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A 3.8 magnitude earthquake rattled portions of Central Indiana Thursday morning--and was even felt by some Chicago residents.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially estimated the quake's strength was magnitude 4.2, but since lowered that number, according to the Associated Press.
Residents of Chicago, Naperville and Buffalo Grove, Illinois told NBC Chicago they felt their beds shaking and saw their ceiling fans move early Thursday. A geophysicist told the AP a 3.8 magnitude quake "would feel like a loaded truck passing by."
The Indiana Geological Survey had no records of a 3.8 magnitude earthquake in Central Indiana ever, according to the Indianapolis Star. The director of the IGS told the Star that the quakes location--about 3 miles below the ground--was "highly irregular" and "extremely rare."
Indiana's last major earthquake was on April 18, 2008. The 5.2 magnitude quake was the strongest to hit the state in 40 years, the Star reports.
No injuries or damage had been reported as of 9:30 a.m. CT.
In his New Year message the union boss claimed there would be cuts in jobs and real cuts in living standards.
He added the year could also be a tough one for the government, which may face further angry protests.
Meanwhile, another union leader, Mark Serwotka of the Public and Commercial Services Union said strikes next year were "inevitable".
"The more of us that stand together against the cuts, the more problems we can create. Unless you look like you want a fight, they won't negotiate," he told the Times newspaper, predicting that the disruption would begin in the spring. "The Government has to see we are serious."
The TUC's Mr Barber said a demonstration in London in March against spending cuts looked like being one of the biggest events his union had ever organised.
In his New Year message, he said: "It's hard to pick out the unkindest cut of all, but a top contender must be the 10% cut in housing benefit that kicks in after someone has been unemployed for more than a year."
The Times reported senior union figures would meet at a TUC meeting early in the New Year to discuss their response to the cuts.
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Sci-fi epic Avatar was the most pirated film of 2010, according to data released by a file-sharing blog.
James Cameron's blockbuster was downloaded 16.6m times on one file-sharing site alone, TorrentFreak said.
Second on the list was comic book action film Kick-Ass, with 11.4m downloads, followed by Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception with 9.7m.
Last year's top-pirated film was JJ Abrams' Star Trek reboot, which was downloaded close to 11m times.
Cameron frequently touted 3D film making as the industry's best hope for combating piracy, however, it did not stop millions from downloading it for free.
Despite topping the list, Avatar still took nearly $2.8bn (£1.8bn) at the worldwide box office to become the highest-grossing movie ever.
Oscar-winning film The Hurt Locker also featured in the top 10 list at number nine.
Shareholders of Whitney will receive 0.418 shares of Hancock Bank's common stock per one share of Whitney's stock, the banks said. The exchange value of Whitney shares would be $15.48, based on Hancock's Dec. 21 closing price of $37.04 - a premium of 42% based on Whitney's closing stock price of $10.87.
The deal is expected to be completed by the end of June 2011.
Regional bank M&A is starting to gather steam as the year comes to an end. Many sector observers are predicting bank M&A to pick up in the New Year through 2013 as banks - particularly smaller regional banks - have trouble dealing with ongoing credit headwinds and revenue challenges given the new regulatory environment.
Marshall & Ilsley (MI) agreed last week to be acquired by Bank of Montreal's (BMO) U.S. division, Harris Bank.
Speculation that PNC Financial Services (PNC) was sniffing around at Regions Financial TICKER TYPE="EQUITY" SYMBOL="RF" EXCHANGE="NYSE" PRIMARY="NO"/> and BankAtlantic Bancorp (BBX) also buoyed bank stocks last week.
On Tuesday, TD Bank (TD) said it would acquire Chrysler Financial and is looking to further penetrate the U.S. market. TD Bank has previously expressed its plan to have an extensive banking franchise along the eastern seaboard, of which it is steadily gaining share.
Last month, Wilmington Trust (WL) agreed to a take-under by M&T Bank (MTB).
The combined Gulf Coast-based bank will have approximately $20 billion in assets; $16 billion in deposits; $12 billion in loans and 305 branches across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
"We believe this agreement presents an unprecedented opportunity to enhance shareholder value and strengthen the financial options available to individuals and businesses from Texas to Central Florida," Hancock's CEO Carl J. Chaney said in a statement.
Hancock expects to realize "substantial" cost savings of $134 million before taxes once the merger is fully phased in by 2013, it said. It also expected revenue synergies of 19% by that time.
Following the merger, Hancock said it plans to exercise a common stock raise of $200 million. Following restructuring charges and the common stock raise Hancock expects its tangible common equity ratio to be 8%, it said.
"Not only does this transaction create significant shareholder value, I believe it is also the best course of action for our employees, customers and communities," said Whitney Holding Corporation Chairman and CEO John C. Hope, III.
Wunderlich Securities analyst Kevin Reynolds already slapped a buy rating this morning on Hancock Bank.
"We are upgrading shares of Hancock Holding Company (HBHC) to Buy on news of its transformational acquisition of Whitney Holding Company (WTNY)," Reynolds writes in a note to clients. Hancock is acquiring Whitney for 1.7 times tangible book value in the all stock transaction
"For both WTNY and HBHC shareholders, this is a spectacular transaction, in our view, and the long-term benefits should result in significantly higher overall franchise value on a combined basis," the note says.
Whitney Bank's stock soared nearly 30% on the news; Hancock Bank shares were dropping roughly 6% shortly after the market open.
Cipha Sounds gets an indefinite suspension and sensitivity training after his comments about Haitian women and HIV.
