has already said its eventual goals are to have a space station and put an astronaut on the moon. It has made methodical progress with its ambitious lunar and human spaceflight programs, but its latest five-year plan beginning next year signals an acceleration.

By the end of 2016, China will launch space laboratories, manned spaceship and ship freighters, and make technological preparations for the construction of space stations, according to the white paper setting out China's space progress and future missions.

China's space program has already made major breakthroughs in a relatively short time, although it lags far behind the United States and Russia in space technology and experience.

The country will continue exploring the moon using probes, start gathering samples of the moon's surface, and "push forward its exploration of planets, asteroids and the sun."

It will use spacecraft to study the properties of black holes and begin monitoring space debris and small near-Earth celestial bodies and build a system to protect spacecraft from debris.

The paper also says China will improve its launch vehicles, improve its communications, broadcasting and meteorological satellites and develop a global satellite navigation system, intended to rival the United States' dominant global positioning system (GPS) network.

China places great emphasis on the development of its space industry, which is seen as a symbol of national prestige.

Its space principles ? including peaceful development, enhancing international cooperation and deep space exploration ? are largely unchanged from its previous two documents detailing the progress of China's space missions, released in 2000 and 2006.

In 2003, China became the third country behind the U.S. and Russia to launch a man into space and, five years later, completed a spacewalk. Toward the end of this year, it demonstrated automated docking between its Shenzhou 8 craft and the Tiangong 1 module, which will form part of a future space laboratory.

In 2007, it launched its first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, which orbited the moon, collecting data and a complete map of the moon.

Since 2006, China's Long March rockets have successfully launched 67 times, sending 79 spacecraft into orbit.

Some elements of China's program, notably the firing of a ground-based missile into one of its dead satellites four years ago, have alarmed American officials and others who say such moves could set off a race to militarize space. That the program is run by the military has made the U.S. reluctant to cooperate with China in space, even though the latter insists its program is purely for peaceful ends.

"China always adheres to the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and opposes weaponization or any arms race in outer space," Thursday's white paper states.

The Chinese government's policy is to "reinforce" space cooperation with developing countries and "value" space cooperation with developed countries. The paper lists cooperation between China and countries including Russia, Brazil, France and Britain, and says of the United States: NASA's director visited China "and the two sides will continue to make dialogue regarding the space field."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_on_sc/as_china_space

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Video: Java Joe VP poll: Biden or Clinton?

To succeed at your New Year's diet, keep mum

A slew of psychology studies, some dating as far back as the 1920s, suggest that if you want to stick to your New Year?s diet ? or whatever your big 2012 goal may be ? you might want to shut up about it, already.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/45819179#45819179

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ComScore says iPhone market share has increased but Samsung still reigns (Appolicious)

The latest numbers in the battle for smartphone supremacy show that Apple?s share of the pie has increased in the U.S., but it is still being out-paced by Android-making rivals.

According to market analysis firm comScore, South Korean-based Samsung remains the top OEM (original equipment manufacturer) in the U.S. smartphone market, with 25.6 percent of all smartphone subscribers. Coming in at No. 4 is Apple with its iPhone, with 11.2 percent of subscribers, as TechCrunch reports. Samsung took the crown of worldwide top smartphone OEM by revenue in the third quarter of 2011, and has held the position ever since.

While Apple remains second place to Samsung in the U.S., there are some telling caveats to comScore?s numbers. For one, Samsung?s share of the market in the three months ending in November 2011 was only 0.3 percentage points. Meanwhile, Apple increased its chunk of the U.S. market by a decent margin by comparison, going from 9.8 percent to 11.2 percent. It?s not a massive increase, but it is notable.

ComScore?s numbers also notably leave out the holiday season, which has been a substantial one for both Apple?s iOS platform and for Google?s Android operating system. Flurry Analytics noted that on Christmas Day alone, 6.8 million new mobile devices were activated on both platforms, and Google?s Andy Rubin announced on Twitter that over the Christmas weekend, 3.7 million Android devices were activated. We don?t know just how many devices Apple activated (or how many of those were iPhones), so it?s too early to be sure if the holidays will have an effect on the market share slider, but it?s definitely possible.

Coming in with the No. 2 smartphone OEM slot was LG, which lost 0.5 percentage points of market share to fall from 21 percent of subscribers to 20.5. After that was Motorola with 13.7 percent of subscribers. It fell 0.3 percentage points from August, when it held 14 percent.

Obviously, the Android mobile operating system continues to reign supreme in the U.S., with Google?s mobile platform taking 47 percent of the mobile market, but both Android and iOS increased their dominance of the mobile operating system market at the expense of rivals. Android increased to 46.9 percent of mobile devices, from 43.8 percent in August, while iOS rose from 27.3 percent to 28.7 percent. Meanwhile, every other player in the mobile operating system game losing ground. Blackberry maker, No. 3 Research In Motion, saw its share drop from 19.7 percent in August to 16.6 percent in November; Microsoft?s Windows Phone fell from 5.7 percent to 5.2 percent; and Nokia?s slowly dying Symbian went from 1.8 percent to 1.5 percent.

