Spain: 3 ETA suspects arrested in France (AP)

MADRID ? French police acting alongside Spanish counterparts have arrested three men at a railway station in France on suspicion of belonging to Basque separatist group ETA, the Interior Ministry said Sunday.

One of those arrested in Joigny, 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Paris, was identified as 33-year-old Jon Echeverria Oyarbide, for whom there is an international arrest warrant. Police said he was in possession of material used in the manufacture of explosives.

Echevarria was found in possession of bomb-making materials.

The others were identified as Ruben Rivero Campo, who is wanted for "an election offense" and Inigo Sancho Marco, who is not on a wanted list, the ministry said in a statement, adding the arrests took place Saturday afternoon.

The statement said officers had spotted Echeverria at Bercy railway station in Paris and tailed him covertly to Joigny, where an apparent rendezvous with the other men took place.

The men were armed and police found a car with false license plates in the station car park in Joigny.

The arrests occurred a day after Spain's Interior Minister, Jorge Fernandez, insisted that as long as ETA existed its members would be hunted down.

Spanish state broadcaster TVE said the three were being held at Auxerre police station awaiting transport to Paris.

ETA has killed 829 people since the late 1960s in bombings and shootings aiming to force the creation of a Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France. It is classified as a terrorist organization by Spain, the United States and the European Union.

Waves of arrests in recent years have repeatedly weakened ETA's structure and diminished its ability to perform acts of terror or collect funds.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120115/ap_on_re_eu/eu_spain_france_eta_arrests

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Attack on Iraqi pilgrims kills 50, scores hurt (Reuters)

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) ? A suicide bomber disguised as a policeman killed at least 53 people and wounded scores in an attack on Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims at a checkpoint on Saturday.

The bombing at the end of Arbain, one of the main religious observances in the Shi'ite calendar, was the worst such incident this year, amid a political crisis and renewed fears of a resurgence of sectarian violence.

"A terrorist wearing a police uniform and carrying fake police I.D. managed to reach a police checkpoint and blew himself up among police and pilgrims," said a police official at the scene of the bombing.

The pilgrims had been on their way to a major Shi'ite mosque to the west of Basra, police said.

Security forces sealed off the main hospital in Basra, fearing further attacks as soldiers, police and civilians rushed blood-covered victims to the hospital. Some of the wounded were stuffed into car trunks.

Hundreds of wailing relatives packed into the city morgue searching for casualties. One woman lay on the floor screaming for her dead son and covering her head with dust from the ground in a traditional expression of grief.

Riyadh Abdul-Ameer, director of the Basra health office, told Reuters the blast killed 53 people, with another 130 wounded. Other officials had earlier put the toll at 32 to 35 dead with 90 to more than 100 wounded.

POLITICAL CRISIS

Tensions in Iraq have wider implications in the region. Neighboring Syria is in turmoil, and Shi'ite Iran and Sunni Arab Gulf nations and Turkey are positioning themselves for more influence.

Arbain marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed who was killed in a 7th century battle in the Iraqi holy city of Kerbala. It has been a repeated target of militants since the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.

Some Sunni Islamist groups such as al Qaeda view Shi'ites as heretics. Saddam banned such Shi'ite religious commemorations.

Hundreds of thousands of Shi'ites have flocked to Kerbala from across Iraq, as well as Iran and other countries in recent days. The observance reached its peak on Saturday.

Scores of people have been killed in attacks on pilgrims in the last few weeks, including a suicide bombing which killed at least 44 people.

Many of the incidents involved methods such as suicide bombings, the signature of Iraq's al Qaeda affiliate.

Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government has issued an arrest warrant for a Sunni vice president, triggering a political crisis that risks scuttling a power-sharing agreement among Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurdish blocs.

Violence had declined since the height of sectarian slaughter in 2006-2007, when thousands were killed in intercommunal strife. But the withdrawal of the last American troops in December has stirred worries of a resurgence.

(Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Patrick Markey and Jim Loney; Editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iraq/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120114/wl_nm/us_iraq_violence

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Nuggets hand Heat third straight loss, 117-104

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh, left, blocks a shot by Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) in the first quarter of a NBA basketball game in Denver on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh, left, blocks a shot by Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) in the first quarter of a NBA basketball game in Denver on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) leans away from Miami Heat center Dexter Pittman in the second quarter of a NBA basketball game in Denver on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) drives past Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari, of Italy, in the first quarter of a NBA basketball game in Denver on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade grimaces after injuring his leg in the fourth quarter the Heat's 117-104 loss to the Denver Nuggets in a NBA basketball game in Denver on Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

(AP) ? The Denver Nuggets pressed the pace and then turned it up a notch in the fourth quarter.

And the Miami Heat couldn't keep up, especially once Dwyane Wade was injured.

Ty Lawson scored 24 points in his return to the lineup, and the Nuggets sent the Heat to their third straight loss with a 117-104 victory on Friday night.

"When they crashed our defense, they got 3s and when we tried to stay home, they got layups," said LeBron James, whose 35 points led the Heat. "They just broke us down too many times. They broke our defense down too many times and they were able to pretty much get anything they wanted."

Nene added 17 points for the Nuggets, who won their 10th in a row against the Heat in Denver. Rudy Fernandez and Al Harrington each had 15 points.

Lawson, who was held out of Wednesday's game against New Jersey because of a right foot sprain, also had nine assists.

"My emphasis at every timeout was don't stop running," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "Try to run every possession. I don't know if they didn't want to play that pace, but Wade getting hurt probably helped us."

Wade scored 12 points before landing awkwardly on his right ankle after trying to block a shot with 7:24 remaining. He lay on the floor for several moments before gingerly making his way to the bench. He did not return and remains questionable for the Heat's next game Tuesday at home against San Antonio.

"I hope I can play. It's my birthday," Wade said as he soaked the foot in a bucket of ice. Wade said X-rays were negative but he described the sprain as very painful.

"Unfortunately, when the bug hits you, it hits you," said Wade, who also strained a calf during an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers two nights ago. "I'll just continue to get therapy. Nothing I can do. Stuff like that happens in sports."

Chris Bosh added 17 points for Miami, which was outscored 31-23 in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets led by as many as 19 points in the period, the largest deficit Miami has dealt with this season.

"This was a tough one tonight," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Sometimes you're never quite as good as you think you are or as bad as you think you are. They play well here. They're relentless in the open court. But we'll get better. We'll go home, get healthy and get ready for an inspirational game on Tuesday."

Harrington hit a bank shot and connected on a 3-pointer on successive possessions before Udonis Haslem made a pair of free throws for Miami near the end of the third, and Denver took an 86-81 lead into the final period.

From there, the Nuggets took control, scoring the first nine points of the fourth to go in front 95-81. The run included a breakaway dunk by Fernandez and three points on free throws after Wade drew a technical for arguing over a charging call and then fouled Nene in the lane.

James made one of two free throws to break up the string but the Nuggets kept up the pressure, as Andre Miller converted a three-point play and Nene drove in for a layup around a dunk by Bosh.

"It was huge," Lawson said of the Nuggets' strong finish. "'Dre running the offense, getting everybody involved, getting easy shots from steals to rebounds, that's what we need to keep doing. Get stops and then run out. That probably sparked our team winning."

Trailing by as many as 14 points in the first quarter, Miami pulled within 55-53 at halftime when James swished a 3-pointer over Danilo Gallinari with 31 seconds left in the second period.

NOTES: Nene matched a season high with 12 rebounds. ... Wade went without a blocked shot, ending a career high-tying string of 11 consecutive games with at least one. ... Miami last won at the Pepsi Center on Jan. 29, 2002, 100-94 in OT. ... James has scored more than 30 points in his last five games against Denver but he's 2-3 in that span.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-01-14-Heat-Nuggets/id-ab6272f310a94254b0cf745407da30ad

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Werner Herzog talks "On Death Row" (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES, Jan 13 (TheWrap.com) ? Werner Herzog doesn't believe in the death penalty, but he's fond of the state that carries it out the most.

The German filmmaker behind such documentaries as "Grizzly Man" and "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" partly filmed his four-part Investigation Discovery series "On Death Row" in Texas. He said the state believes in the death penalty so strongly that it has nothing to hide, which allowed him great freedom to interview inmates.

