Cricket-Australia 440-8 v Sri Lanka (156) - close

Australia were 440 for eight wickets at the close of the second day of the second test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.
Scores: Sri Lanka 156 (K. Sangakkara 58; M. Johnson 4-63) v Australia 440-8 (D. Warner 62, S. Watson 83, M. Clarke 106, M. Johnson 73 not out; D. Prasad 3-102)

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PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (Reuters) - A powerful batting display and disciplined bowling helped South Africa to a 33-run victory over New Zealand in the third and deciding T20 International at St.George's Park on Wednesday.
Opener Henry Davids top scored with 68 from 51 balls as the Proteas posted a formidable 179-6 after winning the toss and batting first.
Left arm spinner Aaron Phangiso and seamer Ryan McLaren then collected identical figures of 3-25 as the Black Caps subsided to a disappointing 146-9 in reply.
The home side were briefly in trouble at 26-2 until Davids was joined by Justin Ontong who belted 48 from 30 balls with three sixes and four during a third-wicket stand of 89 which laid the platform for a dynamic end to the innings.
David Miller struck four boundaries in 28 from 15 balls and Farhaan Behardien finished with an unbeaten 22 from just 11 deliveries.
Martin Guptill (24) and captain Brendon McCullum (25) briefly threatened to make a game of it but the run rate proved unmanageable and wickets fell steadily with the result in little doubt from the 10th over when the Black Caps slumped to 60-4.
The tourists now play a three-day match against provincial side Boland in Paarl from December 28 in preparation for the first of two test matches starting in Cape Town on January 2.

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CORRECTED-Cricket-Australia captain Clarke caps banner year in style

MELBOURNE, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Michael Clarke's inspired century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday ticked off another milestone for Australia's high-flying captain, but was also a stunning riposte to critics who had suggested he should never have been selected.
Having sustained a hamstring injury in the first test in Hobart, Clarke was given until the last minute to prove his fitness and only announced himself ready to take on Sri Lanka on the morning of the second test.
Meanwhile, young seamer Mitchell Starc, 100 percent fit and champing at the bit, was rested despite a five-wicket haul that helped drive the hosts to victory in Hobart.
Pundits and former players cried double-standards. Clarke, a selector himself, simply put his head down to score 106 and surpass Ricky Ponting as his country's most prolific test run-scorer in a calendar year.
The four-hour innings of 14 boundaries, while not without chances, broke the hearts of Sri Lanka and helped drive Australia to a mammoth first innings lead of 284.
"In regards to beating Ricky, in my eyes he was certainly the greatest batsman I was lucky enough to play with so to beat any record that Ricky holds is very special that's for sure," the 31-year-old Clarke told reporters after notching his fifth ton for the year.
"Numbers have never really bothered me too much. It's nice to be making runs and leading by example as one of the leaders in the team and the captain of the team, I think it's really important that the captain is doing that.
"But to me it's about winning games. If I am helping this team have success then I feel like that's part of my job  As long as we keep winning that's my priority."
Clarke's 22nd test century made him fourth on the all-time list with 1,595 runs for the year but he is unlikely to get another chance to reel in Mohammad Yousuf (1,788), Viv Richards (1,710) or Graeme Smith (1,656) this year.
POOR SHOT
Australia may not need a second innings to wrap up the test and the take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, so Clarke was disappointed not to have made more runs after being dismissed slashing an edge to the slips.
That also broke his perfect record in 2012 of going on to make double-tons after passing 100.
"I thought it was a poor shot, especially at that time, we'd just seen off the second new ball so it was probably the best time to bat and again it shows for the next couple of guys that we lost three wickets quite quickly together," added Clarke, who became the first man to hit four double-centuries in a calendar year in 2012.
"I guess with regards to my form it's about - enjoy this time and make the most of it because there'll come a time where you nick the first few and get a couple of ducks."
Clarke, backed up admirably by the evergreen Mike Hussey in recent tests, brought Shane Watson into his orbit on day two, with the bulky all-rounder composing 83 in a welcome return to form.
The pair put on a record fourth-wicket partnership of 194 against their opponents at the MCG but Watson was left to rue another missed opportunity to post a century.
Watson has only converted two of his 19 half-centuries into tons, his last a 126 against India in Mohali more than two years ago.
The statistics have dogged Watson, who has been dismissed in the 90s four times and was out caught with an ill-timed hook shot, but Clarke dismissed queries about his vice captain's mental fortitude.
"As his captain I'm not disappointed with his shot selection because he pulls and hooks as good as anybody in our team," he said. "Nine times out of ten that will generally go for four or six. Unfortunately, today it went straight to the fielder.
"If he continues to play the way he did today and show that patience and discipline, I have no doubt he'll score plenty of hundreds for Australia.

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Britain suspends exploratory drilling of Antarctic lake

An ambitious British plan to search for minute forms of life in an ancient lake beneath Antarctica's ice has been suspended because of technical problems, the scientist leading the project said on Thursday.
In a move that clears the way for U.S. and Russian teams to take the lead, Professor Martin Siegert said technical problems and a lack of fuel had forced the closure on Christmas Day of the 7-million-pound ($11 million) project, which was looking for life forms and climate change clues in the lake-bed sediment.
"This is of course, hugely frustrating for us, but we have learned a lot this year," said Siegert of the University of Bristol, principal investigator for the mission, which was headed by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
"By the end, the equipment was working well, and much of it has now been fully field-tested," he said on the BAS website.
Experts from Britain's Lake Ellsworth mission had expected to find minute forms of life in the lake three km (two miles) under Antarctica's ice, the most remote and extreme environment known on Earth.
They had also hoped that by dating bits of seashell found in the water they would have been able to ascertain when the ice sheet last broke up and to better understand the risks of it happening again.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Scientists from the United States and Russia are hot on Britain's heels when it comes to drilling through Antarctic ice to lakes that have been hidden for thousands of years.
The U.S. team is aiming to start drilling in Lake Whillans, one of 360 known sub-glacial lakes in Antarctica, in January or February 2013.
Russia was the first to pierce 3,769 meters (12,365 ft) of solid ice to reach Lake Vostok early in 2012. But some scientists believe their samples may have been contaminated by drilling fluids.
The British scientists decided to abandon the mission after trying for 20 hours to connect two holes in the ice that were needed for the hot-water drill to work, said a BAS spokeswoman.
Without a connection between the two holes, the hot water would seep into the porous surface layers of ice and be lost, reducing the pressure and rendering the drill ineffective.
The team tried to melt and dig more snow to compensate for the water loss, but without success.
As a result of the extra time taken to fix the problem, fuel stocks had been depleted to such a level as to make the operation unviable.
Asked how long the delay might be before the project could be resumed, Siegert told the BBC: "It will take a season or two to get all our equipment out of Antarctica and back to the UK, so at a minimum we're looking at three to four, maybe five years I would have thought."
However, he said he felt this year's mission had not been a complete loss.
The BAS spokeswoman said: "It's very possible that either the U.S. or Russia may take the lead but I think the one thing we've learned here is that anything can go wrong."
"We've never depicted this as a race. All sub-glacial lakes would give different information," she said.

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Experts call off search for life in Antarctic lake

 British scientists have called off the hunt for exotic life in an ice-bound Antarctic lake after their mission was hit by a technical hitch.
Researchers with the British Antarctic Survey had hoped to drill into Lake Ellsworth, which they believe has been frozen over for hundreds of thousands of years, in the hope of finding microbial life forms that might provide new insight into the evolution of life on Earth. They also hoped the lake floor's sediments might yield a new record of the Earth's climate.
But the project had to be called off following difficulties with drilling. A statement posted to the survey's website on Thursday said the operation had been canceled, and it was not clear if or when the scientists would try again.

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L-com: New D-Subminiature Gender Changers Have Hardware Removed for Panel Mounting

L-com now offers a gender changer D-Sub adapter that comes without the mating hardware. In most panel-mount applications, the mating hardware included with the gender changers is removed and thrown out. This new series includes four popular D-Sub sizes and saves installers precious time.

North Andover, MA (PRWEB) December 27, 2012
L-com, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of wired and wireless connectivity products, has launched a line of D-Subminiature female to female gender changers that have the normal mating hardware removed so it does not get in the way of panel mounting. The new items come in DB9, DB15, and DB25 sizes, as well as an HD15, commonly used in SVGA video applications.
Ordinary D-Sub gender changers come with mating hardware that is too short for panel mounting, requiring the installer to remove the old hardware before adding the new, as you can see in the "How To Panel Mount D-Subminiature Adapters" video on L-com’s website. For larger installations, this extra step can add up to a lot of time. By offering these adapters without the hardware, L-com saves installers time and money.
"A number of our customers had mentioned that they never use the mating hardware that comes with our slimline D-Sub gender changers," said Steve Smith, Product Manager. "We realized that offering these items without the hardware was a benefit for them."
The new gender changers are scheduled to be in stock before 2013 and available for same-day shipment. A 3D CAD model and 2D engineering drawing with mounting dimensions is available for free download from L-com's website.

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Hair Restoration Company Now Offers Regrowth Solution for Men by Provillus

Hair restoration formula is now offered to men to help with hair regrowth at Provillus.com. This new product is launched for the first time online and is a topical formula to help regrow lost hair in balding men.

Hartford, Connecticut (PRWEB) December 27, 2012
A new hair regrowth product is now available exclusively for men. The Provillus company has launched its new topical formula to help men regrow lost hair. This FDA registered company offers one of the only solutions to help men treat hair loss apart from undergoing hair follicle surgery. This medically tested formula is designed for male adults with thinning or already balding hair.
Restoration of the hair line is typically performed through surgical procedures. Men that have lost a substantial amount of hair could require more than one procedure to receive pleasing results. The new formula that is released is designed to provide an alternative to surgical procedures and reduce the cost of hair regrowth solutions.
One of the benefits of this new formula is the frequency of use. While some formulas available require multiple daily treatments, the topical solution inside of the Provillus brand requires one to two sprays directly on the scalp each day. This allows fast absorption into the hair follicles to help stop hair from falling out and stimulate new growth.
Men that have tried more than one alternative to combat daily loss of remaining hair could benefit from exploring the benefits of this new topical solution. The new launch of this product now provides men with a 90-day usage guarantee.
This new 3-month period of time is designed to allow men that sample the product to receive the regrowth benefits that are offered in this topical formula.
About Provillus Hair Restoration
The Provillus Hair Restoration company was founded in 2002 and now offers solutions for men and women that are fighting hair loss. This FDA registered company is also a member of the Natural Products Association to help ensure that health and wellness products that are offered provide the holistic ingredients that men and women demand. The Provillus Hair Restoration company now offers its products for sale online to provide solutions to those that experience thinning or balding of the hair line. Through research and development, new solutions are tested and updated to ensure the most effective ingredients are used by this company.

