Best Buy whacks $50 from Nook Color's price tag

 

Waiting for Monday to hear about the inevitable? Don't. If you're looking to snap up a Nook Color (review) following the impending price drop -- you know, now that the Nook Tablet is about to replace it on the company's hardware pedestal -- Best Buy would like you to know that it's dropping the MSRP of said product already. What's still listed at $249 at B&N's own site is $199 in the source link below. Celebrate accordingly. 

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Govt gets respite as Anna Hazare's team fumbles

 

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Back in the summer, mass anti-corruption protests modelled on Mahatma Gandhi's methods had India's government running scared. Now, the political class has a new spring in its step as splits and scandals tarnish activist Anna Hazare's team.

These have been tough days for Hazare, the 74-year-old whose two-week hunger strike in August captivated the nation and forced a humiliated government to bow to his demands for a powerful new graft watchdog.

Accusations of financial misdeeds against Hazare's top advisers have smudged an aura of blamelessness around his movement - to the glee of the ruling Congress party as it gears up for parliament's winter session and bellwether state elections next year.

"It's put us in a defensive situation," said Kiran Bedi, a former police officer and senior member of Hazare's movement who this week said she would return some cash after accusations she inflated travel expenses. "It taps lots of extra energy, but you have to draw on your reserves."

Bedi, who shot to fame in the 1980s after she towed away ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's car for a traffic violation, denies any personal gain.

Another top adviser of Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, this week paid $18,000 in overdue taxes, saying he had done no wrong and the government was running a smear campaign.

It is too soon to write off a movement that made political activists of millions of previously apathetic middle class voters fed up with a venal elite, but there is a sense the scales have for now shifted to the main political parties.

The government is deeply unpopular because of high prices and multi-billion-dollar corruption scandals, but it would rather fight the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on these issues than a multifarious street movement.

"Congress has been dented by Team Anna's assaults, and on a parallel track the opposition has gained, but it's really back to normal," said Swapan Dasgupta, a former editor of news magazine India Today.

"The party system is more resilient than was made out, there were certain tremors for three weeks or so, but that has not really undermined institutional politics," Dasgupta said.

VOW OF SILENCE

Hazare himself retreated to his village complaining of ill health and observed a vow of silence for 19 days. He travelled to Delhi on Friday to lead talks on the Jan Lokpal Bill, breaking his silence with the nationalist slogan and army battle cry "Bharat Mata ki Jai" or "Victory for Mother India".

"The fight against corruption and for the Jan Lokpal bill is going on and will continue until corruption is completely uprooted," said the retired soldier, who once called for corrupt politicians to be hanged.

Hazare repeated a threat to use his vast popularity to campaign against the Congress party in five election-bound states - including the largest of them all, Uttar Pradesh - a controversial partisan policy that has divided supporters.

A test of this tactic by Hazare's team in a by-election in October was nominally a success: the Congress candidate had so few votes he lost his deposit. But by taking sides in the political fray, Hazare split his own movement and two core activists left.

It now looks increasingly possible that the leadership of the movement will dissolve if parliament passes the bill to create the corruption ombudsman in its month-long winter session starting Nov 22.

"What we are hoping is that, irrespective of what happens, whether the same team or the same leadership carries on the movement, we hope and we expect that the momentum and the energy will be carried on," said Prashant Bhushan, a lawyer who helped draft the bill.

Ultra-nationalists burst into Bhushan's office and beat him up while he was being interviewed by a TV channel in October after he said citizens of the contested region of Kashmir should be allowed to vote on autonomy from India.

Hazare, who says he was scarred by a bullet during a 1965 war with Pakistan over the Kashmir issue, reacted angrily to Bhushan's comments and said he was ready to fight another war with India's arch-rival.

If Hazare's principal aim of creating a powerful new tool to fight the rampant culture of graft in high politics and business is met, many of his allies, including Bedi, say they would be ready for a rest.

"You cannot expect the same group of people who have come together on the particular issue of corruption, to carry on many other issues in which there could be some difference of opinion," said Bhushan.

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Agitators blamed for Oakland unrest that injured 8

 

OAKLAND, Calif (Reuters) - Police arrested more than 100 demonstrators early on Thursday in clashes that activists and Oakland city officials alike blamed on agitators who provoked unrest following a day of mostly peaceful rallies against economic inequality.

Officials said eight people -- five civilians and three police officers -- were injured in violence that left Oakland streets littered with graffiti, smashed glass and debris. But the nature or severity of those injuries was not disclosed.

Busloads of police in riot gear advanced on demonstrators after midnight, firing tear gas to disperse hundreds lingering in downtown streets hours after protesters numbering in the thousands had forced a shutdown of the busy Port of Oakland.

The clampdown appeared aimed at preventing protesters from expanding their foothold in the streets around a public plaza that has become a hub for demonstrations in Oakland, a largely working-class city on the eastern banks of San Francisco Bay.

City officials said police acted in response to "a select group of people" who vandalized property, set several fires, assaulted police officers and broke into a downtown building.

"We had the opportunity to isolate the main group of people who seemed to be hiding in the crowd all day," Mayor Jean Quan told a news conference. "The police, I think, very effectively got in and surrounded and arrested them."

Activists from the Occupy Oakland movement, who are aligned with anti-Wall Street protests in New York and other U.S. cities against corporate excesses, high unemployment and bank bailouts, said the vandalism gave police an excuse to intervene. Some blamed "anarchist youths" for the unrest.

"Everything went beautiful until these guys (came) with scarves around their mouths, and then all hell broke loose. Our city just got demolished," said Johnny Allen, 60, a health-care provider sweeping away debris in front of City Hall.

