Home Improvements That Yield Real Returns | Here and Now

Extensive remodeling projects can be disruptive, time-consuming and most of all expensive. However, it doesn?t always have to be the case. There are a few upgrades that can not only dramatically improve your home feel and look, but also come cheap.

When you try to sell your home, it?s a good idea to spruce it up a little bit to sweeten the deal. Luckily, you don?t have to spend big time to achieve great results. There are inexpensive projects that can yield substantial ROI. You can find five best picks that avoid hassle and are relatively quick to finish.

New Floors

This one isn?t fast or cheap but compared to kitchen or bathroom updates costs almost to nothing while its effect on your home is enormous and lasting. This is an investment that is worthwhile. No matter if you install new hard floor or wall-to-wall carpet. Your home will look completely changed afterwards. However, this isn?t an easy DIY project and it?s best to hire a contractor.

Kitchen and Bath Hardware Renovation

Unlike installing new floors, changing few handles and hinges can make your kitchen cabinets look like new. Additionally, you can change their front doors inexpensively. For your bathroom you can put new toilet paper dispensers and towel racks.

Exterior Door Replacement

What?s a better way to say that you have improved a home than a new front door? Visitors will be able to see it from afar and notice its fresh and inviting look. Standard front doors can be purchased in most home improvement stores and have installation options for free.

Wall Painting

You can always count on a fresh coat of paint to refresh your home and make it more appealing. It?ll do wonders for your home and its value. Painted areas like walls and ceiling get dull and marked after years of use. Another coat of paint will not only refresh them but also provide a layer of protection. Painting is a truly DIY project provided that you get your colors right, a few tools and are really patient type of person.

Deep Cleaning

Actually this project is consistently voted as number among real estate agents and homeowners alike as the most successful and least expensive way to spruce up your home and increase its value before you listed it on the market.

Home Improvement Articles ? Sooper Articles

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Source: http://0634lw.com/home-improvements-that-yield-real-returns/

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Simon Cowell launches online talent contest

FILE - Simon Cowell arrives at the "American Idol" finale in this file photo dated Wednesday, May 26, 2010, in Los Angeles, USA. The impresarios Cowell's Syco Entertainment company on Thursday Feb. 28, 2013, has launched a year-long YouTube channel global online talent contest called You Generation, looking for talent in all kinds of arenas including musicians, photographers, makeup artists, magicians and chefs, with auditions in a different category of talent every two weeks and a grand final after one year. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, FILE)

FILE - Simon Cowell arrives at the "American Idol" finale in this file photo dated Wednesday, May 26, 2010, in Los Angeles, USA. The impresarios Cowell's Syco Entertainment company on Thursday Feb. 28, 2013, has launched a year-long YouTube channel global online talent contest called You Generation, looking for talent in all kinds of arenas including musicians, photographers, makeup artists, magicians and chefs, with auditions in a different category of talent every two weeks and a grand final after one year. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, FILE)

LONDON (AP) ? Simon Cowell has taken over television screens and radio airwaves around the world. Now he's taking aim at the Internet.

Cowell's Syco Entertainment empire and YouTube announced Thursday that they are launching "The You Generation," a global online talent contest that is seeking entries from people with "unconventional and original talents" ? from musicians and photographers to makeup artists, magicians and chefs.

Syco says the contest, which starts next month and is due to run for a year, will seek auditions in a different category of talent every two weeks. Entrants can upload their pieces on a dedicated YouTube channel, to be viewed by the public and judged by professionals associated with Syco.

There will be prizes ? exactly what they are has yet to be announced ? every fortnight and a grand prize at the end of the year.

Syco calls the initiative an experiment aimed at discovering new talent. It's the company's bid to tap the power of social media, which has launched millions of wannabe celebrities ? and some genuine stars, including Justin Bieber.

You Generation will be available in 15 languages and 26 countries around the world.

Syco is a joint venture between Sony Music and Cowell, the entertainment mogul who became a household name as an acerbic judge on TV talent shows. Syco's projects include the "X Factor" and "Got Talent" TV shows in the U.S. and Britain, and its music acts range from Susan Boyle to One Direction.

___

Online: www.youtube.com/yougeneration

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-28-Britain-Simon%20Cowell/id-3385d5213fa440cba856c67499bf369e

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Sea lamprey genome mapped with help from scientists at OU

Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Angela Startz
astartz@ou.edu
405-325-6664
University of Oklahoma

Researchers include McCauley and Clifton

Beginning in 2004, a group of scientists from around the globe, including two University of Oklahoma faculty members, set out to map the genome of the sea lamprey. The secrets of how this jawless vertebrate separated from the jawed vertebrates early in the evolutionary process will give insight to the ancestry of vertebrate characters and may help investigators more fully understand neurodegenerative diseases in humans.

David McCauley, associate professor in the Biology Department in the OU College of Arts and Sciences, and Sandra W. Clifton, with the OU Center for Advanced Genome Technology, collaborated with scientists from Japan, Germany, the United States, Canada and Great Britain.

McCauley isolated and prepared the liver tissue from the single adult female sea lamprey, from which genomic DNA was isolated for sequencing. Clifton was involved in management of the sea lamprey sequencing project at the Genome Institute at Washington University in St. Louis until her retirement in 2010. The project then was taken over by Patrick Minx. Clifton participated in the discussions regarding the paper preparation, and she is a senior author on the paper. Sequencing was performed at the Genome Institute and the project was directed by Weiming Li at Michigan State University with funding provided by the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

"The sea lamprey is a primitive jawless vertebrate that diverged from other jawed vertebrates early in the vertebrate ancestry," writes McCauley. "Because of its early divergence from other living vertebrates, the sea lamprey genome can provide insights for understanding how vertebrate genomes have evolved, and the origins of vertebrate character traits. Several important findings arise from sequencing the sea lamprey genome: Vertebrates have undergone two 'whole-genome' rounds of duplication, resulting in multiple copies of many genes present in vertebrates. One outstanding question has been the timing of these duplications in vertebrate history. Results from this project suggest that two rounds of duplication predated the divergence of the ancestral lamprey from modern jawed vertebrates. This result is important for understanding how vertebrate genomes have evolved, and in particular, for understanding if the organization of the genome is common to all vertebrates.

