GetInfo: 2012

четверг, 15 марта 2012 г.

Sri Lankan free media campaigner assaulted

A Sri Lankan press freedom campaigner and government critic was abducted and assaulted while returning from work Monday.

Poddala Jayantha, the secretary of Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association, said he was pushed into a vehicle by a gang that beat him severely, cut his hair and beard and dropped him by the roadside.

A passer-by brought him to the hospital.

Dr. Hector Weerasinghe of Colombo National Hospital said Jayantha's injuries are not life threatening.

Police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara confirmed the assault and said authorities don't know who was …

Friend Floyd shares in Couples' moment

AUGUSTA, Ga. Fred Couples enjoyed two embraces on the 18th greenafter winning the Masters title Sunday.

First came his wife Deborah, then came friend and mainchallenger Ray Floyd. The hug with Floyd lasted much longer than theone with Deborah.

Neither player will say what words were spoken.

"It's kind of private, a personal thing," Floyd said.

"He's just happy for me," Couples said.

The relationship between Floyd, 49, and Couples, 32, is special.

It started when Floyd was the captain of the 1989 U.S. Ryder Cupteam and Couples was one of his players. Couples missed the greenwith a 9-iron in a crucial match to help the European team …

Carlos the Jackal to stand trial in France in Nov

PARIS (AP) — Prosecutors say the Venezuelan convict known as Carlos the Jackal is set to face trial in Paris starting in November for his alleged role in four deadly terror bombings in the early 1980s in France.

The Paris public prosecutor's office said Thursday the trial is scheduled from Nov. 2 to Dec. 16.

Carlos, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez …

Pletcher using spread offense to get to Derby

Todd Pletcher will be sending out many of his 3-year-olds to compete in races over the next few weeks in his quest to win the Kentucky Derby for the first time.

Going into this weekend, the trainer has three of the top 6 horses in the AP's Run to the Roses Top 10 list of Derby contenders. They are No. 2 Eskendereya, No. 4 Rule and No. 6 …

среда, 14 марта 2012 г.

Notre Dame 3rd In Poll

Miami and Washington, which finished 1-2 in last year'sAssociated Press college poll, are starting 1992 the same way.

Miami received 40 first-place votes and 1,511 points inpreseason voting by a nationwide panel of writers and broadcasters.

Washington, which earned a share of last year's national titleby winning the USA Today-CNN coaches' poll, received 12 first-placevotes and 1,453 points in the AP preseason survey.

If the Hurricanes finish No. 1, they'll become the …

Vilna Ghosts: Illinois Senator Dick Durbin steps into a dispute on the future of a Jewish archive

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) is hopeful that an "open and honest" approach, and a letter from 58 of his Washington colleagues, will help to resolve a long-standing dispute about the fate of a rich collection of tens of thousands of pre-Holocaust documents in Lithuania.

Durbin, who was invited by Lithuania and Poland to visit those countries on a week-long trip, told the Jewish Star last Friday before leaving Washington that he first learned of the collection in November from a newspaper article.

The material documents Jewish life during the inter-war years in what was then Polish Wilno (Russian, Vilna; Lithuanian, Vilnius). Notwithstanding the political and economic …

Ecuadoreans vote on new constitution

Ecuadoreans on Sunday resoundingly approved a new constitution that would significantly broaden leftist President Rafael Correa's powers and allow him to run for two more consecutive terms, exit polls showed.

"Three to one!" Correa shouted jubilantly upon hearing the news that at least 66 percent of voters were in favor of the measure.

"We're making history, onward!" a beaming Correa proclaimed before singing his party's anthem, "Patria," in his coastal hometown of Guayaquil, where resistance was expected to be highest but "yes" apparently won.

The Cedatos polling organization said 70 percent of voters …

A rundown of the sites

WILLOW FARM, STOCK LANE, INGATESTONE Number of pitches: 5 Sitearea: Approximately 1.2 hectares Description: This is an existinggispy and traveller site with temporary planning permission untilApril 2011. It is located on the northern side of Stock Lane and isseparated from Ingatestone to the west by the railway line. The sitehas been divided into six pitches, five of which are occupied.

The site is surrounded by dispersed farm buildings andresidential properties and to the west, next to the railway line, isa vehicle repair garage.

ROMAN TRIANGLE, ROMAN ROAD, MOUNTNESSING Number of pitches: 5Site area: Approximately 0.3 hectares Description: This site is anexisting …

Product Recalls

The following recalls have been announced:

-About 46,200 Helix remote-control helicopters, manufactured by Spin Master Toys, because the power supply can overheat and pose a burn hazard. The company has received one report of minor burns and two reports of fire.

The helicopters are 7-inch-long plastic with designs printed on the body. They come with a control unit, a charger and rechargeable batteries installed in the fuselage. The toys have date codes 06XXXXHM2, 06XXXXHM8 or 06XXXXHM186 printed on a sticker on the bottom of the body and on the inside of the controller's battery compartment.

Retailers nationwide sold the helicopters from July 2006 until early …

ATP World Tour Brasil Open Results, Writethru

Results Saturday from the Brazil Open, a $562,500 ATP Tour event on outdoor claycourt at Costa do Sauipe (seedings in parentheses):

Singles

Championship

Tommy Robredo (2), …

Bush picks aide as new chief of SEC

WASHINGTON President Bush on Monday selected White House aideRichard C. Breeden, an attorney and banking specialist, to bechairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Breeden, 39, has served in a variety of capacities under Bush,most recently as White House point man on the savings-and-loanrestructuring legislation.

The SEC post requires Senate confirmation.

Breeden would succeed David S. Ruder, who has headed theregulatory body since two months before the October, 1987, stockmarket crash. Ruder announced in May that he was stepping down toaccept a position at Northwestern University's law school, where hewas dean before taking the SEC …

Flyers Sign Top Scorer Gagne for 5 Years

PHILADELPHIA - The Flyers re-signed free-agent Simon Gagne to a five-year contract Monday night, ending a summer of difficult negotiations with training camp set to open this week.

