Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Data burglary targets 3.3 million with tyro loans

MINNEAPOLIS - A association that guarantees sovereign tyro loans pronounced Friday that personal dataabout 3.3 million people national has been stolen from the domicile in Minnesota.

Educational Credit Management Corp. pronounced the interpretation enclosed names, addresses, Social Security numbers and dates of bieing born of borrowers, but no monetary or bank comment information.

The interpretation was"portable media" that was stolen someday last weekend, ECMC pronounced in a statement. Company orator Paul Kelash wouldnt mention what was taken, citing the ongoing investigation, but pronounced there were no indications of any injustice of the data.

Story continues next ↓advertisement your ad here

The St. Paul-based nonprofit pronounced it detected the burglary last Sunday and rught away contacted law enforcement, and done the burglary open when it perceived accede from authorities. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is heading the investigation.

ECMC pronounced it has organised with credit word group Experian to yield influenced borrowers with free credit monitoring and word services. Borrowers will be reception letters from ECMC soonhow to pointer up, benefit entrance to rascal fortitude representatives, and be supposing with temperament burglary word coverage.

"We deeply bewail that this situation occurred and the highlight it has caused the borrowers and the partners and are you do all we can to assistance strengthen the borrowers" temperament and personal information," Richard Boyle, boss and CEO of ECMC, pronounced in the statement.

ECMC is a executive for the U.S. Department of Education to yield pick up and request supervision services. It guarantees tyro loans by the Federal Family Education Loan program, and provides await services for tyro loans that are in default or bankruptcy. The association can action as the guarantor, loan hilt or loan servicer.

Department of Education orator Justin Hamilton pronounced safeguarding tyro remoteness is a tip priority.

"We are operative with ECMC to have certain that influenced people are supposing with resources to strengthen their report and to yield with them with temperament burglary insurance," Hamilton pronounced safeguarding tyro remoteness is a tip priority for the agency.

Click for associated content‘Smart’ meters have security holesInside a tellurian cybercrime ringRed Tape: Top 5 Web scams

Those who hold they might be influenced were speedy to revisit ECMCs Web site, or call 1-877-449-3568 commencement Saturday.

According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, some-more than 347 million people have been influenced by interpretation remoteness breaches at hundreds of supervision agencies, universities and businesses given 2005.

Associated Press bard Dorrie Turner contributed to this story from Atlanta.

© ,,.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Raleigh man indicted of hidden $700000 in Ponzi intrigue

RALEIGH -- A Raleigh man suspected by sovereign officials of defrauding investors of at slightest $700,000 in a Ponzi intrigue was arrested Wednesday on state rascal charges.

Dennis Todd Hagemann, 41, of 4715 Cardinal Grove Blvd. in Raleigh, has been charged with dual counts of bonds rascal and one equate of obtaining skill by fake pretenses. He is being hold in the Wake County prison on a $250,000 cumulative bond.

According to a censure filed by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Hagemann and the association he owned, Yellowstone Partners, fraudulently solicited at slightest $700,000 from at slightest 9 individuals. The censure says Hagemann lured impending business with the awaiting of fast creation large increase by trade in off-exchange unfamiliar currency.

The censure says Hagemann usually invested $200,000 of the income he was since in unfamiliar sell trade accounts. Instead, it�s supposed he wasted the alternative $500,000 for his personal have use of or to have supposed distinction payments �akin to a �Ponzi� scheme.�

The censure says Hagemann secretly claimed as not long ago as last year that he had Russian contacts that could assistance with investments, together with an unnamed particular who allegedly had connectors to former Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin. Hageman unsuccessful to surprise investors that Yeltsin was deceased.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Investors should be picky after infrequent dining run

Lisa Baertlein - Analysis LOS ANGELES Thu April 8, 2010 11:10am EDT Related News Bed Bath & Beyond beats Street, shares up 4 percentWed, April 7 2010UPDATE 3-Bed Bath & Beyond beats Street, shares up 4 pctWed, April 7 2010UPDATE 5-Family Dollar opinion tops Street, shares upWed, April 7 2010RPT-PREVIEW-Warm weather,early Easter assistance US Mar sell salesMon, April 5 2010Warm weather, early Easter assistance Mar sell salesMon, April 5 2010 Stocks & &

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It pays to be picky when investing in U.S. restaurants, as an approaching liberation is already labelled in to most of the segment"s share prices after an epic kick down during the recession.

