Judge clears Bruno Mars of cocaine charge (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? A Las Vegas judge on Wednesday dismissed the cocaine possession case against pop star Bruno Mars after he successfully completed court-ordered drug education classes and community service, even exceeding the amount of hours he was told to serve.

Clark County District Court Judge Jessie Walsh cleared Bruno of the charge, said Mary Ann Price, court information officer for the 8th Judicial District Court.

Mars, whose real name is Peter Hernandez, was arrested in September 2010 after a bathroom attendant at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel caught him with "a baggy of white powder," later found to be cocaine, according to a police report at the time.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing cocaine and received a $2,000 fine, 200 hours of community service, drug counseling and was told to stay out of trouble during a year of informal probation. Bruno performed all the requirements and exceeded the 200 hours of service, his attorney told Reuters.

Mars' original guilty plea was nullified and will not show up on his record.

The "Grenade" singer, 26, burst onto music charts in 2010 after collaborating with rapper B.o.B on "Nothin' On You" and Gym Class Heroes' Travie McCoy on "Billionaire." He is currently nominated in six categories at the upcoming Grammy Awards in February.

Judge Walsh took over Mars' case after County Clark Deputy District Attorney David Schubert, who prosecuted Mars in early 2011, was arrested for buying cocaine himself a few months later.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/music_nm/us_brunomars

elmo aesop alyson hannigan dirt 3 la fitness bayer diamond

Russian tycoon's London court battle doomed: lawyer (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Boris Berezovksy's $6 billion lawsuit against rival Russian tycoon is doomed to fail because key witnesses are dead and no written records exist of crucial agreements at the heart of the case, London's Commercial Court was told on Wednesday.

The trial, expected to end on Friday with a judgment due weeks later, has pitted former Kremlin insider Berezovsky against one-time ally Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea soccer club.

Berezovsky, 65, says Abramovich intimidated him into selling his stake in oil firm Sibneft - the crown jewel of his business empire - at a knockdown price. Abramovich, 45, denies Berezovsky ever had an interest in the firm.

"The burden of proof is on Mr Berezovsky to establish his claims," said Ali Malek, a lawyer representing an opponent of Berezovsky in a separate case that partly overlaps with the Abramovich lawsuit.

There were "insuperable difficulties" in the case for Berezovsky as "the agreements were all oral".

"The court would normally expect, in view of their importance, that the alleged agreements be recorded in writing or certainly evidenced in writing by contemporaneous documents and here they were not," Malek said.

"The court is being asked to make findings of fact in 2012 in relation to agreements some 16 to 17 years ago... Important witnesses are dead," he added.

The titanic legal battle between two of the wealthiest and most powerful men to emerge from post-Soviet Russia has provided rich media pickings ever since a tussle between the two tycoons and their retinues of bodyguards in a Hermes luxury boutique in London, when Berezovsky served Abramovich with a writ.

RUSSIA'S ROARING 90s

And it has thrown a powerful spotlight on the shady business dealings in Russia in the decade following the collapse of the Soviet Union, when opaque deals to sell off state assets turned a handful of insiders into the owners of multi-billion dollar natural resources companies.

It is this kind of "unusual background and context" in Russia that further complicates the case, Malek said.

Spoken agreements between big businessmen in Russia were not uncommon in the 1990s because they were reluctant to disclose their assets.

Judge Elizabeth Gloster is also being asked to rule whether Abramovich's payments to Berezovsky were for his political patronage and protection from criminal gangs - an informal arrangement known in Russian slang as "krysha" - or dividends from Sibneft.

During the morning part of Wednesday's hearing, Berezovsky appeared cheerful, sitting next to his younger girlfriend, his large legal team and bodyguards. But by the afternoon, he was yawning loudly.

Abramovich did not attend Wednesday's hearing.

A close ally of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin during the 1990s, Berezovsky left Russia in 2000 after falling out with Yeltsin's hand-picked successor Vladimir Putin.