"Most vertebrates contain an insulating layer of cells that surround nerve cells. Cells that wrap around a nerve fiber, or axon, are enriched in a protein known as myelin. The insulating properties of myelin allow signals to be conducted rapidly along the nerve fiber, and the loss of myelin results in numerous neurodegenerative diseases in humans."

McCauley adds that lampreys lack these "wrapped" neurons, suggesting the insulated neurons are specific to jawed vertebrates. "Somewhat surprisingly, the sea lamprey genome contains multiple proteins involved in the synthesis of myelin, including its basic protein. This important finding suggests the origin of myelin predated the divergence of lampreys from the lineage leading to jawed vertebrates, but the role of these proteins in lampreys is not known. Other important findings shed light on evolution of the vertebrate adaptive immune system, and the evolution of paired appendages, such as fins in fish and fore-limbs and hind-limbs in tetrapod vertebrates such as humans and animals."

###

The findings recently were published in the March issue of Nature Genetics. To read the full article, visit www.nature.com/ng.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Angela Startz
astartz@ou.edu
405-325-6664
University of Oklahoma

Researchers include McCauley and Clifton

Beginning in 2004, a group of scientists from around the globe, including two University of Oklahoma faculty members, set out to map the genome of the sea lamprey. The secrets of how this jawless vertebrate separated from the jawed vertebrates early in the evolutionary process will give insight to the ancestry of vertebrate characters and may help investigators more fully understand neurodegenerative diseases in humans.

David McCauley, associate professor in the Biology Department in the OU College of Arts and Sciences, and Sandra W. Clifton, with the OU Center for Advanced Genome Technology, collaborated with scientists from Japan, Germany, the United States, Canada and Great Britain.

McCauley isolated and prepared the liver tissue from the single adult female sea lamprey, from which genomic DNA was isolated for sequencing. Clifton was involved in management of the sea lamprey sequencing project at the Genome Institute at Washington University in St. Louis until her retirement in 2010. The project then was taken over by Patrick Minx. Clifton participated in the discussions regarding the paper preparation, and she is a senior author on the paper. Sequencing was performed at the Genome Institute and the project was directed by Weiming Li at Michigan State University with funding provided by the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

"The sea lamprey is a primitive jawless vertebrate that diverged from other jawed vertebrates early in the vertebrate ancestry," writes McCauley. "Because of its early divergence from other living vertebrates, the sea lamprey genome can provide insights for understanding how vertebrate genomes have evolved, and the origins of vertebrate character traits. Several important findings arise from sequencing the sea lamprey genome: Vertebrates have undergone two 'whole-genome' rounds of duplication, resulting in multiple copies of many genes present in vertebrates. One outstanding question has been the timing of these duplications in vertebrate history. Results from this project suggest that two rounds of duplication predated the divergence of the ancestral lamprey from modern jawed vertebrates. This result is important for understanding how vertebrate genomes have evolved, and in particular, for understanding if the organization of the genome is common to all vertebrates.

"Most vertebrates contain an insulating layer of cells that surround nerve cells. Cells that wrap around a nerve fiber, or axon, are enriched in a protein known as myelin. The insulating properties of myelin allow signals to be conducted rapidly along the nerve fiber, and the loss of myelin results in numerous neurodegenerative diseases in humans."

McCauley adds that lampreys lack these "wrapped" neurons, suggesting the insulated neurons are specific to jawed vertebrates. "Somewhat surprisingly, the sea lamprey genome contains multiple proteins involved in the synthesis of myelin, including its basic protein. This important finding suggests the origin of myelin predated the divergence of lampreys from the lineage leading to jawed vertebrates, but the role of these proteins in lampreys is not known. Other important findings shed light on evolution of the vertebrate adaptive immune system, and the evolution of paired appendages, such as fins in fish and fore-limbs and hind-limbs in tetrapod vertebrates such as humans and animals."

###

The findings recently were published in the March issue of Nature Genetics. To read the full article, visit www.nature.com/ng.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/uoo-slg022813.php

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State oil firm warns Nigeria rating at risk if debt deal blocked

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's state oil firm has told politicians any move to block its deals to finance payment of $3.5 billion owed to fuel traders could expose Africa's second-largest economy to a sovereign credit downgrade or a banking crisis.

Major oil trading houses including Vitol , Glencore, Trafigura and Mercuria are owed millions of dollars by Nigeria for fuel deliveries, according to a government-commissioned report released last year.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC) accumulated the debts to traders, some of which are three years old, due to non-payment of fuel subsidies by the government, the head of the company told parliament on Monday.

The Finance Ministry did not respond to calls for comment.

Trafigura, Mercuria, Vitol and Glencore all declined comment.

Group Managing Director Andrew Yakubu told lawmakers NNPC was borrowing $1.56 billion through a special purpose vehicle to offset part of the fuel import debts and that it had allocated 15,000 barrels per day of oil output for a period of up to five years to pay back the money, the company said in a statement.

Standard Chartered, which managed the banking deal, declined official comment.

Yakubu said the company planned to settle the remaining debts through a second such forward sales arrangement as well as internal resources.

Lawmakers have questioned the fund-raising deal, saying NNPC is not allowed to take out loans under rules set out in the constitution.

NNPC says it was not a loan.

"The exposure of domestic banks is about $1.5 billion, and a default of this magnitude of exposure could lead to another round of banking crisis," NNPC said in a statement.

"The NNPC GMD stated that the continued delay has dire consequences ranging from a major negative impact on the sovereign credit rating to costly litigation against the federal government in foreign courts," it added.

The House of Representatives committee asked to see NNPC's documents and said it would investigate.

CREDIT RATING

Credit rating agency Standard and Poor's upgraded Nigeria in November, citing improved financial stability and optimism over banking and electricity reforms. Its ratings from the three major agencies are still in junk territory, however, at BB- from S&P and Fitch and Ba3 from Moody's.

Nigeria's banking crisis ended with a sharp recovery in bank earnings last year after a 2009 credit crisis led to the near collapse of nine lenders.

