Stock index futures lower, results eyed (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Thursday, with futures for the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 down 0.03 to 0.2 percent at 1004 GMT.

Earnings news will be a focus in the financial sector, with Bank of America (BAC.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) both releasing fourth-quarter results.

Other big names reporting fourth-quarter results include Google (GOOG.O), International Business Machines Corp (IBM.N), Intel Corp (INTC.O) in the technology sector, while second-quarters earnings are due from Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O).

Late on Wednesday, EBay Inc (EBAY.O) reported better-than-expected results, but gave a conservative quarterly sales forecast, warning that a weak European economy may take the gloss off rip-roaring growth in online commerce.

Macro economic news will be in the spotlight to shed some light on economic growth, with U.S. Housing Starts, U.S. weekly jobless claims and U.S. CPI data all due at 1330 GMT, while the Philadelphia Fed Business activity index is due at 1500 GMT.

Morgan Stanley's, head of European oil research predicts BP (BP.L) will likely agree to pay the U.S. Department of Justice $20-$25 billion next month to settle all charges around the Deepwater Horizon rig blast and Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Before approving a new diabetes drug from AstraZeneca (AZN.L) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY.N), U.S. drug regulators need further clinical data, possibly including new clinical studies.

Eastman Kodak Co (EK.N) has filed for bankruptcy protection and said it had also obtained a $950 million, 18-month credit facility from Citigroup to keep it going.

European shares inched higher on Thursday on hopes Greece would reach an agreement on a bond swap deal with its private creditors to avoid a messy default and that bank's earnings in the United States would be strong.

Spain drew strong demand at a debt auction which sold more than 6.6 billion euros ($8.46 billion) of bonds with maturities of up to 10 years on Thursday in its first test of market sentiment for euro zone bonds this year.

U.S. stocks jumped to their highest since July on Wednesday as the International Monetary Fund seeks to raise $600 billion to help countries hit by the European debt crisis and forecast-beating earnings from Goldman Sachs.

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) rose 0.8 percent, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) added 1.1 percent and the Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) climbed 1.5 percent.

(Reporting by Joanne Frearson; Editing by Mike Nesbit)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120119/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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Paolo Maldini appears interested in PSG position

Associated Press Sports

updated 9:21 a.m. ET Jan. 19, 2012

MILAN (AP) -Former AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini appears interested in following Carlo Ancelotti and Leonardo to Paris Saint-Germain in a management or coaching capacity.

Maldini tells the Gazzetta dello Sport that while he hasn't been offered anything, "that doesn't mean it won't happen. ... I met the president and there's reciprocal respect with him, besides with Leo and Carlo."

Maldini adds, "I know what I can offer: experience, a love for this sport, a desire to dedicate myself to a serious project. But I've never asked anybody for anything."

Since retiring in 2009, Maldini says he has had informal discussions with former Milan coach Leonardo and current Rossoneri manager Massimiliano Allegri.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Mourinho's 'woeful Barca loss

Another loss to Barcelona has piled pressure on Jose Mourinho, with support for the Real Madrid coach ebbing after another ill-tempered and ineffective display against its biggest rival.

He's back

David Beckham has re-signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy, agreeing to a new two-year contract with the Major League Soccer club.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46054362/ns/sports-soccer/

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South Sudan plans to shut oil production within 2 weeks (Reuters)

JUBA (Reuters) ? South Sudan said on Friday it was working out a plan to shut down oil production within two weeks after Sudan said it had started seizing southern oil to compensate for what it said were unpaid transit fees.

South Sudan seceded last July under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war between north and south, but the two have remained at loggerheads over oil, the disputed Abyei region and even the location of the border.

The two are locked in a row over sharing oil revenues after South Sudan took two-thirds of output when it became independent. Oil is the lifeline of both economies.

The landlocked new African nation needs to use a northern pipeline and the port of Port Sudan to export the crude but has failed to reach an agreement with Khartoum over a transit fee, prompting Sudan to seize part of its oil as compensation.

"The ministry of petroleum and mining will sit down to start a technical process that will lead to a decision that will lead to a complete shutdown. That will be in a week or two weeks," government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin told Reuters.

"We have taken this decision because South Sudan is not benefiting from oil. It is being taken by force by the Republic of Sudan, and the oil that is going through the pipeline is being looted," he said.

He said Sudan had seized oil worth $350 million in Port Sudan and preventing the sale of oil worth more than $400 million by restricting vessels from entering or leaving the port.

South Sudan's oil minister Stephen Dhieu Dau said the government could run without oil, which make up 98 percent of state revenues, for 18 months.

Khartoum has said Sudan is seizing some oil and diverting some of it to its two refineries but has not said whether it would try selling any seized oil.

