US moves ahead with military sales to Bahrain (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The United States is selling some military equipment to Bahrain as it walks a fine line between pushing the Sunni monarchy to open talks with the opposition while proceeding cautiously with a strategic ally to counter Iran.

The sale of an undisclosed amount of spare parts and equipment has drawn opposition from some in Congress who argue that it sends the wrong signal about the U.S. commitment to human rights. The State Department said late Friday that the equipment is for Bahrain's external defense and support for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which is based in the country.

"This isn't a new sale nor are we using a legal loophole," the department said. "The items that we briefed to Congress were notified and cleared by the Hill previously or are not large enough to require congressional notification."

The administration said it is maintaining its "pause on most security assistance for Bahrain pending further progress on reform."

It was almost a year ago that Bahrain's Shiite majority demanded greater rights from the 200-year-old ruling Sunni dynasty. More than 35 people have died in the unrest that Bahrain leaders claim Iran has encouraged.

The United States sees its allies in the Persian Gulf region as particularly crucial after Iran warned it might use military force to close the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the gulf in response to international economic sanctions.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., collected signatures from lawmakers on a letter they plan to send to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton later this week expressing their opposition to the administration's moves. They argue that Bahrain is still violating human rights and using excessive force to crack down on protests.

"Small steps deserve small rewards," the two wrote. "In the case of Bahrain, any military equipment is a big reward and will be viewed as such by other governments and the people of Bahrain. The incentives are simply wrong."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mideast/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_us/us_us_bahrain

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Video: Time to Buy Oil Companies?

ConocoPhillips and Chevron posted results last week and tomorrow morning investors will hear from ExxonMobil. Bill Featherston, UBS, and Steve Hoedt, Key Private Bank, shed insight on earnings expectations and how the oil companies are managing weak re...

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/46195176/

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Comodo Programs Manager

Comodo makes a plethora of products ranging from PC tuneup utilities to antivirus suites, but the free Comodo Programs Manager is one for those who wish to manage their systems' applications. The app is designed to let you enable, disable, and update software?as well as rid your computer of broken installations or failed uninstalls that would muddy the registry or hard drive. Comodo Programs Manager has an intuitive, easy-to-use design, but a few niggles keep it from greatness.

Getting Started
Comodo Programs Cleaner scans the hard drive and presents a content summary on the home screen. This home screen consists of a main content area and a dark gray column to the left of it where you'll find four categories: Programs, Drivers and Services, Windows Features, and Windows Updates. In the main content area I saw the number of installed programs (64), drivers and services (423), Windows features and updates (105), and other information. Unfortunately, you can't tweak from this screen, so you have to click one of the categories to the left.

The Comodo Programs Manager Experience
Clicking "Programs" opened a listing of all the applications on my test PC. I could see games (Dead Rising 2), utilities (Geekbench), and a variety of other installs. A drop-down box let me view applications by either their names, icons, or other factors, and a search box returns results on the fly as you key in letters. Clicking an application and then clicking "Standard Uninstall" removes the program from the system. Some programs give you the option to "Change" the install (which opened the installer and let me modify the program to add or remove features) or "Repair" the install (which fixed damaged installations with the click of a button). The application occasionally froze, which required that I close out and then reopen. On the up side, you can back up apps that you install, so that you may recover them at a later time should a problem arise.

"Drivers and Services" lets you remove drivers, but most of the names read as description-less techno-babble, so you should tread lightly in removing them unless you know (or research) what they are first. I understood that an Nvidia driver update was for my PC?s graphics card, but when I saw a very vague ?Beep,? I scratched my head and left it in place. After all, a missing driver can cripple an application. There were a few easily recognizable drivers (such as LogMeIn Remote File System Driver) that I uninstalled with ease.

"Windows Features" lets you disable programs individually, or as a batch. The features are listed in a Windows Explorer-like tree that let me enable/disable the "Games" folder (and all games inside), or dig into the sub-folders and enable/disable the individual titles. I liked the flexibility given here.

"Windows Updates" lets you view all of the installed updates, as well as a list of available updates. The PC test bed had nearly 50 installed updates, and 40 available updates. Acquiring the new updates was as simple as checking the appropriate application boxes and clicking the "Install" button in the lower-right hand corner.