Gagne, a former first-round pick, is coming off the best season of his career, scoring 47 goals and 79 points last season for Philadelphia. He was involved in lengthy contract negotiations for most of the summer, but general manager Bob Clarke flew to Montreal on Monday to meet with Gagne's agent.

"I think it was critical to our organization to get Simon signed and to get him signed for a number of years," Clarke said Monday, three days before the opening of training camp. "He's one of the …

World Features Digest

Below is a list of feature stories that The Associated Press plans to move in the coming week. Questions about the stories may be addressed to the North America Desk supervisor in New York at 212-621-1650 (fax 212-621-5449) or e-mail amidesk(at)ap.org or to individual bureaus in your country or region.

We will update this digest daily, adding new features as available. Feature stories that moved in the previous three days are included at the bottom for editors who may not have seen them.

NEW THIS DIGEST

Monday, Aug. 1

ICE QUEEN LIZ

SUMMIT STATION, Greenland — On the cusp of age 65, Liz Morris fits no one's image of a polar trailblazer. Yet here she was, set to head off on a demanding, monthlong journey by snowmobile down the 10,000-foot (3,000-meter)-high spine of the vast Greenland ice sheet. It's the kind of research expedition she has mastered in decades on the ice, in a career that won her Britain's Polar Medal, bestowed by another Elizabeth, her queen. By AP Special Correspondent Charles J. Hanley.

AP Photos. AP Graphic

Tuesday, Aug. 2

ENVIRONMENTAL DEALS

LOS ANGELES — Long before studies showed one of the world's largest solar projects could harm or kill more than 1,100 tortoises in the Mojave Desert, the threatened creature's longtime champion already had signed off on the project. Months earlier, the Center for Biological Diversity had agreed not to sue or challenge Oakland-based BrightSource Energy Co.'s project — expected to cost $2 billion — in exchange for additional protections and a swath of desert tortoise habitat elsewhere. Any finer points of the deal remain a mystery because the agreement is confidential. The unusual deal is one of several that environmental groups have cut in recent years, offering silence or support for a project in exchange land or money towards conservation efforts. While such settlements aren't new, experts say they are larger and more controversial as environmental groups have become powerful enough to stall or derail projects and are more willing to settle. By Noaki Schwartz.

-0-

Previously moved:

Wednesday, July 27

BACKPACK FOOD PROGRAMS

FASHION-DENIM-NO TRENDS

FOOD-GLUTTONY DIET

COOL SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Thursday, July 28

WEEKEND IN WILLIE B

GARDENING-ANDERSON JAPANESE

PATSY CLINE HOUSE

Friday, July 29

FILM-STEVE CARELL

THEATER-CHILDREN'S MUSICALS

BOOKS-Q&A-JENNIFER WEINER

MUSIC-ERIC CHURCH

MUSIC-KENNY CHESNEY

PEOPLE-KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS

FILM-EMMA STONE

FILM-FIVE MOST

DAY LABOR THEATER

MONKEY BUSINESS

FILM REVIEW-CRAZY STUPID LOVE.

FILM REVIEW-DEVIL'S DOUBLE.

FILM REVIEW-COWBOYS & ALIENS.

FILM REVIEW-THE GUARD.

FILM REVIEW-ATTACK THE BLOCK.

FILM REVIEW-LIFE IN A DAY.

MUSIC REVIEW-KELLY ROWLAND.

MUSIC REVIEW-ERIC CHURCH.

THEATER REVIEW-ALL NEW PEOPLE.

THEATER REVIEW-THE PATSY-JONAS.

BOOK REVIEW-SECRET HISTORY OF COSTAGUANA.

BOOK REVIEW-WEEDS.

BOOK REVIEW-BUDDHA STANDARD TIME.

BOOK REVIEW-KILLING KATE.

BOOK REVIEW-BEGINNING OF INFINITY.

BOOK REVIEW-CARTHAGE MUST BE DESTROYED.

GAME REVIEW-CATHERINE.

Saturday, July 30

MUSIC-EELS

Sunday, July 31

THE BORDER GUN SCANDAL

UN-LAST COLONIES

Brunoâ€™s Quick Bites

Recently reviewed restaurants by dining critic Pat Bruno. (Star ratings: ★★★★ Extraordinary; ★★★ Excellent; ★★ Very Good; ★ Good; Zero stars: Poor)

Perennial Virant, 1800 N. Lincoln; (312) 981-7070; perennialchicago.com. Chef Paul Virant (Vie in Western Springs) is serving up contemporary American cuisine with an emphasis on farm-to-table. Comfortable, casual atmosphere. Try the crispy Carnaroli rice, gnocchi, sockeye salmon, honey nougat glace (if available; the menu changes frequently). ★1/2 (Reviewed July 29)

Bridge House Tavern, 321 N. Clark; (312) 644-0283; bridgehousetavern.com. Head down from Clark Street to the riverside restaurant with great views of the skyline. The contemporary American cuisine is plagued with inconsistencies, though. Try the mussels, salmon BLT, tavern chicken and steak frites. ★ (Reviewed July 29)

South Branch Tavern Grille, 100 S. Wacker; (312) 546-6177; southbranchchicago.com. Located smack dab on the Chicago River, with dining both outside and inside, South Branch has a good vibe. The contemporary American cuisine (salads, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, eclectic entrees) has some surprisingly interesting and tasty moments, and the prices are reasonable. Try the "Black & Bleu Wedge" salad, fish tacos, burgers and pork chops. ★★ (Reviewed July 22)

Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen, 1625 N. Halsted; (312) 944-5800; dawalikitchen.com. This new and pleasing eatery has it together right from the start. The space is bright and pristine, with seating for about 60. The menu has just about every dish you could ask of a Middle Eastern restaurant. Try the salad sampler, appetizer sampler, lamb shish kebab, beef/lamb shawerma and baklava. ★1/2 (Reviewed July 22)

E-mail brunoeats@aol.com

Fact Box:

вторник, 13 марта 2012 г.

Twins stave off elimination with 8-3 win over Tigers

DETROIT - The AL Central is still up for grabs.

Scott Baker got plenty of run support and pitched the MinnesotaTwins to a testy 8-3 victory over Detroit on Thursday, preventingthe Tigers from clinching their first division title in 22 years.

