ECB bond buys few bonds for second week (AP)

FRANKFURT, Germany ? The European Central Bank held its bond purchases to a bare euro19 million ($24.8 million) this week.

The scant amount indicates that the bank has for now almost ceased the controversial program which has helped keep borrowing costs down for Italy and Spain.

It bought a minimal euro3.36 million last week. That makes two weeks of near-negligible purchases, following euro635 million the week ending Dec. 9 and euro3.66 billion the week ending Dec. 2.

The program has helped keep Italy and Spain from financial disaster from high borrowing costs. But the ECB says it is of limited amount and duration and that it is up to governments to cut their deficits and not wait for a central bank bailout.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111223/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_europe_financial_crisis

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Day of violence in northern Nigeria kills at least 24 (Reuters)

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) ? Clashes between a violent Islamist sect and security forces in Nigeria's northeastern city of Damaturu have killed at least 24 people in the past day, police said on Friday.

A sustained gun battle broke out between Nigerian security forces and suspected Islamist militants in Damaturu on Thursday, and several explosions were heard.

Then on Friday suspected sect members opened fire on a group of policemen shortly after Friday prayers in the city, killing four, local police officials said.

Police commissioner Lawan Tanko of Yobe state, of which Damaturu is the capital, told Reuters a dusk to dawn curfew had been imposed on the city.

"The situation is now calm. We lost seven security men and twelve members of the Boko Haram sect were killed in the shoot out last night," he said.

"Though you cannot predict members of the sect, our men and the military are combat ready. Only one civilian was killed (in the violence on Thursday)."

Confrontations between security forces and the Boko Haram sect have become increasingly frequent in the past couple of weeks, as the north's simmering conflict escalates, though the insurgency remains low level and sporadic.

Nigerian police arrested 14 suspected members of Boko Haram and seized explosives after a gun battle left four militants and three policemen dead in the city of Kano last weekend.

Lawan said the fighting in Damaturu broke out after his men raided a suspected Boko Haram hideout.

Damaturu was the scene of the most deadly Boko Haram assault to date, when 65 people were killed in a wave of shootings and bombings on November 5 that left churches, police stations and mosques reduced to smoldering rubble.

At least 11 people were killed in a separate shootout in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, Boko Haram's heartland, on Thursday, an official at the morgue said.

Morturary attendant Bab Aminu said he had received the bodies overnight.

Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates as "Western learning is forbidden" has been blamed for scores of shootings and bombings in the north, including a spate of attacks in the past few weeks across the region.

Despite many crackdowns, Nigerian security forces have so far been unable to contain Boko Haram violence. This year the group struck in the capital Abuja twice, including a suicide car bomb attack against the U.N. headquarters that killed 26 people.

(Additional reporting by Afolabi Sotunde; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Louise Ireland)

(This story was corrected to fix the name of town's police commissioner in par 4)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/wl_nm/us_nigeria_violence

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ibproud: I just ousted Espen L. as the mayor of Gresham Hotel London on @foursquare! http://t.co/D94f9O7W

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Kid band Vazquez Sounds takes Mexico by storm (AP)

vaz MEXICO CITY ? Ten-year-old Angie Vazquez has become an Internet phenom belting out a soulful cover of Brit pop star Adele's "Rolling in the Deep." In an online video seemingly shot at home, her teenage brothers Abelardo and Gustavo play the keyboard, guitar and drums.

The video drew almost 18 million views, interviews on Mexico's major television networks and a mention on Good Morning America. Within weeks of its Nov. 11 posting, the so-called Vazquez Sounds signed a contract with Sony Music Mexico. They released their first album this week that includes another Internet smash cover, of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You."

Their nearly overnight success online evokes the now legendary saga of Canadian 'tween idol Justin Bieber, who was discovered after his mother posted online amateur footage of him crooning and strumming.

"We make a lot of videos of a lot of things, but my son Abelardo wanted to record this song and share it with friends and family," said father Abelardo Vazquez in a telephone interview from the family's hometown of Mexicali, on the California border. "We really didn't expect the cover to become such a phenomenon on the Web."

Before you call the Vazquez clan Mexico's version of Bieber-mania, consider this: The elder Abelardo Vazquez is a professional music producer instrumental in creating the sound of well-known Mexican bands such as Reik and Nikki Clan, also from the border.

The videos of Angie and her brothers in their home studio are also professionally produced, mixed and lighted, with slick camera work.

