Retailers hope holiday shoppers defy economy

Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images

It's beginning to look a lot like the holiday shopping season at stores like Macy's Herald Square in New York.

By John W. Schoen, Senior Producer

With the unemployment rate stuck above 9 percent and housing prices heading lower again, many American households have little to celebrate. But that doesn?t seem to have dampened expectations for?a relatively strong?holiday shopping season.

?The last thing parents cut back on is Christmas presents for their child,? said Toys R Us CEO Gerald Storch. ??So Christmas always comes.?

After a rough year, retail sales have already begun to perk up well before the unofficial Black Friday start of the shopping season the day after Thanksgiving. Consumer spending rose?0.5?percent?in October after a?1.1 percent increase in September as sales rose on?everything?from big-ticket electronics to sporting goods to books, according to the Commerce Department.

?Households may not be in especially celebratory mood, but they do seem willing to ramp up purchases in the final months of the year," said Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist at the Economic Outlook Group.

The National Retail Federation is looking for an ?average? holiday shopping season ? up 2.8 percent ? after a surprisingly strong 5.2 percent gain in 2010. That would be just a bit better than the 10-year average increase of 2.6 percent.

Some retailers are even more upbeat.

?We?re very encouraged and very confident about the holiday season," said Macy's spokesman Jim Sluzewski. ?We?ve told Wall Street to expect our sales to be up?4 percent to 4.5 percent in the fourth quarter. That?s relatively consistent with the sales increase we?ve seen all year."

Profit increases may be harder to come by, especially for discount retailers attempting to win over cash-strapped households. Discounters are?expected?to fight to gain?market share by paring prices to the bone.

Global retail giant Wal-Mart signaled what shoppers, and its competitors, can expect with?quarterly?results that showed profits fell? even as?sales rose. Rivals Target and Costco will have to respond to Wal-Mart's aggressive cost-cutting or risk losing sales, said Deborah Weinswig, Citi?Investment Research retail analyst.

?You?re seeing Wal-Mart take a very aggressive stand on pricing,? she said. ?We?re seeing a very new Wal-Mart and they are taking no prisoners.?

Department store chains are?turning to exclusive brands to avoid the increasingly intense price competition on items sold elsewhere. Kohl?s said its 20 percent boost in third-quarter profits was helped by strong demand for its exclusive Jennifer Lopez line. About half the company?s sales come from private label or exclusive brands, up from a quarter in 2004. Macy?s is relying on exclusive brands Tommy Hilfiger, Martha Stewart and Armani jeans to boost its bottom line.

As in years past, retailers have worked hard to better manage the supply of goods. If they order too much, they either have to?slash prices more, which cuts into?profits, or risk getting stuck with unsold merchandise. If they order too little, and their customers can?t find what they?re looking for, they?ll shop elsewhere.

Getting the right balance was even more difficult as widespread uncertainty about the economic outlook this summer prompted retailers to keep inventories lean. That could reduce the need for heavy promotional price-cutting, especially among high-end retailers with evergreen luxury brands.

?I think shoppers are always looking for a deal,? said Lord & Taylor CEO Brendan Hoffman. ?But I don?t think you'll see super-deep discounts as compared to the last couple of years. The world's gotten promotional over the last few years and will continue to be so this year, but probably not noticeably more than over the last few years.?

The recent uptick in retail sales volume comes as consumers have begun to catch a bit of a break, which could help ease the pressure on holiday shopping budgets. Overall, prices fell in October ?- largely due to a hefty 3.1 percent drop in gasoline prices ?- the first monthly decline since June. Weekly earnings also bumped up last month, by 0.3 percent, though they?re still 1.7 percent below last year.

Retailers have also continued to ramp up online sales, which still make up a small portion of overall sales. But online shopping is growing more than twice as fast as in-store sales. More than two-thirds of retailers expected their e-commerce revenues to grow 15 percent or more, according to a survey by NRF's Shop.org division. Online giant Amazon posted a 44 percent increase in sales in the third quarter, helped by strong demand for its new Kindle Fire e-reader, which is expected to boost holiday sales.

