Saudi execution: Brutal and illegal?






STORY HIGHLIGHTS


  • Saudi authorities beheaded Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan woman

  • She was convicted of killing a baby of the family employing her as a housemaid

  • This was despite Nafeek's claims that the baby died in a choking accident

  • Becker says her fate "should spotlight the precarious existence of domestic workers"




Jo Becker is the Children's Rights Advocacy Director for Human Rights Watch and author of 'Campaigning for Justice: Human Rights Advocacy in Practice.' Follow Jo Becker on Twitter.


(CNN) -- Rizana Nafeek was a child herself -- 17 years old, according to her birth certificate -- when a four-month-old baby died in her care in Saudi Arabia. She had migrated from Sri Lanka only weeks earlier to be a domestic worker for a Saudi family.


Although Rizana said the baby died in a choking accident, Saudi courts convicted her of murder and sentenced her to death. On Wednesday, the Saudi government carried out the sentence in a gruesome fashion, by beheading Rizana.



Jo Becker

Jo Becker



Read more: Outrage over beheading of Sri Lankan woman by Saudi Arabia


Rizana's case was rife with problems from the beginning. A recruitment agency in Sri Lanka knew she was legally too young to migrate, but she had falsified papers to say she was 23. After the baby died, Rizana gave a confession that she said was made under duress -- she later retracted it. She had no lawyer to defend her until after she was sentenced to death and no competent interpreter during her trial. Her sentence violated international law, which prohibits the death penalty for crimes committed before age 18.


Rizana's fate should arouse international outrage. But it should also spotlight the precarious existence of other domestic workers. At least 1.5 million work in Saudi Arabia alone and more than 50 million -- mainly women and girls -- are employed worldwide according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).


Read more: Indonesian maid escapes execution in Saudi Arabia






Again according to the ILO, the number of domestic workers worldwide has grown by more than 50% since the mid-1990s. Many, like Rizana, seek employment in foreign countries where they may be unfamiliar with the language and legal system and have few rights.


When Rizana traveled to Saudi Arabia, for example, she may not have known that many Saudi employers confiscate domestic workers' passports and confine them inside their home, cutting them off from the outside world and sources of help.


It is unlikely that anyone ever told her about Saudi Arabia's flawed criminal justice system or that while many domestic workers find kind employers who treat them well, others are forced to work for months or even years without pay and subjected to physical or sexual abuse.




Passport photo of Rizana Nafeek



Read more: Saudi woman beheaded for 'witchcraft and sorcery'


Conditions for migrant domestic workers in Saudi Arabia are among some of the worst, but domestic workers in other countries rarely enjoy the same rights as other workers. In a new report this week, the International Labour Organization says that nearly 30% of the world's domestic workers are completely excluded from national labor laws. They typically earn only 40% of the average wage of other workers. Forty-five percent aren't even entitled by law to a weekly day off.


Last year, I interviewed young girls in Morocco who worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for a fraction of the minimum wage. One girl began working at age 12 and told me: "I don't mind working, but to be beaten and not to have enough food, this is the hardest part."


Many governments have finally begun to recognize the risks and exploitation domestic workers face. During 2012, dozens of countries took action to strengthen protections for domestic workers. Thailand, and Singapore approved measures to give domestic workers a weekly day off, while Venezuela and the Philippines adopted broad laws for domestic workers ensuring a minimum wage, paid holidays, and limits to their working hours. Brazil is amending its constitution to state that domestic workers have all the same rights as other workers. Bahrain codified access to mediation of labor disputes.


Read more: Convicted killer beheaded, put on display in Saudi Arabia


Perhaps most significantly, eight countries acted in 2012 to ratify -- and therefore be legally bound by -- the Domestic Workers Convention, with more poised to follow suit this year. The convention is a groundbreaking treaty adopted in 2011 to guarantee domestic workers the same protections available to other workers, including weekly days off, effective complaints procedures and protection from violence.


The Convention also has specific protections for domestic workers under the age of 18 and provisions for regulating and monitoring recruitment agencies. All governments should ratify the convention.


Many reforms are needed to prevent another tragic case like that of Rizana Nafeek. The obvious one is for Saudi Arabia to stop its use of the death penalty and end its outlier status as one of only three countries worldwide to execute people for crimes committed while a child.


Labor reforms are also critically important. They may have prevented the recruitment of a 17 year old for migration abroad in the first place. And they can protect millions of other domestic workers who labor with precariously few guarantees for their safety and rights.


Read more: Malala, others on front lines in fight for women


The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jo Becker.






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Jazz world mourns Montreux founder “Funky Claude”






GENEVA (Reuters) – Claude Nobs, who founded the Montreux Jazz Festival nearly 50 years ago, has died after several weeks in a coma following a skiing accident, the festival said on Friday.


The Swiss impresario immortalized by rock group Deep Purple as “Funky Claude” in the song “Smoke on the Water” and who lured the biggest stars of the music world to his festival on the shores of Lake Geneva died on Thursday at the age of 76.






“He died peacefully, surrounded by family and close friends,” said a statement issued by the festival, where Mathieu Jaton assumed his duties as director earlier this week.


Nobs launched the summer festival in 1967 while working as an accountant at the Swiss resort’s tourism office. Over the years, his blend of persistence, patience and charm managed to persuade leading lights such as Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Prince to take the stage at Montreux.


But he often had to meet their whims to coax them along.


“I got Miles a Ferrari for him to drive along the lake, Nina Simone wanted a diamond watch and we found the mineral water that Prince likes in Geneva. We always find a way,” Nobs told Reuters last April during an interview at his beloved chalet.


A former festival employee told Reuters on Friday: “He was a shy man but still managed to negotiate. That was his strength and led him to create something huge.”


Nobs fell while cross-country skiing on Christmas Eve near his chalet in Caux, overlooking Montreux, a property that he shared with his longtime partner Thierry Amsallem, who is in charge of digitalizing the festival’s archives of 5,000 hours.


Last year’s two-week festival, which attracted about 250,000 people, featured sold-out concerts by Bob Dylan, American chanteuse Lana Del Rey and British actor and musician Hugh Laurie.


A musical tribute to the people of Montreux is planned in February, in accordance with his wishes, to be followed by events in New York and London this spring, festival board president Francois Carrard told Reuters.


CHALET PARTIES


Nobs threw legendary parties at his chalet, full of vintage Wurlitzer jukeboxes, flat screen TVs and sophisticated sound equipment. Waiters delivered fine food and champagne around a pool with a breathtaking view of the Alps.


A Japanese kimono worn by Freddie Mercury, a print signed by Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones and a larger-than-life bust of Aretha Franklin were among mementoes on display.


Film director Roman Polanski stopped in on his way to see his wife Emmanuelle Seigner perform at Montreux in 2010. Days earlier he had been freed from house arrest in Gstaad after Swiss authorities said they would not extradite him to the United States to face sentencing for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.


Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, Phil Collins and Gilberto Gil have all been regulars at the festival, whose two venues are the larger Stravinski Auditorium and more intimate Miles Davis Hall.


In the mid-1960s, after his first flight on an airplane, Nobs formed a decisive and lifetime friendship in New York with Atlantic Records executive Nesuhi Ertegun, whose father was a former ambassador of Turkey to Switzerland.


“That first time I met Nesuhi, I had no credentials, nothing, something magical happened,” Nobs recalled in his memoirs “Live! From Montreux”, first published in 2007.


Of the first edition, he wrote: “That first festival was obviously when I had to learn a massive amount extremely quickly – from how you deal with one artist arriving whilst the act from the previous night’s show still hasn’t woken up yet, let alone vacated the suite the incoming band are supposed to be going straight into.”


The Deep Purple anthem which dubbed Nobs “Funky” was written about a fire that burned down Montreux casino during a Frank Zappa concert in 1971.


Despite heart surgery some six years ago, Nobs had stayed on as festival director, a position he shared during the 1990s with American producer Quincy Jones who returns each year from Los Angeles to introduce new talent and refers to Montreux as the “Rolls-Royce of festivals”.


