Luxury, performance drive buzz at Detroit auto show

By Paul Lienert

DETROIT (Reuters) - This year's Detroit auto show, which opens next week, has a decidedly "green" theme. Green as in the color of money, that is.

An aura of luxury pervades many of the show's new models as automakers from Europe, Asia and the Motor City itself strive to bring more affluent consumers in to showrooms. Whether one seeks a sedan, coupe or crossover, pricy new choices are not in short supply.

A familiar companion to luxury is performance. Exuding both traits is a hometown show-stopper, the redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Corvette from General Motors Corp.

The long-awaited Corvette has been generating considerable buzz ahead of the show. The latest edition of "America's sports car" is only the seventh generation in six decades - with a formal unveiling slated for Sunday night. It should begin reaching dealers in late summer. Pricing may be in the general realm of the current 2013 Corvette, which starts at $50,595.

A trio of expensive performance models from Europe, all priced from well over $100,000, is headed to the U.S. market in the coming year and they, too, will be on display at the show.

Leading the pack is the redesigned 2014 Maserati Quattroporte, which Chrysler's Italian parent, Fiat SpA , hopes will spearhead a resurgence of the Maserati brand when it arrives here in summer. The new Quattroporte shares its basic underbody architecture with the Chrysler 300 and features a twin-turbocharged 523-horsepower V8.

Also on view will be the potent 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe, a sporty four-door with a twin-turbo 560-horsepower V8 that hits dealers this summer, and the 2014 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible, from Volkswagen AG's British uber-luxury brand.

The soft-top Bentley, which goes on sale in late summer, claims to be "the world's fastest convertible," thanks to a 616-horsepower 12-cylinder engine that pushes the all-wheel-drive two-door to a top speed of 202 miles per hour.

OPULENCE, ACCELERATION

From Japan, Honda Motor Co <7267.T> will bring the latest concept version of its 2016 Acura NSX sports car, which aims to redefine performance with one of the world's first high-output hybrid drive systems.

The future NSX, which will enter production in two years, is a two-seater that will feature all-wheel drive, a mid-mounted V6 gasoline engine and three electric motors, producing a combined 500 horsepower.

For those well-heeled buyers slightly more concerned with image and looks than acceleration and top speed, a new mid-size sport coupe and three redesigned sport sedans will be on the show floor.

They include BMW's Concept 4 Series Coupe - essentially a reworked and renamed 3 Series two-door; the latest generation of Toyota Motor Corp's <7203.T> Lexus IS series, which competes head-to-head with the 3 Series; Nissan Motor Co's <7201.T> new Infiniti Q50, which replaces the outgoing G series later this year, and Hyundai Motor Co's <005380.KS> HCD-14 concept, which previews the next-generation Genesis sedan.

Showgoers will also get a look at the updated Mercedes-Benz E-class line from Daimler AG , but the company is providing only a private preview to journalists of its new 2014 CLA sedan, a sporty-looking "quad coupe" that will be the centerpiece of the automaker's Super Bowl TV advertising in early February.

Opulence spills over into the crossover segment, where VW's Audi affiliate will unveil its performance-oriented SQ5, Ford Motor Co's Lincoln brand hopes to kindle interest with its new 2014 MKC and Chrysler's Jeep brand will show off the facelifted 2014 Grand Cherokee.

FIRST 'GREEN' CADILLAC

Look also for a sneak preview of the redesigned 2014 Acura MDX, which will appear as a thinly disguised "concept."

GM's first luxury hybrid, the 2014 Cadillac ELR, will make its public debut at the show, about a year ahead of the projected on-sale date. The two-door ELR is an upmarket companion to the Chevrolet Volt and is likely to be priced above $60,000.

Among the more mainstream vehicles coming to the show are the Nissan Resonance, a preview of the redesigned 2014 Murano crossover; the Honda Urban SUV concept, which teases the redesigned 2014 Fit subcompact, and the Fiat 500L, a compact five-passenger people-mover that will be marketed as a companion to the tiny Fiat 500 hatchback.

A larger crossover, a seven-passenger model based on the Passat sedan and built in Tennessee, is expected from VW.

Toyota will provide a peek at the redesigned 2014 Corolla compact with its Furia concept, and Nissan will flesh out its compact Versa family with the new Versa Note hatchback.