To better reel in online shoppers, retailers have spruced up websites, created apps for mobile devices and turned to social media to try to extend the reach of their promotions. Three-quarters said they were expanding their presence on Facebook and 45 percent are boosting their Twitter presence. About a third said they plan to?use a variety of digital channels to reach out to consumers with daily offers of deals and other promotions

More than 40 percent said they planned to offer free shipping, which has helped boost traffic for?shipping companies. FedEx expects to ship record volume this holiday season: more than 260 million shipments, a 12 percent increase from 2010, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The company expects shipments to peak at 17 million packages on its busiest day, which it figures will come on Dec. 12. That's 10 percent more than its busiest day last year. UPS has been more cautious in its forecasting, saying much depends on the turnout for the last two weeks of the season.

How much do you plan to spend on the holidays this year?

A look at the people who will actually be out shopping next Friday, as well as the hot trends this year, like comparison shopping, with CNBC's Courtney Reagan.

Related:

Black Friday backlash: Some retailers pull back
Full coverage: Holiday retail

Source: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/16/8842033-retailers-looking-for-solid-shopping-turnout

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Police clear Oakland protest camp without incident (Reuters)

OAKLAND, California (Reuters) ? Police on Sunday cleared anti-Wall Street protesters from a vacant lot and public park in Oakland, California, a day after they had erected a tent camp to replace one torn down by authorities.

There were no reports of arrests or violence.

Previous unrest surrounding protests in Oakland, a West Coast Occupy hot spot, helped rally support nationwide for the Occupy Wall Street movement launched in New York in September to protest economic inequality and excesses of the U.S. financial system.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said the cost of the encampments to the city was growing and putting a strain on already fragile resources including police, public works and other staff.

Quan said in a statement that Sunday's raid was necessary and that public safety and protecting downtown businesses from vandalism are the city's priority.

"We will not tolerate lodging on public property, whether in parks or open space; it is illegal," Quan said.

Oakland police spokeswoman Johanna Watson said the protesters were "very cooperative" and police encountered no resistance.

A previous effort to remove the protesters' camp in October sparked clashes between protesters and police that wounded a former U.S. Marine and turned into one of the most violent episodes linked to the Occupy movement.

The protesters had pitched tents in the lot and adjacent park on Saturday. Police less than a week ago dismantled a similar protest camp nearby.

Oakland protesters have announced plans to shut down all West Coast ports on December 12 in coordination with like-minded protesters in Los Angeles.

To the north, two University of California, Davis police officers have been placed on administrative leave while the school investigates the apparent use by campus police of pepper spray against seated student protesters, the university said on Sunday.

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and David Bailey)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111120/us_nm/us_protests_westcoast

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Gingrich Now Even Challenging Romney in New Hampshire (The Atlantic Wire)

The reason why Mitt Romney can afford to look cavalier about competing in the Iowa caucuses is because he's had a commanding lead in polling in the first early voting state, New Hampshire--until today, that is, when a new poll showed that back-from-the-dead Newt Gingrich is virtually tied with him.

Related: And Now South Carolina Moves Its Primary Date to January 21

The latest heat-check from the NH Journal finds that if "the election were held today" Romney would snag 29 percent of the vote and Gingrich would net a within the margin-of-error 27 percent. That looks like the definition of a shock poll.?To put those numbers in perspective, Real Clear Politics aggregation of all New Hampshire polls has shown the former Massachusetts governor with a average lead of 23 points over his closest opponent--which had been Ron Paul until this morning (the libertarian is in third place in the NH Journal poll with 16 percent).?

Related: A Guide to GOP Presidential Contender Speculation

What prompted the shift? NH Journal points to 44 percent of respondents saying that they liked Newt Gingrich's "depth of knowledge on the issues" and that "self-identified conservative voters" were more likely to pick him than Romney.?In any case, the news that the race in New Hampshire may be tightening is troubling for Mitt--it forces him to put more pressure on competing in Iowa, a state that is basically a toss-up in polling right now and that?could doom his campaign if he tries too hard and fails.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/20111118/pl_atlantic/gingrichnowevenchallengingromneynewhampshire45176

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Automakers race to lose weight

Beneath the high ceilings of a factory in the wheat fields of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, Lamborghini engineers are building a new supercar. Called the Aventador, it has been described as the closest thing to a stealth fighter jet you'll see on the road. It's also a high-profile symbol of a strategic battle taking shape in the auto industry.

