Israeli warplanes bombed military site near Damascus - Syrian state ...

According to the agency, at dawn on January 30, Israeli warplanes violated Syrian airspace, with the jets bombing an army research center in the area of Jamraya, northwest of the capital?which it described as one of a number of "scientific research centers aimed at raising the level of resistance and self-defense".

Two people were killed and five wounded.?

"Israeli military aircraft violated our airspace at dawn and carried out precision attacks targeting the scientific research facility," ? the agency quotes a statement of the supreme command of the Syrian armed forces.

The building was destroyed, the military command said in a statement carried by state media.?Earlier, the center was targeted by armed opposition groups.

It said the planes crossed into Syria below the radar level, just north of Mount Hermon, and returned the same way.

Sources told Reuters earlier that Israeli jets had bombed a convoy on Syria's border with Lebanon on Wednesday, apparently targeting weapons destined for Hezbollah.

The air attack carried out by Israel on a Syrian target has been confirmed by the United States. According to Washington, the strike did not target the research institute, but a convoy of trucks, allegedly carrying weapons.

Tel Aviv fears that Damascus may hand over chemical weapons or sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles to the Islamist movement Hezbollah.

On the same day it became known that citizens of the Jewish state were stocking up on gas masks. The demand for them tripled at the end of January. Many Israelis believe that their country could face an assault with Syrian chemical weapons, RBC reports.?

Voice of Russia, Reuters,?RBC

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Lebanese media deny Israeli air strike

Lebanon?s state-run Al-Watania news agency hasn?t confirmed an Israeli air strike close to the Syrian border. An unnamed Lebanese source earlier told Western media that Israeli air force had attacked an armed convoy that had crossed into Lebanon.

Reports of the raid came during the small hours, the source was cited as saying. No further details were immediately known.

A spokesman of Israel?s northern military district refused to comment.

Israel hits convoy on Syria-Lebanon border - security sources

Israel forces carried out a strike overnight on a weapons convoy coming from Syria in the Lebanon-Syria border area, security sources told reporters on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The Israeli air force blew up a convoy which had just crossed the border from Syria into Lebanon," one source said, without giving a precise location for the attack or saying what the convoy was carrying.

An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.

Israel fighter jets hit targets on Lebanese-Syrian border

Israeli forces have attacked a target on the Syrian-Lebanese border overnight, a western diplomat and a security source said on Wednesday, at a time of growing concern in the Jewish state over the fate of Syrian chemical and conventional weapons.

Several squads of Israeli air force jets violated Lebanese airspace at 2 a.m. local time Wednesday, the Lebanese army reported in a statement earlier on Wednesday. It said four warplanes flew over the southernmost coastal town of Naqoura, hovered for several hours over villages in southern Lebanon before leaving the country's airspace.

The sources, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue, had no further information about what might have been hit or where precisely the attack happened.

The Israel Defense Forces refused to confirm or deny the report. "We do not comment on reports of this kind,"an IDF spokeswoman said.

Lebanon reports heavy presence of Israeli jets in its airspace

Lebanon said on Wednesday Israeli jets had flown over its territory overnight, part of apparently increased air activity which comes as Israel has expressed concern about weapons in neighbouring Syria falling out of government control.

A Lebanese army statement said that four Israeli planes entered Lebanese air space at 4.30 p.m (1430GMT) on Tuesday. They were replaced four hours later by another group of planes which overflewsouthern Lebanon until 2 a.m and a third mission took over, finally leaving at 7.55 a.m on Wednesday morning.

Lebanon frequently complains that Israeli jets overfly its territory. However the recent activity was much more concentrated than usual.

There was no explanation for the operations in the region, bordering southern Syria. The statement made no mention of planes entering Syrian airspace.

Israel's vice premier Silvan Shalom said on Sunday that any sign that Syria's grip on its chemical weapons is slipping, as President Bashar al-Assad fights rebels trying to overthrow him, could trigger Israeli military strikes.

Voice of Russia, TASS, AFP, RIA, Reuters, RT

Source: http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_01_30/Israeli-warplanes-bombed-military-site-near-Damascus-Syrian-state-news-agency/

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Tournament of THG Couples: Ian Somerhalder & Nina Dobrev vs. Brangelina!

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International Business Committee welcomes green initiatives in ...