Trucks remain a mainstay of the U.S. market, as evidenced by the public debut of the redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.

They will be challenged by a concept version of the redesigned Ford F-150 pickup, with the production F-series truck still more than a year away.

(Editing by Matthew Lewis)

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Victim's dad tells accused Colorado gunman to 'Rot in hell'

By Keith Coffman

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Reuters) - Emotions boiled over on Friday at a court hearing for James Holmes, the man charged with shooting 12 people to death and wounding dozens more at a Batman movie, when the father of one victim shouted, "Rot in hell, Holmes!"

The eruption came as the 25-year-old former graduate student was being ushered out of a suburban Denver courtroom in shackles at the conclusion of the brief proceedings.

Holmes' back was turned to the packed courtroom audience at the time, and there was no visible reaction from him.

But the outburst captured the anguish palpable just beneath the surface among many of those present during three days of wrenching testimony earlier this week about the shooting last summer, the carnage it left and the elaborate preparations Holmes is accused of making for the attack.

On Thursday, Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester ruled that the prosecution's evidence had established probable cause to believe that Holmes committed the crimes alleged against him and ordered him to face trial.

Returning to court with their client on Friday, Holmes' lawyers asked for additional time to prepare for entering a plea, and the judge agreed to postpone the arraignment until March 12.

It was moments after Sylvester adjourned the brief hearing that Steve Hernandez, whose daughter Rebecca Wingo, 32, died of multiple gunshot wounds in the massacre, yelled out in anger.

Sylvester quickly huddled with lawyers in the hallway and reconvened the hearing to admonish Hernandez.

"I can only begin to imagine the emotions that are raging. I'm truly sorry for your loss," the judge told Hernandez, asking that he exert greater self control.

"I meant no disrespect to the court," Hernandez replied, promising "no further outbursts."

MENTAL ISSUES LOOM

Holmes, a onetime doctoral student of neuroscience, is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder, stemming from the July 20 rampage at a midnight screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" in the Denver suburb of Aurora.

In addition to the 12 people who died, 58 others were wounded and a dozen more suffered other injuries.

The tragedy stands as one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history and one that ranked briefly as the most lethal in 2012 - until 20 children and six adults were killed last month at a Connecticut elementary school.

Some legal experts say this week's proceedings left Holmes' lawyers little choice but to mount an insanity defense for their client.

"The defense team has nowhere else to go, given the obvious premeditation and overwhelming evidence against Holmes," Craig Silverman, a former Denver prosecutor now in private practice as a trial attorney, told Reuters.

Once Holmes enters a plea, prosecutors will have 60 days to decide whether to seek the death penalty.

If Holmes were to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, prosecutors would bear the burden under Colorado law of proving that he was mentally capable of knowing right from wrong. However, juries have typically shown reluctance to accept an insanity defense, he said.

Silverman said prosecutors presented compelling evidence that Holmes knew right from wrong when they displayed his online dating profile, posted weeks before the shooting with the headline: "Will you visit me in prison?"

Holmes is accused of entering Theater 9 of the Century 16 multiplex with a ticket he bought 12 days in advance, then leaving through a rear exit minutes into the movie and re-entering moments later wearing body armor and a gas mask.

Armed with a shotgun, pistol and semi-automatic rifle, authorities say, Holmes lobbed a tear gas canister into the auditorium and sprayed moviegoers with bullets until one of his guns jammed, then surrendered to police without a struggle in the parking lot behind the theater.

Police testified that Holmes began assembling his collection of guns and ammunition two months before the shooting, scouted out the multiplex weeks ahead of time, and took photos of his arsenal and of himself posed with weapons and body armor.

Holmes had booby-trapped his apartment near the theater with explosives, which police said was intended to draw authorities away from the movie house while he was carrying out his assault. The bombs were later defused safely. (Reporting by Keith Coffman; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Lisa Shumaker, Stacey Joyce and Gunna Dickson)

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Terry makes return in Chelsea Under-21 game

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea's former England captain John Terry, out for two months with a knee injury, took his first major step towards a first team comeback by playing 45 minutes for the club's Under-21 team on Thursday.

The 32-year-old central defender was watched by Chelsea's interim manager Rafael Benitez when he featured as an over-age player in a 2-0 victory over neighbours Fulham.