Nobs often joined musicians on stage, playing harmonica, sometimes accompanied by his St. Bernard dogs.


The 47th edition is scheduled for July 5-20.


(Reporting By Katharina Bart and Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Paul Casciato)


Music News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Fiscal Cliff Deal + Obamacare = Higher Taxes






How much will your 2013 tax bill rise as a result of the yearend deal in Congress and the Affordable Care Act? Using Tax Policy Center data and three hypothetical taxpayers, here’s a look at what’s new—and what stays the same. The figures in green represent additional taxes. Calculate your own at calculator.taxpolicycenter.org.


Businessweek.com — Top News









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RAPPEL-Sondage de BMO : La date limite de cotisation au REER est source de stress pour les Canadiens






MONTREAL, QUEBEC–(Marketwire – Jan 12, 2013) – Alors que le 1er mars, date limite de cotisation à un régime enregistré d”épargne-retraite (REER), arrive à grands pas, un sondage de BMO Groupe financier révèle que cette date butoir cause du souci à nombre de Canadiens qui ont du mal à trouver l”argent nécessaire pour faire une cotisation. Le sondage démontre toutefois que la majorité des Canadiens se sentiraient moins anxieux s”ils pouvaient changer d”approche et cotiser de plus petits montants tout au long de l”année.


Selon le sondage, alors que les trois quarts des Canadiens qui détiennent un REER ont déjà fait ou prévoient de faire une cotisation avant la date limite, 60 pour cent admettent que la date butoir est pour eux une source de stress.






Cette source de stress peut être liée au fait que presque la moitié (49 pour cent) des épargnants font une cotisation unique à leur REER en fin d”année plutôt que de cotiser de petites sommes régulièrement tout au long de l”année.


Les avantages d”un programme d”épargne continue


Lorsqu”on les sonde sur les cotisations de REER, plus de la moitié (54 pour cent) des Canadiens affirment qu”ils se sentiraient moins stressés s”ils se servaient d”un programme d”épargne continue (PEC) pour cotiser de plus petites sommes à leur REER, plus régulièrement, tout au long de l”année.


Le PEC retire automatiquement un montant déterminé d”argent du compte bancaire d”un particulier sur une base régulière et l”investit directement dans son REER. Grâce au PEC, vous permettez à votre épargne de fructifier rapidement, sans pour autant devoir fournir un effort budgétaire important chaque année. À titre d”exemple, comme la valeur des fonds d”investissement fluctue selon les conditions du marché, en investissant le même montant dans un fonds chaque mois, l”investisseur peut acheter plus d”unités de fonds lorsque le coût d”acquisition est en baisse. Le coût unitaire moyen des unités que l”investisseur paie peut ainsi s”en trouver réduit à long terme.


Une fois qu”ils se sont familiarisés avec les avantages d”un PEC, les deux tiers des Canadiens avouent qu”il est fort probable qu”ils utiliseront ce mode d”épargne à l”avenir.


« Le malaise qu”ils ressentent à l”égard de la date limite de cotisation au REER est compréhensible puisque les Canadiens ont d”autres priorités financières à gérer, comme le remboursement de leur hypothèque », indique Marlena Pospiech, directrice principale, Planification du patrimoine, BMO Groupe financier. « Mais il est possible de gérer et d”atténuer ce stress. Par exemple, en établissant un programme d”épargne continue, on peut atténuer les craintes de devoir amasser d”un coup une somme substantielle pour pouvoir cotiser à son REER avant la date limite ».


BMO offre les conseils suivants aux Canadiens pour dissiper le stress de la campagne des REER :


Profitez des offres spéciales : Recherchez les offres spéciales conçues pour vous inciter à établir un PEC. Par exemple, si vous établissez un nouveau programme d”épargne continue BMO pour les fonds d”investissement d”ici au 1er mars 2013 et que vous le conservez pendant 12 mois, votre première cotisation mensuelle sera bonifiée de 15 pour cent (jusqu”à concurrence de 150 $ ). 


Investissez vos « surplus » d”argent : Si, par bonheur, vous touchez un supplément d”argent sous forme de remboursement d”impôt, de prime au travail ou d”héritage, envisagez d”investir ce revenu ou cette manne financière imprévue directement dans votre REER à titre de placement dans votre avenir.


Prévalez-vous des avantages fiscaux : L”argent que vous cotisez à un REER est déductible de votre revenu total (dans certaines limites). Pour la plupart des gens, cotiser à un REER peut se traduire par une réduction, voire un remboursement d”impôt.


Demandez de l”aide : Adressez-vous à un professionnel financier qui pourra vous aider à élaborer un plan financier comprenant une composante retraite, dont un PEC, et à revoir vos placements régulièrement. Il pourra en outre vous indiquer si vous pourriez avoir avantage à demander un prêt REER, notamment par le biais d”une marge de crédit MargExpress REER de BMO.


Pour de plus amples renseignements sur le programme dӎpargne continue, visitez le site www.bmo.com/pec.


Les résultats indiqués proviennent d”entrevues en ligne effectuées auprès d”un échantillon aléatoire de 1 000 Canadiens âgés de 18 ans ou plus, du 23 au 27 novembre 2012. Un échantillon probabiliste de cette taille produirait une marge d”erreur de ±3,1 pour cent, 19 fois sur 20.


Marketwire News Archive – Yahoo! Finance




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Wall Street Week Ahead: Attention turns to financial earnings

NEW YORK (Reuters) - After over a month of watching Capitol Hill and Pennsylvania Avenue, Wall Street can get back to what it knows best: Wall Street.


The first full week of earnings season is dominated by the financial sector - big investment banks and commercial banks - just as retail investors, free from the "fiscal cliff" worries, have started to get back into the markets.


Equities have risen in the new year, rallying after the initial resolution of the fiscal cliff in Washington on January 2. The S&P 500 on Friday closed its second straight week of gains, leaving it just fractionally off a five-year closing high hit on Thursday.


An array of financial companies - including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase - will report on Wednesday. Bank of America and Citigroup will join on Thursday.


"The banks have a read on the economy, on the health of consumers, on the health of demand," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark, New Jersey.


"What we're looking for is demand. Demand from small business owners, from consumers."


EARNINGS AND ECONOMIC EXPECTATIONS


Investors were greeted with a slightly better-than-anticipated first week of earnings, but expectations were low and just a few companies reported results.


Fourth quarter earnings and revenues for S&P 500 companies are both expected to have grown by 1.9 percent in the past quarter, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.


Few large corporations have reported, with Wells Fargo the first bank out of the gate on Friday, posting a record profit. The bank, however, made fewer mortgage loans than in the third quarter and its shares were down 0.8 percent for the day.


The KBW bank index <.bkx>, a gauge of U.S. bank stocks, is up about 30 percent from a low hit in June, rising in six of the last eight months, including January.


Investors will continue to watch earnings on Friday, as General Electric will round out the week after Intel's report on Thursday.


HOUSING, INDUSTRIAL DATA ON TAP


Next week will also feature the release of a wide range of economic data.


Tuesday will see the release of retail sales numbers and the Empire State manufacturing index, followed by CPI data on Wednesday.


Investors and analysts will also focus on the housing starts numbers and the Philadelphia Federal Reserve factory activity index on Thursday. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment numbers are due on Friday.


Jim Paulsen, chief investment officer at Wells Capital Management in Minneapolis, said he expected to see housing numbers continue to climb.


"They won't be that surprising if they're good, they'll be rather eye-catching if they're not good," he said. "The underlying drive of the markets, I think, is economic data. That's been the catalyst."


POLITICAL ANXIETY


Worries about the protracted fiscal cliff negotiations drove the markets in the weeks before the ultimate January 2 resolution, but fear of the debt ceiling fight has yet to command investors' attention to the same extent.


The agreement was likely part of the reason for a rebound in flows to stocks. U.S.-based stock mutual funds gained $7.53 billion after the cliff resolution in the week ending January 9, the most in a week since May 2001, according to Thomson Reuters' Lipper.


Markets are unlikely to move on debt ceiling news unless prominent lawmakers signal that they are taking a surprising position in the debate.


