Kiwanis kids help build Rose Parade floats

Young volunteers work on the Honda float developed by Phoenix Decorating Company at Rosemont Pavilion in Pasadena on Dec. 26. (Staff photo by Watchara Phomicinda)

The Kiwanis Club is counting on thousands of volunteers to help finish the floral floats for the Tournament of Roses parade on Jan. 2.

Dave Wallach, president of the Hacienda Heights club, has his hands full scheduling the volunteer workers. Wallach is also district chairman of the Kiwanis International Rose Float Committee.

"We'll be using 7,000 volunteers this year to work on the floats in Pasadena," Wallach said. "I've been working on the floats for 11 years and every year is a new challenge."

This year, Kiwanis International is sponsoring a float called Winter Wonderland. The beautiful entry features a snow white horse pulling a sleek sled.

"More than 90 percent of our volunteers are local high school and college students. The kids are fantastic; they really come through for us every year," the Kiwanis officer noted.

Volunteers spend eight-hour shifts working on 14 floats in the Rosemont Pavilion in Pasadena. The Rose Parade entries were designed by Phoenix Decorating Company.

In return for scheduling the volunteers, Phoenix gives Kiwanis International a discount on its float, Wallach said.

"We have the smallest floats at 35 feet and they still cost more than $167,000. Raising the money for our float is always a big challenge," he pointed out.

Somehow the international service organization manages to raise the money. Then the hard work of actually building the float begins.

"The week

after the parade, Phoenix will show us their designs for the next year," Wallach said. "The Rose Parade float has become our biggest service project of the year."

More than 6,000 students from local high schools will work on the beautiful floats. They come from all around Los Angeles, including Los Altos, La Puente, Wilson, Rowland, Walnut and Diamond Bar high schools.

Many of the teens belong to the Key Clubs and Kiwin's groups sponsored by the Kiwanis in our local schools. Wallach will have up to 500 students working on a shift.

"We try to make it fun for the kids, who already enjoy each other's company," he said.

Some teens, like Los Altos senior Melissa Yang, have been decorating the brightly colored entries for years. This year, the vice president of the local Kiwin's will be riding on the Kiwanis float.

"I've been doing this for the past four years. I like gluing on the petals and seeds," the 17-year-old admitted. "I like watching the float come together from the scaffolding high above."

She feels the experience is good for her because she wants to study graphic design at Cal State Long Beach.

"I think it's a real honor to ride on the Kiwanis float. My sister Jennifer is excited about watching me in Rose Parade," Yang added.

Yang will join another local student, Bernadette Lim of Walnut. Lim goes to St. Lucy's Priory High School in Glendora. The teen is governor of Kiwin's.

Other riders include Rafaela Diaz, Miss Latina Global; Kiwanis International President Alan Penn, Special Olympics Scot Miller and 99-year-old Eleanor Landing.

In return for their hard work, the teens get lunch or dinner. One of their favorite dinners is the buffet catered by Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant in Hacienda Heights.

"Everyone always asks what night they're catering, so they can sign up for that shift," Wallach laughed.

Volunteers have to cut the thousands of flowers and place each one in a vial of water. They won't place the live flowers on the floats until the last couple days.

"Many of the flowers are very delicate, so we can't put them on too early," Wallach explained.

But every inch of a Rose float has to be covered by organic material. The entries have been to be 75 percent complete for judging the day before.

"It's a lot of work every year, but I love it," the Kiwanis official concluded.

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Source: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_19639504?source=rss_viewed

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Video Find: The 2012 Ford Focus, In Dress and Necklace Form

To end its yearlong centennial celebration in Britain, Ford commissioned two fashion designers to take a crack at creating haute couture from the pieces of a 2012 Focus. The results are breathtaking, although we?re not sure if they?d be right at home on either roadway or the runway.

Judy Clark ? a nominee for the Scottish Designer of The Year title ? was commissioned to craft the gown, which was reportedly inspired by the Edwardian period. Using numerous small engine and gear parts, Clark created an oversized bustle that gives the dress the look of a much larger one despite its compact size classification. Fashionistas will be most enamored with the twin, red taillights hanging on the hips, which give the dress visual width and also create a swaying motion on the runway. According to the designer, the layered skirt mimics the look of flowing fuel. Complementing the look is a motorcycle jacket made from seat covering, accented with the speedometer set in the center on the back of the jacket and set to 60 mph. Clark was encouraged to use as many of the pieces as possible, but was also allowed the use of diesel-colored tweed, lace, leather, silk chiffon, and spray paint.

Despite not driving, English designer Katherine Hawkins went for a ?metropolis, robot-esque? style for the matching necklace. Initially intimidated by the size of the Focus? parts, Hawkins broke it all down and used the car?s center stack buttons as the focal point for the oversized pendant necklace. Coil springs dangle below the buttons and various computer chips to create an elegant, futuristic, and automotive design.

Check out the video below to see the finished pieces.

Source: Ford

Source: http://wot.motortrend.com/video-find-the-2012-ford-focus-in-dress-and-necklace-form-150987.html

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Southeastern Community College men?s basketball team forfeits season

WEST BURLINGTON ? The Southeastern Community College men?s basketball team dismissed 10 student-athletes Thursday due to violations of college and athletic department policy concerning student conduct. The students will lose their scholarships.

The 10 dismissed players are Marshaun Maull, Jordan Aaron, Nicos Norris, Davon Morton, Deonte Houston, Fahro Alihodzic, D?Lando Carter, Mike Hemsley, Elhadji ?Bira? Seck and Ron Patten Jr.

The dismissals result from conduct violations which occurred recently. Due to laws regarding confidentiality and student privacy, the college cannot disclose the facts of these cases.

?I?m very disappointed in the actions of these young men. They each violated the SCC Athletic Code of Conduct,? said head basketball coach Terry Carroll. ?Sadly, these have been good kids who made some incredibly irresponsible and poor choices.

Two additional players, Keenan and Keanu McGhee, will not return this spring semester due to academic ineligibility.

After the disciplinary dismissals and academic ineligibilities, the 14-player roster was reduced to two. As a result, the Blackhawks must forfeit the remaining 12 games of the 2011-2012 season.

The two remaining eligible athletes, Tion Barnes and Taquan Zimmerman, are currently enrolled and set to return when the semester begins Jan. 11.