Abelardo Vazquez says he's not driving his kids into the music business, though he acknowledges they've had a leg up.

"My kids have had a musical education since they were very young, because I have worked producing groups for many years," the father said.

When the video sparked interest in a few million people beyond the Vazquez's immediate circle, the decision to cut a CD was natural, Vazquez said.

He added that he retains total control over the project, and Sony music is working as a distributor.

"The contract with Sony isn't the traditional type," Vazquez said. "It isn't the typical contract with record companies, in which they used to control the artists' career. This is a family project."

Although Vazquez has had an eight-year relationship with Sony, Roberto Lopez, president of the label, said he and his team were unaware of the Vazquez Sounds and first heard the group like everyone else ? on the Internet.

Working with such a young group poses special challenges and "very strong personal care," Lopez said.

"It is something special because they are children, and we want them to stay in school," he said. "The agreement was that their involvement in music, which has been going on for years now, would continue without affecting their lifestyle."

Vazquez said other record companies had expressed interest, but Sony was the only one that met his conditions for the kids. Cynics note that Sony is also the label that signed some of Vazquez's other acts.

The CD includes the original cover of "Rolling in the Deep," a remix of that crowd pleaser and, at least in its online version, a more wobbly cover of the Mariah Carey song. Coincidentally, it's the same song Bieber included in his holiday season "Under the Mistletoe" disc.

In the meantime, the Vazquez Sounds have been invited to perform on television programs in the United States, Italy and England.

But they can pick and choose.

"The kids are not obligated to do promotional work like other acts," said the elder Vazquez. "We want them to live a life like any other child their age."

___

Online:

http://bit.ly/seOgxp

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111224/ap_en_mu/lt_music_vazquez_sounds

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Racism in English soccer becomes a criminal matter (AP)

LONDON ? For the first time in the long history of English soccer, a player is being prosecuted over words spoken on the field.

Prosecutors said Wednesday that John Terry, one of the country's best-known athletes, racially abused an opponent during an October match. Though the potential penalty ? a $4,000 fine ? is relatively small, the case throws soccer's decades-long struggle with racism onto a high-profile stage with deep ramifications for both the sport and Terry, who captains Chelsea and the English national team.

England has largely eradicated the abuse against black players that blighted the game here in the 1970s and '80s, but recent incidents have raised questions about how far the Premier League has to go. On Tuesday, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez received an eight-match ban and 40,000-pound ($62,000) fine from England's Football Association for racially abusing a Manchester United player during another match in October.

The sport's international governing body has a mixed record on the issue. FIFA has launched anti-racism campaigns but its president, Sepp Blatter, set off a wave of outrage last month by claiming that racist abuse does not exist on the soccer field and suggesting that any incidents could be settled by a handshake at the end of a match.

Prosecutors decided on Wednesday to charge Terry after studying video of him apparently hurling abuse at Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand toward the end of the Oct. 23 match, which was broadcast around the world. The video appears to show him yelling two obscenities and the word "black."

Prosecutors declared that Terry had committed a "racially aggravated public order offense."

Terry denies wrongdoing, though he doesn't deny saying the words after a verbal clash with Ferdinand. He said the words were taken out of context because he was repeating an accusation he felt had wrongly been made against him.

"I have never aimed a racist remark at anyone and count people from all races and creeds among my closest friends," Terry said. "I will fight tooth and nail to prove my innocence."

Ferdinand has not commented directly on the case, and the Football Association has yet to issue a ruling, saying it will wait for the police investigation to be completed. Police and prosecutors became involved after a member of the public made a complaint against the defender, having seen footage of his comments.

"After careful consideration of all the evidence I am satisfied there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to prosecute this case," Alison Saunders, the chief crown prosecutor for London, said in a statement.

Terry will have to appear at West London Magistrates' Court on Feb. 1 in a case that could threaten both his public image ? worth millions in endorsements ? and his international career.

If he is found guilty, it will be difficult for him to represent England at next summer's European Championship ? especially since he often partners with Ferdinand's brother Rio in central defense. Terry already lost the England captaincy once, ahead of the 2010 World Cup, after being embroiled in a sex scandal, but he regained the armband this year.

Anti-racism campaigners are hailing prosecutors' announcement and the FA's punishment of Suarez as evidence that new weapons are being deployed against racism in soccer.

