AEP's 4Q profit jumps 75 percent thanks to ruling (AP)

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? American Electric Power Co. said Friday that its fourth-quarter earnings surged 75 percent, largely due to a court decision in Texas that went in the company's favor.

The power supplier said that its net income rose to $308 million, or 64 cents per share, in the three months ending Dec. 31. That compares with $176 million, or 37 cents per share, a year ago.

AEP said a Texas Supreme Court ruling that reversed an unfavorable state regulatory ruling was worth $558 million to the company's bottom line. The company's revenue for the quarter held steady at $3.4 billion.

Excluding special items, AEP earned $194 million in the quarter, or 40 cents a share. Analysts polled by FactSet expected adjusted earnings of 41 cents a share on revenue of $3.1 billion. Those estimates typically do not include special items.

By early afternoon Friday, AEP's stock was down $1.34, or 3.2 percent, at $39.94. The shares have traded in a range of $33.09 to $41.98 over the past year.

"We had solid financial performance for both the fourth quarter and the year," president and CEO Nicholas Akins said in a statement. "We benefited from favorable weather conditions throughout most of the year, and our industrial volumes were up 4 percent in 2011."

AEP's industrial sales have had a tough recovery from a recession which sapped demand for power from manufacturers and other major customers that closed plants and made other cutbacks.

For the full year, AEP said that its net income rose to $1.9 billion, or $4.02 per share, from $1.2 billion, or $2.53 per share, in 2010. Revenue in 2011 was $15.1 billion, up from $14.4 billion the previous year.

American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation's largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of capacity.

___

Online:

http://www.aep.com/

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_aep

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Currencies: Dollar slips ahead of Greek debt talks

By Michael Kitchen, MarketWatch

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) ? The dollar traded lower during East Asian hours Wednesday, extending its losses ahead of a key meeting between Greece and its creditors later in the day.

The dollar index /quotes/zigman/1652083 DXY -0.21% , a measure of the U.S. unit?s value compared to six other currencies, slipped to 80.958, down from 81.175 late Tuesday in North American trade.

Feds going after S&P again

Federal prosecutors are again going after Standard & Poor's over the company's financial crisis-era ratings of troubled mortgage securities. Photo: Getty Images.

The move furthered a weakening trend after stronger-than-expected Chinese and German data helped investors to leave the relative safe haven of the greenback. See report on Tuesday?s currency action.

The euro /quotes/zigman/4867933/sampled EURUSD +0.2576% ticked higher, rising to $1.2760 from $1.2728 late Tuesday.

Later Wednesday, the Greek government was slated to resume talks with its bond holders, represented by the Institute of International Finance, to discuss a voluntary write-down on Greece?s sovereign debt.

The New York Times reported ahead of the meeting that Prime Minister Lucas Papademos would consider raising legislation to force a private-sector haircut on the debt if a deal can?t be reached voluntarily.

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?Talks on Greece debt swaps ... will likely be the main source of headline risk? for Wednesday, wrote Royal Bank of Canada senior forex strategist Sue Trinh, who said that price action ahead of the negotiations ?was biased toward risk-on.?

The Japanese yen strengthened slightly against the dollar /quotes/zigman/4868099/sampled USDJPY -0.1790% , which bought ?76.69, down from ?76.84 late Tuesday.

The euro /quotes/zigman/4868097/sampled EURJPY +0.0681% ?was little changed against the yen, changing hands at ?97.82, compared to Tuesday?s ?97.81.

The British pound /quotes/zigman/4867886/sampled GBPUSD +0.0929% ?inched higher to $1.5335, up from $1.5325.

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Michael Kitchen is Asia editor for MarketWatch and is based in Los Angeles.

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B22D1A0A0-419C-11E1-BCAF-002128040CF6%7D&siteid=rss&rss=1

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Iran cautious over Golden Globe film "A Separation" (Reuters)

TEHRAN (Reuters) ? The Iranian government sounded a note of caution on Tuesday about the success of "A Separation" which won a Golden Globe for best foreign film, saying gritty realist films favored by critics showed a skewed version of the Islamic Republic.

While Iranian movie fans were thrilled to see director Asghar Farhadi receive the award from Madonna in a ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday, the Tehran government, which keeps a tight control on movie output, has shown less enthusiasm.