The deal in Washington to avert the cliff set up another debt battle, which will play out in coming months alongside spending debates. But this alarm has been sounded before.


"The market will turn the corner on it when the debate heats up," Prudential Financial's Krosby said.


The CBOE Volatility index <.vix> a gauge of traders' anxiety, is off more than 25 percent so far this month and it recently hit its lowest since June 2007, before the recession began.


"The market doesn't react to the same news twice. It will have to be more brutal than the fiscal cliff," Krosby said. "The market has been conditioned that, at the end, they come up with an agreement."


(Reporting by Gabriel Debenedetti; editing by Rodrigo Campos)



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Report: Lance to admit doping in Oprah interview


AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lance Armstrong plans to admit to doping throughout his career during an upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, USA Today reported late Friday.


The interview, scheduled to be taped Monday and broadcast Thursday night on the Oprah Winfrey Network, will be conducted at Armstrong's home in Austin, Texas.


Citing an anonymous source, USA Today reported that the disgraced cyclist plans to admit using performance-enhancing drugs, but likely will not get into details of the allegations outlined in a 2012 report by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that led to Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life from the sport.


His representatives declined comment late Friday, including attorney Tim Herman, but Armstrong sent a text to the Associated Press early Saturday morning saying: "I told her (Winfrey) to go wherever she wants and I'll answer the questions directly, honestly, candidly. That's all I can say."


The New York Times first reported last week that Armstrong was considering making a confession.


The 41-year-old Armstrong, who vehemently denied doping for years, has not spoken publicly about the USADA report that cast him as the leader of a sophisticated and brazen doping program on his U.S. Postal Service teams that included use of steroids, blood boosters and illegal blood transfusions.


Winfrey's network announced Tuesday that Armstrong agreed to a "no holds barred" interview with her.


A confession to Winfrey would come at a time when some of Armstrong's legal troubles appear to be clearing up.


Any potential perjury charges stemming from his sworn testimony denying doping in a 2005 arbitration fight with a Dallas promotions company over a contract bonus worth $7.5 million have passed the statute of limitations.


Armstrong faces a whistle-blower lawsuit filed by former teammate Floyd Landis accusing him of defrauding the U.S. Postal Service, but the U.S. Department of Justice has yet to announce if it will join the case. The British newspaper The Sunday Times is suing Armstrong to recover about $500,000 it paid him to settle a libel lawsuit.


Armstrong lost most of his personal sponsorship — worth tens of millions of dollars — after USADA issued its report and he left the board of the Livestrong cancer-fighting charity he founded in 1997. He is still said to be worth an estimated $100 million.


Livestrong might be one reason to issue an apology or make a confession. The charity supports cancer patients and still faces an image problem because of its association with its famous founder.


The New York Times reported that Armstrong may make a confession in an attempt to return to competition in elite triathlon or running events, but World Anti-Doping Code rules state his lifetime ban cannot be reduced to less than eight years. WADA and U.S. Anti-Doping officials could agree to reduce the ban further depending on what new information Armstrong provides and his level of cooperation.


Armstrong met with USADA officials recently to explore a "pathway to redemption," according to a report by "60 Minutes Sports" aired Wednesday on Showtime.


Read More..

Why global labor reforms are vital






STORY HIGHLIGHTS


  • Saudi authorities beheaded Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan woman

  • She was convicted of killing a baby of the family employing her as a housemaid

  • This was despite Nafeek's claims that the baby died in a choking accident

  • Becker says her fate "should spotlight the precarious existence of domestic workers"




Jo Becker is the Children's Rights Advocacy Director for Human Rights Watch and author of 'Campaigning for Justice: Human Rights Advocacy in Practice.' Follow Jo Becker on Twitter.


(CNN) -- Rizana Nafeek was a child herself -- 17 years old, according to her birth certificate -- when a four-month-old baby died in her care in Saudi Arabia. She had migrated from Sri Lanka only weeks earlier to be a domestic worker for a Saudi family.


Although Rizana said the baby died in a choking accident, Saudi courts convicted her of murder and sentenced her to death. On Wednesday, the Saudi government carried out the sentence in a gruesome fashion, by beheading Rizana.



Jo Becker

Jo Becker



Read more: Outrage over beheading of Sri Lankan woman by Saudi Arabia


Rizana's case was rife with problems from the beginning. A recruitment agency in Sri Lanka knew she was legally too young to migrate, but she had falsified papers to say she was 23. After the baby died, Rizana gave a confession that she said was made under duress -- she later retracted it. She had no lawyer to defend her until after she was sentenced to death and no competent interpreter during her trial. Her sentence violated international law, which prohibits the death penalty for crimes committed before age 18.


Rizana's fate should arouse international outrage. But it should also spotlight the precarious existence of other domestic workers. At least 1.5 million work in Saudi Arabia alone and more than 50 million -- mainly women and girls -- are employed worldwide according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).


Read more: Indonesian maid escapes execution in Saudi Arabia






Again according to the ILO, the number of domestic workers worldwide has grown by more than 50% since the mid-1990s. Many, like Rizana, seek employment in foreign countries where they may be unfamiliar with the language and legal system and have few rights.


When Rizana traveled to Saudi Arabia, for example, she may not have known that many Saudi employers confiscate domestic workers' passports and confine them inside their home, cutting them off from the outside world and sources of help.


It is unlikely that anyone ever told her about Saudi Arabia's flawed criminal justice system or that while many domestic workers find kind employers who treat them well, others are forced to work for months or even years without pay and subjected to physical or sexual abuse.




Passport photo of Rizana Nafeek



Read more: Saudi woman beheaded for 'witchcraft and sorcery'


Conditions for migrant domestic workers in Saudi Arabia are among some of the worst, but domestic workers in other countries rarely enjoy the same rights as other workers. In a new report this week, the International Labour Organization says that nearly 30% of the world's domestic workers are completely excluded from national labor laws. They typically earn only 40% of the average wage of other workers. Forty-five percent aren't even entitled by law to a weekly day off.


Last year, I interviewed young girls in Morocco who worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for a fraction of the minimum wage. One girl began working at age 12 and told me: "I don't mind working, but to be beaten and not to have enough food, this is the hardest part."


Many governments have finally begun to recognize the risks and exploitation domestic workers face. During 2012, dozens of countries took action to strengthen protections for domestic workers. Thailand, and Singapore approved measures to give domestic workers a weekly day off, while Venezuela and the Philippines adopted broad laws for domestic workers ensuring a minimum wage, paid holidays, and limits to their working hours. Brazil is amending its constitution to state that domestic workers have all the same rights as other workers. Bahrain codified access to mediation of labor disputes.


Read more: Convicted killer beheaded, put on display in Saudi Arabia


Perhaps most significantly, eight countries acted in 2012 to ratify -- and therefore be legally bound by -- the Domestic Workers Convention, with more poised to follow suit this year. The convention is a groundbreaking treaty adopted in 2011 to guarantee domestic workers the same protections available to other workers, including weekly days off, effective complaints procedures and protection from violence.


The Convention also has specific protections for domestic workers under the age of 18 and provisions for regulating and monitoring recruitment agencies. All governments should ratify the convention.


Many reforms are needed to prevent another tragic case like that of Rizana Nafeek. The obvious one is for Saudi Arabia to stop its use of the death penalty and end its outlier status as one of only three countries worldwide to execute people for crimes committed while a child.


Labor reforms are also critically important. They may have prevented the recruitment of a 17 year old for migration abroad in the first place. And they can protect millions of other domestic workers who labor with precariously few guarantees for their safety and rights.


Read more: Malala, others on front lines in fight for women


The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jo Becker.






Read More..

‘Argo,’ ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ win at Critics Choice






(Reuters) – Ben Affleck’s Iran hostage drama “Argo,” “Lincoln” star Daniel Day-Lewis and “Zero Dark Thirty”‘s Jessica Chastain were among big winners at the Critics Choice Movie Awards on Thursday, taking honors for best picture, actor and actress, with Affleck nabbing the prize for best director.