OPEC member Nigeria is among the world's top 10 crude oil exporters but has insufficient refining capacity to meet its domestic fuel needs and relies heavily on imports of oil products. The government uses subsidies to keep a lid on retail petrol prices.

President Goodluck Jonathan attempted to end fuel subsidies a year ago but backed down after it sparked widespread protests.

Decades of mismanagement and corruption have left NNPC heavily indebted, several audits have shown.

Trading companies have been battling for months to recoup the money, and some have stopped supplying Nigeria with fuel. Most have remained in the west African country, however, partly because of the huge opportunities it presents in the trading of crude oil.

The government-commissioned report showed that Glencore was owed $138 million, Vitol $198 million and Trafigura $53 million.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/state-oil-firm-warns-nigeria-rating-risk-debt-151648735--finance.html

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Police and firefighters at higher risk for mental disorders following traumatic events

Feb. 26, 2013 ? Police, firefighters and other protective services workers who are repeatedly exposed to traumatic events and are new to their profession are at greater risk of developing a psychiatric disorder, according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers also found that protective services workers do not appear to have a higher prevalence of mental health problems than workers in other occupations.

The study results are featured in the February 2013 issue of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness.

"Our findings suggest that exposure to diverse types of traumatic events among protective services workers is a risk factor for new onset of psychopathology and alcohol use disorders," said Christopher N. Kaufmann, MHS, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the Bloomberg School's Department of Mental Health. "When we examined the relationship of exposure to common traumas with the development of mood, anxiety and alcohol use disorders among protective services workers, we found that these workers were at greater risk for developing a mood or alcohol use disorder. Interestingly, this relationship was not seen in those who had been in these jobs for a longer period, but was strong and statistically significant in workers who recently joined the profession. Developing curricula in coping skills and providing timely interventions for early career protective services workers may help reduce future psychiatric morbidity in these workers."

Using data from the U.S National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions researchers compared the prevalence of mental disorders of protective services workers to that of adults in other occupations. In addition, they examined the association of exposure to common traumatic experiences with the development of new mood, anxiety and alcohol use disorders among protective services workers who recently joined the workforce and those who had been in these jobs for a longer period. Lifetime and recent trauma events most commonly reported by protective services workers included: seeing someone badly injured or killed; unexpectedly seeing a dead body; having someone close die unexpectedly and having someone close experience a serious or life-threatening illness, accident or injury.

"The association between the number of different traumatic event types and incident mood and alcohol-use disorders, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder, was virtually confined to the group of early career protective services workers," said Ramin Mojtabai, MD, PhD, MPH, senior author of the study and an associate professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of Mental Health. "Future research should examine the coping skills of protective services workers who have been in these jobs for many years, which might make them less likely to develop psychiatric complications in the face of various potentially traumatic experiences."

The authors note, "Special support programs and services for these early career workers can potentially help to prevent development of chronic psychopathology and attrition from these critical jobs."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. C. N. Kaufmann, L. Rutkow, A. P. Spira, R. Mojtabai. Mental Health of Protective Services Workers: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2012; DOI: 10.1001/dmp.2012.55

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/WSK0dd0C2xI/130226141256.htm

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Experts: Pistorius violated basic firearms rules

FILE - In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

FILE - In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

FILE - In this photo taken Thursday Feb. 14, 2013 a police officer holds a gun that was alledgedly used in the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp, at the home of athlete Oscar Pistorius, at the Boschkop police station east of Pretoria. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Pretoria News, Phill Magakoe, File) SOUTH AFRICA OUT

FILE - In this photo taken Wednesday Feb. 20 2013 two Tuesday newspaper headlines carrying the news of Olympian Athlete Oscar Pistorius' applications for six firearms are photographed in Johannesburg. Pistorius applied for licenses for six guns a few weeks before he shot and killed his girlfriend and Pistorius says the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp was accidental. Prosecutors have charged him with premeditated murder. Afrikaans newspaper headline left, reads "Police refuse Oscar weapon, gets 9mm license after appeal". Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell-File)

FILE - In this frame grab from CCTV footage leaked to M-Net's Carte Blanche program which viewed Sunday Feb 24, 2013, shows Reeva Steenkamp entering the secured access to the Silverwoods housing estate, home of Olympian athlete Oscar Pistorius, some hours before she was shot and killed at Pistorius' home. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/M-Net Carte Blanche, File)

FILE - In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands in the dock during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe-File)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Even if Oscar Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star athlete violated basic gun-handling regulations and exposed himself to a homicide charge by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it.

Particularly jarring for firearms instructors and legal experts is that Pistorius testified that he shot at a closed toilet door, fearing but not knowing for certain that a nighttime intruder was on the other side. Instead of an intruder, Pistorius' girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was in the toilet cubicle. Struck by three of four shots that Pistorius fired from a 9 mm pistol, she died within minutes. Prosecutors charged Pistorius with premeditated murder, saying the shooting followed an argument between the two. Pistorius said it was an accident.

South Africa has stringent laws regulating the use of lethal force for self-protection. In order to get a permit to own a firearm, applicants must not only know those rules but must demonstrate proficiency with the weapon and knowledge of its safe handling, making it far tougher to legally own a gun in South Africa than many other countries where a mere background check suffices.

Pistorius took such a competency test for his 9 mm pistol and passed it, according to the South African Police Service's National Firearms Center. Pistorius' license for the 9 mm pistol was issued in September 2010. The Olympic athlete and Paralympic medalist should have known that firing blindly, instead of at a clearly identified target, violates basic gun-handling rules, firearms and legal experts said.

"You can't shoot through a closed door," said Andre Pretorius, president of the Professional Firearm Trainers Council, a regulatory body for South African firearms instructors. "People who own guns and have been through the training, they know that shooting through a door is not going to go through South African law as an accident."

"There is no situation in South Africa that allows a person to shoot at a threat that is not identified," Pretorius added. "Firing multiple shots, it makes it that much worse. ...It could have been a minor ? a 15-year-old kid, a 12-year-old kid ? breaking in to get food."

