CAPE CANAVERAL - Administration officials and a former astronaut on Wednesday called plans for "exciting" and "bold," saying he was replacing a failed moon program with a new $6 billion project to develop commercial rockets capable of taking astronauts into orbit.
They said it was all part of a broader plan to hike NASA's budget by an average of $1.3 billion annually over the next five years.
Part of that increase would cover a new technology research and development program, extension of the life of the International Space Station from 2015 to 2020, and investments in infrastructure at to modernize the facility to maintain it as America's premier spaceport.
But conspicuous by its absence was any mention of a commitment to develop a new government-owned and operated "heavy-lift" rocket capable of taking humans beyond the low Earth Orbit.
The news teleconference at which the officials and astronaut spoke was organized for reporters at two Florida newspapers in response to the Orlando Sentinel's report on Tuesday, which said the budget next week would kill NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon and scrap the rockets being developed to take them there.
On the teleconference was an administration official, a NASA official and Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.
"As you know, the current program of record did not hold water," said the NASA official, whom the White House did not identify. "The fact that we would have had a program where the space station didn't ever again have any humans launching from the United States to it until it was driven into the … we felt very, very strongly that this was not a program to be adopted."
But the NASA official stressed that just because the to return humans to the moon and its Ares I and rockets were going to be canceled did not mean that the Obama administration was abandoning exploration and human spaceflight.
Both officials said there would be "a very significant program," the most important part of which was the effort to develop private space taxis to take crew back and forth to the space station.
"We do believe it is time for American to come into this program," the NASA official said, pointing out that for decades private companies have been launching precious satellites into space. "The investment in that will be $6 billion over five years. This is serious, serious investment that we believe will reduce that gap [in human spaceflight] from what it would have been with the program of record between shuttle retirement and the Ares I and [capsule] coming on line."
Relying on private companies flying astronauts for NASA on fixed price contracts would be a major change in longstanding national space policy. Many space boosters in Congress are opposed to ditching Ares I and Orion for commercially operated spaceships that have yet to fly humans, fearing there will be a drop in safety standards.
But Ride, who recently served on a White House blue ribbon panel reviewing NASA human spaceflight plans, said she thought those concerns would be allayed by NASA's involvement in the design of the rockets and the safety procedures the companies would have to follow.
"NASA considers astronaut safety to be very important," Ride said.
The administration official said that resistance in Congress to the president's plan would soften when lawmakers became more familiar with what the budget did for America's space program.
The officials stressed that Florida in particular would benefit from investments in commercial and infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center that would help offset an expected 7,000 job losses when the shuttle program ends either later this year or early next.
However, none of the officials would say how much money or what plans existed for creating a NASA spaceship capable of launching humans beyond the space station. When asked, officials repeatedly dodged the question of what plans the administration had for a heavy-lift rocket.
Already lawmakers are preparing to fight Obama's NASA plan. On Wednesday, Sen., R-Texas, said she would introduce a bill that would force NASA to fly additional shuttle flights beyond the final five now scheduled while NASA works on developing the next generation space vehicle.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Net Flix Profit nowdays
Netflix Inc.'s fourth-quarter profit climbed 36% as the DVD streaming and rental company added more than a million subscribers while reducing the costs to keep them.
Netflix ended the quarter with 12.3 million subscribers, its year-end target, representing a gain of 10% from the third quarter and 31% from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, subscriber-acquisition costs—a closely watched measure for Netflix investors—fell 5.4% to $25.23 per subscriber from a year earlier. And the churn rate, a measure of customer cancellations and free subscribers, declined to 3.9% from 4.2%.
The company has begun streaming its movies through a wider array of electronic devices, such as Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii game consoles, as a way to combat increased competition from stand-alone DVD-rental kiosks and online video services.
For the latest quarter, Netflix reported a profit of $30.9 million, or 56 cents a share, up from $22.7 million, or 38 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding items, per-share earnings rose to 59 cents from 41 cents.
Revenue increased 24% to $444.5 million.
Netflix also projected first-quarter revenue above the average analyst estimate.
Netflix ended the quarter with 12.3 million subscribers, its year-end target, representing a gain of 10% from the third quarter and 31% from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, subscriber-acquisition costs—a closely watched measure for Netflix investors—fell 5.4% to $25.23 per subscriber from a year earlier. And the churn rate, a measure of customer cancellations and free subscribers, declined to 3.9% from 4.2%.
The company has begun streaming its movies through a wider array of electronic devices, such as Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii game consoles, as a way to combat increased competition from stand-alone DVD-rental kiosks and online video services.
For the latest quarter, Netflix reported a profit of $30.9 million, or 56 cents a share, up from $22.7 million, or 38 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding items, per-share earnings rose to 59 cents from 41 cents.
Revenue increased 24% to $444.5 million.
Netflix also projected first-quarter revenue above the average analyst estimate.
"Heroes" actor Arrested in LA
Heroes" TV actor Adrian Pasdar -- the husband of Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines -- has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, police said on Wednesday.
Pasdar, 44, was pulled over before dawn on Wednesday after highway patrol officers said they spotted his truck speeding on a Los Angeles freeway at 94 mph and swerving between lanes.
"Upon contacting Pasdar, the officers noticed an odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from...within the vehicle" and determined the actor was under the influence of alcohol, the California Highway patrol said.
Pasdar was released early on Wednesday morning on $15,000 bail, police said. Celebrity web site TMZ.com said Pasdar had refused to take a breathalyzer test.
Pasdar played the mysterious Nathan Petrelli in the NBC TV drama about a bunch of superheroes. His character was killed off in November but may return for flashbacks.
He married country music star Maines, lead singer of the Grammy winning band Dixie Chicks, in June 2000, and they have two children.
