Obama signs trade, human rights bill that angers Moscow

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday signed a bill that brings U.S. trade relations with Russia into the 21st century but also ushers in a testy era in which the United States could publicly "name and shame" Russian human rights violators.

The measure, which Congress passed by an overwhelming margin, allows Obama to establish "permanent normal trade relations" - or PNTR - with Russia by lifting a Cold War-era restriction on trade.

It also directs Obama to bar Russian human rights violators from entering the United States and freeze any assets they have in U.S. banks. The provision is named in honor of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian anti-corruption lawyer many U.S. lawmakers believe was beaten to death in a Russian jail in 2009.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called the congressional approval of the bill "a purely political and unfriendly act.

"I don't get why they would sacrifice U.S.-Russia relations in order to get some political dividends at home," Putin said.

Moscow kept up the fiery rhetoric on Friday in a Foreign Ministry statement after Obama's signing. It called the law "shortsighted and dangerous" and an "overt interference into our internal affairs."

The statement put most of the blame for the Magnitsky measure on U.S. lawmakers, but said it regretted Obama could not "overcome those ... who see our country not as a partner but as an enemy."

U.S.-Russia relations have already been strained over the conflict in Syria and the treatment of critics of the Kremlin since Putin returned to the presidency in May.

Russia last week banned imports of U.S. pork and beef containing ractopamine, a widely used feed additive the United States says meets international safety standards.

" Being a WTO member means Russia's import standards have to be based on sound science, but their plan to block U.S. beef and pork is anything but sound," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said, Referring to the World Trade Organization, which Russia joined in August.

He urged Moscow to reverse the move .

The Magnitsky law directs Obama to publish the names of Russians deemed to be human rights violators, but allows him to keep some names classified if he decides that it is in the U.S. national security interest.

The first list is due to Congress in 120 days and Obama must explain in advance any names he decides to keep secret.

RUSSIAN LAWMAKERS RECIPROCATE

The new law will be "of great benefit to both us and to the Russians," U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.

"We continue to call on Russia to investigate, prosecute and punish those responsible for the crimes committed against Mr. Magnitsky," he said.

But Russia considers the Magnitsky provision an insult. On Friday the lower chamber of its parliament gave preliminary approval to a measure barring Americans who violate the rights of Russians from entering the country.

It targets Americans involved in "unfounded or unjust" sentences against Russians - a nod to Viktor Bout, a Russian arms trader serving a 25-year prison term in the United States after what Moscow says was a politically motivated prosecution and an unfair trial.

The Russian bill, expected to be signed by Putin before the end of the year, also targets Americans accused of abusing Russian-born adopted children and U.S. judges or authorities deemed to have been too lenient in such cases.

Pro-Kremlin lawmakers have proposed the bill be named after Dima Yakovlev, a Russian-born boy who died at the age of 18 months after his adoptive U.S. family left him locked in a vehicle in Virginia in 2008.

"It stretches the imagination to see an equal or reciprocal situation here," Ventrell said. "The issue of adoption is one that we've worked very hard with the Russians, it is something we've looked at carefully. But we just reject any attempt at trying to make a reciprocal comparison."

Business groups pushed Congress for months to approve PNTR, which was needed to ensure U.S. companies get all the market-opening benefits of Russia's entry into the WTO.

Without it, U.S. companies such as Caterpillar , Ford , JPMorgan Chase and others feared they would be at a disadvantage to competitors in other countries that already have full WTO relations with Russia.

It was also needed to allow the United States to use the WTO dispute-settlement system to challenge any Russian actions it says unfairly restrict U.S. imports, although the two sides still need to formally establish full WTO relations in Geneva first.

(Additional reporting by Andrew Quinn in Washington and Steve Gutterman and Alissa de Carbonnel in Moscow; Editing by Xavier Briand and Mohammad Zargham)

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Rain delays start of second day of Hobart test

HOBART (Reuters) - Early morning showers delayed the start of play on the second day of the first test between Australia and Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval on Saturday.

Play, scheduled to start at 1030am local time (1130 GMT), will now get underway half an hour later at 11am barring any further downpours.

Australia will resume their first innings at 299 for four with captain Michael Clarke (70) and Mike Hussey (37) at the crease.