Shares in Olive Garden primogenitor Darden Restaurants Inc (DRI.N) and Chili"s Grill Bar primogenitor Brinker International Inc (EAT.N), dual of the largest "casual dining" chains, are up 55 percent and 63 percent from their particular 52-week lows.

Such share cost gains were not surprising in the last couple of months as investors gamble an mending U.S. economy would coax diners to again try out of their kitchens for meals.

"It does feel similar to they had gotten approach as well knocked about down ... this run was to a little border personification catch up," pronounced Bernstein Research researcher Sara Senatore. She combined that destiny gains will not come from the elementary action of "holding your nose" and shopping with the believe that things would get better.

Darden and Brinker, that are roughly median by their 2010 mercantile years, traffic at 14.2 and 13.5 times 2011 approaching earnings, respectively.

By the begin of this month, grill bonds in a Standard Poor"s underling index were trade at 16.2 times gain expectations for the entrance twelve months, a fourteen percent reward to the SP 500 .SPX, according to a Bernstein analysis.

Going forward, investors need to watch for expansion opportunities as well as pitfalls that could erase gains.

Darden and Texas Roadhouse (TXRH.O) haven"t tired cost-cutting options and are most appropriate positioned to supplement new U.S. restaurants, moves that analysts pronounced could progress shares.

Likewise, the result of high-risk, and presumably high-reward, turnaround efforts at DineEquity Inc"s (DIN.N) Applebee"s or Brinker"s Chili"s bondage will be reflected in share prices.

HEALTH OF SALES

Many restaurants have cut losses to the bone, so the ones that have full of health same-restaurant sales expansion will handily outperform those that don"t.

To that end, Senatore, remarkable a flourishing dissimilarity in between Darden and Brinker.

Darden not long ago increased the 2010 distinction perspective on mending consumer sentiment, call Senatore to lift her 2010 distinction aim by 3 percent and her 2011 gain perspective by 0.6 percent.

For the part, Brinker released a 2010 distinction opinion that longed for expectations as it tries to urge Chili"s operations. Senatore slashed her 2010 distinction perspective by thirteen percent and gave her 2011 perspective a 10 percent haircut.

Both companies go on to design altogether same-restaurant sales to tumble for all of mercantile 2010.

But Darden"s sales at determined Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants not long ago have been trending prosaic to somewhat higher, whilst Brinker"s flagship Chili"s sequence has been posting declines that some-more than outpaced improvements from the not as big Maggiano"s Little Italy business.

"That is potentially demonstrative of the sort of opening we"re going to see" ahead, pronounced Senatore, who rates Darden "outperform" and Brinker "market perform".

As consumer companies quarrel for each optional dollar, tip operators will dilate their lead, experts said.

"When each dollar counts ... people are really, unequivocally clever about wanting a on trial experience," pronounced industry expert Malcolm Knapp.

ROUGH RIDE AHEAD

Overall visits to U.S. restaurants have been prosaic to disastrous for scarcely dual years and are approaching to sojourn disastrous by August, NPD researcher Bonnie Riggs said.

But visits to infrequent dining bondage have been on a delayed stand given last July, pronounced Knapp, whose Knapp-Track monthly sales and guest equate interpretation is an industry benchmark.

"January and Feb were stronger than I thought they were going to be given the pent up direct for alternative sell goods," pronounced Knapp. Recent pursuit gains should assistance ensure opposite an additional drop in infrequent dining, he said.

People with annual incomes of $40,000 or less on the low side and $150,00 and on tip of have been spending some-more at infrequent dining chains, though altogether spending stays frugal, pronounced Bill Pecoriello, arch senior manager at Consumer Edge Research.

He sees Brinker, Darden, the Cheesecake Factory (CAKE.O), P.F. Chang"s China Bistro (PFCB.O) and Applebee"s primogenitor DineEquity Inc (DIN.N) as staid to benefit.

Casual dining management team are discerning to rage unrestrained with warnings about the flighty economy and high joblessness given the cost for blank Wall Street expectations is high.

Brewery and grill user BJ"s Restaurants Inc (BJRI.O) found that out last entertain when the distinction longed for Wall Street"s perspective and shares forsaken roughly thirteen percent.