City crews pressure-washed graffiti messages such as "kill cops" and "SMASH" that had been sprayed on downtown buildings.

Protester Laura Long said it was unfortunate the rallies in the city "should be marred by broken windows and graffiti."

Still, she called the police action "unprovoked."

Acting Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan, addressing a special meeting of the city council on Thursday, said 101 people had been arrested.

'ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE'

Several hundred people attended the boisterous meeting, including protesters asking the city for more support and residents who backed them.

Business leaders called on the council to shut down the downtown protest encampment, saying it had damaged the local economy by driving customers away from stores and prompting new businesses to reconsider plans to relocate to Oakland.

"The situation we find ourselves in is absolutely unacceptable. We want Occupy Oakland closed," Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce president Joe Haraburda said, to boos and hisses from protesters in the audience.

The unrest in Oakland, which has shot to the forefront of nationwide Occupy Wall Street protests, came a week after former U.S. Marine Scott Olsen was badly injured in a previous clash between police and protesters.

The wounding of Olsen, an Iraq war veteran turned peace activist, appeared to galvanize Oakland's demonstrators and helped broaden their grievances to include police brutality.

Following a day of rallies that drew some 7,000 activists at their height, police sought shortly after midnight to pen demonstrators back inside Frank Ogawa Plaza, a square next to City Hall that protesters have for weeks used as a camp.

Despite some early sporadic vandalism, demonstrators on the scene said downtown streets were largely calm when police -- who had kept their distance throughout the day -- arrived and ordered the "unlawful assembly" to disperse.

Lined up shoulder to shoulder, police fired volleys of tear gas, forcing the demonstrators to retreat to the plaza, then made a second charge with batons and tear gas about an hour later to drive protesters farther into the square's interior.

Some protesters hurled tear gas canisters and rocks back at police. At least one was seen being carried away with a leg injury. Another who had been arrested, his hands bound behind him, lay on the ground with blood streaming down his face.

Adam Konner, 29, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, said he didn't clearly hear a police announcement ordering "campers to move back to your tents," before officers rushed in.

"I was trying to figure what they were saying. I was trying to figure out if I could go back into the plaza," he told Reuters, recounting being knocked to the ground and arrested.

The streets were calm by daylight. Dozens of tents remained standing in the plaza, and a cold drizzle dampened prospects for further disturbances later in the day.

The Port of Oakland, the nation's fourth busiest maritime container-cargo hub with $39 billion in yearly imports and exports, was back in full swing by late morning after being shut down by the protests on Wednesday.

Friction between some Occupy Oakland protesters seemed deepened by the unrest after disagreements flared overnight between a minority of protesters who set up trash-can barricades and others, often older demonstrators, who lectured about the need to keep protests peaceful.

A sign on a coffee shop with a shattered window offered an apology: "We're sorry. This does not represent us."

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Pirates seize tanker off coast of Nigeria

 

Pirates seized an oil tanker with over 20 crew off the coast of Nigeria, an official of the International Maritime Bureau said on Thursday amid mounting concern at such attacks in West Africa.

"We believe it's been hijacked and we believe there are about 25 crew on board," Cyrus Mody, a London-based manager with the world's piracy watchdog told AFP on the phone.

The attack occurred on October 30, he said.

A Nigerian vessel servicing an international oil firm was also attacked on on the country's waters off the Niger Delta region on Wednesday and its whereabouts were unclear on Thursday, a security source told AFP in the oil city of Port Harcourt.

Neither the nationalities of the crew on the tanker nor details of the vessel could be immediately confirmed. A Nigerian navy official was unable to confirm the incident.

The attacks are the latest in a surge of attacks along the Gulf of Guinea in recent months.

Twenty Eastern European crew hijacked off Nigeria last month were freed along with their vessel around a week later.

The coast of Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, has long been a dangerous place to sail, and the risk has extended in recent months to the coast of the small neighbouring nation of Benin.

Benin's coast has seen at least 20 piracy incidents this year compared to none in 2010. The two neighbours - Nigeria and Benin - in September launched joint sea patrols to tackle the piracy surge.

The maritime bureau has warned that the spate of attacks off West Africa indicates the region could emerge as a new piracy "hotspot".

Unlike the explosion of piracy off the coast of Somalia on the eastern side of the continent in recent years, those involved in the recent west African attacks have so far not appeared to be after ransom payments.

Fuel or oil cargo has been stolen for sale on the region's lucrative black market, while robberies have also occurred. Crew members have been beaten and the pirates tend to be heavily armed.

The theft of such cargo tends to be relatively sophisticated, with tankers often being directed to another pirate-controlled ship, where the fuel is siphoned and then taken elsewhere for sale.

Benin, Togo and Ghana will hold a meeting in Cotonou next week to hammer out ways to end piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

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Lufthansa agrees to sell British Midland to IAG

 

German airline Lufthansa said Friday it has agreed in principle to sell its loss-making unit British Midland to the International Airlines Group, the holding company of British Airways.

"Deutsche Lufthansa AG and International Consolidated Airlines Group have reached an agreement in principle on the sale of British Midland to IAG," the German carrier said in a statement.

"The sale and closing of the deal remain subject to conditions including a binding purchase agreement, further due diligence and regulatory clearances. It is envisaged that the purchase agreement will be signed in the coming weeks and the aim is for the transaction to be completed in the first quarter of 2012," the statement said.

Media reports said Virgin Atlantic had also been interested in buying British Midland (BMI) because of its attractive slots -- take-off and landing rights -- at Heathrow airport.