Apple saw some growth in the last few months, and that?s mostly without the aid of the holidays or the iPhone 4S. When numbers roll around for the final quarter of 2011, they might show a clearer picture of what gains Apple is making with its popular devices, but it doesn?t seem like it?ll be able to take down its biggest rivals anytime soon, regardless.

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Mortgage debt cut by ?8.2bn

Britons reduced their mortgage debt by ?8.6 billion during the third quarter of this year, but the Bank of England said there was "little sign" that households are trying to pay their debts down more quickly than in the past.

The Bank said a lack of activity in the housing market and a reduction in re-mortgaging were underlying the figures.

The housing market is widely forecast to remain sluggish next year and the Council of Mortgage Lenders recently predicted that transactions could reach their lowest level since its records began in 1978.

Low savings rates as the Bank maintains its base rate at a historic 0.5% low have increased the attraction for home-owners of using any spare cash to reduce their mortgages and improve their balance sheets.

But the Bank said the trend towards injections of housing equity since the start of the financial crisis has not been linked to an increase in mortgage repayments.

It said: "The fall in housing equity withdrawal since the financial crisis is likely to reflect a fall in the number of housing transactions, with little sign that households in aggregate are making an active effort to pay down debt more quickly than in the past."

The latest figure was down from a record ?9.6 billion injection of housing equity recorded in the second quarter of this year.

Analysts said the total injection of equity into houses has reached more than ?100 billion since the summer of 2008.

Housing equity withdrawal has remained negative in every quarter since spring 2008, reflecting the continued mood of caution.

House prices across the UK are around 10% below their peak levels, according to a separate report released today by Nationwide, with volatile regional variations reflecting why many people have been put off the idea of taking out a new mortgage.

Analysts said that tight credit conditions have also made borrowing difficult, with aspiring home owners often needing a 20% deposit to get on the property ladder.

The consequences of this have been seen in the rental market, which has enjoyed a boom this year.

The Government has unveiled a package of measures aimed at injecting life back into the housing market, but lenders and estate agents have warned that the end of the stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers next spring could disrupt the market further.

The trend towards injecting money rather than borrowing is also adding further pressure on consumers' ability to spend, meaning bad news for retailers.

Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist for IHS Global Insight, said: "In past years, housing equity withdrawal has been used significantly to support consumer spending.

"So regardless of the causes of the switch to a net injection of housing equity since early 2008, the fact that housing equity withdrawal is no longer happening is a further constraint to consumer spending on top of high inflation, muted wage growth, the fiscal squeeze, high and rising unemployment and elevated debt levels.

"However, it should be noted that housing equity withdrawal has also been used for other purposes than supporting consumer spending in the past, such as reducing other debts, investing in other financial assets and topping up pensions.

"For example, a significant proportion of past housing equity withdrawal was due to older people whose children had left home trading down and using the proceeds to supplement their pensions."

PA

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Rev. Tom Davis: A Modest Proposal -- In the Interest of Justice (Huffington post)

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Tech's biggest misfires of 2011

The past 12 months have been a boon of technological innovation, particularly in the world of mobile devices, where top companies have been waging an arms race for the top of the smartphone and tablet hills. Not everything has been smooth sailing, however -- 2011 has also been dotted by delays, false starts, security breeches and straight up technological turf outs. Check out some of the lowlights from the year that was after the break.

Continue reading Tech's biggest misfires of 2011

Tech's biggest misfires of 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft Is Why Firefox Is Worth A Billion Dollars To Google

Analysis ? Google is rumored to be paying at least $1 billion in advertising revenue, or royalties, depending on your view, to Mozilla over the next three years. This investment may seem over the top, especially since Mozilla has seen its market position weaken in 2011 and since we have seen plenty of public Mozilla firing poisoned darts in the direction of Google?s Chrome team. However, even at a billion dollars, it?s a good idea for Google to have Mozilla on its side. It appears that Mozilla has played its cards very well.

The deal between Mozilla and Google is a perfect example how complicated the browser landscape has become and how critical it is to the core businesses of those who aim to control a major portion of the next computing era that will be focused on software services rather than software that is installed locally and processes most of its data offline. It is also a sign for users that especially Google and Microsoft are competing for their attention and they will go to extreme lengths to bind users and keep them from straying away.

?

Scatter Shooting

There has been an unusual amount of speculation why Google may pay that much for a browser that apparently is in an unstoppable decline and has fallen off the cliff of user interest. A Chrome developer as well as Firefox product manager Asa Dotzler responded to that speculation with posts that balance each other out, but may not reveal the entire picture of the relationship between Google and Mozilla, which is still very much defined by symbiotic advantages today. Much of the impressions we get today from either side are possibly incomplete and confusing as a result.

?