(Writing by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Greg Stutchbury)

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Adele's '21' is top-selling U.S. iTunes album of 2012

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British singer Adele notched another accolade on Thursday as iTunes announced that her Grammy-winning album "21" was the top-selling record of 2012 in its U.S. store, extending the disc's successful run almost two years after it was released.

Adele, 24, who last year became the first artist to secure three iTunes milestones with top-selling album, single and artist of the year, came in ahead of country-pop star Taylor Swift's "Red" and British folk band Mumford & Sons' "Babel."

ITunes did not reveal its sales or download figures.

British boy band One Direction's debut album "Up All Night" and current Grammy nominees fun.'s debut "Some Nights" rounded out the five top-selling albums on iTunes in the United States.

"21," released in February 2011, has performed strongly in the U.S. music charts this year following the singer's Grammy-sweeping win in six categories in February 2012.

Adele also landed Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nominations for her sultry James Bond theme song "Skyfall" this week, becoming a strong contender in the best song category for Hollywood's awards season.

"Thank you so much for the honour of being included in something as brilliant as the Golden Globes! Never in a million years did I ever think I'd come close to such a thing! Truly wonderful ... thank you to the Bond family for giving me the opportunity," the singer said in a statement on Thursday.

ITunes U.S. compiled their Best of 2012 list by looking at the most downloaded items from the Apple iTunes store.

Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen had the top-selling track for her infectious breakthrough summer single "Call Me Maybe."

Post-apocalyptic action film "The Hunger Games" was the best-selling movie while the second season of British aristocratic period drama "Downton Abbey," another Hollywood awards favorite, was iTunes' top-selling television series.

The iTunes Best of 2012 lists can be seen at www.itunes.com/AppStoreBestof2012

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant and Mohammad Zargham)

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Rare 'Metropolis' poster fetches high price in U.S. auction

By Eric Kelsey

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A film memorabilia collector paid $1.2 million for nine rare and early film posters, including the world's highest-valued poster of the 1927 film "Metropolis," in a bankruptcy auction in Los Angeles on Thursday, the trustee in the bankruptcy case said.

Ralph DeLuca, who owns New Jersey-based film memorabilia company Movie Archives Inc, won the bidding against three others in the court auction, said trustee John J. Menchaca.

Bidding for the lot of posters started at $700,000. DeLuca beat out memorabilia powerhouse Heritage Auctions.

The "Metropolis" poster, the crown jewel of the collection, was purchased by California collector Kenneth Schachter for a record $690,000 in a 2005 private sale. But he was forced to sell the poster along with eight others after declaring bankruptcy.

"I honestly feel that the 'Metropolis' poster is worth more than the whole lot," DeLuca told Reuters after the auction. Other notable items in the lot included an original "King Kong" poster and an "Invisible Man" poster, both from 1933.

Directed by Austrian Fritz Lang, "Metropolis" was the most expensive silent film ever made at the time of its release. The German-produced film, with its special effects and futuristic plot, is considered a hallmark in early cinema.

The poster, one of only four known surviving copies, was illustrated by German Heinz Schulz-Neudamm, who depicted the film's dystopian future with towering, faceless skyscrapers and jagged script.

One copy is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which confers the poster's value as art, DeLuca said.

"It's 'The Scream,' the 'Guernica' of film posters," DeLuca said of the modernist masterpieces painted by Edvard Munch and Pablo Picasso, respectively. "It's literally the 'Mona Lisa.'"

DeLuca, however, has no plans to flip the poster in another sale.

"I think I'll keep the poster unless I get overwhelmed with a 'Guinness Book of Records' offer," he said. "I believe it will be the first to go past $1 million and even hit $2 million."

Schachter, a resident of Valencia about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, filed for bankruptcy last year after he was unable to repay loans he received to buy film memorabilia.

The sale will go to pay off Schachter's debts, which he listed at no more than $1 million when filing for bankruptcy.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant, desking by G Crosse)

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Australia drop Johnson for Sri Lanka test

By Nick Mulvenney

HOBART (Reuters) - Australia have resisted the temptation to go with four seamers for this week's first test against Sri Lanka on what is expected to be a lively wicket at the Bellerive Oval.

Spinner Nathan Lyon was retained in the side announced by skipper Michael Clarke, with Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc and Ben Hilfenhaus making up the pace bowling unit for the match, which begins on Friday.

Left-armer Mitchell Johnson, who played his first test in a year in the 309-run defeat to South Africa in Perth last week, was the quick to miss out and named 12th man.