Sudan is demanding $1 billion for unpaid transit fees since July plus $36 a barrel in the future as a transit fee, roughly a third of the export value of southern oil. Khartoum also wants Juba to share Sudan's external debt of $38 billion.

South Sudan pumps around 350,000 bpd, officials have said. Sudan produces 115,000 bpd in its remaining fields but needs it for domestic consumption.

Dhieu Dau said the government wanted to push ahead with plans to build an alternative pipeline to end dependency on northern export facilities.

"We are planning that building an alternative pipeline will be a national duty for all South Sudanese and the plans which are now being designed by the ministry of petroleum and mining," he told reporters, without elaborating.

South Sudan has held talks with foreign firms to build a pipeline to Kenya but oil industry insiders are skeptical because it would have to cross through rough and violent terrain.

In addition, oil production is going to halve within a decade without significant new finds, according to the International Monetary Funds (IMF).

South Sudan hopes to find oil in Jonglei state where France's Total holds a largely unexplored oil license but tribal has escalated in past weeks.

Sudan's government itself is under pressure to overcome a severe economic crisis after losing the southern oil, which made up 90 percent of the country's exports. It generated $5 billion in oil revenues in 2010.

Juba has offered Sudan the sale of discounted oil and other financial help, but neither side shows sign of shifting their positions.

(Reporting by Hereward Holland; Writing by Ulf Laessing, editing by Jane Baird and Jason Neely)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/energy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120120/wl_nm/us_sudan_south_oil

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Impact take Canadian forward in supplemental draft

updated 4:00 p.m. ET Jan. 17, 2012

MONTREAL - The expansion Montreal Impact have selected Canadian forward Evan James with the No. 1 overall pick Tuesday in the MLS supplemental draft.

James starred in college at Charlotte, scoring five goals in 25 games this season. He also impressed scouts at the MLS combine Jan. 6-10 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The four-round supplemental draft followed last week's SuperDraft, in which Hermann Trophy winner Andrew Wenger of Duke went first overall to Montreal.

The Impact become the 19th team in MLS team this season.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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'Saved by our yoga session'

Police say a man was shot and killed at the hotel hosting the U.S. women's soccer team during the Olympic qualifying tournament.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46029833/ns/sports-soccer/

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HDNet to relaunch as live entertainment network (AP)

NEW YORK ? Mark Cuban's HDNet is joining forces with sports and entertainment presenter AEG, Ryan Seacrest Media and Hollywood talent firm Creative Artists Agency to rebrand the network.

The relaunched network will be called AXS TV (pronounced "access") and will debut this summer with a slate of live entertainment and lifestyle programming, the companies announced Wednesday. The new network will benefit from the reach of AEG and will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access to concerts, award shows and other pop culture events, they said.

Claiming an inside track to programming that connects the audience with the complete live experience, AXS TV plans to display touring acts from the creation and development of the show, to rehearsals, sound-check and performance, as well as the after-party.

"This is a major step on our way to offering more live programming than any other entertainment and lifestyle network," said Cuban, a billionaire who owns the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. "AXS TV will unquestionably be able to leverage our unique assets to do things no other network will be able to replicate."

AEG president and CEO Timothy J. Leiweke said in a statement, "The ability to give fans the opportunity to experience `live' in a different way is something we have been looking for a way to do for years."

Some existing programs on HDNet, including "HDNet Fights" and the newsmagazine "Dan Rather Reports," will continue.

As part of its agreement with the joint venture, DISH, the nation's third-largest pay TV provider, will provide a slate of unique music services to its subscribers, and in March it will begin offering a selection of AXS-branded video-on-demand concerts.

DISH will expand its carriage of the rebranded HDNet by offering the channel in its America's Top 120 programming package. AXS TV will continue to be available from HDNet's existing distributors, including DirecTV, Comcast, Verizon, AT&T and other providers. In total, AXS TV is expected to reach more than 35 million North American households.

Ryan Seacrest Media holds an ownership stake in AXS TV, and Ryan Seacrest Productions, an independent entertainment production company, will develop and produce programming for AXS TV. But Ryan Seacrest, whose many on-camera roles include hosting Fox network's "American Idol," is not expected to appear on AXS TV.

Financial terms of the new venture were not disclosed.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_en_tv/us_tv_hdnet_rebranding

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Bruce Jenner sports cancer surgery scar

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 16:  Bruce Jenner attends a game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on January 16, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.  (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images)

Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

A scar is visibile on Bruce Jenner's face as the former Olympic champ attends a game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center Monday.

CRISTINA EVERETT

Bruce Jenner raised some eyebrows when he recently stepped out to attend the Lakers vs. Mavericks game, sporting some very visible stitches on his famous face.

Despite initial speculation that the former Olympic champion had undergone another round of plastic surgery, reports claim he actually experienced a frightening health scare.