"This kind of transparency has been very astonishing," he said. "Texas, by the way, is a state which I like. ... I like the heartland of America more than the fringes, which is California or, let's say Boston, or New York. ... and there has been something really special about Texas, the intensity of people."

Herzog spoke at the Television Critics Association winter press tour Friday.

Because prison guidelines required him to wrap up his interviews with death row inmates in just 50 minutes, Herzog had to quickly establish a tone with his subjects. The quick rapports didn't keep him from recognizing the horror of their crimes.

"James Barnes in my opinion is the ultimate nightmare for women," he said of an inmate he interviewed in Florida. "A man with the intention to murder you, and rape you, hides himself stark naked in your closet, and watches you for hours and hours, how you are doing your dinner, how you are watching a soap opera, how you take a shower, and keeps watching, watching, watching. And then comes out and murders you."

Try to imagine him saying it in that Herzog voice. Chilly.

Barnes was sentenced in 2007 in the attack Herzog described. Barnes killed Patricia Patsy Miller in 1988, and his DNA was matched to hers while he was serving a life sentence for the 1997 murder of his wife, Linda Barnes.

"On Death Row," the companion to Herzog's film "Into the Abyss," airs March 9.

(Editing By Zorianna Kit)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120114/film_nm/us_wernerherzog

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NASA questions Apollo 13 cmdr's right to sell list

Greg Rohan, president of Dallas-based Heritage, said Thursday the sale has been suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry. The checklist, he said, is being stored for now in the company's vault.

NASA is questioning whether?Apollo?13 commander James Lovell has the right to sell a 70-page checklist from the flight that includes his handwritten calculations crucial in guiding the damaged spacecraft back to Earth.

Skip to next paragraph

The document was sold by Heritage Auctions in November for more than $388,000, some 15 times its initial list price. The checklist gained great fame as part of a key dramatic scene in the 1995 film "Apollo?13" in which actor Tom Hanks plays Lovell making the calculations.

After the sale, NASA contacted Lovell and Heritage to ask whether Lovell had title to the checklist. Greg Rohan, president of Dallas-based Heritage, said Thursday the sale has been suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry. The checklist, he said, is being stored for now in the company's vault.

Rohan said Lovell provided a signed affidavit that he had clear title to the ring-bound checklist, which is standard procedure. Heritage does robust business in space memorabilia and has worked with many former astronauts, he added.

"It's one that is near and dear to our hearts," Rohan said of the space collectibles business. "We, like a lot of people, consider these astronauts to be national heroes."

The?Apollo?13 moon mission was aborted about 200,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) from Earth when an oxygen tank exploded on April 13, 1970, causing another tank to fail and seriously jeopardizing the three-man crew's ability to return home. Astronaut Jack Swigert famously said "Houston, we've had a problem here" after the explosion, according to a NASA history of the flight.

The crew was forced to move into the lunar landing module for the return flight. Lovell's calculations on the checklist were key in transferring navigation data from the command craft to the lunar module.

In an email to Heritage, NASA Deputy Chief Counsel Donna M. Shafer said there appeared to be "nothing to indicate" that the agency had ever transferred ownership of the checklist to Lovell.

"Only NASA has the authority to clear NASA property for sale," Shafer said in the email, which was provided by NASA to The Associated Press.

She said the matter has been turned over to NASA's Office of Inspector General, adding that "there is potential risk of the items being seized by the government until title issues have been resolved."

Lovell, 83, lives near Chicago and owns a restaurant bearing his name in Lake Forest, Illinois. In an email Friday to The Associated Press, the former astronaut said he is "seeking a meeting with NASA administration to clear up this misunderstanding." He did not elaborate.

NASA has also raised questions about title rights for two items Heritage had sold from?Apollo?9 astronaut Rusty Schweikart: a lunar module identification plate that brought more than $13,000 and a hand controller bid at $22,705. The space agency also targeted a fourth item, a hand glove worn by Alan Shepard during training forApollo?14 that brought more than $19,000.