Lufthansa acquired the British airline in 2009, but the recent crises and conflicts in the key regions of North Africa and the Middle East prevented the German carrier from steering the unit back into profit.

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Jail for Pakistan cricketers a "wake-up call"

 

Tough jail sentences handed down to disgraced former Pakistan cricketers and their agent by a British judge were welcomed Friday as a "wake-up call" for the game as well as a tragedy for the youngest player involved in the fixing scandal.

Former captain Salman Butt, 27, looked aghast as he received a 30-month sentence at London's Southwark Crown Court, where he and fast bowler Mohammad Asif were found guilty on Tuesday of fixing parts of the August 2010 Lord's Test match against England.

Asif, 28, was jailed for a year, while prodigious 19-year-old bowler Mohammad Aamer, who admitted involvement in pre-arranging no-balls for shadowy South Asian betting rings, was sentenced to six months in a young offenders' institution.

Their corrupt British agent Mazhar Majeed, 36, who had also pleaded guilty, was given the longest sentence -- two years and eight months.

The Guardian's editorial recognised the waste caused by 18-year-old Aamer's detention, but reasoned that the game's reputation was too important for sentimentality to prevail.

"It's no time to surrender. A beefed-up International Cricket Council (ICC), longer bans, greater powers to investigate. The fightback starts now," it declared.

Former England captain and Times cricket correspondent Michael Atherton called Aamer's plight "tragic" and claimed all three custodial sentences "bordered on harsh".

"There are those who want to see blood spilt, of course, those for whom no punishment is too severe," he wrote in Friday's edition. "Their careers are already over. What more do people want?"

The former opening batsman questioned what was to be gained in sending Aamer to London's notorious Feltham Young Offenders Institute, which, according to its latest inspection, was a place where 'fights between young people were frequent and vestiges of youth gang culture were inevitably imported'.

"There is only sadness and the hope that, for Amir, redemption can be found," he concluded.

The Telegraph's Paul Kelso echoed Atherton's concerns, calling it a "hollow victory" in the battle to clean up cricket.

"So much of this case is singular that the prospect of three UK cells being filled by foreign cricketers can only be greeted with sadness," he wrote.

"It is one of many singularities of the case that Aamer's no-balls came in the midst of a devastating spell of four for none that reduced England to their knees and set up one of the greatest days of competitive cricket Lord's has seen.

"No-one who saw him send the England top-order packing could suggest he was not trying," he argued.

Tim May, head of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA), which co-ordinates the activities of national players' associations, said it should be a wake up call to anyone contemplating cheating.

"The real possibility of spending time in prison is a further compelling argument for players to distance themselves from those who seek to profit illegally from the game," the Australian said in a statement.

He said he had mixed emotions about the verdict in London's Southwark Crown Court, saying he was concerned that spot fixing still appeared to be prevalent despite cricket authorities spending millions of dollars to stamp it out.

But he said he felt "satisfaction that the prosecution has been able to identify corruption and deliver a loud and clear message to players of all sports that if you are caught cheating the integrity of sport you will be prosecuted and face severe penalties".

In passing sentence judge Jeremy Cooke said the offences "regardless of pleas, are so serious that only a sentence of imprisonment will suffice," adding they would each serve half their sentences and then be released on licence.

He said the players were motivated by greed despite the fortunes they could earn legitimately, and said he hoped the sentences would deter other cricketers and agents from following their "hugely detrimental" example.

The judge also condemned the "insidious effect" of their actions on the sport of cricket itself, "the very name of which used to be associated with fair dealing".

"It's the insidious effect of your actions on professional cricket and the followers of it which make the offences so serious," he told the packed courtroom.

Its "image and integrity" stands "damaged in the eyes of all, including the many youngsters who regarded three of you as heroes".

Despite their status, he said the players had "procured the bowling of three no-balls for money to the detriment of your national cricket team, with the object of enabling others to cheat at gambling".

Any surprising event in a cricket match will now be suspect to suspicion, he said.

The world of cricket has reacted with dismay to the worst fixing scandal since South Africa captain Hansie Cronje in 2000, but the head of the anti-corruption unit of the International Cricket Council, Ronnie Flanagan, denied that corruption was rampant in the sport.

"The vast, vast majority of cricketers are not only wonderfully talented, but wonderfully ethical people," he said.

The ICC has banned Butt for ten years, with five suspended, Asif for seven years, with two suspended, and Aamer for five years straight, sanctions which they are appealing against.

Butt, whose wife gave birth Tuesday, intends to appeal, his lawyer said outside court. Aamer also intends to appeal, the BBC reported.

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7 miners rescued from China mine, 50 still trapped

 

BEIJING (AP) — Rescuers pulled seven injured miners to the surface Friday and were trying to reach 50 others trapped after a cave-in at a coal mine in central China, state media reported.

Four miners were killed when the cave-in blasted rock into the mine shaft Thursday evening and 14 managed to escape, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The rock explosion happened just after a small earthquake shook near the mine in the city of Sanmenxia in Henan province.

State broadcaster CCTV showed rescuers with helmets and oxygen tanks carrying the seven found alive Friday afternoon from a mine elevator as waiting officials applauded and medical staff rushed to attend to them.

The rescued miners lay on stretchers, wrapped with blankets with their eyes covered by towels to prevent them from being damaged by the sudden exposure to light after hours of being trapped.

Xinhua said six had minor injuries but one was seriously hurt.