Minnesota avoided elimination from the playoff race and movedwithin two games of the first-place Tigers with three to play.

"We just didn't want to see them celebrating," Twins outfielderDenard Span said.

The teams split a four-game series - The Showdown in Motown. TheTigers had a chance to wrap up their first division crown since 1987in the finale, but their bats were quieted and their pitchers gotroughed up in a three-run third inning and a four-run eighth.

Detroit started the series with a two-game lead and ended it withthe same tenuous cushion.

"We controlled our own destiny today and we had a chance toclinch it out, but you have to give them credit," catcher GeraldLaird said. "We're still two games up with three to play, and we'rein the driver's seat. We just have to play good baseball like wehave at home, take it to the White Sox and we'll be celebrating."

The tightest race in baseball won't be decided until this weekend- or early next week if a tiebreaker is necessary.

Minnesota has clinched the season series and would host an extragame if needed, likely on Tuesday because the Vikings play an NFLgame Monday night at the Metrodome against the Green Bay Packers.

If Detroit beats the Ozzie Guillen-led Chicago White Sox twice athome, it would win the division. If not, the Tigers would need somehelp from the Kansas City Royals, who end the season at Minnesota.

Royals ace Zack Greinke is lined up to start on Saturday.

"We're going to the dome for the last weekend, and we've stillgot a shot," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We've got to beatthe Royals and, 'Come on, Ozzie!' I'm going to leave him a note."

Tempers flared in the eighth.

Detroit manager Jim Leyland was ejected during a face-to-faceargument with umpire Angel Hernandez in the top of the inning,following an inside pitch. Then, Tigers pitcher Jeremy Bonderman andLaird were tossed in the home half.

Both benches and bullpens emptied after Twins outfielder DelmonYoung was plunked in the leg by Bonderman, but the players containedtheir emotions enough to avoid any pushing or punching.

"It absolutely turned into a bit of a strange game toward theend," Leyland said.

Minnesota had plenty of punch at the plate in a game it needed towin to keep hopes alive for rallying in the AL Central as it did in2006, when the Twins surged and the Tigers slumped at the end of theseason. Detroit earned a spot three years ago as the AL wild cardand lost to St. Louis in the World Series.

The Twins went ahead 3-1 in the third on Joe Mauer's RBI single,Michael Cuddyer's run-scoring single and Jason Kubel's sacrificefly. They broke the game open in the eighth when Orlando Cabrera hita three-run double and Mauer followed with an RBI single to make it8-1.

Baker (15-9) gave up an unearned run and five hits over fiveinnings.

Jon Rauch, Ron Mahay and Matt Guerrier combined to pitch 2 2-3scoreless innings until Minnesota matched its season high with afourth error, allowing Detroit to score a pair of two-out runs thatmade it 8-3.

Nate Robertson (2-3) gave up four runs - three earned - and ninehits in six-plus innings. Rookie Ryan Perry and Fu-Te Ni each struckout a Twin in the seventh to get out of a bases-loaded jam, butCasey Fien and Bobby Seay each gave up two runs, putting the gameout of reach.

NOTES: The Tigers, who rank fourth in the AL in attendancedespite the Motor City's poor economy, drew 40,533 for their firstsellout since July 25. ... Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 12games with a single in the first.

AP-ES-10-01-09 1852EDT

Former Sino Swearingen chief files suit: Man claims he was forced out because of political pressure

The former chief executive officer of Sino Swearingen AircraftCorp. has filed a lawsuit against the company, saying he was fired.

Carl Chen left the company last month.

The San Antonio Express-News reported Tuesday that Chen has sued,accusing Ching-Chiang Kuo, Sino Swearingen's chairman and chiefexecutive officer, of slander and interfering with his contract withthe company.

In his lawsuit, Chen claims he was forced out because of politicalpressure from Taiwan.

Chen is seeking $300,000 in unpaid bonuses and unused vacation andsick time, according to the newspaper.

Chen is a 1969 graduate of West Virginia University.

He had served as president of Sino Swearingen for the past threeyears.

He was among the company executives Gov. Joe Manchin met whenManchin visited Sino Swearingen's headquarters in San Antonio inDecember.

Chen's departure comes as Sino Swearingen prepares to begin fullproduction of its new business jet. The company has orders for 293 ofthe jets.

Sino Swearingen currently assembles the jet in San Antonio, wherethe company has about 500 employees. The company builds the jet'sfuselage, wings and tail at Martinsburg, where it has about 170employees.

The company is going to build a new manufacturing plant that isexpected to eventually employ 700 to 900 people.

Sino Swearingen could expand at either San Antonio or Martinsburg.

"I think it's a jump ball right now," Sino Swearingen ChiefFinancial Officer Kelly Simmons said on Feb. 16 when asked where thecompany will expand. "I think we'll know in the next 30 days."

Regarding Chen's departure, Simmons said last month, "I thinkeveryone here recognizes Carl Chen as someone who did a great job inbringing the company to this point, in getting type certification(for the jet).

When he came three years ago, apparently the program was waffling.

"At this point, we have a different set of skills that have comeinto the organization and I think he realized it was time to move onand that's what happened."

Asked last month about the impact Chen's departure might have,Simmons said, "I think the relationship the company has with WestVirginia is much bigger than any one man."

Ching-Chiang Kuo, Sino Swearingen's new chief executive officer,has a good relationship with Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., Simmonssaid last month. Rockefeller has worked on attracting Sino Swearingento West Virginia since 1991.

Contact writer George Hohmann at business@dailymail.com or 348-4836.

Japan ruling party set to pick new leader

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's ruling party was set to pick a new leader Monday to become the country's sixth prime minister in five years.

Five candidates are running to replace Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who is resigning after 15 months amid public criticism over his administration's handling of the tsunami disaster and ensuing nuclear crisis as well as disgust with political infighting.

The vote among 398 parliamentary members of the Democratic Party of Japan looked to be a face-off between former top diplomat Seiji Maehara — favored by the public — and Economy Minister Banri Kaieda, who has the backing of a powerful but scandal-tainted party kingpin, Ichiro Ozawa.