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$100,000 raised in 24 hours after Sandy destroys Ali Forney Center

Cincinnati , Ohio (PRWEB) December 27, 2012
Rescue organizations are often the ones who respond to natural disasters. But what happens when the rescue organization is the one that's hit? The Ali Forney Center location in Manhattan provided shelter, counseling, medical attention and food to New York City's homeless LGBT youth until Hurricane Sandy hit. Alex Roque is their Director of Development. “We lost our clinic, vaccines medicines and food supplies. We served 10,000 meals a year out of our kitchen there. Our Clothing Closet was also destroyed by flooding. We lost our entire space.”
Executive Director Carl Siciliano announced the news through a post on Facebook and immediately there was an outpouring of support. Through DonorDrive Social Fundraising Software, the Ali Forney Center raised $100,000 in the first 24 hours. To date, they've raised $450,000. Alex was able to monitor donations closely as they came in. “It was pretty amazing. People really cared and they created urgency around our need.”
In those first 24 hours, social media played a big part in raising donations. “We were tweeted and retweeted significantly and celebrities picked up on it. Facebook was huge.” Alex watched social media to see which was generating the most donations. “The number one source of revenue was Facebook and through DonorDrive, we were able to see what was trending and where the traffic was coming from, which is a beautiful thing to watch. It told us Facebook was trending, so we did more on Facebook. Facebook themselves actually called us and said 'We heard what happened and we want to help' and that made it even more of great response.”
Google obviously played an important role in finding where to donate online. “I don't know how DonorDrive does it, but whenever you google us, our fundraising pages come up on top. That was really important after Sandy. If you googled 'Sandy' and 'Ali Forney', in spite of all the media coverage, our donation page was right there. Our previous fundraising software couldn't do that.”
Two months later, those donations are being put to use. “I'm happy to report we opened up in our new space on December 19th. It will still be several months before we're up and running at 100%, but we're open and providing services.”
Alex chose DonorDrive as the Ali Forney Center's fundraising software a year earlier based on ease of use and social integration, which proved to be a big asset after Sandy. “The generosity of people and of the community that cares, especially in a situation like this, was punctuated by DonorDrive. DonorDrive allowed that generosity and that care to be shown in a very clear way. It really made it easy to see that love.”
The Ali Forney Center is the nation's largest homeless Gay-Lesbian-Bi-Transgender youth shelter with 10 sites in the New York City area. For 10 years their mission has been rescuing GLBT teens who have often been abused and are living on the street. Learn more at AliForneyCenter.org
DonorDrive® is truly effective software dedicated to event-based social fundraising for medium and large non-profits. Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Doctors Without Borders, Autism Speaks Canada and Team ASPCA are a few of the causes that use DonorDrive Social Fundraising software for their runs, walks, rides and virtual campaigns to engage constituents and maximize donations. Every year, people are raising millions for great causes through DonorDrive. Learn more at DonorDrive.com

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Dr. Sherri Wilcox Pens Inspiring New Book, “Gift of Freewill®”

“Humanity has fallen into a canyon far away from God, and many of us don’t know why we are here or what we are supposed to be doing,” Dr. Sherri Wilcox explains. “It’s important to recognize that in order to find happiness, man must learn how to avoid being an instrument of his own destruction.” With this in mind, she aims to help others find their way back to the light in her new book, “Gift of Freewill®”(published by iUniverse).
“Gift of Freewill®” gives readers an alternative way to look at their life circumstances and provides them with a means to elevate themselves above where they currently are.
“I know in my heart that all of my brethren are seeking these answers and these feelings, the feelings of connecting, belonging, and understanding. These answers are within this book, and I am very grateful for being able to share this information with all of you.”

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Cheap Concert Tickets has 2013 One Direction Tickets Available for 1D Fans Who Missed Seeing This Popular Band Perform Live During 2012

Cheap Concert Tickets announces that discounted One Direction tickets are still available for all their 2013 tour dates. This popular secondary ticket exchange is offering the special customer appreciation code Save for special savings.

New York, NY (PRWEB) December 27, 2012
Cheap Concert Tickets reports that One Direction's popularity around the World continues in an upward spiral. One Direction is a British/Irish boy band that indeed is a perfect Cinderella story. They have received unparalleled interest in less than a year and their popularity shows no sign of letting up anytime soon. 1D, as their fans fondly call them, is perhaps the most watched and admired boys band in the past decade. These handsome guys were the warm up band for the Big Time Rush tour during early 2012 and is was very obvious that the young audience were just as fond of them as they were of Big Time Rush. Many popular bands get their start by being warm up bands for more established acts and this is how Lady Gaga got noticed a few years ago. One Direction is often referred to as 1D and their millions of followers are known as "Directioners."
The members of One Direction are Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. These five chaps all applied as solo candidates in 2010 for X-Factor but unfortunately none of them qualified as solo artists. Nicole Scherzinger, a guest judge, felt that they were so talented that they should join forces and form a boy band. Nicole surely had no idea that her idea would turn out being a "golden" one. They had five weeks to solidify as a group which would enable them to compete in the "Group" section of the competition. They teamed up in Manchester with the help of Style's stepfather and this offered the group valuable time to get acquainted and have some practice time. One Direction took 3rd place in X-Factor in the Group category and also signed onto Simon Cowell's record label.
Their first album "Up All Night" came out in November 2011 and it was a huge success in the UK. It debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. which made 1D the first UK group to debut at number one on the U.S. charts. The BRIT Award for Best British Single was awarded to their song "What Makes You Beautiful." Music historians have called One Direction the "British Invasion" of this century. They have also appeared as special guests on many radio stations around North America which has added to the One Direction frenzy. Recently 1D was on Saturday Night Live which gave parents a good opportunity to see why their daughters were so enthralled with these "cute" guys from across the pond.
Cheap Concert Tickets has a substantial inventory One Direction tickets and cheap tickets for all upcoming sports, concert and theatre events worldwide. This well known online ticket exchange has added an exclusive coupon code Save for added savings.
One Direction June 2013 Tour Dates:
Thursday, June 13, 2013 Ft. Lauderdale, FL, BB&T Center

Friday, June 14, 2013 Miami, FL, American Airlines Arena

Sunday, June 16, 2013 Louisville, KY, KFC Yum! Center

Tuesday, June 18, 2013 Columbus, OH, Nationwide Arena

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 Nashville, TN, Bridgestone Arena

Friday, June 21, 2013 Atlanta, GA, Philips Arena

Saturday, June 22, 2013 Raleigh NC, PNC Arena

Sunday, June 23, 2013 Washington, DC, Verizon Center

Tuesday, June 25, 2013 Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Center       

Wednesday, June 26, 2013 Boston, MA, Comcast Center

Friday, June 28, 2013 Wantagh, NY, Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
One Direction July 2013 Tour Dates:
Tuesday, July 2, 2013 East Rutherford, NJ, Izod Center

Thursday, July 4, 2013 Montreal, Quebec, Bell Centre

Friday, July 5, 2013 Hershey, PA, Hersheypark Stadium

Saturday, July 6, 2013 Hershey, PA, Hersheypark Stadium

Monday, July 8, 2013 Pittsburgh, PA, Consol Energy Center

Tuesday, July 9, 2013 Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre

Wednesday, July 10, 2013 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre

Friday, July 12, 2013 Detroit, MI, Palace of Auburn Hills

Saturday, July 13, 2013 Chicago, Il, First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

Sunday, July 14, 2013 Chicago, IL, First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

Thursday, July 18, 2013 Minneapolis, MN, Target Center

Friday, July 19, 2013 Kansas City, MO, Missouri Sprint Center

Sunday, July 21, 2013 Houston, TX, Toyota Center

Monday, July 22, 2013 Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center

Wednesday, July 24, 2013 Denver, CO, Pepsi Center

Thursday, July 25, 2013 Salt Lake City, UT, Maverick Center

Saturday, July 27, 2013 Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena

Sunday, July 28, 2013 Seattle, WA, Key Arena

Tuesday, July 30, 2013 San Jose, CA, HP Pavilion

Wednesday, July 31, 2013 Oakland, CA, Oracle Arena
One Direction August 2013 Tour Dates:
Friday, August 2, 2013 Las Vegas, NV, Mandalay Bay Events Center

Saturday, August 3, 2013 Las Vegas, NV, Mandalay Bay Events Center

Sunday, August 4, 2013 Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in Chula Vista CA

Tuesday, August 6, 2013 San Diego, CA, Cricket Wireless Arena

Wednesday, August 7, 2013 Los Angeles, CA, Staples Center

Thursday, August 8, 2013 Los Angeles CA, Staples Center

Friday, August 9, 2013 Los Angeles CA, Staples Center

Saturday, August 10, 2013 Los Angeles CA, Staples Center
About CheapConcertTickets.me:
CheapConcertTickets.me delivers tickets to sold out concerts and events worldwide when no one else can, and they do so at discounted prices. As a member of TicketNetworkDirect, they can guarantee the delivery of tickets on time for sporting events like NASCAR, NBA, NFL, and NHL, and for the hottest theater and concert events too. With CheapConcertTickets.me customer service is a priority, for more information email support(at)cheapconcerttickets(dot)me.

