Signs of hope for euro zone, but new worry for UK

LONDON (Reuters) - Tentative signs the euro zone may have passed the worst of its downturn emerged in December but business surveys also suggested Britain's economy tipped back into contraction in the final months of 2012.

Friday's purchasing managers indexes, which measure the activity of thousands of companies worldwide, brought mixed news from Europe.

Activity in Britain's dominant services sector fell for the first time in two years and at a faster pace than predicted by any analyst polled by Reuters, while the speed of decline among French, Italian and Spanish firms slowed.

Data from the United States due later on Friday are expected to show continued but modest jobs growth and a steady expansion of its services sector.

With Chinese growth showing evidence of revival, that leaves Europe as the world's economic slowcoach going into 2013.

In particular, economists were surprised by news the UK services PMI slipped to 48.9 in December from 50.2 last month, sagging below the 50 mark that divides from contraction for the first time in two years.

"The PMIs point to an economy that is contracting modestly," said Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Berenberg Bank.

"The broader picture is that for some time the economy has been bouncing around the bottom ... and I think this is likely to stay with us for the next couple of quarters."

Survey compiler Markit said the figures suggest Britain's economy shrank 0.2 percent in the final quarter of 2012, a slightly bigger drop than most other private-sector forecasts.

The euro zone composite PMI hit its highest levels since last March, rising to 47.2 in December from 46.5 in November, although it remained rooted below the 50 mark for an 11th month.

"I think (the euro zone PMIs) are showing a decisive bottoming-out of activity," said James Nixon, chief European economist at Societe Generale.

"Now, the actual levels of the surveys are still consistent with GDP declining, but at least things aren't getting worse any faster."

WORST OVER?

The decline eased among the services firms that make up the bulk of the euro zone's economy, ranging from banks to restaurants, but manufacturers endured an awful end to 2012.

Survey compiler Markit warned that Friday's figures would probably fail to prevent the euro zone's recession deepening in the fourth quarter of last year, thanks to dismal figures in October and November.

"The surveys at least bring some substance to the belief that the worst is over and that a return to growth is in sight for the region in 2013," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit.

As with last year, the euro zone economy's fate hinges on the resolution of the sovereign debt crisis, which still smoulders despite the creation of financial firewalls by the European Central Bank and European Union.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said last week he thought the worst had passed for the debt crisis, although similar sentiments have been expressed by various European policymakers and politicians since mid-2010.

Friday's European data followed news that China's services sector saw its slowest rate of expansion in nearly a year and a half in December, although the HSBC services PMI still pointed to a modest revival in economic growth.

And economists expect the U.S. ISM non-manufacturing survey, another PMI, to fall slightly to 54.2 in December from November's 54.7. While showing slowing growth, that would still signal a far brighter economic outlook for the U.S. compared with its European peers.

Analysts also predict the U.S. economy added around 150,000 non-farm jobs in December, compared with 146,000 the previous month.

(Editing by Catherine Evans)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/worst-euro-zones-downturn-may-passed-pmis-101711047--business.html

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Strong earthquake shakes parts of Alaska, Canada

People gather at Sitka High School early Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, in Sitka, Alaska, following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and after a subsequent tsunami warning was declared for hundreds of miles of Alaskan and Canadian coastline. The alert was canceled when no damaging waves were generated. (AP Photo/Daily Sitka Sentinel, James Poulson)

People gather at Sitka High School early Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, in Sitka, Alaska, following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and after a subsequent tsunami warning was declared for hundreds of miles of Alaskan and Canadian coastline. The alert was canceled when no damaging waves were generated. (AP Photo/Daily Sitka Sentinel, James Poulson)

Charles Bingham heads back home with his cats after a tsunami warning was canceled early Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013, in Sitka, Alaska, following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. (AP Photo/Daily Sitka Sentinel, James Poulson)

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) ? A powerful earthquake sparked a tsunami warning for hundreds of miles of Alaskan and Canadian coastline, but the alert was canceled when no damaging waves were generated.