Peter Kasting and Asa Dotzler

Google?s Peter Kasting has published a rant on Google+ and complains that no one understands why Google has an interest in Mozilla. He explains that ?the primary goal of Chrome is to make the web advance as much and as quickly as possible. That?s it. It?s completely irrelevant to this goal whether Chrome actually gains tons of users or whether instead the web advances because the other browser vendors step up their game and produce far better browsers. Either way the web gets better. Job done. The end.? At $1 billion, some may argue that this is a rather expensive venture and it may be difficult for Google?s CFO to explain to shareholders that there is just too much money laying around at Google to find other ways to invest into ventures that actually increase its revenues and profitability. Admitted, Kasting concludes that ?Google succeeds (and makes money) when the web succeeds and people use it more to do everything they need to do.? However, one would be very na?ve to believe that Google is interested in a constantly improving Internet to improve our lives. We may be closer if we said that the Internet will improve in the way it best aligns with Google?s interests.

Asa Dotzler, Firefox product manager, took a different direction to explain the deal. Dotzler explained that the deal is about advertising revenues and since Mozilla still delivers substantial value in that respect.

Market scenario at the end of 2011, outlook for 2012

As we are approaching the end of this year, we are seeing Firefox stabilize in market share just above 25%. Our estimate is that StatCounter will report about 25.43% for this month, which is down 5.25 points or 20.64% for the year. Chrome will be posting its best month yet with a net gain of 1.56 points this month and climb to 27.25%, up 11.59 points or 42.50% for the year. Microsoft will be dropping below 40% for the first time and land at about 38.60%, down 7.4 points or 19.17% for the year. As Microsoft?s advertising campaign for IE ran out in December, IE experienced a sudden drop in market share, down 5.0% from November and its steepest decline in 24 months.

Our estimate currently sees Chrome overtaking IE as the dominant browser In Q3 of next year. The introduction of Windows 8 is unlikely to have a major impact on browser market shares. Mozilla is dealing with a bunch of problems, especially feature delays that have made it nearly impossible for the company to recover and return to possible growth in H1 2012. However, H2 will be the timeframe where Firefox could get interesting again.

?

Negotiation Leverage

One of the key lessons in successful negotiations is to follow an aggressive path that is driven by selfish motives. While it is good to know as much as you can about your opponent, it is more important to know what you want and understand what you can get. If you know your value, your leverage grows and it?s easy to walk away from a deal if you don?t get what you want. That strategy works in simple environments such as dealing with a car sales people and it works when you are dealing with contracts that are worth billions of dollars. Mozilla has strong leverage and all information we have point to a setup of the talks that were handled by Mozilla?s executive team extremely well.

Mozilla?s primary leverage was not market share. Microsoft was Mozilla?s leverage. Since the development of a Bing?ed version of Firefox it was more than clear that Microsoft is interested in Mozilla?s user base to use Bing instead of Google. Rumor has it that Microsoft was willing to guarantee Mozilla up to $250 million per year in search box royalties, a number that was fueled by Microsoft trying to get hooks into Google?s business. Now that Google has prevented a Mozilla/Microsoft partnership, it would be interesting to know whether this new deal comes with certain conditions such as special support for Mozilla from Google, or a limitation whether a default Bing-version of Firefox is still possible or not.

Advertising, Advertising x2

Advertising is, of course, still a big deal. Mozilla still has 400 million users and those users generate ad revenues. If Mozilla still has 25% of the browser market, it is safe to say that the lion?s share of those users will stick with the default search engine and that is good news for Google. More importantly, however, Google made sure that those 25% did not go to Bing. Consider the investment to carry protective value as well.

?

Chrome follows Firefox follows Chrome

Given Chrome?s strong growth and the fact that Firefox revealed an extremely volatile user base on its edges this year, there was the clear implication that Firefox could become an important tool for Microsoft to work against Google while securing space for IE9 and IE10. Also, consider the fact that neither IE nor Chrome has the market majority at this time and it is unlikely that either one will gain it in the near future. However, both can gain market leadership with the support of Firefox. With Firefox as a technology partner, Google has 53% of the browser market and Microsoft would have 64%. It is much easier to push new features out into the market with Firefox than without. A partnership facilitates such an environment in reasonable terms. In the past Chrome adopted browser features that were first pitched by Mozilla staff, but were developed much faster for Chrome. This has been the case, for example, for the modification of the location bar layout or the integration of the Gamepad API. However, Google will also need Firefox to quickly adopt new features that are put into Chrome (and that make sense for Firefox as well ), such as SPDY. The additional funding should help Mozilla build out its resources and add features faster.

?

Migration Path: IE > Firefox > Chrome

Both Mozilla and Microsoft are struggling with user loyalty these days. While the two are trying to figure out how to not lose users, Google is harvesting the users both drop. In 2010, the user migration path was mainly from IE to Firefox to Chrome, but began to change as Firefox 4 was increasingly delayed and it appeared that IE users were directly moving toward Chrome as well. In the end, Google could care less if its Chrome users are coming from IE or Firefox, but having IE users migrate to Firefox as well and establish a well-defined migration path is in Google?s interest to strengthen its market position as far as advertising is concerned.

?