Darden, Brinker, Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang"s and BJ"s are approaching to compare analysts" targets in their subsequent quarterly monetary reports, according to Starmine"s SmartEstimate, that places some-more weight on new forecasts by top-rated analysts.

But there are a little wild cards.

According to SmartEstimate, California Pizza Kitchen (CPKI.O) could tip Wall Street"s call for a quarterly distinction of 75 cents per share by 4 cents.

The opinion for DineEquity is most murkier. The normal guess from 6 analysts calls for a quarterly distinction of 78 cents a share, but the top-rated researcher is presaging it will broach a distinction of only 62 cents a share.

DineEquity"s shares sealed at $41.86 on Wednesday, some-more than three times their 52-week low of $12.95.

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Michele Gershberg, Bernard Orr)

let loose natural for acne to help this

Friday, August 27, 2010

CCTV captures impulse when bully kick shopkeeper with steel baton

& ,}

This CCTV picture shows the impulse a lady was smashed by a pirate with a steel baton. Deb Kemp, 43, was pounded after thieves stole 1,000 and hundreds of cigarettes from her newsagents emporium in Eastern Green, Coventry. She had a four-inch indenture in her head but was behind at work the subsequent day. I am not going to be knocked about by this scum, she said.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

He can plate it out but can TVs rudest man take it? Michael Winner hosts a cooking celebration for the victims of Dining Stars

Michael Winner is station in the kitchen of his huge 42-room, nine-bathroom, 11-loo, 100-telephone palace in Holland Park, and removing easily worked up.

;Dinah! DINAH! Where are they, Dinah? he yells at his personal assistant. ;Shouldnt you phone and ask if theyre all right? Its left seven! Are they here? No? I pronounced 7 oclock and thats what I meant!

It is one notation past seven. Dinah rolls her eyes.

Tough judge: Winner"s show, "Dining Stars" was pronounced to have ;the tragedy of a snapped fan belt

;Slap on the caviar, heavenly dont hold back, he barked earlier. And they havent.

;Its a menu from the old days and its full of blood good, darling! Its genuine and candid similar to all great food should be beef or duck stroganoff with rice and salad, and cheesecake for pudding.

;The last time I had it was with Michael Caine, Lady Lloyd Webber Andrew was going berserk with rehearsals Archie Norman, whos the authority of ITV, David Frost, Adam Crozier and Lucy Prebble, who wrote the fool around ENRON, and it went down unequivocally well with them, so Im not shaken about it.

Which is frequency startling given whilst his guest got in to cold and damp lathers in their kitchens, Winner has a small armed forces scheming his dinner.

As well as his housekeeper, there are five full-time dailies to set the huge dining-room table, gloss the silver, decant the 1985 Mouton Rothschild, chill the 2002 Puligny Montrachet, hoover the Persian rugs, prepare dozens of vases of flowering plants and dust the chandeliers and his considerable art pick up of some-more than 650 paintings.

Plus Geraldine and Dinah to assistance out and host, Shirley whos washing up at the penetrate and tip prepare Philip Crowther, whos been drafted in to prepare the stroganoff.

;My common chefs had to go home to the Philippines, so Geraldine and Dinah have been slaving all day scheming things, but weve got the professionals in to finish it off so we call all relax.

Does he unequivocally think his guest will relax between all this attire and with him cheering at them all the time?

;Of march they will, darling. Its usually me!

Back in his intemperate cinema, the sensuous runner comes up to the ankles, the feverishness is tropical, the Champagne is issuing and Michael sits in his directors chair display off about the hundreds of photographs of movie stars, and him, that cover the walls.

;Thats Elton there, usually on top of the one of me with the fish. And Marilyn.

"I can overtly contend that I cant recollect enjoying a cooking celebration or, amazingly, the host, as most for ages."

By 7.25pm, were usually watchful for Peter and his sister Caroline.

;DINAH! Will you greatfully call Mr P and ask him what world hes on.

So far, Id give him dual Dining Stars. Though Im not certain grouchy Deans French mother Jane would.

;Caviars ostensible to be disgusting, isnt it? she says, as she pops one of the not as big plateau in her mouth and now gags in to her hand. ;Euggghh!