New York area radio station WQHT “Hot” 97.1 FM announced DJ Cipha Sounds will be suspended indefinitely for offensive comments he made about Haitian women. Listeners, community leaders and members of the Haitian-American community called for Cipha Sounds termination after a Friday morning broadcast which found Cipha saying, “The reason I’m HIV negative is because I don’t mess with Haitian girls.”
Cipha Sounds, born Luis Diaz, is a 15-year industry veteran with experience in radio, television and behind the turntables with the likes of Lil Kim and Funkmaster Flex. After angry listeners began responding to the remark, Cipha Sounds issued a formal apology.
“I made a stupid, tasteless joke that was a one-liner,” Cipha told listeners. “It was taken totally the wrong way, and I want to say sincerely that I apologize for even saying this thing.”
Adding that he was embarrassed and didn’t want co-host Peter Rosenberg to share any blame for his comments, Cipha pointed to his relief efforts during the Haitian earthquake and his rapport with the Haitian community as evidence of his true feelings. Cipha Sounds will also undergo sensitivity training focused on the Haitian community, and the station announced it will work with community leaders to increase HIV awareness.
“Cipha made an immediate public apology and recognizes his insensitivity and the negative impact his comments have on all Haitians,” said Alex Cameron, SVP/Market Manager of Emmis-New York via written statement. “The Haitian community is an important part of our listenership whom we respect and value. The suspension is an indication of the importance we place on delivering a product that respects our Haitian audience.”
Kim Jong-il is believed to be in poor health North Korea's ruling party will hold its first conference in a generation on 28 September, state media reports say, amid speculation that leader Kim Jong-il is about to name his successor.
The Workers Party is widely expected to promote Mr Kim's third son, Kim Jong-un, to a senior position.
Observers believe a promotion would anoint him as the heir to his father, the self-styled Dear Leader.
Finally, we have confirmation of a date for the meeting that North Korea has been calling "historic" and "a turning point".
So, next Tuesday, all eyes will be on one young man - Kim Jong-un, widely believed to be the favourite to take over from his father, but about whom very little is known in the outside world.
It's unlikely to look like much of a coronation, but if he is elevated to a senior party position it will be a clear signal that a successor has been chosen.
How easy it will be for a young, inexperienced third-generation heir to gain the confidence of the military and other powerful leading figures is another matter.
Mr Kim, 68, is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008.
The Korean Central News Agency carried a short statement early on Tuesday announcing the party meeting.
"The conference of the WPK [Workers Party of Korea] for electing its supreme leadership body will take place in Pyongyang on 28 September," the statement said.
The announcement ends weeks of speculation about the date of the meeting, which was originally due to take place sometime early this month.
The news agency gave no indication of why it had been postponed.
There has been speculation that it was delayed because of severe flooding in the north of the country, or because the health of the leader has taken another turn for the worse.
SuccessorKim Jong-il was promoted at a previous conference in 1980, which at the time was seen as confirmation that he would succeed his father, Kim Il-sung.
He eventually became leader after his father's death in 1994, and has led the country into isolation from the outside world.
In recent years Mr Kim is believed to have sought medical treatment in China, one of the country's few allies. Neither nation has confirmed details of any illnesses or treatments.
Last year, rumours emerged from the secretive state that Kim Jong-un, thought to be aged 26 or 27, was his father's chosen successor.
Little is known of Swiss-educated Kim Jong-un, and he has never been photographed by Western media.
An airliner has crashed near the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, killing all 152 people on board.
The plane, a flight from Karachi to Islamabad operated by the private airline Airblue, came down in hills north the city as it was about to land.
There is no word on the cause of the crash. At the time the area was shrouded in fog.
Pakistani TV showed images of smouldering wreckage on a foggy hillside, with helicopters overhead.
Airblue is the largest of the private airlines which have sprung up in Pakistan in recent years.
The company and civil aviation officials are adamant there were no technical problems with the plane when it left Karachi. They say there was nothing in conversations between the pilot and the Islamabad control tower that suggests anything was wrong.
However, airport officials told the BBC that two flights due to land in the capital had been turned back before the ill-fated Airblue plane crashed, in what is the biggest air disaster seen in Pakistan.
Although the country's air industry has been booming, critics say standards have not always kept pace with the increase in services. Pilots complain they are being forced to fly extra hours which they say leads to fatigue, a claim denied by the airlines.
Imtiaz Elahi, chairman of the Capital Development Authority, which deals with emergencies, said the crash was "heartbreaking".
"It is a great tragedy, and I confirm it with pain that there are no survivors," he told the Associated Press news agency.
The plane, reported to be an Airbus A321 with 146 passengers and six crew on board, is thought to have left Karachi at 0750 (0350 GMT).
Two Americans were among the victims, a US embassy spokesman said, but gave no further details.
Pakistan's interior ministry initially said at least five survivors had been taken to hospital, but local officials later said those reports were wrong.
Local TV footage showed twisted metal wreckage hanging from trees and scattered across the ground. The flight data recorder has been found.
Officials said rescuers searching for survivors were digging through the rubble with their bare hands. The crash site, on a steep hill, has no roads.
"The plane is totally destroyed, the pieces and parts scattered over a large distance. Some parts of the plane are still burning. Some bushes have been burnt," said Express 24/7 television journalist Sabur Ali Sayed at the scene.
Aamir Ali Ahmed, a senior city government official, told Reuters: "It's a very difficult operation because of the rain. Most of the bodies are charred. We're sending body-bags via helicopters."
Airblue spokesman Raheel Ahmed told reporters that the crash was "an extremely tragic incident", adding that an investigation had been launched.
The BBC's Haroon Rashid in Islamabad saw the plane flying low over the capital.