Silhouetted against grey walls, workers in black polo shirts adorned with Lamborghini's gold raging bull logo guide sheets of black material into a vacuum-controlled cutting machine, before pressing and shaping the pieces into huge moulds. These parts will make the chassis of the Aventador, which is one of the first cars to have its entire body built of carbon fiber composites, an alternative to metals prized by plane makers for their lightweight malleability and strength. The materials give designers "freedom to design aggressively," says Lamborghini's Technology Manager Massimiliano Corticelli.

The materials -- plastics reinforced by synthetic fibers -- will also allow the kind of performance so important to Lamborghini drivers: 0-62 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds with a top speed of around 217 miles per hour. But their potential value lies beyond the handful of people who can pay a starting price of 263,000 euros ($355,000) for a car that rolls off the assembly line at just 20 a week.

Partly as a consequence of emissions reduction targets, mass-market auto-makers need to produce lighter cars. For the next few years, auto-makers such as Peugeot, Fiat, Volkswagen and Daimler expect weight reductions to come largely from using aluminum. But composites are 30 percent lighter than aluminum and 50 percent lighter than steel. If car makers can get the price down -- composites currently cost at least 10 times as much as aluminum and 30 times as much as steel, according to Volkswagen -- they hope to be able to use them in the mass-market.

"We have been working on making cars lighter for several years, but the tightening up of regulation for reducing emissions by 2020 makes it necessary in reality to move toward breakthrough solutions," says Louis David, materials expert at French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen.

There is progress. Peugeot and other carmakers already make some small parts out of composite material but do not yet use the technology for large parts. But BMW, which plans by the end of 2013 to roll out electric cars with entire passenger cabins made from a composite known as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), is leading the race.

Helped by Germany's richest woman, Susanne Klatten, the luxury auto maker has been building close ties with Europe's only supplier of carbon fiber technology; it consolidated its hold this week with a share purchase.

"So far, there is no carmaker that is banking on carbon fibers quite like BMW," says Reto Hess, who coordinates global car industry analysis for Credit Suisse's private banking arm.

Too pricey
Taking composites mass market won't be easy. The European Union wants to cut average carbon dioxide emissions of cars manufactured in the region by 33 percent by 2020 -- to 95 g per km. Most mainstream European automakers say the cost of composites is too high to use them in whole cars any time soon.

Volkswagen's VW brand has the material in a prototype, but Ulrich Hackenberg, head of development of the VW brand, says finished parts cost between 30 and 50 euros per kg. That compares with only 1 euro for steel and 3 euros for aluminum. He thinks a reasonable target for the industry could be to bring this cost down to 15-20 euros.

Fiat has long been using composite technology -- its Alfa Romeo 8C contains about 90 kg of the stuff -- but like other car makers, it is still exploring what the technology can do on a larger scale. "In recent years mass production has had the opportunity to push materials like high-strength steel that have won the challenge with composites," says Fiat materials expert Rosanna Serra. But "we know these traditional materials cannot support the challenge in the future. They have limits."

Daimler has since April 2010 had a joint venture with Toray Industries of Japan, the world's largest manufacturer of carbon fibers, to build parts for its high-end, convertible coupe SL class. Toray has said branching out further into automotive uses is a top priority. It plans to speed up molding carbon fabrics into car parts to provide a new generation of components for Daimler by 2013.

Cars built from carbon fiber parts will have to meet the same safety criteria as conventional ones; composites can potentially cut a car's mass by half, says PSA's David. But on costs, he is blunt: "Today we believe that composites that are competitive for the automotive industry in terms of cost and production rhythm do not exist," he says. The company is taking "baby steps" in using the materials in vehicles that should be in showrooms by 2014-15, and he expects the technology to be much more widespread by 2018.