And with that its time for dinner. Which is ;self-serve from the kitchen on blisteringly prohibited plates ;I HATE cold plates and I hatred plates with foolish squiggles drawn all over them.

The kitchen binds special memories for Michael.

;I grew up in this residence and this was my room my bed was right there by the fridge, he says. "So I had my initial experience right here!

Enough! Back to the food, that is simple, tawny and tasty nonetheless grouchy Dean insists ;the beef could do with a bit some-more kick.

Its additionally enlivened by a chair subsequent to the poetic Geraldine, who talks me by the kitsch cosmetic salt and peppers pots made similar to small people (;the peppers used to sneeze and the salt pronounced bless you ) and her and Michaels wooing theyve been friends given she appeared in one of his drive-in theatre some-more than 50 years ago and together given May 22, 2002, when he due out of the blue.

;We were in The Ivy, carrying a potion of Champagne, and I said: Surely youre not proposing to me after all this time. And he said: Well, maybe? It took him multiform girlfriends and years to realize it. I regularly knew him best.

And, er, how well did she know him? Had they had, er, the occasional relationship over the years?

;Oh God, yes. Of course. Loads! That was piece of the problem. He pronounced to my son: The complaint with your silent was that she kept using away. Of march I did. He was impossible.

Maybe, but his dinners going down a charge quite the slices of cheesecake that are still nestled in their posh Wolseley wrappers.

Theres all you could want. Good discuss all from the choosing to the new Michael Jackson movie (;absolutely brilliant insists the host), ridiculously glorious wine, glorious food, coffee, brandies, and even a belated Michael Winner Dining Star for Hema and Dean.

Oh yes, and Geraldines pleasant daub dance ;This lady danced for me in a movie in 1957. 1957! How about that?

;Shut up! shouts Geraldine back. ;Dont you brave contend how old I am!

UK unveils appetite marketplace reforms immature bank

LONDON Wed March 24, 2010 3:50pm EDT The Big Ben time building of the Houses of Parliament is seen by a blockade in London Feb 14, 2010. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

The Big Ben time building of the Houses of Parliament is seen by a blockade in London Feb 14, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Luke MacGregor

LONDON (Reuters) - The British supervision aims to remodel the appetite marketplace and emanate a one billion bruise ($1.50 billion) "green" bank to inspire investment in costly low-carbon power, according to the UK"s annual Budget report.

From the five process packages published by appetite regulator Ofgem last month, the supervision ruled out the majority easily regulated choice of environment a smallest CO cost and majority heavily regulated choice of a centralized buyer.

Ofgem called for law reforms afar from a market-led proceed and pronounced the stream complement would not inspire the hundreds of billions of pounds indispensable to reinstate aging appetite plants and move online new low-carbon generation.

"This Budget will assistance propel the UK serve and faster toward the immature industries of the future," Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said.

"The Green Investment Bank, new await for breeze turbine production sites and the initial commentary of the work to remodel the appetite marketplace are all critical."

The marketplace reforms were mostly welcomed by utilities formulation to deposit in large appetite infrastructure projects, together with new arch appetite plants and large scale breeze projects.

"It is an critical step toward giving investors the certainty to deposit the billions of pounds indispensable in the appetite infrastructure," RWE npower Chief Executive Volker Beckers said.

Paul Golby, arch senior manager and authority of E.ON UK, said: "The appetite proposals put brazen to one side the Budget crop up to be uncommonly essential and it"s heartening to see that the supervision has famous what we"ve been observant for a little time about the need for a low CO requisite as piece of a energetic market."

Through a corner venture, E.ON and RWE plan to set up up to 6,000 megawatt of new arch in Britain by 2025. E.ON is additionally piece of a 2 billion bruise London Array breeze plantation project.

An appetite white paper environment out the conclusions of the marketplace remodel conference is approaching in open 2011.

The immature investment bank will assistance account low CO physical phenomenon era projects, focusing primarily on offshore wind, and seeks to compare the government"s one billion pounds with at slightest the same volume from the in isolation sector.

Other immature appetite initiatives embody a 60 million bruise offshore breeze foe and reviewing how biomass -- healthy materials such a woodchips used for blazing in appetite plants -- is upheld underneath the existent renewable appropriation system.