The vote will probably go to a run-off as no one is likely to win the 200 votes needed in the first round. The winner is almost certain to become the nation's next prime minister because the DPJ controls the more powerful lower house of Parliament.

Other candidates include Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, Agriculture Minister Michihiko Kano and former Transport Minister Sumio Mabuchi.

The new leader faces a host of daunting challenges, from the massive reconstruction after the March 11 tsunami and a surging yen to a ballooning national debt and resolving a nuclear crisis that has dislocated 100,000 people.

Also, he must contend with a divided parliament, which could be a recipe for gridlock. The opposition won control of the upper house last summer.

Few striking differences among the five candidates emerged during a weekend debate and joint news conference, which were heavy on rhetoric but scant on concrete proposals. All of them promised to revive Japan's sluggish economy and more government support for the reconstruction effort, while agreeing that it was premature to raise the 5 percent sales tax.

In one contrast, Maehara, a former foreign minister, proposed a halt to the building of new nuclear reactors and a phase-out of atomic power over 40 years. Kaieda, whose minister is in charge of promoting nuclear energy, said he planned to decommission aging nuclear plants found to have problems during stress tests, but did not detail his vision for the future of atomic energy.

Maehara and Noda also suggested they might seek a grand coalition, perhaps on limited basis, with key opposition parties, an approach Kaieda rejected.

The leadership vote could turn out to be mainly a reflection of the DPJ's factional power struggles, further turning off the Japanese public to politics.

The telegenic Maehara, a 49-year-old defense expert and China hawk, was the front-runner until Kaieda won Ozawa's support.

Ozawa, 69, who is known for savvily engineering elections, is embroiled in a political funding scandal, but his presence has still hung like a shadow over the party leadership campaign.

Kaieda, a 62-year-old former television commentator on economic matters, was key in efforts to bring the nuclear crisis under control and to lead a safety inspection of nuclear plants. He has shown he can be tough, firing three officials in charge of nuclear safety, a move that could help appease the outrage among voters about regulators' cozy ties with the industry.

Maehara has technically violated election laws by unknowingly accepting donations from a foreigner — a problem that could bring him down if the opposition decides to pursue that in parliament. He stepped down as foreign minister earlier this year over that scandal, but has defended his decision to run, saying he did nothing wrong.

Legislators, therefore, may decide to support other candidates, such as the fiscally conservative Noda, some experts say.

Cribbins Scholarship available to Reservists

WASHINGTON-Army Reservists have another option available to them to help pay for their college education.

Association of the United States Army officials recently announced that candidates may apply now for the school year 2001-2002 Cribbins scholarship. Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, U.S.Army, Retired and AUSA president, instituted the Joseph P. and Helen T. Cribbins Scholarship in honor of its benefactors in 2000.

The $2,000 scholarship is awarded to provide financial assistance to current or former soldiers entering an accredited college or university and pursuing a degree in engineering or a related field. The scholarship will be presented on the basis of academic merit and personal achievement to a soldier serving in the active Army, Army National Guard or U.S. Army Reserve, or who has been honorably discharged from any component of the total Army.

To apply, the applicant must:

* Show that he or she has been accepted as a freshman to an accredited four-year college or university. Those soldiers accepted to a military academy are not eligible.

- Applicants must complete the form and return it to AUSA at the address below no later than Aug. 15, 2001.

Proof of acceptance as a freshman to an accredited four-year college, a transcript of high school (or equivalent) grades and, in the case of a former soldier, a copy of the DD214 must accompany the application.

Joseph Cribbins, acknowledged as one of the foremost experts on aviation logistics, retired from the Army as a civilian employee on Aug. 3, 1992. He retired from the Army in July 1966 after serving in the Pentagon as a specialist on tactical air mobility and logistics. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by AUSA in 1992 for his "fifty-two years of outstanding and exceptional service to the United States Army and his lasting contributions to Army aviation."

To apply for the scholarship, write to: Association of the U.S. Army, Corporate Secretary Attn: Cribbins Scholarship, 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201.

McDonnell gets 6 years // 15th judge sentenced in Greylord

Circuit Judge John J. McDonnell pleaded for probation Wednesday,but was sentenced to six years in prison because he "sold his office"for bribes.

McDonnell, 54, the 15th judge convicted in the OperationGreylord investigation of Cook County court, asked U.S. DistrictJudge James H. Alesia for probation for the sake of his threechildren in elementary school.

"The McDonnell family is your responsibility, Judge McDonnell,not mine," Alesia said.

"He sold his office and he sold his greed," the judge said insentencing McDonnell on tax and extortion charges.

A jury convicted McDonnell in December of filing false taxreturns, but a mistrial was declared on racketeering, obstruction ofjustice and extortion charges.

In April, Alesia agreed to seal a secret plea bargain to protectMcDonnell's children from negative publicity. The Chicago Sun-Timesreported Aug. 14 that the judge had secretly pleaded guilty toextorting kickbacks from attorney Karl Canavan.

McDonnell had been on paid leave from his $80,599-a-year postpending sentencing. Defense attorney Patrick Tuite said McDonnellresigned from the bench and the bar earlier Wednesday. He mustreport to prison Oct. 13.

"The people in Cook County have a right to expect an honestjudiciary to serve as state court judges," said Alesia. "Your actionsnot only damage yourself and your family, but the reputations ofthose honest men and women who serve as state court judges."

As the federal judge spoke, a grim McDonnell stared straightahead while his wife, Mary Therese, sobbed quietly. She sat in thespectators' section with McDonnell's brother, William, a RomanCatholic priest, and other friends and family members.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Durkin contended thatMcDonnell "sold out everything" by taking bribes and cheating on hisincome taxes.

The government says McDonnell's bribes exceeded $40,000.

Alesia said there were two McDonnells.

One was a former University of Notre Dame football star, publicdefender and state and federal prosecutor who became a judge in 1971.

The other "was a secret John J. McDonnell who was a corruptjudge who took what he called gratuities, which were bribes andextortion (payments) through other lawyers," said Alesia.

In 1973, McDonnell was suspended as a judge for four months forwaving a handgun at a couple in a parking lot.

In 1981, he was acquitted of drunken driving, improper laneusage and obstruction of police officers after a Lake County CircuitCourt bench trial.