"I was surprised to see the plane, because the area where I live is called a no-fly zone as it is close to some of Islamabad's most important official buildings, including President House and parliament," he said.
Other witnesses saw the plane flying towards the hills, and shortly after that heard a loud explosion and smoke billowing into the air.
Express 24/7 TV reporter Anjum Rahman said she saw the plane flying over the rooftops of houses where she lives.
It was only a few weeks ago that Sony released its major PS3 firmware update, v3.40 – which added PlayStation Plus support, Facebook features and more. However, version 3.41 has now gone live, with a “You May Like” section added.
According to Samit Sarkar at destructoid.com, the v3.41 update is much less significant than the previous update, and only seems to add game and video recommendations to the PlayStation Store. Some may be wondering now, what it’s all about.
Well, when you look at a piece of content now in the PlayStation Store, you’ll notice a “You May Like” section on the right hand side. If people actually click on the “You May Like” section, they’ll then be treated to an Amazon-style list of other items.
All these items will be stuff that has been purchased by other PSN users, who bought the item that you were looking at. This is definitely a useful functionality, but surely it could have been rolled into a more feature-rich firmware update than the v3.41?
A website called PleaseRobMe claims to reveal the location of empty homes based on what people post online.
The Dutch developers told BBC News the site was designed to prove a point about the dangers of sharing precise location information on the internet.
The site scrutinises players of online game Foursquare, which is based on a person's location in the real world.
PleaseRobMe extracts information from players who have chosen to post their whereabouts automatically onto Twitter.
"It started with me and a friend looking at our Twitter feeds and seeing more and more Foursquare posts," said Boy Van Amstel, one of PleaseRobMe's developers.
"People were checking in at their house, or their girlfriend's or friend's house, and sharing the address - I don't think they were aware of how much they were sharing."
Mr Van Amstel, Frank Groeneveld and Barry Borsboom realised that not only were people sharing detailed location information about themselves and their friends, they were also by default broadcasting when they were away from their own home.
Simple search
The website took just four hours to create.
"It's basically a Twitter search - nothing new," said Mr Van Amstel. "Anyone who can do HTML and javascript can do this. You could almost laugh at how easy it is."
He said that the site would remain live but stressed it was not created to encourage crime.
"The website is not a tool for burglary," he said. "The point we're getting at is that not long ago it was questionable to share your full name on the internet. We've gone past that point by 1000 miles."
Mr Van Amstel added that in practice it would be "very difficult" to use the information on the website to carry out a burglary.
Charity Crimestoppers advises people to think carefully about the information they choose to share on the internet.
"We urge users of Twitter, Facebook or other social networks to stop and think before posting personal details online that could leave them vulnerable to crimes including burglary and identity theft," said a spokesperson.
"Details posted online are available for the world to see; you wouldn't hang a sign on your door saying you're out, so why would you post it online?"
 Happiness has been linked to improve health before |
Being happy and staying positive may help ward off heart disease, a study suggests.
US researchers monitored the health of 1,700 people over 10 years, finding the most anxious and depressed were at the highest risk of the disease.
They could not categorically prove happiness was protective, but said people should try to enjoy themselves.
But experts suggested the findings may be of limited use as an individual's approach to life was often ingrained.
At the start of the study, which was published in the European Heart Journal, participants were assessed for emotions ranging from hostility and anxiousness to joy, enthusiasm and contentment.
They were given a rating on a five-point scale to score their level of positive emotions.
By the end of the analysis, some 145 had developed heart disease - fewer than one in 10.
But for each rise in the happiness scale there was a 22% lower risk of developing heart disease.
The team believes happier people may have better sleeping patterns, be less liable to suffer stress and be more able to move on from upsetting experiences - all of which can put physical strain on the body.
Lead researcher Dr Karina Davidson admitted more research was needed into the link, but said she would still recommend that people try to develop a more positive outlook.
She said all too often people just waited for their "two weeks of vacation to have fun" when instead they should seek enjoyment each day.
"If you enjoy reading novels, but never get around to it, commit to getting 15 minutes or so of reading in.
"If walking or listening to music improves you mood, get those activities in your schedule.
"Essentially spending a few minutes each day truly relaxed and enjoying yourself is certainly good for your mental health and may improve your physical health as well."
It is not the first study to suggest there is a link between happiness and health.
But Ellen Mason, of the British Heart Foundation, suggested such an association may be of limited value anyway.
"We know that improving your mood isn't always easy - so we don't know if it's possible to change our natural levels of positivity."
Cardiologist Iain Simpson, of the British Cardiovascular Society, added: "Things like reducing cholesterol and diabetes are more important when it comes to reducing heart disease.
"But at the end of the day it heart disease is still the biggest killer in the UK so anything you can do to help should not be ignored."
 The files contain verbal and drawn accounts of UFO encounters |
Thousands of UFOs have been spotted in the last 20 years around the UK, according to newly released documents.
More than 6,000 pages of reports describe people's experiences with unidentified flying objects between 1994 and 2000.
They include reported sightings over Chelsea Football Club and former home secretary Michael Howard's Kent home.
Details have been released under a three-year project between the Ministry of Defence and The National Archives.
The fifth instalment to be released consists of 24 files of sightings, letters and Parliamentary questions, which are available to view online.
The reports detail how objects of various shapes and sizes have been witnessed flying over a range of locations.
Some drawings by witnesses have also been released.
One man told police he was physically sick and developed a "skin condition" after an eerie "tube of light" enveloped his car in Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, on 27 January, 1997.
In another case, a UFO sighted by Boston and Skegness police, in Lincolnshire, was captured on film.
The police reported the sighting to the coastguard, which in turn alerted ships in the North Sea, where a crew reported seeing more UFOs.