"Obviously a tough selection getting 12 down to 11, especially with the way that Mitchell bowled in Perth, but this is the team we've selected for this test match," captain Michael Clarke to a news conference.

"He is unlucky to miss out. It's a nice problem to have when you have 12 blokes ready to perform. Whoever we left out for this test match was going to be a talking point."

Tasmanian Hilfenhaus and Siddle were recalled after being rested for the third test against the Proteas, while left-armer Starc gets his reward for his performance in Perth, where he took 6-154.

Sri Lanka have never won a test in Australia but the hosts lost on their last visit to Hobart, falling victim to New Zealand on home soil for the first time in a quarter of a century last year.

The Australians face the tourists in two further tests, in Melbourne from December 26 and Sydney from January 3.

Team: Michael Clarke (captain), David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes, Shane Watson, Mike Hussey, Matthew Wade, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Ben Hilfenhaus, Nathan Lyon.

(Editing by Ian Ransom)

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Asian shares inch higher after Fed's stimulus steps

By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares extended gains for a seventh day on Thursday, after the U.S. Federal Reserve took new stimulus steps to bolster the economy, putting the yen under pressure as expectations grow for more aggressive easing from the Japanese central bank next week.

But while the Fed's fresh dose of liquidity-pumping measures will underpin sentiment, investors remain concerned about the lack of breakthrough in U.S. budget talks to avert the "fiscal cliff," some $600 billion of tax hikes and spending cuts scheduled to start in January. A failure to reach a compromise could push the U.S. economy into recession.

U.S. stocks ended little changed on Wednesday, giving up most of the day's gains after Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke reiterated that monetary policy won't be enough to offset damage from the fiscal cliff.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.1 percent to a 16-month peak, having hit successive 16-month highs since December 5.

Australian shares nudged up 0.1 percent, rising for five days in a row, while South Korean shares also edged up 0.1 percent.

"The Fed's easing measures met the market's expectations, while the setting of clear inflation and unemployment targets exceeded hopes and will clear uncertainty on the monetary front," said Kim Yong-goo, an analyst at Samsung Securities.

The U.S. central bank, cut its forecasts for economic growth and inflation next year, committed to monthly purchases of $45 billion in Treasuries on top of the $40 billion per month in mortgage-backed bonds it started buying in September.

But it also took the unprecedented step of indicating interest rates would remain near zero until unemployment falls to at least 6.5 percent.

But uncertainty remained over U.S. budget talks.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said on Wednesday "serious differences" remain with President Barack Obama in talks to avert the steep tax hikes and budget cuts set for the new year.

Japan's Nikkei share average opened 1 percent higher to an eight-month peak, as a weak yen continued to lend support.

"The yen depreciation is a big factor for the Japanese equities market," said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at Monex Inc. "The Japanese market will chase the upside. The Nikkei will likely rise to 9,700."

The dollar was at 83.20 yen, not far from a 8-1/2-month high of 83.30 yen marked on Wednesday.

The Bank of Japan meets next week and is widely expected to further ease monetary policy to support its weak economy.

"Dollar/yen has been moving up for a little while now and you're seeing the trend continue. It gets moved a fair bit by U.S. yields and those moved up despite what the Fed did, shows you a bit of market positioning," said Joseph Capurso, a strategist at Commonwealth Bank.

The euro traded at $1.3066, retreating from Wednesday's high of 1.3098.

Greece's foreign lenders hailed a bond buyback as a success even though it narrowly fell short of a target to cut the country's debt, paving the way for Athens to get long-delayed aid to avoid bankruptcy.

In Italy, another debt-straddled euro zone country, Silvio Berlusconi offered on Wednesday to stand back and make way for Mario Monti as Italy's next leader if the outgoing technocrat premier agreed to run as the candidate for a centre-right coalition.

Monti last week announced that he planned to resign, but European leaders and investors want him to continue his austerity policies and are deeply concerned about a return by the scandal-plagued Berlusconi.

U.S. crude futures were down 0.1 percent to $86.73 a barrel, after rising overnight on the Fed stimulus.

Spot gold eased 0.2 percent to $1,708.61 an ounce. Gold rose on Wednesday as the Fed's fresh easing measures boosted bullion's inflation-hedge appeal.