"You have always got to look at these festivals tactfully," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said when asked to comment on the movie which has also won the Berlin Film Festival's Golden Bear and is tipped for an Oscar.

"Sometimes we see those who run these festivals grant precious awards to films whose main theme is centered on the poverty and hardships of a country's people.

"This should not lead our artists to ignore the glaring positive points and features of our nation and instead illustrate the kind of things welcomed by such festivals' organizers."

The emotional story of a marriage break-up won over audiences with its natural dialogue and dramatic treatment of themes of loyalty, class and family, scoring 100 percent from critics on U.S. website Rotten Tomatoes and 94 percent from viewers.

The added exposure from U.S. awards juries comes as relations between the United States and Iran are severely strained, with Iran saying it could close a major oil shipping lane if new sanctions block its crude exports -- something that would likely lead to a military stand-off.

"I just prefer to say something about my people. I think they are a truly peace-loving people," Farhadi said in an acceptance speech that pointedly lacked any overtly political message.

Avoiding the faux pas of Iran's best known film maker Abbas Kiarostami who was kissed by Catherine Deneuve when accepting the 1997 Palme d'Or at Cannes, Farhadi did not even shake hands with Madonna, conforming with Iranian law that bans contact between unmarried men and women.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Javad Shamaghdari, Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Iran, congratulated Farhadi for the win, saying his movie had overcome anti-Iranian prejudice. "Wise judgment has put his movie on the podium of the chosen ones," he said in a statement carried by the ILNA news agency.

The movie's growing international profile is likely to renew concerns for film makers in Iran where scripts have to be submitted to Shamaghdari's ministry for approval and several high-profile directors have been arrested, jailed or banned.

Farhadi has in the past spoken up for Jafar Panahi, an award-winning director who was sentenced to jail in 2010 for security offences and banned from making films - putting himself in the line of fire from hardliners in the government.

In recent days, the government has closed the main Iranian film makers' association House of Cinema, a move criticized as political by the group's supporters.

Among the thousands of messages posted online by Iranians delighted by A Separation's win was one that said: "I am so proud of you, it was a proud moment for all Iranians. With this event we have really upset those who closed the House of Cinema."

A YouTube posting of the award presentation carried the message: "Too Bad this vid can't make it all the way over there," a reference to Iran's strict Internet censorship which clocks access to most western news sites.

Iranians can access banned sites like YouTube and Facebook by using VPN (virtual private network) software, but even that is something that may be put at risk by government plans to create its own version of the Internet in coming weeks or months that some people fear could further isolate the country.

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Reza Taqipour told Mehr news agency that Iran would not be disconnecting itself from the Web. "This National Information Network will under no circumstances be a replacement for the Internet," he said.

(Writing by Robin Pomeroy, editing by Paul Casciato)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120117/film_nm/us_iran_movie_minister

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China denounces U.S. sanctions on company dealing with (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? China criticized U.S. sanctions on a Chinese company selling refined petroleum products to Iran, calling Washington's punishment an unreasonable step beyond international sanctions on Tehran's nuclear program.

Thursday, the Obama administration invoked U.S. law to sanction China's state-run Zhuhai Zhenrong Corp, which it said was Iran's largest supplier of refined petroleum products.

"Imposing sanctions on a Chinese company based on a domestic (U.S.) law is totally unreasonable, and does not conform to the spirit or content of U.N. Security Council resolutions about the Iran nuclear issue," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said in a statement issued on the ministry's website (www.mfa.gov.cn) late Saturday.

"China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and adamant opposition," said Liu.

The Obama administration said its sanctions against the Chinese company and two other firms are part of a broadening effort to target Iran's energy sector and press Tehran to curb its nuclear ambitions, which Western governments say appear aimed at developing the means to make atomic weapons.

Iran says its nuclear activities are legitimate and entirely for peaceful ends.

The U.S. sanctions threat is a worry for China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, followed by India and Japan. Only Saudi Arabia and Angola sell more crude than Iran to China.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China can veto resolutions mandating sanctions. But Beijing has voted for them, while working to ensure its energy ties are not threatened.

China has, however, also long criticized the United States and EU for imposing separate, unilateral sanctions on Iran and said they should take no steps reaching beyond the U.N. resolutions.

"Like many other countries, China and Iran maintain normal energy and trade and economic cooperation," said the foreign ministry spokesman Liu.