The Pistorius family, through Arnold Pistorius, uncle of the runner, has said it is confident that the evidence will prove that Steenkamp's death in the predawn hours of Feb. 14 was "a terrible and tragic accident."

In an affidavit to the magistrate who last Friday freed him on bail, Pistorius said he believed an intruder or intruders had gotten into his US$560,000 (?430,000) two-story house, in a guarded and gated community with walls topped by electrified fencing east of the capital, Pretoria, and were inside the toilet cubicle in his bathroom. Believing he and Steenkamp "would be in grave danger" if they came out, "I fired shots at the toilet door" with the pistol that he slept with under his bed, he testified.

Criminal law experts said that even if the prosecution fails to prove premeditated murder, firing several shots through a closed door could bring a conviction for the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide, a South African equivalent of manslaughter covering unintentional deaths through negligence.

Johannesburg attorney Martin Hood, who specializes in firearm law, said South African legislation allows gun owners to use lethal force only if they believe they are facing an immediate, serious and direct attack or threat of attack that could either be deadly or cause grievous injury.

According to Pistorius' own sworn statement read in court, he "did not meet those criteria," said Hood, who is also the spokesman for the South African Gun Owners' Association.

"If he fired through a closed door, there was no threat to him. It's as simple as that," he added. "He can't prove an attack on his life ... In my opinion, at the very least, he is guilty of culpable homicide."

The Associated Press emailed a request for comment to Vuma, a South African reputation management firm hired by the Pistorius family to handle media questions about the shooting.

The firm replied: "Due to the legal sensitivities around the matter, we cannot at this stage answer any of your questions as it might have legal implications for a case that still has to be tried in a court of law." Vuma said on Monday it referred the AP's questions to Pistorius' legal team, which by Tuesday had not replied.

Culpable homicide covers unintentional deaths ranging from accidents with no negligence, like a motorist whose brakes fail, killing another road user, "to where it verges on murder or where it almost becomes intentional," said Hood. Sentences ? ranging from fines to prison ? are left to courts to determine and are not set by fixed guidelines.

The tough standards for legally acquiring a gun were instituted in part because of a wave of weapons purchases after the end of racist white rule in 1994, said Rick De Caris, a former legal director in the South African police. Under South Africa's white-minority apartheid regime, gun owners often learned how to handle firearms during military service. Many of the new gun owners had little or no firearms training, which brought tragic results, De Caris said.

"People were literally shooting themselves when cleaning a firearm," said De Caris, who helped draft the Firearms Control Act of 2000.

Prospective gun owners must now take written exams that include questions on the law, have to show they can safely handle and shoot a gun and are required to hit a target the size of a glossy magazine in 10 of 10 shots from seven meters (23 feet), said Pretorius of the Professional Firearm Trainers Council.

In his affidavit, Pistorius said he wasn't wearing his prosthetic limbs "and felt extremely vulnerable" after hearing noise from the toilet.

"I grabbed my 9 mm pistol from underneath my bed. On my way to the bathroom, I screamed words to the effect for him/them to get out of my house and for Reeva to phone the police. It was pitch-dark in the bedroom and I thought Reeva was in bed," he testified.

Legal experts said they are puzzled why Pistorius apparently didn't first fire a warning shot to show the supposed intruder he was armed. Also unanswered is why, after he heard noise in his bathroom that includes the toilet cubicle, Pistorius still went toward the bathroom ? toward the perceived danger ? rather than retreat back into his bedroom.

"He should have tried to get out of the situation," said Hood, the attorney.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-26-Pistorius%20Shooting-Closed%20Door/id-d87a1cb6e5344be9ba8b91b6a40043ae

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Mac Miller Was 'Skeptical' About Doing 'Most Dope' TV Show

'To see my life as an MTV Show is kind of weird, but it's gonna be tight,' Mac says of his reality TV debut Tuesday on MTV2.
By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Steven Roberts

Mac Miller
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702606/mac-miller-most-dope-family-tv-show-mtv2.jhtml

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Obama, top lawmakers to meet Friday on budget cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The White House conceded Wednesday that efforts to avoid automatic budget cuts are unlikely to succeed before they kick in and is initiating new talks with congressional leaders to confront seemingly intractable tax-and-spend issues.

President Barack Obama will meet at the White House Friday with House and Senate leaders of both parties several hours after the deadline for averting the cuts, known in Washington-speak as a "sequester," has passed. This would put the White House and Congress essentially in the position of looking past the cuts to the next looming fiscal showdown: A March 27 deadline to continue government operations or force a government shutdown.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the White House talks, arranged Tuesday, are designed to be a "constructive discussion" about how to keep the cuts from having harmful consequences. Obama has been calling for a mix of spending cuts and tax increases to achieve deficit reduction goals.

The White House has warned that the $85 billion in cuts could affect everything from commercial flights to classrooms and meat inspections. The cuts would slash domestic and defense spending, leading to forced unpaid days off for hundreds of thousands of government workers.

The impact won't be immediate. Federal workers would be notified next week that they will have to take up to a day every week off without pay, but the furloughs won't start for a month due to notification requirements. That will give negotiators some breathing room to keep working on a deal.

The Senate planned to vote on a Democratic stop gap measure on Thursday that would forestall the automatic cuts through the end of the year. It would replace them with longer-term cuts to the Pentagon and cash payments to farmers, and by installing a minimum 30 percent tax rate on income exceeding $1 million.

But Republicans oppose tax increases and will likely block the measure. Carney argued that such opposition would mean the cuts, known as a sequester in budget terms, would be the responsibility of Republicans.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Friday's session will focus on ways to reduce government spending, but he also said he will not back down on his opposition to any new revenues. McConnell, along with House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, will attend meeting at the White House.

"We can either secure those reductions more intelligently, or we can do it the president's way with across-the board cuts. But one thing Americans simply will not accept is another tax increase to replace spending reductions we already agreed to," said McConnell, R-Ky.

Carney said Obama also spoke briefly with congressional leaders Wednesday ahead of a ceremony in the Capitol to unveil a statue of civil rights heroine Rosa Parks. Obama and House Speaker John Boehner jointly led the unveiling, standing with the statue between them as they grasped and pulled in opposite directions on the braided cord that held the covering.