Should You Download Comodo Programs Manager?
Yes. Comodo Programs Manager lets you manage your applications in updates from a central location?no need to tinker within Windows' separate areas. It could be more stable?it froze a bit too frequently for my taste?but it's an app that you should check out if you frequently dabble in application management, and especially if you (like me) install and uninstall apps frequently.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/tY5byFC42eM/0,2817,2399595,00.asp

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Slovenia parliament confirms Jansa as prime minister (Reuters)

LJUBLJANA (Reuters) ? The Slovenian parliament confirmed conservative Janez Jansa as prime minister on Saturday, almost two months after an inconclusive December 4 election, parliamentary speaker Gregor Virant said.

Jansa has 15 days to put forward a cabinet charged with driving economic growth and introducing reforms to stop the country's credit rating from being cut - but he has a corruption trial hanging over him, which could derail his premiership if he were found guilty.

The cabinet must be confirmed by parliament, in which Jansa's five-party coalition has a solid majority.

Jansa, also prime minister from 2004 to 2008, has promised to cut taxes, red tape and the budget deficit, ease the credit crunch and raise the retirement age in the euro zone member.

"The first steps of this government will be stabilisation of public finances ... decrees to give impetus to economic growth and enable formation of new jobs," Jansa told reporters after the vote, saying he hoped the new government would be voted in by February 10.

President Danilo Turk said earlier this week that Jansa lacked legitimacy for the post because of a trial, which began in September, in which he and four co-defendants are charged with bribery over a 2006 deal for Finnish armoured vehicles worth 278 million euros ($365 million). Jansa denied all charges.

Earlier this month parliament rejected Turk's candidate as prime minister, centre-left Zoran Jankovic. Jankovic's Positive Slovenia party won most votes at the election but was unable to form a coalition that would have a majority in parliament.

Jansa's centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) signed a coalition pact this week with the centre-right People's Party and New Slovenia, the centrist Civic List of Gregor Virant and the pensioners' party Desus. The five parties hold 50 out of 90 seats in parliament.

On Friday credit rating agency Fitch cut Slovenia's sovereign debt rating by two notches to A because of a deterioration in the economic outlook.

All major credit agencies have cut Slovenia's rating since September because of the political crisis, lack of reforms and the deepening euro zone debt crisis, and put it on negative watch. Slovenia is rated A+ by Standard&Poor's and A1 by Moody's.

The political crisis started in September when parliament ousted the centre-left government of Prime Minister Borut Pahor amid internal coalition squabbles and an inability to implement reforms that would speed economic growth.

"The new government will have a hard time because of the need for big budget savings ... and because it is made of five parties which are very different," Meta Roglic, an analyst at the daily Dnevnik, told Reuters.

"Even so it might succeed in staying in power for the full four-year mandate, particularly since it can expect that the opposition will support some of the main economic reforms," she added.

Slovenia's budget deficit soared to some 5.5 percent of GDP in 2011 from a balanced budget in 2007 because of lower tax income and high government spending.

On Thursday, the government's macroeconomic institute said Slovenia's economic growth would slow to 0.2 percent this year from 0.5 percent in 2011 because of lower export demand and low domestic spending.

Slovenia was the fastest-growing euro zone member in 2007 but its export-oriented economy was badly hit by the global crisis and shrank by 8 percent in 2009. Recent data showed another recession was possible as the economy shrank by 0.5 percent in the third quarter of 2011.

(Reporting By Marja Novak; Editing by Tim Pearce)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120128/wl_nm/us_slovenia_pm

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Quest for the golden cross (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? January has turned out to be strong for stocks with just two trading days to go. If you're afraid to miss the ride, there's still time to jump in. You just might want to wear a neck brace.

The new year lured buyers into growth-related sectors, the ones that were more beaten down last year. The economy is getting better, but not dramatically. Earnings are beating expectations, but at a lower rate than in recent quarters. Nothing too bad is coming out of Europe's debt crisis -- and nothing good, either -- at least not yet.

"No one item is a major positive, but collectively, it's been enough to tilt it towards net buying," said John Schlitz, chief market technician at Instinet in New York.