Vice President of Student Services Joan Williams expressed her disappointment.

?When our athletes sign on to play for SCC, they agree to abide by a high standard of behavioral expectations. The recent acts of these young men fell short of that standard.?

Williams said that once staff became aware of the students? actions and were able to examine the facts of the case, the decision was swift and unanimous.

?This kind of conduct by our students ? especially our athletes ? will not be tolerated,? she added.

?The decision coach Carroll and his staff made to dismiss the players affirms the college?s values of excellence and integrity,? said Beverly Simone, college president. ?The winning tradition of Blackhawk athletics is respected throughout southeast Iowa, the region and even the country. Choosing to hold our student-athletes to college values is not just the right thing to do, it is the only thing to do.?

Current season ticket holders may request a prorated refund for the remaining eight home games.

Carroll added, ?These players have let down more people than just their remaining teammates. I feel really sorry for our coaches, for the college, and for all the fans and supporters of Blackhawk basketball.?

?

Source: http://fairfield-ia.villagesoup.com/sports/story/southeastern-community-college-men-s-basketball-team-forfeits-season/196062?source=rss

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Iconia Tab A200 and A700 slates head to CES, make a pitstop in Russia

Acer already spilled the beans on its Iconia Tab A200, a 10.1-inch slab powered by NVIDIA's 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, but whatever happened to that Tegra 3 touting A700? It went to Russia, of course. According to NoMobile.ru, the A200's slimmer, but more powerful brother will debut at CES 2012 next month. The Ruskie site pegs the tablet's 1920 x 1200 resolution screen at 10.1-inches, which is bordered by SIM and micro-USB slots, a dedicated rotation lock switch, the standard volume rockers, an audio jack and a micro-HDMI port. On its rear they found a textured back garnished with a five megapixel camera sporting a built-in flash -- the whole unit weights 650 grams (1.43 pounds) and boasts a ten hour battery life. When can we see it? At CES, says NoMobile.ru, or in stores if you're willing to wait until March. We'll poke around Acer's offerings next month and let you know what we find. Can't wait? Follow the source link below for a few more pictures.

Iconia Tab A200 and A700 slates head to CES, make a pitstop in Russia originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cheapest car insurance for young driver or teenager ? | Teen Auto ...

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011 at ?

Teen auto insurance

?camila alves : What would be the cheapest car insurance compared to wages for a young driver or teenager.

Cheapest car insurance and wages for teenager or young driver

Response ; Camila and excellent question. When you are making a statement of how cheap car insurance is it has to be compared with something and what better than the wages- since this would definetly answer the question of whether you can afford to buy a car. Remember one thing, here the focus is only on car insurnce and not on any other cost which might be related with a car like car installments, maintaining the car and so forth.

This is an example given be car insurance site and the same is being given here,

The 1997 Ford Taurus was never an exciting vehicle, and now it is an old and tired one. Worth perhaps $2,500 but still ubiquitous (Polk says there are 242,390 still on the road), it is the choice of someone who has no choice.

Yet even this vehicle ? or any similar no-frills ride? represents a huge expense for the 4 million or so Americans working a minimum-wage job.

Minimum-wage workers tend to be young. Half of them are under 25, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. ?We priced basic state-minimum auto insurance quotes fromm coast to coast on that proverbial Taurus, driven by a 24-year-old male with no tickets and good credit.

In Springfield, Ill., he would have to work 55 hours at that state?s $8 minimum wage to pay a year?s worth of the state?s minimum liability coverage on his beater car. In Denver, 103 hours.

And in Albany, N.Y., Trenton, N.J., or Hartford, Conn., he would have to work more than a month of minimum-wage hours to buy the lowest amount of car insurance required.

CarInsurance.com looked at bare-minimum policies for a young driver in each state?s capital.

They are, however, a good indicator of the financial hurdle confronting any young driver who depends on his own car to commute to school or work.

What a 24-year-old pays for state-minimum liability

* Data missing or unavailable at time of publication

+ New Hampshire drivers must show proof of financial responsibility in the event of an accident

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, though many states set their own higher and a few go as low as $5.15.

Keeping even an old beater on the road anywhere will consume a large amount of that bare-bones income. Gasoline is a big expense, but ultimately a controllable one:? You can walk, take the bus, combine your trips, or carpool.

But no one will split the cost of your insurance policy, which as a car owner you are legally required to buy in every state except New Hampshire (and even in New Hampshire, most people buy insurance). ?States set their own levels of acceptable coverage. Maine and Alaska demand the most: $50,000 to cover the injuries of anyone you might hit ($100,000 total for any single accident), and $25,000 to cover the damage to other cars you cause.

There are very few trade-offs available to save money.

For example, you can?t reduce your limits below these minimum amounts. Mostly these state-mandated policies have coverage limits that are very low anyway ? the $10,000 property damage limit required in many states wouldn?t come close to replacing a newer-model car.

And you can?t raise your deductible. There are no deductibles on liability insurance.

The cost of liability insurance has more to do with the driver than the car. (The insurance company isn?t going to fix your car, just the person?s you hit.) In your search for cheapest car insurance, these are the factors you have some control over:

Your driving record: More than one violation or accident is going to hurt.Your credit: If it?s dismal, you?re seen as a bigger risk of a claim and thus charged more in many states.

Your mileage: The less you drive,? the less risk of your hitting someone.Your insurance history: If you?ve let your policy lapse, even for a few days, you?ll pay about 5 percent more than you would have otherwise, according to Insurance.com.Your insurance company: No two insurers offer identical rates, and even on state-minimum policies,? premiums can differ by hundreds of dollars a year.

Compare young drivers car insurance quotes or teen insurance quotes or car insurance quotes and find out which insurance company is providing the cheapest car insurance.

Insurers do look at your car, and if it has a significantly higher rate of claims than most (because, say, it?s driven mostly by young drivers), your liability rates will reflect that risk.

Good luck and happy driving.