"John inspires all of the players," Chelsea's Under-21 manager Dermot Drummy told the club website (www.chelseafc.com). "He leads by example but the most important thing from the club's point of view is that he looked in good shape."

Terry hurt his knee against Liverpool, his first match back after serving a four-game ban for racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand, and was initially expected to be sidelined for three weeks.

The controversial Chelsea skipper has yet to feature for the European champions under Benitez who took over 10 hours after the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo in November.

Chelsea, fourth in the Premier League, visit Stoke City on Saturday (1500 GMT).

(Writing by Tony Jimenez; editing by Ken Ferris)

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Djokovic starts Australian Open defence against Mathieu

By Ian Ransom

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic will kick off the defence of his Australian Open title with a first round tie against unseeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu after the draw was made for the first grand slam of the season on Friday.

Seeking a hat-trick of titles, Djokovic has a relatively smooth draw in the tournament starting at Melbourne Park on Monday until the top seed faces a potentially dangerous quarter-final against fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych.

Four-time champion Roger Federer will also play an unseeded Frenchman when the second-seeded Swiss meets Benoit Paire in his opener with a fourth round clash against big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic likely to provide his first major test.

U.S. Open champion Andy Murray will start his campaign against unseeded Dutchman Robin Haase but the third-seeded Briton is likely to have one eye on Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, who looms as a possible quarter-final opponent.

In the women's draw, Serena Williams will start her bid for a sixth Melbourne title against Romania's Edna Gallovits-Hall, with a potential quarter-final clash against former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova awaiting her in the draw.

Top seed and defending champion Victoria Azarenka plays another Romanian, Monica Niculescu, while second seeded Russian Maria Sharapova opens against compatriot Olga Puchkova. (Editing by John O'Brien)

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Egypt says Palestinian rivals agree to enact unity deal

CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) - An Egyptian official said the leaders of the Palestinian Hamas and Fatah factions had agreed at talks in Cairo on Wednesday to implement a long-delayed reconciliation pact, although it was unclear if the deal would extend beyond holding more talks.

President Mahmoud Abbas of the secular Fatah movement based in the West Bank and Khaled Meshaal of the Islamist Hamas group that controls the Gaza Strip met face-to-face for the first time in over a year to discuss how to implement their 2011 deal.

The rivals fell out badly when Hamas seized control of Gaza from Fatah by force in 2007. But they have drawn closer since Israel's assault on Gaza in November, in which Hamas claimed victory, and a diplomatic win by Abbas the same month in which the United Nations voted to recognise Palestine as a "non-member state".

"It was agreed that sides would begin immediately to implement the previously agreed mechanism of the agreement signed," a senior Egyptian official involved in the talks, who declined to be named, told Reuters by phone from Cairo.

Nabil Abu Rdaineh, a senior aide to Abbas, said the president had held a lengthy meeting with Meshaal in a "positive atmosphere". He said there was an agreement to hold more meetings, but declined to give details. No comment was immediately available from Hamas.

The two sides have signally failed to put into practice the deal they signed in Cairo in May 2011 to reunify the leadership of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

The Egyptian official said discussions to find ways to do so had been held in a "positive spirit", and that the rival factions would meet again in the first week of February to work out a timetable.

Egyptian mediators had hoped to coax Abbas and Meshaal into a meeting with Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, but in the event they met without Mursi. Abbas is reluctant to accept any format that would imply giving the Hamas leader a status equivalent to his own.

COMPETING APPROACHES

Much of the tension between the groups stems from their competing approaches to talks to try to end Israeli occupation. While Hamas fundamentally rejects Israel's right to exist, but says it might consider a long-term ceasefire, Abbas rejects violence and is prepared to talk peace on certain conditions.

The two groups have also traded blame over continued arrests of Hamas members by Fatah in the West Bank, and of Fatah members in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

On Tuesday, a Hamas court sentenced a senior Fatah armed activist, Zaki al-Sakani, to 15 years in prison for possession of weapons, according to Hamas security sources. A Fatah official described the verdict as a blow to reconciliation.

The Egyptian-drafted agreement of 2011 called on Fatah and Hamas to form a unity government that would oversee an election and reform Abbas's Palestine Liberation Organisation to include Hamas and the less influential Islamic Jihad group.

Abbas says Hamas is obstructing election registration in Gaza, while Meshaal says the pact needs to be implemented as a whole, with Hamas prisoners in West Bank jails released.