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NBA: Kings suspend top scorer Cousins indefinitely

 The Sacramento Kings have suspended leading scorer and rebounder DeMarcus Cousins indefinitely for "unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team", the Kings said on Saturday.
The suspension, his third this season, came after Cousins exchanged words with Kings coach Keith Smart during halftime of Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The center did not play in the second half after being left in the locker by Smart.
Cousins, who is averaging 16.6 points and 9.5 rebounds, lashed out at Smart after the coach said something to him, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Cousins later apologized for his actions.
"I shouldn't have responded back," he told reporters. "Should have accepted what was said and stayed quiet."
Cousins twice has been suspended by the National Basketball Association this year.
He was suspended for two games in November for confronting a San Antonio Spurs announcer and was benched one game by the league earlier this month after striking the Dallas Mavericks' O.J. Mayo in the groin.

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NBA-Heat beat Jazz to break clear atop Eastern Conference

- LeBron James jammed home 30 points as the NBA champion Miami Heat silenced the Utah Jazz 105-89 on Saturday to move past the New York Knicks atop the Eastern Conference.
Miami turned a four-point lead at intermission into a double-digit cushion by scoring the first eight points of the third quarter helped by a pair of three-pointers by Shane Battier.
The lead was stretched to 20 points but Utah battled back to close the gap, getting as close as eight in the fourth quarter, though the Heat were never seriously threatened.
The Heat won every quarter, building their lead behind the all-round brilliance of James and an equally well-rounded effort by his running mate Dwyane Wade to lift Miami's record to 18-6, and push past the fast-starting New York Knicks (19-7).
James shared the team lead with nine rebounds and seven assists, while Wade scored 21 points to go with seven rebounds and seven assists.
Miami shot a blistering 52 percent from the floor, including 11-for-24 from three-point range in improving to 13-2 on their home court.
The Jazz, who were paced by Marvin Williams with 16 points, continued their road struggles, falling to 5-12 away from home.
James has scored at least 20 points in all 24 Heat games this season, matching the longest such streak to start a season since former Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone in the 1989-90 campaign.
Miami, winners of four straight games, will put their streak on the line on Christmas against the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (21-5) in a rematch of last season's NBA Finals.

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Heat beat Jazz to break clear atop Eastern Conference

 LeBron James jammed home 30 points as the NBA champion Miami Heat silenced the Utah Jazz 105-89 on Saturday to move past the New York Knicks atop the Eastern Conference.
Miami turned a four-point lead at intermission into a double-digit cushion by scoring the first eight points of the third quarter helped by a pair of three-pointers by Shane Battier.
The lead was stretched to 20 points but Utah battled back to close the gap, getting as close as eight in the fourth quarter, though the Heat were never seriously threatened.
The Heat won every quarter, building their lead behind the all-round brilliance of James and an equally well-rounded effort by his running mate Dwyane Wade to lift Miami's record to 18-6, and push past the fast-starting New York Knicks (19-7).
James shared the team lead with nine rebounds and seven assists, while Wade scored 21 points to go with seven rebounds and seven assists.
Miami shot a blistering 52 percent from the floor, including 11-for-24 from three-point range in improving to 13-2 on their home court.
The Jazz, who were paced by Marvin Williams with 16 points, continued their road struggles, falling to 5-12 away from home.
James has scored at least 20 points in all 24 Heat games this season, matching the longest such streak to start a season since former Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone in the 1989-90 campaign.
Miami, winners of four straight games, will put their streak on the line on Christmas against the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder (21-5) in a rematch of last season's NBA Finals.

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UPDATE 7-NBA results

Dec 23 (Infostrada Sports) - Results from the NBA games on Saturday (home team in CAPS)
Detroit 96 WASHINGTON 87
ATLANTA 92 Chicago 75
MIAMI 105 Utah 89
Indiana 81 NEW ORLEANS 75
HOUSTON 121 Memphis 96
Cleveland 94 MILWAUKEE 82
DENVER 110 Charlotte 88
PORTLAND 96 Phoenix 93
LA Lakers 118 GOLDEN STATE 115 (OT)

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Basketball-Katsikaris to replace Blatt as Russia coach

 Greece's Fotis Katsikaris is set to become coach of the Russian men's basketball team and will share coaching duties with his current job at Spanish club Bilbao Berri.
"It was his decision to do both jobs," president of the Russian basketball federation (RBF) Alexander Krasnenkov told reporters on Sunday.
"He'll coach Russia over the summer, then return to his Spanish club. We didn't insist on him working only in Russia."
Katsikaris, 45, is expected to sign a contract with Russia through to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro when he is approved by the RBF's executive board on Monday.
He replaces American-born Israeli David Blatt, who quit as Russian men's coach in October after guiding them to the Olympic bronze medal in London.
In his first coaching spell in Russia in 2005, Katsikaris guided Dynamo St Petersburg to third place in the domestic league before the club went bankrupt at the start of the new season, forcing the Greek to seek a job in Spain.

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Pakistan says 29 nationals beaten by Afghans

Afghan officials say they are investigating allegations by neighboring Pakistan that Afghan forces severely beat Pakistani nationals.
The Saturday protest note from Islamabad's Foreign Office provided no details other than to say that all 29 had valid travel documents.
Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Mosazai says he has no information about the allegations, but Kabul will try to investigate them.
Relations between the neighboring countries are poor, with the Kabul government accusing Pakistan of harboring and supporting Taliban insurgents. But last month a top Afghan peace mediator hailed Pakistan's recent decision to free nine Taliban members who favor negotiations, saying it was a sign that Pakistan is willing to bring the militants to the table and end Afghanistan's 11-year war.

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Bombing at political rally kills 8 in Pakistan

 Pakistani police say a suicide bomber attacked a political rally in the country's northwest, killing eight people.
Police officer Arfan Khan says the bombing Saturday in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, also wounded more than 20 people.
Khan says the rally was being held by the Awami National Party, whose members have been repeatedly targeted by the Taliban. A provincial Cabinet minister from the party, Bashir Balour, was wounded in the attack.

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Bombing at political rally kills 9 in Pakistan

 A suicide bomber in Pakistan killed nine people including a provincial government official at a political rally held Saturday by a party that has opposed the Taliban, officials said.
The rally in Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was held by the Awami National Party, whose members have been repeatedly targeted by the Taliban.
Among the dead was Bashir Bilour, the second most senior member of the provincial Cabinet, said Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, the politician's brother and federal railways minister.
Over 20 others were wounded by the blast, said local police officer Sabir Khan.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the bombing in a statement, reiterating the United Nations' support for Pakistani efforts "to combat the scourge of terrorism."
Bilour was leaving the rally after delivering the keynote speech when the attack occurred, said Nazir Khan, a local Awami National Party leader.
"There was smoke and dust all around, and dead and wounded people were lying on the ground," he said.
The suicide bomber was on foot, said another police officer, Imtiaz Khan.
Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa information minister and a member of the Awami National Party, said both he and Bilour had repeatedly received threats from militants. He condemned the attack and said the government needed to intensify its battle against the Taliban.
"Terrorism has engulfed our whole society," said Hussain. "They are targeting our bases, our mosques, our bazars, public meetings and our security checkpoints."
Ten Taliban militants attacked the military area of an international airport in Peshawar with rockets and car bombs a week ago, killing four people and wounding over 40 others. Five of the militants were killed during the attack, and five others died the next day in a gunbattle with security forces.
Also Saturday, police said a mob in southern Pakistan stormed a police station to seize a mentally unstable Muslim man accused of burning a copy of Islam's holy book. The crowd beat him to death, and then set fire to his body.
The case is likely to raise further concerns about the country's harsh blasphemy laws, which can result in a death sentence or life in prison to anyone found guilty. An accusation or investigation alone can lead to deaths, as people take the law into their own hands and kill those accused of violating it. Police stations and even courts have been attacked by mobs.
Police arrested the man on Friday after being informed by residents that he had burned a Quran inside a mosque where he had been staying for a night, said local police official Biharud Deen.
An angry mob of more than 200 people then broke into the police station in the southern town of Dadu and took the accused man, who they say was under questioning. Deen said police tried their best to save the man's life but were unable to stop the furious crowd.
Police have arrested 30 people for suspected involvement in the attack, said Deen. The head of the local police station and seven officers had been suspended, he said.
Past attempts by governments in predominantly Muslim Pakistan to review these laws have met with violent opposition from hardline Islamist parties.
In southwestern Pakistan, gunmen late Friday killed 11 Pakistanis and Afghans who were trying to cross into neighboring Iran to travel on to Europe as illegal immigrants, said local government official Zubair Ahmed. The shooting took place in Sunsar town in Baluchistan province, he said.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, but hundreds of Pakistanis and Afghans are captured by Iranian border guards every year for illegally trying to travel to Europe to find better jobs.

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Gang rape protesters clash with Indian police

Police in India's capital used tear gas and water cannons for a second day Sunday in a high-security zone to break up protests by thousands of people demonstrating against the gang rape and beating of a 23-year-old student on a bus.
Police chased angry protesters with batons some of whom fought pitched battles with steel rods and rocks as they tried to get past steel barricades and a wall created by hundreds of policemen to reach the president's mansion to present their demands. "We want justice," they shouted.
Television footage showed that some protesters were injured in the clashes.
The protesters made bonfires and damaged cars and police vehicles.
Police blamed the violence on hooligans. "A peaceful protest by people has been taken over by hooligans," Dharmendra Kumar, a senior police officer, told reporters. He urged people to go home to help police deal with the trouble makers.
The demonstrations continued Sunday despite Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde promising to consider their main demand for death penalties for all six suspects who have been arrested by police following the Dec. 16 attack.
Shinde said Saturday night that the government was taking steps to better ensure the safety of women.
A group of protesters met Sonia Gandhi, the governing Congress party chief, and her son and lawmaker Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday and demanded a speedy trial of the suspects.
Popular yoga guru Babar Ramdev stood on the roof of a bus and pledged support to the protesters. "The government must set up fast-track courts to punish the offenders in rape attacks," he said.
The attack one week ago has sparked days of protests across the country. The victim is recovering from injuries in a New Delhi government hospital but is still in critical condition.
After battling the protesters throughout the day on Saturday, authorities early on Sunday banned their entry into the high-security zone, which also houses the offices of the prime minister and defense, home and external affairs ministries. Police evicted dozens of protesters who had spent the night there.
However, as groups of protesters marched through the streets of New Delhi and began converging on the high-security area on Sunday, authorities withdrew the ban on the assembly of more than five people there. But it set up barricades to keep them away from the president's residence.
Protesters tried to break the police cordon repeatedly by hurling stones and water bottles and pressing against the steel barricades. Policemen responded by firing tear gas and using water cannons against them. The battle continued throughout the day.