(Additional reporting by Somang Yang in Seoul, Dominic Lau in Tokyo and Ian Chua in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)

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Violence, James Violence? Bond films more forceful

REUTERS - The fictional James Bond always had a license to kill, and research from New Zealand suggests the suave spy's movies have gotten more violent through the years.

"In fact, they got quite a bit more violent over time," said Robert Hancox, senior author of a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

The concern is that children may watch these and other popular movies, and be exposed to an increasing amount of violence, said Hancox, who is at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.

To test whether popular movies that are accessible and marketed to children and teens are showing more violent acts, Hancox and his colleagues analyzed the Bond movie series, which includes 23 films spanning the last 50 years.

The researchers watched each Bond movie and counted the number of violent acts, such as one character trying to shoot or punch someone else.

They found that the number of violent acts shown on the screen during the first Bond film in 1962 - "Dr. No" - and the film they analyzed in 2008 - "Quantum of Solace" - more than doubled from 109 to 250, respectively.

The increase didn't come from trivial violence, such as a character slapping someone else, Hancox said.

"The change has been in the portrayal of severe violence," he added, referring to any character punching, kicking or using a weapon.

Severe violence increased from 77 acts in the first film to 219 in 2008.

While the movies tended to show more violent acts over time, each movie had a different number of violent acts. For example, 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies" contained about 400 violent acts, which is nearly twice as many as 1999's "The World is Not Enough."

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, which co-owns the copyright to Bond films with Eon Productions, had no comment on the research.

Amy Bleakley, a senior research scientist at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters Health that the study results jibe with research she published earlier this year.

That study, which looked at top-grossing films between 1950 and 2006, she and her colleagues found movie characters were increasingly involved with violent acts.

"So when this content shows up in films kids are seeing, it can be problematic," she said, adding that parents should follow the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, which suggest limiting screen time for movies, television, video games and the computer to one to two hours per day.

"The main point of this is that it's not just Bond," said Hancox. "It's about what's happening in movies and media in general, and that they tend to be getting more violent." SOURCE: http://bit.ly/TS91cK

(Reporting from New York by Andrew Seaman at Reuters Health; editing by Elaine Lies)

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Asian shares rise, dollar pressured before Fed

By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares rose as strong overnight performances in global equities and firmer economic sentiment in Germany buoyed sentiment, while the dollar was pressured ahead of the outcome of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting later in the day.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan nudged up 0.3 percent to a 16-month peak. The index has hit successive 16-month highs since December 5.

Australian shares rose 0.5 percent to a nearly 17-month high on the back of Wall Street gains and higher iron ore prices. South Korean shares opened up 0.4 percent.

Japan's Nikkei share average opened 0.9 percent higher to a 7-1/2-month high, led by gains in tech shares and other exporters on the weak yen.

The dollar remained broadly under pressure on expectations the Fed will take further monetary easing step, pushing the currency down to a three-month low against the Australian dollar. The euro popped back above $1.3000, pulling away from a two-week low of $1.2876 plumbed Friday.

The Fed is expected to announce it will buy $45 billion per month of longer-dated Treasuries beginning in January on top of the $40 billion in mortgage-backed security purchases it announced in September. The new buying will replace the Fed's current programme, Operation Twist, which expires at the end of December.

"Although the view that the Fed will shift to outright Treasury purchases is now very widely shared by market participants, we do not believe it has been fully reflected into markets or in positioning," said Vassili Serebriakov, a strategist at BNP Paribas.

"Accordingly, dollar weakness is highly likely should the Fed shift to outright U.S. Treasury purchases."

Against the yen, the dollar steadied at 82.50 yen. The Japanese currency has also been pressured by expectations for more easing from the Bank of Japan, which meets next week.

Data on Wednesday showed Japan's core machinery orders rose 2.6 percent in October from the previous month, up for the first time in three months but below a 3 percent rise forecast, highlighting how uncertainty over the global outlook continued to weigh on business investment and the broader economy.

Investors also closely followed developments in U.S. budget talks to avert the "fiscal cliff," some $600 billion of tax hikes and spending cuts scheduled to start in January, which economists have warned could send the U.S. economy into recession and drag down the fragile global economy.

The White House and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner have exchanged new proposals in fiscal cliff talks, congressional aides said on Tuesday, in a possible sign of progress ahead of the end-of-year deadline.