The all-star “Silver Linings Playbook” swept the comedy awards, winning best comedy film, best comedy actor for Bradley Cooper and best comedy actress, which went to Jennifer Lawrence.






The 250-member Broadcast Film Critics Association, the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, also gave the film its best acting ensemble prize at the event in Santa Monica, California.


Affleck, known mostly as actor and who was overlooked for directing “Argo” earlier on Thursday when the Academy Award nominations were announced, began his acceptance with the quip: “I would like to thank the academy,” before adding “I’m kidding. This is the one that counts.”


Day-Lewis won for his acclaimed performance in the title role of Steven Spielberg’s historical drama “Lincoln,” while Chastain took the prize for “Zero Dark Thirty,” about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.


It was one of only two awards for “Lincoln,” which led the Oscar nominations with 12. The Oscar runner-up, “Life of Pi,” won only two technical awards.


Lawrence took home two awards, also winning best actress in an action movie for “The Hunger Games.”


“Critics aren’t so bad,” she said as she accepted the award, later riffing on the line when she won her second award, for “Silver Linings Playbook,” saying “Seriously, I love critics.”


Many stars who were nominated just hours earlier for Oscars, Hollywood’s top honors, were on hand, including “Les Miserables” star Hugh Jackman, Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway, who won the award for best supporting actress for “Les Miserables.”


Best supporting actor went to Philip Seymour Hoffman for “The Master.”


Director David O. Russell dedicated the “Silver Linings” award to his son, saying “I made it to give him hope,” adding, “That’s my silver lining.”


European director Michael Haneke’s drama “Amour,” about an aging couple struggling with failing health and mortality and which scored several major Oscar nominations on Thursday, won the award for best foreign language film.


The prize for best sci-fi/horror film went to “Looper,” while “Searching for Sugarman” won best documentary.


The screenwriting awards were won by Quentin Tarantino for his original screenplay for “Django Unchained” and Tony Kushner who adapted the screenplay for “Lincoln.”


British singer Adele’s song “Skyfall” from the James Bond film of the same name won best song, and star Daniel Craig was named best actor in a action film. The film also won best action movie.


Nine-year old Quvenzhane Wallis, star of “Beasts of the Southern Wild” who became the youngest best actress Oscar nominee in history on Thursday, was named best young actor or actress. She accepted her award clutching a pink-cased electronic device, from which she read her speech as she grinned broadly.


The awards were handed out ahead of Sunday’s Golden Globes and a slew of other award shows that narrow the field for the Oscars, which will be held on February 24.


Writer-producer-director Judd Apatow received a special “genius” award created to honor “an unprecedented demonstration of excellence in the cinematic arts.”


(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Eric Walsh)


Movies News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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TSX may open lower, markets pause after 10-month high






(Reuters) – Canada’s main stock index looked set to open lower on Friday, mirroring Wall Street losses, as investors book profits after the index hit a 10-month high in the previous session.


TOP STORIES






Germany’s economic performance declined in the fourth quarter as industry reduced its production in line with weak European demand, the country’s Economy Ministry said.


Mobile operator Vodafone said some customers were not receiving emails via their Blackberry phones, and it was working with handset maker Research in Motion to rectify the problem.


Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made his biggest push yet to make jobs growth part of the Bank of Japan’s mandate as his government approved $ 117 billion of spending to revive the economy in the biggest stimulus since the financial crisis.


Credit card company American Express Co said it would cut about 5,400 jobs, or 8.5 percent of its workforce, as it restructures its business and pays legal bills.


MARKET SNAPSHOT


Canada stock futures traded down 0.8 percent


U.S. stock futures,, were mixed in the range of 0.01 percent and -0.05 percent <.n></.n>


European shares <.fteu3>, <.stoxx> were mixed <.eu></.eu></.stoxx></.fteu3>


COMMODITY PRICE MOVES


Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB Index <.trjcrbtr>: 296.142; fell 0.29 percent</.trjcrbtr>


Gold futures: $ 1,677.3; was unchanged 0 percent


US crude: $ 93.09; fell 0.78 percent


Brent crude: $ 110.4; fell 1.33 percent


LME 3-month copper: $ 8,099.75; fell 0.19 percent


CANADIAN STOCKS TO WATCH


Inmet Mining : Leucadia National Corporation, the largest shareholder in takeover target of the company , said late on Thursday it planned to tender its shares to bidder First Quantum , in a boost for the Canadian-listed group. The First Quantum offer will be open until February 14, 2013, unless extended or withdrawn.


ANALYSTS’ RECOMMENDATIONS


Following is a summary of research actions on Canadian companies reported by Reuters.


Bonavista Energy Corp. : Barclays cuts target to C$ 16 from C$ 19 after the company announced a 42 percent reduction in monthly dividend, cites company’s lower growth prospects


Sprott Inc. : Canaccord Genuity cuts price target to C$ 4 from C$ 4.25 based on a lower performance fee outlook and market depreciation


Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. : BMO raises target to C$ 102 from C$ 97 to reflect the company’s lower equipment rent and pension costs and its recent favourable labor arbitration ruling


Penn West Petroleum Ltd. : Barclays cuts price target to C$ 12 from C$ 13 after the company announced a lower-than-expected capital budget and production outlook


Postmedia Network Canada Corp. : Canaccord Genuity raises target to C$ 1.25 from C$ 0.65 citing the company’s cost reductions from its transformation plan


ON THE CALENDAR


Major Canadian economic data includes international trade


Major U.S. events and data includes international trade, import and export prices and federal budget


($ 1= $ 0.98 Canadian)


(Reporting by Ayesha Sruti Ahmed)


Economy News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Silver Falcon Mining, Inc. (SFMI) Provides Bullish Outlook on Its 2013 Mining Operations






BRADENTON, FL–(Marketwire – Jan 11, 2013) – Silver Falcon Mining, Inc. ( OTCBB : SFMI ) reports on its mining and milling operations, as management remains bullish on anticipated 2013 activities.


Diamond Creek Mill






The Company’s Diamond Creek Mill’s designed gravity feed circuit has been temporarily shut-down for its yearly heavy maintenance and component recalibrations. At the same time, the integration of the new floatation cell circuit is being added as a new component to the existing mill circuitry. Early testing of tailings material, from the floatation cells, reveals a significant improvement in recovery values of ALL precious metals. Management feels that once the flotation circuit is fully operational in the ensuing weeks, this will greatly improve bottom-line for the 2013 operational year.


The “Conditional Use” application for full implementation of the permitted closed-loop leaching system remains on-going and on scheduled without delays.


Further, management reports that work on the permanent storage of mill tailings will begin in earnest.


Diamond Creek Metallurgical Lab


The Company’s metallurgical laboratory building which contains, the Bullion Dore facility, the lab facility and the secured vault, has been fully erected. Company workers are finishing the remaining interior architectural components, allowing this facility to be fully operational.


Sinker Tunnel Gold Project


The Company has been working within the Sinker Tunnel Gold Project as per directives approved by SFMI’s Board of Directors. Due to mining rules, only SFMI personnel will be allowed inside the fenced in parameter of the project. As drilling, bolting, shoring, and exploration proceeds over the upcoming months, management will report as necessary on these operational developments.


Management remains excited about the fact that these are the first mining activities on War Eagle Mountain in over a century.


Pierre Quilliam, CEO, states, “After two years of efforts, both at the mill site and at the Sinker, it is very gratifying to see our efforts maturing. From a barren 20-acre site, the Diamond Creek Mill Facility has risen into an agglomeration of infrastructures, buildings, and equipment. The Company has one objective, to extract and deliver as much precious metals to the world markets as we can produce profitably from our holdings.” He further mentions, “This is the year where production will become the mainstay of SFMI’s objectives and operational motives. This in turn should deliver significant revenue to the Company and growth of shareholder values.”


About Silver Falcon Mining, Inc.


SFMI has mineral rights to approximately 1,200 acres on War Eagle Mountain in southern Idaho; Its Diamond Creek Mill is situated at the foot of War Eagle Mountain and is serviced by 6.2 miles of paved roads from State Highway 78. It maintains year round access to the Sinker Tunnel to facilitate underground mining of the rich veins crisscrossing the mountain and providing the area population with employment and services.