The letters follow a federal lawsuit NASA filed last year in Miami against?Apollo?14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell seeking return of a camera he brought back from his 1971 moon mission. That lawsuit was settled in October when Mitchell agreed to give the camera to NASA, which in turn is donating it to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.

Mitchell's attorney had argued prior to the settlement that NASA officials told astronauts long ago they could keep certain equipment from the missions, and many such items wind up on auction house lists. A 1972 NASA memo seems to back up that claim, requiring only that the astronauts provide the agency with lists of items in their possession.

Apollo?15 astronauts were reprimanded after they took unauthorized, special envelopes to the moon with stamps that were cancelled shortly after their return in 1971. They had a deal with a German stamp dealer who later sold them for $1,500 each.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/WWPxKMVLA3o/NASA-questions-Apollo-13-cmdr-s-right-to-sell-list

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NIH scientists identify novel approach to view inner workings of viruses

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 12-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Trish Reynolds
reynoldsp2@mail.nih.gov
301-496-8190
NIH/National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Since the discovery of the microscope, scientists have tried to visualize smaller and smaller structures to provide insights into the inner workings of human cells, bacteria and viruses. Now, researchers at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the National Institutes of Health, have developed a new way to see structures within viruses that were not clearly seen before. Their findings are reported in the Jan. 13 issue of Science.

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a technique that allows scientists to image very small particles, like structures on the surface of viruses. This method has been useful in helping researchers understand how vaccines work. But, despite the success of cryo-EM, scientists have been unable to clearly visualize structures inside of viruses, because radiation is used to image them. "With lower doses of radiation, it is not possible to see inside the organism," said lead author Dr. Alasdair Steven of the NIAMS Laboratory of Structural Biology Research. "However, higher doses of radiation damage the virus, destroying the very structures that we would like to view."

Working in collaboration with the group of Dr. Lindsay Black at the University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, Steven and his team were able to turn the problem of radiation damage into an asset. Viruses, one of the simplest life forms, are made up of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) and the proteins encoded by the nucleic acid instruction manual. The researchers realized that proteins inside the virus are more sensitive to damage than DNA.

"We first used low doses of radiation and recorded images in which the inner structure of the virus was invisible," said Steven. "Next, we used high doses of radiation, and found that the inner structure could be seen as a cylinder of bubbles." While the inner structure was damaged, the team was able to superimpose the images, using three-dimensional computer reconstruction. As a result, they were able to clearly visualize the viral structure. The investigators call this technique bubblegram imaging.

Moving forward, the team members anticipate many uses of bubblegram imaging. Ideally, this technique will allow a better understanding of the inner workings of viruses, providing more opportunities for developing novel therapies. Beyond studying viral structure, cryo-EM could be used to visualize interactions of proteins with DNA in human cells. One exciting prospect lies in using this approach to visualize differences in cancer vs. non-cancer cells. "This new cryo-EM procedure renders previously invisible proteins visible and, thus, will provide new understanding of cell biology," said Steven.

###

For more information on the NIAMS Laboratory of Structural Biology Research, visit http://www.niams.nih.gov/Research/Ongoing_Research/Branch_Lab/Structural_Biology/default.asp.

The mission of the NIAMS, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health, is to support research into the causes, treatment and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. For more information about the NIAMS, call the information clearinghouse at (301) 495-4484 or (877) 22-NIAMS (free call) or visit the NIAMS website at http://www.niams.nih.gov>.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov>.

NIH...Turning Discovery into Health



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 12-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Trish Reynolds
reynoldsp2@mail.nih.gov
301-496-8190
NIH/National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Since the discovery of the microscope, scientists have tried to visualize smaller and smaller structures to provide insights into the inner workings of human cells, bacteria and viruses. Now, researchers at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the National Institutes of Health, have developed a new way to see structures within viruses that were not clearly seen before. Their findings are reported in the Jan. 13 issue of Science.

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a technique that allows scientists to image very small particles, like structures on the surface of viruses. This method has been useful in helping researchers understand how vaccines work. But, despite the success of cryo-EM, scientists have been unable to clearly visualize structures inside of viruses, because radiation is used to image them. "With lower doses of radiation, it is not possible to see inside the organism," said lead author Dr. Alasdair Steven of the NIAMS Laboratory of Structural Biology Research. "However, higher doses of radiation damage the virus, destroying the very structures that we would like to view."