Analysts have said the U.S. move was largely symbolic, given that China's Zhuhai Zhenrong was unlikely to have much U.S. business, but that it sent a warning to Beijing and its state-run oil giants such as China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec Corp) and China National Offshore Oil Corp..

These companies have invested billions of dollars in the U.S. energy sector, and are much more exposed to the impact of potential sanctions.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley, Editing by Jonathan Thatcher)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120115/wl_nm/us_china_usa_iran

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Scientists unveil biggest ever map of universe's dark matter

Even though it cannot be seen directly, dark matter, which represents 98 percent of the mass of the universe, exerts a gravitational pull on normal matter,?including?light. By measuring its tug on starlight, astronomers have mapped the?distribution?of this mysterious substance.?

The hidden side of the universe is now a bit more illuminated thanks to the largest map yet of dark matter, the strange substance thought to inhabit much of space.

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Scientists have created the largest scale rendering of dark matter across the universe, revealing a picture of the invisible stuff thought to represent?98 percent of all matter?in the universe.

Dark matter has never been directly detected, but its presence is felt through its gravitational pull on normal matter. Scientists suspect dark matter is made of some exotic particle that doesn't interact with regular atoms.

"We know very little about the dark universe," said co-leader of the study, Catherine Heymans of the University of Edinburgh's School of Physics and Astronomy, during a press conference announcing the findings here at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society."We don't know what the dark matter particle is. It's very widely believed that the final understanding of the dark universe is going to have to invoke some new physics."

The new map reveals the distribution of?dark matter?over a larger swath of space than ever before. It covers more than 1 billion light-years. One light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers). [See the new giant dark matter map]

Warping light

To trace?invisible dark matter, the researchers searched for signs of its gravitational tug on other matter. They measured an effect called gravitational lensing, which occurs when gravity from a massive body bends space-time, causing light to travel along a curved path through space and appear distorted when it reaches Earth.

The scientists measured warped light from 10 million distant galaxies in four different regions of the sky, caused when those galaxies' light passed by large bundles of dark matter that bent its path.

"It is fascinating to be able to 'see' the dark matter using space-time distortion," another co-author of the study, Ludovic Van Waerbeke of the University of British Columbia, said in a statement. "It gives us privileged access to this mysterious mass in the universe which cannot be observed otherwise. Knowing how dark matter is distributed is the very first step towards understanding its nature and how it fits within our current knowledge of physics."

Scientists hope that by plotting out the distribution of?dark matter throughout space, they will come closer to understanding what it is.

"By analyzing light from the distant universe, we can learn about what it has travelled through on its journey to reach us," Heymans said. "We hope that by mapping more dark matter than has been studied before, we are a step closer to understanding this material and its relationship with the galaxies in our universe."

A close match

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/mtsKtzDWKpg/Scientists-unveil-biggest-ever-map-of-universe-s-dark-matter

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Space Station Dodges Space Junk from Satellite Crash (SPACE.com)

The International Space Station dodged a piece of space junk today (Jan. 13) to avoid a potentially dangerous collision.

The orbiting laboratory, currently home to six astronauts from three countries, burned its thrusters at 11:10 a.m. EST, boosting its orbit slightly to take it out of range of a piece of broken satellite that was due to pass between 0.6 and 15 miles (1 and 24 km) of the station today.

"At this point indications are that the debris avoidance maneuver was carried out as planned and carried out successfully," NASA commentator Pat Ryan said on NASA TV. "The crewmembers continued their work onboard while the burn happened this morning."

The space junk was part of the Iridium 33 communications satellite, which collided with a defunct Russian Cosmos spacecraft in 2009, creating a cloud of thousands of bits of debris that now orbit Earth and sometimes pose a collision hazard to working spacecraft.

The particular bit of space junk the station dodged today was only about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter, but could have been catastrophic to the $100 billion outpost if the two had collided at their high orbital speeds.

Potential space debris conjunctions are not uncommon for the space station. In November 2011 NASA was considering sending the three station crewmembers at the time into their Russian Soyuz spacecraft lifeboats to wait out a close pass by a piece of orbital trash. However, a subsequent analysis showed that the debris would stay far enough away to render the precaution unnecessary.

NASA astronaut Dan Burbank is currently leading the space station's Expedition 30 mission, which includes flight engineers Don Pettit of NASA, Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency, and Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov, Anatoly Ivanishin and Oleg Kononenko.