"It's a very important point in the history of campaigning against racism in football," said Herman Ouseley, chairman of the group Kick It Out. "People who are very cynical ? and a lot of black footballers have been right up until I think yesterday ? think it's a waste of time because the campaign hasn't stopped these things from happening. It goes on, it's quiet, it's subtle and nothing ever gets done.

"It's quite important that (players) now feel a bit more confident that, although it has taken a while, due process with decisive action could well make a change."

Suarez was found by an independent FA panel to have directed racist abuse at Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, who is black. However, unlike the Terry case, Suarez's abuse was not caught on camera and there has been no complaint to the police to trigger a criminal investigation.

Liverpool players issued a statement Wednesday saying they were "shocked and angered" by Suarez's punishment, and that they support their Uruguayan teammate. "We know he is not racist," they said.

England is far from alone in European soccer in having to combat discrimination. Most high-profile cases have involved abusive chants by fans against players, but there have been several on-field incidents as well.

The French soccer league has opened an inquiry after claims from Morocco midfielder Kamel Chafni that an assistant referee racially insulted him during Auxerre's 1-0 defeat at Brest on Saturday.

Bulgaria's national federation was fined euro40,000 (about $52,000) by UEFA after its fans directed racist abuse at England players during a Euro 2012 qualifying match in September.

But Luis Aragones held onto his job as Spain coach in 2005 after making racist remarks about French striker Thierry Henry, landing a fine of just euro3,000 ($3,900).

"I think the problem has never gone away ? it's just become more subtle and less obvious," said Ouseley, a member of the House of Lords. "I think there is an awareness that more has to be done."

Ouseley pointed out that Poland and Ukraine, the co-hosts of Euro 2012, have also had problems with racism in the past, and that next summer's tournament will be a good indicator of whether they and other countries are taking the matter seriously.

"We know from the reports we've had back (that) there are going to be problems there," Ouseley said. "They will make the right noises but will they do they right thing? Will they stop abuse?"

___

Rob Harris can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/RobHarrisUK

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111222/ap_on_sp_so_ne/soc_terry_racism

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MacRumors: iOS Blog: Vocal Offers Mac Voice Control via iPhone 4S http://t.co/ykl8UXnN

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David Fields, 13-Year-Old Philadelphia Boy, Locked 9 Hours In School Stairwell

PHILADELPHIA -- A 13-year-old boy says he spent more than nine cold, hungry and lonely hours trapped in a stairwell at a Philadelphia school.

Seventh-grader David Fields says he was looking for a new way out of Roosevelt Middle School on Thursday afternoon but ended up locked inside an emergency exit tower when a door closed behind him.

Janitorial staff apparently didn't hear his cries for help. His mother, Angela Johnson, says workers wouldn't allow family members to look for him after he didn't come home.

Relatives say they heard David's screams when they returned with school police around 12:10 a.m. Friday. David was freed about 20 minutes later.

District spokesman Fernando Gallard (gy-YARD') says the emergency exit tower is supposed to be unlocked until a final nightly inspection.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/17/david-fields-13-year-old-_n_1155172.html

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United we stand


ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani met Friday in an unusual display of harmony, rejecting the impression of clash between the institutions and underscoring the significance of national unity to address the challenges.
Kayani called on Gilani at PM?s House and reportedly agreed with him that all the departments were working within their defined constitutional ambit and there was no mistrust between the civilian government and the armed forces. Both the leaders stressed the need for a complete unity in the face of issues confronting the country.
They also agreed that replies forwarded by the COAS and DG ISI were in response to the notice of the Honourable Court, through proper channel and in accordance with the rules of business and should not be misconstrued as a standoff between the army and the government. Taking serious note of the rumours regarding a confrontation over the memo issue, the prime minister strongly rejected the notion. Gilani reiterated that the government and all other institutions remained committed to their constitutional roles. He said the government?s stance regarding jurisdiction of the court on the memo issue was still to be heard by the court.
Earlier, Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq ruled out the submission of President Zardari?s reply in the Memogate case. ?I have no instructions on filing the president?s reply,? Haq told reporters in the Supreme Court building. ?It remains to be seen if the Supreme Court found the Federation?s reply enough in the memogate case,? he said, adding: ?The court could be informed about the president?s health in case it insisted on a reply.? Asked as to whom he will represent in the court, he said he does not know whom he will be defending in the case, as he has not yet received any instructions about that. About DG ISI Shuja Pasha and COAS Kayani?s replies, he said they have submitted replies in personal capacities and they can come to the court on the same basis.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/today-headlines/~3/2wfMN5qp-hw/United-we-stand

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