At least 200 workers were digging a small rescue tunnel about 1,650 feet (500 meters) deep to try to reach the trapped miners, the People's Daily newspaper said. There have been no reports of communication with the trapped miners.

The mine belongs to Yima Coal Group, a large state-owned coal company in Henan, the State Administration of Work Safety said on its website.

Luo Lin, head of the administration, said a magnitude-2.9 earthquake occurred near the mine shortly before a "rock burst" was reported.

The phenomenon occurs when settling earth bears down on mine walls and causes a sudden release of stored energy. The exploding chunks of coal and rock, or the shock waves alone, can be lethal.

Survival depends on the intensity of the rock explosion and if ventilation can be provided, a local official told The Associated Press.

"If it was not very strong, it might have caused the tunnel to get narrower, but we might still be able to send some air in there to ensure ventilation," said the Yima city Communist Party's head of propaganda, who would give only his surname, Tian, as is common with Chinese officials.

"But if the impact was pretty strong and caused the tunnel walls to collapse, then the ventilation was probably cut off immediately, suffocating the people trapped there," he said.

Tian said it was difficult to determine how deep in the mine the trapped workers were.

According to Xinhua, workers were digging a tunnel about 2,500 feet (760 meters) long, but after the rock burst, the tunnel appeared to have "basically folded" a little more than halfway down the passage, at 1,580 feet (480 meters). It was unclear what the condition of the tunnel was beyond that point, Xinhua said.

China's coal mines are the deadliest in the world, although the industry's safety record has improved in recent years as smaller, illegal mines have been closed. Annual fatalities are now about one-third of the high of nearly 7,000 in 2002.

Last Sunday, a gas explosion at a coal mine in central China's Hunan province killed 29 workers, the worst accident in recent months.

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James Bond aims to bounce back with new film launch

 

LONDON (Reuters) - James Bond returns on Thursday with the launch of the 23rd instalment in the famous film franchise, and aims to bounce back after a studio bankruptcy put production on hold for months and the last movie earned mixed reviews.

As ever ahead of a major Bond announcement, unconfirmed rumours have been flying across cyberspace.

What can be said with certainty is that Daniel Craig returns for his third outing as the suave secret agent, and Sam Mendes, Oscar winner with "American Beauty" who worked with Craig on "Road to Perdition", will direct.

Spanish actor Javier Bardem and Britain's Ralph Fiennes are expected to join the cast, and Judi Dench is set to return as Bond's stern boss "M".

Other stars reported to be involved include Albert Finney, who would be making his first Bond appearance aged 75, and Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny.

Locations and plotline are largely unknown to the outside world, although some media have said scenes shot on a train in India are likely to feature.

A spokeswoman for Sony Pictures declined to give details about Thursday's event beyond what appeared on a press invitation -- that producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli would present Mendes and "key" cast members.

Sony Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp, will distribute the film, which is set to hit British theatres on Oct. 26, 2012 and U.S. cinemas on Nov. 9.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of the series, which began in 1962 with Sean Connery on Her Majesty's secret service in "Dr. No".

Debt-laden Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc, known for its roaring lion logo and behind some of Hollywood's most fabled films including "The Wizard of Oz", filed for bankruptcy in November last year.

Two months later it confirmed Bond 23 would hit theatres in November, 2012, and in April MGM and Sony announced they would co-finance and distribute the next two Bond movies.

The studios previously partnered on "Quantum of Solace" and Craig's 2006 Bond debut "Casino Royale."

The high-octane, action-heavy films are expensive to make and market, with Quantum of Solace estimated to have cost around $200 million.

But they have a good record commercially, and according to movie tracking website boxofficemojo.com, Casino Royale earned $594 million in global ticket sales and Quantum of Solace $586 million.

Craig's first appearance as Bond was hailed as a refreshing change in direction towards a tougher, more serious 007, and reviews were overwhelmingly positive.

Quantum of Solace fared less well with the critics, although positive reviews still outweighed the negative.

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The truth about Ash’s pregnancy

 
Aishwarya’s publicist rubbishes tabloid, Mumbai Mirror for fabricating stories of a possible C Section. Here's the truth
This is in regard to the article published by Mumbai Mirror dated 2nd November 2011 titled, “Bachchans pick Marol hospital for New B”. Coincidentally, this is the same publication that earlier carried another piece on Ash, titled ‘Pregnant Pause’ which stated that Mrs Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was incapable of conceiving due to some ailment. While the paper has taken a 360-turn, Ash’s agents accuse the publication of now trying to insinuate that there is a possibility that Ash has pre-decided the date of her delivery.
Here are lines from the article in Mumbai Mirror, followed by the joint-quote from Aishwarya and Seven Hills Hospital’s spokesperson:
1: Says source, “There is a possibility of Aishwarya going in for a C Section delivery 11.11.11.”
Spokesperson’s response: “Yet again, ridiculously insinuating such an esteemed and respected family would actually turn nature’s course for such blind sensationalized beliefs. There is a limit to time and again attributing such regressive remarks like marrying her off to a tree or actually planning delivering her baby just for the sake of a sensational journalism. How can journalism allow for such irresponsible reporting with regards to such intimate and personal decisions in a lady’s life.  Excitement and curiosity aside, how can we allow for this to go on and on- this is disgusting….as a woman, as I am sitting on the 3rd of November and if by the will of God and nature’s turn, she does end up delivering on the date mentioned, will this fictitious bit of article remain with her for the rest of her life? And as an international public icon, is this what she will be tagged with for the rest of the life? This is not what she needs to go through at this happy moment in her life.”
2. “Every time Aishwarya makes a trip to the hospital extra precaution is taken to safeguard her privacy says a source. The sonography section is barricaded and curtains drawn to keep away other curious patients, revealed our source.”
Spokesperson’s response: “This is the most ridiculous remark from a  fictitious source– when have women been on a stage when sonographies are done in any hospital and on any woman."