Games Workshop to close 32 shops after 2.9m loss ; In brief

SHARES in Games Workshop, the Dungeons and Dragons retailer,tumbled another 20p to 282p today as losses came in worse thanexpected. The toy shop firm lost 2.9 million in the year to 3 June,better than in the previous 12 months, but still a disappointment.Sales fell from 115 million to 111 million another sign that thegroup is losing customers to fantasy games on the internet. Thecompany has identified 32 stores that are unprofitable which itexpects to close. Tom Kirby, chairman and chief executive, said:"This has been a tough year.

However, as a result of the actions taken by management the groupis now preparing itself for the future a leaner and more responsiveorganisation."

Survey shows unexpected rise in German business confidence

Business confidence in Germany rose in November for the first time since April, a closely watched survey showed Tuesday _ defying analyst expectations for Europe's largest economy.

Germany's Ifo institute said its business climate index rose slightly to 104.2 from 103.9 in October, after slipping for six straight months. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had expected another decline to 103.4.

Companies assessed their current situation more positively than in October, but were "somewhat more cautious" regarding the six-month business outlook, Ifo President Hans-Werner Sinn said.

"The results indicate that the currently strong economy is only gradually cooling," Sinn said.

Still, economists warned against reading too much into the report.

"The slight recovery in Germany's Ifo index in November is nothing more than a false dawn ... The trend of euro-zone business confidence is definitely still heading lower," David Brown, chief European economist at Bear Stearns, told Dow Jones Newswires.

"Economic confidence continues to soften and growth momentum is slowing. The financial market crisis is far from over, the credit crunch is hitting home hard, oil prices remain high and the strong euro continues to hurt business confidence," he said.

The 13-nation euro spiked as high as US$1.4908 on Tuesday _ close to its all-time high of US$1.4966, set on Friday.

Ifo's index measuring current economic conditions in Germany rose to 110.4 in November from 109.6 in October. The index measuring firms' business expectations for the next six months fell to 98.3 from 98.6.

The business climate indicator rose in the manufacturing sector, where Ifo said the current situation was assessed "clearly more positively," but the climate in the construction industry worsened slightly. The climate in wholesaling, after a clear downturn in the previous month, improved slightly but the retailing business climate worsened.

Ifo's monthly index is based on a survey of some 7,000 managers across various sectors.

___

On the Net:

http://www.ifo.de

понедельник, 12 марта 2012 г.

City Hall Sets Up Shop On the World Wide Web

Chicagoans with a home computer can now surf through citydepartments, e-mail Mayor Daley, and check out community policing onthe Internet.

The Chicago Mosaic software, available free from the NationalCenter for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois(NCSA), will put Chicago's festivals, tours, and a roundup of cityservices at the fingertips of just about anyone who can drive theinformation superhighway.

And for those who may not yet be equipped to get on board,terminals are available at seven locations, including the HaroldWashington, Sulzer and Woodson libraries.

Launched Monday by Mayor Daley at the Harold Washington Library,the $100,000 project is a collaboration between NCSA and the City ofChicago. The system has already fielded more than 10,000 calls sinceSaturday night.

"It is a technological advancement that will go down in historyas one of the primary inventions in the U.S.," said Larry Smarr,director of NCSA.

Chicago Mosaic has a welcome message from Mayor Daley, and themayor can receive e-mail at the city's World Wide Web site:http://www.ci.chi.il.us

Right now, the mayor is the only one who can receive e-mail, butfurther e-mail messaging to city departments is hoped for in thefuture.

People with accounts on commercial or other on-line serviceswill be able to access this electronic city information if theirservices are connected to World Wide Web.

Out-of-towners can get an electronic tour guide of the city.

Eventually the community policing program will allow citizens toget crime stats for specific neighborhoods within a police beat.

Daley said the goal is to make the system fully interactive sothat Chicagoans can register service requests by computer.

GRADUATE ACCOUNTING INTERNSHIPS COUNTING ON A TRANSFORMATION

LEARNING IN 360�

In this economy, going into an interview without experience is like going into an interview wearing pajamas. Good luck.

An internship lends necessary credibility to an applicant. Employers need to know whether the applicant is as capable as his or her wellcrafted resume claims.

Baylor's Graduate Accounting program offers two degrees: a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) and a Master of Taxation (MTax). Both tracks offer a five-year program, which combines the master's degree with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and waives 12 undergraduate elective hours.

The program encourages and gives students the tools necessary to intern during their junior year.

"In today's market, most permanent entry-level job offers in accounting are a result of a successful internship, so it's imperative that we do all we can to help our students obtain an internship," said Charles Davis, department chair of Accounting and Business Law.

These graduate accounting students, now seniors, have already secured jobs after graduation through their internships. Each experience is unique, but each one of them gained important insight into their future careers.

Copperas Cove student Bruce Moss completed a 10-week tax internship at Deloitte, one of the Big Four accounting firms. Big Four firms are considered the biggest and most prestigious public accounting firms. They include Ernst & Young, Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"The Baylor recruiting program does a really good job at exposing students to firms and setting up all of the social functions we have with the corporations," Moss said.

The department believes in the importance of internships so much that they brought in Anthony Herrera to be the director of internships and career development last January.

Herrera said his job is to help prepare students for life after Baylor with counseling to improve leadership, social, presentation and resume-building skills. He organizes Career Days, lunches with corporations called "Lunch and Learn," and firm presentations to acquaint students with their career options, in addition to organizing internship and job recruiting.

"Herrera's experiences in both the audit and tax worlds and his professional recruiting experience make him an invaluable resource to our students," Davis said.

In addition to professors, students also recommend interning as an important learning experience because it augments class work and gives them a 'test drive' for their futures.

"It gives you real-world experience you can't get out of a lecture hall," Moss said.

If one internship is good, two are even better. Singapore student Wei Wong interned at ConocoPhillips and Ernst & Young in 2008 and 2009, respectively, eventually accepting a job at ConocoPhillips, which will begin August 2010.

"One of the greatest decisions I've made was doing two internships," Wong said. "Most people don't have time to do two."