He says he gave up his Sibneft stake because he feared that if he refused, Abramovich would ensure Putin had the shares expropriated.

Abramovich says he paid Berezovsky $2 billion for "krysha", but not as dividends from Sibneft because Berezovsky was never an owner. Abramovich has since sold Sibneft to the Russian state natural gas monopoly Gazprom.

Berezovsky also accuses Abramovich of selling, without permission, his shares in aluminium producer RUSAL.

(Editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/wl_nm/us_britain_russia_berezovsky

tim howard scores consumer financial protection bureau nick cannon kidney failure casey anthony video recess appointment eastman kodak eastman kodak

A look at key moments in the SC GOP debate (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Some notable moments from the Republican presidential hopefuls' debate Monday in Myrtle Beach, S.C.:

___

From the frontrunner:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney used the debate to defend his record as a venture capitalist. Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, Romney's rivals, have portrayed him as a corporate fat cat whose company, Bain Capital, made a fortune while thousands of employees lost their jobs.

Asked whether the results of Bain's successes show a flaw in the business model or are just the rough and tumble of capitalism, Romney said he believes free enterprise works and ultimately improves the economy.

"Every time we invested, we tried to grow an enterprise, add jobs to make it more successful," Romney said. "The record is pretty darn good."

___

Releasing tax forms:

Romney said he'd be "happy" to release his tax forms and suggested he would do so around April if he is the party's presidential nominee.

"I've heard enough from folks saying, `Look, let's see your tax records.' I have nothing in them that suggests there's any problem and I'm happy to do so," Romney said.

"If I become our nominee, and what's happened in history is people have released them in about April of the coming year, and that's probably what I would do."

Perry called on Romney to release his tax forms soon, as other candidates had. The public, Perry added, has a right to know how Romney earned his money, adding "We can't fire our nominee in September. We need to know now."

___

Gingrich on his positive campaign promise:

Romney's super PAC spent more than $3 million in attack ads, which Gingrich said left him the option to either "unilaterally disarm" and leave the race or "at least bring up your competitor's record."

Asked why he was criticizing Romney's success in a way that Democrats might, Gingrich replied:

"I don't think Republicans should allow themselves to automatically be intimidated because every time you raise a question somebody yells, `You are doing something the Democrats will do.'"

___

Sharp disagreements over indefinite detention:

President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act that would allow indefinite detention of some terror suspects. Many civil liberties activists believe the law is unconstitutional.

Romney said he would have signed the law and insisted it was "appropriate" to detain American members of al-Qaida. Romney called membership in the group "treason" and said the U.S. government has the right to impose indefinite detention.

Santorum said a U.S. citizen who is detained as an enemy combatant should have the right to a lawyer and to appeal their case before a federal court.

Paul said holding American citizens indefinitely is a breach of the U.S. judicial system.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_debate_takeaways

hakeem nicks alpha lipoic acid 105.1 alex trebek lightsquared jane lynch matt ryan

Do I qualify for an auto insurance discount?

Almost every driver can qualify for an auto insurance discount with the right insurance company. Auto insurers began offering discounts as a way to shape behavior in an effort to reduce risks. Since certain drivers are drawn to specific discounts, the insurance industry noticed that large pools of drivers would start to form if a certain discount was offered. Compare auto insurance companies with our FREE car insurance comparison tool!

When an insurance company can underwrite large numbers of safe drivers, their incomes rise and the annual number of claims decreases. When a driver shops around for the right auto insurance policy, the number of discounts offered by each insurance company comes to light.

Vehicle-Related Discounts

When insurance companies calculate the cost of insuring certain vehicles, there is very little guesswork involved. Actual accident statistics are tracked by state insurance commissions. Police reports are used to gather accident information while repair shops provide actual cost data. Drivers can visit the website of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to determine the least expensive vehicles to insure if a new car purchase is on the horizon.