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In Afghan Taliban birthplace, US troops step back

President Barak Obama will decide in the coming weeks how many American troops to send home from Afghanistan next year. A major factor in his decision will be the question of how successful U.S. troops have been in preparing the Afghans to secure their country at bases like this one, located in one of the country's most violent areas — the birthplace of the Taliban.
There have been calls in Congress for Obama to increase the size of a planned drawdown of U.S. forces before the end of summer 2013, when the Afghan military is supposed to take the lead in security across the country. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, as well, has suggested he wants the drawdown accelerated.
"We are working to make this transition of security happen sooner. We want all the foreign forces to come out of the villages and go to their bases so the Afghan forces can carry out security," Karzai said last week.
But too large a pullout too soon could undermine the fight against the Taliban insurgency if Afghan forces are not fully prepared. It is widely thought that Gen. John Allen, the top military commander in Afghanistan, and his senior staff want to keep a large force in place for the summer fighting season, before international forces move into an entirely back-up and training role behind the Afghan forces by the start of autumn — an event known as "Milestone 13."
Obama is expected to decide on the size of the withdrawal after meeting with Karzai in Washington in early January. Their talks will also be key on determining what the U.S. military's role will be in Afghanistan after December 2014, when the foreign combat mission is set to end and almost all international troops are scheduled to leave. The U.S. currently has 66,000 thousand troops in Afghanistan out of an international force totaling about 102,000.
The work of training Afghan army units being done at this dusty base in the Zhari district of Kandahar province and at other bases scattered around the country will help shape Obama's decision.
U.S. and Afghan officers here say the district is a success story: Violence has not gone up more than two months after the American presence here was brought down from around 3,500 troops to around 300, with Afghan forces taking the lead in more areas.
But the situation remains tenuous. Residents say Taliban fighters remain in control of large parts of the district.
Zhari is where Taliban leader Mullah Omar was born, where he founded the movement that ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s and has battled U.S. and Afghan forces for the past 11 years. Three years ago, Taliban forces controlled the district, and it has been one of the three most violent areas of Kandahar, the province that is the Taliban's traditional heartland.
U.S soldiers had a hard fight in Zhari when they moved into the south in large force as part of the surge in American troops early in the Obama administration. The district has rich farmland that produces pomegranates and grapes used for raisins, and the fields, covered in dirt mounds, formed natural trenches the Taliban could fight from. Food, which was abundant, was easily coerced by the Taliban from villagers.
Lt. Col. Tim Davis, commander of Combined Task Force Buffalo, said, "the density of mines was impressive" when his task force arrived and that it required "an entire combat operation just to put a road in."
The commander of international forces in Kandahar and three other southern provinces, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert Abrams, told reporters recently that progress in Zhari had been "astounding." Afghan forces are already in the lead of security duties in many parts of the district, he said. Across the south, the Afghans carry out 400 to 500 daily patrols without coalition assistance.
Afghan military officers in Zhari contend they can now handle the fight without much help from the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force.
"Zhari is about 70 percent safe now," said Col. Abdul Rahimi, operations officer of the Afghan army's 3rd Brigade 205th Corps at Pasab base, though he acknowledged neighboring Maiwand district remains a problem. The number of Taliban fighters was down to around 100 in Zhari and Maiwand, compared to some 900 two years ago, he said.
"The enemy is not able right now to fight against the government, nor can it take over if ISAF leaves," Rahimi said.
Residents in Zhari, however, give a different picture. Some said the government has control of the main highway but not much else.
"Government claims that they control most of the area are just a dream not related to any reality," Allahnoor Taraki, a 38-year-old farmer, said.
Mohammed Salim Danghar, a taxi driver, said the province remains hotly contested. While the government has improved its position, he said, "we all know that most of the area is controlled by the Taliban."
The American drawdown in Zhari is a model of plans for the pullback elsewhere.
Here, large American combat units have been replaced by smaller teams made up of about 18 soldiers each. The teams are embedded with Afghan units, advising them on tactics, leadership and strategy — but not fighting.
In Zhari, attacks "have not only decreased, but significantly decreased," said Davis.
"The challenge is when we start pulling back," he said. The key to a successful transition will be "to see if the local security forces can take up the slack."
The U.S. military plans to repeat that process elsewhere in the south and east by creating 400 such teams. At the same time, eight of the 14 U.S. brigades in Afghanistan will be reduced in size to 1,400-1,900 personnel, down from 3,500, to act as support for the teams. That role change alone will mean a reduction of between 13,000 to 17,000 NATO troops.
The U.S. military has not made public its recommendations to Obama about the size or timing of next year's drawdown. Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said recently that NATO and the Afghan government intend to begin the final phase of transition by the mid to latter part of 2013 — suggesting he prefers a later start to the drawdown, as opposed to earlier in 2013.
The top contender for Panetta's job, former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, is thought to support a more rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has already announced that about 3,800 of his country's troops will leave by the end of 2013, leaving 5,000 to stay into 2014.
The Afghan army now numbers about 350,000 and has taken the lead on security in areas that are home to 76 percent of Afghanistan's population of 30 million. Still, despite their progress, only one of Afghanistan's 23 brigades around the country can operate on its own without coalition help of some kind, the U.S. Defense Department said in its most recent semi-annual report to Congress.
Attacks by insurgents around the country have not decreased, but the violence has been pushed out of most population centers, the report said. Civilian and NATO casualties have fallen. But Afghan forces are taking an increasing toll. More than 300 Afghan soldiers and policemen are dying each month, according to Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, who said that represented an increase, though he did not provide comparative figures.
"We still face challenges in southern Afghanistan," Abrams acknowledged in his headquarters at Kandahar Air Field.

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Flights of fancy at Day 2 of London Fashion Week

A catwalk of faux grass and barefoot, denim-clad models took audiences to 1960s America. Sweet dungarees and clogs conjured up a fisherman's tale at one show, while at another the fashion crowd feasted their eyes on a concoction of pastel ruffles as delectable as roses in full bloom.
Newcomers and established designers alike took audiences on flights of fancy on Day 2 of London Fashion Week Saturday, which showcased an eclectic range of women's wear creations from the elegant to the whimsical, from the eminently wearable to structured works of art.
Britons Jasper Conran and John Rocha, two of the fashion week's most established names, both showed Saturday, with the former delivering a surprisingly fun and youthful collection and the latter wowing the crowd with the sheer technique that went into his sculptural creations.
Also featured Saturday was Kinder Aggugini, former designer at Versace; Huishan Zhang, a Chinese-born talent who delivered a refined debut show of reworked Chinese motifs; and Moschino Cheap and Chic, the Italian brand's diffusion line.
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JASPER CONRAN
Conran's signature look is pared-down British elegance, but for next spring he offered up a playful selection on a retro Americana theme: Psychedelic flowers, blue jeans, stars and stripes, Woodstock and multi-colored patchwork.
Models walked on a catwalk made of a bed of faux grass to the tunes of Carole King, and the look was part cool cowgirl, part folksy flower children. There were denim vests, shorts and straight cut jeans, some embroidered with flowers and doves, others adorned by a silver sequined hem. Later models wore crochet, patchwork or kaleidoscope print dresses.
Prints were childlike and irreverent (think huge print of a cherry on a white shirt) and the palette was as cheerful as it gets: Bubblegum pink, coral, mustard, lime, and a tangerine that Conran called "Fanta orange."
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JOHN ROCHA
Voluminous hooped skirts, ruffles and layers of sheer organza dominated the catwalk at Ireland-based John Rocha's show, which resembled a beautiful English garden of sculpted flowers.
A red strapless dress with an exaggerated tulip shape opened the show, its large organza ruffles imitating the frail petals of a flower.
The hooped, textured skirt then appeared layered over trousers and under sheer organza jackets. It was also repeated to great effect in a host of pastel colors: Pale lavender, mint, lemon, before appearing in gun metal, champagne, black and white. Models all wore large matching hats made of folds of organza that sat like tinted clouds on their heads.
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MOSCHINO CHEAP & CHIC
Conran wasn't the only one who got the fun retro vibe: At Moschino Cheap and Chic there were low-slung flare trousers, flirty party dresses and a riot of bold colors.
Saturday night's show, which came complete with a live band and disco lights, featured party pieces like a candy-colored bomber jacket, an orange pant suit with jeweled lapels, and a mint pleated skirt with oversized flower sequins.
Lime, which is emerging as a popular spring color, was paired with magenta, burgundy, and orange. A standout print of blue and lime pineapples was seen on hot shorts, crop tops and capri pants, and many in the fashion crowd were left lusting after the playful pineapple handbags.
Cheap and Chic is the Italian label's diffusion line. Moschino's main line shows at Milan Fashion Week.
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KINDER AGGUGINI
Former Versace designer Kinder Aggugini began the day with a show inspired by fishermen and the freedom of being at sea. His spring collection was themed around the traditional naval palette - blue, red and white - but he washed out the colors for a faded, carefree look to fit his "gone fishing" theme.
Gingham and prints of island life added girlish charm to the relaxed shapes, which included pieces like pinafores, low-slung shorts and men's style shirts. Hand-painted clogs pulled the looks together.
Aggugini cleverly sneaked in the ocean theme in several standout pieces: A navy blazer had a white-dyed hem to imitate the sea's waves, and a black velvet gown had a design of octopus tentacles that reached to the floor.
"It was all very fresh and sweet, very well made, very cute. It all worked," said Hilary Alexander, a veteran British fashion editor who attended the show at London Fashion Week.
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HUISHAN ZHANG
Newcomer Huishan Zhang delivered a sophisticated debut collection Saturday that impressed the crowd with his fresh take on traditional Chinese motifs.
The tailored Chinese silk dress, the cheongsam, was updated with detachable, crystal-embellished collars, subtle prints and a refreshing palette of mint, sage, sea green and violets.
Dresses had high necklines and modest hemlines, but the way the silk hugged the body oozed sensual femininity. Prints of sparrows, pagodas and mahjong tiles lent playfulness to the elegant clothes. Silhouettes were clean and unfussy, adorned sometimes with sheer, wispy capes.
Zhang, who recently graduated from London's Central St. Martins college, spent a year working at Christian Dior before setting up his own label. His first season collection has been picked up by two retailers.
"He's delivered clothes that are appropriate for all age groups, and that's something that's quite difficult to do for a young designer," said Anne Tyrrell, a London-based design consultant. "He's one to watch, definitely.