The magnitude 7.5 quake and tsunami warning that followed caused concern in some coastal communities, with alarms sounding and people rushing to higher ground for safety.

But the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center later said the waves were too small to pose a threat, reaching just six inches above normal sea level in places such as Sitka and Port Alexander.

"Initially, in the first 15 to 20 minutes, there might have been a bit of panic," Sitka Police Chief Sheldon Schmitt told The Associated Press in a phone interview. But he said things calmed down as the town waited for the all clear.

The temblor struck at midnight Friday (1 a.m. PST Saturday) and was centered about 60 miles west of Craig, Alaska, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake was followed by several aftershocks, including a 5.2 quake felt in southeastern Alaska and British Columbia.

"Houses shook; mine had things tossed from (the) wall," Craig Police Chief Robert Ely said. But he added that there were "no reports of any injuries, no wave, no tidal movement seen."

The tsunami warning was eventually expanded to include coastal areas from Cape Fairweather, Alaska, to the northern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada ? an area extending more than 700 miles.

The center had warned that "significant widespread inundation of land is expected," adding that dangerous coastal flooding was possible.

In its cancellation statement, the center said that some areas were seeing just small sea level changes.

"A tsunami was generated during this event but no longer poses a threat," the center said.

The Alaska Earthquake Information Center said the quake was widely felt but it received no reports of any damage.

"It was the most intense earthquake I've felt in my 10 years here. I'm pretty sure there was stuff falling off of shelves," Chief Schmitt said. "There is no report of any wave activity here."

He said that an evacuation sirens and announcements came shortly after the quake, prompting the temporary rush to higher ground.

Some people in Craig also moved to safer territory.

"Several citizens elected on their own to move to higher ground. Several locations in Craig were set up for staging (and) shelter," said Chief Ely, adding that "no evacuation was ordered."

In addition to the warning, a tsunami advisory was briefly in effect for some Alaska coastal areas to the north of the warning zone, as well as to the south of the zone, from the Washington state border to the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

A tsunami warning means an area is likely to be hit by a wave, while an advisory means there may be strong currents, but that widespread inundation is not expected to occur.

____

AP writers Bob Seavey in Phoenix and Bob Lentz in Philadelphia contributed to this article.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-05-Alaska%20Earthquake/id-153f35358e204d16a4d2296d3876a0b7

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Get that New Year's Resolution! | IT Staffing Atlanta | IT Business ...

It?s a week into the New Year and many of us are in the beginning stages of our New Year?s resolution.? Whatever your commitment may be, oftentimes people find themselves struggling with meeting their goals

The key is planning, and there?s a S.M.A.R.T way to do it:

• S, Specific- you want your goals to state exactly what you want to accomplish.? For instance, if you want to lost weight, list the exact amount
• M, Measurable- this is the what and when part of the goal; ?I will lost at least two pounds per week?
• A, Action- How will you achieve your goal? ?I will pack a lunch each day and not eat fast food?
• R, Realistic- Make sure your goals are attainable; consider any unavoidable constraints
• T, Timely- Allot a reasonable amount of time to maintain focus and motivation, set aside time as needed to review and evaluate

Another good practice is to record your progress.? Once you?ve set up your SMART goals, figure out the best way to keep track as your go along.? It can be a calendar, a spreadsheet or a personal diary.

It?s a new year, find something about yourself you?d like to improve and go for it!? With a little planning, this can be the year that you succeed and conquer your goals.

Source: http://news.idr-inc.com/2013/01/get-that-new-years-resolution/

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Congo rebels demand government sign ceasefire for talks

BUNAGANA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Congolese rebels on Thursday threatened to walk away from this week's peace talks to end their nine-month revolt unless the government signs an official ceasefire, a demand Kinshasa dismissed as unnecessary.

The rebel March 23 Movement, preparing for talks on Friday in Kampala, capital of regional mediator Uganda, said government troops had reinforced positions in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and warned it would resist an offensive.