3. “Well-placed sources at the hospital revealed that the gynecologist especially comes for Aishwarya’s appointment at 7.30 am, usually before other patients start trickling in.”
Spokesperson’s response: “This is totally false and baseless.”
4. “However we cannot ever predict a baby’s arrival, so we have booked the room from the 10th to the 15th, added the source.”
Spokesperson’s response: “Who is this source to have booked a room on the first place?”
 Commenting on this article, Dr. Pai, Head of Radiology and Vice President, Seven Hills Hospital says, “The report published in a daily tabloid in regards to Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s delivery at Seven Hills has taken me by surprise. The information and details are a figment of someone’s imagination. 7.30 am appointments and a C SECTION for the 11th as declared in the news piece have no resemblance to the truth and such stories only put the medical fraternity in bad light.  It may be added that a sonography is a personal procedure and is not performed in open wards hence it would not be different for any patient; each is entitled to their privacy.  Twisted details mislead the people of this country to believe and follow what a writer may see has good ‘masala’ newsprint.”

Adds Aishwarya’s publicist, “It is unfortunate that such false and fabricated news is being created to influence minds. Such articles as the lead in a daily go against the basic responsibility of print reporting and show case misinformation that could effect the huge following into believing that such wonderful moments of ones lives as a gift of life are open to personal preferences.  As a lady, I would feel that we should provide a more responsible attitude to such misinformed articles.”

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France, Germany demand Greek decision on euro

PARIS/ATHENS (Reuters) - Germany and France told Greece on Wednesday it should make up its mind by mid-December whether it wants to stay in the euro zone when Greeks vote on a 130-billion-euro ($178 billion) bailout.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Germany's Angela Merkel summoned George Papandreou for crisis talks in Cannes, before a G20 summit of major world economies, to push for rapid implementation of measures to tackle the euro zone debt crisis, which Athens has thrown into doubt.

Sarkozy said Papandreou's announcement of a referendum "took the whole of Europe by surprise" and his prime minister, Francois Fillon, told parliament: "Europe cannot be kept waiting for weeks for the outcome of the referendum.

"The Greeks must say quickly and without ambiguity whether they choose to keep their place in the euro zone or not."

Opinion polls suggest most Greeks think the deal thrashed out by euro zone leaders last week is a bad one, but much will depend on how Papandreou frames the debate, either on the bailout -- and the painful cuts it demands -- or membership of the euro, which remains popular.

Greece's European partners will press for the latter.

German Chancellor Merkel struck the same tone of exasperation and impatience as Fillon in comments before flying to Cannes for hastily arranged meetings of European Union policymakers (1630 GMT) and with Papandreou (1930 GMT).

"We agreed a plan for Greece last week. We want to put this plan into practice, but for this we need clarity and the meeting tonight should help with precisely this," she told a news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

Germany's finance ministry hinted that European partners and the International Monetary Fund may withhold the next 8 billion euro aid instalment to Athens, due this month, until after the referendum.

"The tranche has not yet been paid. That is the situation today. How things proceed is yet to be seen. But according to everything we hear from Greece, there is no urgent need for the payout until mid-December, more or less," finance ministry spokesman Martin Kotthaus said.

EU leaders endorsed the disbursement of the money last week, but the IMF board has yet to set a date for a decision. An IMF source said the way forward would depend on the outcome of Wednesday's EU talks with Papandreou, which IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde will join.

French officials said Papandreou would be pressed to put the bailout deal to parliament first in hopes of reassuring financial markets which panicked when he called the plebiscite.

WEEKS OF UNCERTAINTY

Win or lose, his gamble guarantees weeks of uncertainty just as the 17-nation European currency area is desperate for a period of calm to implement the remedies agreed to corral its sovereign debt crisis.

Some in Papandreou's party called for him to quit, accusing him of endangering euro membership with his shock decision to call a popular vote, a move that pummelled the euro and stocks.

The Socialist prime minister battled late into the night to win cabinet support, giving him at least a stay of execution before a confidence vote in parliament on Friday.

"The referendum will be a clear mandate and a clear message inside and outside Greece on our European course and participation in the euro," Papandreou told a cabinet meeting that lasted seven hours.

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso urged Greeks to unite in support of the bailout plan, warning that the alternative would be too ghastly to predict.

"Without the agreement of Greece to the EU/IMF programme, the conditions for Greek citizens would become much more painful, in particular for the most vulnerable. The consequences would be impossible to foresee," he said.

If Papandreou wins the confidence vote, the euro zone faces a period of policy vacuum in which markets can create havoc. If he loses, Greece faces a disorderly default which would hammer Europe's banks and threaten the much larger economies of Italy and Spain, which the bloc may not have the means to bail out.

As a result, the Greek premier's move has aroused anger and surprise in equal measure around the world.

"That's enough now: Greeks out!" Kronen Zeitung, Austria's biggest-selling paper, said on its front page.

The chairman of euro zone finance ministers, Jean-Claude Juncker, said Greece could go bankrupt if voters rejected the bailout package and Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi said: "Everyone is bewildered."

Juncker, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, IMF chief Christine Lagarde and an ECB official will also attend Wednesday's talks in the southern French resort town.

ECB IN SPOTLIGHT

Doubt about Europe's ability to contain the debt crisis has once more sent markets into a spin and put Italy firmly in the firing line.