International Business Committee welcomes green initiatives in Policy Address (with photos)
************************************************************

?????The International Business Committee (IBC), chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, was briefed by the Administration today (January 21) on the Chief Executive's Policy Address delivered last week.

?????Members of the IBC noted that the 2013 Policy Address, the first one made by the Chief Executive in his five-year term, had covered a wide range of subjects, forming an action plan for the coming year as well as a five-year blueprint.

?????Given the concerns of the overseas community about the air quality of Hong Kong, which had been reflected by the IBC to the Administration in the past, the IBC unanimously welcomed the environmental protection measures unveiled in the Policy Address to achieve cleaner air by reducing roadside pollution and emissions from vessels.

?????Members also appreciated the financial commitments made by the Government in this respect, including $10 billion set aside to phase out some 80 000 pre-Euro and Euro I to III diesel commercial vehicles and $5 billion injected into the Environment and Conservation Fund to provide long-term funding for community-led green initiatives.

?????Established in 1989, the IBC provides a forum for discussion between the Government and international business representatives on matters affecting the business environment and perceptions of Hong Kong. The Committee comprises representatives from 27 foreign chambers of commerce in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. A list of business chambers sitting on the IBC is in the Annex.

?????Today's meeting was followed by a reception hosted by the Chief Secretary for Administration in appreciation of the members' support and contribution over the past years.

Ends/Monday, January 21, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:38

NNNN

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Source: http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201301/21/P201301210477.htm

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Delhi gang-rape case to start in fast-track court

NEW DELHI (AP) ? Legal proceedings in a gang-rape case that has sparked protests about the treatment of woman are beginning in a new fast-track court set up specifically to deal with crimes against women in New Delhi.

Five men are due to appear in the special court Monday afternoon to face charges they raped and murdered a 23-year-old student aboard a moving bus in the capital last month.

A sixth suspect in the attack claims to be a juvenile and his case is being handled separately.

The attack has brought the little discussed topic of crime against women to the forefront in India. However some activists have raised concerns that the fast-track court system was not the answer to protect women.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/delhi-gang-rape-case-start-fast-track-court-070109083.html

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Sheen wants part in 'Two and a Half Men' finale

CBS

By Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter

Charlie Sheen was seen in an unexpected place Monday: a CBS set. During a "Late Show" appearance, David Letterman marveled at how strange it was to have Sheen back on a network he ?was banned from? after the former "Two and a Half Men" star famously left the show and spurned his former employer.

PHOTOS: A Winning Day With Charlie Sheen on the Set of His FX Comeback Vehicle 'Anger Management'

?It?s nice to be back in the CBS family, even as a foster child,? Sheen said. ?They?re nice until they fire you.?

But despite his public break from "Men," the comedian said he would like to appear on the show's series finale, whenever that may be. When Letterman reminded Sheen his character had died in the series, Sheen quipped: ?I am dead. But so is the show.?

Letterman pressed Sheen for details about what caused his 2011 public ?meltdown," asking if drugs had been a factor.

?Not during the meltdown,? Sheen insisted. ?During the previous 30 years, sure.?

Letterman also praised the ?tremendous expressions? Sheen coined during that phase, including ?tiger blood,? Adonis DNA? and ?winning.?

PHOTOS: Charlie Sheen's Colorful Career

?If we knew you were not in danger as a human, this thing would be tremendously entertaining,? Letterman said. ?But were you in danger??

Sheen said at the time he didn?t feel as though he had been in harm's way.

?I?m sure it looked like I was going to spontaneously combust at any moment,? Sheen said. ?It was an adrenal ride. I think it was mostly fueled by anger.?

Sheen returns on FX's "Anger Management" Thursday. Sheen also appears opposite Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray in "A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III," which is already available on video on demand and will get a limited theatrical release Feb. 8.

Watch a clip from Sheen's "Late Show" appearance below.

Do you think he should have a shot to come back from the dead on 'Two and a Half Men'? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

Related content:

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/01/15/16526713-charlie-sheen-tells-letterman-he-wants-part-in-two-and-a-half-men-finale?lite

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Inaugural Church Part Of History

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WUSA) -? President Obama is expected to maintain a Washington tradition this inauguration day by attending a pre-inaugural service at St. John's Episcopal Church.

He'll visit the historic church just across Lafayette Park from the White House before heading to Capitol Hill for his swearing in.
Andrea McCarren stopped by the "Church of the Presidents" to speak with its rector.