Wong was able to compare the two and decide which job was a better fit for him. Picking from two internships is a luxury most students don't get in accounting.

While most Baylor accounting students begin their careers in public accounting, Wong decided to begin his career in corporate accounting.

"I enjoyed the time at Ernst & Young, but I didn't enjoy the work as much as I did at ConocoPhillips," Wong said.

Kathleen Simpson also completed two internships - at Ernst & Young and the FBI. But she already knew what career path she would take before stepping foot into either internship.

Simpson, a Georgetown native, has known since the sixth grade that she wanted to be an FBI agent.

"My major was driven by my career choice," Simpson said. "Most students' majors determine their career."

She interned last summer at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C, after a rigorous application process including multiple interviews, a polygraph test and a background check.

"I chose Baylor primarily because of the recognition, but also because of the integrity and ethics built into the program," Simpson said. "It's a desirable trait for all jobs, but especially for a job that requires a background check."

Before applying to be an FBI agent, applicants must have experience in their field of study, so Simpson will work at Ernst & Young after receiving her diploma. She plans on applying to be an agent after gaining work experience at Ernst & Young.

Mansfield student David Hall also wants to join the FBI. At his internship last spring, he worked on litigation support, business evaluation and fraud investigations at KPMG in the Forensics department.

"The internship helped solidify that I wanted to do this," Hall said.

Hall said all his Baylor classes helped him at his internship. He used knowledge from business classes including finance, tax, business law, and, of course, accounting. He said fraud adds diversity to the work that other firms don't have.

"I like the pace and the change of the work ... you don't usually get that in audit or tax," Hall said.

All four of the students highly recommend internships to their peers. Each of them received job offers through their internships.

"Before you decide what you're going to do for the rest of your life, make sure you're going to enjoy it," Simpson said.

Moss said interning is valuable because "it gets you out of your comfort zone." It's an important step, especially for people in their early 20s, he said.

When asked what advice he would pass on to future graduates, Wong encouraged studying and living abroad. He lived abroad for 16 years, and said it helped him network and have a broader understanding of the world.

'Today's business is so global - you have to understand how to effectively conduct business with people who don't have the same mindset as you," Wong said. "It helped me build relationships."

Internships translated into full-time jobs after graduation not only for these students but for most students in Baylor's Graduate Accounting program.

"A high percentage of internships translate into full-time opportunities," Herrera said. "It prepares you for real life experience."

Ultimately, internships give students the opportunity to get a glimpse of their future before graduation, and understand potential career responsibilities.

"Interning was a nice illustration of what to expect," Moss said. "I'm ready for my future career."

www.baylor.edu/business/accounting

"Before you decide what you're going to o for the rest of your life, make re you're going to enjoy it."

Loaner stroller makes ill girl's day

Elizabeth Maher, 7, who is handicapped and chronically ill,Saturday had a big smile on her face.

She was being wheeled about her Northwest Side home in a loanerstroller, almost like the $2,000 Swiss-made one stolen last Sundayfrom in front of her home.

Elizabeth, who can communicate only through sign language, ranher hands over the velour seat, then clapped her hands in joy.

The loaner "is a blessing," said her mother, Susan Maher. "We'vehad a problem getting Elizabeth out of it because she likes it sowell. I think she feels more secure in it. And she knows she can gooutside in it."

The loaner, from Marianjoy Rehabilitation Center in Wheaton, issmaller than Elizabeth's, but looks like it.

Elizabeth has cerebral palsy and chronic lung disease andunderwent a tracheotomy. The stroller carries her oxygen and suctionmachine.

Dozens of Chicago area residents have offered to help replacethe stolen stroller. The mother said Saturday she thinks she willaccept the offer of an executive and his wife, who wish to remainunidentified.

The "tremendous outpouring" from people stunned Maher.Everybody has been so super helpful," she said.

It took seven months for Elizabeth's own stroller to bedelivered after it was ordered. Her mother said the loaner willallow Elizabeth to be outdoors more.

"We don't know what Elizabeth's situation will be a year fromnow," Maher said. "We want her to be able to get outside this summerand enjoy the good weather. She really likes getting outside."

Illinois Attorney General Neil F. Hartigan said he would ask thestroller manufacturer to expedite delivery of Elizabeth's newstroller.

Elizabeth's stroller was stolen as her mother and father,Michael Sr., 40, a Foster Avenue District policeman, were taking awalk with Elizabeth and stopped briefly at their home.

Hundreds protest over tax dispute in eastern China

BEIJING (AP) — Hundreds of migrant small business owners in an eastern Chinese town have protested over a tax dispute in the latest social unrest resulting from increasing economic pressure.

State websites said Thursday that the group of children's clothing company owners protesting in the town of Zhili in Zhejiang province swelled to more than 600 people on Wednesday night.

The Huzhou Online says the protests started after one of them refused to pay taxes and gathered a group to attack a tax collector.

It says some of them blocked a highway and smashed and torched vehicles and police have detained five suspects.

Zhejiang Online says around a hundred swarmed toward the township government offices, hurled rocks and destroyed street lamps.

Little Annoyances Still Big Vista Issue

SEATTLE - Chris Pirillo leaned away from his webcam and pointed to his printer/scanner/fax machine, which stopped scanning and faxing after he installed Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows Vista operating system.

"I can't live in Vista if the software that I use in my life for productivity does not work," said Pirillo, in the third minute of a 52-minute video he posted on YouTube.

Nearly six months after it launched, gripes over what doesn't work with Vista continue, eclipsing positive buzz over the program's improved desktop search, graphics and security.

With Vista now shipping on most new computers, it's all but guaranteed to become the world's dominant PC operating system - eventually. For now, some users are either learning to live with workarounds or sticking with Vista's predecessor, Windows XP.

Pirillo is geekier than the average user. He runs a network of technology blogs called Lockergnome, and was one of several "Windows enthusiasts" Microsoft asked for Vista feedback early on.

Still, Vista tested even Pirillo's savvy. He fixed the hobbled printer and other problems by installing VMware, a program that lets him run XP within Vista. But when his trial copy expired, he decided the solution was too clunky - and too expensive.

He "upgraded," as he called it, back to XP.