For further information, contact Mr. Richard Kaiser, Investor Relations, 757-306-6090 and/or www.silverfalconmining.com.


Silver Falcon Mining, Inc., SFMI, cautions that the statements made in this press release constitute forward looking statements, and not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from the projections in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management at the time the statements are made.


Marketwire News Archive – Yahoo! Finance




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Wall Street to open firm after Thursday's gains, Wells Fargo results


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks were set to firm at the open on Friday after the S&P 500 climbed to a five-year high a day earlier, as record profit from Wells Fargo failed to excite investors who awaited fresh trading incentives.


"The bigger news lies ahead of us in terms of earnings and also reports on Christmas sales, which seem to be poor so far," said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management in Jersey City, New Jersey.


Wells Fargo , the first major U.S. bank to post earnings this season, reported a higher fourth-quarter profit as it set aside less money to cover bad loans and made more fees from mortgages. While shares dropped 1.1 percent to $35 in premarket trading, the stock had climbed 2 percent Thursday ahead of the results, and is up 3.6 percent this month so far.


Best Buy shares were volatile in premarket trading after it reported flat holiday sales at established U.S. stores. Shares were last up 5.7 percent at $12.91.


Basic materials shares could be pressured after China's annual consumer inflation rate picked up to a seven-month high, narrowing the scope for the central bank to boost the economy by easing monetary policy.


Meckler said that in the absence of major news, the market will continue to absorb some of the money that comes in from institutional investors at the start of the year. This could give equities an upside bias.


S&P 500 futures were flat and were slightly above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 3 points and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 2 points.


American Express said it would take a $600-million quarterly charge relating to 5,400 job cuts and payment of legal bills, a move likely to halve its net income. Its shares dipped 0.5 percent in premarket trading to $60.51.


Boeing's 787 Dreamliner jet was dogged by further incidents that tested confidence in the new plane. It suffered a cracked cockpit window and an oil leak on separate flights in Japan on Friday. The US Department of Transportation said the jet would be subject to a review of its critical systems by regulators. Boeing shares fell 1.5 percent to $75.90 in premarket trading.


Dendreon Corp shares jumped 14.9 percent to $5.86 after Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded the stock to "outperform" from "market-perform" and said the drugmaker could be one of the best performers in 2013.


U.S.-traded shares of India's No.2 software services provider Infosys Ltd jumped 15.2 percent premarket after the company raised its revenue forecast.


In a move that could support US equities and boost the global economic outlook, the Japanese government approved a massive $117 billion of spending to revive the world's third-largest economy in the biggest stimulus plan since the financial crisis.


(Editing by Bernadette Baum)



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Browns name Rob Chudzinski new coach


CLEVELAND (AP) — The Browns hauled their coaching search to Arizona and back. They talked to high-profile college coaches, NFL assistants and a fired pro coach who took a team to a Super Bowl.


None of them was hired.


Instead, Rob Chudzinski became their pick.


With no experience as a head coach at any level, Chudzinski was hired Thursday night by the Cleveland Browns, the team he cheered for as a kid. This is Chudzinski's third stint with the team, but this time around he's the guy in charge.


Chudzinski, who spent the past two seasons calling plays as Carolina's offensive coordinator, is the Browns' sixth full-time coach since 1999 and 14th in team history.


Just as it appeared the Browns might be going in another direction, the team selected the 44-year-old Chudzinski to revive a team that has made the playoffs just once in the past 14 years.


Chudzinski will be introduced Friday at an 11 a.m. news conference, where owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner likely will be asked how they selected Banner after speaking to at least seven other candidates and flirting with Chip Kelly before he returned to Oregon.


"Chud," as he's known to players and friends, Chudzinski worked as the Browns' tight ends coach in 2004 and was their offensive coordinator in 2007, when the team won 10 games — their most since an expansion rebirth in 1999.


A lifelong Browns fan who grew up in Toledo, Ohio, Chudzinski replaces Pat Shurmur, another first-time coach when he was hired, who was fired on Dec. 31 after a 5-11 season. For the past two years, Chudzinski has worked with talented Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and resuscitated Carolina's offense, which was one of the league's worst before he arrived.


When Haslam and Banner embarked on their coaching search as 2013 began, the pair vowed they would wait as long as necessary to find "the right coach" for Cleveland. They promised to give their new coach final say over the roster and planned to pair him with an executive to help pick players.


Chudzinski wasn't seen by many as an option.


And then he became the choice.


Chudzinski interviewed with the team on Wednesday, when the club also visited with Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. Chudzinski appeared to be a long shot for the job, not because he wasn't qualified, but because it was thought Haslam wanted to make a big splash with his first coaching hire.


However, Chudzinski wowed Haslam and Banner during his meeting and the team decided it was time to end its search in its second week.


It's not yet known whom Chudzinski will bring in as coordinators. There are reports he may hire former San Diego coach Norv Turner to run his offense. Chudzinski worked for Turner with the Chargers.


In his first season in Carolina, Chudzinski turned Newton, the No. 1 overall draft pick, loose and the Panthers set club records for total yards (6,237) and first downs (345). Carolina also scored 48 touchdowns after getting just 17 in the season before Chudzinski arrived. The Panthers jumped from last in the league in total yardage to seventh, the biggest improvement since 1999.


Following the season, Chudzinski interviewed for head coaching jobs with St. Louis, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay before returning to Carolina.


In getting the Browns' job, Chudzinski was picked over Zimmer, Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman, fired Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt and Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Whisenhunt was in Cleveland for a second interview on Thursday, and appeared to be the front-runner. The Browns also were expected to interview Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.


Newton continued to develop in his second season with Chudzinski, and the QB's development may have helped his case since the Browns are hoping Brandon Weeden will improve this year after his uneven rookie season.


After his first stint on Cleveland's staff, Chudzinski spent two seasons as San Diego's tight ends coach, working with perennial Pro Bowl standout Antonio Gates.


Taking over the Browns' offense in 2007, Chudzinski helped the Browns go 10-6. They barely missed the playoffs, but four players, including quarterback Derek Anderson, made the Pro Bowl. However, in 2008, the Browns struggled on offense and a six-game losing streak led to a 4-12 finish and Romeo Crennel's firing.


Chudzinski's hiring may not be popular with Cleveland fans, many of whom at fantasies about Nick Saban or Jon Gruden or Kelly brining his supersonic offense to the NFL.


But his selection is in keeping with at least one of Banner's past moves. When he was in Philadelphia's front office, Banner went outside the box and hired Green Bay assistant Andy Reid, a relative unknown who spent 14 seasons with the Eagles.


Now that they've got their coach, the Browns can focus on finding a GM to replace Tom Heckert, fired after three seasons.


___


Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL


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TNT Orders Dick Wolf Series “Cold Justice”






LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – TNT has ordered eight episodes of a new procedural from “Law & Order” boss Dick Wolf, the network said Wednesday.


The series bears the working title “Cold Justice” and is billed as an “unscripted procedural drama.” It will follow Texas prosecutor Kelly Siegler and Yolanda McClary, a crime-scene investigator for the Las Vegas Police Department, as they help local law-enforcement agencies in small towns across the country solve violent crimes that have sat cold because of lack of funding and proper forensic technology.






In each episode, Siegler and McClary will take on a different case, re-examining the evidence and questioning suspects and witnesses in an effort to finally solve the dormant cases.


The show is tentatively slated to premiere on TNT in late summer 2013.


Wolf will executive-produce the series, along with Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz (“Top Chef,” “Fashion Star”) and Tom Thayer (“Hitchcock”). The project comes to TNT from Wolf Films and Cutfort and Lipsitz’s Magical Elves production company.


“Cold Justice” will join other unscripted projects on TNT this year, including the Donnie Walhberg-produced “Boston’s Finest,” a Boston law-enforcement series, which premieres in February; and “The Hero,” a competition series starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which premieres in the summer. Also premiering in the summer: “72 Hours,” a race-against-the-clock competition set in the wild.