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5 Digital Highlights From New York Fashion Week

Designers didn't just bring new clothes to Lincoln Center during New York Fashion Week -- several introduced new uses for digital technology as well.
[More from Mashable: 5 Runway Fashions Chosen by Fans]
Diane von Furstenberg led the pack, surprising in-person and online attendees by showcasing Google Glass -- the futuristic eyewear device Google is building -- down the runway. Photos were taken backstage using the device, and shared to DVF's Google+ Page ahead of and during the show.
A short film compiled from video taken with glasses worn by models, Furstenberg and members of her team was released three days later. Tweets about the DVF show were up 160% from last season, making her the third most talked-about designer on Twitter during Fashion Week, according to third-party data from social media agency, Whispr Group.
[More from Mashable: Reporters Turn to Mobile Video, Viddy for Fashion Week Coverage]
Beyond DVF's show, New York Fashion Week, which ended last Thursday, witnessed the appearance of stylish gadgets from the likes of HTC and Rebecca Minkoff. Reporters used short-form mobile video for new kinds of coverage, and several emerging designers teamed up with startup CutOnYourBias to let fans shape their collections. Live streams continued to grow in popularity, with new twists from Marc Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta. For a full roundup, check out the gallery below.
1. Google Glass at DVF
Google Glass, the futuristic, augmented reality-enhanced eyewear device the tech giant is developing, made its first appearance at Diane von Furstenberg's S/S 2013 show. Photos were taken with the device backstage and shared to DVF's Google+ Page ahead of and during the show. A short film compiled from video taken with glasses worn by models, Furstenberg and members of her team was released three days afterward. Tweets about the DVF show were up 160% from last season, making her the third most-talked about designer on Twitter during Fashion Week, according to third-party data from Whispr Group.

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Mulberry, Illincic wrap up London Fashion Week

The models have packed up, the temporary runways taken down. London Fashion Week on Tuesday wrapped up five hectic days of women's wear shows, a whirlwind display of new colors and textures for next spring from big name designers and newcomers alike.
London hosts a more eclectic collection of designers and labels than fashion weeks in New York, Milan and Paris, and the latest crop of spring and summer designs seen this week has been a big mish-mash: Futuristic metallic leathers at Burberry, sweet '50s pastels at Temperley, '70s disco fever at Jonathan Saunders, and '90s minimalism at quite a few other shows.
While there was no overriding theme, there were micro-trends set to make their way to high street stores come spring. All-white and monochrome outfits were seen everywhere, as were pretty confectionery shades of mint and lemon.
Futuristic, shiny materials like plastic or fabrics with a foil-like, iridescent or even holographic sheen were popular, as was the use of sheer, feminine layers in organza, chiffon or mesh.
On Tuesday, things kicked off with '70s-inspired florals, wide-leg trousers and mannish suits at luxury label Mulberry, best-known for its leather handbags. The collection, delivered with a humorous British flair, nodded to several of the season's popular trends: Sleek trouser suits, all-season leather, metallic jacquard, and head-to-toe ice-cream pastel shades.
Model-turned-designer Roksanda Illincic followed with a collection of dresses with simple feminine shapes and minimal detailing, leaving her use of beautiful color combinations and glossy fabrics to do the talking.
Day Five also saw collections by a handful of younger and adventurous designers. Simone Rocha, the daughter of British fashion institution John Rocha, deftly combined schoolgirl innocence and tough attitude, while maverick duo Meadham Kirchoff sent the party home with a spectacularly whimsical show of Marie Antoinette fashion gone mad.
Tuesday's shows ended a week that saw models and celebrities like Kate Moss and One Direction's Harry Styles flocking to the catwalks' front row. Lady Gaga stole the limelight Sunday with a starring turn at milliner Philip Treacy's comeback show.
The fashion brigade moves on to Milan for more shows that begin Wednesday. Paris Fashion Week begins next Tuesday.
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MULBERRY
Luxury brand Mulberry has ditched most of the playfulness in its recent seasons, showcasing a spring collection that's still quirky but definitely grown-up.
Mulberry's show at London's swanky Claridge's hotel was decorated with dozens of garden gnomes and fake geckos crawling on rose bushes - a typically wacky atmosphere of pretty English garden meets exotic creatures.
But appearances were deceptive, and the clothes themselves were more sophisticated than the setting suggested.
Creative director Emma Hill sent models down the catwalk in oversized leather biker jackets and mannish tuxedos in navy, black and white. The 1970s-inspired collection had floral embroidery, floor-length skirts, flower buttons and high-waisted wide legs, updated with metallic jacquard printed with mini-flowers and geckos.
Leather separates and trouser suits balanced flirty pleated skirts. There were muted brown ensembles along with head-to-toe sweet pastels in mint and peach - including pastel-colored shoes and handbags, the brand's bestselling item.
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ROKSANDA ILLINCIC
Taking her inspiration from artists, Roksanda Illincic's catwalk show had plenty of ensembles for the woman who wants to look stylish without trying too hard. Simple, streamlined shapes like tailored shifts and breezy A-line dresses came in high-impact color combinations that really popped: Tangerine with cobalt, mango, dirty pink or white.
Sometimes all the colors came together on one dress, like a modern abstract painting.
Models cradled oversized satin clutch bags and wore patent courts with multi-colored block heels.
The show, staged in the Savoy Hotel's glamorous ballroom, ended with a series of ensembles made in a glossy, laminated organza.
Illincic counts U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and Britain's Kate Middleton among fans of her sleek style. Her show had many of her popular signature elements: Beautiful colors, high-waisted silhouettes, feminine bell sleeves and modest mid-calf or ankle-grazing hemlines.
But this season the designer said she wanted to shake up the elegance with casual wear - like taking an evening dress shape and making it out of T-shirt or jersey materials.
"It gives an element of fun, something unexpected," she said.
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SIMONE ROCHA
Budding talent Simone Rocha has her designer dad's giant shoes to fill, but she seems to be taking it all in her stride.
The 26-year-old showcased her latest spring collection at London Fashion Week Tuesday, a collection of all-white outfits, sheer cut-out panels, neons and leather that mixed schoolgirl innocence with cool attitude.
The collection started with dazzling white button-up shirts and boyish shapes in Broderie Anglaise, but the prim look was soon undercut by thigh-revealing, irregular shaped sheer panels on the front or back of skirts.
High-collared, neat shapes in muted shades of butter and toffee followed, but soon things were shaken up with a pale sundress overlaid with a high-shine neon yellow PVC plastic, all-over metallic gold foil vests and skirts, and floral-crocheted skirts and oversized jackets in fluorescent yellow and neon coral.
Models wore mannish brogues with clear plastic soles and heels, a design that has been worn by celebrities including Rihanna and proved to be Rocha's best-selling product.
Rocha debuted at London Fashion Week in 2010.
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MEADHAM KIRCHOFF
English-French design duo Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff are known for staging riotously fun and different shows, and this season they met expectations with a collection piled high with over-the-top, Marie Antoinette style corsets, bodices, bows and frills.
Although the invitation and the opening track told of a humorous "damsel in distress" theme, the models were more like fairy godmothers with an enchanted wardrobe.
Acting sleepy or deep in thought in their theatrical outfits, models drifted around stands set up on the catwalk and plucking roses and cupcakes from them.
There were big puffy sleeves, thigh-high boots, feather gloves and big skirts layered over skinny trousers, all embellished with lashings of bows and jewels. Not very practical, but certainly shows the fun and entertaining face of London fashion.

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Robyn Lawley: First Plus-Size Ralph Lauren Model

Robyn Lawley is turning heads, not just for her beauty, but for her 6 foot 2 inch height and curvy size 12 shape. At age 23, the Australian model has embraced her figure, and mainstream fashion magazines are taking notice.
Gracing the covers of French Elle and Vogue Italia, she recently became the first plus-sized model ever to spearhead a campaign for high-end fashion designer Ralph Lauren. She is defying the odds with this unheard of move in an industry that glorifies being thin.
"Robyn is absolutely paving the way for fuller figured women to land these larger campaigns," People magazine's senior writer Jen Garcia said.
She began modeling at age 16, but struggled to keep up with the industry's skinny standards.
"I did unfortunately. I got a huge amount of pressure to diet. And my body, it was such a battle for me to do that because I'm such a big bone, and I'm tall and I'm broad. I really struggled to maintain that size," Lawley said on " Good Morning America" this morning.
Feeling a bit discouraged, she decided to take a break to move to France.
"I gave up trying to be a model. And then I moved to France and fell in love with food all over again, and came back much bigger than I was. And I saw plus- size models doing well. And I decided that I wanted that, I wanted to be in magazines," Lawley said.
She persevered and landed her first contract as a plus-size model for the legendary Wilhelmina Modeling Agency at age 19.
"She's happy in her own skin, and that's something a lot of girls can look up to. And I think she's setting a great example for the fashion industry as a whole," Garcia said.
Lawley kept a positive attitude when asked if she thought more plus-size models would be emerging in the fashion industry.
"I hope so. I hope, I'm sure we will see. You know there's so many plus-size models in New York doing so well in the moment, and it's only going to get better," said Lawley.