Antitrust Issues

Peter Kasting indicated that Google does not view Firefox as a rival, while Mozilla left no doubt about the fact that it sees Chrome as a rival. Let?s be honest and admit that both browsers are competing for market share and there is a competitive environment as a result. Dramatic changes to a market always draw attention and if they are serious enough, the government will get involved. Neither Google nor Microsoft can afford that Firefox goes away, but both need Firefox as an alibi to be able to push their respective strategies. With Firefox around, it?s a thriving market that values competition and remains antitrust-concern free. Even better if both sponsor Mozilla and a $1 billion payment goes a long way preventing anyone at the DOJ from getting silly thoughts. In a way, this investment could give Google a carte blanche to develop Chrome and push the browser in any way it wants to.

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Consumer confidence perks up, house prices sag (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? Improving labor market conditions lifted U.S. consumer confidence to an eight month high in December, but persistently weak house prices remain an obstacle to faster economic growth.

The sharp rise in sentiment reported by the Conference Board on Tuesday offered hope for a pick-up in consumer spending after an anemic performance in November.

"It suggests there is some real improvement in the economy. Consumer confidence really boils down to how people feel about the labor market," said Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Conference Board's index of consumer confidence rose to 64.5 this month from 55.2 in November, beating economists' expectations for a reading of 58.3.

A separate report from Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller showed house prices in 20 major metropolitan areas declined 1.2 percent on an unadjusted basis in October after falling 0.7 percent the prior month.

Other data offered a mixed picture of manufacturing this month, with the Dallas Federal Reserve saying factory activity weakened in its region.

But manufacturing in the central Atlantic region firmed after being flat in November as new orders and shipments increased, offsetting a modest decline in employment, the Richmond Fed said.

Still, consumers are increasingly upbeat. The Conference Board's present situation index jumped to a three-year high, with the expectations index the highest in seven months.

Last month's rise in consumer confidence largely reflects a better tone in the labor market. The unemployment rate dropped to a 2-1/2 year low in November and applications for first-time jobless benefits are the lowest since April 2008.

Despite the show of resilience, the debt crisis in Europe continues to cast a shadow over the U.S. economy.

"This good news is likely to be tested in the new year by slowing global growth and ongoing risk from Europe," said Eric Green, chief economist at TD Securities in New York.

"Still, the stronger momentum going into year-end is for real and at face value puts the economy in better position to withstand what is sure to be stronger headwinds to growth in the first half of 2012."

Stocks on Wall Street ended little changed in light trading, while U.S. Treasury debt prices rose. The dollar weakened marginally against a basket of currencies.

DEMAND FOR HOUSING PICKING UP

Despite the persistent drop in prices, housing is becoming less of a drag on the economy. Demand for housing is picking up and home sales volumes have increased in recent months.

Builders have been breaking more ground on new residential projects and home construction is expected to add to U.S. gross domestic product next year. If so, it would be the first increase since the second quarter of 2010.

"While some other housing indicators have improved over the past few months, we have yet to see most house prices measures pick up," said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.

With the labor market improving, housing could get some support. In the Conference Board survey, consumers' outlook of job market conditions brightened significantly.

The share of consumers viewing jobs as "plentiful" rose to 6.7 percent this month from 5.6 percent in November. The proportion of those viewing jobs as "hard to get" slipped to 41.8 percent from 43 percent in November.

These are the best readings for both components since January 2009.

"Households are beginning to perceive an improvement in the labor market," said Carl Riccadonna, a senior U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank.

"This could provide an important contribution to what we think may be a burgeoning positive feedback loop of improving confidence, rising consumption, expanding output and additional income growth."

The share of consumers anticipating more jobs in the months ahead rose to 13.3 percent from 12.4 percent, while those expecting fewer jobs declined to 20.2 percent from 23.8 percent.

More consumers are expecting their incomes to increase, with that proportion rising to 17.1 percent from 14.1 percent in November.

(Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Padraic Cassidy and Jan Paschal)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111227/bs_nm/us_economy

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New 'Hobbit' Production Diary Takes You To Hobbiton

The first thing you notice during this new production diary for "The Hobbit"? The dwarves.
The dwarves are kayaking through the river in a big raft. They're on location, riding horses and brandishing swords and running against green screens. There's a lot to see; twelve minutes of it, to be exact, taking you through the [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/12/27/hobbit-production-diary-peter-jackson/

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UK's Times newspaper names Bouazizi person of 2011 (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Britain's The Times newspaper on Wednesday named as person of the year Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian whose self immolation inspired uprisings that toppled dictators across the Arab world and shook the region's remaining autocracies.

Bouazizi set himself alight last year after officials confiscated the unemployed 26-year-old's unlicensed grocery cart, reportedly slapping and insulting him. His desperate act struck a chord with millions of Arabs living with few job prospects or avenues for change under entrenched autocracies.

"The Times today names Mohamed Bouazizi, the street vendor who became the inspiration for the Arab Spring, as its person of the year," the paper said on its front page. "Bouazizi was no revolutionary, yet his lonely protest served as the catalyst for a wave of revolts that have transformed the Middle East."

Bouazizi' death from his wounds in January prompted protests across Tunisia, forcing autocratic President Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country. Soon afterwards, millions took to the streets in Egypt, Libya, Syria and elsewhere to protest against repression, corruption, poverty and joblessness.