The crewmembers spent today working on scientific research and routine maintenance on their football field-size home in orbit.

Today's maneuver comes coincidentally timed with two other space junk events: the release of Space Junk 3D, a new IMAX film chronicling the growing danger of space debris in orbit, and the looming crash of the failed Russian Mars probe Phobos Grunt, which is expected to fall back to Earth in the next few days.

You can follow SPACE.com assistant managing editor Clara Moskowitz on Twitter @ClaraMoskowitz.?Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/space/20120113/sc_space/spacestationdodgesspacejunkfromsatellitecrash

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Crapgadget CES, round six: 4D Vibestar vibrating lumbar speaker system

Combining two of our favorite things, massages and LOUD noises. Feel the sound... in your lower-back.

Gallery: 4D Vibestar vibrating lumbar speaker system

Crapgadget CES, round six: 4D Vibestar vibrating lumbar speaker system originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/6iJIYjgFSMw/

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Military chief says Israel readying to take in Syrian refugees in Golan Heights

DANIELLA CHESLOW Associated Press

8:00 a.m. EST, January 10, 2012

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israel's military chief says the country is readying to take in Syrian refugees should Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime fall.

Lt. Gen Benny Gantz told a parliamentary committee Tuesday that he expects Assad will be toppled by the popular uprising against him.

Gantz says that would hurt Syria's ruling Alawite minority, so "we are getting ready to take in Alawite refugees in the Golan Heights."
Israel captured the Golan from Syria in 1967, then annexed it in 1981 in a move that has not been recognized internationally.

Gantz also said it was possible Assad would stir up trouble with Israel in the Golan to try to weaken opposition against him.

Gantz's comments were relayed by a meeting participant who, under committee guidelines, spoke on condition of anonymity.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sun-sentinel/news/nationworld/~3/TzT9BXPSSU0/sns-ap-ml-israel-syria,0,1756191.story

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Amped Wireless' new super-range WiFi gear unveiled at CES

Amped Wireless is a bit of a cult favorite here at Engadget, we love its super-high distance outdoor WiFi gear that has a range of up to 1.5 miles. It's unveiling four new devices for early 2012 that provide the same level of extreme coverage for the inside of your home.

• The High-Power Wireless-N 600mW Gigabit Router (R1000G) will cover 10,000 square feet in gigabit internet, costing $140.
• The High-Power Wireless-N Dual Band 600mW Gigabit Router (R2000G) does the same, only it'll switch between the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, ensuring that Hulu stream never dies -- and will retail for $180.
• The Dual-Band Wireless-N Smart Repeater (SR2000G) will push your wireless connection a further 10,000 square feet and will also retail for $180.
• The High Power Wireless-N Dual Band USB Adapter (UA2000) has twice the range of a regular USB dongle, packing a 600mW amplifier and 5dBi antenna for a speed of up to 300Mbps and will set you back just $80.

The top device (Single Channel Gigabit Router) will arrive at the end of this month and the other three will appear in the homes of land-barons nationwide in April.

Gallery: Amped Wireless Router and Adapter At CES 2012

Amped Wireless' new super-range WiFi gear unveiled at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/amped-wireless-2012-lineup/

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WikiPad ties up glasses-free 3D with games controls, all in a happy Android ICS package

We're not lacking for tablets to check out when CES opens -- for real -- later today. And here's another one that we're intrigued to see whether it makes it past the point of vaporware. The features sound pretty persuasive, with a glasses-free 3D display, gaming controls -- including dual-analog sticks -- and, apparently, Ice Cream Sandwich. The WikiPad is pegged for launch this spring through its (at the moment, pretty empty) site below. The Julian Assange endorsement is presumably still pending.

Continue reading WikiPad ties up glasses-free 3D with games controls, all in a happy Android ICS package

WikiPad ties up glasses-free 3D with games controls, all in a happy Android ICS package originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/10/wikipad-ties-up-glasses-free-3d-with-games-controls-all-in-a-ha/

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Live from the Engadget CES Stage: taking the PlayStation Vita for a spin

The next best thing to actually buying a PlayStation Vita? Why, tuning our demo, of course. We'll be joined by Sony executives to discuss the new gaming portable and see exactly what the thing can do. Join us at 12:30pm ET, after the break.