St. John's Episcopal Church will be a part of inaugural history once again.

?"Inauguration Day is like a celebration of America and I get excited about that," said Rev. Dr. Luis Leon of St. John's Episcopal Church.

"We very much appreciate having the opportunity to help the President, whatever party, to celebrate the beginning of a new term, especially in a religious context. Give us an opportunity to help him pray for our country," said Hayden Bryan, also of St. John's Episcopal Church.

President Obama and his family often worship here.

"My wife and I always make a comment that when they're walking to church, he's holding hands with the girls. And we always think that that's just a great statement," said Rev. Dr. Luis Leon.

The church features Pew 54, known as the President's Pew ever since James Madison first sat there. Now, it's reserved for President Obama.

"Everyone knows where he's going to sit so when he comes, the whole church wants to sit near there so they can shake hands with the President. You can almost feel the church tilting to one side. The other side is completely empty," said Rev. Dr. Luis Leon.

President Obama will take the oath of office using two Bibles: the one used by President Lincoln at his first inauguration and a second Bible used by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

President Lincoln's former pew is now marked by a plaque. The yellow church has hosted 11 pre-inaugural services and asserted its own place in American history.

President Obama normally sits in Pew 54, but on inauguration day, the Obamas will be sitting in the front row, alongside Vice President Joe Biden and his family.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Wusa9comHeadlines/~3/hYTf1BUr6NQ/local_article.aspx

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Collectibles: Family treasures, finds and mysteries | OregonLive.com

Q I found this wooden rabbit a few years ago in the back of a secondhand store.? I was delighted to find it, as it reminded me of the old carousel rabbit that I used to ride as a child at Oaks Park. It is 25 inches long, 10 1/2 inches high, and its ears are 9 inches long. I'm very interested in learning about its origin and value.
A.J.A., Northeast Portland

A Your rabbit is 20th century and certainly made in the style of early-20th-century carousel animals, but it merely has decorative appeal, since it is not antique. You would see this rabbit priced from $20 to $30 in a store and $5 to $10 at auction.

?

Q These two brass figure bookends belonged to my father when he worked and lived in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s. I am curious to know if they have any value. They are about 8 inches tall and weigh around 3 pounds each. On the underside of one of the statuettes is a label that reads "Ovington's New York" with a handwritten item number, and another label that reads "Ronson Oval Old Gold."
J. H., Fairfield, CT

A Your pair of spelter bookends was designed and manufactured by a company called Ronson, one of this country's most prolific and creative bookend-makers. Spelter is the term for a zinc alloy that often contains a bit of lead and various other metals. It is a common material for small decorative objects that are later painted. Most of Ronson's works were registered to the company name rather than to individual artists. Your pair of "Royal Gold Chinese Students" bookends was manufactured around 1929 and is listed in Stuart Schneider's book "Ronson Art Metal Works." The pair would be priced at retail in a nice antique shop from $350 to $375. At auction, if in perfect condition, they might fetch $100 to $200.

?

Q This three-handled vase has a different portrait on each of its sides. My grandparents lived in Richfield, Utah. My grandfather would frequently take his team and wagon to St. George on purchasing trips for his store, and was in the habit of bringing back a present for his wife. If this was one of those presents, it has been in my family for approximately 100 years. It has a small chip on the top rim. It is 6 1/2 inches tall, and with the handles is 7 1/2 inches across. There are no markings on the bottom.
B.I., Bend

A Your portrait vase is commonly called a "loving cup," a type of vessel commonly used in ceremonies that involve many people drinking from the same cup. They were used in weddings, traditional ceremonies such as wassailing, and important political or ceremonial meetings where the lords would drink first and then have the cup passed to the guests. Loving cups have anywhere from two to four handles and are often very ornate and made from porcelain or silver. Your cup dates from around 1890. Without a maker's mark it is difficult to know the country of origin. The decoration is a combination of hand painting and transferware (for the portraits).
The transferware process starts with printing an image onto tissue paper, then applying the wet tissue to the object. When the tissue is removed, the ink stays behind, and the piece can then be fired to make it permanent. If your loving cup were in perfect condition, it would have a retail price of $175 to $275 and an auction price of $60 to $80.

??