• Make and model ? When the cost of repairing the vehicle is known, the insurance company assigns a cost of repair. Over time, costs will moderate for popular vehicles because parts are more readily available. Certain cars are very expensive to insure because of repair and replacement costs.
• Safety features ? Air bags, automatic seat belts and anti-lock brakes reduce the risk of injury for passengers involved in a car accident. All of these features are revealed in the VIN number on the vehicle when the insurance company begins to formulate a quote. Most safety features are factory-installed.
• Security devices ? Electric locks and a factory-installed car alarm ensure that the vehicle is secured when the driver is not present. These devices will be indicated in the VIN, but the driver is wise to mention these features when asking for a quote.
• Anti-theft apparatus ? Kill switches, steering wheel locks and tire locks are excellent theft deterrents. In areas where auto theft occurs often, the insurance company may require that an anti-theft apparatus is installed on the vehicle. Reducing the risk of theft saves money for the car insurance company.

Driver-Related Discounts

Reducing risk of loss is the most important action a driver can take to receive lower car insurance premiums from the insurance companies. Many drivers are surprised to find that mature habits in other areas of life are rewarded by insurance companies. Most of the following discounts are awarded to responsible individuals who ask for them.

• Clean driving record ? When a driver does not incur a moving violation or speeding ticket for three or more consecutive years, the insurance company lowers the auto insurance premium. Safe driving is one of the most important factors for retaining low car insurance rates.
• Good credit score ? Financial habits reflect an individual?s ability to handle responsibility in every area of life. If the credit score is low, the insurance companies will charge a higher premium for the individuals listed on the auto policy.
• Senior citizen ? People older than 55 and younger than 80 years of age are considered more mature when their driving record remains free from violations. After the age of 80, some insurance companies will require reflex evaluations for their older drivers to ascertain their ability to drive safely.
• Good student ? Young drivers with excellent school grades are rewarded with lower car insurance premiums because of their disciplined approach to school. Students with average grades are not charged higher than standard rates, but this discount is not given.
• Professional association ? Corporate discounts are negotiated by some very large companies. Professional groups, such as physicians, accountants and attorneys, are offered lower rates because the insurance industry perceives drivers in these professions as more responsible.
• Low mileage ? Every insurance company has a different idea of ?low mileage? when it comes to driving a vehicle in a given month. Some companies offer discounts if the car is driven fewer than 100 miles in a month, but each insurer is different. The best way to find out is to inquire about this discount if the vehicle is not driven every day.
• Driver?s training ? One day spend in a defensive driving course can reduce the annual auto insurance premium by as much as 30 percent. Every company is different, so the driver must shop around and then follow through and take the course. Other types of training, such as inclement weather training, will reduce rates because the risk of accidents is lowered.

Policy-Related Discounts

Insurance companies offer various types of discounts that are related to their loyal customers. Each insurer will offer a variation on the following discounts, and the best way to find them is to ask during the quote process. All policy documentation must be verified to ensure that each promised discount was awarded.

• Multi-policy ? If the driver also has a home, purchasing both insurance policies from the same insurance company can save a great deal on both premiums. Life insurance policies will be discounted by most insurers when the car and home insurance policies are with the same insurer. The actual discount percentage varies by insurer.
• Multi-vehicle ? One auto insurance policy with multiple cars listed in the coverage will be less expensive than separate policies for each vehicle. This method is especially important when teen drivers are added to the family insurance policy. Mature drivers can offset the cost of insuring a teen.
• Annual payment ? Administrative costs are lower when one payment is made each year. Insurance companies will reduce the annual premium if they receive all of the money at the beginning of the policy year. Some insurers will allow policyholders to make quarterly payments, which are less expensive than twelve monthly payments.
• Deductible ? Carrying a higher deductible on an auto insurance policy is one method of lowering the annual premium. Care must be exercised when setting the deductible amounts to avoid causing a financial hardship if an accident occurs. The amount of the deductible should be kept in a savings account.