The uprisings unseated despots in Libya, Egypt and Yemen as well as Tunisia, while Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's writ is disintegrating and other authoritarian rulers in the region are eyeing the tide of public anger with nervousness.

Tunisia has since elected new leaders through peaceful democratic elections.

In an October interview with Reuters, Bouazizi's mother Manoubia urged the new leaders to honor her son's sacrifice by helping poor people like him.

"Nothing would have happened if my son had not reacted against voicelessness and a lack of respect," she said.

"But I hope the people who are going to govern will be able to keep this message in mind and give consideration to all Tunisians, including the poor."

(Reporting by Mohammed Abbas)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111228/people_nm/us_times_bouazizi

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Vice President Joe Biden has proved himself as profoundly talented at producing...

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NBA Commissioner Stern hears boos at Dallas opener (AP)

DALLAS ? NBA Commissioner David Stern opened his lockout-delayed season by hearing boos from Mavericks fans.

Stern was in Dallas for the NBA finals rematch between the Mavericks and Heat, and he was on the court for the start of the Mavs' banner-raising ceremony honoring their first championship. The jeers came as soon as he started speaking, but he quickly turned them into cheers by offering his congratulations to team owner Mark Cuban.

Cuban's often contentious relationship with Stern could've been as much of a reason for the boos as the lockout, which pushed the opener from Nov. 1 to Christmas and cut the season by 16 games.

Cuban and Miami's Micky Arison were among five owners who voted against the labor deal. Stern said "it doesn't send any signal whatsoever" that the two owners in the most recent finals were against the agreement.

Stern said Arison only objected to the revenue sharing. He also pointed out that Cuban was part of the labor relations committee and the planning committee.

"(Cuban) might not have been enamored with the final outcome because it takes away the advantage that overspending can give you," Stern said.

Stern also said he could have done a better job of explaining his reasons for blocking a proposed trade of Chris Paul from the league-owned Hornets to the Lakers, only to later agree to a deal that sent Paul to the Clippers. He said that "lost in the frenzy" over his action was the fact he quashed the deal in his role as the owners' representative looking out for the best interests of the Hornets ? not as the commissioner looking out for the best interests of the league as a whole.

"Our view was that the best thing was for New Orleans to be a young team," he said.

Stern blamed himself for not clarifying that sooner.

"I don't think it affected the integrity of the league," he said. "I do think I could have done a better communications job. ... It's a job that, as the owners' representative, I was stuck with. But I think that it was better to have me do it than a group of owners do it because I have the singular focus of doing what's best."

The booing Mavs fans may not have realized they had Stern to thank for getting Lamar Odom to Dallas. Odom was supposed to have been in the Lakers-Hornets deal; when he wasn't, he was so upset that the club didn't want him that he asked to be traded.

After the Dallas-Miami game, Stern went to Oklahoma City for the opener between the Thunder and Orlando. Magic star Dwight Howard is trying to force his way to the team of his preference, just like Paul did. Asked if that was bad for the league, Stern said it's always happened, using Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as examples.

"That's the beauty of the soap opera," Stern said. "It will play out like it plays out."

Stern had compliments for another superstar he was about to watch, LeBron James.

"I see a level of acceptance and maturity," Stern said. "He's clearly saying he might've said a few things differently, etcetera, and he's going to let his talent do the talking. I think that's pretty exciting because he's got some pretty exciting talent. So we're happy for him and we're looking forward to how the season winds up."

So, how does he expect the season to wind up?

"I said to Mark, `It's ironic, the most underrated team in the league is the NBA champion,'" Stern said. "I think Dallas has a pretty good roster. ... I said before last season, `I think we're going to have to play the season. We're not mailing the trophy to Miami.' It turns out, we mailed it to Dallas. We'll see what happens this year ? but Miami really seems formidable with those three superstars."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_on_sp_bk_ne/bkn_stern_openers

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veteranstoday: Breaking: Patriot Missiles Seized, Sold To China by Israel http://t.co/SUrYBnyL

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Breaking: Patriot Missiles Seized, Sold To China by Israel bit.ly/vD0Opa Il y a environ 9 heures via Veterans Today Retweeted by 1 person

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Japan, China Deepen Financial Ties

BY TAKASHI NAKAMICHI AND LINGLING WEI

The Chinese and Japanese governments on Sunday unveiled a broad, innovative package of financial agreements designed to tighten ties between the world's second- and third-largest economies, moves that could elevate the yuan's status as an international currency and solve foreign-exchange headaches for Japanese companies doing business in China.

The policies also are aimed at reducing the use of U.S. dollars in trade between the two countries, possibly curbing the American currency's role in the world's fastest growing region.

The agreements include a plan for a Japanese government-backed entity to sell yuan-denominated bonds in China, a boost to Beijing's campaign to ...

BY TAKASHI NAKAMICHI AND LINGLING WEI

The Chinese and Japanese governments on Sunday unveiled a broad, innovative package of financial agreements designed to tighten ties between the world's second- and third-largest economies, moves that could elevate the yuan's status as an international currency and solve foreign-exchange headaches for Japanese companies doing business in China.