A senior Hamas official in Gaza accused Abbas of dragging his feet on reconciliation because he was still hoping for a renewal of stalled peace talks with Israel.

"Our information showed that President Abbas would head towards reviving negotiations with the occupation (Israel) when the election in Israel is finished," Salah al-Bardaweel said in a statement.

Israel is holding a parliamentary election on January 22.

It has criticised Palestinian unity efforts, fearing that grassroots support for Hamas, deemed a terrorist group by the Israel and Western governments, could overwhelm Abbas's administration, which has long renounced violence.

"They are exploring a possible unification, between Fatah and the terrorists who wanted to destroy the state of Israel and who launched rockets on our towns," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

"We know, therefore, that any land that we vacate will be seized by Hamas and Iran and we will not let this happen." (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza, Tom Perry in Cairo, Ali Sawafta and Noah Browning in Ramallah, and Ori Lewis in Jerusalem; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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Asian shares steady, eye China data, ECB

Thu, Jan 10, 2013 at 06:28

MARKETS-GLOBAL-ASIA:Asian shares steady, eye China data, ECB

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Asian shares steady, eye China data, ECB

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Asian shares steady, eye China data, ECB

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By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares steadied on Thursday following an overnight rise in global equities on early optimism about U.S. earnings, but investors remained cautious ahead of China's trade data and the European Central Bank meeting later in the day.

Global equities rose modestly on Wednesday after aluminium maker Alcoa Inc

From DJ EU Officials Spain Aid Cap Of 100 Bn Euros 'should Be Enough'

The latest earning numbers FIRST on CNBC-TV18

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Asian shares in ranges as earnings eyed

By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares inched up on Wednesday but the upside was limited as investors waited warily for corporate earnings season to kick off in full force, preferring in the meantime to book profits from a sharp rally at the start of the year.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.1 percent.

Australian shares rose 0.2 percent, breaking a three-day losing streak as top banks and supermarkets rose ahead of data expected to show retail sales recovered some strength before Christmas.

South Korean shares opened up 0.2 percent. Tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics Co Ltd <005930.KS> launched the local earnings season on Tuesday by announcing a better-than-expected estimated fourth-quarter operating profit.

"The main index is seen rangebound after steadily declining since last week's rapid gains as caution rules before fourth-quarter earnings," Kim Soon-young, an analyst at IBK Securities, said of Seoul shares.

Global shares fell and bond prices rose on Tuesday, with investors cautious ahead of a U.S. earnings season expected to show sluggish growth in quarterly corporate profits.

U.S. earnings season began on Tuesday with Alcoa Inc

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Defense rests in trial of boy who killed neo-Nazi father

By Dana Feldman

RIVERSIDE, California (Reuters) - Attorneys representing a 12-year-old California boy charged with murdering his neo-Nazi father rested their case Tuesday without calling him to testify in a case that drew attention due to the rarity of a parent being slain by a child so young.

Lawyers for Joseph Hall concede that the boy, then just 10 years old, shot his father in May 2011 at point blank range, but argue that he should not be held criminally responsible. The gun belonged to his father, Jeffrey Hall, 32.

The boy's lawyers had suggested on Monday that he might testify in his own defense before the closely watched juvenile trial in Riverside County Superior Court concludes.

But defense attorney Matthew Hardy, in resting his case, said Hall would not be taking the witness stand, clearing the way for closing arguments to begin on Wednesday. Hardy did not elaborate on the decision.

Superior Court Judge Jean Leonard said she would likely render her verdict in the case, which is being conducted without a jury, on Monday morning.

"At this point, I'm really not sure what I'm going to do. I haven't made any decisions," Leonard told the attorneys.

The case has made headlines because of the father's neo-Nazi associations and the rarity of a parent being killed by a child so young.

Kathleen Heide, a criminologist who specializes in juvenile offenders, has said that 8,000 murder victims over the past 32 years were slain by their offspring, but only 16 of those were committed by defendants aged 10 or younger.

Hardy formally withdrew a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity on Monday and said that he would ask during closing arguments that the charges against Hall be dismissed on the grounds that prosecutors had not proven the boy was culpable.

Since Hall is a minor, the purpose of the trial is not to determine guilt or innocence but whether certain allegations about his motives are true. If he is found responsible for the crime, he could be sent to a juvenile facility until he is 23.