Final Word

When drivers shop around for auto insurance, the goal should be to acquire sufficient coverage against loss at an affordable price. A quote that is ridiculously low compared to the other quotes acquired should be evaluated closely. If an accident occurs, the coverage must cover the loss.

Drivers that cut corners on each of the major subcomponents, such as collision, comprehensive and liability might save money on the annual auto insurance premiums but will not be sufficiently insured. A prudent approach is to set appropriate coverage levels and ask for every possible discount for which the driver might qualify. Compare and find cheap auto insurance with our FREE comparison search below!

Source: http://www.autoinsurance.org/do-i-qualify-for-an-auto-insurance-discount/

cordova lsu game lsu game truffles truffles houston weather demaryius thomas

Legislators oppose Armenian genocide bill (AP)

PARIS ? A French Senate panel dealt a blow Wednesday to the government's plans to make it illegal to deny that mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago amounted to genocide.

In a striking development, the Commission of Laws in the Senate ? the upper house of parliament ? voted 23-9, with 8 abstentions, that such a bill, if passed, could violate constitutional protections including freedom of speech.

"We consider that if this law was passed, there would be a large risk of it being unconstitutional," said Jean-Pierre Sueur, the commission head. "We cannot write history with laws. Freedom of expression must be respected," Sueur said.

The panel vote, while a nonbinding recommendation, was the first legislative setback for the bill that has soured relations between France and Turkey since the National Assembly, the lower house, passed it last month.

The measure, floated by President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservatives despite a visceral outcry from Turkey, goes to the full Senate for debate Monday. The opposition Socialists had in the past also expressed support.

Officials at the Senate press office said that in the vast majority of cases the full chamber follows the recommendations of the Commission of Laws.

However, rejection by the Senate does not necessarily kill a measure that the lower house ? the most powerful in France ? wants passed into law. The National Assembly can resurrect the bill and try again, and eventually gets the last word.

France formally recognized the 1915 killings as genocide in 2001, but provided no penalty for denying it. The Assembly bill would set punishment of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to euro45,000 ($59,000) for those who deny or "outrageously minimize" the killings ? placing such denial on par with those of the Holocaust.

France is home to an estimated 500,000 people of Armenian origin.

The bill has sparked a show of animosity between the two countries, with Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accusing the French of "genocide" during France's 132-year colonial rule in Algeria. Turkey also briefly recalled its ambassador to Paris for consultations, while suspending military and economic cooperation.

Two scenarios are now most likely when the French Senate debates the bill Monday, Senate press officials said. Senators could ignore the panel vote and pass the bill, putting it on a fast track to becoming law, or they could reject the bill, handing it to a commission from both houses to iron out differences.

The second option would greatly slow the legislative process. A freeze on all but the most critical legislation goes into effect in early March ahead of spring presidential and legislative elections.

In a statement, the commission said: "There was a genocide, and the commission wants to express its infinite respect for the Armenian people, and the terrible experiences that they have endured."

But the panel also expressed doubts about "the legitimacy of the intervention of the legislature in the field of history" and suggested that commemorations or legislative resolutions might be a better way to express sympathy for the suffering than laws to criminalize some types of speech.

___

Jamey Keaten contributed from Paris.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_turkey_genocide

dream house taylor martinez taylor martinez o brother where art thou o brother where art thou oregon state football oregon state football

China's growth ebbs in final quarter of 2011 (AP)

BEIJING ? China's economic growth slowed in the final quarter of 2011 to its lowest rate in 2 1/2 years as U.S. and European demand plunged and Beijing fought inflation.

The world's second-largest economy grew by 8.9 percent in the three months ending in December, data showed Tuesday. It was the slowest expansion since the second quarter of 2009, when the economy grew 7.9 percent.

China appears on track to avoid the "hard landing" of an abrupt slowdown but needs to do more to reduce reliance on exports and investment-driven growth by boosting consumer spending, analysts said.