Secure supply
BMW isn't waiting. It won't disclose its investment, but according to German weekly Der Spiegel it has spent more than a billion euros on developing the technology and its new range of "i" electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Whole cars made of carbon fiber composites will be available from 2013.

Its strategy is based on the view that trendsetting car buffs with deep pockets will develop a taste for electric cars, especially if prodded by government incentives such as exemptions from city-center congestion charges. The company says the i3's bodywork will be 250-350 kg (550-770 pounds) lighter than that of a conventional car of the same size. With a much lighter chassis, it hopes its traditional clientele of drivers could even desire a premium electric vehicle for city driving.

BMW finance chief Friedrich Eichiner says the company is already working to cut costs to a point where they will be level with aluminum. It's a goal that can only be achieved with economies of scale. "Costs are a function of the volumes -- that remains the driver," Eichiner says.

To this end, BMW has already secured fiber production capacity which industry experts say is equivalent to what the entire car industry consumed last year. Since 2011, the company has sourced its carbon fiber reinforced plastics through a joint venture with Europe's only major producer of carbon fibers, German-based SGL Carbon signed in 2009.

To get an idea of the scale, it's worth a glance at SGL's production chain. Based in Wiesbaden, southwest Germany, the company gets precursor fibers, similar to those used in fleece clothing, from a joint venture with Mitsubishi Rayon in Japan. They are shipped for treatment - including baking at temperatures as high as 1,400 Celsius (2,550 Fahrenheit) -- to the United States. Then they go to Germany, for finishing.

SGL says its U.S. plant will eventually be able to churn out 3,000 tonnes of fiber per year. That compares with an estimated 2-3,000 tonnes used in all cars globally last year and about 35,000 tonnes across all industries.

Klatten clincher
SGL is already majority-owned by Klatten, who is worth an estimated 8.9 billion euros according to German monthly Manager Magazin. Heiress to the fortune of German industrialist Herbert Quandt, she and her family also have a combined 46.7 percent of BMW.

The car company's pact with SGL was signed a few months after Klatten, who is Germany's richest woman, had emerged as the largest shareholder in SGL, too. It was a strategic move, and one BMW appeared to seal on Friday when it said it had bought a 15.2 percent stake in the carbon fiber producer.

The carbon-fiber industry suffered a meltdown when demand for expensive defense technology waned after the end of the Cold War, and now only about half a dozen makers globally are capable of producing on an industrial scale. SGL is the only major European player, with main rivals in Japan -- Toray, Teijin and Mitsubishi Chemical's Rayon division - and the United States: Zoltek and Hexcel.

Fiber technology requires high expertise. The slightest tweaks in the process can alter the fibers' molecular structure, potentially compromising the safety of the parts they go into. At a test production site for fibers in Meitingen, Bavaria, SGL measures no fewer than 2,400 parameters every five seconds to monitor the process. "It may be easy to build a production site for carbon fibers but it's certainly extremely complicated to operate one," says CSFB's Hess.

SGL's position in Europe was underlined in a headline-grabbing tussle between Klatten and Volkswagen over the carbon-fiber maker in March. Volkswagen, Europe's biggest carmaker and Lamborghini's owner, acquired an 8 percent stake in SGL, and Klatten responded by saying she was observing VW's actions "with a distance and with vigilance".

Since May she has lifted her holding to around 29 percent, which gives her the right to veto strategic decisions at the supplier. That, combined with BMW's purchase, would bring the BMW camp's holding of the company to around 44 percent.

If Germany's financial regulator ruled that Klatten and BMW are acting in concert, their combined holding of more than 30 percent in SGL would trigger a mandatory complete takeover offer. A spokesman for Klatten said on Friday she had not been involved with, nor informed in advance, of BMW's purchase.

Volkswagen now holds almost 10 percent. A spokesman for Klatten says she is "comfortable" with her current stake and that her stance toward VW has not changed.

SGL has said it does not rule out collaboration agreements with other carmakers; but its stock has spiraled to its highest in more than three years on speculation that it will be the target of a takeover bid. It's now trading at almost 30 times estimated earnings -- the average multiple for European industrial stocks is nearer 11, Thomson Reuters StarMine data shows.