Kamlesh

Teen auto insurance

Tagged with: 1997 Ford Taurus ? Camila Alves ? Car Insurnce ? Cheap ? Cheap Car Insurance for teenagers ? Cheap Car Insurance ? Cheapest Car Insurance ? Department Of Labor ? Driver Response ? Ford Taurus ? Fromm ? Hartford Conn ? Hurdle ? Installments ? Insurance ? Liability Coverage ? Minimum Liability ? Minimum Wage Job ? Minimum Wage Workers ? Own Car ? Springfield Ill ? Teenager Insurance ? U S Department ? U S Department Of Labor

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Economists: Obama's policies 'fair' or 'poor' (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama gets mediocre marks for his handling of the economy and Mitt Romney easily outpolls his Republican rivals in an Associated Press survey of economists.

The economy ? and who bears responsibility for it ? is likely to be a decisive issue when voters to go the polls next November.

The economy is still struggling to recover from the Great Recession of 2007-2009. The housing market remains weak and a debt crisis in Europe threatens growth in 2012. The unemployment rate is at a recession-level 8.6 percent, up from 7.8 percent when Obama took office in January 2009. That month, the recession was already more than a year old.

Half of the 36 economists who responded to the Dec. 14-20 AP survey rated Obama's economic policies "fair." And 13 called them "poor." Just five of the economists gave the president "good" marks. None rated him as "excellent."

The economists' criticisms vary. Some say Obama was distracted by his health care overhaul. Others say his $862 billion stimulus program was poorly designed. Still others fault him for not pushing for an even bigger stimulus when the economy proved weaker than expected.

The AP economists expect economic growth to pick up to 2.4 percent next year. That would be an improvement from the under-2 percent growth expected for 2011. But the economists foresee little improvement ? a dip to 8.4 percent ? in the unemployment rate by Election Day.

Asked which of the Republican presidential candidates would do the best job managing the economy, two thirds of the economists named Romney, one chose former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The rest didn't pick anyone at all.

Allen Sinai, president of Decision Economics, says Romney, who ran a private equity firm before turning to politics, is the "hands down" choice among Republican presidential contenders squaring off in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses.

"Romney's a technocrat," Sinai says. "He's not an ideologue. He has a history in the real world of business."

The Iowa presidential caucuses, which kick the GOP nominating process into high gear, begin Tuesday and polls show Romney in a strong position. Romney has based his campaign on the notion that he has the best chance of beating Obama on the economy because of his private sector experience.

Here's more about what the economists, mostly from banks and other financial firms, independent consultancies and academia, had to say about:

_Obama.

Some economists say the Obama administration didn't push hard enough for more government spending or tax cuts to stimulate growth. "They've generally tried to take the right kinds of measures but have often failed to lead with enough vigor to overcome political obstacles," says William Cheney, chief economist at John Hancock Financial Services.

Others say the president tried to do too much, especially by pushing early for legislation to overhaul the nation's health care system instead of focusing on policies to promote growth and create jobs.

"Health care reform wasn't necessarily the most important thing to be dealing with when you're in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression," says Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economics.

Some critics say Obama's 2009 stimulus program relied too much on public works projects that were slow to get going. Decision Economics' Sinai says the president should have favored more tax cuts that put money in Americans' pockets immediately.

Sinai notes that public works projects failed to pull Japan out of a long economic slump that began in the 1990s and continues today. After the money is spent, "you're left with deficits and debt. And someday if you need new government stimulus, you can't afford it. And that's where we are now," Sinai says.

Republican strategist Rich Galen says the GOP has successfully painted Obama as a reckless steward of taxpayer money: "In a Tea Party era where Big Government is the enemy, throwing money at problems is the enemy," he says.

An Associated Press-GfK poll of American adults earlier this month found that 60 percent of American adults disapprove of Obama's performance on economic issues.

Jamal Simmons, an adviser to the Obama campaign in 2008, said the president must remind voters how bad things were when he took office. The economy lost more than 820,000 jobs the month Obama was sworn in, the biggest drop since October 1949.

Since the job market hit bottom in February 2010, it has produced nearly 2.5 million jobs ? 117,000 a month. "Is it enough? Absolutely not, but it certainly ain't what it used to be," Simmons says. Perhaps Obama can take heart from President Ronald Reagan's experience. The unemployment rate was 8.5 percent ? a tick away from where it was last month ? a year before Reagan was re-elected in a 1984 landslide.

"You have to look at where you would have been if he hadn't gotten the stimulus package through," says Maury Harris, chief economist at UBS Securities. "We might be a lot worse off."

_Romney.

Many of those who chose Romney couldn't cite any of the former Massachusetts governor's economic proposals. Nevertheless, his background won over the economists. Romney graduated from Harvard Business School and served as CEO of Bain & Company, a management consulting business in Boston, and Bain Capital, a spinoff investment firm, in the 1980s and 90s."He has the experience that the other candidates lack," says Harris of UBS Securities.

Some of his Republican rivals have taken unconventional positions. Texas Rep. Ron Paul advocates abolishing the Federal Reserve and returning to the gold standard. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has said it would be "almost treasonous" for Bernanke to try a third round of bond purchases to jolt the economy before November's election.

Among Romney's chief economic plans: repealing the Obama administration's health-care law; cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent; and making permanent tax cuts on dividends, interest and capital gains from President George W. Bush's administration.

"He thinks about the economy in a more global way" than his GOP rivals, Naroff says. "He's not a rigid ideologue."

But Romney's business experience is also vulnerable to criticism. His Republican rivals have blasted him for profiting from putting companies through bankruptcy and laying off workers.

"At a time when the American public is suspicious of corporate wealth and power, that could do real harm to Romney," Simmons says. The economists were not asked to evaluate Obama's economic policies against Romney's or any other Republican candidate.

The economists gave good marks to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke: 13 rated Bernanke as excellent, 14 as good and nine as fair. He was praised for taking extraordinary steps to calm financial markets after the collapse of Lehman Bros. in 2008 and to jolt the weakest economy in 70 years.

"He's been dealt a tough hand, but played it as well as anybody could," says Scott Brown, chief economist at Raymond James & Associates.

The economists praise Bernanke for his aggressive response to the financial crisis in the fall of 2008. He slashed short-term interest rates to zero, made loans to cash-strapped banks and bought Treasury and mortgage bonds to push down interest rates and calm financial markets.

"The Fed's response (to) the financial crisis and recession was dramatic and swift," says Sean Snaith, an economist at the University of Central Florida.