(Reporting by Kwok W. Wan; modifying by Sue Thomas)

for acne doctors to help adolescents to treat their acne

Monday, August 23, 2010

Government urged to action over legislature amicable care

The Government was urged currently to levy a authorised avocation on internal authorities to cruise the amicable caring needs of aged and infirm people.

The Law Commission, that advises ministers on authorised reform, pronounced that laws covering the sustenance of adult amicable caring are old-fashioned and in need of a in advance shake-up.

It called for the authorised frameworkspread opposite 38 apart Acts of Parliament dating behind some-more than 60 yearsto be transposed by a single, transparent and complicated statute.

The commission pronounced it is not looking to emanate new entitlements to caring but is looking to explain existent rights.

It did not go in to the quarrelsome issue of how destiny caring sustenance should be fundedcurrently the theme of an hostile domestic discuss in between the main parties.

Instead, in a array of subject to recommendations, it pronounced there should be new legislation to settle a core set of overarching beliefs to guide amicable caring decisions.

These should embody an pithy avocation to cruise the caring needs of people with a order for internal authorities to yield village services for all those who are eligible.

It additionally called for the investiture of a avocation to cruise the needs of carers who see after desired ones or family members in the home, and a orthodox requisite for internal authorities to examine if they think exposed adults are being abused or neglected.

Frances Patterson QC, who led the project, pronounced the proposals are dictated to safeguard that people in need of caring and those operative in the complement are transparent about the people rights to services.

It is unsuitable that people should have to see at some-more than 38 Acts of Parliament, and thousands of pages of guidance, to work out what the complement is for delivering these necessary services, she said.

We are looking to move distinctness to the complement of amicable care. We are not looking to shift existent entitlements. A clear, complicated government will save time and income squandered on handling the stream time-expired system.

Shadow health apportion Stephen O"Brien said: Carers fool around a critical purpose in the communities and assistance await a small of the majority exposed people in societyoften on a full-time basis. Conservatives wish to await carers where they need it mostin the workplace, in the home and by the NHS and amicable services.

By giving carers improved entrance to stretchable operative arrangements, by proposing programmed remit carenot only puncture remit careand by charity particular tailor-made budgets for those underneath their care, Conservatives goal to lead the approach in recognising and ancillary the loyalty and tough work of the nations 5.4 million carers.

Bringing together the most different pieces of legislation in this area will assistance make firm amicable caring opposite the country. It is unsatisfactory that Labour have legislated so haphazardly with so small coherence.

Care services apportion Phil Hope said: This is an glorious event to examination the existent authorised horizon and cruise replacing it with a complicated amicable caring statute, fit for the 21st century.

This eccentric examination goes palm in palm with the plans to remodel the caring and await complement that will emanate a fairer, easier and some-more affordable complement for everyone.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Increasing neurogenesis competence forestall drug obsession and relapse

The studyfindings, accessible in the Journal of Neuroscience, are the initial to but delay couple obsession with the process, called neurogenesis, in the segment of the brain called the hippocampus.

While the investigate privately focused on what happens when neurogenesis is blocked, the scientists pronounced the formula indicate that augmenting adult neurogenesis competence be a intensity approach to fight drug obsession and relapse.

More investigate will be indispensable to exam this hypothesis, but treatments that enlarge adult neurogenesis competence forestall obsession prior to it starts, that would be generally critical for patients treated with colour with potentially addictive medications, pronounced Dr. Amelia Eisch, join forces with highbrow of psychoanalysis at UT Southwestern and comparison writer of the study. Additionally, treatments that enlarge adult neurogenesis during avoidance competence forestall relapse.

Increasingly, obsession researchers have famous that a little aspects of the condition -- such as combining drug-context associations -- competence engage the hippocampus, that is a segment of the brain compared with guidance and memory. Only with new technological advances have scientists been means to exam their theories in animals by utilizing the bieing born of new haughtiness cells in the hippocampus of the adult brain.

Physical wake up and novel and enriched environments have been shown in animal studies to be great for the brain in general, but some-more investigate is indispensable to see if they can enlarge human adult neurogenesis.

Dr. Eisch and her colleagues used modernized deviation smoothness techniques to forestall hippocampal neurogenesis. In one experiment, rats were authorised to self-administer heroin by dire a lever. Rats with radiated smarts took some-more heroin and seemed to find it some-more rewarding than rats that did not embrace radiation.