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C'est chic! Impressionism taken down the runway, as exhibit kick-starts Paris fashion week

 Paris fashion week will soon open in style, with an exhibit that puts impressionist art down the runway — literally.
The exhibit, "Impressionism and Fashion," opens Tuesday at the storied Musee d'Orsay and explores how the late 19th-century Impressionists made Parisian fashion one of the great painting themes.
The exhibit travels to the New York Metropolitan in February.
It's well known that Impressionist artists such as Renoir, Monet and Degas tried to capture passing moments or "impressions" through painting. Less known is that dramatic changes in 1860s Parisian fashion played into the Impressionists' hands.
Rigid crinolines — the metal undercages that fanned out skirts — were abandoned in favour of a freer-flowing silhouette with layers of different materials and soft textures.
"The Impressionists used these new flowing fashions to capture the fleeting impressions of modern life," said co-curator Philippe Thiebaut. "Not only were they living, moving women now, but also the fashion trends themselves were changeable. It was the ultimate Impressionist subject."
Indeed, the blurred woman in a flowing, textured black dress in Edouard Manet's 1975 masterpiece "The Parisienne" looks almost as lifelike and real as many of the 60 actual dresses that make up the exhibit.
"We wanted to show how lifelike and modern all the Impressionist fashions were," said Robert Carsen, the famed Canadian set designer who designed the exhibit.
The colorful and varied collection also features some 80 oil paintings, which sprawl across nine rooms of the museum, and a converted turn-of-the-century train station. The station's original foyer was opened up for this exhibit for the first time in the museum's history.
In a spectacular touch, in two rooms Carsen has recreated modern runways — with a small dash of artistic license. Instead of models on the mirrored catwalks, hang oil paintings by masters such as Manet and Monet.
"I wanted to link the fashions of then to the fashions of today. Not much has changed in some ways. I discovered that the same chairs used in Paris catwalks today are the one we see in the Impressionists' paintings."
With perfect attention to detail, all the chairs are labeled appropriately in the mood of the time. Each seat has a 19th-century figure such as poet Charles Baudelaire.
"It's over a century now," said Carsen. "But some things don't change. We're still as obsessed with fashion now as we were then.

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Oracle beats outlook, shrugs off fiscal debate

BOSTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Technology giant Oracle Corp said software sales growth will stay strong into the new year despite fears that there could be big tax hikes and U.S. government spending cuts that could cause a slump in spending by customers.
Shares of the world's No. 3 software maker rose 1.3 percent after it reported fiscal second-quarter revenue and earnings that surpassed Wall Street forecasts.
Oracle President Safra Catz told investors that businesses were still looking to spend money already allocated to 2012 technology budgets.
"Folks want to close deals," she told analysts on a conference call following the earnings release on Tuesday. There has been "no negative impact on pricing. Pricing remains very good for us."
Oracle said software sales would grow 3 to 13 percent this quarter, which runs through February. It expects fiscal third-quarter hardware products sales to be flat to down 10 percent from a year ago.
The company's software and hardware forecasts were roughly in line with Wall Street expectations, according to FBR Markets analyst Daniel Ives.
Oracle reported that software sales and cloud software subscriptions rose 17 percent from a year earlier to $2.4 billion in its fiscal second quarter ended November 30.
It had forecast that new software sales would climb 5 to 15 percent from a year earlier, when it last reported earnings on September 20.
"I would call it an early Christmas present," Ives said. "It's a positive sign for the overall technology sector."
Investors pay close attention to new software sales because they generate high-margin, long-term maintenance contracts and are an important gauge of the company's future profits.
Oracle posted a second-quarter profit, excluding items, of 64 cents per share, beating the average analyst forecast of 61 cents according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Jefferies & Co analyst Ross MacMillan said Oracle's results are encouraging for other makers of business software, many of which end their quarter on December 31.
OFF A CLIFF
Some investors have worried that corporations would postpone spending on technology projects because of uncertainty over the year-end deadline for Congress and U.S. President Barack Obama to reach a compromise to thwart an automatic rise in tax rates and government spending cuts.
Failing to reach a deal, economists say, could lead to another U.S. recession. Catz said Oracle's customers are still spending on software.
"What's going on in Washington - I don't know who it's necessarily influencing today. But I can tell you, our customers have been spending money with us even here in December."
On Tuesday, Oracle forecast earnings per share in the current fiscal third quarter of 64 to 68 cents, excluding items. That was about level with an average forecast for 66 cents.
"It tells you that there's still money being spent by enterprises on software. It's not like the world has ground to a halt," MacMillan said.
The picture was not so bright for Oracle's troubled hardware division, which it acquired with its $5.6 billion purchase of Sun Microsystems in January 2010. The division's revenue has fallen every quarter since it closed that deal.
Hardware systems product sales fell 23 percent from a year earlier to $734 million. Oracle had forecast that hardware sales would drop between 8 and 18 percent.
Chief Executive Larry Ellison told analysts he expected hardware systems revenue to start growing in the fiscal fourth quarter which begins March 1.

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BofA CEO: Fed wants bank to show consistent earnings

BofA CEO: Fed wants bank to show consistent earnings
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Bank of America Corp needs to show the U.S. Federal Reserve it can produce consistent earnings as part of the annual process to gain permission to return more capital to shareholders, CEO Brian Moynihan said in an interview.
The second-largest U.S. bank is turning a profit in most of its main businesses, but it inherited costly legal problems when it acquired companies during the financial crisis, including subprime mortgage lender Countrywide Financial.
In the third quarter, Bank of America reported only a nominal profit after reaching a $2.4 billion settlement with investors to resolve claims it hid crucial information from shareholders when it bought investment bank Merrill Lynch & Co.
Moynihan declined to comment on whether the bank's capital plan, which is due to the Fed by January 7, will include any proposed share buybacks or increases in dividends. Moynihan suffered a major embarrassment in 2011 when the Fed rejected the bank's request to increase its quarterly dividend, which has been stuck at just one penny per share since the financial crisis.
The Fed has been evaluating capital plans as part of its supervision of bank holding companies and under provisions in the Dodd-Frank financial reform law. It is unclear whether the Fed would approve any request for an increased dividend or share buybacks next year. A Fed spokesperson declined to comment.
"The element that is sort of unique to us is the predictability of the earnings stream," Moynihan said in an interview in his Charlotte, North Carolina, office. "We are working to get through that."
Other banks have demonstrated their ability to earn money more consistently. JPMorgan Chase & Co's quarterly profit, for example, hasn't fallen below $3.7 billion in the past year, even as it has taken losses on disastrous credit derivative trades.
Investors and analysts are hopeful that Bank of America's legal problems will die down soon. Its stock price has more than doubled this year, partly on expectations that the bank will increase its dividend and buy back more stock after the Federal Reserve reviews its capital plans this spring.
Analysts at Atlantic Equities on Tuesday said they expect Bank of America to buy back $4 billion of its own shares in 2013 and $10 billion in 2014, which would be its first buybacks since 2007.
The bank has "made a lot of progress" on legal issues, Moynihan said, but he acknowledged that the company is still working through lawsuits and investor demands to buy back soured mortgages the bank sold off during the housing boom.
In recent weeks, the bank's dispute with insurer MBIA Inc over mortgage-related claims has heated up, with Bank of America filing a new lawsuit last week against the insurer. The legal tussle with MBIA has dragged on, even as Bank of America has worked out settlements with other insurers of mortgage-backed securities issued by Countrywide.
Moynihan said the bank will settle the MBIA dispute if it can reach an agreement that is reasonable for shareholders but otherwise it is ready to litigate the matter.
The bank's shares closed Tuesday at $11.35, up 3.2 percent for the day. The shares are the best performer in the Dow Jones industrial average this year, after falling the most in 2011.
HEALING
In an effort to improve earnings, Moynihan is aiming to cut costs by $8 billion annually by mid-2015 through a program called Project New BAC, including 30,000 layoffs that have been under way since September 2011. Bank of America had noninterest expenses of $76.5 billion in 2011.
In addition, Bank of America expects to eventually reduce costs in its unit that serves delinquent mortgage customers to about $500 million per quarter from about $3.4 billion in the third quarter. If delinquent mortgages continue to fall, that saving should be achieved in 2015, if not sooner, Moynihan said.

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Top UBS shareholder pins rebound hopes on private wealth

LONDON (Reuters) - UBS's wealth management business will help it bounce back from a $1.5 billion rap for rigging interest rates, one of its largest investors said, although fears of costly civil lawsuits could cast a pall over its shares for some time.
Paras Anand, European equities head at Fidelity Worldwide Investment, said legal action sparked by the Libor scandal posed an unpredictable threat to the bank's near-term earnings, even if its core private banking franchise escaped permanent harm.
"The big unknown factor is the civil litigation that could follow on as a result of this...That is one thing at the back of our minds that we have to be cognizant of," Anand said in an interview with Reuters.
"The issue for shareholders is the challenge of pricing that risk in. The potential costs are too unquantifiable and indeed, it's unclear as to whether they will actually manifest or not."
Switzerland's largest bank was hit with the fine on Wednesday after admitting to fraud, paying bribes to brokers and "pervasive" manipulation of global benchmark interest rates by dozens of its staff.
UBS shares were trading 1.3 percent higher at 9:01 a.m. ET, as investors looked forward to the end of a scandal-filled chapter in the bank's history and a renewed focus on managing cash on behalf of rich clients, rather than so-called 'casino' investment banking.
"There's clearly been a backlash against big faceless financial entities but a private bank has big personal relationships with its customers ... These kinds of institutions are surprisingly resilient," Anand said.
"We have seen some awful scandals in businesses much weaker than UBS and they manage to survive," he added.
Fidelity owns around 45 million shares in UBS, equivalent to around 1.2 percent of the bank, and is its fifth largest institutional owner excluding sovereign wealth funds, according to Thomson Reuters data.