When the economy stalled in the second half of 2010, Bernanke launched another round of bond purchases to push long-term rates lower.

He has sometimes had to overcome dissent from others on the Fed's rate-setting board. And Bernanke's Fed has had to take the lead in economic policymaking because Congress and the White House are so often ensnarled in partisan bickering.

Still, some economists say Bernanke's Fed has gone too far, that zero interest rates are hurting retirees and savers without delivering many economic benefits.

"Perhaps the greatest criticism might be that the Federal Reserve has tried to do too much ? trying to offset the impact of necessary budget cuts, European debt problems and other factors out of its control," says Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Point Loma Nazarene University.

___

AP Business Writer Daniel Wagner contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_bi_ge/us_ap_economy_survey_politics

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Gameloft video game sale starts tomorrow, December 29; 60 Android titles priced at $0.99 each

Yesterday, we heard that Gameloft is planning on treating its fans to a heavy discount on all of its Android video games, but we weren't quite sure when the sale was scheduled to begin or how long it was going to last. However, the mystery has been solved now and we know that the promo is to kick off on December 29 at 10:00AM pacific time. Until January 5 of 2012, every single one of the developer's Android titles will be priced at $0.99 each, which is a steal considering that their regular price hovers around the $5 mark and above.

The only catch is that you will have to purchase the games through Gameloft's online store as the discounts will not be available neither in the Android Market nor in the Amazon Appstore. That way, the developer will be raking in all the revenues from the sale instead of having to share the cash it makes with any of the aforementioned companies.

So, if any of you, gamers, are interested, check the Gameloft online store tomorrow and grab all the games that your itching thumbs desire. About sixty exciting titles await you, including Assassin's Creed, Modern Combat 3: Fallen Nation, and Order & Chaos.

Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Gameloft-video-game-sale-starts-tomorrow-December-29-60-Android-titles-priced-at-0.99-each_id25153

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Dr. Joseph Moran, University of Texas - Austin, "Reversing the Cope Elimination and Transfer Hydrogenation for Intermolecular C-N and C-C Bond Construction"

Dr. Joseph Moran, University of Texas - Austin, "Reversing the Cope Elimination and Transfer Hydrogenation for Intermolecular C-N and C-C Bond Construction"

Location 116 Roger Adams Laboratory Sponsor Organic Chemistry - Special Interest

116 Roger Adams Laboratory

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ValpoLife: Agree - doing series on #nwindiana Mayors with balls RT @daltonsbriefs: E Chicago Mayor Copeland has balls stands up 2 punk w/gun #nwindiana

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Behind the Numbers: RNC Boasts of Fundraising Haul (ABC News)

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Iraq Oil Output Has Reached a 20-Year High

Iraqi crude oil production jumped to the highest level in at least 20 years, or more than 3 million barrels a day, said Hussain al-Shahristani, deputy prime minister for energy affairs.

Iraq's government, which takes complete control of the country this month after the withdrawal of U.S. military forces, will acquire unmanned drone aircraft to help protect pipelines and related energy facilities that have been frequent targets of sabotage, he said today in an interview in Baghdad.

He spoke hours after nine bombs exploded in the capital Baghdad, killing at least 57 people in attacks that underscored instability and divisions as the U.S. ends almost nine years of military presence in the country. Iraq holds the fifth-biggest natural-gas reserves in the Middle East and the world's fifth- largest crude deposits, according to BP Plc data that include Canadian oil sands.

"Iraq's crude production will rise to 3.4 million barrels a day by the end of next year, and exports will rise to 2.6 million barrels a day, including 175,000 barrels from fields in the northern Kurdish region, next year from a current average of 2.2 million barrels of oil a day," he said.

Iraq's first single-point mooring facility for oil tankers will begin operating in January, he said. A second unit will be in place within six months, a third one by the end of next year and a fourth in 2013, he said. Each of the four facilities will add 900,000 barrels a day of exporting capacity for crude oil, he said. Exxon Mobil

The Iraqi government is "weighing measures" that may be taken against Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) after it signed contracts the government considers illegal with authorities in the semi- autonomous Kurdish region, Shahristani said. "We will wait for Exxon Mobil's answer before taking a decision."

Exxon, which has not commented publicly on the matter, is operating with Royal Dutch Shell Plc in southern Iraq at the West Qurna field, one of the nation's biggest.

"The contract that Exxon Mobil has signed for the development of West Qurna Phase 1 commits the company to respect Iraqi laws and the regulations of the Oil Ministry," he said. "Any contract brokered to develop, explore or produce crude oil or gas in Iraq without the knowledge of the central government is considered null and the company cannot work on the basis of these kinds of contracts." Oil Exports

The Baghdad government is entangled in a dispute with Kurdish regional authorities over crude revenue and refuses to recognize production-sharing agreements signed by the Kurds with foreign companies without its approval. The central government agreed in February to resume exports from the semi-autonomous region and has transferred two payments to foreign companies, including DNO International ASA (DNO), operating in the area. The companies have yet to receive a third payment.

Kurdistan is failing on its commitment to deliver 150,000 barrels a day, only shipping an average of 70,000 barrels a day to 80,000 barrels a day, Shahristani said. The Kurds have also failed to present a list of the wells and equipment in Kurdistan that the central government has agreed to pay for in the February accord that helped to resume crude exports from Kurdistan.

"We will not pay without receiving the list," he said. "Iraq is not committed to pay any company that did not sign an agreement with the Iraqi government."

Iraq has signed 15 gas and oil licenses since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that ousted former President Saddam Hussein. The government needs foreign investment and expertise to boost energy exports and rebuild an economy shattered by years of conflict, sanctions and sabotage. The Kurds on their part signed contracts with more than 40 energy companies.

By Kadhim Ajrash and Nayla Razzouk
Bloomberg

Source: http://www.aina.org/news/2011122302956.htm

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Cardinals look to rebuild with Beltran (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? The St Louis Cardinals have signed outfielder Carlos Beltran pending a physical, the team announced on Thursday.

The two-year deal was worth $26 million and contained a no-trade clause, according to the local media.

The 34-year-old would be the Cardinals' first significant signing since three-times National League MVP Albert Pujols signed with the Los Angeles Angels earlier this month.