In a second experiment, rats initial self-administered heroin and afterwards perceived deviation to diminution neurogenesis during a duration of time that they were but drugs. Rats with marked down neurogenesis took some-more time to comprehend that a drug push was no longer continuous to the drug dispenser.

The nonirradiated rats didn"t identical to the heroin as most and schooled faster to not press the before drug-associated lever, Dr. Eisch said. In the context of this experiment, decreased neurogenesis fueled the routine of addiction, instead of the heroin becoming different the brain.

Dr. Eisch pronounced she plans to do identical studies with alternative drug of abuse, utilizing imaging record to investigate obsession and hippocampal neurogenesis in humans.

If we can emanate and exercise therapies that forestall obsession from function in the initial place, we can urge the length and peculiarity of hold up for millions of drug abusers, and all those influenced by an abuserbehavior, she said.

Another investigate writer from UT Southwestern was Sarah Bulin, a connoisseur tyro investigate assistant. Other researchers concerned in the work embody Dr. Michele Noonan, former connoisseur investigate partner in psychiatry, and Dwain Fuller from the VA North Texas Health Care System.

The investigate was saved by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Army Turns to Smartphone Apps to Win Wars

The U.S. Army voiced currently a foe to emanate utilitarian smartphone and Web applications directed at creation the troops some-more efficient, enhancing "warfighting effectiveness," and maybe save soldiers lives.

Called "Apps for the Army," or A4A, the plea is usually open to soldiers and Department of the Army civilians.

"We have a lot of able soldiers and civilians in the Army that probably could set up appsmuch similar to you do with the iPhone," pronounced Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson at a teleconference today.

Participation in A4A is singular to the initial 100 Army crew who enroll, and the tip app submissions will be famous at the LandWarNetConference in Aug 2010.

In a statement, the Army pronounced that A4A apps that will be deliberate are ones that plunge into "distributed training, conflict command, career management, stability education, or newsand report distribution."

A4A apps contingency be submitted by May 15, 2010. The winners of eight to-be-defined categories will embrace money prizes that will sum $30,000. The Web apps will be hosted on Forge.mil, the Defense Information Systems Agencys open source formula and program repository.

A4A apps can additionally be built for Blackberry, iPhone or Android smartphoneplatforms.

Separately, the Army additionally voiced this week that it will be testing"iPhone-like" inclination after this year that can run terrain apps.

The troops intelligent phones will be tested with 200 soldiers at Fort Bliss in Texas.

10 Profound Innovations Ahead Fight, Fight, Fight: The History of Human Aggression Cloud Computing Comes to US Air Force

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

USA TODAY BEST-SELLERS

March 25, 2010, 4:36 PM EST

Key: F-Fiction; NF-Nonfiction; H-Hardcover; P-Paperback

1. "The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central Publishing) (F-P)

2. "The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books) (F-H)

3. "Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel" by James Patterson (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-H)

4. "Dear John" by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central Publishing) (F-P)

5. "The Big Short" Inside the Doomsday Machine" by Michael Lewis (W.W. Norton & Company) (F-H)

6. "Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1" by Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim (Van Press) (F-P)

7. "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang" by Chelsea Handler (Grand Central Publishing) (NF-H)

8. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1: The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan (Disney-Hyperion) (F-P)

9. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2: The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan (Disney-Hyperion) (F-P)

10. "The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Shadow Souls" by L.J. Smith (HarperTeen) (F-H)

11. "Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight" by Karl Rove (Threshold) (NF-H)

12. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books) (F-H)

13. "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-H)

14. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson (Vintage) (F-P)

15. "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam Adult/Amy Einhorn) (F-H)

16. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3: The Titan"s Curse" by Rick Riordan (Disney-Hyperion) (F-H)

17. "Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4: The Battle of the Labyrnth" by Rick Riordan (Disney-Hyperion) (F-H)

18. "Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane (HarperCollins) (F-P)

19. Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5: The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan (Disney-Hyperion) (F-H)

20. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books) (F-H)

21. "House Rules: A Novel" by Jodi Picoult (Atria) (F-H)

22. "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-P)

23. "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-H)

24. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books) (F-H)

25. "First Family" by David Baldacci (Vision) (F-P)

26. "Malice" by Lisa Jackson (Zebra) (F-P)

27. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books) (F-H)