The outcome hinges on the boy's understanding of right and wrong at the time. Defense lawyers have said the boy was conditioned by his father's violent, racist behavior and that he killed him to put an end to the physical abuse inflicted on him.

Prosecutors say Hall, who lived with four siblings, killed his father because he thought he was planning to divorce his stepmother, Krista McCary. Prosecutors said the boy was close to McCary and considered her his true mother. (Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and M.D. Golan)

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Asian shares capped ahead of earnings reports

By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares steadied on Tuesday but prices were capped by investor caution ahead of corporate earnings season for the last quarter of 2012 and the European Central Bank's policy meeting later in the week.

U.S. stock prices retreated from five-year highs on Monday, spurring selling of oil, gold and other risky investments and reviving some safety bids for U.S. and German government debt.

U.S. earnings season unofficially kicks off when aluminium maker Alcoa

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Expert View - Samsung posts record Q4 profit of $8.3 bln

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics <005930.KS>, the world's top maker of memory chips and handsets, estimated its October-December operating profit at a record 8.8 trillion won, as solid demand recovery in sleek flat screens used in mobile devices added to robust profit growth in smartphones.

Following are reactions from analysts and fund managers:

KIM HYOUNG-SIK, ANALYST, TAURUS INVEST & SECURITIES

"Samsung shares will drop a bit in January, but rebound in February with expectations for the Galaxy IV, which is likely to be released in April or May.

"I don't think earnings will dip much in the first quarter and I expect operating profit to be around 8.5 trillion won. For the whole year (2013), I forecast operating profit to be 37.8 trillion won."

KIM SUNG-SOO, FUND MANAGER, LS ASSET MANAGEMENT

"Investors expected Samsung to post strong profit, and the guidance offers the opportunity for them to take profits.

"Investors are a bit concerned that Samsung's momentum may slow in the first half after posting a series of record profits. The smartphone market is unlikely to sustain its strong growth, as advanced markets are nearing saturation despite growth in emerging countries.

"This year, Samsung will cement its lead in smartphones. Eyes are on whether Apple will launch new models to grab more market share from Samsung, and Samsung will be able to play catch-up in the tablet PC market where it still lags Apple.

"Smartphones are a key profit driver for Samsung, and chips and other businesses are unlikely to post a strong recovery because of the weak global economy."

KIM SUNG-IN, ANALYST, KIWOOM SECURITIES

"I think Samsung's smartphone sales and profit growth rate will not slow this year. I expect its smartphone sales to reach 320 million and tablet PCs around 32 million, double last year's 16 million."

"Although the seasonal demand is weak in the first quarter, I expect Samsung's total sales will exceed 53 trillion won and operating profit to be around 8.3 trillion won because of demand for semiconductor and IT products. Sales this year are expected to be 230 trillion won and operating profit 37 trillion won."

AN SEONG-HO, ANALYST, HANWHA INVESTMENT & SECURITIES

"Both sales and operating profit were in line with market estimates. Samsung's fourth-quarter performance is seen owing a lot to its smartphone and tablet sales.

"This year, Samsung's earnings are expected to get better in the second half, while its share price is seen higher in the first half."

SONG MYUNG-SUB, ANALYST, HI INVESTMENT & SECURITIES

"Samsung's Note was selling well, boosting its fourth-quarter profit, while Apple's iPhone 5 sales were less than expected.

"Samsung's profit will drop in the current quarter because of decreased phone profits. Samsung will launch its next Galaxy S model only in March or April so without new models Samsung's phone sales prices will fall in the current quarter.

"For the whole year, Samsung will launch new models faster than Apple and will continue to have the upper hand in the smartphone market." (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin, Joyce Lee, Narae Kim and Daum Kim; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

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Carcass of tiger found in Brahmapuri Forest Range

Chandrapur (Maha), Jan 6 (PTI) The decomposed carcass of a tiger was today found in the forests of Ekara (Bhujruk) under South Brahmapuri Forest Range. The carcass was found this afternoon in compartment number 156 of Ajni beat of Ekara, under South Bramhapuri Range by a group of environmentalists from Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) while they were conducting a survey, Sanjay Thawre, Divisional Conservator of Forests, Brahmapuri Division, said. The gender of the carcass and the cause of its death was yet to be ascertained, he said. Postmortem of the carcass will be conducted tomorrow, Thawre added. PTI COR BA PMS PTP

