General offers assurances on Afghan war
The U.S. general in charge of the Afghanistan war assured lawmakers Tuesday that an additional 30,000 troops, combined with changes in the overall war strategy, would trigger a demonstrable change on the ground before U.S. forces start to come home in 18 months.
"By the summer of 2011, it will be clear to the Afghan people that the insurgency will not win, giving them the chance to side with their government," Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal said.
Despite such assurances, members of the House and Senate armed services committees used the appearance Tuesday by McChrystal -- as well as the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl W. Eikenberry -- to press for answers on what would happen in July 2011, when the 30,000 forces that President Obama recently committed to sending to Afghanistan are to begin their gradual pullout.
Darling's 'Politically Motivated' Bonus Tax Attacked
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor of the Exchequer AlistairDarling said the U.K. will force banks awarding discretionarybonuses of more than 25,000 pounds ($40,800) to pay a one-timelevy of 50 percent.
The tax, effective today, will be paid by all banks thatoperate in the U.K., including U.S. firms such as Goldman SachsGroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. Employees will still have topay income tax on their bonuses, the Treasury said. The top taxrate on earnings of more than 150,000 pounds will rise to 50percent in April, a measure announced earlier this year.
Today’s levy will raise about 550 million pounds, less than1 percent of the U.K.’s total tax revenue, according to KPMG LLP.Darling, whose Labour Party faces an election by June, is tryingto mollify voter anger after providing more than 1 trillionpounds to prop up lenders including Royal Bank of Scotland GroupPlc in the credit crisis. Barclays Plc President Robert Diamondsaid yesterday the measure risks driving business away from theCity of London.
Iraqi man, lucky dog reunite after Baghdad blast
BAGHDAD — The owner of a dog that miraculously survived a massive bombing returned to his collapsed home Wednesday to be reunited with his pet, stunning neighbors who thought he was dead.
The ginger-colored dog was spotted chained to a roof railing and standing on a wall ledge over the collapsed home after Tuesday's huge blast near Iraq's Finance Ministry leveled shops and houses. The attack was part of coordinated bombings around Baghdad that claimed at least 127 lives.
"Lots of neighbors thought I was dead," said Farouq Omar Muhei after his dog, Liza, was carried down to the street and began lapping at a puddle.
How fake sites trick search engines to hit the top
SAN FRANCISCO — Even search engines can get suckered by Internet scams.
With a little sleight of hand, con artists can dupe them into giving top billing to fraudulent Web sites that prey on consumers, making unwitting accomplices of companies such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft.
Online charlatans typically try to lure people into giving away their personal or financial information by posing as legitimate companies in "phishing" e-mails or through messages in forums such as Twitter and Facebook. But a new study by security researcher Jim Stickley shows how search engines also can turn into funnels for shady schemes.
Darling Raises Taxes on Income, Bonuses as UK Deficit Rises
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor of the Exchequer AlistairDarling imposed a 50 percent levy on banker bonuses and said hewill increase income taxes after elections next year as the worst recession on record drives up government borrowing.
The Treasury expects to raise 550 million pounds ($896million) targeting payouts at banks in the next few months andanother 3 billion pounds from incomes earned after April 2011.Borrowing will rise by 4.6 billion pounds to 611 billion poundsin through March 2013.
Trailing in opinion polls before an election that he musthold by June, Prime Minister Gordon Brown is balancing the needto clamp down on a record budget deficit while extending supportfor voters struggling to keep their jobs during the slump.
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Business
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Darling's 'Politically Motivated' Bonus Tax Attacked
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor of the Exchequer AlistairDarling said the U.K. will force banks awarding discretionarybonuses of more than 25,000 pounds ($40,800) to pay a one-timelevy of 50 percent.
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Darling Raises Taxes on Income, Bonuses as UK Deficit Rises
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor of the Exchequer AlistairDarling imposed a 50 percent levy on banker bonuses and said hewill increase income taxes after elections next year as the worst recession on record drives up government borrowing.
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Greece Downgrades May Hinder Banks Seeking ECB Loans
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Greek government bonds may not beeligible as collateral at the European Central Bank if the ECBreverts to pre-crisis rules in 2011, making it more difficultfor Greece to borrow money.
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Hottest Plan at Climate Talks Never Got Onto Table
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- The proposal drawing the mostattention and criticism at the United Nations climate-changetalks in Copenhagen never got put on the table.
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Volkswagen Will Pay $2.5 Billion for 19.9% Stake in Japan's Suzuki Motor
Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Volkswagen AG, Europe’s largestcarmaker, agreed to buy 19.9 percent of Suzuki Motor Corp. for222.5 billion yen ($2.5 billion) to boost its presence in India.
Entertainment
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2 Star Lots Dominate Weak Old Masters Sale
Christie’s inaugurated the Old Masters week with a £68.3 million, or $112.4 million, sale that says everything about the desperate search for great art by eager buyers and the equally desperate attempt by departmental heads to fill their catalogs with enough works to build up economically viable auctions.
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Woman's 911 call from Woods' home: 'Hurry up'
OCOEE, Fla. — A panicking woman calls 911 from Tiger Woods' Orlando-area home, telling the dispatcher that her mother had collapsed.
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Raphael drawing sells for $48M at UK auction
LONDON — Auctioneer Christie's says a drawing by Raphael has sold for about 29.2 million pounds ($47.5 million).
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Report: Woman from Tiger Woods' home is taken by ambulance to the hospital
A woman was taken to the hospital from the home of Tiger Woods early Tuesday, according toWESH-TV in Orange County, Fla., and the Orlando Sentinel.
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Person at Woods's Home Hospitalized
One person was taken from the Florida residence of the golfer Tiger Woods to a hospital early Tuesday morning after emergency responders received a medical 911 call, local authorities said.
Sport
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Emotional Allen Iverson Marks Philly Return
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Allen Iverson felt the love as soon as he parked at the Wachovia Center.
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Rodgers, Packers Lead Ravens 17-14 After 3
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes, but the Baltimore Ravens rallied for two touchdowns in the span of 30 seconds to cut Green Bay's lead to 17-14 after three quarters on a chilly Monday night.
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Top-ranked Ala., No. 2 Texas to play for BCS title
Alabama and Texas get to play in a national title game. For TCU, Cincinnati and Boise State, the math doesn't quite add up but they still get a spot in a BCS bowl.
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Saints stay perfect, beat Redskins 33-30 in OT
LANDOVER, Md. — Oh, what a charmed life the unbeaten New Orleans Saints are leading these days.
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Tide rolls on with 32-13 win over Tebow's Gators
ATLANTA — The move was so unlike Nick Saban. The Alabama coach put away all that boardroom talk for a leaping shoulder bump with star running back Mark Ingram.