Pasdar, 44, was pulled over before dawn on Wednesday after highway patrol officers said they spotted his truck speeding on a Los Angeles freeway at 94 mph and swerving between lanes.
"Upon contacting Pasdar, the officers noticed an odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from...within the vehicle" and determined the actor was under the influence of alcohol, the California Highway patrol said.
Pasdar was released early on Wednesday morning on $15,000 bail, police said. Celebrity web site TMZ.com said Pasdar had refused to take a breathalyzer test.
Pasdar played the mysterious Nathan Petrelli in the NBC TV drama about a bunch of superheroes. His character was killed off in November but may return for flashbacks.
He married country music star Maines, lead singer of the Grammy winning band Dixie Chicks, in June 2000, and they have two children.
Charlie Sheen's Wife was about to die
LOS ANGELES - A lawyer for Charlie Sheen's wife says that she is recovering at a North Carolina wellness center after an infection that nearly took her life.
Yale Galanter said that Brooke Sheen was flown by private plane from Los Angeles after her release from a hospital. He denied Internet reports that she was in drug or alcohol rehab.
Galanter said Brooke Sheen was "mentally and physically exhausted" and her mother arranged for her to go to a place that will help her recover. He refused to name the facility and said it will not be made public.The Sheens have a Feb. 8 court date in Aspen, Colo., stemming from a domestic violence incident that brought police to their Colorado home on Christmas Day.
Charlie Sheen stars in the TV sitcom "Two And A Half Men."
Apple Tablet Details Leaked
In an early morning interview with business channel CNBC, McGraw-Hill CEO Terry McGraw appeared to of the tablet's inner workings, the subject of much industry speculation and gossip in recent weeks. "We have worked with Apple for quite awhile—the tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system," said McGraw.
McGraw said that's significant because it means the tablet will be compatible with content and apps that McGraw-Hill and other publishers have already created for the iPhone.
"We have 95 percent of all our materials that are in e-book format on that one," said McGraw.
Magazine and newspaper publishers may look to Apple's tablet as a delivery mechanism that could help them regain their competitive advantage against online blogs and news services. Its presence could also help them extract better terms from the makers of rival devices, like Amazon's Kindle.
Also speaking on CNBC, in an interview from the Davos economic summit, WPP Group head Sir Martin Sorrell appeared to have an inside track on the device's name, referring to it as the "iTablet." Whether that's the name Jobs will announce later Wednesday remains to be seen.
Apple has scheduled a press conference in San Francisco for Wednesday at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. The conference is set to get underway at 1 pm Eastern time.
Apple shares were off .39%, to $205.14, in early trading Wednesday.
McGraw said that's significant because it means the tablet will be compatible with content and apps that McGraw-Hill and other publishers have already created for the iPhone.
"We have 95 percent of all our materials that are in e-book format on that one," said McGraw.
Magazine and newspaper publishers may look to Apple's tablet as a delivery mechanism that could help them regain their competitive advantage against online blogs and news services. Its presence could also help them extract better terms from the makers of rival devices, like Amazon's Kindle.
Also speaking on CNBC, in an interview from the Davos economic summit, WPP Group head Sir Martin Sorrell appeared to have an inside track on the device's name, referring to it as the "iTablet." Whether that's the name Jobs will announce later Wednesday remains to be seen.
Apple has scheduled a press conference in San Francisco for Wednesday at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. The conference is set to get underway at 1 pm Eastern time.
Apple shares were off .39%, to $205.14, in early trading Wednesday.
Hands On With Google Voice For iphone
We decided to take the iPhone version for a spin to see how Google Voice holds up as a Web app. (To test it yourself, go to Google Webiste from Safari.) If you've never used Google Voice you'll first have to set up a Google Voice account. You still need an invite to get in, so you can either request an invite from Google or from anyone you know with a Google Voice account. Overall, it works well for a Web-based app. It doesn't offer the functionality of, say, Google Voice For Android, a local app, but it gets the job done. The first thing you'll notice is that it looks simple and polished. (Take a look at the slideshow for more on its looks.) There are five tabs to work from: Inbox, Dailer, SMS, Contacts, and Settings.
Notably, all my Google contacts loaded without a hitch. It doesn't access your iPhone's contacts, so make sure to sync your contacts with Google if you need those contacts. SMS messages can be sent over your data connection, so textaholics who don't have an unlimited texting plan will find this appealing. The dialer responded to touches quickly, and the settings page let me change almost anything I needed to change on my account, including call forwarding and voicemail settings.
When you call someone, the program dials a regular number to connect to the Google Voice system. It still charges you minutes to your voice plan, but you get the basic benefits of using Voice. The number on Caller ID is your Voice number, while you can write and send SMS messages, and it logs the call on your visual voicemail.
There aren't really any downsides to using Google Voice for iPhone. It's definitely a niche product now, but over time it could catch on to the general public. The only problem we're seeing is that you can't text more than one recipient at a time. But that's a small gripe to deal with for the benefits of Google Voice.
Notably, all my Google contacts loaded without a hitch. It doesn't access your iPhone's contacts, so make sure to sync your contacts with Google if you need those contacts. SMS messages can be sent over your data connection, so textaholics who don't have an unlimited texting plan will find this appealing. The dialer responded to touches quickly, and the settings page let me change almost anything I needed to change on my account, including call forwarding and voicemail settings.
When you call someone, the program dials a regular number to connect to the Google Voice system. It still charges you minutes to your voice plan, but you get the basic benefits of using Voice. The number on Caller ID is your Voice number, while you can write and send SMS messages, and it logs the call on your visual voicemail.
There aren't really any downsides to using Google Voice for iPhone. It's definitely a niche product now, but over time it could catch on to the general public. The only problem we're seeing is that you can't text more than one recipient at a time. But that's a small gripe to deal with for the benefits of Google Voice.
 | Complete iPhone Coverage http://go.pcmag.com/iphone |  |
The best Running Shoes May be owned by nature
Runners who eschew shoes may be less likely to do serious injury to their feet, because they hold their feet differently, Daniel Lieberman of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and colleagues found.