Working in collaboration with the group of Dr. Lindsay Black at the University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore, Steven and his team were able to turn the problem of radiation damage into an asset. Viruses, one of the simplest life forms, are made up of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) and the proteins encoded by the nucleic acid instruction manual. The researchers realized that proteins inside the virus are more sensitive to damage than DNA.

"We first used low doses of radiation and recorded images in which the inner structure of the virus was invisible," said Steven. "Next, we used high doses of radiation, and found that the inner structure could be seen as a cylinder of bubbles." While the inner structure was damaged, the team was able to superimpose the images, using three-dimensional computer reconstruction. As a result, they were able to clearly visualize the viral structure. The investigators call this technique bubblegram imaging.

Moving forward, the team members anticipate many uses of bubblegram imaging. Ideally, this technique will allow a better understanding of the inner workings of viruses, providing more opportunities for developing novel therapies. Beyond studying viral structure, cryo-EM could be used to visualize interactions of proteins with DNA in human cells. One exciting prospect lies in using this approach to visualize differences in cancer vs. non-cancer cells. "This new cryo-EM procedure renders previously invisible proteins visible and, thus, will provide new understanding of cell biology," said Steven.

###

For more information on the NIAMS Laboratory of Structural Biology Research, visit http://www.niams.nih.gov/Research/Ongoing_Research/Branch_Lab/Structural_Biology/default.asp.

The mission of the NIAMS, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health, is to support research into the causes, treatment and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. For more information about the NIAMS, call the information clearinghouse at (301) 495-4484 or (877) 22-NIAMS (free call) or visit the NIAMS website at http://www.niams.nih.gov>.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov>.

NIH...Turning Discovery into Health



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/nioa-nsi011212.php

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Smaller Magnetic Materials Push Boundaries of Nanotechnology

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Findings from research conducted at I.B.M., being reported Thursday in the journal Science, could lead to a new class of more powerful and efficient nanomaterials.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=683a83677bff42efa58d647b8fd13beb

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JPMorgan disappoints; banks lead stocks lower (AP)

NEW YORK ? A rare disappointing earnings report from JPMorgan Chase battered bank stocks on Friday and helped push the rest of the market lower. Rumors of imminent downgrades for the credit ratings of European governments drove the euro down and sent investors streaming into U.S. debt.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 48.96 points to close at 12,422.06, a drop of 0.4 percent. Markets were little changed late in the day after France's finance minister confirmed that Standard & Poor's had stripped the country of its AAA credit rating.

Before the market opened, JPMorgan said quarterly profit declined 23 percent from a year earlier, slightly worse than what analysts expected. The bank's stock lost 2 percent, and other large banks followed. Morgan Stanley fell 3 percent and Goldman Sachs 2 percent.

It was the first time JPMorgan missed Wall Street expectations since the final quarter of 2007, a period that includes the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. JPMorgan is widely considered one of the best-managed big banks. Traders figured that if JPMorgan had trouble as 2011 came to a close, the rest of the industry probably did, too.

"JPMorgan is the gold standard," said Phil Orlando, chief equity strategist at Federated Investors. "So what happens to the banks that aren't quite as strong and aren't quite as well-managed?"

On trading desks, it's called the "cockroach theory," Orlando said. "You never see just one cockroach. If you see one, you know there's bound to be a lot more."

The euro slipped to its lowest level in 17 months after reports surfaced that S&P would downgrade European governments. After the markets closed in New York, S&P announced cuts for France, Austria, Italy and Spain.

The euro dropped 1.1 percent against the dollar to $1.27. Borrowing costs jumped for France, Italy and Spain, countries at the center of the region's debt crisis.

The dollar and U.S. Treasury prices rose as investors moved money into lower-risk assets. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell to 1.86 percent from 1.93 percent late Thursday.

S&P warned Dec. 5 that 15 countries that use the euro were at risk of downgrades, citing higher borrowing costs for top-rated governments and disagreements among European leaders.