With the cuts now imminent, the administration continued its campaign Wednesday to cast them in dire terms. Education Secretary Arne Duncan appeared in the White House briefing room to detail what he described as bad choices in reducing assistance to schools and early childhood programs.

"The only choice I can make would be to hurt fewer poor children and help more special needs kids, or do the opposite," Duncan said. "It's a no-win proposition."

He said the first to feel the pinch will be school districts in and around military bases and Native American reservations, entities which receive direct federal aid to make up for lower local property taxes.

Duncan's remarks came a day after the Department of Homeland Security announced that the forced cuts had prompted the federal immigration enforcement agency to start releasing illegal immigrants being held in immigrant jails across the country.

Carney on Wednesday said the decision was made by career immigration and customs enforcement officials, without input from the White House.

Friday's meeting reflects a move to jumpstart negotiations after weeks of inaction on cuts that both parties have said could inflict major damage to government programs, the military and the economy at large. No serious talks to avert the cuts have been under way, and Friday's meeting will be the first face-to-face discussion between Obama and Republican leaders this year.

Republicans were considering offering a measure that would give Obama authority to propose a rewrite to the 2013 budget to redistribute the cuts. Obama would be unable to cut defense by more than the $43 billion reduction that the Pentagon currently faces, and would also be unable to raise taxes to undo the cuts. The GOP plan would allow the Obama proposal to go into effect unless Congress passed a resolution to overturn them.

The idea is that money could be transferred from lower-priority accounts to accounts funding air traffic control or meat inspection. But the White House says that such moves would only offer slight relief. At the same time, however, it could take pressure off of Congress to address the sequester.

In the House, where Republicans in the last Congress passed legislation to replace the cuts, Boehner has said it's now up to Obama and the Senate to figure a way out. The Senate never took up the House-passed bills, which expired when the new Congress was seated in January.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-top-lawmakers-meet-friday-budget-cuts-150046443--politics.html

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Mattei takes 'step up' to role in 'Parsifal'

In this Feb. 11, 2013 photo provided by the Metropolitan Opera, Peter Mattei performs as Amfortas in Wagner's "Parsifal," during the final dress rehearsal at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Amfortas, though a supporting role, is crucial to ?Parsifal.? He's the leader of the Knights of the Grail, but is unable to perform his duties because of an agonizing wound inflicted on him by a sorcerer after he was seduced by a beautiful woman. (AP Photo/ Metropolitan Opera, Ken Howard)

In this Feb. 11, 2013 photo provided by the Metropolitan Opera, Peter Mattei performs as Amfortas in Wagner's "Parsifal," during the final dress rehearsal at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Amfortas, though a supporting role, is crucial to ?Parsifal.? He's the leader of the Knights of the Grail, but is unable to perform his duties because of an agonizing wound inflicted on him by a sorcerer after he was seduced by a beautiful woman. (AP Photo/ Metropolitan Opera, Ken Howard)

In this Feb. 8, 2013 photo provided by the Metropolitan Opera, Peter Mattei performs as Amfortas in Wagner's "Parsifal," during a dress rehearsal at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. When Mattei agreed to debut the role at the Met, he was known mostly as a Mozart singer, and the only Wagner he had sung was the lyrical Wolfram in ?Tannhaeuser.? At first, Mattei confided, ?I was a little nervous to do it. Wolfram for me was spot on, but I knew Amfortas was a step up dramatically. (AP Photo/ Metropolitan Opera, Ken Howard)

It's midmorning, less than 12 hours after he finished another grueling performance as the tormented Amfortas in Wagner's "Parsifal," and Peter Mattei is already singing again.

"My voice is in perfect shape. I could do a show tonight," the Swedish baritone said in an interview last week, midway through a seven-performance run of Wagner's final opera. "I check after each performance. I sing some Bach, some lieder, because I want to make sure everything's OK. So far, so good."

Better than good, the critics agree. James Jorden in the New York Post praised his "velvety baritone," while Manuela Hoelterhoff for Bloomberg News enthused: "I don't think better singers exist anywhere in the world, especially Peter Mattei as Amfortas."

Listeners have a chance to judge for themselves Saturday when a live matinee performance will be broadcast on the radio and shown in HD on movie theaters around the world. Headlining the cast of the new Francois Girard production are tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the title role, bass Rene Pape and soprano Katarina Dalayman. Daniele Gatti conducts.

Amfortas, though a supporting role, is crucial to "Parsifal." He's the leader of the Knights of the Grail, but is unable to perform his duties because of an agonizing wound inflicted on him by a sorcerer after he was seduced by a beautiful woman. His two long monologues in Acts 1 and 3 are punctuated by cries of rage and remorse, often over heavy orchestration.

When Mattei agreed to debut the role at the Met, he was known mostly as a Mozart singer, and the only Wagner he had sung was the lyrical Wolfram in "Tannhaeuser." At first, Mattei confided, "I was a little nervous to do it. Wolfram for me was spot on, but I knew Amfortas was a step up dramatically.

"You have to dig in a little bit," he said. "But I try to do it in the same way as Wolfram, because the beautiful melodies are really there, even if it is very powerful sometimes."

In the Girard production, the physical demands are as great as the vocal ones. While some Amfortases are carried in a chair or stretcher, Mattei staggers on and off the stage leaning on two extras, who have to support virtually his entire weight. Since Mattei is well over 6 feet, that's no easy task, for him or for them.

"Girard told me, 'They are your legs,'" Mattei said. "He told me Amfortas has syphilis, so that's why his legs aren't working. The bone structure is breaking up. My body has this huge tension, singing crumpled over, not using my legs and always leaning on somebody."

Mattei said he wasn't familiar with "Parsifal" when he began studying the role last summer. "I found it a very good piece to not know so much about," he said, "because then you can just listen to the music, and you'll have a much more instinctive input from Wagner than from a professor who knows everything about Wagner and can explain it for days."

Mattei, 47, was born in the town of Pitea in northern Sweden into a family he describes as "quite poor." His father, an Italian, worked in a factory and his mother sold bread in a shop. He said he began singing "before I could speak," though he didn't study music full-time until he was 18.