"Beltran is a proven outfielder who obviously has been a tough opponent against the Cardinals for many years," St Louis senior vice president John Mozeliak said in a statement.

"It is going to be nice to have his bat and competitive nature working for us instead of on the other side of the field for the next couple of years."

Beltran, a six times All-Star, hit 22 home runs and batted .300 in 142 games last season split between the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

In the two previous seasons Beltran was limited to 145 games due to knee surgeries.

(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/sp_nm/us_baseball_cardinals_beltran

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Christmas shopping spree donated Pratt City tornado survivors

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) -

100 Pratt City children are getting their Christmas wishes fulfilled thanks to Toys "R" Us and the city of Birmingham. The children all survived the April tornadoes, but their homes were damaged or destroyed.

With the families struggling, Christmas was an afterthought for them. That is why the toy store and several other area businesses chipped in to give these children a big shopping spree.

"I been up like I don't know how long trying to figure out how I'm going to get them some toys, just get them something for Christmas. If it ain't even much, it's a doll, so this is a blessing to have," said tornado survivor Lachandra Clayton.

"Some families lost everything. This goes a long way, but others are willing to step up as well," said Birmingham Mayor William Bell.

Only ten children were allowed to do their own shopping. City workers gathered toys and games for the other 90 children and will deliver them before Christmas.

Copyright 2011 WBRC. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.myfoxal.com/story/16379070/willi

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Source: http://twitter.com/wpbrasilblog/statuses/149548601863970817

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Store pulls ads from Muslim show, sparks protest

ALLEN PARK, Michigan (AP) ? About 100 people are at a Lowe's store in Michigan protesting the home improvement chain's decision to pull ads from a reality TV show about U.S. Muslims.

The protesters in Allen Park showed up in response to a call from a coalition of Christian, Muslim and civil rights groups and are chanting "God Bless America and shame on Lowe's." Protesters say they want people to boycott the chain.

But 15 to 20 counter-protesters also showed up Saturday morning, saying they came to support Lowe's.

Executives of the Mooresville, North Carolina-based company say TLC's "All-American Muslim" became a "lightning rod" for complaints. They acted after complaints from the conservative Christian group the Florida Family Association.

Lowe's spokeswoman Karen Cobb says the company respects everyone's right to express their opinion peacefully.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2011-12-17-Muslim%20TV%20Show-Protest/id-c23e9d16037a4d489a0b745e45eeeb11

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What Is Disability Insurance? ? ArticleZata / Dofollow Article Directory

Some folks may be surprised to learn that incapacity insurance is every bit as vital as life insurance. Many times it can be even more important than life insurance. This text examines a number of the issues concerning incapacity insurance coverage and the way it can assist defend your life-style in the event of a severe sickness or injury.

Disability insurance is used for the safety of your future income. It is one of the simplest ways to guard your self within the occasion that you are unable to earn a dwelling resulting from poor well being or severe injury. As with most sorts of insurance, incapacity insurance comes in completely different forms.

One of many reasons that disability insurance is considered to be just as essential as life insurance is the truth that you are nonetheless alive when incapacity insurance coverage takes effect. Life insurance, of course, only takes effect as soon as you might be handed on. Life insurance will deliver a sum of money to your beneficiaries that they will use as they see fit. If you are injured or unwell to the point that you just cannot work and earn a living, where will the money come from to satisfy your monetary obligations?

In a really broad sense, disability insurance coverage can come in three ways. Your employer could have you coated through a group plan at work. The Social Security Administration could possibly provide some reduction when you meet their requirements. Lastly, you should buy personal incapacity insurance coverage from an insurance service the identical means that your buy life insurance.

An interesting fact regarding incapacity comes from the Social Security Administration. Their research declare that a 20-12 months previous working individual has a three in 10 probability of being disabled earlier than reaching retirement age. According to their numbers, 30% of the populace is susceptible to needing some form of earnings protection within their lifetime. That may be a staggering quantity if you consider it.

While incapacity insurance is important it is usually costlier than life insurance. This only is smart as it is anticipated that the insurance coverage firm should pay out extra in disability claims than it will in life insurance coverage claims.

Customers should perceive that incapacity insurance coverage is not the same as medical health insurance, which is used to help pay the price of medical expenses. It is considerably ironic that medical insurance coverage can save your life and enhance your well being however you would possibly nonetheless find yourself homeless in case you are disabled and can?t earn a living. Incapacity insurance coverage protects you from that unpleasant reality.

People who are single or have no family members usually resolve to by-pass life insurance because they?ve nobody to profit from the insurance. In different phrases, they haven?t any beneficiaries. Those self same people, however, shouldn?t by-cross incapacity insurance coverage as a result of, in essence, they?re those who will profit should they become disabled and unable to work. It solely is sensible that even single people who find themselves unable to earn a residing will nonetheless want some form of monetary help with a view to live.

Anyone who relies on their income to pay their bills ought to critically take into account adding incapacity insurance coverage to their monetary planning portfolio.
Terica D Beyerl

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Source: http://www.articlezata.com/2011/12/16/what-is-disability-insurance/

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Ryan, Abraham lead Falcons to 41-14 rout of Jags

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (84) celebrates his touchdown with Atlanta Falcons running back Jason Snelling (44) during the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (84) celebrates his touchdown with Atlanta Falcons running back Jason Snelling (44) during the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Zach Potter celebrates his touchdown with Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Stephen Franklin (58) during the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones (11) tries to break away from Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Kevin Rutland (22) during the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Corey Peters (91) runs a fumbled ball into the end zone during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (84) hits the turf after making a touchdown catch as Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Kevin Rutland (22) looks on during the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

ATLANTA (AP) ? Ho hum, another winning season for the Atlanta Falcons.

That's not such a big deal anymore.

This team has much higher goals.

Putting together their most complete effort of the season, the Falcons clinched a fourth straight winning record with a 41-14 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night. Matt Ryan had another big game, throwing three touchdown passes in less than three quarters of work, and John Abraham terrorized rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert with 3? sacks.

Atlanta (9-5) strengthened its hold on an NFC wild card, shrugging off the immediate accomplishment of another above-.500 finish.

"Our expectations are much higher than winning seasons," coach Mike Smith said. "I'm glad we've been able to accomplish that as an organization and a football team. But believe me, it's not one of those expectations we really want to talk about. If we're where we think we are as an organization and a football team, that's expected each and every year."