According to TMZ, Jenner underwent surgery on Friday to remove a cancerous growth. The 62-year-old reportedly noticed a red mark on the right side of his face and went to an outpatient facility to have a chunk of the surrounding area removed. After a biopsy was performed, doctors determined it was cancerous.

Jenner, who has been advised to cover up when he goes out in the sun, is said to be on the road to recovery.

?They got it all, he?s OK,? a family source told Us Weekly.

Source: http://feeds.nydailynews.com/~r/nydnrss/gossip/rush_molloy/~3/Lv4abCWxTok/bruce-jenner-sports-visible-scar-face-undergoing-skin-cancer-removal-surgery-article-1.1007860

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Katy Perry Lost A Husband But Gained A Video Game (VIDEO)

It's earnings vs Europe for stocks (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? U.S. stock investors will return to a tug of war between signs of domestic strength and overseas concerns this week as a batch of critical earnings reports look to add credence to the idea the economy is improving, while credit rating downgrades in Europe will keep that region's difficulties in view.

Bank stocks will probably once again be a primary focus, as not only will European issues call the group's profit outlook into question, but many key names report results.

Equities have recently undergone a decoupling with respect to Europe's sovereign debt crisis as signs of progress in the euro zone, along with improving U.S. data, have pushed Wall Street higher on improved growth prospects. Financials have been a beneficiary of that rising tide, with Bank of America up about 20 percent since the start of the year.

So far this month, the S&P 500 (.SPX) is up 2.5 percent, while the Dow (.DJI) is up 1.7 percent and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) is up 4.1 percent.

"We're going to see more volatility in the weeks ahead with tension between earnings and Europe," said Christopher Sheldon, the Boston-based director of investment strategy at BNY Mellon Wealth Management, which oversees $171 billion globally.

"We want to see Europe resolved, but there will continue to be ups and downs, and while earnings will continue to be relatively good, we do expect slowing compared with 2011."

However, the uncertainty about Europe returned in a big way on Friday after Standard & Poor's downgraded the ratings of nine of the 17 euro-zone countries, including France, Italy and Spain after the market closed. Talk of the downgrades spurred a selloff that erased most of the gains for the week, when the S&P rose for four straight sessions.

The downgrades could exacerbate the euro zone's difficulties and bring concerns about how they might affect U.S. banks' profits back to the forefront.

Still, market participants looking for signs of strength don't have to look far. Data has been bullish lately, including Friday's consumer sentiment reading at an eight-month high that sharply exceeded what was anticipated.

"The prospect of a downgrade has been around for a while, so despite today's reaction, everyone was aware of the potential, and I don't think it will be as impactful, especially as corporate business trends remain strong," said Hank Herrmann, chief executive of Waddell & Reed Financial Inc in Overland Park, Kansas.

HINTS OF BETTER TIMES AHEAD

Earnings reports from numerous bellwethers could reinforce the growth story. Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), General Electric Co (GE.N), Intel Corp (INTC.O), Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) are among the names set to report.

Early reads have supported the idea that better times lie ahead. JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) said the domestic economy was strengthening even as its profit fell 23 percent, while Alcoa Inc (AA.N) rallied earlier in the week after giving a bullish outlook for the aluminum sector.

"Banks will be an important part of the story, especially with Europe in the picture, and investors will also be looking at names like GE, which have global exposure, to see what insights can be gleaned from that," said Herrman, who helps oversee $90 billion in assets.

The U.S. stock market will be closed on Monday in observance of the U.S. holiday honoring the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the slain civil rights leader.

When trading resumes on Tuesday, Wall Street will watch a number of economic indicators to gauge the strength of the recovery. Data scheduled for release in the abbreviated week includes the New York Fed's Empire State Index on January manufacturing, the December readings on the U.S. Producer Price Index and the Consumer Price Index, as well as December housing starts and December existing home sales.

For the past week, the Dow rose 0.5 percent while the S&P 500 gained 0.9 percent and the Nasdaq added 1.4 percent.

(Wall St Week Ahead runs every Sunday. Questions or comments on this column can be emailed to: ryan.vlastelica(at)thomsonreuters.com)

(Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; Editing by Jan Paschal; Multimedia versions of Reuters Top News are now available for: * 3000 Xtra: visit http://topnews.session.rservices.com * BridgeStation: view story .134 For more information on Top News: http://topnews.reuters.com; For London stock market outlook please click on <.L/O>; Pan-European stock market outlook <.EU/O>; Tokyo stock market outlook <.T/O>)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120115/bs_nm/us_usa_stocks_weekahead

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Robot Face Painter Is Somehow Even More Terrifying Than Clowns (Updated) [Image Cache]

Not only does this little boy have the honor of being the first kid to have his face painted by the University of Michigan's robot arm, but as far as I'm concerned, he's also the bravest little tyke I've ever seen. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/l_IXroxMNdI/

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