Writing in the journal Nature, they said runners who wear shoes tend to hit the ground with their heels first, whereas barefoot runners put the balls of the feet down first.
"People who don't wear shoes when they run have an astonishingly different strike," Lieberman said in a statement.
"By landing on the middle or front of the foot, barefoot runners have almost no impact collision, much less than most shod runners generate when they heel-strike," Lieberman added.
"Most people today think barefoot running is dangerous and hurts, but actually you can run barefoot on the world's hardest surfaces without the slightest discomfort and pain. All you need is a few calluses to avoid roughing up the skin of the foot."
Lieberman and his colleagues at Harvard, the University of Glasgow, and Kenya's Moi University studied runners who had always run barefoot, those who had always worn shoes and runners who had abandoned shoes.
Barefoot runners had a springier step overall, and used their calf and foot muscles more efficiently, they found.
Demonstrations can be seen here.
People used to running in shoes should not start barefoot trotting right away, Lieberman cautioned. "If you've been a heel-striker all your life, you have to transition slowly to build strength in your calf and foot muscles," he said.
But he noted that evolution is on his side.
"Humans have engaged in endurance running for millions of years, but the modern running shoe was not invented until the 1970s," Lieberman said. Rival German companies Adidas and Puma made running shoes a household item.
Running shoes are big business. Nike Inc had $4.4 billion in revenue in its second quarter.
Writing in the journal Nature, they said runners who wear shoes tend to hit the ground with their heels first, whereas barefoot runners put the balls of the feet down first.
"People who don't wear shoes when they run have an astonishingly different strike," Lieberman said in a statement.
"By landing on the middle or front of the foot, barefoot runners have almost no impact collision, much less than most shod runners generate when they heel-strike," Lieberman added.
"Most people today think barefoot running is dangerous and hurts, but actually you can run barefoot on the world's hardest surfaces without the slightest discomfort and pain. All you need is a few calluses to avoid roughing up the skin of the foot."
Lieberman and his colleagues at Harvard, the University of Glasgow, and Kenya's Moi University studied runners who had always run barefoot, those who had always worn shoes and runners who had abandoned shoes.
Barefoot runners had a springier step overall, and used their calf and foot muscles more efficiently, they found.
Demonstrations can be seen here.
People used to running in shoes should not start barefoot trotting right away, Lieberman cautioned. "If you've been a heel-striker all your life, you have to transition slowly to build strength in your calf and foot muscles," he said.
But he noted that evolution is on his side.
"Humans have engaged in endurance running for millions of years, but the modern running shoe was not invented until the 1970s," Lieberman said. Rival German companies Adidas and Puma made running shoes a household item.
Running shoes are big business. Nike Inc had $4.4 billion in revenue in its second quarter.
Amazon Responded to Apple iPad
The iPad: it's a video player! A productivity tool! An e-reader! On the last attribute, at least, there's plenty of competition for Apple's new tablet.Amazon of course, has established itself with not only the world's largest marketplace for books, but a substantial number of e-books as well. And the company's Kindle dominates the e-reader space, although the company does not disclose the exact number of e-readers sold.So, naturally, we asked Amazon was asked to comment on its latest competitor.
"Thanks for your inquiry," Andrew Herdener responded. "Customers can read and sync their Kindle books on iPhones, iPod touches, PCs, and soon Blackberrys, Macs, and iPads. Kindle is purpose-built for reading. Weighing in at less than 0.64 pounds, Kindle fits comfortably in one hand for hours, has an e-ink display that is easy on the eyes even in bright daylight, two weeks of battery life, and 3G wireless with no monthly fees--all at a $259 price. Kindle editions of New York Times Bestsellers and most New Releases are only $9.99."
"Thanks for your inquiry," Andrew Herdener responded. "Customers can read and sync their Kindle books on iPhones, iPod touches, PCs, and soon Blackberrys, Macs, and iPads. Kindle is purpose-built for reading. Weighing in at less than 0.64 pounds, Kindle fits comfortably in one hand for hours, has an e-ink display that is easy on the eyes even in bright daylight, two weeks of battery life, and 3G wireless with no monthly fees--all at a $259 price. Kindle editions of New York Times Bestsellers and most New Releases are only $9.99."
Better effort pleeded for haiti,survivors were found
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Haiti appealed to foreign governments and charities on Wednesday to do more to help earthquake victims as rescuers pulled a teenage girl out of the rubble 15 days after her Port-au-Prince home collapsed around her.
The girl, named Darline and believed to be 16, was severely dehydrated and had a leg injury, French and Haitian rescuers said. "I don't know how she happened to resist that long. It's a miracle," said rescue worker J.P. Malaganne.
The girl was one of more than 130 people rescued alive since the January 12 quake devastated Haiti's coastal capital, killed as many as 200,000 and threw the country into chaos.
President Rene Preval said Haiti would indefinitely postpone February 28 parliamentary elections and he would not seek to stay in office after his term expires in February 2011.
That means his government will have just over one year to rebuild the impoverished Caribbean nation before handing off the task to new leadership.
Aid groups and troops from around the world have struggled to distribute food, water and medical care to an estimated 3 million Haitians injured or left homeless in the magnitude-7.0 earthquake.
"I am not in a position to criticize anybody, not in the least people who have come here to help me," Preval told a news conference. "What I am staying is, what everybody is saying is, that we need a better coordination."
Some food handouts have turned ugly, with U.N. peacekeepers using tear gas and warning shots to control jostling crowds. People housed in ragtag encampments around Port-au-Prince have complained that no food has reached them. Some have expressed anger at Preval for failing to play a more public role and sending few workers to remove garbage and feed the homeless.