SGL's Chief Executive Robert Koehler says only that "VW has made it clear that they are keen for SGL to remain independent," and that "BMW is working under high pressure on its CFRP concept for the 'i' series. We are on a tight schedule."

Even so, BMW's CEO Norbert Reithofer has his sights set further into the future. The electric model range has an "enabling job to deliver because we want to use parts of this technology for our future models" in the series development, he says.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45353938/ns/business-autos/

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Egypt police clash with protesters ahead of vote

Protesters help a wounded man during clashes with Egyptian riot police in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Thousands of police clashed with protesters for control of downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday after security forces tried to stop activists from staging a long-term sit-in there. The violence took place just nine days before Egypt's first elections since the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak in February. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Protesters help a wounded man during clashes with Egyptian riot police in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Thousands of police clashed with protesters for control of downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday after security forces tried to stop activists from staging a long-term sit-in there. The violence took place just nine days before Egypt's first elections since the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak in February. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A protester sits in a police truck destroyed during clashes in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Thousands of police clashed with protesters for control of downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday after security forces tried to stop activists from staging a long-term sit-in there. The violence took place just nine days before Egypt's first elections since the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak in February. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Protesters throw stones at Egyptian riot police during clashes in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Thousands of police clashed with protesters for control of downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday after security forces tried to stop activists from staging a long-term sit-in there. The violence took place just nine days before Egypt's first elections since the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak in February. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Tear gas surrounds Egyptian riot police as they stand guard during clashes in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Thousands of police clashed with protesters for control of downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday after security forces tried to stop activists from staging a long-term sit-in there. The violence took place just nine days before Egypt's first elections since the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak in February. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Protesters gather around a police truck damaged during clashes in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Thousands of police clashed with protesters for control of downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday after security forces tried to stop activists from staging a long-term sit-in there. The violence took place just nine days before Egypt's first elections since the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak in February. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

(AP) ? Egyptian riot police firing tear gas and rubber bullets stormed into Cairo's Tahrir Square Saturday to dismantle a protest tent camp, setting off clashes that killed two protesters, injured hundreds and raised tensions days before the first elections since Hosni Mubarak's ouster.

The scenes of protesters fighting with black-clad police forces were reminiscent of the 18-day uprising that forced an end to Mubarak's rule in February. Hundreds of protesters fought back, hurling stones and setting an armored police vehicle ablaze.

The violence raised fears of new unrest surrounding the parliamentary elections that are due to begin on Nov. 28. Public anger has risen over the slow pace of reforms and apparent attempts by Egypt's ruling generals to retain power over a future civilian government.

Witnesses said the clashes began when riot police dismantled a small tent camp set up to commemorate the hundreds of protesters killed in the uprising and attacked around 200 peaceful demonstrators who had camped in the square overnight in an attempt to restart a long-term sit-in there.

"Violence breeds violence," said Sahar Abdel-Mohsen, an engineer who joined in the protest after a call went out on Twitter urging people to come to Tahrir to defend against the police attacks. "We are tired of this and we are not leaving the square."

Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and beat protesters with batons, clearing the square at one point and pushing the fighting into surrounding side streets of downtown Cairo.

A 23-year-old protester died from a gunshot, said Health Ministry official Mohammed el-Sherbeni. At least 676 people were injured, he said. At least one other protester was killed in Alexandria, where demonstrations and clashes also took place, said a security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to journalists.

Crowds swarmed an armored police truck, rocking it back and forth and setting it ablaze.

After nightfall, protesters swarmed back into the square in the thousands, setting tires ablaze in the street and filling the area with an acrid, black smoke screen. Police appeared to retreat to surrounding areas, leaving protesters free to retake and barricade themselves inside the square. The air was still thick with stinging tear gas.

Shortly before midnight, police pushed back toward the square, firing more tear gas and drawing a barrage of stones from the protesters holding the site.

The government urged protesters to clear the square.

A member of the military council, Gen. Mohsen el-Fangari, dismissed the protesters and said their calls for change ahead of the election were a threat to the state.