The risk premium on Italian bonds over safe-haven German Bunds hit a euro-lifetime high on Tuesday, despite European Central Bank buying of its bonds.

Ireland's finance minister said the ECB would be forced to pledge "a wall of money" to buy bonds, something many of its policymakers are deeply uncomfortable about.

Until the Greek situation is clearer, last week's package of measures is likely to be in limbo, leaving the ECB as the only bulwark against market attacks.

The head of Germany's banking association, Michael Kemmer, said agreement on a 50 percent writedown of Greek debt by its private creditors would have to wait. "I can't imagine a debt exchange taking place before the referendum," he said.

Greek Conservative opposition leader Antonis Samaras said Papandreou had acted as a one-man roadblock.

"How can banks accept a haircut on their debt if they don't know if Greece accepts it in the first place?" he told lawmakers in a speech. "Papandreou has put the country in the centre of a global storm ... a government in such a state of panic is dangerous and must leave as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, another premier under fire, Italy's Silvio Berlusconi scrambled to come up with measures to placate markets, seeing senior aides and ministers ahead of an expected meeting of the cabinet later.

TIMING, RESULT IN DOUBT

Greek government spokesman Ilias Mosialos said the referendum would take place "as soon as possible, right after the basics of the bailout deal are formulated".

Greek officials had suggested it would probably be held in mid-January but the interior minister said it could happen as early as December.

The Greek press, including dailies traditionally friendly to the government, almost unanimously condemned Papandreou.

Centre-left newspaper Eleftherotypia described the prime minister on its front page as "The Lord of Chaos". Ethnos, another pro-government paper, called the referendum "suicidal".

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Borrowers Win, Savers Lose as Fed Stands Pat — Again

With the heads of France, Germany and the IMF summoning Greek Premier George Papandreou for an "emergency" meeting in Cannes, the Fed meeting became something of an afterthought on Wall Street Wednesday.
Still, what the U.S. central bank says and does has huge implications for the global markets and U.S. consumers. So here's a breakdown of what the Fed did -- and didn't do -- and what it means for you.

Stuck at Zero: As expected, the Fed left rates unchanged near zero yet again, citing "low rates of resource utilization and a subdued outlook for inflation" in justifying these "exceptionally low" rates until at least mid-2013.
The Fed's zero interest rate policy (aka ZIRP) means borrowing rates should remain low for consumers looking to refinance a house, buy a car or establish new lines of credit. That is, of course, if banks are willing to lend. On the flip side, the Fed's ZIRP means bank CD rates will remain miniscule, punishing savers and anyone living on a fixed-income.

Economy Peking Up: While little was expected from the Fed, Ben Bernanke & Co. did have a few surprises for the market, most notably a slight upgrade in its view on the economy. "Economic growth strengthened somewhat in the third quarter," the FOMC declared. "Household spending has increased at a somewhat faster pace in recent months."

But Problems Abound: Still, the Fed cited "continuing weakness in overall labor market conditions" and an "elevated" unemployment rate, suggesting it's far from bullish on the economy and no doubt concerned about the potential for an external shock, most notably out of Europe. There are "significant downside risks to the economic outlook, including strains in global financial markets," the statement declared.
This combination of downside risks to the economy, high unemployment and a "subdued" outlook for inflation means the Fed is almost certain to remain on its current course when it comes to rates and Operation Twist, to which it reaffirmed its commitment.
Looking forward, the odds still favor the Fed doing more to help the economy (and the banks) vs. less, despite recent talk about QE3 being "off the table" during the market's big October rally. In fact, the other headline from Wednesday's FOMC meeting is the lone dissenter from the statement, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, wants the Fed to take more action to stimulate the economy.
Looking ahead, the Fed is likely to stay on hold for the foreseeable future but ready to take further action to stimulate the economy and the markets should developments warrant, which looks more likely than not.

Update: Ahead of Fed President Ben Bernanke's press conference at 2:15 EDT, the Fed issued a downgrade to its forecast for GDP for 2011 to 1.65% from 2.8% previously. For 2012, the Fed now sees economic growth in the 2.7% range vs. 3.5% in June and at 3.25% in 2013 vs. 3.85% in June.
For unemployment, the Fed now sees unemployment as high as 8.7% next year vs. its prior projection of a fall to as low as 7.8% and predicts unemployment in the 7.8% to 8.2% range for 2013 vs. its prior forecast of 7% to 7.5% in June.
These revisions, downward to GDP and upward to unemployment, only reinforce the notion the Fed's next move is more likely to be additional easing vs. tightening its policy.

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France-trained Dunaden wins Melbourne Cup

 

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—French-trained Dunaden won the $6.2 million Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, beating England’s Red Cadeaux by a nose in one of the closest finishes in the 151-year history of the two-mile turf handicap.
French jockey Christophe Lemaire guided Dunaden to the front a few strides from the line to hold off the fast-finishing Red Cadeaux, ridden by Australia’s Michael Rodd.

German import Lucas Cranach, owned and trained in Australia, finished third at Flemington, where more than 100,000 fans awaited the photo finish results.
Dunaden, by the British sire Nicobar from the French mare La Marlia, started an 8-1 second favorite after winning the Geelong Cup on Oct. 19 in its first start in Australia. Red Cadeaux started at odds of more than 30-1.
“I’m still shaking. It’s amazing. I thought I was beaten, so it’s even better,” trainer Mikel Delzangles said.
Lemaire arrived in Australia from Japan only 24 hours before the race and was overcome with emotion when his narrow victory was confirmed.
“It’s incredible—it’s a great moment for me,” Lemaire said. “I was a bit anxious. I knew it was very close.
“I feel very sorry for Craig. He’s a good friend of mine. I know it’s very hard for him but it’s part of a jockey’s life and I’m sure he’ll win the Melbourne Cup one year.”
The win was Dunaden’s eighth in 28 starts and earned his owner $3.6 million plus a trophy worth $175,000.