"If Kinshasa continues to refuse to sign a ceasefire, M23 is going to ask its delegation to return to DRC. We will wait and when they say 'we're ready to sign (a ceasefire)' we'll go back," Jean-Marie Runiga, head of the rebels' political wing, told reporters in Bunagana, a border town under rebel control.

The first attempt at peace talks to end the nine-month rebellion in Congo's volatile east failed last month amid threats and accusations.

A government spokesman dismissed the rebel demand.

"There's no point in a ceasefire. When did we declare war?" Lambert Mende told Reuters by telephone. "This group wants permission to kill Congolese without the army reacting, and we will never accept that. If they attack us, attack the people, the army will defend the people."

Negotiations began last month after regional leaders secured a rebel pull-out from the city of Goma in Congo's eastern North Kivu province. The front lines have been quiet since, although the talks quickly stalled in a climate of deep mistrust.

Foreign powers fear the conflict could spark another regional war in a borderlands zone that has suffered nearly two decades of turmoil. Neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda are accused by a group of U.N. experts of supporting the rebel campaign.

Successive cross-border conflicts have killed and uprooted millions in the Congo basin since the colonial era, driven by political and ethnic divisions and competition for minerals.

At first, M23, named after a 2009 peace deal for eastern Congo, said it had taken up arms because the Kinshasa government failed to honour its side of the bargain, under which rebel fighters were integrated into the army. It later broadened its goals to include the "liberation" of all of Congo and the removal of President Joseph Kabila.

U.N. BLACKLISTED

M23 is led by Bosco Ntaganda, a Tutsi warlord indicted by the International Criminal Court. This week the United Nations blacklisted M23 along with another Congolese rebel group.

"We need encouragement from the U.N., not sanctions," said Runiga, dressed in a sharp suit and flanked by fighters clad in crisp fatigues and brandishing automatic rifles.

Nestled in lush green hills less than a kilometre from the Ugandan frontier, Bunagana fell into rebel hands last July after government soldiers fled.

The other group hit with U.N. sanctions was the FDLR, or Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. The FDLR is a Rwandan Hutu group that opposes Rwandan President Paul Kagame's Tutsi-led government and includes militiamen suspected of participating in Rwanda's 1994 genocide.

One M23 commander, Bertrand Bisimwa, said Congo's government had air-dropped FDLR fighters to reinforce army positions near Goma last month. Officials from the government were not immediately available to comment on the accusation.

The U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo, MONUSCO, rejected talk that the number of FDLR fighters had risen to several thousand.

MONUSCO said on Wednesday that the group had "no more than a few hundred" fighters in the region and dismissed claims that weapons and munitions were being supplied to the FDLR.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/congo-rebels-demand-government-sign-ceasefire-talks-063839830.html

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Video: Sandy Hook kids return to classes at new school

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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50351936/

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PFT: Ray Lewis to retire after this season

Getty Images

Tim Tebow is coming off a miserable season in which he never got a chance to show whether or not he can be an NFL quarterback. But Tebow?s college coach says Tebow can and will still get that chance.

Urban Meyer, the Ohio State coach who was Tebow?s coach at Florida, said on Mike and Mike in the Morning that he?s sure Tebow can be an NFL quarterback ? if only some NFL team will let him play the position the way he plays it. Meyer, who has been one of the most successful coaches at employing the spread offense in college football, says he?s starting to see spread concepts employed successfully in the NFL, and he?s sure Tebow can have the same level of success as Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton if Tebow plays in an offense tailored to his skills.

?We watched RGIII at the Washington Redskins, Wilson at the Seahawks, the new quarterback at the 49ers, and Carolina, and they are actually running a spread offense in the NFL,? Meyer said. ?So my hope is, and I?m sure Tim feels the same way, is to go play in one of those systems where they let him play.?

Meyer is certainly right that Tebow has a much better chance of succeeding in the NFL if some team will tailor its offense to his skills. However, the reality is that Griffin, Wilson, Kaepernick and Newton are all both better passers than Tebow and better athletes than Tebow. We?ve seen in the NFL in the last couple of years that some of those spread offense concepts can work in the NFL. But that doesn?t necessarily mean those offenses can work in the NFL with Tebow running them.