"Singing is something I cannot be without," he said. "Even if there's no audience. It's a need." In fact, during the interview ? conducted in the Manhattan apartment where he was awaiting the arrival of his wife and two young children from Sweden ? he repeatedly broke into snatches of an aria or recitative to illustrate a point about this or that role.

Mattei made his professional debut in Mozart's "La Finta Giardiniera" at the Drottningholm Court Theatre in 1990, and a year later he drew acclaim in Sweden in Daniel Bortz's "The Bacchae," directed by Ingmar Bergman at the Royal Swedish Opera. An international career soon followed.

He'll be back at the Met next season for Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin." Beyond that, he said, he's interested in exploring some Verdi roles, including the Marquis di Posa in Verdi's "Don Carlo," a role he has sung only in Scandinavia.

And more Wagner? "Maybe the young Wotan," he said, referring to the god who appears in "Das Rheingold," the first opera in the "Ring" cycle.

His fans will be keeping their fingers crossed for that one.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-26-Music-Peter%20Mattei/id-9dbd2e92435147af8136fea593aaf064

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Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 hands-on: a ruggedized smartphone with Android Jelly Bean onboard

It's gotten a bit drowned out in all the Note 8.0 fanfare, but there's another notable member of Samsung's Galaxy being shown off here at MWC 2013: the Xcover 2. Announced late this past January, the Android Jelly Bean (4.1.2) handset is a 4-inch ruggedized device made for active lifestyles. To that end, it bears IP certification for dust- and water-proofing (up to 30 minutes at a depth of one meter). Understandably, its spec load is modest, with a dual-core 1GHz processor (unspecified), 1GB RAM, 800 x 480 display, 4GB storage (expandable via microSD) and 1,700mAh battery.

Since the Xcover 2's meant to be taken outdoors, its body is rife with notches and grips -- so it won't slip out of your hand. The dimpled plastic back, similar to that on the Galaxy Nexus -- has a wrap-around illusion and can only be pried off by turning the lock at its base. Ports for microSD, SIM and 3.5mm headphone jack are all covered by protective flaps, as you'd imagine.

We couldn't get confirmation on the exact CPU inside the Xcover 2, but take our word for it: performance is sluggish. Effect any of the hard Android navigation keys on the bottom and you'll notice a bit of lag before the OS kicks into action. It's to be expected for a device of this nature -- most users eyeing the Xcover 2 likley aren't keen on top-end specs and high-performance. Samsung still hasn't clarified just where or when we'll be seeing the handset crop up, so stay tuned. In the meanwhile, check out our gallery below and brief video demo after the break.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 hands-on

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/samsung-galaxy-xcover-2-hands-on/

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Seals take scientists to Antarctic's ocean floor

By Pauline Askin

SYDNEY | Mon Feb 25, 2013 10:54pm EST

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Elephant seals wearing head sensors and swimming deep beneath Antarctic ice have helped scientists better understand how the ocean's coldest, deepest waters are formed, providing vital clues to understanding its role in the world's climate.

The tagged seals, along with sophisticated satellite data and moorings in ocean canyons, all played a role in providing data from the extreme Antarctic environment, where observations are very rare and ships could not go, said researchers at the Antarctic Climate & Ecosystem CRC in Tasmania.

Scientists have long known of the existence of "Antarctic bottom water," a dense, deep layer of water near the ocean floor that has a significant impact on the movement of the world's oceans.

Three areas where this water is formed were known of, and the existence of a fourth suspected for decades, but the area was far too inaccessible, until now, thanks to the seals.

"The seals went to an area of the coastline that no ship was ever going to get to," said Guy Williams, ACE CRC Sea Ice specialist and co-author of the study.

"This is a particular form of Antarctic water called Antarctic bottom water production, one of the engines that drives ocean circulation," he told Reuters. "What we've done is found another piston in that engine."

Southern Ocean Elephant seals are the largest of all seals, with males growing up to six meters (20 feet) long and weighing up to 4,000 kilograms (8,800 lbs).

Twenty of the seals were deployed from Davis Station in east Antarctica in 2011 with a sensor, weighing about 100 to 200 grams, on their head. Each of the sensors had a small satellite relay which transmitted data on a daily basis during the five to 10 minute intervals when the seals surfaced.

"We get four dives worth of data a day but they're actually doing up to 60 dives," he said.

"The elephant seals ... went to the very source and found this very cold, very saline dense water in the middle of winter beneath a polynya, which is what we call an ice factory around the coast of Antarctica," Williams added.

Previous studies have shown that there are 50-year-long trends in the properties of the Antarctic bottom water, and Williams said the latest study will help better assess those changes, perhaps providing clues for climate change modeling.

"Several of the seals foraged on the continental slope as far down as 1,800 meters (1.1 miles), punching through into a layer of this dense water cascading down the abyss," he said in a statement. "They gave us very rare and valuable wintertime measurements of this process."

(Reporting by Pauline Askin, Editing by Elaine Lies and Michael Perry)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/7PoVWXaCnQ0/us-australia-antarctic-seals-idUSBRE91P03020130226

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Eager Israelis send invites to Obama ahead of tour

In this photo taken on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, a general view of the Jewish settlement of Maaleh Adumim is seen on the outskirts of Jerusalem. President Barack Obama is coming to town, and it seems like everyone in Israel wants to be a part of the historic visit. One invitation has come from Benny Kashriel, the mayor of the West Bank Jewish settlement Maaleh Adumim. Kashriel wants to host Obama in a contested area known as E-1, where Israel envisages construction of more than 3,000 apartments. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

In this photo taken on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, a general view of the Jewish settlement of Maaleh Adumim is seen on the outskirts of Jerusalem. President Barack Obama is coming to town, and it seems like everyone in Israel wants to be a part of the historic visit. One invitation has come from Benny Kashriel, the mayor of the West Bank Jewish settlement Maaleh Adumim. Kashriel wants to host Obama in a contested area known as E-1, where Israel envisages construction of more than 3,000 apartments. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

JERUSALEM (AP) ? President Barack Obama is coming to town, and it seems like everyone in Israel wants to be a part of the historic visit.