"In my job, we have two ways of doing things," Preval told Reuters in an interview. "In the way politicians traditionally do, you go to the hospitals, you cry with the victims. Or you can sit, and work, and find the right way to bring assistance to the people. I chose to do the second."
HOW TO REBUILD
Preval said he believes Haiti must decentralize.
"Long term, we need to create jobs in the provinces," he told Reuters. "Because we run the risk of having overcrowded big cities, with anarchic construction and the risk that the same thing could happen again."
He acknowledged the intense task ahead -- 20,000 commercial buildings have collapsed or must be razed, as well as 225,000 residences. However, he said Haiti has begun to come back.
"On the 13th of January, we woke up without telephones, with thousands of dead on the streets, and today telephones are working, there are no more bodies in the streets. We have collected more than 150,000, but there are still bodies under the rubble and will see how we can get them," he said.
"Gas stations are working normally, commercial activities have resumed. In 15 days, a lot of progress has been made."
At the news conference, Preval said he was grateful for fund-raising around the world and tried to ease concerns that government corruption might siphon off aid.
"The Haitian government has not seen one cent of that money that has been raised for Haiti. I presume that that means the money is going to NGOs," he said, referring to non-governmental aid groups.
BLACK MARKET AND HEALTH CHALLENGES
Ministers have been fighting high prices linked to scarcity after the quake. Finance Minister Ronald Baudin said the price of rice has dropped. "And now that we are taking measures to make sure everything is available, I think prices will reflect the realities of the market," he said.
Doctors in Haiti say the quake had created a litany of serious health problems, including perhaps tens of thousands of new amputees. With so many hospitals and clinics destroyed, there was little chance they would get the therapy they need, doctors said.
In Washington, the International Monetary Fund approved an additional $102 million in funding for Haiti and said it would disburse $114 million to the government by the end of the week to help with rebuilding after the earthquake.
The IMF also said 80 percent of Haiti's textile capacity was capable of operating despite quake damage and textile exports were expected to resume as soon as seaport damage is repaired. Most textile facilities are outside Port-au-Prince.
Preval bristled at suggestions that the influx of foreign troops threatened Haitian sovereignty.
"We are talking about people suffering and you are talking about ideology," he told a journalist who raised the issue at the news conference.
The girl, named Darline and believed to be 16, was severely dehydrated and had a leg injury, French and Haitian rescuers said. "I don't know how she happened to resist that long. It's a miracle," said rescue worker J.P. Malaganne.
The girl was one of more than 130 people rescued alive since the January 12 quake devastated Haiti's coastal capital, killed as many as 200,000 and threw the country into chaos.
President Rene Preval said Haiti would indefinitely postpone February 28 parliamentary elections and he would not seek to stay in office after his term expires in February 2011.
That means his government will have just over one year to rebuild the impoverished Caribbean nation before handing off the task to new leadership.
Aid groups and troops from around the world have struggled to distribute food, water and medical care to an estimated 3 million Haitians injured or left homeless in the magnitude-7.0 earthquake.
"I am not in a position to criticize anybody, not in the least people who have come here to help me," Preval told a news conference. "What I am staying is, what everybody is saying is, that we need a better coordination."
Some food handouts have turned ugly, with U.N. peacekeepers using tear gas and warning shots to control jostling crowds. People housed in ragtag encampments around Port-au-Prince have complained that no food has reached them. Some have expressed anger at Preval for failing to play a more public role and sending few workers to remove garbage and feed the homeless.
"In my job, we have two ways of doing things," Preval told Reuters in an interview. "In the way politicians traditionally do, you go to the hospitals, you cry with the victims. Or you can sit, and work, and find the right way to bring assistance to the people. I chose to do the second."
HOW TO REBUILD
Preval said he believes Haiti must decentralize.
"Long term, we need to create jobs in the provinces," he told Reuters. "Because we run the risk of having overcrowded big cities, with anarchic construction and the risk that the same thing could happen again."
He acknowledged the intense task ahead -- 20,000 commercial buildings have collapsed or must be razed, as well as 225,000 residences. However, he said Haiti has begun to come back.
"On the 13th of January, we woke up without telephones, with thousands of dead on the streets, and today telephones are working, there are no more bodies in the streets. We have collected more than 150,000, but there are still bodies under the rubble and will see how we can get them," he said.
"Gas stations are working normally, commercial activities have resumed. In 15 days, a lot of progress has been made."
At the news conference, Preval said he was grateful for fund-raising around the world and tried to ease concerns that government corruption might siphon off aid.
"The Haitian government has not seen one cent of that money that has been raised for Haiti. I presume that that means the money is going to NGOs," he said, referring to non-governmental aid groups.
BLACK MARKET AND HEALTH CHALLENGES
Ministers have been fighting high prices linked to scarcity after the quake. Finance Minister Ronald Baudin said the price of rice has dropped. "And now that we are taking measures to make sure everything is available, I think prices will reflect the realities of the market," he said.
Doctors in Haiti say the quake had created a litany of serious health problems, including perhaps tens of thousands of new amputees. With so many hospitals and clinics destroyed, there was little chance they would get the therapy they need, doctors said.
In Washington, the International Monetary Fund approved an additional $102 million in funding for Haiti and said it would disburse $114 million to the government by the end of the week to help with rebuilding after the earthquake.
The IMF also said 80 percent of Haiti's textile capacity was capable of operating despite quake damage and textile exports were expected to resume as soon as seaport damage is repaired. Most textile facilities are outside Port-au-Prince.
Preval bristled at suggestions that the influx of foreign troops threatened Haitian sovereignty.
"We are talking about people suffering and you are talking about ideology," he told a journalist who raised the issue at the news conference.