Still, relatively weak volume and a six-month high hit last week make some doubt that the gains are sustainable.

But then there's the golden cross.

Many market skeptics take notice when this technical indicator, a holy grail of sorts for many technicians, shows up on the horizon.

As early as Monday, the rising 50-day moving average of the S&P 500 could tick above its rising 200-day moving average. This occurrence -- known as a golden cross -- means the medium-term momentum is increasingly bullish. You have a good chance of making money in the next six months if you put it to work in large-cap stocks.

In the last 50 years, according to data compiled by Birinyi Associates, a golden cross on the S&P 500 has augured further gains six months ahead in eight out of 10 times. The average gain has been 6.6 percent.

That means the benchmark is on solid footing to not only hold onto the 14 percent advance over the last nine weeks, but to flirt with 1,400, a level it has not hit since mid-2008.

The gains, as expected, would not be in a straight line. But any weakness could be used by long-term investors as buying opportunities.

"The cross is an intermediate bullish event," Schlitz said. "You have to interpret it as constructive, but I caution people to take a bullish stance, if they have a short-term horizon."

GREECE, U.S. PAYROLLS AND MOMENTUM

Less than halfway into the earnings season and with Greek debt talks over the weekend, payrolls data this week and the S&P 500 near its highest since July, there is plenty of room for something to go wrong. If that happens, the market could easily give back some of its recent advance.

But the benchmark's recent rally and momentum shift allow for a pullback before the technical picture deteriorates.

"We bounced off 1,325, which is resistance. We're testing 1,310, which should be support. We are stuck in that range," said Ken Polcari, managing director at ICAP Equities in New York.

"If over the weekend, Greece comes out with another big nothing, then you will see further weakness (this) week," he said. "A 1 (percent) or 2 percent pullback isn't out of the question or out of line."

On Friday, the S&P 500 (.INX) and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) closed their fourth consecutive week of gains, while the Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) dipped and capped three weeks of gains. For the day, the Dow dropped 74.17 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 12,660.46. The S&P 500 fell 2.10 points, or 0.16 percent, to 1,316.33. But the Nasdaq gained 11.27 points, or 0.40 percent, to end at 2,816.55.

For the week, the Dow slipped 0.47 percent, while the S&P 500 inched up 0.07 percent and the Nasdaq jumped 1.07 percent.

A DATA-PACKED EARNINGS WEEK

This week is filled with heavy-hitting data on the housing, manufacturing and employment sectors.

Personal income and consumption on Monday will be followed by the S&P/Case-Shiller home prices index, consumer confidence and the Chicago PMI -- all on Tuesday.

Wednesday will bring the Institute for Supply Management index on U.S. manufacturing and the first of three key readings on the labor market -- namely, the ADP private-sector employment report. Jobless claims on Thursday will give way on Friday to the U.S. government's non-farm payrolls report. The forecast calls for a net gain of 150,000 jobs in January, according to economists polled by Reuters.

On the earnings front, it will be another hectic week with almost a fifth of the S&P 500 components posting quarterly results. Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Amazon (AMZN.O), UPS (UPS.N), Pfizer (PFE.N), Kellogg (K.N) and MasterCard (MA.N) are among the names most likely to grab the headlines.

With almost 200 companies' reports in so far, about 59 percent have beaten earnings expectations -- down from about 70 percent in recent quarters.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak and Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Jan Paschal)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120129/bs_nm/us_usa_stocks_weekahead

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Why is Egypt barring 6 Americans from leaving? (The Week)

New York ? Egypt clamps down on U.S. groups promoting democratic reforms ? potentially endangering the $1.3 billion in U.S. aid the Egyptian army gets each year?