Q My mom bought this lamp around 1939 at a secondhand store in St. Helens. It has slag glass panels and the original covered wiring. It's 24 inches high and the shade is 18 inches in diameter. There are no markings. Who do you think made this and what do you think it is worth?
J. H., Scappoose

A Your turn-of-the-century slag glass lamp is one of many from this era that are unmarked and unattributed to a fine maker. Slag is a modern collectors' term for opaque pressed glass with colored streaks, most often cream and white. At the turn of the century this type of glass was often called "brown malachite" or "marble glass." The caramel-colored slag is the most common color, and tracking down the maker would require extensive research. As an unattributed lamp, this would retail in a nice Oregon antique shop from $300 to $600. At auction you would hope to get from $100 to $300 if it is in good condition.

?

Q My father was stationed in southern China during WWII and brought back this chair. It is 35 inches tall and 20 inches wide and folds shut in a rather unique way. The seat is woven. I have never sat in this chair as it looks a bit delicate. I don't know the age of the chair -- just that it was built before WWII. Anything you could tell me about this antique would be most welcome.
R.S., Corvallis

A Your Chinese folding chair is from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). It is a design that is believed to have come from the West and to have been introduced to China in the second century. Chinese folding chairs are often made from bamboo or wood and have soft seats of rope, rattan, hemp or leather. Many also have footrests and headrests. This type of chair is believed to be the design inspiration for our modern-day director's chairs and folding beach chairs. They were used for traveling and as special seats of honor at ceremonies. Your chair would sell in a nice antique shop from $1,600 to $2,000 and would carry an auction price of $500 to $800. If you can find a resource to translate the characters on the back splat, this might influence the price.

ABOUT COLLECTIBLES

The values of items featured in the collectibles column are estimated by Portland appraiser Terra Goodman, who is accredited in appraisal practice, theory and law as well as product knowledge, ethics and proper appraisal procedures. She is certified in fine and decorative arts through Sotheby's Auction House, where she studied American and European furniture and decorative arts. Goodman is the only Sotheby's, New York-trained appraiser in the Portland area.

To find a professional appraiser, contact the Certified Appraisers Guild of America, the International Society of Appraisers, the American Society of Appraisers or the American Association of Appraisers. Estimates provided for items reviewed in the collectibles column are for "fair market value" only and should not be used for appraisals for insurance or IRS purposes.

If you have a rare, very old and/or unusual item of furniture or home decor you would like considered for inclusion in the column, send a high-quality photo along with measurements and information about the age and condition to:
carolynpatten@gmail.com
or to:

Collectibles/Homes & Gardens
The Oregonian
1320 S.W. Broadway
Portland, OR 97201

Please include your name and town, along with contact information; phone number or email address. Contact information will not be published.

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2013/01/collectibles_family_treasures_18.html

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Ryan Lochte Reality Show to Ask: What Would Swimmer Do?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/ryan-lochte-reality-show-to-ask-what-would-swimmer-do/

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Appitude: Decluttering your mobile phone is a good way to start the New Year

By Virginia Heffernan

The New Year is not the time to get a new app. Your iPhone is bloated; it can barely load the apps you already have. It is groaning under the weight of all those "productivity" gimcracks you stuffed onto it in 2012. Nothing can update. The battery is a sieve. The phone is in a stupor. You don't need apps. You need a svelte, swift and actually smart smartphone--the kind that only an elimination diet can achieve.

First: turn off push notifications and location services. These give the battery migraines by constantly recruiting juice for their chronic silliness. Some child put an app called Dragon Story on my phone. Now I get pressing bulletins telling me my loyal subjects miss me and need my attention. A dram of actual guilt in me is activated by this appeal to my sense of lordly responsibility. But more than that the battery has had to bestir itself to serve me this non-news. No wonder I'm down to 85 percent before the sun's up.

Location services work the same way. When that tracker's on, your phone is always trying to find you, like the mother of a teen. It also wants to let your friends find you, lest someone on Snapchat or Twitter lose track of, say, your trip to Chipotle or the eyebrow-waxing salon. Noble as this surveillance minutia may be, and as vital to the preservation of the digital republic, it's OK to go off the grid.

Then it's time to declutter. Interesting that my iPad doesn't recognize the word "declutter" and prefers "deck utter." Is that because our Cupertino overlords don't want their loyal subjects to know about app clutter and how to purge it?