Simultaneously, an unidentified blip was picked up on radar over Boston.
Also included in the latest release is a letter from senior MoD official Ralph Noyes, in which he describes seeing a film of UFOs captured by RAF fighter pilots in 1956.
Mr Noyes claims the footage was shown at a secret underground screening arranged for air defence staff at the MoD in 1970.
And a memo reveals how former prime minister Winston Churchill expressed curiosity in "flying saucers" and requested a briefing from his ministers.
He was told in reply that following an intelligence study conducted in 1951, the "flying saucers" could be explained by "one or other" of four causes.
These were known astronomical or meteorological phenomena, mistaken identification of conventional aircraft, optical illusions and psychological delusions, or deliberate hoaxes.
 Mr de Boer is now set to become a consultant |
Yvo de Boer, the UN's top climate change official, says he will resign after nearly four years in the post.
His departure takes effect from 1 July, five months before 193 countries are due to reconvene in Mexico for another attempt at a global deal on climate.
Nations failed to reach a binding deal at the Copenhagen meeting in December.
Mr de Boer said he was announcing his departure now so that a successor could be found well before the Mexico meeting later this year.
The former Dutch civil servant was appointed as executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2006. As the UN's climate negotiator, he was widely credited with raising the profile of climate change issues.
 |
But suspicions and distrust between developing and industrial countries barred the way to a binding accord at the UN's climate change summit in Copenhagen in December.
In a statement, Mr de Boer said: "It was a difficult decision to make, but I believe the time is ripe for me to take on a new challenge."
Mr De Boer said he would become a consultant on climate and sustainability issues for KPMG, a global accounting firm, and would be associated with several universities.
'Deeply disappointed'
Mr de Boer is said to be deeply disappointed with outcome of the last summit in Copenhagen, which drew 120 world leaders but failed to reach a binding global accord.
But he said the failure to secure a treaty at Copenhagen was unrelated to his decision to quit, and that he had begun looking for a new job last year, before the summit.
He told the Associated Press news agency that he believed talks were "on track", although it was uncertain whether a full treaty could be finalised at the next high-level conference which starts in November.
Mr de Boer said the accord reached in Copenhagen, brokered by US President Barack Obama, "was very significant".
But he acknowledged frustration that the deal fell short of the consensus and was merely "noted" rather than formally adopted by all countries.
"We were about an inch away from a formal agreement. It was basically in our grasp, but it didn't happen... so that was a pity," he said.
Fifty-five countries submitted pledges for curbing greenhouse gas emissions by the 31 January deadline in the "Copenhagen Accord", the document produced at the UN climate summit in the Danish capital.
At the time, Mr de Boer said the pledges would invigorate the UN process, but several environment groups said they did not go far enough. In some cases the pledges were weaker than those made before the summit.
Track record
According to AP, people who know Mr de Boer said he was more disheartened by the slow pace of negotiations than he was ready to admit.
"I saw him at the airport after Copenhagen," said Jake Schmidt, a climate expert for the US-based Natural Resources Defense Council, "He was tired, worn out."
Mr Schmidt said that the summit "clearly took a toll on him."
In 2007, during exhausting negotiations at the Bali conference, Mr de Boer left the stage in tears after being accused by China of procedural irregularities.
Before he took up his post with the UNFCCC, Mr de Boer was involved in European Union environmental policy in his role with the Dutch Environment Ministry. He also served as vice-chair of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.
A different UN climate body - the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which reviews climate science - has come under fire in recent months for a mistake on the melting of Himalayan glaciers and for referencing "grey literature" - a WWF report which had not been peer-reviewed.
The head of the IPCC, Dr Rajendra Pachauri, has rejected calls for his resignation.
In November, hundreds of e-mails from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia, UK, appeared on the web.
CRU maintains one of the world's most important datasets on how global temperatures have changed.
An inquiry is underway to consider whether the e-mail exchanges between researchers show an attempt to manipulate or suppress data "at odds" with scientific practice.
 Toyota sold nearly 1.3 million Corollas last year |
Japanese carmaker Toyota is facing a new US investigation into complaints of steering problems in its Corolla model.
The investigation is expected to be opened on Thursday and will involve an estimated 500,000 vehicles.
It is already facing an investigation into whether it was quick enough in recalling cars over problems involving accelerator and braking systems.
Toyota said on Wednesday that it was looking into complaints of power steering problems with the Corolla.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says it has received more than 150 complaints about possible steering problems in the 2009-2010 Corolla.
Toyota sold nearly 1.3 million of the models worldwide last year, including about 300,000 in the US.
Toyota is facing another US investigation into whether it was quick enough in recalling millions of cars over problems involving accelerator pedals and braking systems.
It has denied any cover-up and says it will "co-operate to provide all the information they have requested" on the US inquiry.
The saga began in the US with reports that accelerator pedals were getting caught under the floor mats.
The Japanese car giant began recalling vehicles potentially affected by that problem in October last year and Toyota then redesigned the mats.
The floor mat issue affected a number of vehicles in the US, but not in the UK.
Later, separate acceleration problems were found to be caused by the pedal sticking.
This was then followed by the recall of about 436,000 hybrid vehicles, including the Prius model, over brake concerns| Toyota sold nearly 1.3 million Corollas last year |
Japanese carmaker Toyota is facing a new US investigation into complaints of steering problems in its Corolla model.
The investigation is expected to be opened on Thursday and will involve an estimated 500,000 vehicles.
It is already facing an investigation into whether it was quick enough in recalling cars over problems involving accelerator and braking systems.