London Meeting to launch a decisive year in the afghan war
LONDON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Facing a make-or-break year in Afghanistan, ministers from some 60 countries meet on Thursday to hammer out a strategy to try to bring an end to the war.
The London conference is expected to back efforts to win over Taliban foot soldiers with money and jobs, and review a U.N. terrorism blacklist to encourage fighters to change sides.
This, combined with a fresh commitment to development and the influx of an extra 30,000 U.S. troops, is meant to break a stalemate in a war now into its ninth year.
"We will see at the end of this year the light on the horizon," NATO military chief Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola said after a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.
Western governments are hoping a final military and civilian push will put them into a position of strength to begin drawing down troops in 2011 and to negotiate a political settlement.
With public opinion wearying of war, attention is already turning to an eventual exit strategy involving a political settlement with the Taliban leadership -- although officials stress that this is not yet on the cards.
"We are not going to negotiate with the Taliban now, and if there's going to be any movement on this issue, the Taliban will have to sever all contact with al Qaeda and this is a critical point," U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke said.
Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said that any reconciliation with Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar was "probably a bridge too far" after he gave safe haven to al Qaeda to launch the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
"He has the blood of thousands of Americans on his hands," he told reporters in Washington.
But with the United States also stressing it will be up to the Afghans to decide how to reconcile their country's warring factions, many argue that the question of involving Mullah Omar is more a matter of timing than principle.
"No plan will work without him," said retired Brigadier Sultan Amir Tarar, a former senior member of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.
"He's respected by Afghans for resisting foreign occupation. How can he be sidelined or dumped at a time when Taliban are winning the war?" he told Reuters.
WAR WEARY
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is expected to seek support in London both for a plan to win over foot soldiers -- something that has had little success in the past -- and to hold a Loya Jirga, a council of elders to discuss broader reconciliation.
The Taliban have so far shown no willingness in public to enter peace talks, though some analysts argue they too are tired of the fighting, and realise they are no better placed than the Americans to win power by military means alone.
The Taliban, in comments posted on one of their websites on Wednesday, renewed a demand that foreign troops leave Afghanistan and dismissed plans to win over individual fighters as a trick.
But they also repeated a statement made by Mullah Omar late last year that they posed no threat to the West -- a possible signal of a greater willingness to break with al Qaeda.
Britain is also hoping to use the conference to convince regional players to cooperate rather than compete over Afghanistan, the battleground for proxy wars for 30 years.
Among those attending are the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, which have long competed for influence in Afghanistan. (Additional reporting by Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul, David Brunnstrom in Brussels, and Adam Entous in Washington and in Rawalpindi, editing by David Stamp)
The London conference is expected to back efforts to win over Taliban foot soldiers with money and jobs, and review a U.N. terrorism blacklist to encourage fighters to change sides.
This, combined with a fresh commitment to development and the influx of an extra 30,000 U.S. troops, is meant to break a stalemate in a war now into its ninth year.
"We will see at the end of this year the light on the horizon," NATO military chief Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola said after a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.
Western governments are hoping a final military and civilian push will put them into a position of strength to begin drawing down troops in 2011 and to negotiate a political settlement.
With public opinion wearying of war, attention is already turning to an eventual exit strategy involving a political settlement with the Taliban leadership -- although officials stress that this is not yet on the cards.
"We are not going to negotiate with the Taliban now, and if there's going to be any movement on this issue, the Taliban will have to sever all contact with al Qaeda and this is a critical point," U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke said.
Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said that any reconciliation with Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar was "probably a bridge too far" after he gave safe haven to al Qaeda to launch the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
"He has the blood of thousands of Americans on his hands," he told reporters in Washington.
But with the United States also stressing it will be up to the Afghans to decide how to reconcile their country's warring factions, many argue that the question of involving Mullah Omar is more a matter of timing than principle.
"No plan will work without him," said retired Brigadier Sultan Amir Tarar, a former senior member of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.
"He's respected by Afghans for resisting foreign occupation. How can he be sidelined or dumped at a time when Taliban are winning the war?" he told Reuters.
WAR WEARY
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is expected to seek support in London both for a plan to win over foot soldiers -- something that has had little success in the past -- and to hold a Loya Jirga, a council of elders to discuss broader reconciliation.
The Taliban have so far shown no willingness in public to enter peace talks, though some analysts argue they too are tired of the fighting, and realise they are no better placed than the Americans to win power by military means alone.
The Taliban, in comments posted on one of their websites on Wednesday, renewed a demand that foreign troops leave Afghanistan and dismissed plans to win over individual fighters as a trick.
But they also repeated a statement made by Mullah Omar late last year that they posed no threat to the West -- a possible signal of a greater willingness to break with al Qaeda.
Britain is also hoping to use the conference to convince regional players to cooperate rather than compete over Afghanistan, the battleground for proxy wars for 30 years.
Among those attending are the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan, which have long competed for influence in Afghanistan. (Additional reporting by Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul, David Brunnstrom in Brussels, and Adam Entous in Washington and in Rawalpindi, editing by David Stamp)
John gets seperate from elizabeth
Elizabeth Edwards has separated from husband John Edwards, the former presidential candidate who lied about cheating on his cancer-stricken wife and the child he fathered during his affair.
The disclosure Wednesday came as a longtime aide to the two-time candidate promotes a tell-all book that provides an unflattering portrait of the couple and the tumultuous relationship they tried to maintain after he first acknowledged the liaison.
Elizabeth Edwards, 60, declined to comment through a friend, Andrea Purse, who confirmed the separation. However, Elizabeth's sister told The Associated Press that she remains strong.
"She's doing as well as you could expect," Nancy Anania said. "I'm really proud of her that, somehow, she's got strength that you rarely see in a person."
A week earlier, John Edwards finally confirmed that he fathered a child, now almost 2 years old, with his mistress, Rielle Hunter. He issued a brief statement Wednesday, expressing care for his wife of more than three decades and the mother of four of his children.