The policies also are aimed at reducing the use of U.S. dollars in trade between the two countries, possibly curbing the American currency's role in the world's fastest growing region.

The agreements include a plan for a Japanese government-backed entity to sell yuan-denominated bonds in China, a boost to Beijing's campaign to ...

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203479104577119961336456568.html?mod=asia_home

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JDKolassa: Dear @Microsoft: Why did you move on from @Windows #XP? It was the greatest invention since beer! It's marvelous! #AiringofGrievances

Dear @: Why did you move on from @ ? It was the greatest invention since beer! It's marvelous! Il y a environ 2 heures via web

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Previously unconnected molecular networks conspire to promote cancer

Thursday, December 22, 2011

An inflammation-promoting protein triggers deactivation of a tumor-suppressor that usually blocks cancer formation via the NOTCH signaling pathway, a team of researchers led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports today in Molecular Cell.

Working in liver cancer cell lines, the team discovered a mechanism by which tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF?) stimulates tumor formation, said senior author Mien-Chie Hung, Ph.D., professor and chair of MD Anderson's Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology. Hung also is MD Anderson's vice president for basic research.

"We've discovered cross-talk between the TNF? inflammation and NOTCH signaling pathways, which had been known to separately promote cancer development and growth," Hung said. Liver cancer is one of several cancers, including pancreatic and breast, associated with inflammation.

Their findings have potential implications for a new class of anti-cancer drugs currently in clinical trials. "Pharmaceutical companies are developing NOTCH inhibitors," Hung said. "TNF? now presents a potential resistance mechanism that activates NOTCH signaling in a non-traditional way."

Pathways also unite in colon, lung, prostate cancers

"In addition, co-activation of these two pathways was also observed in colon, lung and prostate cancers, suggesting that the cross-talk between these two pathways may be more generally relevant," Hung said.

However, TNF? also presents an opportunity to personalize therapy, Hung said. The presence of TNF? or a separate protein that it activates called IKK alpha may serve as useful biomarkers to guide treatment.

"If a patient has only NOTCH activated, then the NOTCH inhibitor alone might work. But if TNF? or IKK? are also activated, then the NOTCH inhibitor alone might not work very well and combination therapy would be warranted," Hung said.

"We'll try this in an animal model and then go to clinical trial if it holds up," Hung said.

A path from inflammation to liver cancer

In a series of experiments, Hung and colleagues connected the following molecular cascade:

• TNF?, a proinflammatory cytokine, signals through a cell's membrane, activating IKK?, a protein kinase that regulates other proteins by attaching phosphate groups (one phosphate atom, four oxygen atoms) to them.
• IKK? moves into the cell nucleus, where it phosphorylatesFOXA2, a transcription factor that normally fires up the tumor suppressor NUMB.
• NUMB usually blocks a protein called NICD, the activated portion of NOTCH1 that slips into the cell nucleus to activate genes that convert the normal cell to a malignant one.
• But when FOXA2 is phosphorylated, it does not activate NUMB. With NUMB disabled, NOTCH1 is activated. New understanding, new targets for cancer therapy

In liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) tumors, IKK?, the phosphorylated version of FOXA2 and NOTCH1 are expressed more heavily than in normal liver tissue. Expression of all three is correlated in liver cancer tumors, the team found.

The authors conclude that identifying the link between TNF? and NOTCH1 pathways provides a new starting point for understanding the molecular basis for TNF?-related tumor growth and for identifying new targets for cancer therapy.

Finding ways to inhibit FOXA2 phosphorylation or to activate NUMB would provide new options for treating and perhaps preventing cancer, Hung said.

###

University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center: http://www.mdanderson.org

Thanks to University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116280/Previously_unconnected_molecular_networks_conspire_to_promote_cancer

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Apple?s iPhone 4S scores in U.S., Britain, but not the rest of Europe (Appolicious)

The release of the iPhone 4S has sparked some pretty big growth for Apple in the smartphone market. In the U.S., the device has sold quite a few million units since its October launch, and in Britain Apple is seeing similar gains.

Yet despite high popularity of the iPhone 4S isn?t being mirrored in every market. According to a story from GigaOM, in the rest of Europe, the iPhone 4S hasn?t been the runaway success that it has in places like the U.S. In the rest of Europe, Apple?s share of the smartphone market continues to decline as Google?s Android platform keeps growing.

In markets such as France, Germany, Spain and Italy, Apple?s share of the smartphone market isn?t increasing the way it is in the U.S. or emerging markets such as China. In fact, it has been declining for some time and is continuing to do so as 2011 comes to a close. Android devices are gaining a lot more traction there, and the issue for Apple (and boon for Google) could be something as simple as price.

Dominic Sunnebo, director of Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Global Consumer Insights, speculates that the economic troubles of the Euro zone might be hurting Apple?s market share in those countries. Lots of people in Euro-using countries may well be a little worried about spending a lot of money on smartphones when their economic futures aren?t too certain. Apple tends to provide premium devices at premium prices; meanwhile, Google devices cover a range of prices that many iPhones just can?t reach.