It wasn't so long ago that nine wins was a big deal. The Falcons went through the first 42 years of their existence without so much as back-to-back winning seasons. All that changed when Smith and general manager Thomas Dimitroff took over in 2008.

Since then, Atlanta has been to the playoff two times and is closing in on a third appearance.

"I can't speak to the people who came before, but I know since Thomas and I had the opportunity to be here, we've just kind of put our heads down and gone to work," Smith said. "When you do that, good things usually happen. We are not finished, believe me. Our expectations and internal goals are much higher than having a winning football season."

This one was over by halftime. Atlanta led 27-0 when the teams trotted to the locker room, Gabbert and the shellshocked Jaguars (4-10) saddled with a net passing total of minus-1 yard.

Atlanta stretched out its lead to 41-0 before Jacksonville scored on a blocked punt. Going back to the previous week, when the Falcons overcame a 16-point halftime deficit at Carolina, they ripped off 65 points in a row over five quarters.

Now that's more like it from a team that was projected as a Super Bowl contender but had not quite lived up to expectations.

"I feel like we've hit our stride," said Roddy White, who had 10 catches for 135 yards and became just the eighth receiver in NFL history with 80 receptions and 1,000 yards in five straight seasons.

Gabbert had one of his worst games in a miserable rookie season, coughing up the ball twice on hits by Abraham. Both fumbles led to Atlanta scores, with defensive tackle Corey Peters scooping up the second one and trotting to the end zone early in the third quarter for a touchdown that ended any thought of the Jaguars getting back in the game.

"It wasn't just me," said Abraham, who came into the game with only five sacks on the season. "The whole team was able to get to the quarterback."

Ryan was 19 of 26 for 224 yards and three touchdowns, with a season-high rating of 137.3. White caught two of the scoring passes, Julio Jones the other.

Gabbert was 12 of 22 for 141 yards, also throwing an interception during a truly awful night full of bad decisions when he wasn't running for his life. He was sacked five times and got most of his yards on a meaningless final drive, which resulted in the only offensive touchdown of the night: a 16-yard pass to Chastin West with 59 seconds remaining.

"It wasn't our best night," Gabbert said. "We've just got to learn from it, take the positives out of it and just get better."

The injury-riddled Jaguars, playing out the season with an interim coach and a new owner, were coming off their best performance, having scored 41 straight points in a 41-14 victory over Tampa Bay. But, playing for the third time in 11 days, they couldn't build any momentum for a strong finish.

Shahid Khan must have been wondering why he paid an estimated $760 million to buy the team from original Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, a deal that was unanimously approved by NFL owners a day earlier.

"You've just got to keep fighting," Gabbert said. "Things didn't go our way early, but what can you do? It's football."

On the first snap of the game, Michael Turner burst off left guard for 15 yards, and the Falcons were off and running. Ryan capped the opening drive by stepping up to avoid the pressure, flipping a short pass to Jones, then watching the rookie turn on an impressive burst of speed for a 29-yard touchdown.

Gabbert got an idea of what he'd be up against on his first snap: Abraham shrugged off a blocker and threw the quarterback for a 10-yard loss. The rookie finally completed a pass on the final play of the opening quarter, but Sean Weatherspoon sniffed out the screen and slammed Marcedes Lewis for a 4-yard loss.

Matt Bryant kicked a 33-yard field goal that made it 10-0, then another brutal mistake by the Jaguars early in the second quarter helped turn this one into a rout. Jarrett Dillard let a punt slip right through his hands, and Weatherspoon fell on it at the Jacksonville 5. The next play, Turner rumbled into the end zone standing to make it 17-0.

The Falcons weren't done, not by a long shot. Ryan finished off a nine-play, 72-yard by hooking up with White in the back on the end zone on a 6-yard touchdown, a pass that Tony Gonzalez was nearly in position to catch as well.

Now down 24-0, the Jaguars couldn't even get off the field without turning it over again. Abraham popped the ball loose from Gabbert, and after a wild scramble Curtis Lofton finally fell on it at the Jacksonville 19. That set up Bryant's second field goal, a 31-yarder on the final play of the half.

"I've just got to get rid of the ball," Gabbert said. "I can't take those sacks and those fumbles. That's completely on me."

NOTES: Jacksonville had negative net yards passing most of the game and finished with just 91, actually lowering what was already the NFL's worst passing average. ... Jones finished with five catches for 85 yards. ... Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew, the NFL's leading rusher, had 112 yards on 17 carries.

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-16-FBN-Jaguars-Falcons/id-14101276ccb540e28f25e5145ea27b28

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Hard Enough to Live With Unemployment Insurance, Let Alone ...

?

by Tula Connell, Dec 16, 2011

Terry Miale, a communications systems engineer, lost nearly everything when she lost her job.

My whole life is gone. My retirement is gone. My house is gone. For a period of time, I lost my mental health because I went into a deep depression.

Even though she worked 30 years in her field, it took Miale four years to get?re-employed.?So Miale can?t understand why Republican leaders in?Congress just won?t extend unemployment insurance (UI) to long-term unemployed workers who can?t find jobs in an economy in which there are more than four workers for every one job.

When I needed? unemployment benefits, they were there. I really?think that it isn?t fair to pull a lifeline out from under people that are just now having to collect unemployment benefits. It?s hard enough to live on unemployment benefits, let alone live with none.

Unless UI is extended this month, 2 million jobless people will lose their lifeline.?Those in Congress blocking the UI extension should be made to feel what it?s like to be unemployed.

Sign a petition to Congress demanding it act now to extend the emergency UI benefits program.

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Source: http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/12/16/hard-enough-to-live-with-unemployment-insurance-let-alone-none/

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Comprehensive euro zone deal "beyond reach": Fitch (Reuters)

ROME/BERLIN (Reuters) ? A comprehensive solution to the euro zone debt crisis is beyond the region's reach, rating agency Fitch said, warning that six of its economies including Italy and Spain could be hit with credit downgrades in the near future.

The warning late Friday, the second time in two weeks that the bloc has been threatened with multiple ratings markdowns, heightened pressure on leaders to get to grips with the turmoil.

Fitch also said it might also cut AAA-rated France within two years and urged the European Central Bank to take a more active firefighting role.