TV News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Draghi urges eurozone governments to fix economies






FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — European Central Bank head Mario Draghi says the struggling eurozone should leave recession later this year — provided European leaders keep working on economic reforms.


Draghi said Thursday at a news conference that some indicators “have broadly stabilized” although at low levels. He said that later this year “economic activity should gradually recover.”






He warned that “downside risk” to the economy of the 17 European Union countries that use the euro came from “slow implementation of structural reforms in the euro area.”


The bank is urging indebted governments to take steps to overhaul labor regulations and improve growth.


The bank left its key interest rate unchanged at 0.75 percent, a record low.


Economy News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Zale holiday sales metric up 2.3 pct, backs view






DALLAS (AP) — Zale Corp. said Thursday that a key sales measure rose 2.3 percent during the critical holiday shopping season, and the jewelry chain still expects to post a profit this year.


Zale hasn’t posted an annual profit since 2008. Its fiscal year ends in July.






Its revenue at stores open at least a year rose 2.3 percent during the holiday shopping season. November and December are important for retailers because they often make up a substantial chunk of the year’s revenue. The sales metric, meanwhile, is a key measure of a retailer’s health, because it excludes sales at stores that recently opened and closed.


Total revenue was almost unchanged at $ 567 million in November and December, however, because the company has fewer stores than it did a year ago.


Zale said that revenue at its namesake brand jewelry and outlet stores open at least a year rose 3.1 percent during the holiday shopping season, while its U.S. fine jewelry brands posted a 2.2 percent increase. The same metric rose 2.7 percent at its Canadian fine jewelry brands. At Piercing Pagoda, the company’s kiosk jewelry business, it rose 1.7 percent..


Yahoo! Finance – Personal Finance





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Wall Street climbs at open on China data


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks advanced at the open on Thursday as stronger-than-expected exports in China, the world's second-biggest economy, raised hopes for a more robust recovery in the global economy this year.


The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> gained 51.22 points, or 0.38 percent, to 13,441.73. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> climbed 8.01 points, or 0.55 percent, to 1,469.03. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> rose 21.80 points, or 0.70 percent, to 3,127.61.


(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Bernadette Baum)



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NFL player Junior Seau had brain disease CTE


Junior Seau, one of the NFL's best and fiercest players for nearly two decades, had a degenerative brain disease when he committed suicide last May, the National Institutes of Health told The Associated Press on Thursday.


Results of an NIH study of Seau's brain revealed abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).


"The brain was independently evaluated by multiple experts, in a blind fashion," said Dr. Russell Lonser, who oversaw the study. "We had the opportunity to get multiple experts involved in a way they wouldn't be able to directly identify his tissue even if they knew he was one of the individuals studied."


The NIH, based in Bethesda, Md., conducted a study of three unidentified brains, one of which was Seau's. It said the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries."


Seau's family requested the analysis of his brain.


Seau was a star linebacker for 20 NFL seasons with San Diego, Miami and New England before retiring in 2009. He died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound.


He joins a list of several dozen football players who had CTE. Boston University's center for study of the disease reported last month that 34 former pro players and nine who played only college football suffered from CTE.


"I was not surprised after learning a little about CTE that he had it," Seau's 23-year-old son Tyler said. "He did play so many years at that level. I was more just kind of angry I didn't do something more and have the awareness to help him more, and now it is too late.


"I don't think any of us were aware of the side effects that could be going on with head trauma until he passed away. We didn't know his behavior was from head trauma."


That behavior, according to Tyler Seau and Junior's ex-wife Gina, included wild mood swings, irrationality, forgetfulness, insomnia and depression.


"He emotionally detached himself and would kind of 'go away' for a little bit," Tyler Seau said. "And then the depression and things like that. It started to progressively get worse."


He hid it well in public, they said. But not when he was with family or close friends.


The NFL faces lawsuits by thousands of former players who say the league withheld information on the harmful effects concussions can have on their health.


"We appreciate the Seau family's cooperation with the National Institutes of Health," the league said in an email statement to the AP. "The finding underscores the recognized need for additional research to accelerate a fuller understanding of CTE.


"The NFL, both directly and in partnership with the NIH, Centers for Disease Control and other leading organizations, is committed to supporting a wide range of independent medical and scientific research that will both address CTE and promote the long-term health and safety of athletes at all levels."


NFL teams have given a $30 million research grant to the NIH.


Seau is not the first former NFL player who killed himself, then was found to have CTE. Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling are others.


Duerson, a former Chicago Bears defensive back, left a note asking for his brain to be studied for signs of trauma before shooting himself. His family filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didn't do enough to prevent or treat the concussions that severely damaged his brain.


Easterling played safety for the Falcons in the 1970s. After his career, he suffered from dementia, depression and insomnia, according to his wife, Mary Ann. He committed suicide last April.


Mary Ann Easterling is among the plaintiffs who have sued the NFL.


"It was important to us to get to the bottom of this, the truth," Gina Seau said, "and now that it has been conclusively determined from every expert that he had obviously had it, CTE, we just hope it is taken more seriously.


"You can't deny it exists, and it is hard to deny there is a link between head trauma and CTE. There's such strong evidence correlating head trauma and collisions and CTE."


Tyler Seau played football through high school and for two years in college. He says he has no symptoms of any brain trauma.


Gina Seau's son Jake, now a high school junior, played football for two seasons, but has switched to lacrosse and has been recruited to play at Duke.


"Lacrosse is really his sport and what he is passionate about," she said. "He is a good football player and probably could continue. But especially now watching what his dad went through, he says, 'Why would I risk lacrosse for football?'


"I didn't have to have a discussion with him after we saw what Junior went through."


Her 12-year-old son, Hunter, has shown no interest in playing football.


"That's fine with me," she said.


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Karzai's U.S. visit a time for tough talk




The last time Presidents Obama and Karzai met was in May in Kabul, when they signed a pact regarding U.S. troop withdrawal.




STORY HIGHLIGHTS


  • Afghan President Karzai meeting with President Obama in Washington this week

  • Felbab-Brown: Afghan politics are corrupt; army not ready for 2014 troop pullout

  • She says Taliban, insurgents, splintered army, corrupt officials are all jockeying for power

  • U.S. needs to commit to helping Afghan security, she says, and insist corruption be wiped out




Editor's note: Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution. Her latest book is "Aspiration and Ambivalence: Strategies and Realities of Counterinsurgency and State-Building in Afghanistan."


(CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai is meeting this week with President Obama in Washington amid increasing ambivalence in the United States about what to do about the war in Afghanistan.


Americans are tired of the war. Too much blood and treasure has been spent. The White House is grappling with troop numbers for 2013 and with the nature and scope of any U.S. mission after 2014. With the persisting corruption and poor governance of the Afghan government and Karzai's fear that the United States is preparing to abandon him, the relationship between Kabul and Washington has steadily deteriorated.


As the United States radically reduces its mission in Afghanistan, it will leave behind a stalled and perilous security situation and a likely severe economic downturn. Many Afghans expect a collapse into civil war, and few see their political system as legitimate.


Karzai and Obama face thorny issues such as the stalled negotiations with the Taliban. Recently, Kabul has persuaded Pakistan to release some Taliban prisoners to jump-start the negotiations, relegating the United States to the back seat. Much to the displeasure of the International Security Assistance Force, the Afghan government also plans to release several hundred Taliban-linked prisoners, although any real momentum in the negotiations is yet to take place.



Vanda Felbab-Brown

Vanda Felbab-Brown



Washington needs to be careful that negotiations are structured in a way that enhances Afghanistan's stability and is not merely a fig leaf for U.S. and NATO troop departure. Countering terrorism will be an important U.S. interest after 2014. The Taliban may have soured on al Qaeda, but fully breaking with the terror group is not in the Taliban's best interest. If negotiations give the insurgents de facto control of parts of the country, the Taliban will at best play it both ways: with the jihadists and with the United States.