Users' early complaints aren't likely to threaten Microsoft's dominance in operating systems. The various flavors of Windows today run 93 percent of PCs worldwide, according to the research group IDC. Last fiscal year, Windows accounted for about a third of Microsoft's total revenue of $44.3 billion.

Industry analysts say Vista adoption is plodding along as expected, with most consumers and businesses switching over as they replace old hardware with new. IDC analyst Al Gillen said he expects Vista will be installed on the vast majority of computers in about five years, the time it took for XP to reach 84 percent of PCs.

It's too early for industry watchers to know exactly how many people are using Vista. At the same time, it's hard to gauge Vista's success by comparing it to XP, because the PC market has grown tremendously in the last six years.

In early May, Microsoft said it had distributed 40 million copies of Vista, which costs $199 to $399 depending on the version. But it did not specify the number actually sold through to consumers, versus those shipped to computer makers like Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc.

Analysts noted that as many as 15 million of those copies could represent upgrade coupons given to XP buyers during the holidays, before Vista went on sale. Microsoft would not say how many of those customers installed the program, but Forrester Research analyst J.P. Gownder estimated just over 12 million U.S. consumers would have Vista by the end of the year, out of about 235 million PCs in the country.

As for the compatibility problems, 2 million devices - such as cameras and printers - now work with Vista, said Dave Wascha, a director in the Windows Client group.

"We are way ahead with Windows Vista right now than where we were when we shipped Windows XP," he said.

Still, it's an uphill battle: Vista interacts differently with programs and peripherals than previous versions of Windows, and some companies have chosen not to spend time and money updating older products. Printer makers, Wascha noted, draw profits from ink cartridges and services, and have little motivation to invest in updating drivers for old hardware.

As a result, many early adopters have made a sport of grumbling about the one device or program they still can't get to work.

And they've ranted about other things, from how hard it is to open Vista's snap-together plastic retail box, to what they see as arbitrary decisions on Microsoft's part to hide some settings and features.

One of the most common annoyances: Microsoft's user account control feature, designed to protect unwitting Web surfers from spyware and viruses that would otherwise install themselves on the computer.

Dan Cohen, chief executive officer of Silicon Valley startup Pageflakes, bought a Vista laptop a couple of months ago. After one too many pop-up windows warning of possible threats from the Internet, Cohen switched the control feature off.

Now he gets pop-ups warning him that turning off UAC is dangerous.

"I feel more secure - and more irritated," he said. When Cohen went to buy his wife a new computer in April, he stuck with XP on a laptop from Lenovo Group Ltd.

Some analysts say Microsoft hasn't put enough energy into marketing Vista's benefits to consumers. But it may also be the case that Vista's biggest benefits are ones that cause average PC users' eyes to glaze over, like improved security.

"Everybody wants there to be a repeat of Windows 98 - the excitement, the sales volume, the rate of growth and everything else," said Michael Cherry, an analyst for the independent research group Directions on Microsoft.

At the time of Windows 98's launch, broadband access to the Internet was catching fire and consumers were pumped up about getting a faster computer.

There's no such compelling reason to buy Vista, said Gownder, the Forrester analyst.

Businesses, like consumers, are in no hurry to upgrade. Before the business version of Vista landed late last year, a Forrester survey of about 1,600 companies found that 31 percent planned to upgrade within a year, and 22 percent more planned to be running it within two years.

Most businesses think those plans now seem too aggressive, said Forrester analyst Benjamin Gray.

While corporate technology departments are looking forward to some of Vista's security features and easier administration tools, there's little reason to switch if the more secure PCs end up choking on a critical piece of software.

"They're waiting for Microsoft to bless it with a service pack," said Gray, referring to a major software update that fixes bugs.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a member of Microsoft's Vista Technical Adoption Program, started evaluating Vista in January 2006. Today, only 300 of the hospital's 30,000 desktop computers run the software.

Karen Malik, associate director of technical services, said the rollout is behind schedule because several key programs still aren't compatible, including patient scheduling software. Malik knows the software vendors will catch up to Vista - someday. In the meantime, she's not rushing.

"We know eventually we're going to need to move to this operating system," Malik said. "It's not really an option."

---

On the Net:

Chris Pirillo's Vista video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?vHELrxLdP85c

Euro falls against dollar to US$1.3532

The euro fell against the dollar Friday as world markets retreated further on worries that strains in the financial system would persist and growth would suffer.

The 15-nation euro bought US$1.3532 in European morning trading, down from the US$1.3661 late Thursday in New York.

Asian stocks were battered Friday, and Australian market watchers called it "Black Friday."

The Australian benchmark S&P/ASX200 plummeted 8.34 percent, or 360.2 points, to close at 3,960.7, its biggest one-day percentage loss.

Both Germany's DAX and Wall Street began Thursday in positive territory on a coordinated central banks rate cut, and news that the Bush administration was considering taking part ownership in a number of U.S. banks.

But the German market closed in negative territory and the Dow Jones industrials plunged more than 675 points to end below 9,000, its lowest level in five years.

The Fed and other leading central banks lowered key interest rates this week to help unclog the credit markets and promote lending.

Cutting interest rates can stimulate economic growth and help restore confidence to markets, but doing so also undermines currencies as investors look for better returns elsewhere. The U.S. rate is now the second-lowest among the majors, higher only than Japan's.

"The winds of recession we portended last month have transformed into a full-blown storm spreading across the (European) continent," said Aurelio Maccario, an economist with UniCredit.

"No banking system and no economy appears safe, and it is now common belief that a recessionary scenario is in the cards also for the euro area."

In other currencies, the British pound also fell sharply against the dollar buying US$1.6845 in Friday morning trading compared with US$1.7197, while the dollar bought 98.64 Japanese yen, compared with the 100.48 yen late Thursday in New York.

It is the pound's lowest point against the dollar since November 2003 and the dollar's lowest point against the yen since late March of this year, according to Federal Reserve statistics.

среда, 7 марта 2012 г.

Billboard boasts fly over routes to Shanghai: United, American duke it out near O'Hare

It seems United Airlines, newly emerged from bankruptcy, justcan't resist yanking the chains of its longtime archrival AmericanAirlines, the world's largest carrier.