Well, here's the truth: ditch all "productivity" apps -- the insidious ones with checklists like "Things" that graciously allow you to, um, make lists of all the things you have to do. These apps slow your iPhone down, drive you batty with their fussy interfaces and keep your from doing anything on your list. All you can do is make lists. And slowly. These apps are to slow-phone people what heaps of organizing files and hangers and boxes are to hoarders. They are part of the problem. The most depressing part.

Now ditch all vanity apps. I oohed over The Elements and Alice when they first appeared. I've downloaded every pretty, praised astronomy app in the history of the firmament, hoping somehow I'd become one those dreamy science girls who knows what the Pleides is. I did not. I never looked at The Elements again either except to show it off. Goodbye, form and reference. I need function and sharing.

Finally with ecommerce apps like the ones from FreshDirect and Amazon, delete them when you're done with them and reinstall them when you need them. The reinstall is quick and free but there's no use having apps you use weekly or less sitting around jamming up the works. Sign in and all your data is right there; you're not going to lose old orders and saved credit cards when you delete the app; that's all in the cloud.

Clear out one corner, one drawer, one room at a time, as they do on "Hoarders." and be gentle with yourself. For many there's fear attached to riddance. But you know what to do. Declutter, enjoy your refreshed phone, and then download some new cool game featuring field mice and mangoes and start all over again.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/appitude--decluttering-your-mobile-phone-is-a-good-way-to-start-the-new-year-220331862.html

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Fashion boss Missoni missing in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? Rescue crews used boats and aircraft on Saturday to search for a small plane that disappeared off Venezuela carrying the CEO of Italy's iconic Missoni fashion house and five other people.

But more than a day after the BN-2 Islander aircraft disappeared from radar screens on its short flight from the Venezuelan resort islands of Los Roques to Caracas, no sign of the plane had been found, officials said.

"We have no other news" about the plane carrying 58-year-old Vittorio Missoni, the head of the company; his wife, Maurizia Castiglioni; two of their Italian friends; and two Venezuelan crew members, said Paolo Marchetti, a Missoni SpA official. He spoke briefly to reporters as he left company headquarters in the northern Italian town of Sumirago on Saturday afternoon.

Missoni's younger brother, Luca, who is active in the family-run business, was reportedly traveling to Venezuela on Saturday to monitor search efforts.

"We're holding onto a glimmer of hope," said Oswaldo Scalvenzi , a relative of Elda Scalvenzi, one of the Missoni friends aboard the flight. "Until we can see the wreckage" hope will remain, Scalvenzi told Italian state TV on Saturday night.

Search teams were using a plane and a helicopter, working together with the Venezuelan coast guard, Venezuela's National Civil Aviation Institute said in a statement Saturday.

The twin-engine plane had enough fuel on board for a three-hour flight, said Francisco Paz Fleitas, president of the civil aviation agency. Paz said the plane took off at 11:39 a.m. on Friday and had been expected to arrive at Caracas' Simon Bolivar International Airport 42 minutes later.

The civil aviation agency said the authorities declared an alert after the plane didn't make contact with the control tower at the Caracas airport or with the tower in Los Roques.

"The last position registered in radar data and those supplied by a system on board the aircraft" was about 11 miles (18 kilometers) south of Los Roques, the agency said in the statement.

The Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that Venezuelan aircraft, boats and helicopters took off at dawn Saturday to resume the search for the missing plane, which had been suspended on Friday night.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Nestor Reverol announced that the plane was missing hours after it took off from Los Roques, a string of islands popular for scuba diving, white beaches and coral reefs, and where the Missonis and their friends were on vacation.

Reverol said on Friday that two navy patrol boats were involved in the search and that a specialized oceanographic ship, the Guaicamacuto, also had been deployed.

Vittorio Missoni is the eldest son of the company's founder, Ottavio, who at 91 still follows the business.

The Corriere della Sera newspaper reported that Ottavio and his wife Rosita were at their home in Italy, along with their daughter Angela, waiting for information about the search. Rosita Missoni designs housewares for the company, and Angela is the company's creative director.

The Missoni fashion house, with its trademark zigzag and other geometric patterns in sweaters, scarves and other knitwear, is one of Italy's most famous fashion brands abroad. It is scheduled to display its latest menswear creations at a fashion show in Milan later this month.