Toyota said on Wednesday that it was looking into complaints of power steering problems with the Corolla.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says it has received more than 150 complaints about possible steering problems in the 2009-2010 Corolla.
Toyota sold nearly 1.3 million of the models worldwide last year, including about 300,000 in the US.
Toyota is facing another US investigation into whether it was quick enough in recalling millions of cars over problems involving accelerator pedals and braking systems.
It has denied any cover-up and says it will "co-operate to provide all the information they have requested" on the US inquiry.
The saga began in the US with reports that accelerator pedals were getting caught under the floor mats.
The Japanese car giant began recalling vehicles potentially affected by that problem in October last year and Toyota then redesigned the mats.
The floor mat issue affected a number of vehicles in the US, but not in the UK.
Later, separate acceleration problems were found to be caused by the pedal sticking.
This was then followed by the recall of about 436,000 hybrid vehicles, including the Prius model, over brake concernsBritain is determined to "get to the bottom of" how fake UK passports were used by the alleged killers of a Hamas commander, the foreign secretary says.
David Miliband described the use of six British passports as an "outrage".
Dubai's police chief has said he is 99% sure of the involvement of Israeli agents in Mahmoud al-Mabhouh's death, but Israel says there is no proof.
Its UK ambassador said he was "unable to add additional information" after he met the UK diplomatic service's head.
Mr Miliband said he "hoped and expected" that Tel Aviv would co-operate fully with the investigation into the "outrage", which comes amid accusations that Israel's secret service, Mossad, was involved in the killing in Dubai on 20 January.
The meeting followed the announcement of an inquiry by Prime Minister Gordon Brown into the use of passports bearing the names of six British-Israelis who are not the men pictured.
Mr Miliband refused to reveal what was said in the 20-minute meeting between Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor and Sir Peter Ricketts, the head of the UK's diplomatic service.
He said: "It's very very important that we don't make accusations until we know that they're well founded."
But Mr Miliband said the case was being taken "extremely seriously" and the integrity of the British system was "critical".
Mr Prosor told journalists after his meeting that it is "not the usual way to talk about what happens in those meetings".
The Irish Republic also called in Israeli ambassador Zion Evrony, who also insisted he knew nothing about the killing of the Hamas commander.
British Conservative leader David Cameron had called for Israel's ambassador to the UK to be asked "some pretty tough questions".
Meanwhile, shadow foreign secretary William Hague has urged the Foreign Office to confirm when it first knew about the fake passport claims.
UK diplomats said they had received details of the British passports a few hours before Dubai released details on Monday.
However Mr Hague told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was "entirely possible" the government had been alerted to their use in January.
"There have been reports in the Gulf, including one in the Gulf News, right at the end of January, that the head of police in Dubai had contacted consulates and embassies for assistance with this investigation into the suspects," he said.
Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor on the Dubai murder
The BBC's Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen said if there was proof Israel had used British passports "for some nefarious uses of its Mossad service - as they have in the past with Canadian and New Zealand ones", then relations between the UK and Israel would be "in a crisis".
The Serious Organised Crime Agency has confirmed photographs and signatures on the passports used in Dubai do not match those on passports issued by the UK.
The men whose names appeared on the passports have dual British and Israeli citizenship.
They are Melvyn Adam Mildiner, Paul John Keeley, James Leonard Clarke, Stephen Daniel Hodes, Michael Lawrence Barney and Jonathan Lewis Graham. They all deny involvement in the killing.
The most fretted-over patch of hill in the Pacific time zone is hosting actual Olympic competition.
The women’s freestyle moguls event is underway at Cypress Mountain, and no, there aren’t any brown patches for the skiers to avoid as they bounce down the hill. They’re pretty much everywhere else around the hill. It took 20 minutes to see any patch of white from the time my shuttle bus reached the mountain’s base. But the seemingly Sysiphean task of choppering powder in to battle the warm, wet conditions appears to have paid off, at least early.
That’s not to say those conditions are ideal. The weather is as Vancouver-ish as anywhere else around here: temps are in the mid-40s with rain.
It didn’t stop American Hannah Kearney from a successful first run during qualifying. Asked about the conditions, she replied, “The moisture in the snow is making it a little slick, so it’s faster than it was at training.”
(Speaking of Kearney, the WSJ’s Reed Albergotti did a great segment with her for his “The Olympics: How Hard Can it Be?” series where she gave him a crash course in her sport.)
Despite the general unpleasantness of the weather, the house was already crowded at the start of qualifying with loooooong lines for hot chocolate and anything else to keep the cold away.
Those moguls are already looking kind of mushy. It’ll be interesting to see how battered they are by the end of the competition.
There is a Child Abduction Emergency, currently in action, in Maryland.
The child, Karina Elizabeth Garcia, is an eleven year old Hispanic female who is in the company of Elmer Velaya, a 30-37 year old Hispanic male.
They were last seen at Prince Georges County MD, in a Orange 18 wheel tractor with flatbed trailer, with Virginia tags (Freight-liner.)
The police have instructed anyone who sees the pair, to not attempt to take action or approach the pair, but to dial 911 or #77.
At the request of Prince George’s County PD, the Maryland State Police have issued a Maryland Child Amber Alert.
Karina is described as 4 feet ten inches tall, and around 110 pounds. She was last seen wearing a red shirt with yellow stars, and blue jeans. She also has long black hair.
She is believed to have been abducted around 2.00 pm, in the Prince Georges County area, by Elmer Velaya.
Velaya is described as being five feet 5 inches tall and one seventy five pounds. It has been reported he may have barbwire tattoos on both biceps and also the letter Z on his ring finger.