Still, Meyer says Tebow is upbeat and ready to play somewhere.

?I talk to him every week, and he?s still the most positive guy I?ve ever been around,? Meyer said. ?He was so excited to go to New York and play for coach Ryan and the whole situation there. It didn?t turn out, but you have to move on.?

Tebow would love to move on with some coach who will show the same confidence in him that Meyer has.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/02/ray-lewis-this-will-be-my-last-ride/related/

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Keeping Tabs & Protecting Your Children & Teens Using Sprint ...

I remember being a teenager and how much I was on the computer and my cell phone. I don?t remember texting that often but I see how much it used now and how I want to know what people are saying. I?m sure when my kids are older I?m going to wonder as well. Sprint sent me a statistic that says that 83% of teens text at night when they should be sleeping or resting. You can set restrictions on their texting, making sure they can?t text during bedtime or school hours.

According to Pew Internet Research, 75 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds now own cell phones, up from 45 percent in 2004. To help parents ensure their teens are using smartphones responsibly, Sprint Guardian, a collection of mobile family safety and device security bundles that provide families tools to help keep their family smartphones safe and secure. Sprint Guardian is available on many Sprint Android?-powered devices through Sprint Zone.

What you can expect:

Sprint Guardian features leading mobile applications from Safely, a division of Location Labs, and Lookout. The family safety bundle from Safely enables families to protect their phone-carrying children through location checks and limits on texting while driving or at school. The device security bundle from Lookout helps customers protect their mobile devices from loss and malware. You can set parameters for when and where your children can text and a Sprint phone can be programmed to stop calls and text messages while driving. Plus you can find your child using the location of the phone, Sprint Family Locator, that or you?ll find a lost.

Inside Sprint Guardian: Safely and Lookout

The family safety tools from Safely bring together three applications to help parents keep their kids safe and focused on what matters whether they are at home, at school or on-the-go. Sprint Mobile Controls, Sprint Drive First and Sprint Family Locator are available as a Family Safety bundle for $9.99 per month for up to five lines on the same account. It reminds me of Harry Potter and how Mrs. Weasely had the clock that told her where each of her family members were. I always want to know where my family is. Are they on the road, are they at their friend?s house or is my husband still at work?

Lookout Family enables Sprint customers to manage their phone security by protecting against identity theft and fraud, find a family member?s missing device when it is lost or stolen, and back up their precious data. Lookout Family bundle is $4.99 per month, or $49.99 per year, for up to five lines on the same account.

In addition to simplicity and convenience for families, Sprint Guardian offers significant cost savings.

Sprint Guardian helps families stay safe and secure
Family Safety Bundle Manage and monitor your family?s wireless experience Sprint Mobile Controls Sprint Family Locator Sprint Drive First $9.99 per month (15 day free trial) ? Locate your child on an interactive map ? Oversee and control your child?s phone use to encourage responsibility ? Lock your child?s phone during family time ? Help reduce risks of driving distracted	Mobile Security Bundle Protect your family?s phones from malware, phishing, loss and theft Lookout Mobile Security $4.99 per month* ? Back up contacts, call history and photos and restore them to a new phone ? Find lost phones ? Lock and wipe phones to protect personal information *Also available for $49.99 per year
Choose both bundles for $14.98 per month For a family of five, that offers a 73 percent savings ? more than $39 per month ? over purchasing each application in the family safety and device security bundles separately

?

I really like how easy it is to set up and use. I tested the service out on the Galaxy Victory. When your child goes above 10 MPH in the car with Sprint Drive First they can not text. They can override it but you will get a notification, so you know if they were driving you can take their phone away. As soon as they are done moving in the car the texting unlocks again. It?s a pretty cool service from Sprint.

?

We received sample phones to test out some of Sprint?s services.

Source: http://momstart.com/2013/01/keep-tabs-protecting-your-children-teens-using-sprint-guardian/

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