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Mardy Fish out of Swiss Indoors after injury

 

BASEL, Switzerland (AP)—Mardy Fish retired from his first-round match at the Swiss Indoors against fellow American James Blake on Tuesday after just one game because of a hamstring injury.
The fifth-seeded Fish held serve in the opening game and lost the first point of the next game when he decided the pain in his left leg would not allow him to continue.

Fish is hoping to qualify for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals for the first time. He is currently in the eighth and final qualifying spot for the tournament starting in London on Nov. 20. Although Fish cannot be overtaken this week, the last qualifying tournament is next week in Paris.

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Messi among 23 candidates for world player award

 

ZURICH (AP)—Barcelona’s two-time winner Lionel Messi has been selected among the 23 candidates for the FIFA world player of the year award.
FIFA released the candidates Tuesday for the Ballon d’Or 2011 award. Spanish players dominate the list, with seven nominations—Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique, David Villa, Xabi Alonso and Xavi.

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque was among the 10 candidates nominated for world coach of the year. Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson, Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola and Madrid’s Jose Mourinho are also on the list.
The leading three candidates from each list will be announced Dec. 5 in Paris, with the winners announced Jan. 9 in Zurich.

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Spot-fixing: Butt and Asif found guilty

LONDON - Former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif were found guilty on Tuesday of involvement in a "spot-fixing" betting scam during a match against England last year.
In a case that rocked the world of cricket, Butt, 27, was convicted by a jury in London of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat at gambling, while Asif, 28, was found guilty of conspiracy to cheat.
Prosecutors alleged they conspired with British agent Mazher Majeed and fast bowler Mohammad Aamer to bowl three intentional no-balls during the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England in August 2010.
Butt and Asif were charged after allegations about their involvement in spot-fixing appeared in the now-defunct News of the World tabloid, owned by Australian-born media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, shortly after the Test.
Butt and Asif had both pleaded not guilty.
They sat in silence in the dock as the jury at Southwark Crown Court delivered their verdicts, after spending nearly 17 hours in deliberations over four days.
The jury have not yet decided whether Asif is guilty of the second charge of conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments.
Butt could face a maximum jail sentence of up to seven years while there is a maxium two-year prison term for the charge on which Asif has been found guilty. They are expected to be sentenced later this week.
Majeed, 36, and Aamer, 19, were also charged with the same offences but were not standing trial alongside Butt and Asif.
In a further twist, Butt's wife gave birth to a baby boy just 30 minutes before the verdict was delivered, his father said by telephone from Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore.
"Salman Butt has a baby boy 30 minutes before the verdict came," Zulfiqar Butt told AFP, without giving the baby's name. It is Butt's first son - he already has a daughter.
"It's a matter of great grief for us that Butt has been found guilty. We hope the Almighty will bring him out of this trouble because these are very difficult times for him and the family," he added.
During the three-week trial the jury heard that vast sums of money could be made by rigging games for betting syndicates, particularly in South Asia, and that the problem was theatening the game of cricket.
Mazher Mahmood, News of the World's former investigations editor, known as the "fake sheikh" for his disguises, told the court he had approached Majeed pretending to be an Indian businessman.
Majeed claimed he had at least six Pakistani players working for him and that it would cost between 50,000 and 80,000 pounds ($78,000 and $125,000) to fix a "bracket", where bets are made on incidents during a given period of play.
But the cost of rigging a result was far more, at 400,000 pounds for a Twenty20, 450,000 pounds for a one-day international, and 1 million pounds for Test matches, Majeed allegedly told the reporter.
The agent was secretly filmed accepting 150,000 pounds in cash from the journalist as part of an arrangement to bowl the no-balls, and recorded allegedly making arrangements with Butt for the no balls.
Butt told the court that he had ignored his agent's requests to fix games and had no knowledge of the plan to bowl no balls, while admitting that he had failed in his duty to inform cricketing authorities of Majeed's approach.
Asif meanwhile said he had bowled a no ball at the exact time the agent had predicted to the News of the World journalist because Butt had told him to run faster moments before his delivery.

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Planets Smashed Into Dust Near Supermassive Black Holes

 

Fat doughnut-shaped dust shrouds that obscure about half of supermassive black holes could be the result of high speed crashes between planets and asteroids, according to a new theory from an international team of astronomers.


The scientists, led by Dr. Sergei Nayakshin of the University of Leicester, are publishing their results in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Supermassive black holes reside in the central parts of most galaxies. Observations indicate that about 50% of them are hidden from view by mysterious clouds of dust, the origin of which is not completely understood. The new theory is inspired by our own Solar System, where the so-called zodiacal dust is known to originate from collisions between solid bodies such as asteroids and comets. The scientists propose that the central regions of galaxies contain not only black holes and stars but also planets and asteroids.
Collisions between these rocky objects would occur at colossal speeds as large as 1000 km per second, continuously shattering and fragmenting the objects, until eventually they end up as microscopic dust. Dr. Nayakshin points out that this harsh environment -- radiation and frequent collisions -- would make the planets orbiting supermassive black holes sterile, even before they are destroyed. "Too bad for life on these planets," he says, "but on the other hand the dust created in this way blocks much of the harmful radiation from reaching the rest of the host galaxy. This in turn may make it easier for life to prosper elsewhere in the rest of the central region of the galaxy."
He also believes that understanding the origin of the dust near black holes is important in our models of how these monsters grow and how exactly they affect their host galaxies. "We suspect that the supermassive black hole in our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, expelled most of the gas that would otherwise turn into more stars and planets," he continues, "Understanding the origin of the dust in the inner regions of galaxies would take us one step closer to solving the mystery of the supermassive black holes."