From West Bank settlers to peace activists, universities to municipalities, Israelis of all stripes are sending out invites to lure Obama their way in bids to bend his ear on the issues that could decide the fate of the region.

Obama's visit, his first to Israel as president, comes during rising tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, years of deadlocked peace efforts and a tense relationship between the president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Just beneath the surface is the feeling of many Israelis that up to now, Obama's administration has been unsympathetic to Israel, frequently criticizing its policies toward the Palestinians. The U.S. considers its policies balanced, noting that it has opposed resolutions critical of Israel at the U.N.

Despite the differences, the U.S. remains Israel's main world ally.

While Obama's schedule has not been made public, officials and ordinary Israelis alike appear eager to exploit the upcoming tour, also expected to take him to the West Bank and Jordan next month. The Israeli government has released a logo and slogan for the trip, naming it "Unshakable Alliance," and is scouting places for Obama to visit.

Mixed feelings are coloring the invitations.

One has come from Benny Kashriel, mayor of the West Bank Jewish settlement of Maaleh Adumim, near Jerusalem. Kashriel wants to host Obama in a contested area known as E-1, where Israel envisages construction of more than 3,000 apartments.

Building in the area is contentious because the Palestinians say it would hinder movement between east Jerusalem, their hoped-for capital, and the West Bank. Kashriel said he would take Obama to a hilltop overlooking the area and rebut the Palestinian argument.

"I have no doubt I will convince him to see the truth," said Kashriel, who delivered an invitation through the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Israel revived the E-1 plans late last year in response to the Palestinians' successful bid for U.N. recognition of a state of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. The announced plans, on the back burner for years, drew unusually sharp criticism from some of Israel's staunchest allies ? including the U.S.

The issue of Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank in general has drawn much criticism from the U.S. and stands at the heart of a four-year impasse in Mideast peace efforts. The Palestinians have refused to negotiate while Israel continues to build in settlements on the lands they seek for their state. Netanyahu says talks should resume without any preconditions.

Obama has rejected settlements as illegitimate but has done little to force Israel to halt construction.

Appealing to Obama to restart the peace talks, Israelis on the dovish end of the political spectrum have put out a plea on Facebook for Obama to deliver a grand "Speech for Peace" in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, where then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who signed the first interim accords with the Palestinians, was assassinated by an ultranationalist Israeli opposed to his peace moves.

Yaniv Shacham, a manager of the page, which has attracted more than 21,000 "likes," said Obama's ability to reach out to the people, both in his public appearances in the U.S. and on visits abroad, could resonate with Israelis.

"If he knew that he could fill the square with hundreds of thousands of Israelis ... he would see there are many Israelis who support the ideas and ideals he represents and certainly the renewal of peace talks," Shacham said.

Academic institutions have been vying to host the prestigious guest. One is Bar-Ilan University, the site of a landmark 2009 speech by Netanyahu in which he declared his support for a two-state solution with the Palestinians. That speech ended years of Netanyahu's opposition to Palestinian independence, but his policy offers less than earlier Israeli proposals that did not result in a peace accord.

The mayor of Haifa, a mixed Israeli-Arab port city in northern Israel, has invited Obama to see "the only city in the world where Jews and Arabs have had peaceful relations for more than 100 years," setting an example for Israelis and Palestinians.

At least 20 Facebook groups ? each called "Obama come to..." ? have sprouted up, inviting Obama to different locations. Some are cheekier than others, like a sports stadium that hosts a team known for its anti-Arab fans, or a Palestinian town in the West Bank that holds weekly protests against Israel's separation barrier.

Neither the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv nor the White House responded to questions about Obama's schedule and whether he might accept any of the invitations pouring in.

One likely venue could be the Knesset, Israel's parliament, where high-profile visitors including Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Anwar Sadat, the late Egyptian leader who reached a historic peace accord with the Jewish state, all delivered addresses. Israeli media have said officials are undecided because of the possibility of hard-line lawmakers heckling the president, but the acting speaker has asked that Netanyahu invite Obama anyway.

The visit appears to be generating less excitement in the West Bank. Palestinians believe peace efforts are doomed unless the U.S., as Israel's closest ally, pressures Israel to make concessions. The White House has said Obama is not planning any major peace initiative on this trip. The Palestinian Authority refused to comment on the trip on Monday.

Eytan Gilboa, an expert on Israel-U.S. relations at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv, said Obama is unlikely to accept the invitation of the settlement mayor. A speech aimed at the Israeli public is more likely, but it probably won't happen in the open-air Rabin Square because of security concerns, he said.

"Everything has its connotations and constellations and contexts, so the choice of locations is made very cautiously," said Gilboa, noting that every place Obama visits will be watched carefully and interpreted endlessly. "The purpose of the places he visits will be to leave with an improved image."

___

Follow Tia Goldenberg on www.twitter.com/tgoldenberg

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-25-Israel-Obama%20Invites/id-d30abcdd21214228b2c277389beb31f1

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Obama to meet Republicans McCain, Graham on immigration reform

It began as a seemingly awkward Jack Nicholson introduction of the very long list on nominees, but the Best Picture denouement?at a very long Oscars ceremony on Sunday turned into a surprise appearance by Michelle Obama, via satellite from the Governors' Ball in Washington, D.C.?where earlier she had sat next to Chris Christie?to introduce and announce the winner,?Argo.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-meet-republicans-mccain-graham-immigration-reform-231855905.html

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Qualcomm announces Gobi chipset with LTE Advanced and Carrier Aggregation

Qualcomm, well known for both its radio chipsets and processors, is announcing today that its latest Gobi chipsets -- the MDM9225 and MDM9625 -- are capable of LTE Advanced and Carrier Aggregation for higher data speeds. Carrier Aggregation (which isn't what you'd think) is a technology that allows the LTE radio in a device to pull down data across multiple bands of spectrum. This means that a device could simultaneously receive data over two (or more) different frequencies, combining it to give data speeds similar to what it would be over a larger chunk of a single frequency. For example, if a carrier has deployed 10MHz of spectrum in one frequency and 10MHz in another, the chip could combine those two and give users the same experience as if the carrier had deployed 20MHz of continuous spectrum in one band.