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Obama set to nominate Hagel as defence secretary

Washington, Jan 6 (AFP) US President Barack Obama is expected to nominate Chuck Hagel as his new defence secretary tomorrow and Republicans are signaling a fierce confirmation fight even though he is one of their own. Obama has decided he wants the 66-year-old former Republican senator to succeed Leon Panetta at the Pentagon and will make his announcement tomorrow, a Democratic aide told AFP, confirming earlier US media reports. Obama is also expected to announce who he has chosen to replace David Petraeus at the helm of the CIA, with acting director Michael Morell and counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan seen as the frontrunners, CNN said. Despite the fact that Hagel is a fellow Republican, party heavyweights scenting blood in bitterly-divided Washington have accused him of hostility toward Israel and naivety on Iran, auguring a tough nomination process ahead. The top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, praised Hagel when he left his Nebraska seat in 2009 for his "clear voice and stature on national security and foreign policy," but his tone was markedly different today. "He ought to be given a fair hearing like any other nominee, and he will be," McConnell told ABC. "I'm going to wait and see how the hearings go and whether Chuck's views square with the job he would be nominated to do." But over on CNN, leading Republican Senator Lindsey Graham did not shy away from a full-frontal attack, saying Hagel would be "the most antagonistic defence secretary towards the state of Israel in our nation's history. "Not only has he said you should directly negotiate with Iran, sanctions won't work, that Israel must negotiate with Hamas, an organisation, terrorist group, that lobs thousands of rockets into Israel. "He also was one of 12 senators who refused to sign a letter to the European Union trying to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation," Graham said. Hagel would be an "in-your-face" and "incredibly controversial choice" by Obama that would probably represent a "bridge too far" for him and a lot of other Republicans, he said, before adding that the hearings would provide the expected nominee with a chance to "set some of this straight." Hagel, a decorated Vietnam veteran, is known for a fiercely independent streak and a tendency to speak bluntly. (AFP) WAJ

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3 hostages, 1 gunman killed in Colorado shooting

Washington, Jan 5 (PTI) The US city of Aurora, that was the scene of a movie theater massacre last year, was shaken again by a hostage crisis that ended with the death of four people, including the gunman. A gunman, who was holed up in a house with several hostages, kept the police at bay for several hours, but the standoff ended with the killing of three hostages and the gunman. Local media reports said that police broke into the house after hours of failed negotiations gunned down the culprit. Three victims were discovered dead inside the home, Denver News reported. Neighbours who heard gunshots from the house called the police at around 3 am (local time Saturday), following which police surrounded the house and evacuated the area. According to a report in the local KUSA news, one person inside the home was able to escape the hostage situation and alert authorities. The identities of the victims and the gunman were not released immediately. Last year in July, the Colorado city of Aurora witnessed a macabre shooting incident at a movie theater screening The Dark Knight Rises, in which 12 people were killed and 58 were injured. The US was shaken last month when a gunman barged into an elementary school and shot dead 20 little children and six school staffers, in one of a series of such shooting incidents that has sparked a gun control debate in the country. PTI WAJ

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Cong to name its candidate for HP Assembly Speaker on Jan 7

Shimla, Jan 5 (PTI) Congress' candidate for the post of Speaker of newly-elected Himachal Pradesh Assembly would be announced at its legislature party meeting at Dharamsala on January 7. "The name of candidate for the post of Speaker would be decided soon and a formal announcement would be made at the meeting of Congress Legislature Party to be held at Dharamsala on the eve of first session of the newly elected Vidhan Sabha," AICC general secretary and in charge of organisational affairs for Himachal, Birender Singh Chowdhary, told PTI. Singh said the names of some Independent MLAs desirous of supporting the Congress Government in the state would also be announced in the meeting. He said the election for the Speaker would be held on January 9, but the election of the deputy Speaker might to deferred for the time being. When asked about the fate of the appointments of Chairman of Boards and corporations by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Chowdhary said the same have been "held in abeyance till the next communication from the high command." However, all such appointments in further would be made after approval from the High Command. The rival camp has reportedly expressed dismay at the appointments made in an "arbitrary" manner and sought intervention of the party's High Command. PTI PCL PMS

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