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Drugs group Lundbeck's shares hit by profit warning

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Shares in Danish drugs firm Lundbeck fell to their lowest level in over 12 years on Wednesday after it cut its profits forecast for the next two years as European sales slow and spending on new products rise to combat generic competition.
The company has already warned that earnings would stall until 2015 due to cheap generic competition for its existing drugs, meaning new products will be vital for future earnings.
But Chief Executive Ulf Wiinberg said on Wednesday that the negative impact on revenue from healthcare reforms in Europe had also been bigger than expected in the last two years and that slowing European sales and generic competition were hurting.
As a result the company said operating profits would fall further than previously forecast in 2014 as it increases investments in its late-stage drugs development pipeline and product launches.
Lundbeck is working to find new drugs to replace lost revenue from products coming off patent protection such as its antidepressant Cipralex, which is sold as Lexapro in the United States and Japan, and Alzheimer's drug Ebixa.
Wiinberg said 2014 would be the company's peak investment year for the new products pipeline, offering it a solid foundation for growth starting in 2015.
"You only get one chance to launch a product and we have to do it well," Wiinberg said at a briefing for investors.
He was commenting after the company warned in a statement that it now expects revenue in 2014 of about 14 billion Danish crowns ($2.5 billion) and an operating profit of between just 0.5 billion and 1 billion crowns.
Analysts have on average been forecasting a profit of over 2.5 billion crowns for 2014 on turnover of over 14.7 billion crowns, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S Estimates.
Two years ago Lundbeck predicted its annual revenues over the period 2012-2014 would exceed 14 billion crowns a year while earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) would exceed 2 billion crowns a year.
Next years' revenue is now forecast to be in the range of 14.1 billion and 14.7 billion crowns to produce an operating profit of 1.6 billion to 2.1 billion crowns, with no change to the company's forecast for 2012.
Analysts' forecasts for this year are for operating profit to drop 41 percent to 1.99 billion crowns on revenue down 8 percent at 14.7 billion crowns, while for 2013 they predict a profit of 2.26 billion crowns on revenue of 14.5 billion crowns.
Lundbeck's shares were trading down 17 percent at 79.90 crowns at 12.44 p.m. British time, dropping below 80 crowns for the first time since April 2000.
"In the short term, earnings are under pressure," Sydbank analyst Soren Hansen said.
Lundbeck said that it expects a dividend payout ratio of about 35 percent of net profits in the 2012-14 period. Last year it paid 3.49 crowns on basic earnings per share of 11.64 crowns, a payout ratio of 30 percent.
Analysts have been predicting a 27-30 percent cut this year to 2.53-2.28 crowns, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine data.
But a number of analysts doubt that revenue from new products will be enough to secure revenue growth in 2015, compensating for lost revenue from Cipralex, Lexapro and Ebixa which together accounted for about 70 percent of group revenue in 2011.
Lundbeck is working on new products such as antidepressant Brintellix in Europe and the United States for launch at the end of next year or start of 2014, as well as alcohol dependency treatment Selincro in Europe in mid 2013.
"It is difficult to see revenue from the smaller products compensating for the large products," said Hansen.

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New Mauritius Hotels posts 25 pct drop in full-year profit

PORT LOUIS (Reuters) - Luxury hotels group New Mauritius Hotels (NMH) reported a 25 percent fall in full-year pretax profit, citing higher finance costs and fewer tourists, and forecast a 15 percent drop in first-quarter earnings.
Ranked among the Indian Ocean island's most-traded stocks, NMH said on Wednesday that pretax profit for the year to September 30 fell to 603 million Indian rupees, with earnings per share down 20 percent at 3.60 rupees.
The hotels group said that it won't pay a dividend this year, given the difficult conditions in the local tourism industry. Last year it paid a dividend of 2.50 rupees per share.
Shares in the group, which owns eight hotels in Mauritius and one in the Seychelles, closed unchanged at 52 rupees before its results were released.
Tourism, a traditional cornerstone of the Mauritius economy, has been forecast to account for 7.9 percent of domestic product in 2012, down from 8.4 percent last year. The downturn in tourism has been caused largely by economic turmoil in the euro zone - the sector's key source market.

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Ireland announces abortion law reforms, leaving no one satisfied

Ireland took a step today toward loosening its strict antiabortion regime, as the government announced legislation to legalize abortion in limited circumstances. But a battle lies ahead, as both abortion-rights and antiabortion groups appear dissatisfied with the government's new prescription.
A statement issued after a meeting of ministers today announced legislation and medical-legal guidance allowing for the provision of abortion when a woman's life is at risk in pregnancy. The statement also said criminal law would be amended. At present, abortion is outlawed under the 1861 Offenses Against the Person Act. A bill will be published in the New Year, and, after being considered by parliamentary committee, will be put to a vote.
The announcement is a significant move by the Irish government, which for decades has been resistant to shedding its near total ban of the procedure. But its hand was forced two years ago when the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) demanded that Ireland clarify its legal stance on abortion.
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The ECHR ruling stems from the so-called X case of 1992, when a 14-year old girl who had become pregnant after being raped was forbidden to travel to Britain to obtain an abortion. Ireland's Supreme Court overturned the decision and demanded Parliament enact legislation to allow for abortion in circumstances when a woman's life was at risk in pregnancy, including by threat of suicide. The pregnant girl, known only as X due to reporting restrictions, subsequently miscarried.
The government's statement said both the legislation and the guidance would be “within the parameters" of Ireland's constitution, "as interpreted by the Supreme Court in the X case."
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Government lawmakers will be unlikely to have a free hand, though, when it comes time to vote – likely before Easter. Speaking after the meeting, Health Minister James Reilly said: "I know that most people have personal views on this matter. However, the government is committed to ensuring that the safety of pregnant women in Ireland is maintained and strengthened."
Despite the decision, division lies ahead – and the government knows it.
Speaking in Parliament Monday, Kathleen Lynch, a junior health minister, said her government's move would not satisfy people. “Mark my words, there will be another incident when we will have to come back and face this issue again. What we’re about to do is way too narrow," she said.
But Sinéad Ahern of campaign group Choice Ireland welcomes the move as a first step. "It's not something to be sniffed at, politically," she says. "I think it marks a fundamental shift in the debate."
Nonetheless, the matter is far from settled to the satisfaction of campaigners on either side. Antiabortion activists claim it opens the door to abortion on demand, while choice campaigners say the regime will remain restrictive.
What is clear is that any further loosening of antiabortion laws would require a referendum to overturn the eighth amendment to Ireland's constitution. The amendment, added after an antiabortion referendum in 1983, recognizes the right to life of the unborn as equal to the right to life of the pregnant woman.
NEW URGENCY
The question of abortion has taken on a new urgency in Ireland following not only the ECHR decision, but also recent events.
Ireland is still reeling after the death of Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year old Indian woman who died after a miscarriage in a Galway hospital in October. Ms. Halappanavar's widower, Praveen, claims his wife was denied an abortion that would have saved her life. Two separate inquires into Halappanavar's death are underway.
As soon as Halappanavar's death was made public, abortion-rights groups started holding regular protests outside Ireland's government offices and Parliament. After a few weeks of relative silence, antiabortion groups have upped the ante, holding their own demonstrations and leaflet campaigns. Now, both sides are poised for a fight.
Veteran feminist campaigner Ailbhe Smyth says Irish politicians are only acting because public opinion has forced its hand.
"Successive governments have been pusillanimous and completely cowardly on the whole issue. It's beginning to become apparent to our legislators that there is a sense for movement on this issue," she says.
However, antiabortion campaigners make similar claims of support and, unusually, are united with their opponents in calling for a public referendum on abortion.
Youth Defense spokesperson Ide Nic Mhathúna says her group will be stepping-up campaigning in response to the government decision, slamming the proposed legislation.
"Controlled murder is still not acceptable just because it's controlled," she says.
Ms. Nic Mhathúna also questioned recent media coverage of the issue in Ireland. "The entire media is blatantly pro-abortion. A lot of people are afraid to say they're 100 percent pro-life," she says.
PART OF A LARGER DEBATE
The renewed campaigning puts Ireland at the epicenter of an international struggle. The Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, recently told the Sunday Business Post newspaper it would be funding groups including Youth Defense to the tune of “hundreds of thousands of dollars."
According to Pro-Life Action League's Eric Scheidler, Ireland is of importance to American antiabortion activists because it is a modern nation and yet, until now, all but banned abortion. "It's unusual to have all of modernity but still not have abortion, so those of us who seek to have legal protections for the right to life look at it as an example that this state of affairs can exist," he told The Monitor.
Choice Ireland's Sinéad Ahern says abortion-rights groups do not have similarly deep pockets and a full-blown campaign would be very uneven.
"There is no parity in terms of funding. It would make a huge difference for our campaign to have a bit more reach. Even something as basic as a leaflet campaign is quite difficult for us [and] we have no staff," she says.
Despite being portrayed in the world's media in the wake of Halappanavar's death as a bastion of Catholicism, Irish views on abortion are nuanced.
An opinion poll conducted by research firm Red-C found 85 percent those surveyed said they wanted the government to legislate for the X case, "which means allowing abortion where the mother's life is threatened, including by suicide." As far back as 1997, 77 percent of Irish people surveyed said there should be some access to abortion.
However, the same poll found a further 63 percent supported the removal from any legislation of the threat of suicide as grounds for abortion.
Ivana Bacik, a senator and law professor who is known for her abortion-rights campaigning, says the Irish political class is playing catch-up with public opinion on abortion.
"I think public opinion had already changed before the death of Savita Halappanavar, but it was solidified," she says. "There was a huge fear of the antichoice movement but more and more people are willing to see abortion legislated for."

