Greeks like their PM but unhappy with coalition government: poll (Reuters)

ATHENS (Reuters) ? Most Greeks are unhappy with their coalition government but continue to support its technocrat Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, an opinion poll showed Saturday.

Pressure is building on Athens to conclude a deal to cut its debt load. Government negotiations with bankers and insurers broke up without agreement Friday, although officials said more talks are likely next week.

The survey by pollster Public Issue for Sunday's Kathimerini newspaper showed that 91 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with the government, up from 80 percent in an early

December poll.

The three-party coalition government was formed in November to push a bailout deal and take the overborrowed country to elections, now tentatively set for April.

Papademos's approval rating remained higher than his government's, though it dropped slightly to 55 percent from 60 percent registered in the December poll.

Also, 50 percent of respondents said they did not see a need for immediate elections.

The poll, conducted on January 5-10 on a nationwide sample of 1,018 Greeks, showed the conservative New Democracy (ND) party maintaining its lead over the PASOK socialists but unable to secure an absolute majority if elections were held today.

New Democracy would win 30.5 percent of the vote versus 14 percent for the socialists and 12.5 percent for the communist party, which is not part of the coalition government.

"The political landscape remains fluid. New Democracy leads but without outright majority," Kathimerini said.

(Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Alessandra Rizzo)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120114/wl_nm/us_greece_politics_poll

rod blagojevich rod blagojevich harry morgan john lennon death john lennon death c.j. wilson three stooges

Exclusive: Banker in Olympus scandal steps into public view (Reuters)

DELRAY BEACH, Florida (Reuters) ? A Japanese banker who is a key figure in the Olympus accounting fraud came into public view for the first time since the scandal broke, appearing on Friday at his divorce hearing in a Florida court.

Hajime "Jim" Sagawa ran a U.S. investment firm that earned a massive $687 million fee for advising Olympus in a 2008 acquisition deal that ranks as the largest advisory payment in history.

Olympus has admitted the deal along with others was part of a 13-year scheme to cover up $1.7 billion in losses in an accounting fraud that has caused the company's stock market value to drop around 40 percent since October.

The scandal, involving inflated advisory fees and prices in acquisition deals, has triggered investigations by law enforcement agencies in the United States, Japan and Britain.

An outside investigation commissioned by Olympus found the scheme was hatched by several key executives and aimed to hide losses from investors, but law-enforcement agencies are continuing their investigations.

The whereabouts of Sagawa, a former PaineWebber banker, were unknown until Reuters located him when he attended the divorce hearing in a state court in Delray Beach, Florida.

When asked about the Olympus case, he responded with a terse "no comment." Pressed further, he waved his hand and said "it's rude" to keep asking.

Dressed in a blue sport coat and gray slacks, Sagawa emerged with his ex-wife from a courtroom after a final divorce hearing.

The couple walked briskly to a parking garage after being asked again to comment on the scandal that has rocked Olympus and left the Japanese medical equipment and camera maker in need of a capital infusion and at risk of being delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Sagawa ran the Axes America brokerage firm involved in Olympus' $2 billion takeover of British medical instruments company Gyrus.

The Gyrus fee was among several vehicles used by Olympus to disguise securities losses.

Axes America later allocated a large share of its $687 million advisory fee payment to Cayman-based AXAM Investments. That company was later struck off a company registry in the Cayman Islands.

Axes is also linked to another Japanese banker, Akio Nakagawa, whom Reuters located in Hong Kong in late November after he went on the run when the scandal was uncovered. He also declined to comment.

Olympus is suing its current president and 18 other past and present company officials over the scandal.

Until reports of the fraud emerged, Sagawa lived in a luxury waterfront house in Boca Raton, Florida, but was unable to be located afterward.

His ex-wife has repeatedly defended his involvement with Olympus and said she did not know where he was.

Sagawa has not responded to repeated emails and phone calls seeking more detail on Axes America's role in the scandal.

The Sagawas filed for divorce in October, days after the Olympus accounting fraud surfaced when the company's former chief executive, Michael Woodford, blew the whistle on the Axes America advisory fee and other deals.

In a divorce petition filed in October, the Sagawas, who married in 1979 in Tokyo, cited "irreconcilable differences."

The couple listed more than $11 million in combined assets and Sagawa reported a monthly income of $2,500 with $1,800 coming from social security and $700 from interest and dividend payments.

According to their settlement agreement, Ellen Sagawa will receive nearly $9.9 million in assets, including their Boca Raton home valued at $2.5 million. Also among the assets are $6.7 million held in a savings account.

Sagawa will keep nearly $1.5 million in assets that include $1.3 million in several retirement plans, $100,000 in a savings account and $100,000 in a brokerage account.