One ECB policymaker said Saturday that time was running out to come up with solutions to a crisis that could spark a global slump. Another said the bank would not expand the bond buying program it launched to keep a lid on vulnerable states' debt costs.

Underscoring tensions within the bloc, a week after a key EU summit failed to reassure financial markets the crisis was being tackled, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti urged EU policymakers Friday to beware of dividing the continent.

ECB ratesetter Erkki Liikanen said that, to prevent a flurry of ratings downgrades and a credit freeze, the continent's leaders needed to act fast to beef up the rescue funds designed to provide a safety net for debt-laden member countries.

"The worse scenario is that the negative cycle continues, uncertainty grows, which would lead to a global recession," Liikanen - a member of the bank's governing council -told Finnish public broadcaster YLE in an interview Saturday.

International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde had said no country was immune from the crisis and each needed to act to head off the risk of a global depression.

In a swipe against Germany, Italy's Monti said Europe's response "should be wrapped in a long-term sustainable approach, not just to feed short-term hunger for rigor in some countries."

Pushing for governments to eliminate their bloated budget deficits, Germany has led resistance to allowing the ECB to ramp up its bond purchases to a big enough scale to douse the crisis.

But Fitch added to the pressure for just such a move.

The agency said that, following the EU summit, it had concluded that "a 'comprehensive solution' to the eurozone crisis is technically and politically beyond reach."

"Of particular concern is the absence of a credible financial backstop," it said. "In Fitch's opinion this requires more active and explicit commitment from the ECB to mitigate the risk of self-fulfilling liquidity crises."

A second ECB policymaker, Juergen Stark, said expanding bond buys would not end the crisis, while swift implementation of the plan on closer fiscal union agreed at the summit was crucial.

"Don't ask too much of the central bank," Stark - who steps down from the executive board at year-end - was quoted as saying Saturday in pre-released extracts from a German magazine interview.

Graphics on euro zone crisis http://r.reuters.com/hyb65p

Interactive timeline http://link.reuters.com/rev89r

MULTIPLE DOWNGRADE THREAT

Fitch put Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Ireland, and Cyprus on negative watch, which could mean a downgrade within three months.

"The systemic nature of the euro zone crisis is having a profoundly adverse effect on economic and financial stability across the region," it said.

Less than two weeks earlier, citing continuing disagreements among policymakers over how to tackle the crisis, rival agency Standard & Poor's put the ratings of 15 euro zone states, including Germany and France, on review for one- to two-notch downgrades.

The third main agency, Moody's, Friday cut Belgium's credit rating by two notches, saying the crisis raised funding risks for countries with high public debt burdens, and said a further downgrade was possible within two years.

Belgium's Finance Minister Steven Vanackere told Reuters on Saturday the cut was not a big surprise but had added pressure on the country to hit next year's budget deficit target of 2.

A first draft of a planned new 'fiscal compact' among euro zone countries and aspiring members, published Friday, showed that countries could be taken to the European Court of Justice if they did not meet agreed budget goals.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel - under pressure from the Bundesbank to force debt-saddled euro zone countries to reform and save their way out of crisis with austerity measures - has led a push for automatic sanctions for deficit "sinners."

This has fed concerns that excessive belt-tightening in southern countries could send their economies into a negative spiral with no prospect of growing out of crisis, while feeding resentment in the prosperous north.

In France, officials have sought to prepare the public for the likelihood that Paris will lose its top-notch rating for the first time since 1975, playing down the potential setback and focusing attention instead on questioning neighboring Britain's AAA rating. President Nicolas Sarkozy had vowed to keep the top rating, and it could become an issue in next year's election campaign.

EFSF FIREPOWER

Euro zone officials said potential downgrades, particularly from S&P, could raise the cost of borrowing for the region's existing EFSF bailout fund, but would not make a big difference to its operations.

EFSF chief Klaus Regling said Friday about 600 billion euros was available to fight the crisis.

"If Italy and Spain were to ask for support, their gross financing needs for 2012 are less than that and I don't think they would need to be taken off the market," he said.

Euro zone countries will hold talks next Monday on the draft text of the euro zone fiscal compact and on bilateral loans to the International Monetary Fund, officials in Brussels said. Slovak Finance Minister Ivan Miklos told Reuters they would commit 150 billion euros to boost the IMF's lending capacity.

The United States has refused to offer additional funding and it remains to be seen how much countries such as China, Russia, Brazil and India are willing to commit.

Commercial banks appear to be resisting pressure from governments to help debt-choked euro zone countries by using cheap money lent by the ECB to buy more sovereign bonds.

The chief executive of UniCredit, one of Italy's two biggest banks, said this week that using ECB money to buy government debt "wouldn't be logical."

Euro zone governments need to sell almost 80 billion euros of fresh debt in January alone, and the stand-off between policymakers and banks could turn the slow-burning debt crisis into a conflagration in the New Year.

(Additional reporting by Steve Scherer in Rome, Annika Breidthardt in Berlin, Gareth Gore, Natsuko Waki, Kirsten Donovan and Ana Nicolaci da Costa in London, Martin Santa in Bratislava, Ingrid Melander in Athens; Writing by John Stonestreet, Paul Carrel and Paul Taylor; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111217/bs_nm/us_eurozone

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Panetta: Libya needs time to control militias (AP)

ANKARA, Turkey ? The U.S. needs to give Libya's leaders more time to gain control of the militias that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi before determining how to help the fledgling government, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Friday, a day ahead of his historic visit to Tripoli.

While eager to encourage a new democracy that emerged from Libya's Arab Spring revolution, the U.S. is wary of appearing as trying to exert too much influence after an eight-month civil war.

At the same time, however, leaders in the U.S. and elsewhere worry about how well the newly formed National Transitional Council can resolve clashes between militia groups in the North African nation.

"The last thing you want to do is to try to impose something on a country that has just gone through what the Libyans have gone through," said Panetta, set to become the first U.S. defense chief to visit Libya.

"They've earned the right to try to determine their future. They've earned the right to try to work their way through the issues that they're going to have to confront," he said.