Continue reading Live from the Engadget CES Stage: taking the PlayStation Vita for a spin

Live from the Engadget CES Stage: taking the PlayStation Vita for a spin originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/11/live-from-the-engadget-ces-stage-taking-the-playstation-vita-fo/

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Scorsese, Allen earn Directors Guild honors (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? "Hugo" filmmaker Martin Scorsese and "Midnight in Paris" creator Woody Allen were among nominees Monday for top filmmaking honors from the Directors Guild of America.

Also nominated for the 64th annual Directors Guild honors were David Fincher for the thriller "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"; Michel Hazanavicius for the silent film "The Artist"; and Alexander Payne for the family drama "The Descendants."

The only first-time contender among the nominees, French filmmaker Hazanavicius could emerge as a front-runner for "The Artist," his black-and-white throwback to early Hollywood that has been a favorite at earlier Hollywood honors.

Scorsese now has nine Directors Guild nominations and is a past feature-film winner for 2006's "The Departed," as well as a TV drama winner a year ago for an episode of "Boardwalk Empire." The family film "Hugo" was a departure for Scorsese, known for dark crime tales, and the movie also was his first shot in 3-D.

Allen has been nominated five times and won for 1977's "Annie Hall." He had not been nominated since his 1989 "Crimes and Misdemeanors" but has been on a critical and commercial resurgence for the romantic fantasy "Midnight in Paris," his biggest hit in decades.

This was the third nomination for Fincher, who also was in the running a year ago for "The Social Network." Payne was nominated one time previously, for 2004's "Sideways."

Missing out on a nomination was three-time Directors Guild winner Steven Spielberg for "War Horse." Also left out was Terrence Malick for "The Tree of Life," an epic family drama that won top honors at the Cannes Film Festival but was a love-it-or-hate-it title among critics and fans.

The Directors Guild field is one of Hollywood's most accurate forecasts for who will be in the running at the Academy Awards, whose nominations come out Jan. 24. Most guild contenders go on to grab nominations for the Oscars.

Only six times in the previous 63 years has the guild's winner failed to receive the directing prize at the Oscars.

Last year, Tom Hooper won at both the Directors Guild and the Oscars for "The King's Speech." Fincher had been the favorite to win at the Directors Guild for "The Social Network," but key prizes from Hollywood trade guilds built late momentum for "The King's Speech," which dominated the Oscars with four awards, including best picture.

The guild will announce its winners at a Jan. 28 dinner, with Kelsey Grammer as host.

___

Online:

http://www.dga.org

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120109/ap_en_mo/us_directors_awards

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Jonathan Nolan Wanted for Akira Rewrite

The live-action American version of?Akira is a fascinating beast. Fans of the original cult Japanese comic book/animated movie are (almost) universally against it, the majority of casual moviegoers are unfamiliar with the source material, and it?s a project that has nearly died multiple times without even getting past the development stage. And yet, Warner Bros. just refuses to give up on it completely.

Studio heads have halted production on Akira, with initial reports claiming that it was due to budgetary concerns. Now, however, word has gotten out that it?s because Warner Bros. simply wants the film?s screenplay reworked again?- and they?re eying some pretty noteworthy talent for the job.

Variety has it on good authority (re: according to its insiders) that WB isn?t primarily interested in slashing Akira?s budget down even further from the already-reduced $90 million it was previously set at; rather, executives apparently feel more ?fixes? need to be completed on the screenplay for the dystopian sci-fi cyberpunk thriller.

Quick project history: Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli) was first brought onboard to pen the new?Akira, but it seems his script work was largely discarded when screenwriting duo Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Children of Men, Iron Man) were hired on for the project, back in 2009. Whitta was reportedly brought back to work on the Akira screenplay back when the Hughes Brothers were set to direct the project; thereafter, Albert Torres?(Henry Poole Is Here) took a stab at it, followed by Steve Kloves, the writer responsible for 7 of the 8 Harry Potter movies. Little-known screenwriter David James Kelly was responsible for tweaking and polishing off the most recent Akira script draft.

(Take a moment to process all that before continuing on?)

Warner Bros. is now looking to hire on someone else to work on the Akira screenplay and focus on certain ?character elements and particularly [the] pic?s look.? The top two candidates are: Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight, Person of Interest) and Michael Green (Green Lantern, Heroes).