Apple?s share of the U.S. smartphone market has risen to 36 percent in the third quarter of 2011, from 25 percent during the same period last year. There was a similar hike in Apple?s share of the British market, as well ? rising to 31 percent in the third quarter of 2011 from 21 percent during the same period of 2010. Meanwhile, in France, Apple is losing ground. Its smartphone market share has fallen from 29 percent in the third quarter of 2010 to 20 percent this year; in Germany, Apple?s share fell from 27 percent in 2010 to 22 percent this year.

The iPhone 3GS holds a place on the low end of the price spectrum for Apple, but its losses in several countries suggest that two low-priced offerings ? the 3GS and the iPhone 4 ? aren?t enough to fight off the multiple low-priced entries Android offers. Europe is a fast-growing smartphone market, so you can bet that Apple will be working to make sure its devices perform well there. But as it stands, Apple needs to find a new way to beat out Android in a number of European countries.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_appolicious_com_articles10579_apples_iphone_4s_scores_in_u_s_britain_but_not_the_rest_of_europe/43991928/SIG=13ichpb3k/*http%3A//www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/10579-apples-iphone-4s-scores-in-u-s-britain-but-not-the-rest-of-europe

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Netflix CEO's stock options slashed after bad year

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Netflix CEO Reed Hastings will pay a $1.5 million penalty for blunders that alienated the video subscription service's customers and pulverized its stock.

The punishment will be delivered with a 50 percent reduction in his stock option awards next year, according to regulatory documents filed Thursday. Instead of the $3 million stock option allowance he received this year, Hastings will get $1.5 million in 2012. His base salary will remain unchanged at $500,000.

It would have been difficult to make a case for giving Hastings a raise coming off a year in which his decisions transformed Netflix from Wall Street darling to bum. The company's stock price plunged, and subscribers fled in a rebellion against a U.S. price increase of as much as 60 percent. The aftershocks of the subscriber exodus are expected to saddle Netflix with a net loss next year, the first time that has happened in a decade.

Netflix Inc. declined to comment on the changes to Hastings' compensation.

Hastings has repeatedly taken the blame for mismanaging the announcement of the price increase in July and then making things worse two months later by trying to spin off Netflix's DVD-by-mail rental service into a separate website called Qwikster. Since scrapping that idea in October, Hastings has been trying to repair some of the damage.

That will probably take a while. Netflix's stock price has plunged 75 percent since mid-July to wipe out $12 billion in shareholder wealth. The backlash surprised and humbled Hastings, who revealed at an investor conference this month that he once thought Netflix's stock would hit $1,000. Netflix's stock gained $2.87 Thursday to close at $73.84, down from its July high of just under $305.

The stock's downfall elicited some gallows humor from Hastings on his Facebook page. "In Wyoming with 10 investors at a ranch/retreat. I think I might need a food taster," Hastings posted two days after announcing his Qwikster plan.

Hastings' missteps also have cost Netflix at least 800,000 subscribers. That's how many customers Netflix lost during the July-September period. Netflix has said the exodus extended into October and November, though it isn't providing specifics until it reports fourth-quarter earnings next month.

Some analysts have suggested Netflix should consider rescinding at least part of its price increase, but Hastings has brushed aside the notion so far. At the investor conference, he predicted his bad moves will eventually forgotten if Netflix's service for streaming video over high-speed Internet connections keeps growing throughout the world as DVDs slowly fade into obsolescence.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2011-12-22-Netflix-Executive%20Compensation/id-da4664ab3a134bfa83d2d858a6018d17

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WAtoday: Villain and able...10 sporting figures our sports writer @simmowhite loved to hate in 2011 http://t.co/lvc9jUdy

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Villain and able...10 sporting figures our sports writer @simmowhite loved to hate in 2011 watoday.com.au/sport/villain-? Il y a environ 3 heures via Echofon Retweeted by 1 person

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Shoppers avoid crowds on the graveyard shift

NEW YORK?? While most of New York was fast asleep at 3 am on Thursday, 25-year old Tatiana Baret from the Bronx went to Macy's.

"It is convenient, it's actually a little more quiet at this time. It tends to be very hectic and busy during the early hours up until late at night," said Baret, who was shopping with her mother at Macy's flagship store in Herald Square.

Both Baret and her mother work pretty late themselves, making shopping during the day almost impossible.

Keeping last minute shoppers such as Baret in mind, a handful of major U.S. store chains are staying open round the clock this week, a decision hailed by shoppers and industry watchers alike.

Toys R Us Inc and Macy's Inc are among the few that have decided to keep many stores open through the night, as they make a final push to ring up sales in the last days before Christmas.

Overnight store checks and interviews with employees by Reuters showed few shoppers visit stores after midnight.

In the period between 2:30 am to 4 am, Reuters found about two dozen shoppers at Toys R Us' key store in Times Square, less than 15 people at Best Buy Co Inc's flagship store in Union Square and more people at Macy's in Herald Square, all in Manhattan.

Still, many retail consultants and investors said the move was worth it.