"It is an extraordinarily sad moment, but I love my children more than anything and still care deeply about Elizabeth," he said.
Purse did not reveal how long the couple has been apart. North Carolina law typically requires couples to be separated for a year before divorcing.
It's another wrenching twist for a couple that had previously weathered the death of a 16-year-old son and Elizabeth's ongoing battle with incurable cancer.
They were law school sweethearts who got married just days after they took the bar exam together in the summer of 1977. Though John Edwards, 56, later went on to make millions as a trial lawyer, the couple had humble beginnings: He had to borrow money from her parents for a one-night honeymoon. She always wore her $11 wedding ring. For years they spent their anniversaries going to Wendy's, just as they did on their first one.
Former aide Andrew Young initially claimed in the weeks leading up to the crucial presidential primaries that he was the father of Hunter's child. Young's upcoming book details how Edwards went to great lengths to hide the affair.
In excerpts from an ABC News interview, Young said that Edwards asked him to find a doctor who might fake a paternity test and asked him to steal a diaper from the baby, now almost 2, to determine whether it was really his. He also claims that the married couple sought to politicize her cancer diagnosis.
The statement released on behalf of Elizabeth Edwards said she will not engage in a dialogue on "false charges" in the book.
"Based on the limited portions of the book that have been made available, it is clear it contains many falsehoods and exaggerations," she said. She responded to one point, saying the suggestion that she capitalized on her cancer is "unconscionable, hurtful and patently false."
Elizabeth Edwards has an incurable form of cancer that returned in 2007 as the couple was campaigning for the presidency. She said last week that her health got worse for a period but has been recently improving. She declined at the time to discuss her marital status.
John Edwards, a former North Carolina senator and 2004 Democratic vice presidential candidate, has largely stayed secluded since first admitting the affair in August 2008. He denied fathering a child with Hunter at that time. He has acknowledged a federal investigation into his campaign finances.
Country Music Well Represented
The 52nd annual Grammy Awards will be presented on January 31 in Los Angeles, California.
The Zac Brown Band received three Grammy Award nominations, including Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for its 2008 Number One debut single, "Chicken Fried." Their latest release, "The Foundation," is a contender for Best Country Album, a category the group shares with George Strait, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack.
The Zac Brown Band is also nominated for the all-genre Best New Artist trophy. Only two other Country artists have won the Best New Artist Grammy, LeAnn Rimes in 1997 and Carrie Underwood in 2007.
The Zac Brown Band, Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum will represent the Country field by performing live on the three-hour Grammy telecast.
Lee Ann Womack's 2009 hit, "Solitary Thinkin'," earned the Texas native a Grammy nod for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. She faces strong competition in that category from Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. "Solitary Thinkin'" is from Lee Ann Womack's Grammy-nominated album, "Call Me Crazy." From that same album, "Everything But Quits," her duet with George Strait, is a finalist in the Best Country Collaboration With Vocals category.
Keith Urban could add three Grammy Awards to his mantle. "Sweet Thing" brought him a nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, a category he won in 2005 and 2007. The other Best Male Country Vocal nominees include Trace Adkins, George Strait, Jamey Johnson and Billy Currington.
Billy Currington's Number One song, "People Are Crazy," gave songwriters Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song. They face the writers of Trace Adkins' "All I Ask For Anymore," Jamey Johnson's "High Cost Of Living," Lady Antebellum's "I Run To You" and Taylor Swift's "White Horse."
Taylor Swift's 'Fearless' CDContinuing her hot streak from 2009, Taylor Swift received more Grammy nominations than any other Country artist. Five of Taylor's eight nods appear in pop and all-genre categories. Her multi-platinum CD, "Fearless", is up against popular releases by The Dave Matthews Band, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and the Black Eyed Peas for the Best Album win. Taylor's other non-Country nominations are in the Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals categories. Her Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song nominations are for the track, "White Horse."
The Zac Brown Band received three Grammy Award nominations, including Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for its 2008 Number One debut single, "Chicken Fried." Their latest release, "The Foundation," is a contender for Best Country Album, a category the group shares with George Strait, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack.
The Zac Brown Band is also nominated for the all-genre Best New Artist trophy. Only two other Country artists have won the Best New Artist Grammy, LeAnn Rimes in 1997 and Carrie Underwood in 2007.
The Zac Brown Band, Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum will represent the Country field by performing live on the three-hour Grammy telecast.
Lee Ann Womack's 2009 hit, "Solitary Thinkin'," earned the Texas native a Grammy nod for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. She faces strong competition in that category from Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. "Solitary Thinkin'" is from Lee Ann Womack's Grammy-nominated album, "Call Me Crazy." From that same album, "Everything But Quits," her duet with George Strait, is a finalist in the Best Country Collaboration With Vocals category.
Keith Urban could add three Grammy Awards to his mantle. "Sweet Thing" brought him a nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, a category he won in 2005 and 2007. The other Best Male Country Vocal nominees include Trace Adkins, George Strait, Jamey Johnson and Billy Currington.
Billy Currington's Number One song, "People Are Crazy," gave songwriters Bobby Braddock and Troy Jones a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song. They face the writers of Trace Adkins' "All I Ask For Anymore," Jamey Johnson's "High Cost Of Living," Lady Antebellum's "I Run To You" and Taylor Swift's "White Horse."
Taylor Swift's 'Fearless' CDNorth American Auto Show on the detroit
Inside Cobo Center, home to the annual Detroit Auto Show, it's an endless display of glitz and glamour as automobile executives give the world a first look at their latest offerings.
This year's show comes in the wake of one of the worst years in automobile sales, which led to a massive government loan to General Motors and Chrysler, to help those companies stay afloat.