L to R: Jonathan Nolan and Michael Green

Between the two new potential Akira writers, it?s fair to say that Nolan definitely has the stronger overall track record and his involvement would lend the project some much-need credibility, in many fans? eyes. Combine that with the news that Warner Bros. has narrowed down its choices for the dramatically-meaty part of Tetsuo to Boardwalk Empire?s Michael Pitt and Dane DeHaan (who looks to play a very?similar role quite well, in the upcoming Chronicle) and there is yet some glimmer of hope for this film.

Still ? after all the directing change-ups, numerous re-writes, and the questionable nature of this project in the first place, it?s hard to not suspect that Akira will ultimately amount to another over-cooked and expensive gamble that doesn?t pay off nearly as well as studio heads had hoped (recent examples include Cowboys & Aliens and TRON: Legacy).

We will continue to keep you updated on the status of Akira as more information is released.

Source: Variety

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924282/news/1924282/

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Kelly helps No. 5 Duke top Georgia Tech 81-74

Duke guard Tyler Thornton (3) drives to the basket as Georgia Tech guard Pierre Jordan (2) defends in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 in Atlanta. Duke won 81-74. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Duke guard Tyler Thornton (3) drives to the basket as Georgia Tech guard Pierre Jordan (2) defends in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 in Atlanta. Duke won 81-74. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Georgia Tech's Jason Morris (14) scores in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Georgia Tech head coach Brian Gregory reacts on the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski directs his players from the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Georgia Tech, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012 in Atlanta. Duke won 81-74. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Duke forward Ryan Kelly (34) drives against Georgia Tech forward Julian Royal (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012, in Atlanta. Duke won 81-74. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

ATLANTA (AP) ? After Duke played what coach Mike Krzyzewski called a "hellacious" non-conference schedule, Ryan Kelly wanted the No. 5 Blue Devils to create momentum for the ACC season.

Kelly scored 21 points, Seth Curry added 15 and No. 5 Duke beat Georgia Tech 81-74 on Saturday.

Duke (13-2, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) avoided consecutive defeats for the first time since Feb. 11 and Feb. 15, 2009.

"It's a new lease on life, really," Kelly said. "We were all 0-0 in coming into today and we're 1-0 now. That's all that matters. Everything else is done, and we've got to focus on the ACC."

Glen Rice Jr. scored a season-high 28 points, matching a career high, and Mfon Udofia finished with 19 for Georgia Tech (7-8, 0-1 ACC). The Yellow Jackets, who never led, have lost four straight.

Kelly was 14 of 14 from the free-throw line, including eight in the final 40 seconds to help seal the victory.

Following Wednesday's five-point loss to Temple, Krzyzewski started freshman Quinn Cook at point guard instead of Tyler Thornton and reinserted senior forward Miles Plumlee in the lineup in favor of Kelly.

Freshman Austin Rivers, who began the game with a team-best 15.1 scoring average, scored eight points on 3 of 10 shooting, but gave the Blue Devils a boost after missing a pair of free throws with 3:26 remaining and his team leading 68-66.

After forcing a runner that missed, Rivers stole the ball from Mfon Udofia and scored a fastbreak layup to make it 70-64 that energized the Duke bench and put a smile on the face of his father, Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who was watching from the seats.

"For him to make those two plays after really not having a good game ? he missed a layup and we missed two layups there when we had a 10-point lead ? he showed toughness," Krzyzewski said. "That's a huge play."

The Blue Devils took a 72-66 lead with 1:08 remaining when Curry bounced a lob pass off the glass for an assist that Mason Plumlee converted for a layup that made it 72-66.

"Guys made some big plays to help us win," Curry said. "It showed a lot of toughness on the road in the ACC, and that's what we need."

Krzyzewski was pleased with how Cook responded in his first career start. Cook, who handed out a game-high five assists and scored 10 points, said the coach told him about the lineup change in practice two days ago.

He was ready to meet the challenge after his nerves finally settled down.

"I just got good advice from Tyler," Cook said. "He told me to stay ready, stay sharp, and once I got that first shot on the first play, I knew it was going to be a good day."

Mason Plumlee's three-point play at the 8:07 mark of the first half gave Duke, which began the game shooting nearly 71 percent from the field, its biggest lead at 18.

But the Blue Devils didn't score another field goal in the first half after Andre Dawkins' 3-pointer from the right corner made it 36-24 with 4:07 remaining.