Vittorio Missoni played a key role in marketing the Missoni family creations in Asia, especially in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea as general director of marketing for Missoni SpA. He also spearheaded a push for the company's products in the United States and France. His efforts to expand the brand abroad led Missoni to be dubbed the company's "ambassador."

Vittorio Missoni has been described as an active sportsman and lover of the outdoors. He and his wife and their friends from northern Italy were scheduled to fly back from Caracas to Italy on Friday after spending the Christmas and New Year's holidays in the islands.

The plane disappeared shortly after takeoff on a flight of about 95 miles (150 kilometers) from the islands to the Caracas airport.

Other small planes have gone down or vanished on flights between the archipelago and the mainland.

On Jan. 4, 2008, a plane on a flight from Caracas to Los Roques disappeared after crashing with 14 people aboard, including eight Italians, a Swiss man and five Venezuelans. The pilot had radioed to controllers that he was having engine trouble before the plane went down as it approached the islands. The body of the Venezuelan co-pilot later washed ashore, but no wreckage was found and most of those on board remain missing.

In 2009, a small plane returning from Los Roques with nine people aboard plunged into the Caribbean Sea, but all survived.

____

Associated Press writer Frances D'Emilio contributed reporting from Rome. Ian James reported in Caracas.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/missoni-scion-plane-missing-venezuela-224352741--finance.html

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FREE BOWLING!!! | Studio City Sports & Recreation, Art ...

Voted number one by Los Angeles Magazine, PINZ is a fun, massive entertainment and bowling center with a full bar in house. The bowling alley features a plethora of lanes, shoe rental, private party areas and a full arcade with air hockey and billiards. The staff is friendly, outgoing and inviting. And?PINZ has food and drinks for everyone. There is a free parking lot?just outside the main entrance.

Source: http://studiocity.patch.com/events/free-bowling-ee2f2260

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LA sisters Haim lead hopes of pop revival in 2013

LONDON (Reuters) - Three sisters from Los Angeles producing fun and infectious folk-pop could be the tonic that chart music needs to lift it from what some experts are calling a creative slump.

As music channels, journalists and record labels step up their search for the "next big thing" in 2013, the Fleetwood Mac-inspired Haim sisters have appeared in a growing number of lists produced at the start of each year.

They include MTV's "Brand New for 2013" survey, the band topped BBC's "Sound of 2013" poll on Friday decided by over 200 experts and also appeared on the cover of music magazine NME's new music edition out this week.

Matt Wilkinson, New Bands Editor at NME, was upbeat about indie music in 2013 because up-and-coming acts like Haim had the attitude to succeed unlike more "reluctant" stars of the past.

"The difference (from recent times) is that they want to be pop stars, want to be on the front of NME, want to create their own scene and want to be No. 1," he told Reuters. "It's been quite a long time since bands really wanted to do that."

Haim is made up of Este, Alana and Danielle, all in their early- to mid-20s - as energetic as they are photogenic and signed to the Polydor label in Britain.

Dorian Lynskey of the Guardian praised their "fantastic, inventive songs", and said they were part of a revival from "the current sickly condition of chart pop" dominated by familiar faces like Rihanna and producers David Guetta and Calvin Harris.

RETURN OF GUITAR HEROES?

Sharing NME's new music cover with Haim is Palma Violets, a London-based indie quartet also longlisted on the BBC's annual survey whose past winners include chart queen Adele and 50 Cent.

The death or otherwise of indie guitar rock has been discussed almost obsessively by the British music press over the years, but George Ergatoudis, head of music on BBC's Radio 1, bravely predicted: "Rock and alternative guitar acts are going to find public taste swinging their way" in 2013.

If that is true, those set to benefit include two Birmingham acts - quartets Peace and Swim Deep - two London bands - female post-punk foursome Savages and alternative rockers Bastille, and two Irish acts, Kodaline and Little Green Cars.

As in previous years, one area with the biggest potential for topping charts around the globe is the single female act.

Whether or not inspired by the likes of Gaga, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and beyond, a new crop of female performers-with-attitude has emerged ready to take on the world.

Creating the biggest stir so far is Angel Haze, a U.S. rapper whose sexually explicit lyrics and self assertive manner have put her on a path to stardom, helped by the success of her EP "Reservation" which draws on her Native American heritage.

"I will say to anyone's face I am the best out there right now," she said in a recent interview, with typical bluntness.