(Reporting by Kevin Gray, editing by Matthew Lewis)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120114/bs_nm/us_olympus_banker

walmart black friday walmart black friday raiders vincent jackson veterans day oakland raiders carson palmer

When Art and Technology and Moby Collide [Video]

We're at an artistic crossroads, says the documentary Press Pause Play. Technology means it's never been easier to create, to push out a little piece of oneself and share it with the world. But that ease has created a landscape where the haystack is gigantic and the needles still relatively sparse. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/AQrXfRcojzg/when-art-and-technology-and-moby-collide

jeff probst jeff probst king jong il dead south korea baron davis duggar family dingo

Romanian protesters clash with riot police (Reuters)

BUCHAREST (Reuters) ? Romanian riot police used tear gas against protesters who threw rocks and set fire to newspaper stands and rubbish bins in central Bucharest in a fourth day of street demonstrations against government austerity measures Sunday.

Protesters also gathered peacefully in several large cities across Romania, including Cluj, Timisoara and Iasi, calling for the resignation of President Traian Basescu and the centrist government of Prime Minister Emil Boc.

The protests began across the country Thursday in support of a deputy health minister who resigned after criticizing a controversial draft healthcare reform bill that would have added private firms to the state health sector.

The cabinet withdrew the bill Friday, but that did little to assuage the demonstrators, who returned to the streets to express general discontent with spending cuts and falling living standards.

The Bucharest protests Sunday were the most violent seen since the start of the financial crisis. Although the government cut state jobs and wages and raised value added tax in 2010, Romania has largely avoided the kind of violent anti-austerity protests seen elsewhere in Europe.

Demonstrators threw rocks at riot police who in turn fired tear gas into the crowd.

Several shop windows were broken. Rubbish bins and newspaper stands were torched between the University of Bucharest and Unirii square in the city center.

More than 50 people required medical assistance and about 40 demonstrators were detained by police for inciting vandalism, police and emergency medical unit officials were quoted as saying by the Mediafax news agency.

Protesters had started gathering in the afternoon, with numbers growing to an estimated 1,000 in the evening.

Carrying whistles and Romanian flags, the protesters chanted "Resignation" and held banners that said "We want respect" and "No more corruption."

The government has taken painful but needed measures under a two-year aid deal led by the International Monetary Fund to shore up state finances and stabilize the leu currency. But the measures have been deeply unpopular as Romania's economy recovers from a two-year recession.

The start of the protests Thursday was triggered by the resignation of Deputy Health Minister Raed Arafat, who had criticized the draft healthcare reform bill.

"Arafat was only the spark," said Jean Sandulescu, 63, a railway worker. "But after everything they have done, we want them (the government) to go."

Riot police estimated up to 4,000 Romanians staged protests Saturday in more than 20 cities, although the actual numbers may be higher. Demonstrations were largely peaceful, but in Bucharest some protesters threw stones at riot police who fired tear gas into the crowd Saturday evening.

Traffic on one of Bucharest's busiest streets was temporarily blocked and a few dozen people, including three riot police, needed medical attention.

"It is unlikely the government will cave in to protests, although they pile more pressure on the ruling Democrat Liberal Party, which is clearly losing even more support," said political commentator Mircea Marian.

"Let's see what next week will bring, although I don't think protests can continue for much longer. People have jobs."

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie and Bogdan Cristel; Editing by Peter Graff and)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120116/wl_nm/us_romania_protests_austerity

king cake last house on the left last house on the left rich forever mixtape blow i am legend bret michaels

Ask Engadget: Is there a Roku DVR?

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Jaime, trying to escape the tyranny of Windows Media Center with a DVR-enabled Roku. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

I gave up cable TV last year, making do with a (not very user-friendly) HTPC running Windows 7 Media Center. I watch free over-the-air HD and Netflix, but WMC is buggy and crashes a lot. Is there a Roku-style streaming player that has a built-in TV tuner and DVR functionality in addition to Netflix, Hulu and other services? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Our first thought was to hook up a Roku with Nowhere DVR and Elgato's EyeTV, but perhaps there's a device that's even simpler to set up that wedges both functions into a single unit without any sort of tweaking required. If you know the inside-skinny, rock on over to the comments and holler.

Ask Engadget: Is there a Roku DVR? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/14/ask-engadget-is-there-a-roku-dvr/

nfl power rankings week 13 nfl power rankings week 13 patrice patrice tether lana peters lana peters

Pride in a humble pie in Scotland

Scottish bakers of 'Forfar birdie' pies hope to join exclusive culinary club to protect authenticity.

? A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.

Skip to next paragraph

Bakers of the humble ?Forfar bridie,? a short-crust pastry filled with beef and onions, are not fond of imitators.