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Panel on Benghazi attack heaps blame on State, citing 'systemic failures'

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An independent panel investigating the 9/11 attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi concluded that the State Department suffered “systemic failures” in providing adequate security.
The failures listed in a report released last night include relying too heavily on poorly trained local militias for security; “leadership and management” deficiencies in coordination of two important State Department bureaus; and an “under resourced” embassy lacking adequate security equipment, such as security cameras and outer perimeter walls high enough to protect the compound.
“Systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels within two bureaus of the State Department … resulted in a Special Mission security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place,” according to the report. The panel, known as an Accountability Review Board, was made up of five people appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, including Adm. Mike Mullen and longtime US diplomat Thomas Pickering.
The Benghazi attack, which fell on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. It highlighted the depth of lawlessness still plaguing the country in the aftermath of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's ouster.
“The attack on the US consulate was just the latest in a series of incidents,” Mohamed Abu Janah, a local radio executive and one of the protest’s organizers, told The Christian Science Monitor in September.
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The month before the attack, in a piece titled “Worrying signs of lawlessness in Libya,” The Monitor’s Dan Murphy noted that some of the militias that fought to oust Qaddafi had taken on gang-like qualities. “Generally untouchable, they continue to swagger through Libya's towns and cities, demanding special treatment as a reward for their role last year. Many of them are now technically integrated into the security services, but continue to operate with impunity,” Mr. Murphy wrote.
He warned that “[T]he steady drumbeat of problems is worrying. If it isn't dealt with, 'rat-a-tat-tat' can transform into 'boom.' "
According to The New York Times, these signs of insecurity were, in part, ignored in planning security for the US Mission in Libya.
The panel also said American intelligence officials had relied too much on specific warnings of imminent attacks, which they did not have in the case of Benghazi, rather than basing assessments more broadly on a deteriorating security environment. By this spring, Benghazi, a hotbed of militant activity in eastern Libya, had experienced a string of assassinations, an attack on a British envoy’s motorcade and the explosion of a bomb outside the American Mission.
The Los Angeles Times notes that the report is “likely to represent the government’s lasting judgment on the attacks.” According to the document, the attack was:
the calculated effort of militants and not a "spontaneous" reaction of an outraged crowd, the first explanation offered by U.S. officials.
Yet the five-member independent panel said that, despite the lapses, no officials had failed to carry out their duties in a way that required disciplinary action.
It also determined that there had been "no immediate, specific intelligence" on the threat against the mission.
The Obama administration's initial response to the attacks and United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice’s inconsistent statements describing the events of the night garnered anger from lawmakers in the weeks leading up to the presidential election.
“The report affirmed there were no protests of an anti-Islamic video before the attack, contrary to what Ms. Rice had said on several Sunday talk shows days after the attack,” notes the Times. This confirmation could reignite arguments that the White House “politicized” Ambassador Steven’s death and the embassy attack.
The Monitor reports that, “At issue were her statements over what had precipitated the attack on the US mission in Benghazi.”
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The legacy of Secretary of State Clinton could also be tarnished by last night’s panel report.
"This is a mark against Secretary Clinton. While she was not singled out, the report highlighted the lack of leadership and organization on security issues, and those fall into her bailiwick," Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Reuters.
An editorial in the Wall Street Journal goes a step further, outlining reasons why Clinton, who is currently recovering from a concussion after fainting earlier this month, should testify on the Benghazi matter.
Mrs. Clinton's testimony is months overdue. Ambassador Chris Stevens and the Benghazi consulate staff reported to her. Their safety was her responsibility. Congress needs to flesh out why security was so lacking, why requests for additional protection for the mission were denied, and who made those decisions.
Despite background briefings by the Pentagon, State and CIA, the Obama Administration hasn't offered a consistent timeline of the Benghazi events. Mrs. Clinton hasn't said what she did that day and precisely how her department liaised with the military and intelligence services. It shouldn't take this long to fill such gaps.
The backdrop to Benghazi matters too. Mrs. Clinton was presumably – as the President's chief foreign policy adviser – instrumental in drawing up the "light footprint" policy in Libya. After the fall of Moammar Gadhafi, the US disengaged. As an elected but weak government struggled to establish itself in Libya, Islamist militias with al Qaeda ties filled the gap. One such group, Ansar al-Shariah, laid siege to the U.S. consulate and CIA annex in Benghazi, killing four Americans. Both the CIA and State immediately pulled out of the city—an abject retreat. What was the rationale for the U.S. approach to Libya, and will it change?
Mrs. Clinton will soon leave the Obama cabinet with sky-high approval ratings and an eye on the 2016 presidential nomination. It's logical for her not to want to dwell on the worst debacle of her tenure at State. But two months ago, she said "I take responsibility" for Libya without ever doing so. It's well past time she did.
According to Reuters, Clinton “said in a letter accompanying the review that she would adopt all of its recommendations.” And the Los Angeles Times reports she is already taking steps to rectify problems identified in the report, including asking for a transfer of $1.3 billion from Congress.
They say the State Department is asking permission from Congress to transfer more than $1.3 billion from contingency funds that had been allocated for spending in Iraq. This includes $553 million for hundreds of additional Marine security guards worldwide; $130 million for diplomatic security personnel; and $691 million for improving security at installations abroad.

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Manziel first freshman to win Heisman Trophy

(Reuters) - Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was awarded the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, making him the first 'freshman' to win college football's top honor.
Manziel, nicknamed "Johnny Football", beat out Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein at the swanky ceremony in New York.
"This is a moment I've dreamed about since I was a kid running around the backyard pretending I was Doug Flute throwing 'hail marys' to my dad," the first-year player Manziel said.
"To be invited into this fraternity, what a pleasure it really is.
"I wish my whole team could be up here with me tonight especially my whole offensive line."
The Texan Manziel finished the regular season with 3,419 passing yards and 1,181 rushing yards to set a new total offense record for the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 12 games.
Manziel, who is not eligible for the NFL draft for at least another year, also broke the 1969 record held by Archie Manning, father of Peyton and Eli Manning, for total offense in a game with 557 yards against Arkansas.
He later bettered that with 567 yards against Louisiana Tech.
Marqise Lee from USC was fourth and Braxton Miller from Ohio State was fifth.
(Reporting by Ben Everill in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom)

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TV technical union strikes against Pac-12 Networks

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The union representing freelance technical employees who work on live sporting events for Pac-12 Networks went on strike Saturday.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees wants to establish area standard wages and benefits for the freelancers who work on the network's telecasts.
About 100 union members picketed outside Galen Center, where Southern California hosted No. 14 Minnesota in a men's basketball game. Picket lines also were set up at Arizona State, Oregon State, Oregon and Washington on Saturday where league games were being played. They carried signs reading, 'Pac 12 Networks Unfair.'
Fewer cameras were used on USC's game. Typically, there would be six, according to Steve Aredas, international representative for the IATSE. He said the union has no dispute with any of the Pac-12 schools or arenas.
Aredas said the union has tried to communicate with Pac-12 Networks executives, but they have not responded.
"We respect individuals' right to decide whether to be represented by a union," Pac-12 Networks said in a statement. "Regardless of how they decide, we will remain focused on creating an environment that is inclusive, respectful and allows us to have direct relationships with our staff and contractors."
Since going on the air in September 2012, Pac-12 Networks has employed technicians represented by the IATSE at 10 of the league's schools in the union's jurisdiction. But the union says the network has used non-union labor on many events in those markets or a combination of union and non-union labor working side-by-side.
The union said those technicians working without a contract receive lower wages, no benefits and no job protection.
The IATSE represents members employed in stagecraft, film and television production in the U.S. and Canada.

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Aresco, basketball schools talk Big East future

NEW YORK (AP) — Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco is working with the officials from the conference's seven nonfootball members to keep the rebuilding league from splitting apart.
A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that Aresco and officials from those seven Catholic schools held a conference call Thursday to discuss the future of the league. Those schools are considering breaking away from the rest of the transitioning league.
Such a break could kill the Big East, but it would most likely not end easily.
The current Big East football membership includes only four schools — South Florida, Connecticut, Cincinnati and Temple — that are committed to the league beyond 2013. But there are 11 schools with plans to join the Big East in the next three years.

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Big East nonfootball members mull future of league

NEW YORK (AP) — The seven Big East schools that don't play football spoke with the conference commissioner Thursday about possibly breaking from a league that has been drastically reshaped. Such a breakup would be complicated and could conceivably kill the Big East.
Commissioner Mike Aresco conferred by phone with the leaders of those seven schools, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated press because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
The current Big East football membership includes only four schools — South Florida, Connecticut and Cincinnati, Temple — that are committed to the league beyond 2013. But there are 11 schools with plans to join the Big East in the next three years, including Boise State and San Diego State for football only in 2013.
Because those schools won't be members until next summer, the nonfootball schools in the Big East could vote to dissolve the conference now.
The seven schools that do not play FBS level football are St. John's, Georgetown, Marquette, DePaul, Seton Hall, Providence and Villanova. Officials at those schools have concerns about the direction of the league and feel as if they have little power to influence it.
If the schools were to break off on their own, they could do so without financial penalty. The Big East has provisions in its bylaws that allow of a group of schools to leave without exit fees.
But what they would do remains unclear, as are the legal ramifications of their actions. There has been speculation those seven basketball schools could merge with the Atlantic 10 or possibly add schools from that league to create a basketball-only conference of smaller Catholic schools.
Who would own the rights to the name Big East would even be up in the air.
What would happen to the current and future football members is also unknown. The Mountain West and Conference USA have already lined up replacement members for the schools that have pledged to go to the Big East. Boise State and San Diego State would likely be able to slide right back into the Mountain West, but the seven current C-USA schools would have a less clear future.
The Big East's long-term plan is to form a 12- to 14-team football conference that spans coast to coast, starting next year, while also having a large basketball league with many of its traditional members.
But the most recent defections of Louisville and Rutgers, along with the additions of Tulane for all sports and East Carolina for football only in 2014, have left the basketball schools wondering if it's worth sticking with the plan.
The conference is also in the process of working on a crucial television contract. Those negotiations had to be put on hold when Rutgers and Louisville announced they were departing last month. Any more departures would be another huge setback.
Conference realignment has whittled away the Big East, costing it many of its oldest and most prominent members in the last 16 months. Pittsburgh and Syracuse are going to the Atlantic Coast Conference next year. West Virginia has moved to the Big 12. Louisville is headed to the ACC and Rutgers to the Big Ten, maybe as soon as 2014.

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