At the other end of the musical spectrum comes Gabrielle Aplin, a singer-songwriter who built up an online following by posting acoustic covers before signing to a major label.

Underlining the increasing crossover between merchandising and musical success, Aplin has already scored a No. 1 single hit in Britain with her cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "The Power of Love" which was used in a John Lewis commercial.

Somewhere in between falls Laura Mvula, whose powerful voice has earned comparisons from acts as diverse as Billie Holiday and Adele, and MTV has selected Ebony Day as its unsigned artist to watch this year.

There are precious few single male artists on the radar in early 2013.

Tom Odell appears on MTV's Brand New list, the BBC's Sound Of survey and won the BRITs Critics' Choice award for up-and-coming talent, while London rapper K Koke is included on Digital Spy's "Ones to Watch" column and MTV.

ACCENT ON AUTHENTICITY

Duos are de rigueur in 2013 with British brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence of Disclosure delighting with their house music including new single "Latch", and MS MR from New York the enigmatic pair who have music critics drooling.

"Prepare to be blown away," wrote Paul Lester in the Guardian. "This duo could be the first superstars of chillwave."

London electro pop pair AlunaGeorge have been championed by the same newspaper and were runner-up in BBC's poll this year.

The surveys have a patchy track record in predicting chart success, and are crammed with dozens of acts already signed to record labels and so well on the way to success.

But they are closely watched by a music industry facing falling sales and desperate to spot the next Rihanna, Lady Gaga or One Direction.

While no one is suggesting the chart reign of Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift is over, there is growing optimism about a new crop of acts who have commercial ambition as well as musical ability and originality.

"I think across all genres there is a thirst from the audience for authenticity, whether it's from folk acts or rappers or dance artists," said David Mogendorff, digital media director of talent and music at MTV International.

He was involved in drawing up the music channel's "Brand New" list of 10 artists destined for greatness overseen by Anna Karatziva, head of talent and music at MTV UK. Voting for the winner is open at www.mtv.co.uk/brandnew from January 14-31.

Outside Britain and North America, K-pop sensation Psy will seek to build on his global hit "Gangnam Style" which became the first video on YouTube to reach one billion views last month.

Whether he can prove more than a one-hit wonder in the West remains to be seen, while other South Korean acts including Girls' Generation are gearing up to follow in his footsteps.

NME has singled out Australia's indie-dance duo Jagwar Ma for special attention, while Russian-German dance music producer Zedd has begun to make inroads in the U.S. market.

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/la-sisters-haim-lead-hopes-pop-revival-2013-142615093.html

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Don't Short Bank Stocks But It's Time to Take Profits - Yahoo! Finance

Big banks had a phenomenal year in 2012.

For example, shares of Bank of America (BAC) gained 107.3% last year, making it one of the best performers in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI).

Can the bull run in bank stocks continue in 2013?

Not likely says Peter Atwater, president of consulting firm Financial Insyghts and a former executive at JPMorgan (JPM).

In an interview with The Daily Ticker, Atwater says the time to be bullish on financials was in October of 2011, a period when bank stocks were beaten down and uncertainty over new financial regulation spooked investors. Ultimately, the U.S. banks most exposed to government regulatory actions ? such as Bank of America ? experienced a bounce in their stocks as investors priced in policy outcomes (Atwater likens these stocks to ?options? on policy decisions).

Big bank stocks may have a little more room to run according to Atwater, but that has not stopped him from advising clients to take profits.

Banks are at "the top end of the cycle," he says. "A lot of the big banks are likely to see the flip side of the coin this year. A tailwind can quickly turn back into a headwind."

Two headwinds that could impact the financial services industry to the downside include new leadership at the FDIC and the departure of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. Atwater does not recommend shorting bank stocks and instead suggests buying shares of smaller, regional banks that are less impacted by U.S. federal policy. (Atwater has a position in JPM).

Tell us what you think!

Got a topic you?d like covered? Have a guest you?d like to see interviewed? Send us an email atthedailyticker@yahoo.com.

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More from The Daily Ticker:

2013 Could be the Year Japan's Economy Turns Around: Cumberland's Witherell

Markets Undergoing a "Certainty Rally" Says Yahoo!'s Macke

Equity Markets Still Look Attractive in 2013: UBS's Zirin

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/don-t-short-bank-stocks-time-profits-peter-162618520.html

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