A group of high-profile chief executives urged President Barack Obama and Republican congressional leaders on Tuesday to strike a deal, reflecting mounting urgency to resolve the issue with time running out.

Hopes for a resolution in U.S. fiscal crisis and an unexpectedly strong reading on Germany's ZEW economic sentiment index nudged investors toward riskier assets such as stocks on Tuesday.

In early Asia, U.S. crude futures inched up 0.1 percent to $85.87 a barrel.

(Additional reporting by Ian Chua in Sydney; Editing by Eric Meijer)

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Tokyo's Nikkei share average opens down 0.24 pct

Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 05:52

TOKYOS-NIKKEI-SHARE-AVERAGE-OPENS:Tokyo's Nikkei share average opens down 0.24 pct

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TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's benchmark Nikkei average opened down 0.24 percent at 9,510.60 on Tuesday, while the broader Topix shed 0.19 percent to 787.02.

(Reporting by Tokyo markets team)

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Asian shares, euro steady, Fed move in focus

By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares and the euro steadied on Tuesday, drawing support from expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will take fresh economic stimulus measures this week.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan nudged up 0.1 percent to a 16-month high, led by Australian shares <.AXJO> which gained 0.3 percent to their highest in nearly two months on a rise in metals and oil prices and hopes for Fed action.

South Korean shares opened 0.3 percent higher while Japan's Nikkei stock average opened down 0.2 percent.

U.S. Treasury prices edged higher on Monday on worries about U.S. budget wrangling, Italy's political rumbling and expectations of further monetary easing by the Fed.

At the end of the two-day meeting which begins on Tuesday, the Fed is expected to announce it will buy $45 billion per month of longer-dated Treasuries beginning in January to replace the current Operation Twist programme, which expires at the end of December.

Under the programme, it sells shorter-dated U.S. government debt and buys longer-dated Treasuries to extend the duration of its balance sheet.

Such expectations weighed on the dollar and helped to underpin the euro, which traded at $1.2937, off Monday's low of $1.2880.

The dollar was steady around 82.37 yen.

The euro was also supported as Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti played down market fears over his decision to resign, saying there was no danger of a vacuum ahead of an election in the spring.

"The euro's dip below $1.2900 proved to be short-lived," said Vassili Serebriakov, strategist at BNP Paribas. "FX markets are showing some notable resilience following news of Italian PM Mario Monti's imminent resignation."

FISCAL WORRIES

European partners urged the next Italian government on Monday to stick to Monti's reform agenda, after his decision to resign early and Silvio Berlusconi's return to frontline politics rattled financial markets.

Monti had earned market confidence over the past year in indebted Italy, as he spearheaded a reform agenda to rescue the euro zone's third-largest economy from the threat of a Greek-style collapse.

His earlier-than-expected departure raised concerns about the prospects for Italy's fiscal reforms, lifting Italy's benchmark 10-year bond yield up to 4.83 percent, the highest in more than three weeks, while driving Italian shares <.FTMIB> down more than 2 percent.

Investors also worry about an impact on neighbouring Spain, which is struggling with high debt and studying the need for outside help.

Fiscal worries in the United States have also weighed on investor sentiment, limiting their activity as trading winds down towards the year-end holiday season.

"It would be difficult to take large positions before more details are out," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager at SMBC Nikko Securities, referring to the U.S. budget impasse to avert some $600 billion of tax hikes and spending cuts scheduled to start in January, known as the fiscal cliff.

Economists have warned that a failure to break the impasse would send the U.S. economy back into recession, further weighing on the fragile global economy.

The White House and House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner's office held more negotiations on Monday on ways to break the budget stalemate, but neither side showed any public signs that they were ready to give ground. The talks picked up pace after Boehner met with President Barack Obama on Sunday, raising hopes of progress.

U.S. crude futures inched up 0.1 percent to $85.62 a barrel while spot gold was little changed at $1,711.20 an ounce, supported by a lack of progress in the U.S. budget talks and expectations for new Fed stimulus measures.