Anyone who thinks they may see the suspect or child, or have information to contact Prince George’s County PD on 301-772-4901 or to call 911.
When I think of All-Star Weekend, the one event that truly excites me is the Dunk Contest. No offense to the the All-Star Game–which is too far from a real basketball game to be considered meaningful–but the Dunk Contest always offers at least one or two memorable throwdowns, even in years when the overall competition is weak. Many people think the event’s grown stale since there’s only so much creativity an individual can come up with while slamming the rock, and I get that. In light of this, here are five dunks I’ve come up with that would be guaranteed 50’s and have never been attempted before (I think). Obviously I tried to stay away from anything too ridiculous or impossibly difficult, but these should be feasible:
1 ) The CrossBoard
How it’s executed: The dunker has a ball in each hand. As he’s running up to the basket, he throws the ball in his right hand off the backboard, and then immediately throws the ball in his left off the backboard. He needs to throw the first ball low and second ball high so they don’t hit each other, but he then has to catch the first ball with his left hand (threw it with his right) and the second ball with his right hand (threw it with his left) and dunk them one after another. A bang bang double dunk.
Ideal Dunker: Dwight Howard. He’s got huge hands, which is important since the dunker has to catch each ball with one hand. Howard also possesses incredible height to his jump and the dunker’s going to need to stay in the air for a while to complete this difficult attempt.
2 ) The Post-Script Windmill
How it’s executed: The dunker goes up for a big one-handed windmill and he grabs the rim as he throws it down….while hanging onto the rim with that hand, he catches the ball as it goes through the bottom of the net and windmills it with the other hand. The dunker finishes with both hands clutching the rim.
A possible variation: Instead of catching the ball at the net, he needs to dunk it so hard the first time that it bounces off the floor back to this other hand and then windmills it. This would probably be much harder.
Ideal Dunker: Vince Carter. He has the arm strength to hold onto the rim long enough. See the 2000 elbow dunk.
3 ) The Precision
How it’s executed: The dunker starts on the opposite baseline. He has a teammate or passer standing 10-15 rows behind the backboard. The following is just an art of precision timing. The dunker takes off at full speed and as he’s crossing halfcourt, his teammate will need to throw a perfect pass over the backboard so that the dunker can jump from just inside the free throw line and throw it down.
This is the type of dunk if attempted too many times, it’ll lose it’s edge. If executed on the first try, fireworks.
Ideal Combo: LeBron James would actually be perfect for either role since he’s a tall, phenomenal passer. I’d love to see him dish it to Josh Smith. Both could be the dunker since they are tall and fast so they can catch up to the pass and have the prowess to finish the dunk with authority.
4 ) “Cheeeeeeeeese”
How it’s executed: A teammate is sitting on a ladder to the side of the basket. The dunker goes up for an attempt, and as he’s in mid-air, the teammate whips out a polaroid. The dunker needs to turn his upper body so that he’s fully facing the camera and can make a hilarious face/pose (maybe the Heisman?) at the height of his jump before dunking the ball . Obviously, the picture needs to come out clearly and fully capture the dunker’s pose in order to receive a perfect score.
Ideal Dunker: Someone with a personality. Shaq, LeBron, Nate, Birdman…any others?
5 ) 720
How it’s executed: If you can’t figure it out, stop reading now. No. Really.
I didn’t come up with this as the 720 dunk is well known, but could you imagine seeing one in the NBA Dunk Contest? The roof would come down.
Ideal Dunker: I can’t imagine who in the League could actually do this and make it look pretty and powerful, but I’ll go with Jason Richardson.
Feel free to comment and make up your own dunks you’d want to see…easier said than done, though.
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Let’s finish off the Dime with some games:
6 ) Mavericks at Thunder: Tues, 2/16, 8:00 (ET)
When the NFL season was coming to a close, I found myself rooting for the Houston Texans to make the postseason for the first time in their franchise history. I have nothing against them, and they possess a young, exciting offense to watch. So why not?
That’s how I feel about the Oklahoma City Thunder this year, only they seem poised to actually clinch a Playoff spot which the Texans fell short of. There’s still a lot of season left, and the Thunder (30-21) are only one game ahead of Portland, currently the 8th seed, but Kevin Durant is playing out of his mind and there’s no reason to think that will stop. Durant goes into All-Star Weekend riding a streak of 25 straight games with at least 25 points, only the third player in history to accomplish that feat (Iverson and Jordan), but moreover he is leading his team to victories. And they are quality victories at that, as Oklahoma City’s current six game winning streak includes W’s against Denver, Atlanta, New Orleans, Portland and the high-octane Warriors, twice.
The Southwest-leading Mavericks beat the Thunder, 99-98, on January 15th at American Airlines Center, despite 30 points and 13 boards from Durant. So it’s obvious that Oklahoma City is for real, because they’re competing night in and night out against the best teams in the league. The Mavs have gone cold since that matchup, winning only two of their last seven games (both against Golden State), but are fortunate since the rest of the division hasn’t taken advantage. Dallas goes into the break following an embarrassing 36-point loss to the Nuggets, so they’ll probably come out fired up for their first game following All-Star Weekend.
Prediction: Go with the hot hand. I’ll take Durant and his Thunder by 8.
7 ) Nuggets at Cavaliers: Thurs, 2/18, 8:00(ET), National TV: TNT
With ‘Melo now healthy, this is a fantastic game between two of the NBA’s best. Whenever Anthony, Kobe, LeBron, Wade or Durant go up against each other, it’s always fun to watch but my favorite will always be LeBron-‘Melo. Anthony looked like he was a serious candidate for MVP in December, and still could be, but his injury combined with LeBron’s phenomenal season really hurt Melo’s chances. That being said, both teams are playing very well, especially the Cavs who have cemented their title as the best team in the East this season.