"What is the point of being in Tahrir?" he said, speaking by phone to the popular Al-Hayat TV channel. "What is the point of this strike, of the million marches? Aren't there legal channels to pursue demands in a way that won't impact Egypt ... internationally?"

"The aim of what is going on is to shake the backbone of the state, which is the armed forces."

In a warning, he said, "If security is not applied, we will implement the rule of law. Anyone who does wrong will pay for it."

Saturday's confrontation was one of the few since the uprising to involve police forces, which have largely stayed in the background while the military takes charge of security. There was no military presence in and around the square on Saturday.

The black-clad police were a hated symbol of Mubarak's regime.

"The people want to topple the regime," shouted enraged crowds, reviving the chant from the early days of the uprising. Crowds also screamed: "Riot police are thugs and thieves" and "Down with the Marshal," referring to Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Egypt's military ruler.

Some of the wounded had blood streaming down their faces and many had to be carried out of the square by fellow protesters to waiting ambulances.

Human rights activists accused police of using excessive force.

One prominent activist, Malek Mostafa, lost his right eye from a rubber bullet, said Ghada Shahbender, a member of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights.

At least four protesters were injured in the eyes as a result of what Shahbender said were orders to target protesters' heads.

"It is a crime," she said. "They were shooting rubber bullets directly at the heads. ... I heard an officer ordering his soldiers to aim for the head."

A videojournalist for the Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry al-Youm, Ahmed Abdel-Fatah, was also hit in the eye by a rubber bullet and was undergoing surgery.

Police arrested 18 people, state TV reported, describing the protesters as rioters.

Protests were also held Saturday in the Red Sea port city of Suez, where a crowd of thousands attacked a police station, with some hurling firebombs at the building, said protester Ahmed Khafagi. They were met with tear gas and gunfire.

In Alexandria, hundreds of people threw stones at the main security headquarters, said protester Ahmed Abdel-Qader. He said it felt like the revolution was starting all over again.

"We only managed to bring down the head of the regime. The rest of the tree is still standing," he said.

A day earlier, tens of thousands of Islamists and young activists had massed in Tahrir Square to protest Egypt's ruling military council, which took control of the country after Mubarak's ouster and has been harshly criticized for its oversight of the bumpy transition period.

Friday's crowd, the largest in months, was mobilized by the Muslim Brotherhood and focused its anger on a document drafted by the military that spells out guiding principles for a new constitution.

Under those guidelines, the military and its budget would be shielded from civilian oversight. An early version of it also said the military would appoint 80 members of the 100-person constitutional committee ? a move that would vastly diminish the new parliament's role.

Groups across the political spectrum rejected the document, calling it an attempt by the military to perpetuate its rule past the post-Mubarak transition. Back in February, the military had promised it would return to the country to civilian rule within six months. Now, there is deep uncertainty over the timeline, and presidential elections might not be held until 2013.

El-Fangary said if the plan in place is followed, the military will be out of power by the end of 2012.

Friday's demonstration dispersed peacefully, but several hundred people remained in the square overnight in an attempt to re-establish a semi-permanent presence in the square to pressure the military council.

Violence began Saturday morning, as police moved in to clear them.

The Interior Ministry, which runs the country's police forces, accused people of trying to escalate tensions ahead of the parliamentary elections, which will be held in stages that continue through March.

Activists say they just want to guard the outcome of their revolution.

Unemployed graduate student Nasser Ezzat said he traveled from southern Egypt to Tahrir because he wanted to help finish the revolution that people died for. He came to the square on Friday, leaving behind his a pregnant wife in the city of Sohag.

"I dream of a fairer Egypt for my unborn daughter, one without police harassment and corruption," he said on Saturday.

___

Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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CSN: Sveum thrilled to be managing Cubs

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Sharon Stone announces 2 new roles (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? Sharon Stone is taking on two very different roles: One in a Linda Lovelace biopic, and another online to welcome returning troops.

The 53-year-old actress says she will play Lovelace's mother in "Lovelace." But before filming starts, the "Basic Instinct" star has another mission: She's taking her first steps into the world of social media with a Facebook page that welcomes returning military personnel home from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Stone says her page will serve as a community bulletin board where people can not only thank the troops for their service, but offer them jobs, discounts, a helping hand and a warm welcome.