A cut to France's credit rating may fail to push rates up for France because bond traders were prepared for it, said Guy LeBas, chief fixed income strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott.

The danger is to the European rescue fund. France is the second-largest contributor to the fund behind Germany. Bond traders could respond to the French downgrade by raising borrowing costs for the rescue fund, in the expectation that its rating will be cut next.

"The knock-on effects are far more significant than the impact on France itself," LeBas said.

JPMorgan's results opened the earnings season for banks on a sour note. Though an increasing pace of earnings reports may help steer the markets over the coming days, Europe's debt crisis is likely to remain the focus.

In other trading, the S&P 500 index fell 6.41, or 0.5 percent to 1,289.09. The Nasdaq composite index fell 14.03, or 0.5 percent, to 2,710.67. Even with Friday's fall, all three indexes posted gains for the second straight week. The S&P 500 index is up 2.5 percent to start the year.

Among stocks making larger moves than the overall market Friday:

? Diamond Foods Inc., which makes Emerald Nuts, plunged 10 percent after The Wall Street Journal reported that federal prosecutors had opened a criminal inquiry into its financial practices. The Journal also reported that two large shareholders had dumped most of their stakes in the company.

? Safeway Inc., the grocery store chain, rose 1.8 percent. An analyst at Jefferies placed a "buy" rating on the stock on the expectation that the company will benefit from an improving job market, especially in California.

? Alpha Natural Resources fell 10 percent, the largest loss in the S&P 500. The coal company bought Massey Energy last year, and the Justice Department is considering whether to prosecute the people who ran Massey when its Big Branch mine exploded in 2010.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120113/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/us_wall_street

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Nastiness ahead in SC; Romney in strong position (AP)

GREENVILLE, S.C. ? The same forces that aligned for Republican Mitt Romney ahead of his narrow victory in Iowa are working in his favor ahead of South Carolina's pivotal presidential primary. But a lot can happen before the no-holds-barred primary in a state that for decades has picked the eventual Republican nominee.

A splintered conservative base is dividing its support among several of Romney's rivals going into the Jan. 21 contest. The former venture capitalist's business savvy seems to be resonating with voters in a state with almost 10 percent unemployment, according to recent public polls, internal campaign polling and interviews with South Carolina GOP operatives.

So, too, is his argument that he's best positioned to beat President Barack Obama.

A victory Tuesday in New Hampshire would mean that Romney heads into the first Southern contest with momentum from back-to-back successes in the Midwest and Northeast. But the race is certain to get nasty, quickly, in a state known for brass-knuckled politics.

"Everyone is going to throw everything they've got at him," said Romney's senior South Carolina adviser, Warren Tompkins. "Because South Carolina is Armageddon for the rest of them."

South Carolina may offer the last chance for a single conservative challenger to Romney to emerge. Also, independent groups, or super political action committees, that are aligned with his rivals and can raise unlimited money probably will be active. The goal is to derail Romney before the make-of-break Florida primary Jan. 31.

Rick Santorum, who surged late in Iowa and nearly toppled Romney, has said he doesn't expect to win New Hampshire, where the former Massachusetts governor holds a strong lead in polls. Santorum has shifted his focus to South Carolina as he tries to become the favored candidate of social conservatives, a potent bloc.

Santorum scheduled a quick visit to upstate South Carolina on Sunday to pick up the endorsement of former Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer. Both Santorum and an outside group supporting him are pumping money into the state for TV ads starting Monday after aides said the former Pennsylvania senator pulled in $2 million in the two days after the Iowa caucuses this past Tuesday.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry are looking to revive their weakened candidacies in a state full of evangelical Republicans whose support Santorum also is seeking.

Gingrich has a robust campaign organization in South Carolina. Perry has advertised aggressively in the state for weeks.

Gingrich has about a dozen paid workers, but polls show he's fading. He could be helped in the coming days by a $5 million contribution from a Las Vegas billionaire, Sheldon Adelson, to a pro-Gingrich super PAC. Both Gingrich and the outside group have made it known they plan to continue attacking Romney.

Gingrich began airing a spot Sunday that calls Romney's economic plan "timid" and says parts of it are "virtually identical to Obama's failed policy."