Cleveland is on a 12 game winning streak and have only lost thrice since 2010 began, but one of those losses came in Denver back on January 8th when Anthony wasn’t even playing. LeBron has historically struggled a bit when playing the Nuggets, winning only four in 13 career games against Denver, so LeBron will certainly come out firing at home to even the season series. The Nuggets held their own in Anthony’s 8-game absence, going 5-3 in that stretch, and then proceeded to blow out the Mavericks, 127-91, when Carmelo returned to the lineup on Tuesday. Denver and Cleveland have been two of the most consistent teams all year, so this should be an exciting showdown.
Prediction: I want to say Denver, but going against the Cavs at home, where they are 23-3, is just stupid. Cleveland by 4.
8 ) Celtics at Lakers: Thurs, 2/18, 10:30 (ET), National TV: TNT
What a Thursday night for TNT. There’s a good chance the four teams playing on national TV this night will be the last four standing in the playoffs as well.
Like the Cavs, the Lakers (41-13) are sitting pretty atop their conference with a five game lead on the second-place Nuggets, and they just spanked the red-hot Jazz in Utah without Kobe. So, its safe to say the Lakers should coast the rest of the way.
Boston, on the other hand, is in serious trouble. I watched the entire Celts-Magic game, and Boston looked tired and sluggish after an early big lead, especially in the third quarter where they were outscored 36-11 in front of their own fans. Garnett is just not the same since the knee injury and Ray Allen has struggled this year overall, only putting up 16 a night while shooting a career low 33.8% from beyond the arc. The team is 8-13 in their last 21 games but Danny Ainge insists that he will not blow the team up. Trading Allen or Big Baby might help in my opinion, but either way Boston has a tough stretch ahead. Following the All-Star break, they immediately go on the road for four straight against the Kings, Lakers, Blazers and Nuggets and they lead Toronto by a mere four games for the Atlantic. This will be a huge game and road trip for the C’s.
Prediction: Too tough for the Celtics. Lakers by 9.
9 ) Hawks at Suns: Fri, 2/19, 9:00 (ET)
Who knows what the Phoenix Suns will look like when the Hawks come to town. Amar’e’s name is really heating up on the trading block, and although the Suns have played better recently, I don’t see them making a run for the title. Trading Stoudemire for high value and other expiring contracts is the smart move instead of letting him walk this summer, but that could seriously damage their current season as well. Phoenix is in a tough spot.
The Hawks continue to play well despite a thorough beating at the hands of the Heat on Wednesday, where they were without Jamal Crawford. However, the Magic have taken back control of the division after their recent 10-2 surge, so Atlanta will need to come out of the break on fire if they want to stay in the race for the division and the second seed.
Prediction: Atlanta gets the road victory.
10 ) Mavericks at Magic: Fri, 2/19, 8:00 (ET)
Before February is over, the Mavs will have to play the Thunder, Suns, Magic, Lakers and Hawks. Tough stretch for a team that is only in first because the rest of division has performed equally poor the last two weeks. Dallas is another team that could look very different after the February 18th trade deadline, so the rest of the month should give us an idea of how good this team really is.
Orlando, meanwhile, is finally playing up to expectations after starting off 2010 with a 3-7 record. It seems that Vince Carter has put his horrible month of January behind him, as he’s shooting 53.7% in February so far, up from 28.4% last month. The Magic needed all of Carter’s 48 points to secure a 123-117 victory against the Hornets on Monday, and it was the first time since January 15th that Orlando allowed 100 points to an opposing team. Dwight is still shooting the ball at a 60% clip and has 14 straight double-doubles, but it’s his anchor defense that makes this team special.
Luge crash online video available? an Olympic video pulled from YouTube is creating a stir. The luge crash at today’s Vancouver winter Olympics training event claimed the life of an Olympic luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili. now that word is leaking out about his untimely death, a very predictable reaction has happened.
People are looking for the crash video.
For some reason or another, people like to see crash videos. In some instances, such as the Shaun White X Games crash video, watching the event occur on YouTube is harmless. Shaun walked away okay. He wasn’t hurt.
On the other hand, when you are dealing with the death of someone, you have to consider the possibility that someone in his family will come across the video.
Would you really want to see your son, husband, or brother die in such a horrific way? I didn’t think so.
Chances are, the Luge crash video will surface again and people will watch it just to see what happens. It’s no different than when we rubberneck to see that horrific car accident that has left us caught in traffic for hours.
Our thoughts go out to the family of the luger who died during today’s event. He is the third ever to die during training. The first two died in 1964 during the event’s inaugural year.
 The restaurant was packed with diners at the time of the blast |
At least eight people have been killed and 33 others wounded in a bomb attack on a restaurant in India's western city of Pune, officials say.
The explosion tore through the German Bakery, which is popular with tourists, in Koregaon Park.
Maharashtra state officials said the blast was caused by a bomb.
The nationalities of the dead are not known. At least four foreigners are among the injured, Maharashtra's home affairs minister said.
The explosion at the restaurant, on North Main Road, happened at about 1900 (1330 GMT), when it was packed with diners.
"We heard a big noise and we all rushed out. The impact was so much that there were tiny body parts everywhere," Vinod Dhale, who works at the restaurant, told Reuters news agency.
Anti-terror squad officers have gone to the scene.
"There has been a bomb blast," senior police official Rajendra Sonawane said.
"There was an abandoned bag which seems to have contained some IED [improvised explosive device]."
Initial reports suggested a gas cylinder had exploded.