The horseshoe-shaped meat parcel is a local delicacy loved by people who live in the region and beyond, famous in Scotland as much for its meaty goodness as the town for which it is named.

The Forfar locals are so proud of the pastry pie ? said to have been conceived in the area early in the 19th century ? they want it to join an exclusive culinary club in Europe that protects the regional authenticity when labeling products like Parma ham and Champagne. This means only bakers in the Forfar area could use the town?s name when selling their bridies.

The sensitivities run deep. When a baker from the nearby town of Broughty Ferry recently opened a new branch in Forfar, the owners made a very public proclamation that they would not be calling their out-of-town-made bridies ?Forfar bridies.?

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Get daily or weekly updates from?CSMonitor.com?delivered to your inbox.?Sign up today.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/MQXjwUfrOrw/Pride-in-a-humble-pie-in-Scotland

the descendants joe paterno lung cancer joe paterno lung cancer john tucker must die uk basketball iowa state faroe islands

Judge: John Edwards has serious heart condition (AP)

GREENSBORO, N.C. ? Ex-presidential candidate John Edwards has a serious heart condition that will require a medical procedure next month and his illness limits his travel including for an upcoming court case over possible campaign violations, his doctor told a judge, who delayed the trial.

Federal Judge Catherine Eagles did not disclose the exact nature of Edwards' illness Friday or what procedure he needed. However, she said the two-time presidential candidate had "three episodes" and indicated his condition could be life-threatening if left untreated.

A cardiologist for the 58-year-old ex-North Carolina senator wrote two letters about his condition to Eagles, who talked about them during a hearing to consider whether the trial on six felony and misdemeanor counts should begin this month. Eagles said jury selection will now start March 26, at the earliest.

Edwards is taking medication and is scheduled to undergo a procedure in February from which it will take several days to recover, Eagles said. She did not describe what the episodes involved or if the procedure would require unclogging arteries or other common treatments. The doctor's letters and other medical records have been kept under seal by the court.

"The public has an interest in a speedy trial," Eagles said from the bench. "Ordinarily, I would try to manage something like this. But clearly there are some limitations on Mr. Edwards due to real and serious health issues."

His doctor had recommended he not drive or travel, but at the judge's request, Edwards was in court. He didn't appear to have any outward signs of illness, though he was without his usual quick smile or bounce in his step.

The trial has already been delayed twice, including a continuance granted so Edwards could attend his eldest daughter's wedding.

Prosecutors took no position on whether the judge should grant the delay due the defendant's health condition, but said they were ready to try Edwards. He is accused of concealing nearly $1 million in cash and checks from wealthy donors used to help hide his pregnant mistress during his 2008 White House run.

Edwards's legal team and spokespeople have been mum about his condition since his diagnosis last month, declining repeated requests for comment on his condition, including after the hearing.

Known for being telegenic Edwards had customarily entered the federal courthouse through the public entrance, where a group of reporters and cameramen assemble. But on Friday, he took steps to slip through unnoticed. A court security officer indicated he had come and gone through a back door.

Two years ago, Edwards confessed he fathered a baby born to his ex-mistress. He had long denied the girl, Frances Quinn Hunter, was his, even after he admitted cheating on his wife with the child's mother, Rielle Hunter. Hunter had been hired before Edwards' 2008 White House campaign to shoot behind-the-scenes video of him.

Edwards' confession came ahead of the release of a book by former aide Andrew Young. The book described how Edwards worked to hide his paternity with the help of his married aide.

Shortly before the 2008 presidential primaries began, Young stepped forward to claim that he ? not Edwards ? was the child's father. But there were suspicions at the time that the fiercely loyal aide was taking the fall for his boss.

The child was conceived in mid-2007, while Edwards was running for the White House, and around the time he was renewing his vows after 30 years of marriage.

After Edwards admitted fathering Hunter's child, Elizabeth Edwards separated from him and filed for divorce. She died in December 2010 from incurable breast cancer that was first diagnosed in 2004, a day after the Democratic ticket that included John Edwards as the vice presidential candidate lost to George W. Bush.

The Edwardses were law school sweethearts who married just days after they took the bar exam together in the summer of 1977. They had four children together, including a son who died at age 16. Although the couple had separated, John Edwards was at her side around the clock as her health deteriorated. He did not speak at her funeral.

Edwards made millions as a trial lawyer before beginning his political career with a successful 1998 Senate campaign.

___

Online:

AP interactive - _http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2011/edwards

___

Follow AP writer Michael Biesecker at twitter.com/mbieseck

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120113/ap_on_re_us/us_edwards_investigation

the temptations prime rib recipe norad santa tracker vince carter sweet potato casserole jerome simpson safeway