Outside Cobo Center, the reality of that economic climate is visible in Detroit's urban decay. Known as the Motor City, Detroit's former glory has given way to crumbling buildings and vacant lots. Detroit now has an unemployment rate near 15 percent, the largest for a metropolitan area in the United States. "If you have large scale downsizing in the auto industries, and other industries, workers don't have money. People are behind in their mortgages. They're behind in their rents. They don't have disposable income to come downtown and go to a restaurant or go to a shop. So this is the main issue," he said.
Abayomi Azikiwe is a local community activist trying to stop home foreclosures around Detroit. On a tour of the city, he explains the reason for Detroit's decline. "The auto industry had employed hundreds of thousands of people here in the city of Detroit for decades, and beginning in the 1970's, those jobs are gone. They've been downsized and outsourced," he said.
Azikiwe says he doesn't believe the billions of dollars the U.S. government pumped into the auto industry in the last year has helped Detroit reverse the unemployment trend.
Jeff McQueen, who belongs to the TEA Party Political organization, is also critical of the government's new role as a primary shareholder in the U.S. Auto industry. "No amount of government stimulation is ever going get us back on our feet," he said.
But Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm disagrees, saying, "You better believe that this unemployment rate in Michigan would have been a heck of a lot worse if it weren't for the fact the Obama administration came in and provided a safety net."
Avatar Becomes the Top Lifetime Grossing Film $1.85 billion
The science fiction movie Avatar has become the top-grossing movie of all time, thanks to strong ticket sales overseas.
The movie, directed by James Cameron, has surpassed box office profits earned by Titanic - another James Cameron film, made in 1997. Avatar, which has grossed $1.85 billion in six weeks, is the tale of an ex-soldier who uses a mind-controlled "avatar" - or remotely controlled body - to infiltrate a native tribe on a planet light-years away from Earth.
Experts say many moviegoers are choosing to pay a higher ticket price to see the film in its 3-D version, bolstering its earnings.
But when total earnings are adjusted for inflation, a much older film is still the box office champion.
Gone With The Wind, released in 1939, earned $400 million worldwide. In today's dollars, that would equal $6 billion.
Avatar is the top-selling film ever in both Russia and China.
A city in central China said Monday it will re-name a mountain said to be the inspiration for the floating mountains featured in the film. The Hunan province peak that previously was known as "South Sky Pillar" will now be known as "Avatar Hallelujah Mountain."
Toyota To Suspend 8 Models in U.S
Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. is telling dealers to suspend sales of eight models, and halting production of those models, after a recall to correct a problem that could cause the accelerator pedal to stick.
About 2.3 million vehicles are affected by the recall, which was, Toyota said Tuesday in a statement. That's more autos than the 1.8 million Toyota sold in all of 2009.
In issuing the recall, the automaker said it had not yet found a way to fix the problem, but wanted owners to be aware of the potential issue.
While stopping sales of recalled is standard procedure, stopping production of the cars is unusual, a Toyota spokesman admitted.
But because no remedy has been found, it's not known how long the sales suspension will last. That meant Toyota would be producing cars it couldn't sell and that would only need to fixed later before they could be sold.
"Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company," Toyota USA group vice president Bob Carter said Tuesday. "This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized."
The situation is rare, Toyota said last week, but can occur when accelerator pedal mechanisms become worn. The problem will usually develop gradually, Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said.
The pedal may become harder to press and may become slower to return when released. In the worst cases, it may become stuck in a partially depressed position.
In that case, applying the brakes should be enough to get the car back under control, the automaker said.
Owners who are not experiencing any problems should be able to continue driving their cars, Toyota said. If they experience any sticking or hesitancy in the gas pedal, they should stop driving the car and call the nearest Toyota dealer.
A Toyota spokesman said there are no confirmed deaths traceable to the defect.
About 2.3 million vehicles are affected by the recall, which was, Toyota said Tuesday in a statement. That's more autos than the 1.8 million Toyota sold in all of 2009.
"Toyota has a legal obligation to stop the sale of vehicles that would be affected under the recall," a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) spokesman said.
While stopping sales of recalled is standard procedure, stopping production of the cars is unusual, a Toyota spokesman admitted.
But because no remedy has been found, it's not known how long the sales suspension will last. That meant Toyota would be producing cars it couldn't sell and that would only need to fixed later before they could be sold.
"Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company," Toyota USA group vice president Bob Carter said Tuesday. "This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized."
The situation is rare, Toyota said last week, but can occur when accelerator pedal mechanisms become worn. The problem will usually develop gradually, Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said.
The pedal may become harder to press and may become slower to return when released. In the worst cases, it may become stuck in a partially depressed position.
In that case, applying the brakes should be enough to get the car back under control, the automaker said.
Owners who are not experiencing any problems should be able to continue driving their cars, Toyota said. If they experience any sticking or hesitancy in the gas pedal, they should stop driving the car and call the nearest Toyota dealer.
A Toyota spokesman said there are no confirmed deaths traceable to the defect.
Haiti's children - another target of Traffickers
Trafficking of children and human organs is occurring in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated parts of Haiti, killed more than 150,000 people, and left many children orphans, Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said Wednesday.
"There is organ trafficking for children and other persons also, because they need all types of organs," Bellerive said in an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
He did not give specifics, but asked by Amanpour if there is trafficking of children, Bellerive said, "The reports I received say yes."
Haiti is trying to locate displaced children and register them so they can either be reunited with other family members or put up for adoption, Bellerive said.
But, he said, illegal child trafficking is "one of the biggest problems that we have."
Many groups appear to be legitimate, "but a lot of organizations -- they come and they say there were children on the streets. They're going to bring them to the [United] States," he said.
Bellerive said he's trying to work with embassies in Port-au-Prince to protect Haiti's children from traffickers.
"There is organ trafficking for children and other persons also, because they need all types of organs," Bellerive said in an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.