Ahead of Panetta's visit, the Obama administration announced it had lifted sanctions the U.S. imposed on Libya in February to choke off the Gadhafi regime's funds while it was violent suppressing peaceful protests. The U.S. at the time blocked some $37 billion in Libyan assets, and a White House statement said Friday's action "unfreezes all government and central bank funds within U.S. jurisdiction, with limited exceptions."

Recovery of the assets "will allow the Libyan government to access most of its worldwide holdings and will help the new government oversee the country's transition and reconstruction in a responsible manner," the White House said.

But the continuing violence in Libya, including recent skirmishes between revolutionary fighters and national army troops near Tripoli's airport, reflects the difficulties that Libya's leaders face as they try to forge an army, integrating some of the militias and disarming the rest.

Officials acknowledge that process could take months, and that they can't force the militias to go along.

Panetta told reporters Friday that his visit to the Libyan capital will give him a better sense of the situation and allow him to pay tribute to the people for bringing down Gadhafi and trying to establish a democratic government.

"It seems to me they are working through some very difficult issues to try to bring that country together," said Panetta. "It's not going to be easy. This is not a country that has a tradition of democratic institutions and representative government. This is going to take some work "

But he said he has seen indications that the Libyans are making progress.

"I think that any country like Libya that was able to do what they did and show the courage that they did in making the changes that took place there ? I'm confident that ultimately they're going to be able to succeed in putting a democracy together," he said.

Panetta said the U.S. is prepared to provide Libya any assistance it needs.

By traveling to Libya, however, Panetta was highlighting the different approaches that the U.S. and other countries are taking with respect to rebellions against tyrannical leaders.

The U.S. and NATO provided months of military power and assistance to the Libyan rebels, but officials have made it clear they do not intend to do the same in Syria despite the furor over President Bashar Assad's crackdown on pro-reform demonstrators.

Panetta, who met with Turkish officials Friday, said they did not discuss any specific steps to increase pressure on Assad to step down.

But they talked about the need to work together with other nations to "get Assad to do the right thing."

At some point, he said, he believes that the type of uprisings that happened in Libya and elsewhere across the Middle East will take place in Syria.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_re_eu/eu_us_libya

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Russia sells new batch of fighter jets to India (AP)

MOSCOW ? Russia signed a deal Friday to provide India with 42 fighter jets, but the two nations have failed to strike a deal on a controversial nuclear power plant.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that New Delhi will fit the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets with additional locally produced electronics. The jets will be assembled in India.

India had earlier signed several contracts for the delivery of 230 Su-30MKIs, most of which are being assembled locally. The long-range jets are custom-designed for the Indian Air Force.

India has been a leading customer for Russian weapons since the Soviet times, buying combat jets, missiles, navy ships and other weapons worth billions of dollars. Russian weapons still acount for the bulk of the Indian military arsenals.

Indian and Russian officials, however, failed to sign a deal to complete the Koodankulam nuclear plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Russia had pledged to build two of the four reactors at the $3 billion plant, but the construction has been delayed due to protests by local residents concerned about the plant's safety.

As part of his two-day visit to Russia, Singh met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Both leaders pledged to strengthen the decades-old bilateral ties.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111216/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_russia_india

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Markets muted after S&P threatens euro debt rating (AP)

PARIS ? Global markets were muted on Tuesday after a rating agency warned it could downgrade the debt of most eurozone countries, raising pressure on European leaders to find a lasting solution to their crisis this week.

The Standard & Poor's rating agency threatened late Monday to downgrade 15 countries that use the euro, including Germany and France, whose debt ratings are considered the linchpins of the European bailout system.

The announcement stopped a several-day rally in its tracks, just hours after the German and French leaders unveiled a series of proposals, including punishing governments for overspending, that they hope will persuade the European Central Bank or the International Monetary Fund to lend the eurozone more support.

Concerns that several European countries could have trouble paying down their debt is nothing new, of course: It lies at the heart of the crisis strangling Europe. But an S&P downgrade could make matters worse.

Worries about high debt loads, especially in Italy, have in recent weeks sent bond yields ? the rate countries would pay when borrowing on markets ? skyrocketing. That makes it harder for those countries to pay back their loans since the amount of interest they have to pay goes up.

Italy and Spain's yields have fallen back down in recent days on hopes of a grand European plan against the crisis. The yields remained near monthly lows on Tuesday, but disappointment with the summit's results this week or an S&P downgrade could push them back up.

Stock markets and the euro quickly recovered losses they initially suffered after the S&P ratings warning.

"The positive mood created by comments over the weekend and yesterday has been replaced by renewed gloom," said Sebastian Galy, an analyst with Societe General, but he added: "If the market is capable of concluding that this is just a case of a backward-looking rating agency seeing what we already knew, a 'blip' will be all that is felt."

Italy's 10-year bond yield edged down 0.05 of a percentage point to 5.79 percent, but France's increased 0.11 percentage point to 3.27. Germany, which has been largely insulated from the crisis, saw its yield edge up 0.03 percentage point to 2.23 percent.

In Germany, the DAX stock index dropped 0.4 point to 6,085, while France's CAC-40 recouped earlier losses to move up 0.1 percent to 3,205. The FTSE index of leading British shares rose 0.2 percent to 5,5580.85.

The euro was also climbing again after a plunge, trading up 0.1 percent at $1.3412.

The mixed sentiment came a day after a big rally, fed by President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel's proposals meant to ensure Europe never again finds itself in a crisis like the current one. But analysts said Tuesday that investors might grow increasingly skeptical of their plan, which lacked detail and mostly rehashed ideas that had already been floated.

"The German and French proposals to tighten fiscal policy create a 'straitjacket,' which makes it difficult for the peripheral economies and some of the core economies like Italy to improve debt sustainability," said Neil MacKinnon, an analyst with VTB Capital. "Without durable economic growth, Italy is to find it difficult to generate the tax revenues required to reduce their debt/GDP ratio."

Earlier, Asian markets fell in the wake of the S&P announcement.

Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 1.4 percent to close at 8,575.16. South Korea's Kospi fell 1 percent to 1,902.82 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 1.2 percent to 18,942.23. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.4 percent to 4,262.

In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index edged down 0.3 percent to 2,325.91.

Benchmark crude for January delivery rose 18 cents to $101.17 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

___

Pamela Sampson in Bangkok contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111206/ap_on_bi_ge/world_markets

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