(Additional reporting by Ian Chua in Sydney and Ayai Tomisawa in Tokyo; Editing by Edmund Klamann)

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MP govt should clear Rs 19,450 cr DA arrears: Ajay Singh

Bhopal, Dec 9 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Ajay Singh today demanded that the BJP-led state government should clear the dearness allowance arrears worth Rs 19,450 crore for its employees and pensioners. "The ruling BJP government which had termed the erstwhile Congress government as 'anti-employees', has now pocketed Rs 19,450 crore due to them and pensioners as DA," he said in a statement. Singh said Congress General Secretary and former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh had brought the matter in the open recently in Bhopal, but the government chose to remain silent on the issue, which clearly shows the state of affairs. He said he had also written a letter to the Chief Minister on April 3 demanding that 96 month dues of the allowance be paid to pensioners in this regard, which was not answered. The Congress leader said these are the same pensioners to whom the BJP had promised in 2003 to pay DA as per their demands, but conveniently forgot this and other promises after coming to power. When contacted, Madhya Pradesh Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Cabinet spokesman Narottam Mishra said he would get back on the issue after verifying the figure mentioned by the Congress leaders in this regard. PTI MAS NP MNS BSM

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3RDLD EGYPT 2 LAST

The move comes after a week of protests against the The move comes after a week of protests against the referendum and constitutional declaration that lead to violent clashes between his supporters and opponents that killed at least seven people and injured nearly 700 others. The new declaration, Awa said, would not remove judicial oversight of Mursi's decisions, but the President is still tasked with protecting the revolution and its causes, and his appointment of new Prosecutor General Talaat Ibrahim Abdallah will stand. The present political turmoil began after President Mursi granted himself absolute powers through the November 22 decree that had put his decisions beyond judicial review, a move which gained him titles like "dictator" and "Pharaoh". The new declaration also reaffirmed the retrial of figures responsible for protester deaths in the uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak and called for investigations into the deaths of those who were killed in last week's clashes in front of the presidential palace. In the original declaration, Mursi had stated that Mubarak regime figures would be retried for the deaths of protesters nearly two years ago in the January 25 uprising. Egypt's Constituent Assembly on November 30 in a marathon session approved a draft constitution imposing Islamic values, a move opposed by Liberals as an attempt to restrict freedom of speech and religion in the country. According to Egyptian state TV, the articles passed, stipulated that Islam is the religion of the state, and the principles of Sharia, or Islamic law, are the "main source of legislation". Mursi then decided to hold a referendum on the controversial draft constitution on December 15, a move that sparked further outrage in the deeply polarised country. Khaled Dawood, the spokesman for the National Salvation Front, the aggregation of opposition parties in Egypt, said annulling the decree was "relatively meaningless". "The key issue of securing the process of adapting of the constitution is done," he was quoted by Al-Jazeera as saying. Ayman Nour, an opposition leader who attended the meeting at the palace, described the cancellation of the decree as a positive step. "(It) has opened the door to a possible solution to a national crisis and may calm the situation down," he said. PTI RAG ASK DDC

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Belfast rally demands return of British flag

By Ian Graham

BELFAST (Reuters) - Around 2,000 pro-British loyalists rallied in central Belfast on Saturday for the return of the British flag to the roof of city hall after a vote by Irish nationalist councillors to remove it sparked a week of rioting.

Twenty-eight police officers have been injured in the most widespread pro-British street violence for years in the province as the flag became a rallying point for people who feel there have been too many concessions to Irish nationalists.

Rioters fired bricks and petrol bombs at police and burned out cars overnight, hours after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for calm during a visit to the city and warned the peace process was not yet complete.

Loyalist political parties, who share the protesters' desire to remain part of the United Kingdom, condemned the rioting as did the Irish nationalist parties who they share power with.

Around 2,000 people gathered outside the imposing 19th century Baroque city hall, most waving British flags and many hiding their faces with balaclavas or scarves, prompting some local businesses in the area to close.

'NO SURRENDER'

The crowd cheered when one protester burned an Irish tricolour flag and sang the British national anthem before dispersing. Banners declared "Proud to be British" and "No Surrender."

"This goes on until the flag is back above city hall," said protester William Arthur. "Ulster is British and we will not stand for this".

Hundreds of riot police stood by, but did not intervene.

One police officer was injured during trouble in East Belfast as some of the crowd returned home, police said.

Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr of the Senior Police Service of Northern Ireland said the disorder orchestrated by loyalist paramilitary groups was putting lives at risk.

"I am urging everyone to be calm, take a step back," he said.

LOYALIST FEARS

At least 3,600 people were killed over three decades as Catholic nationalists seeking union with Ireland fought British security forces and mainly Protestant loyalists determined to remain part of the United Kingdom.