"Today's outcome seems to confirm a `soft landing' scenario," said Frances Cheung of Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong.

Slower Chinese growth could have global repercussions if its cuts demand for oil, iron ore, industrial components and other imports and hurts suppliers such as Australia, Brazil and Southeast Asia.

In 2012, China faces "complexity and challenges" due to global malaise and domestic pressure for prices to rise, said Ma Jiantang, commissioner of the National Statistics Bureau.

"We will face a number of risks that affect the steady growth of the Chinese economy," Ma said at a news conference.

For the full year, the economy grew 9.2 percent, down from 2010's blistering 10.3 percent after communist leaders repeatedly hiked interest rates and tightened investment curbs to prevent overheating and inflation.

Hit by an abrupt plunge in Western consumer demand, regulators reversed course in late 2011 and tried to prop up growth by promising more bank lending to help struggling exporters and avert job losses and the threat of unrest.

The plunge in global demand, coupled with lending curbs, drove thousands of small Chinese exporters out of business and forced others to cut jobs, raising the threat of unrest.

Analysts expect Beijing to try to stimulate growth this year with an interest rate cut or other measures to free up money for lending.

Consumer inflation edged down in December to 4.1 percent, below July's 37-month high of 6.5 percent. That could give the government more leeway to stimulate the economy but it still was above the official 4 percent target for the year.

The central bank last week promised pro-growth efforts to support Chinese entrepreneurs and small companies, though its governor warned conditions were uncertain.

Also in 2011, China's urban population exceeded the number of rural dwellers for the first time, rising to 51.3 percent of the nation's 1.3 billion people, the National Bureau of Statistics announced.

The slowdown was in line with government plans to cool China's overheated economy, Ma said. He said the "ideal situation" would be to keep growth between 8.5 and 9 percent and to keep inflation low.

China's economic growth fell steadily over the course of the year, declining from 9.7 percent in the first quarter. Industrial surveys show manufacturing and exports contracted in November and December. A slowdown in real estate sales as the government tries to cool surging home prices has sparked concern about the impact on the overall economy.

In a positive sign, growth in retail sales rebounded to 18.1 percent in December from November's 17.1 percent.

"If we can rely more on domestic consumption, that will help the economy to sail through all these headwinds," said Credit Agricole CIB's Cheung. "In retail sales, there is quite an obvious pickup in growth, so that is where I think the comfort will come from."

Also in December, growth in factory output edged up to 12.8 percent from November's 12.4 percent.

"This all reaffirms our outlook on China for a soft landing in the second half of 2011 and in opening six months of 2012," said Moody's Analytics economist Glenn Levine in a report. "Export demand has cooled, but domestic demand is still running strong, led by public investment in housing and other infrastructure."

___

National Bureau of Statistics (in Chinese): http://www.stats.gov.cn

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_economy

regenesis fanboys ucla usc ucla usc sean taylor usc football cybermonday

Oprah amazed by India's tolerance levels, joint families

American talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who is on her maiden visit to India, is amazed by the tolerance and system of joint families in the country.

"What I love most about this country is their tolerance... how the families learn to love and live together. When I was in America and talking to famous people (from India) I would ask how you live with your parents? Now I see how you do it," she said.

She visited a city slum at Colaba here today and is also expected to have dinner with a family of four generations.

Pics: Behind-the-scenes with Oprah in Mumbai

Oprah, who arrived here yesterday, is in the country for Next Chapter, a new series of her famous talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, in which she would travel around the world interviewing celebrities, news-makers and others.

Pics: Oprah in the Maximum City

She kicked off her week-long visit to India by partying with Bollywood stars last night.

Source: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?id=ENTEN20120192573&keyword=bollywood&section=Movies&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA

greg halman greg halman dancing with the stars results ucla basketball walmart black friday sales walmart black friday sales michelle obama booed at nascar