"If nothing else, staying open all night gets retailers media attention," Trutina Financial Chief Investment Officer Patty Edwards said.

Also, asking employees to work a graveyard shift was not a bad idea even if fewer shoppers visit after midnight, many said.

"As long as the labor in the stores overnight is being used to stock shelves and such, it's not such a bad idea," Edwards said.

The holiday shopping season that traditionally kicks off on the day after Thanksgiving is closely watched by investors as consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the U.S. economy and many chains are pulling out all the stops as they enter the final lap of holiday shopping.

For the sixth year, Macy's has instituted pre-Christmas round-the-clock shopping at 14 of its 810 or so namesake stores, including its Manhattan flagship. It also extended hours until 2 a.m. at 18 more stores to give shoppers more convenience.

The department store's first ever midnight opening on Black Friday was a hit with shoppers, allowing the retailer to win shoppers from rivals such as Kohl's Corp and J.C. Penney Co Inc.

Across the board, shoppers cited convenience and less chaos as factors behind their decision to shop so late. Many have jobs that make it difficult for them to shop during the day. Some shoppers called themselves regular procrastinators or gave other reasons for their last-minute shopping.

"We had to wait for the money. We didn't have any money. So we are shopping at the last minute," said Jason Carrasquillo, 31, who was shopping with his wife at Toys R Us at 3:30 am.

Employees in the store also were in favor of the decision because it gave them a chance to earn more. Some employees also said it was less hectic after midnight, making the work shift quite appealing.

"I find it easy to work at this time. When it's rush hour, it is hard to work. Earlier today, when I came in at 10 pm, it was packed here ... I couldn't even focus because people were all in my way," Jasmine Finney, 22, a full-time employee at Macy's and a Brooklyn resident, told Reuters.

Another Macy's employee, 19-year old Julian Florimon, said over 15,000 shoppers visited Macy's on Wednesday.

Longer store hours are also expected to draw customers who otherwise shop online. Despite extended shipping deadlines, most retailers take their last online orders by early Thursday to make sure goods are shipped in time for Christmas.

"What happens in this last week is that folks used to the 24/7 of the internet all of a sudden don't have that outlet any longer," said John Long, a retail strategist at consulting firm, Kurt Salmon. "As we get into Friday and even tonight, you will begin to see more traffic (in stores).

"The incremental expense of keeping the stores open pale in comparison to the benefits."

While most industry watchers backed the move, some were skeptical.

"I do not think those retailers who have chosen to stay open all through the night will be entirely successful in driving incremental traffic into the stores unless they offer Black Friday-like door busters in off hours," said Michael Koskuba, senior portfolio manager, Victory Capital Management.

If they do run such promotions, then they run the risk of generating lower margins.

"With traffic down already during off hours and due to the necessity of staffing the stores, they are already cutting into margins," Koskuba said. "Perhaps the retailers will generate some incremental traffic, but the risk of lower margins is quite prevalent."

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45768971/ns/business-holiday_retail/

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Newser: Ford Hawking New '67 Mustang Shells http://t.co/iN2WsXl9

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Today on New Scientist: 21 December 2011

Wind shear makes amazing waves in Alabama's skies

Making waves in Alabama - a rare atmospheric phenomenon, known as a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, amazes onlookers

Smart Guide 2012: 10 ideas you'll want to understand

Neutrinos, Higgs, environment, artificial IQ, Olympics, human origins, US election, Facebook, the brain, networks: what's on the agenda for next year

Earth, life's only home

In Alone in the Universe: Why our planet is unique, cosmologist John Gribbin makes a compelling case that no other planet could sustain life

2011 review: The year in technology

Our editors' top 10 tech picks cover a human-besting computer, speed freaks, green machines, digital dissidence, and more

Best videos of 2011: Phone spy snoops on your texts

At number 10 in our countdown, watch a software sleuth detect and decipher messages keyed in on a smartphone

Swimming around the statues

Artist Jason deCaires Taylor makes artificial reefs from cement casts of real people

Ultrasonic screwdriver to make plastic planes safer

It's been a long time coming but engineers are finally getting some tools that might make plastic aircraft safer

Killer flu research to be censored

A US biosecurity committee says that some information on the creation of a lethal bird flu that could go pandemic should be kept under wraps

Icy 'hand' moves boulders on Mars

On Mars, curiously ordered boulder clumps form near the northern ice cap when seasonal ice envelops the rocks and the ground shrinks and shifts beneath them

Careers going global

A spell abroad used to be a luxury - now it's becoming the norm if you want to get ahead in science, says Jessica Griggs

Why psychoanalysis never existed

In The Freud Files Mikkel Borch-Jacobsen and Sonu Shamdasani argue that "declassified" documents upend the legend of Freud and psychoanalysis

Play tiny Tetris using a laser beam

See how a light-trapping device can recreate a microscopic version of the classic video game

What Higgs result means for dark matter conspiracy

Recent hints of a featherweight Higgs boson affect a possible link between the Higgs and dark matter

Smallest planet is tinier than Earth

Exoplanet hunters have bagged the most petite worlds yet - one is just 87 per cent as wide as Earth

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