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Siri comes to iPhone 4

 

Apple fans who have been slobbering over the amazing voice technology known as Siri but who don't have enough cash to upgrade their iPhone 4 can now rejoice.
Though not official, it looks like Siri can be executed successfully on the last generation iPhone device. Over the weekend, hackers Steve Troughton-Smith and Grant Paul managed to port the supposedly iPhone 4S-exclusive app to its predecessor.
PC World quoted Troughton-Smith as saying, "It works just as well as the iPhone 4S, and I've seen it work even faster than it at times."
The only limitation comes with Siri's "raise to speak" feature, which requires the improved iPhone 4S gyroscope to enable the voice-powered app when users raise the phone to their ear.
The ported app isn't yet widely available, even among the underground channels. There's still some fine tuning to make sure everything is well oiled, but this could be promising to those who still have a year or more on their existing iPhone 4 contract before they even get the chance to upgrade and experience Siri.
It's unclear if Apple will eventually bring official Siri support to previous versions of the iPhone, but that's probably an unlikely scenario.
But as long as there are people like Troughton-Smith, anything is possible.

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Panasonic Lumix GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera surfaces in leaked photos

Panasonic just launched a whole new series of Micro Four Thirds lenses a couple of months ago, and it looks like it might soon also have a new Micro Four Thirds camera to take advantage of them. That photo you see above recently turned up on the Mobile01 forums with a bundle of others, showing a hereto unannounced Panasonic Lumix GX1 MFT camera, which looks like it could be a true successor to the GF1 (as opposed to the GF2 and GF3 that moved in a less pro-minded direction). Rumored specs remain a bit light, but the camera apparently has a touchscreen display 'round back, which will likely see a fair bit of use unless you opt for an external EVF. It's also suggested that the camera will be launching soon -- on November 8th -- although that's obviously yet to be confirmed.

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3 Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan

SYDNEY — Three Australian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter were killed and seven other soldiers were wounded when a man wearing an Afghan army uniform opened fire during a parade at a patrol base in Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.

The gunman in Saturday's attack was shot dead by Australian soldiers at the base in southern Kandahar province, Australian Defense Force chief Lt. Gen. David Hurley told reporters in the western Australian city of Perth. Of the seven wounded Australian soldiers, one was being treated for life-threatening injuries and four others for serious injuries, Hurley said.

"Given the nature of this attack, there will be a natural response to question our role in mentoring the Afghan national army," Hurley said. "However, we must be careful not to jump to conclusions. An extensive investigation is commencing so that we can develop an accurate understanding of the circumstances of this incident."

Hurley said the gunman's motive was not yet known. Afghan soldiers at the base were disarmed and confined to their barracks as a precaution as officials investigated the shooting.

Australia has 1,550 troops in Afghanistan, the largest force provided by any country outside NATO. Saturday's attacks brought the Australian death toll from the conflict to 32.

The shooting came the same day a Taliban suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into an armored NATO bus in Kabul, killing 17 people

"Whether the two are related, time will tell," Australian Defense Minister Stephen Smith said. "There's nothing obvious that would draw that conclusion."

Smith insisted that Australia's role in Afghanistan remained vital and said Afghanistan was still on track to take over its own security by 2014 — the year Australia plans to withdraw its troops from the country.

"If we were to leave now, the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area would again become a breeding ground for international terrorism," he said.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the shooting marked a dark day for the nation.

"I don't know a better word than the word 'bitter' to describe how we feel today," Gillard told reporters in Perth. "I recognize the circumstances of this incident are going to raise many deep and troubling questions in the minds of Australians. Attacks like this are designed to do just that — to corrode trust."

Gillard repeated Smith's assertion that the incident would not change Australia's mission in Afghanistan.

"Our partners in the Afghan national army are shocked and horrified by what has occurred. The people of Afghanistan are trying to build a nation — a nation free of violence and free of fear," Gillard said. "We know that the act of this Afghanistan (army) member was not in the interests of the people of Afghanistan."

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Two Britons killed in Kabul attack

Two British contractors were among 13 foreigners who died when a Taliban car bomber struck a NATO convoy in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday, the Foreign Office in London said.

Officials had said they were all Americans, but a spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said on Sunday that NATO now believed the 13 included two Britons and the Canadian soldier whose death had previously been announced. Four Afghans also died.

"We have learned that two British nationals were among the 13 killed in yesterday's attack in Kabul," a Foreign Office statement said.

"Next of kin have been informed. Our thoughts are with the families of all who died, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) personnel and contractors, Afghan forces and civilians.

"Consular staff in Kabul are in close touch with the employer of the deceased. We stand by to provide any consular assistance to their families."

On Saturday, the Afghan interior ministry said three bystanders and a policeman were killed in the attack, while NATO's alliance force said at least 13 foreigners died -- five troops and eight civilian employees.

US officials said these 13 were all American but the latest information from ISAF appears to contradict that, the Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

"We believe it was 13 people, and two of those were British nationals. Because of the nature of the incident, it has been difficult to identify some of the nationalities," she said.

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