He did not give specifics, but asked by Amanpour if there is trafficking of children, Bellerive said, "The reports I received say yes."
Haiti is trying to locate displaced children and register them so they can either be reunited with other family members or put up for adoption, Bellerive said.
But, he said, illegal child trafficking is "one of the biggest problems that we have."
Many groups appear to be legitimate, "but a lot of organizations -- they come and they say there were children on the streets. They're going to bring them to the [United] States," he said.
Bellerive said he's trying to work with embassies in Port-au-Prince to protect Haiti's children from traffickers.
New York Times to charge the web readers in '11
The New York Times plans to charge readers for full access to its Web site next year, reviving an idea that fizzled twice for the newspaper. This time it's betting that it will be able to wring more revenue from readers without crimping its Internet ad sales.
Under the plan outlined Wednesday, the Times will adopt a "metered" system that will allow readers to click on a certain number of stories for free each month before fees kick in. A metered system is designed to draw casual readers with free articles while getting fees from people who want to dig deeper on the site.
The fees won't be imposed until next year, giving Times executives more time to build the system and figure out the details that are likely to dictate whether the gamble pays off. The pivotal issues include determining how much to charge and how many stories will be free each month.
Under the plan outlined Wednesday, the Times will adopt a "metered" system that will allow readers to click on a certain number of stories for free each month before fees kick in. A metered system is designed to draw casual readers with free articles while getting fees from people who want to dig deeper on the site.
The fees won't be imposed until next year, giving Times executives more time to build the system and figure out the details that are likely to dictate whether the gamble pays off. The pivotal issues include determining how much to charge and how many stories will be free each month.
Big Announcement from Apple
After months of speculation, Apple is finally expected to unveil a tablet computer today. Tech analysts expect CEO Steve Jobs to reveal a thin slab with a roughly 10-inch multi-touch screen. Leander Kahney, author of Inside Steve's Brain, thinks many people will be a little disappointed, at least initially. "I expect, like all Apple products, it might be a little bit pricey, but when software developers start to put some really cool apps in the app store, and people see what you can do with this thing, with your fingers, I think it's really going to take off." Apple's announcement is scheduled for 1 PM eastern.
New apple iPad Unveiled
After months of buzz about a tablet-style touchscreen personal computer. Before the famed CEO even opened his mouth to say a word, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Calling it a "truly magical product," Jobs said the device could let users browse the Web, send e-mail, share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games and read e-Books.
The "ipad" is our most advanced technology in a magical & revolutionary device at an unbelievable price," the Apple CEO said in a statement.
Much like an iPhone, the iPad has a touch screen that zooms in and out of Web sites and a virtual keyboard. It also orients to portrait or landscape viewing, depending on how you hold it.
Jobs said it will be half-an-inch thick and weigh in at 1.5 pounds. It will have a 9.7-inch display and include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Obama Will Focus on Economy in State of Union Address
Mr. Obama will deliver the nationally-televised address to Congress that will include a request to lawmakers for a three-year spending freeze on many domestic programs. The White House says the freeze is an effort to reduce the country's soaring budget deficit.
The Obama administration has come under conflicting pressure to cut spending, create jobs and improve the sagging economy.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the president will address Americans' "anger and frustration" over the country's economy.
In a new poll published by The Wall Street Journal Wednesday, Americans said that Mr. Obama has devoted too little attention to the economy and too much time to health-care reform.
Gibbs said Wednesday Mr. Obama will challenge Congress to work together on heath-care reform, which has stalled in its final stages during negotiations between Democratic leaders in the House and the Senate.
U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has ruled out the possibility of dropping health-care legislation efforts. She told reporters Wednesday that Democrats will still produce health-care legislation despite recent setbacks.
Administration officials say the president's spending freeze proposal will be included in the budget he submits to Congress on February 1.
The plan, which is expected to save about $250 billion over the next decade, would not apply to spending on defense, veterans, homeland security or foreign aid.
Mr. Obama said earlier this week he remains determined to address the country's toughest problems, even if his actions prove politically unpopular.
He acknowledged paying a political price for his initiatives, with his public approval rating dropping steadily since taking office a year ago.
Better Banking Principles are needed said by French President
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is calling for tougher banking regulations and attacked the excesses of a freemarket economy in Wednesday's keynote address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy appealed for a more humane world economy, one governed by more rules and principles. In his address to some of the world's top business leaders and politicians at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he harshly criticized a freewheeling system that led to the world's biggest economic crisis in decades.
His remarks, translated into English, were webcast live from the Swiss resort on the opening day of the forum.
"The tremendous question we have to ask ourselves in the 21st century is how we can [put] the economy to the service of mankind," he said. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is the question that any leader must seek to answer. How can we act to ensure that the economy no longer appears as an end to itself, but a means toward an end?"
Mr. Sarkozy called for financial and economic reforms that take into account environment, health, development and labor concerns. He called for new accounting rules and limits on executive pay. But he sought to ease fears of over regulation.
"Let me be clear. Let us be clear about this ... we are not asking ourselves what we will replace capitalism with, but what kind of capitalism we want," he said. "The crisis we are experiencing is not a crisis of capitalism. It is a crisis that is the result of the skewing of capitalism."
The French president's remarks underscore a main theme of this year's Davos forum, how to steer the world out of the economic crisis and onto a more sustainable path. About 30 heads of state and hundreds of banking and academic leaders are gathering at the Swiss resort for the annual meeting that lasts until Sunday.
The day's speakers included billionaire investor George Soros, who backed U.S. President Barack Obama's call to limit the size of banks, but said the plan was premature and did not go far enough. Other speakers warned that too many new regulations could hurt economic recovery.
Topics for discussion during the next few days include rethinking Africa's growth strategy, revamping development aid and rebuilding Afghanistan.
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