28. "A Reliable Wife" by Robert Goolrick (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill) (F-P)

29. "Little Bee: A Novel" by Chris Cleave (Simon & Schuster) (F-P)

30. "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-P)

31. "The Summer Hideaway" by Susan Wiggs (Mira) (F-P)

32. "Look Again" by Lisa Scottoline (St. Martin"s Griffin) (F-P)

33. "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold (Little, Brown) (F-P)

34. "The Silent Sea" by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul (Putnam Adult) (F-H)

35. "Think Twice" by Lisa Scottoline (St. Martin"s Press) (F-H)

36. "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game" by Michael Lewis (W.W. Norton & Company) (NF-P)

37. "Alice"s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll, illustrations by John Tenniel (Barnes & Noble Classics) (F-P)

38. "The Shack" by William P. Young (Windblown Media) (F-P)

39. "The Pacific" by Hugh Ambrose (NAL) (NF-H)

40. "Big Jack" by J.D. Robb (Berkley) (F-P)

41. "Precious" by Sapphire (Vintage) (F-P)

42. "Food Rules: An Eater"s Manual" by Michael Pollan (Penguin) (NF-P)

43. "The 8th Confession" by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Grand Central Publishing) (F-P)

44. "Change Your Brain, Change Your Body: Use Your Brain to Get and Keep the Body You Have Always Wanted" by Daniel G. Amen (Harmony) (NF-H)

45. "Evidence: An Alex Delaware Novel" by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books) (F-P)

46. "The Vampire and the Virgin" by Kerrelyn Sparks (Avon) (F-P)

47. "Are You There, Vodka? It"s Me, Chelsea" by Chelsea Handler (Simon Spotlight Entertainment) (NF-P)

48. "The Last Child" by John Hart (Minotaur Books) (F-P)

49. "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" by Seth Grahme-Smith (Grand Central Publishing) (F-H)

50. "A Patriot"s History of the United States: From Columbus"s Great Discovery to the War on Terror" by Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen (Sentinel) (NF-H)

Reporting stores include: Amazon.com, B. Dalton Bookseller, Barnes & Noble.com, Barnes & Noble Inc., Books-A-Million and Bookland, Booksamillion.com, Borders Books & Music, Bookstar, Bookstop, Brentano"s, Davis Kidd Booksellers in Nashville, Jackson, Memphis, Tenn., Doubleday Book Shops, Hudson Booksellers, Joseph-Beth Booksellers (Lexington, Ky.; Cincinnati, Cleveland), Powell"s Books (Portland, Ore.), Powells.com, R.J. Julia Booksellers (Madison, Conn.), Schuler.

,,,

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Netanyahus on all sides is perilous: U.S. central

Adam Entous WASHINGTON Sat Mar 13, 2010 1:25pm EST Factboxes Factbox: Major issues in Israeli-Palestinian peacemakingSat, Mar 13 2010Factbox: Key facts about Israeli settlementsSat, Mar 13 2010 Related Video

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu"s political standing is "perilous" because of divisions within his coalition over efforts to pursue peace with the Palestinians, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.

World

Israel"s announcement this week, during a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, of plans to build 1,600 settler homes in an area of the occupied West Bank it annexed to Jerusalem, cast a shadow over U.S. efforts to relaunch Middle East peacemaking.

The decision was a blow to Biden"s mission and sent him and other top American officials scrambling to shore up Palestinian and Arab support for launching U.S.-led "proximity" talks as early as next week, although officials acknowledged there could be a further delay.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned Netanyahu to tell him the settlements announcement was a "deeply negative signal about Israel"s approach to the bilateral relationship ... and had undermined trust and confidence in the peace process," a State Department spokesman said on Friday.

"The Israelis know the only way to stay on the positive side of the ledger -- internationally and with us -- is to not have them recurring," the senior Obama administration official said of announcements about expanding settlements.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, predicted "a dicey period here in the next couple days to a couple of weeks" as Washington tries to get the indirect talks launched.

Entering negotiations with the Palestinians on so-called core issues including statehood borders and the fate of Jerusalem could spark a revolt from Netanyahu"s far-right coalition partners and destabilize his government.