Negotiations of a status-of-forces agreement after 2014 will also be on the table between Karzai and Obama. Immunity of U.S. soldiers from Afghan prosecution and control over detainees previously have been major sticking points, and any Afghan release of Taliban-linked prisoners will complicate that discussion.










Karzai has seemed determined to secure commitments from Washington to deliver military enablers until Afghan support forces have built up. The Afghan National Security Forces have improved but cannot function without international enablers -- in areas such as air support, medevac, intelligence and logistical assets and maintenance -- for several years to come. But Washington has signaled that it is contemplating very small troop levels after 2014, as low as 3,000. CNN reports that withdrawing all troops might even be considered.


Everyone is hedging their bets in light of the transition uncertainties and the real possibility of a major security meltdown after 2014. Afghan army commanders are leaking intelligence and weapons to insurgents; Afghan families are sending one son to join the army, one to the Taliban and one to the local warlord's militia.


Patronage networks pervade the Afghan forces, and a crucial question is whether they can avoid splintering along ethnic and patronage lines after 2014. If security forces do fall apart, the chances of Taliban control of large portions of the country and a civil war are much greater. Obama can use the summit to announce concrete measures -- such as providing enablers -- to demonstrate U.S. commitment to heading off a security meltdown. The United States and international security forces also need to strongly focus on countering the rifts within the Afghan army.


Assisting the Afghan army after 2014 is important. But even with better security, it is doubtful that Afghanistan can be stable without improvements in its government.


Afghanistan's political system is preoccupied with the 2014 elections. Corruption, serious crime, land theft and other usurpation of resources, nepotism, a lack of rule of law and exclusionary patronage networks afflict governance. Afghans crave accountability and justice and resent the current mafia-like rule. Whether the 2014 elections will usher in better leaders or trigger violent conflict is another huge question mark.


Emphasizing good governance, not sacrificing it to short-term military expediencies by embracing thuggish government officials, is as important as leaving Afghanistan in a measured and unrushed way -- one that doesn't jeopardize the fledgling institutional and security capacity that the country has managed to build up.


Karzai has been deaf and blind to the reality that reducing corruption, improving governance and allowing for a more pluralistic political system are essential for Afghanistan's stability. His visit provides an opportunity to deliver the message again -- and strongly.


Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion


Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion


The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Vanda Felbab-Brown.






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“Lincoln” leads BAFTA film nominations with 10






LONDON (Reuters) – “Lincoln”, the story of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln’s battle to end slavery starring Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role, won 10 BAFTA nominations on Wednesday, putting it ahead of the pack at Britain’s top film honors.


The biopic was shortlisted in categories including best film, actor, supporting actor (Tommy Lee Jones) and supporting actress (Sally Field), but director Steven Spielberg was not nominated.






Added to its domination of the Golden Globe contenders going into Sunday night’s awards ceremony, British critics said the film appeared to be in pole position to sweep Oscar nominations which are announced on Thursday.


“Les Miserables”, the movie version of the global hit stage musical, and shipwreck saga “Life of Pi” followed with nine BAFTA nominations each, while the latest installment of James Bond, “Skyfall”, garnered eight.


Iranian hostage thriller “Argo” won seven nominations and “Anna Karenina”, an adaptation of the Russian novel, earned six.


Quentin Tarantino’s quirky slavery-era Western “Django Unchained” and “Zero Dark Thirty”, about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, were just behind with five nominations apiece.


“Amour”, Austrian director Michael Haneke’s moving portrayal of death, bagged four nominations, an unusually high number for a film in a foreign language.


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Eric Fellner of Working Title Films, the company behind Les Miserables and Anna Karenina, said he was pleased that two potentially risky projects had been recognized.


Les Miserables, by Oscar-winning director of “The King’s Speech” Tom Hooper, was sung live on set, while Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina, starring Keira Knightley and Jude Law, was set against the backdrop of elaborate stage sets.


“We knew that it was a much-loved musical and there was a large part of the world’s population who were also aware of the book,” Fellner said of Les Miserables after the BAFTA nominations were announced.


“But it didn’t stack up as a mainstream movie because over the past decades very few (musicals) have worked. It was a big risk,” he told Reuters, adding that awards recognition could provide a big lift for a picture just hitting theatres now.


Of Anna Karenina, he added: “The minute you do anything different it becomes harder to get it made. But we really believe in our film makers.”


Skyfall’s Judi Dench was nominated for best supporting actress as Bond’s spymaster M and Spanish actor Javier Bardem was nominated for best supporting actor as the villain Silva.


There is likely to be disappointment, however, that the movie which has become the most successful in British box office history, with critical acclaim to match, was not included on the most coveted shortlist – best film.


That award will be contested by Argo, Lincoln, Life of Pi, Les Miserables and Zero Dark Thirty.


Up for best actor alongside Day-Lewis is Ben Affleck (Argo), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables) and Joaquin Phoenix in Scientology tale The Master.


The best actress award is between 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), Helen Mirren (Hitchcock), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) and Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone).


As well as Haneke and Affleck, Ang Lee is in the running for best director (Life of Pi) as is Tarantino and Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty).


The BAFTAs have a patchy record in predicting which films go on to scoop the biggest movie honors, the Oscars, although last year the main winner in London, “The Artist”, also swept to success at the Academy Awards.


The awards ceremony for the BAFTAs, formally called the EE British Academy Film Awards, takes place in London on February 10.


(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)


Movies News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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Stock futures rise after Alcoa starts earnings season






NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stock index futures rose modestly on Wednesday as Alcoa got the earnings season under way with better-than-expected revenue.


Alcoa Inc also gave a positive outlook for 2013, but kept a cautious tone as worries lingered over a looming U.S. budget confrontation. Shares of Alcoa, the largest aluminum producer in the United States, rose 2.5 percent to $ 9.33 in premarket trade.






Even with the encouraging Alcoa report, investors were wary about the outcome of the fourth-quarter earnings season. Profits were expected to beat the previous quarter’s lackluster results, but analyst estimates were down sharply from October. Quarterly earnings were expected to grow by 2.7 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data.


Equities have pulled back over the last two sessions after last week’s rally, which was spurred by the “fiscal cliff” deal in Washington.


“With the euphoria of the fiscal cliff deal wearing off, the market is looking for the next positive theme and the hope is that earning season can fill that need,” said Andre Bakhos, director of market analytics at Lek Securities in New York.


“With expectations muted, any semblance of decent numbers could provide a robust upside potential.”


S&P 500 futures rose 1.2 points and were above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures added 15 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.50 point.


Dish Network Corp late Tuesday announced a bid for Clearwire Corp that trumped Sprint Nextel Corp’s $ 2.2 billion offer, setting the stage for a battle over the wireless service provider.


Clearwire was up 8.9 percent at $ 3.18 in premarket trading, while Sprint lost 3.5 percent to $ 5.76.


Apple Inc is working on a lower-end iPhone, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources. The report comes as Apple’s chief executive meets with partners and government officials in China.


Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Morgan Stanley are among a group of banks expected to agree as soon as this week to a $ 1.5 billion settlement with U.S. regulators over botched foreclosure claims, sources told Reuters on Tuesday.


Hard drive maker Seagate Technology rose 3.4 percent to $ 32.45 after it raised its second-quarter revenue forecast.


The biggest U.S. for-profit college company, Apollo Group Inc , reported lower student sign-ups for the third straight quarter and cut its operating profit forecast for 2013. Apollo’s shares dropped 7.2 percent to $ 19.44.


(Editing by Kenneth Barry)


Business News Headlines – Yahoo! News





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How to start a retirement fund in your 50s






Dear Dr. Don,
What’s the best way to start a retirement fund in your 50s? I realize that it’s a late start, but my husband was laid off and just began working again in June. We do not have a lot of money for a retirement fund, and we don’t know where to begin. Should we invest in stocks, bonds or certificates of deposit? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
– Denise Diligence


Dear Denise,
If you’re in your 50s, you probably have seven to 15 years until retirement. You’re going to need to make those years count. So don’t dabble in saving for retirement. Jump in with both feet. Save until it hurts.