First, there was the unusually pointed campaign United waged inprint and on television last year to remind travelers of its roomyEconomy Plus section in the carrier's coach cabins. Hardlycoincidentally, that ad campaign was launched just as Americandecided to do away with its competitive "More Room Throughout Coach"seating arrangement in economy that offered all passengers seatedthere more leg space.

Now United is engaged in a dueling billboards battle at O'HareAirport suggesting its archrival is just a johnny-come-lately to thehuge and potentially hugely lucrative Asian market.

As is well known by now, American Airlines, a carrier already well-entrenched in Europe and South America, on April 2 launched its firstservice to mainland China, a daily nonstop flight on a Boeing 777from O'Hare Airport to the sleekly modern Pudong InternationalAirport in Shanghai. The rapidly evolving Chinese metropolis ofnearly 20 million people now has nearly double the number ofskyscrapers found in New York City, along with hugely sophisticatedhotel, dining and shopping options.

As American Airlines executives made clear during elaboratelychoreographed launch ceremonies on April 2 for its new Shanghairoute, the battle to get permission to fly to China was a hard-fought, 14-year ordeal that these same execs hope won't have to berepeated before American is granted additional routes.

To tout the inauguration of service to Shanghai, a giant billboardoverhanging the entrance road to O'Hare that has been used toadvertise AA's services for many years now presents a boldannouncement of the new service in both Chinese script and plainEnglish.

But United, which became a far more aggressive marketer inbankruptcy than before, apparently decided it wasn't about to letAmerican bask in the glory of its first-ever Chinese route withoutsome response.

So, at a location quite near to the American billboard, driversexiting O'Hare will find another equally giant outdoor sign, done upwith a drawing of the Great Wall of China and the bold reminder thatUnited can lay claim to being the veteran provider of service tomainland China.

The dueling billboards are providing the info and a bit of fun.Now it will be up to travelers to decide whether to go with theveteran or a newcomer eager to make a good first impression.

e-mail: llazare@suntimes.com

Casinos await new budget for New Jersey; Deal between governor and state lawmakers edges closer to completion

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Nearly a week after New Jersey governmentstopped fully functioning, lawmakers on Friday were edging towardvoting on a budget plan that would allow Atlantic City casinos toreopen.

Legislative committees were set to consider the legislationFriday, clearing the way for voting on a new state budget later inthe night.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine would have to sign an executive order toformally end the shutdown, which forced gambling operations to closeWednesday for the first time in the 28-year history of legal gamblingin New Jersey.

In Atlantic City, gamblers roamed the purple-carpeted hallways andemployees took turns asking the $1.3 million-a-day question: "Whenare we opening?"

Trump Entertainment chief operating officer Mark Juliano said hebelieved casinos would open at midnight Friday at the earliest.

"Every second that goes by makes the situation worse. Opening atmidnight Friday, you can discount Friday as being completely lost anda severe impact on the weekend," he said.

The impasse that left the state with no means to spend money sincea July 1 constitutional deadline to adopt a new budget was missedbecause Democrats who control the state Assembly balked at thegovernor's proposal to increase the state sales tax.

Under a compromise reached Thursday, Democratic Gov. Jon S.Corzine and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. agreed to increasethe sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent, and put half the moneyearned from it toward easing property taxes, among the nation'shighest.

To ensure the sales tax money doesn't get spent elsewhere, voterswould be asked in November to dedicate half the sales tax increaserevenue to property tax relief.

The casino closings turned normally bustling slot parlors andblackjack pits into oddly silent areas roped off and protected bysecurity guards. The gambling halls had to shut down because theyrequire state inspectors on the scene to operate.

That forced some 36,000 dealers, cocktail servers and slot machineattendants of Atlantic City's 12 casino-hotels off the job, too.Casino restaurants closed and bus lines stopped sending motor coachesto Atlantic City because few people wanted to go if they couldn'tgamble.

Operators and their customers criticized the state for orderingthe closings, saying the $1.3 million in daily tax revenue they addto state coffers made them the wrong targets for cost-cutting in abudget crunch.

Casinos await new budget for New Jersey; Deal between governor and state lawmakers edges closer to completion

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Nearly a week after New Jersey governmentstopped fully functioning, lawmakers on Friday were edging towardvoting on a budget plan that would allow Atlantic City casinos toreopen.

Legislative committees were set to consider the legislationFriday, clearing the way for voting on a new state budget later inthe night.

In Atlantic City, gamblers roamed the purple-carpeted hallways andemployees took turns asking the $1.3 million-a-day question: "Whenare we opening?"

Trump Entertainment chief operating officer Mark Juliano said hebelieved casinos would open at midnight Friday at the earliest.

"Every second that goes by makes the situation worse. Opening atmidnight Friday, you can discount Friday as being completely lost anda severe impact on the weekend," he said.

To ensure the sales tax money doesn't get spent elsewhere, voterswould be asked in November to dedicate half the sales tax increaserevenue to property tax relief.

Casinos await new budget for New Jersey; Deal between governor and state lawmakers edges closer to completion

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Nearly a week after New Jersey governmentstopped fully functioning, lawmakers on Friday were edging towardvoting on a budget plan that would allow Atlantic City casinos toreopen.

Legislative committees were set to consider the legislationFriday, clearing the way for voting on a new state budget later inthe night.

In Atlantic City, gamblers roamed the purple-carpeted hallways andemployees took turns asking the $1.3 million-a-day question: "Whenare we opening?"

Trump Entertainment chief operating officer Mark Juliano said hebelieved casinos would open at midnight Friday at the earliest.

"Every second that goes by makes the situation worse. Opening atmidnight Friday, you can discount Friday as being completely lost anda severe impact on the weekend," he said.

The impasse that left the state with no means to spend money sincea July 1 constitutional deadline to adopt a new budget was missedbecause Democrats who control the state Assembly balked at thegovernor's proposal to increase the state sales tax.

Under a compromise reached Thursday, Democratic Gov. Jon S.Corzine and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. agreed to increasethe sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent, and put half the moneyearned from it toward easing property taxes, among the nation'shighest.