The German Bakery is near the Osho Ashram, a mystic centre popular with visitors to Pune.  Posters advertising the film have been defaced in Mumbai |
A Bollywood film featuring star Shah Rukh Khan has opened amid tight security in a few cinemas in the Indian city of Mumbai.
More than 1,800 people have been arrested at protests against My Name is Khan, which will be shown at 63 venues.
Khan angered the hardline Hindu party, Shiv Sena, by saying he regretted that no Pakistani cricketers had been picked for next month's Indian Premier League.
Two small cinemas have already been attacked in Mumbai and posters burned.
The BBC's Prachi Pinglay in Mumbai says multiplex cinema owners have decided on a "limited release" of the film.
Most single-screen cinemas have refused to release the film, fearing trouble, our correspondent says.
Reports said most of the morning shows had been cancelled, and it was unclear whether the cinemas would release the film in the subsequent shows.
'Nothing to fear'
One multiplex reported a full house for the film, leaving actress Pooja Bedi and her father, Kabir Bedi, without tickets.
"I am very happy that the film is getting a full house. Police are doing a fabulous job. People need not fear at all," Ms Bedi told reporters.
The authorities have announced that 21,000 police officers will be deployed to protect cinemagoers, frisking patrons before entering. Night-vision cameras may also be used to spot troublemakers inside.
Shah Rukh Khan comments on the protests
Despite the promise of protection, a number of cinema chains stopped taking advance bookings for My Name is Khan this week.
One cinema-goer in Mumbai told the AFP news agency that she found the controversy over Khan "alarming and disturbing".
"I'm not going to be deterred by these kind of threats," said the woman, who asked not to be named.
Khan, part-owner of Indian Premier League cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders, spoke out last month after no players from Pakistan were selected for the IPL Twenty20 competition.
The 44-year-old Muslim has stood firm over his remarks, but apologised to his collaborators in My Name is Khan.
"I request everybody to leave the film alone and deal with what I have said as an individual," he told reporters in London last week.
In the film, Khan plays a Muslim with Asperger's syndrome whose life in the US changes after the 11 September 2001 attacks.
Shiv Sena, a regional party which backs the cause of local Hindus in Maharashtra state, has pledged to continue its protests.
The organisation, often described as anti-Muslim, regards itself as a defender of what it sees as traditional Hindu moral values.
Khan is one of the biggest stars of India's film industry and has hosted the local version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
The eight-team IPL Twenty20 competition starts on 12 March and is staged over 45 days.
Charlie Wilson, the former member of the US House of Representatives, who has died at the age of 76 from a heart attack, played a key role in channelling US funds to the Afghan mujahideen when it fought Soviet forces in the 1980s.
In the popular mind, however, the Texan politician was equally famous for his drinking and womanising.
This was brought to the screen memorably in the 2007 Hollywood film Charlie Wilson's War, which opens with Tom Hanks portraying him in a hot tub flanked by two Las Vegas strippers.
A diehard anti-communist, Wilson was nonetheless a Democrat known for his liberal voting record on social issues, earning himself the nickname the "Liberal from Lufkin" - the town in mostly conservative east Texas where he lived, and died on 10 February.
'By the throat'
Born in Trinity, Texas, on 1 June 1933, Wilson attended state schools and university at Huntsville, from which he moved on to the US Naval Academy.
After four years in the navy as a lieutenant, he moved into the lumber business, according to his official biography at the US Congress.
Elected to the Texan state house of representatives in 1960, he entered Congress in 1973, where he served a total of 12 consecutive terms.
His interest in Afghanistan was reportedly aroused in 1980, the year after the Soviet invasion, when he read about refugees from the conflict.
As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, the body responsible for funding CIA operations, he asked for massive increases to its Afghan budget.
Tens of millions of dollars are believed to have been spent on supporting Afghan militants, equipping them with Stinger missiles they could use to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships.
Retired CIA officer Michael F Scheuer encountered Wilson at meetings in the 1980s.
"He saw Afghanistan as a way to exact a pound of flesh from the Soviets for [the US defeat in] Vietnam," Mr Scheuer told BBC World Service.
Wilson himself told the Dallas Morning News in a 2007 interview: "I just saw the opportunity to grab the sons o' bitches by the throat."
After the Soviets left in 1989, Wilson expressed concern about the reduction in US Congressional funding for Afghanistan.
Some of the warlords he helped arm are today fighting US and other foreign troops in Afghanistan, but Wilson showed no regret for his actions in the 1980s.
"Who the hell had ever heard of the Taliban then?" he said in a Time magazine interview in 2007.
'Oversized life'
"Charlie Wilson led a life that was oversized even by Hollywood's standards," Texas Governor Rick Perry said on news of his death.
Wilson's biographer, George Crile, recounts how the congressman would recruit beautiful women to work in his Washington office, nicknaming them Charlie's Angels after the TV show.
Wilson would reportedly bring glamorous girlfriends on trips to Pakistan and the Middle East, and once called former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder "Babycakes".
A lover of whisky, Wilson was dogged by allegations that he snorted cocaine though he was never prosecuted.
Speaking to the Associated Press news agency after his biography was published in 2003, he said he did not mind being portrayed as someone with a wild side.
"I would remind you that I was not married at the time," he said. "I'm in a different place than I was in at the time and I don't apologise about that."
Mr Scheuer believes that there are "very few creatures in Congress like Mr Wilson".
"He was utterly confident that what he was doing was the right thing for America and he was willing to take risks and put his reputation on the line," he said.
"The people in Congress today are meek and milk toast compared to what Mr Wilson was."
Charlie Wilson is survived by his second wife, Barbara, whom he married in 1999, and a sister.