This is some nerdy radio stuff, but the end result is very important. There's a lot of spectrum out there, but it's not always allocated to each operator in the most efficient way. As networks transition between older 3G technologies and LTE, the spectrum may not be allocated in complete 20MHz blocks for use by a single network. These new Qualcomm chips let devices connect to these disjointed bands simultaneously.

These new MDM9x25 chips are manufactured using a 28nm (nanometer) process, and offer LTE Advanced with downlink speeds up to 150mbps on top of extensive 2G and 3G (including DC-HSPA+) support all in one chip. The process has already been shown off inside of a Sierra Wireless mobile hotspot, and Qualcomm says that OEM partners began sampling the chips in November of last year to make it into consumer products in late 2013.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/ihQa2SHRIYo/story01.htm

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Japan likely to nominate ADB's Kuroda as Bank of Japan head: sources

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's government is likely to nominate Asian Development Bank President Haruhiko Kuroda, an advocate of aggressive monetary easing, as its next central bank governor, sources told Reuters on Monday.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is also seen filling one of two deputy governor posts with Kikuo Iwata, an academic critical of Bank of Japan policy and an advocate of unorthodox monetary easing steps, the Nikkei newspaper reported.

The yen fell to a 33-month low and yields on five-year government bonds hit a record low as markets moved to factor in a more aggressive monetary policy, a key plank in the prime minister's economic vision, dubbed by media as Abenomics.

"Kuroda is a fan of a weaker yen and of deflation bashing," said Kit Juckes, a strategist at Societe Generale in London.

Abe won a resounding election victory in December promising to finally rid Japan of nearly 20 years of deflation. He has said wants to BOJ governor keener to experiment with radical steps to revive the economy.

Kuroda has long criticized the BOJ as too slow in expanding stimulus, so he would be expected to push the central bank into more radical efforts to achieve a 2 percent inflation target set in January.

"Kuroda's nomination won't change the course that has been dictated by Abe in recent months - that is aggressive monetary policy, but perhaps thanks to the inclusion of Iwata the market will expect more eye-catching bold easing measures," said Masamichi Adachi, senior economist at JPMorgan Securities in Tokyo.

The government will submit this week its nominations for the governor and two deputy governor posts. The names must be approved by both houses of parliament, which means Abe will need opposition support because he lacks a majority in the upper house. The incumbents leave March 19.

In a further sign of support for Kuroda, Japan's Jiji news agency quoted an unidentified executive member of the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), saying he met its criteria for a BOJ chief so he would be hard to oppose.

If approved, the nominations will increase the chance that the BOJ will ease monetary policy again on April 3-4, the first rate review under the new leadership, say sources familiar with the central bank's thinking. The BOJ might adopt measures that go beyond its existing asset-buying program, they said.

"Monetary easing is pretty much a given. The question is what specifically the BOJ will do," said one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Kuroda, 68, has been considered a strong candidate to replace current BOJ Governor Masaaki Shirakawa because of his extensive experience in international policy and his calls for more aggressive monetary easing that matched the views of Abe.

As Japan's top financial diplomat from 1999 to 2003, he aggressively intervened in the exchange-rate market to weaken the yen to support the country's export-reliant economy, a sign he will be keen to keep any sharp yen rises in check.

The other deputy governor post will probably be filled by a central banker, most likely BOJ Executive Director Hiroshi Nakaso, who now oversees the central bank's international operations, the Nikkei said without citing sources.

YEN SLIDE

The yen has weakened nearly 20 percent against the dollar since November, when Abe began calling for bolder monetary easing. On Monday, it fell 1.4 percent to 94.67 per dollar and Japan's five-year government bond yield hit a record low.

The cheaper yen has helped improve profits at Japanese exporters, notably carmakers like Mazda Motor Corp, which raised its operating profit outlook for the year ending in March by 80 percent.

But it has also sparked international concern the fall could prompt competitive currency devaluations as many countries are struggling for growth and to reduce debt following the global financial crisis.

Shirakawa's last rate review will be on March 6-7. The BOJ meets twice in April, once on April 3-4 and then on April 26.

Kuroda has called for the BOJ to achieve its 2 percent inflation target in two years by pumping money into the economy through unorthodox steps, such as expanding government bond purchases and buying shares.

He has ruled out foreign bond buying as a policy option, which suggests that any new measures the BOJ might take under Kuroda will likely include buying longer-dated Japanese government bonds or more purchases of private debt.

Abe has stressed the need for the new governor to have international contacts, suggesting he prefers someone with experience in financial diplomacy, like Kuroda who, as president of the 67-member ADB rubs shoulders with policymakers around the world.

Still, if Kuroda were chosen as next BOJ governor, he would be cutting short his term as head of the ADB, which could weaken Japan's standing as the country that traditionally provides the head of an organization established in 1966.

The premier has the power to choose the government's nominee for BOJ governor, although he usually respects the views of the finance minister and the ministry's bureaucrats because they work closely with the central bank on economic policy.

The finance ministry, which wields a great deal of influence over monetary policy, lobbied for former financial bureaucrat Toshiro Muto, but was likely turned down by Abe and his aides who saw him as lacking international contacts and less willing to experiment with untried monetary easing steps.

(Additional reporting by Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Dean Yates and Neil Fullick)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/japan-likely-nominate-adbs-kuroda-bank-japan-head-020805489--business.html

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Huawei Tries To Power Up Its Global Profile With The 1.5GHz Quad-Core Ascend P2

Chinese mobile maker Huawei has confirmed a new addition to its Android family: the Ascend P2. The P2 is the sequel to last year's relatively mid-range P1 but puts more power under the hood -- with a quad-core 1.5GHz chip -- and pairs that power with a more modestly sized screen (4.7 inches) than the?pair of phablets Huawei unboxed at CES.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/CCXvDJRJ3sU/

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Placing blame for the adverse consequences of sequestration where it belongs ? a modest proposal (Powerlineblog)

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

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