"We had a chance to go 20 to 25 up," Krzyzewski said. "We had open looks and when we didn't knock those down, I thought we showed a lack of experience. I think we came down on the defensive end still thinking about the wide-open shot we missed. Once Rice got going, I thought Tech got going. He's a high level player. He made some shots when I thought we had good defense on him."

Georgia Tech closed the first half on an 11-4 run that included Pierre Jordan's alley-oop, fastbreak pass to Jason Morris for a right-handed dunk in front of Mason Plumlee at the 1:22 mark.

The Yellow Jackets outrebounded Duke 38-26 and were led by Rice's eight. Duke outscored Georgia Tech 18-10 in points off turnovers.

Rice has been through a strange first eight weeks of the season. As a returning starter in coach Brian Gregory's first year at Georgia Tech, Rice was suspended for the first three games after breaking a team rule and has lately been used in a reserve role.

He went scoreless in a Dec. 29 loss at Fordham and followed that with just five points in a 73-48 home loss Tuesday to Alabama. Against Duke, however, he hit 10 of 17 shots from the field, including 4 of 7 on 3s. Rice played 32 minutes, third-most on the team.

"We're asking Glen to do something that's so different from what he's ever been asked to do," Gregory said. "And we're asking him to be dependable in doing that because he just can't (only) score. He needs to rebound for us. He needs to create baskets for other people."

Krzyzewski liked the resolve his team showed when the Yellow Jackets closed within two with 3:44 remaining. Morris hit a 14-foot jumper from the right side just as Duke switched from man-to-man defense to a zone.

The coach indicated the starting lineup is still in flux. Duke will return to practice to prepare for Thursday at home against Virginia. Kelly played 27 minutes, 10 more than Miles Plumlee, who finished with seven points and three rebounds before picking up his fourth foul with 8:36 left in the game.

"There's a lot of stuff happening with our team, but I thought we really showed some toughness," Krzyzewski said. "When it got down to two points and Rice is putting up shots like that, to win a game down the stretch like that is very important for the development of our kids."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-07-T25-Duke-Ga%20Tech/id-5be2301ebeae4af6ac6f1dd4a287aa42

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Russia's election chief rejects calls to step down (AP)

MOSCOW ? Russia's top election official on Thursday shrugged off protesters' demands that he step down over alleged fraud during last month's parliamentary ballot, saying he would listen only to the nations' leaders.

Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov said on Ekho Moskvy radio that he intends to serve the remaining four years of his term. He dismissed observers' statements that the Dec. 4 vote was manipulated to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's party retain its majority in parliament, and tried to turn the tables on his critics, accusing them of forging their evidence.

The allegations of vote violations sparked Russia's largest anti-government protests in two decades and have hurt Putin's bid to extend his 12-year rule by reclaiming the presidency in another election in March.

Tens of thousands protesters in Moscow and other Russian cities demanded Churov's dismissal. Churov said Thursday that his commission is looking into the alleged violations, but claimed that footage that showed ballot-stuffing and other fraud was doctored.

The bearded, 59-year old Churov has been derisively referred to as the "wizard" by protesters after President Dmitry Medvedev called him such after the vote. He defiantly told the radio that he wouldn't be guided by the protesters' demands.

"Any rally is politics, and I don't engage in politics," said Churov, whose commission is technically independent and non-partisan.

Ahead of a massive rally last month that drew about 100,000 people, even a presidential commission for human rights backed the demands for Churov's dismissal over vote violations.

The panel said that allegations of widespread fraud had led to a "moral and political discrediting of the election system and the lower house of parliament, creating a real threat to the Russian state."

Former Russia Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin, who remains close to Putin, also sided with protesters' demand for Churov's ouster, a sign that the Kremlin might opt for sacking Churov to appease public anger.

Churov argued Thursday that he can't be dismissed until the end of his term under Russian law. Asked whether he would obey a request by Putin or Medvedev to step down voluntarily, he answered, "We shall discuss it when they ask for that."

Churov, who started working under Putin back at the time when the Russian leader was still a city official in St.Petersburg in the early 1990s, won notoriety by declaring once that "Putin is always right."

Asked whether his longtime links with Putin represents a conflict of interest during the presidential race, he answered blank-faced: "No, and there can't be any. I always fulfill my duty."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120105/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_election

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Video: Fishing Under Ice (Little green footballs)

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