Perry shifted most of his Iowa staff to South Carolina. Campaign ads promote his Christian faith and Air Force background. He reconsidered his bid after a fifth-place Iowa finish but decided to head south, a decision that could help Romney by keeping social conservatives from rallying behind a single candidate.

That's how Arizona Sen. John McCain eked out victory in the state over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee four years ago on his way to the nomination.

"Romney is heading down the same route that 2008 primary victor John McCain was headed with Huckabee," said Lee Bright, who was Michele Bachmann's South Carolina campaign chairman until the Minnesota congresswoman left the race Wednesday. "It's going to be about the same dynamic."

Texas Rep. Ron Paul is a potentially complicating factor. He attracts votes from fiscal conservatives whose support Romney probably will need to compensate for social conservatives leery of his Mormon faith or changed positions on some social issues. They doomed his bid in South Carolina four years ago, when he poured millions into the state only to abandon it shortly before the primary. He came in fourth with 15 percent of the vote.

A CNN poll of South Carolina primary voters published Friday showed Romney well ahead, with Santorum a distant second but rising.

As the New Hampshire votes are counted, South Carolinians can expect to hear political attacks on TV and over the telephone. Church-goers can expect to see anonymous leaflets on their windshields. Whisper campaigns aren't out of the question; McCain faced one in 2000 that alleged he had fathered an African-American child out of wedlock.

Romney's advisers are bracing for attacks on his Mormon faith, citing a Texas minister who supports Perry and has called Romney's religion a cult.

"Things tend to get nasty down here in South Carolina," said Wes Donehue, who had been a top state adviser to Bachmann. "I don't know if Santorum has the money or the structure to fight those battles right now."

Santorum only began facing criticism in the closing days of the Iowa campaign, but the Romney campaign has stepped up attacks about Santorum's spending votes in Congress. Organizers of the pro-Romney super PAC are weighing whether to go after Santorum in South Carolina.

Santorum drew 400 people to a sports bar in Greenville Sunday in the conservative upstate hub on a quick jaunt to the state, while planning to return to New Hampshire late Sunday.

Santorum's organization lags behind Gingrich's and Perry's. But it was about to get a boost, Santorum said, as his wife, Karen, and seven children were relocating to South Carolina Sunday through the primary.

The quick trip signaled Santorum's hope to emerge as the choice of influential Christian conservatives, as did his words.

"The upstate has to speak clearly," Santorum told about 200 supporters later at a county GOP fundraiser at a Greenville restaurant. "The conservative upstate can make that statement. Coalesce, don't divide."

In nearby Spartanburg, Perry encouraged supporters not to surrender, likening his task to the battle of the Alamo.

"That's our challenge, because we're not quitting on America. We're not quitting on this race," Perry told about 300 voters at a popular restaurant.

Romney has a staff of three in South Carolina, although that will jump after New Hampshire. But Romney also has the coveted endorsement, Gov. Nikki Haley. She and McCain accompanied Romney to coastal communities last week in a show of force.

As he did in the closing days of the Iowa campaign, Romney is keeping his focus in South Carolina on Obama, not his GOP rivals.

"We wondered what would happen if we elected a president who had no experience. Now we know. And it's not a pretty picture," Romney said during an appearance in Conway with Haley and McCain.

One Romney ad seizes on contempt for a federal labor board's ruling to block construction of a Boeing plant over a union dispute, feeding his pro-jobs narrative and playing into anti-federal sentiment.

He may benefit from South Carolina's political diversity.

Social conservatives dominate in the upstate region around Greenville and Spartanburg, while fiscal conservatives and more social moderates rule along the coast. The state has a heavy military influence, too.

The CNN poll showed Romney leading in all regions, but especially in the coast, where big turnout for him could offset heavy turnout among conservatives in the northwest. The survey also showed Romney leading in all segments of the party, including born-again Christians and tea party supporters.

"To win South Carolina, you've got to put together a coalition of voters that's diverse," said Adam Temple, a Charleston Republican strategist and top aide on McCain's 2008 team. "And it sure looks like Romney's doing that."

____

Associated Press writer Jim Davenport contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120109/ap_on_go_ot/us_campaign_south_carolina

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