"It's very important that people know that their country is behind them," Stone said in an interview. "With all of this negative chatter in the governmental races, we need to have our actual country say what they feel in loving, really vocal terms."

Stone said that with 38,000 military personnel heading home in the coming weeks, she hopes her We Welcome Home Our Troops page will be a positive place where troops can find support.

"I'd like to see like big stores like K-Mart and Target offer 30 percent off for veterans," she said. She hopes businesses seeking workers might also post on the page, along with "lots of thoughtful, understanding messages" from everyday citizens.

Stone said she is planning to hold contests for veterans to attend movie premieres and other Hollywood events, "and I'm hoping that other celebrities will do the same."

Up next for the actress? She will be filming "The Mule," a thriller set on the U.S.-Mexico border, before taking on the Lovelace story.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen can be reached at www.twitter.com/APSandy.

___

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Hands-on with the Samsung Exhibit II 4G

Samsung Exhibit II 4G

A few weeks ago T-Mobile announced their first no-contract 4G device, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G which is an upgrade of the not so old Samsung Exhibit 4G. T-Mobile took to some pretty agressive pricing to help move this device pricing it at only $199 without a contract, or $29 if you wished to sign a contract for some odd reason. Most of the time we associate a low cost device with a low quality device, but Samsung has done an exceptional job with this device.

The overall build quality is extremely nice, the device has a 3.7-inch WVGA display which is rather vibrant and displays colors beautifully. On the back you have a 3MP camera so if you were looking to replace your point and shoot, this may not do it for you, but it also includes a front facing camera which is great for video chatting with the family. Powered by a 1GHz processor the device moves fluently, and the TouchWiz that is running over Android 2.3.5 gives you the most current Gingerbread version, even on a device with such a low price point.

Pair this low cost device with a low cost monthly plan and you could have yourself a beautiful piece of Samsung hardware running a recent version of Android. Hit the break for a quick hands on video as well as some more shots of the device.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/MO-6SYMqp1s/story01.htm

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Ruben Studdard and Surata Zuri McCants: It's Over


American Idol winner Ruben Studdard has filed for divorce from Surata Zuri McCants, his wife of more than three years, according to reports.

The Velvet Teddy Bear filed the papers in his native Alabama citing the catch-all "irreconcilable differences" as the impetus for the breakup.

They have no children together.

Surata Zuri McCants Picture

A rep for Studdard did not elaborate on the reasons for the divorce, but did confirm that it's a go, saying, “Ruben and Zuri have gone their separate ways.”

Ruben won the second season of American Idol back in 2003, besting a young fella by the name of Clay Aiken to take the crown. Those were the days.

Season 11 kicks off in January on Fox.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/11/ruben-studdard-and-surata-zuri-mccants-its-over/

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Missouri mother charged with murdering toddler son

Mourners who did not want to give names show emotion Wednesday Nov. 16, 2011, after leaving a memorial for Tyler Dasher near St. Marcus Cemetery in St. Louis, Mo. where the one-year-olds body was found Tuesday. Prosecutors charged Shelby Dasher Wednesday with second-degree murder in the death of her son, Tyler, whose body was found hours after she reported him missing. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post Dispatch, Christian Gooden)

Mourners who did not want to give names show emotion Wednesday Nov. 16, 2011, after leaving a memorial for Tyler Dasher near St. Marcus Cemetery in St. Louis, Mo. where the one-year-olds body was found Tuesday. Prosecutors charged Shelby Dasher Wednesday with second-degree murder in the death of her son, Tyler, whose body was found hours after she reported him missing. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post Dispatch, Christian Gooden)

Amanda Cradic, left, and Meagan Mayer react as they learn that the son of a woman they described as their best friend was kidnapped in the early hours of Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011 from his home in St. Louis County, Mo. Police say the body of a small child has been found near a cemetery about a mile from where 1-year-old Tyler Dasher went missing. St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch says the child has not been positively identified, however he says there are no other reports of missing children in the area. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Christian Gooden) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT

Amanda Cradic, left, and Meagan Mayer react as they learn that the son of a woman they described as their best friend was kidnapped in the early hours of Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011 from his home in St. Louis County, Mo. Police say the body of a small child has been found near a cemetery about a mile from where 1-year-old Tyler Dasher went missing. St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch says the child has not been positively identified, however he says there are no other reports of missing children in the area. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Christian Gooden) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT

Amanda Cradic, left, and Meagan Mayer react as they learn that the son of a woman they described as their best friend was kidnapped in the early hours of Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011 from his home in St. Louis County, Mo. Police say the body of a small child has been found near a cemetery about a mile from where 1-year-old Tyler Dasher went missing. St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch says the child has not been positively identified, however he says there are no other reports of missing children in the area. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Christian Gooden) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT

St. Louis County police search near St. Marcus Cemetery on River Des Peres Blvd. looking for clues in the murder of 13-month-old Tyler Dasher, Wednesday Nov. 16, 2011. Dasher was reported missing from his home Tuesday morning. His body was found four hours later in the wooded area near the cemetery. Police investigating the death have taken the baby's mother into custody, bu tshe has not been charged. (AP Photo/St Louis Post-Dispatch, Emily Rasinski) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT

(AP) ? A suburban St. Louis woman who claimed her 13-month-old son had vanished from his crib was charged Wednesday with murdering him, after prosecutors say she admitted to police that she had beaten him because he wouldn't stop crying and gotten rid of his body.

Shelby Dasher, 20, was arrested early Wednesday morning, less than 16 hours after she reported her son, Tyler, was missing. People walking their dog found Tyler Dasher's body on Tuesday near a cemetery about a mile from his home.

St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch said Wednesday that Dasher admitted to police that she repeatedly hit her son because he was crying and "wouldn't lay down, wouldn't go back to sleep." He said she also told police she disposed of her son's body.

"Raising children can be frustrating. There are a myriad of ways to handle that," McCulloch said. "This isn't one of them."

McCulloch revealed little else about the boy's death, except to say it appeared he hadn't been struck with objects or weapons. He declined to say when investigators believe the child died.

Dasher was being held on $500,000 cash bond. The state's electronic court system did not list an attorney for her Wednesday afternoon, and a county jail worker declined to convey a request to Dasher seeking comment.

Before the charges were announced, detectives and uniformed officers came and went Wednesday from the family's small frame home, which is in a working class neighborhood. Yellow police tape surrounded the home, and a large Halloween pumpkin was on the front porch.

A long, wide area near the cemetery was also cordoned off. A cluster of young adults nearby cried and hugged as they watched officers mill around the scene. It wasn't clear if they were relatives of Tyler, and they declined interview requests.

The body was found within about 100 feet of a busy road.

"It says to me it's a pretty sick person," Fitch said. "Anybody that would take a child and leave a child in a wooded area in that condition needs to be dealt with severely by the criminal justice system."

Johnny Ellington, whose 24-year-old son, Joe Ellington, is Tyler's father, said he knew little about the investigation beyond what had been reported in the news. He said his family had been questioned by police and that the family advised Joe not to talk to the media.

Johnny Ellington, 65, said his son and Shelby Dasher were never married, and that his family saw Tyler frequently.

"He was just a wonderful baby and beautiful boy," he said.

Neighbors described the area where the Dashers live as quiet, the people close. But several neighbors said they knew little about Shelby Dasher or her son because the Dashers had only moved into their rented home a little over a year ago.

"Everybody here kind of knows each other, but not them," said Rick Angeles, 28, who lives across the street with his wife and 3-year-old son. Angeles said a lot of young people were in and out of the Dasher home frequently but he never saw anything that concerned him.

Tim Adair was visiting his sister's home three houses down from the Dashers. He said Tyler's grandmother came over Tuesday, distraught, and told them the boy was missing. She said she had no idea where he could be.

"My niece gave her a hug and talked with her and prayed with her," Adair said. "I can't imagine how difficult this would be."

___

Associated Press writer Maria Sudekum Fisher in Kansas City, Mo., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-11-16-Missouri-Dead%20Child/id-f0a645bd60a3422d8cdc1389bd9879af

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