The senior administration official termed Netanyahu"s political position as "perilous" because of the divisions. Right-wing parties oppose peace moves, including a full settlement freeze, sought by the Palestinians and the United States.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who holds sway in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has likewise been seriously weakened by his rivalry with Hamas Islamists, who control the Gaza Strip bordering Egypt.

The Obama administration believes the proximity talks may be the only way in the foreseeable future to ease Israel back to the negotiating table without triggering a political crisis.

Under the proposed format for the talks, Netanyahu could relay his positions on sensitive issues to a U.S. mediator, George Mitchell, instead of to the Palestinians directly.

But Israeli officials say Netanyahu is resisting the inclusion of core issues in the proximity phase, casting doubt on the scope of the talks.

The senior official said Netanyahu"s assurances the 1,600 houses would not be built for at least a year were meant to give Abbas the political cover he needed to move forward as planned.

"Nothing is going to go up anytime soon, this was a year away at a minimum, which is another way of saying, "Hey look, I"m not building anything. Nothing"s going to be built here,"" the official said of the private messages relayed to Abbas by the vice president.

By vouching for Netanyahu, Abbas was "able to say with certainty to his team, "Look, this is a fight about something in the future and the way to deal with that is to get into talks,"" the official said.

(Editing by Peter Cooney)

World

Thursday, August 5, 2010

FOREX-Euro binds solid but renewed Greek woes weigh

Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:29pm EDT Related News Euro extends losses vs dollar after Greek newsThu, Mar 18 2010Yen edges up after BOJ increases size of funding opWed, Mar 17 2010Dollar rises to 2-week high vs yen as yen slidesSun, Mar 7 2010

* Greece says high borrowing costs threaten deficit cut plan

Currencies

* Euro around 17-mth low vs Swiss franc after SNB comments

* Dollar/yen sell orders likely lie at upper end of Y90

* Dollar demand from Japan expected before 3-day holiday

By Kaori Kaneko

TOKYO, March 19 (Reuters) - The euro stabilized but remainedunder pressure on Friday on renewed concern about Greece afterAthens said it may not be able to achieve its promised deficitcuts if its borrowing costs remain so high. [ID:nLDE62H0LL]

But Greece dismissed a report that it was planning to turn tothe IMF as soon as early April if European Union leaders do notagree on a rescue plan next week, calling aid from the globallender a last resort and saying all options were still open.[ID:nLDE62H1HZ]

The European single currency also hovered around a 17-monthlow against the Swiss franc after Swiss National Bank boardmember Jean-Pierre Danthine said on Thursday that Swiss firms andconsumers should prepare for rising borrowing costs as interestrates cannot stay ultralow forever. [ID:nLDE62H2EE]

The dollar is expected to be supported against the yen by theregular commercial needs of Japanese firms on every fifth day ofthe month and before a three-day weekend in Japan, but the upperend of 90 yen will be capped by heavy sell orders, traders said.

"The euro is on a downward trend as the market has beenredirected to worries over Greece, because the uncertainties overthe prospects for it have not been wiped away," said a trader ata Japanese bank.

"As for today, without major economic events and before thelong weekend in Japan, the market will likely be driven by supplyand demand," he said.

The euro was steady at $1.3612 EUR=, having fallen as faras $1.3586 on trading platform EBS on Thursday. The Europeansingle currency has pulled back from a five-week high of $1.3819hit on EBS earlier this week.

Near term support for the euro is seen around $1.3500 as thecurrency stayed above that level last week, the trader at aJapanese bank said.

Against the Swiss franc, the euro edged down 0.1 percent to1.4390 francs EURCHF= after falling as far as 1.4355 francs onEBS on Thursday, its weakest level since October 2008.

The euro was up flat against the yen at 123.04 yen EURJPY=Rwhile the dollar rose 0.1 percent to 90.51 yen JPY=. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Currencies

Sunday, August 1, 2010

New U.N. watchdog head faces rising tragedy with Iran

Sylvia Westall VIENNA Sun Feb 28, 2010 5:47am EST Related News Iran says any atomic fuel swap must be on its soilTue, Feb 23 2010IAEA fears Iran working now on nuclear warheadThu, Feb 18 2010IAEA fears Iran working now on nuclear warheadThu, Feb 18 2010Iran says will respond to any new sanctionsTue, Feb 16 2010Iran says will respond to any new sanctionsTue, Feb 16 2010