Your husband should first check whether his employer has a 401(k) plan and whether the employer matches employee contributions to the plan. Companies typically kick in 50 cents for every dollar the employee contributes into a 401(k), and they’ll usually contribute up to 6 percent of salary. That’s a 50 percent return before you even decide how to invest the funds. The plan provider may also help your husband with investment advice.


In general, you’re going to want to get as good of a return as possible in your investments while avoiding risky bets. Because of that, CDs probably aren’t the answer. They protect principal but not purchasing power. You’ll want a mix of stock and bonds in your portfolio.


One decision you’ll need to make is whether you’d like to pay for professional investment advice. You can’t afford any investment blunders. So, working with a fee-only financial planner to evaluate your retirement income needs and develop a strategy for building and investing your retirement fund should be money well spent.


If you decide to go it alone, you could use an asset allocation calculator, such as the one available on Bankrate.com, to provide you with an initial read on investment choices. From there, I’d suggest a traditional individual retirement account or Roth IRA invested in no-load indexed stock and bond mutual funds that track broadly based market indexes. Exchange-traded funds tracking these indexes are also available as an alternative to mutual funds.


Get more news, money-saving tips and expert advice by signing up for a free Bankrate newsletter.



To ask a question of Dr. Don, go to the “Ask the Experts” page and select one of these topics: “Financing a home,” “Saving & Investing” or “Money.” Read more Dr. Don columns for additional personal finance advice.



Bankrate’s content, including the guidance of its advice-and-expert columns and this website, is intended only to assist you with financial decisions. The content is broad in scope and does not consider your personal financial situation. Bankrate recommends that you seek the advice of advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances before making any final decisions or implementing any financial strategy. Please remember that your use of this website is governed by Bankrate’s Terms of Use.


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Wall Street edges up at open after Alcoa results


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks opened slightly higher on Wednesday after Alcoa got the earnings season under way with better-than-expected revenue and an encouraging outlook for the year.


The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> gained 36.93 points, or 0.28 percent, to 13,365.78. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> rose 2.64 points, or 0.18 percent, to 1,459.79. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> advanced 7.35 points, or 0.24 percent, to 3,099.15.


(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Kenneth Barry)



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Redskins' RG3 has surgery on torn knee ligament


WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert Griffin III had surgery Wednesday morning to repair a torn ligament and to determine whether there was any other damage in his ailing right knee.


A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that the procedure was expected to last about two hours. The person said orthopedist James Andrews planned to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament and examine the state of Griffin's ACL.


The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Redskins had not made an announcement about the latest details surrounding the rookie quarterback's injury.


A torn LCL requires a rehabilitation period of several months, possibly extending into training camp and the start of next season. A torn ACL is a more severe injury, typically requiring nine to 12 months of recovery, although Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson made a remarkable return this season some eight months after tearing an ACL — and nearly broke the NFL's single-season rushing record


Griffin was optimistic before he entered surgery, tweeting early Wednesday: "Thank you for your prayers and support. I love God, my family, my team, the fans, & I love this game. See you guys next season."


Griffin reinjured his knee at least twice in Sunday's playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, prompting a national debate over whether coach Mike Shanahan endangered Griffin's career by not taking his franchise player out of the game sooner.


The first major injury to his knee came in 2009, when Griffin tore the ACL in the third game of the season while playing for Baylor. Griffin missed the rest of the year but returned in 2010 and won the Heisman Trophy in 2011.


Griffin sprained the LCL last month when he was hit by Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata at the end of a 13-yard scramble. Griffin missed one game and returned to play three more with a knee brace, his mobility clearly hindered.


Then, on Sunday, Griffin hurt the knee again as he fell awkwardly while throwing a pass in the first quarter against the Seahawks. He remained in the game, with Shanahan saying he trusted Griffin's word that all was OK.


Griffin finally departed in the fourth quarter, after the knee buckled while he was trying to field a bad shotgun snap.


The No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft, Griffin was one of several rookie quarterbacks to make an instant impact on the NFL this season. He set the league record for best season passer rating by a rookie QB and led the Redskins to their first NFC East title in 13 years.


But he also had to leave three games early due to injuries — two because of his knee and one because of a concussion — and missed a fourth altogether because of the knee.


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Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP


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Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL


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Australian firefighters battle bush blazes, intense heat






STORY HIGHLIGHTS


  • NEW: Federal government steps in with fuel, personnel to help NSW fire effort

  • More than 130 fires are burning across NSW during one of the hottest days on record

  • 90% of the Australian state is under "severe" or higher fire warnings

  • High temperatures and dry conditions have combined to create "dangerous day"




Editor's note: Are you there? Send your stories, images to iReport


(CNN) -- Soaring temperatures and strong winds have combined to create a "catastrophic" fire threat across the southeast Australian state of New South Wales.


Residents have been warned to remain vigilant as temperatures rise towards a predicted high of 43 degrees (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in the state capital of Sydney.


In some areas of the state, winds of more than 70 kilometers an hour (43 mph) were threatening to fan the flames of fires already burning. However, a change in wind direction had caused temperatures in certain parts of the state to fall, offering some relief.


A "catastrophic" fire risk has been declared in four areas of NSW, although the risk across 90% of the state is "severe" or above. A "catastrophic" warning carries the risk of significant loss of life and the destruction of many homes, according to the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS).


"I cannot say it more plainly: the risk is real and potentially deadly. People need to act now," the service's Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said.


The "catastrophic" fire threat had led many to fear a repeat of "Black Saturday" in 2009, when soaring temperatures and high winds fanned the flames of a series of bushfires across the state of Victoria, leaving 173 people dead and 500 injured, and destroying thousands of homes.









Australia battles bush blazes, intense heat













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On Tuesday afternoon, the Australian government announced that the state fire service would be granted access to Defence Force bases, fuel and personnel as part of the federal government disaster response plan.


Earlier, Prime Minister Julia Gillard warned it was "dangerous" day and urged people to "stay focused."


"The word catastrophic is being used for good reason," Gillard told CNN affiliate the Seven Network.


"It is very important that people keep themselves safe, that they listen to local authorities and local warnings."


Total fire bans were place in the states of NSW, Victoria and across the whole of Tasmania, the southern island state ravaged by fire in recent days.


On Tuesday afternoon, more than 130 fires were burning throughout NSW, with over 40 of those yet to be controlled, according to NSW RFS.


There were no reports of any homes having being destroyed but authorities warned that the dry, hot conditions were expected to stretch into the night.


"It's a long way ahead -- we've got a lot of daylight left and a lot of nighttime left under these conditions," Fitzsimmons said.


Thousands of firefighters were battling blazes on the ground, and more than 40 aircraft and 250 fire trucks had been deployed, a fire service spokeswoman said.


Thousands more firefighters were on standby in high risk areas, including 21 "strike teams," each consisting of five tankers to assist local brigades.


The fire service said it was relying on people to report fires in their areas, but that surveillance flights were also monitoring the landscape for smoke and flames.


Authorities said residents and tourists had responded well to early warnings to abandon properties under threat.


"If you are in a bushfire risk area -- if you are an at risk location, leaving early is the safest option," Fitzsimmons said.


Record high temperatures and the delayed state of the Australian monsoon season have created a tinderbox out of large swathes of bush and scrub land across the state.


The last four months of 2012 were "abnormally hot" across Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Meterology. Average maximum temperatures were the highest since records began in 1910.


In the first days of the new year, extreme heat contributed to the spread of fires across Tasmania.


Firefighters are still on alert, tackling a number of blazes, as residents who were in the path of the earlier fires returned to the charred rubble of their homes. More than 100 properties were destroyed or damaged, though authorities warn more may be at risk.


Rescue workers are continuing to search for human remains as around 100 people have still not contacted friends or family, according to Tasmania police.


"It's vitally important that all people who were in the area at the time, and are OK, self-register their details with the National Registration and Inquiry Service operated by the Red Cross," said Acting Deputy Commissioner Donna Adams.


Meanwhile, police have charged a 31-year-old man for allegedly causing one of the worst of the fires by leaving a campfire unattended that was not completely extinguished.







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