A 1998 peace accord has mostly held, although militant nationalists have stepped up attacks in recent years and community relations remain fragile, with riots erupting every few months.

Monday's council decision means the British flag will be flown over city hall on 17 designated days including public holidays each year, as is the case at the provincial assembly at Stormont in the British-controlled province.

Until then, it had flown above the provincial capital's city hall every day since it opened a century ago, a symbol for many Catholic nationalists of Protestant domination.

Its removal has turned the tables, sparking fears of growing nationalist power.

"It's not just that the flag has come down, loyalists really sense that everything is about concessions," said Peter Shirlow, professor of conflict transformation at Queen's University. "Rightly or wrongly they sense that this is a one way process."

The violence, he said, was a sign that while loyalist paramilitaries have not in the past reacted violently to killings by dissident Irish nationalists, they may in future.

"It's a sign that it's getting harder to maintain the peace process within loyalism," he said. "Whether that breaks down is a different matter, but I think it's harder to hold the line." (Reporting by Ian Graham and Conor Humphries; Editing by Sophie Hares)

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Torres fires Chelsea to win at Sunderland, QPR set record

By Martyn Herman

LONDON (Reuters) - Fernando Torres scored twice as third-placed Chelsea won 3-1 at Sunderland to record their first Premier League victory under interim manager Rafael Benitez on Saturday.

The often-criticised Spaniard struck twice in the first half, his second from the penalty spot, and he almost completed a hat-trick shortly after halftime when his ferocious shot rebounded off the woodwork for compatriot Juan Mata to tap home.

Bottom club Queens Park Rangers set an unwanted Premier League record when a 2-2 draw at Wigan Athletic meant they have failed to win any of their first 16 matches.

Two Mikel Arteta penalties helped Arsenal to a 2-0 home win over West Bromwich Albion, a first victory in four league games moving the Gunners up to sixth.

Norwich City are unbeaten in 10 matches in all competitions after a 4-3 victory at Swansea City although Michu's double for the Swans after the break nearly helped the home side make an unlikely escape having trailed 3-0 at halftime.

Southampton climbed out of the relegation zone above Sunderland with a 1-0 defeat of second-bottom Reading while Aston Villa and Stoke City produced a dull 0-0 draw.

Leaders Manchester United face champions Manchester City on Sunday protecting a three-point advantage over their neighbours.

Torres had gone two months without scoring a Premier League goal but after scoring twice in his side's 6-1 thrashing of Nordsjaelland in the Champions League in midweek El Nino appears to be re-discovering some confidence in front of goal.

"Torres was always around but we needed to create more chances for him and he will score goals," Benitez, who can land some early silverware when he takes his side to the World Club Cup in Japan next week, told Sky Sports.

CLASSY FINISH

He struck in the 11th minute with a classy finish from Eden Hazard's cross and doubled the lead on the stroke of halftime when he sent Sunderland keeper Simon Mignolet the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Surprisingly it was the first penalty Torres had taken in English football.

Mata was on hand to make it 3-0 in the 49th minute when he converted a rebound after Torres let fly with his left foot and the ball cannoned against the crossbar.

Sunderland, who are heading for a relegation battle, responded with Adam Johnson's sweetly struck shot but Chelsea stood firm in the face of some belated home pressure to move to 29 points, seven behind leaders Manchester United.

QPR drew for a third match in a row since Harry Redknapp replaced Mark Hughes as manager and remain rooted to the bottom of the table having surpassed the 15-match winless streak from the start of a Premier League season recorded by Swindon Town.

Djibril Cisse had given the London side hope of a win when he shot them ahead after 70 minutes but James McCarthy deprived them of an unwanted place in the record books.

Arsenal were good value for their win against West Brom but the main talking point was an apparent dive by Santi Cazorla in the 26th minute which allowed Arteta to score from the spot.

There was no question about the legitimacy of Arsenal's second penalty in the 64th minute when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was taken out in the area by Chris Brunt.

Swansea may have lost at home to Norwich in a thrilling encounter in south Wales but Michu's stock is soaring after he underlined his position as the Premier League's top scorer with 12 since his move from Rayo Vallecano.

Goals from Steven Whittaker, Sebastien Bassong and Grant Holt had given Norwich a 3-0 lead at halftime. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Tony Jimenez and Alison Wildey)

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