Egyptian authorities have put six Americans ? including Sam Lahood, the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood ? on a no-fly list, preventing them from leaving the country. The move is part of a crackdown by Egyptian security forces on Washington-backed groups that promote democracy and human rights. Egypt's military leaders, who took over after protesters pushed aside longtime leader Hosni Mubarak last February, say they want to lead a transition to democracy and hand over power to an elected president this summer. What do they hope to accomplish by provoking the U.S. so overtly? Here, a brief guide:

Who are the Americans being targeted by Egypt?
They work for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that promote human rights and civil institutions needed to build a democracy. The groups also helped monitor the country's recent parliamentary elections. Egyptian security forces last month raided the offices of 17 such NGOs, including the Washington-based International Republican Institute (IRI), National Democratic Institute, and Freedom House. Sam LaHood is the IRI's director in Egypt. He tells The New Yorker that when police barged into his office, they confiscated computers, documents, and "every stick of furniture, even book shelves."

SEE MORE: Egypt's vote: A mandate for Islamists?

?

Why are Egypt's leaders singling them out?
The government has given no official reason, although the travel ban appears to be linked to an investigation stemming from the raids. But clearly,?says John Bresnahan and David Rogers at?Politico, this is part of a?"power struggle between the United States and Egyptian governments over the country's future direction."?The generals, perhaps hoping to rekindle resentment against the U.S. for its ties to Mubarak, have accused "foreign hands" of stirring up protests against their rule. The NGOs "are being targeted because they revealed a lot of crimes and flawed interactions that have been carried out in the transitional phase," Hesham Genene, head of the Cairo Appeals Court, tells TIME, "and their voices keep getting louder and louder."

Is that the only reason?
Probably not. The U.S. government spends hundreds of millions of dollars on the civil-society programs these NGOs work on, along with more direct aid projects like sanitation and health. Before protesters drove out Mubarak, the U.S. aid was funneled through the government. Now the money goes directly to the NGOs. That, LaHood says, might have made some Egyptian officials mad. "It didn't really matter what the money went for," he tells The New Yorker. "It just wasn't going through their bank accounts."

SEE MORE: 4 reasons to view Egypt's Islamists without fear

?

Will provoking the U.S. backfire?
It certainly could. The Egyptian Army gets $1.3 billion a year in U.S. aid, and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has a hand on the purse strings as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also happens to be chairman of the IRI.?"The amplified pressure on NGOs could be a gamble,"?says Abigail Hauslohner at?TIME. "The move may well anger members of Congress more than it sways them to the military's side."

Sources: Associated Press, New Yorker, Politico, TIME

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oped/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20120127/cm_theweek/223794

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Liverpool v Manchester United: Gerrard Calls for Kop to Focus on Football

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. REUTERS

Steven Gerrard has urged Liverpool supporters to be "responsible" ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round clash at Anfield.

The Liverpool captain's sober remarks are in stark contrast to Wednesday's jubilation at reaching the Carling Cup final and demonstrate the club's concern over the upcoming visit of fierce rivals Manchester United.

Saturday's lunchtime kick-off will be the first meeting of the two sides since the race row between Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez erupted in October. Suarez remains suspended after the Football Association upheld Evra's allegations. The Uruguayan will serve the seventh game of his eight-match suspension after being found guilty of racially abusing the Manchester United defender.

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Up to 6,000 Manchester United fans are expected at Anfield on Saturday and Gerrard has called on the home support make the occasion a day to remember, for the right reasons.

"We all have a responsibility on Saturday to ensure that this game is remembered for the football," Gerrard told the official Liverpool Web site.?

"Liverpool and Manchester United is a massive rivalry and of course there is going to be stuff in the papers and banter between fans, but it would be fantastic if after the weekend it is remembered for being a top game and obviously, from our point of view, a Liverpool win.

"We don't want any front page stories from this game or any stories besides a football match between two top sides."

Meanwhile, Stewart Downing insists he is starting to find his best form in a Liverpool shirt, after Dalglish singled the winger out for praise last weekend.

"It was very nice to hear. The manager has been really good to me from the first day I came," Downing said."He's given me lots of confidence - and it's the same with every other player.

"He's great to play for. That's all you want as a player - a manager who is honest with you, who gives you the confidence to go out and play.

"I started quite brightly, then was in and out, and now I'm starting to pick up form again.

"I want to play all the time but the only way I can do that is to play well. I've got to keep my head down and work hard, and the last couple of weeks I'm pleased with how it's gone personally."

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Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/288544/20120127/liverpool-v-manchester-united-gerrard-calls-kop.htm

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