Christmas Comet Lovejoy Captured at Paranal

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Contact: Gabriel Brammer
gbrammer@eso.org
56-994-890-075
ESO

The recently discovered Comet Lovejoy has been captured in stunning photos and time-lapse video taken from ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile. The comet graced the southern sky after it had unexpectedly survived a close encounter with the Sun.

A new time-lapse video sequence was taken by Gabriel Brammer from ESO less than two days ago on 22 December 2011. Gabriel was finishing his shift as support astronomer at the Paranal Observatory when Comet Lovejoy rose over the horizon just before dawn.

In the words of Gabriel Brammer himself: "On the last morning of my shift I tried to try catch it on camera before sunrise. The tail of the comet was easily visible with the naked eye, and the combination of the crescent Moon, comet, Milky Way and the laser guide star was nearly as impressive to the naked eye as it appears in the long-exposure photos."

The sequence also features the pencil-thin beam of the VLT's Laser Guide Star set against the beautiful backdrop of the Milky Way, as astronomers conduct their last observations for the night.

ESO optician Guillaume Blanchard made a marvellous wide-angle photo of Comet Lovejoy and ESO Photo Ambassador Yuri Beletsky, captured the spectacle from Santiago de Chile. Blanchard said: "For me this comet is a Christmas present to the people who will stay at Paranal over Christmas".

This bright comet was also seen from the International Space Station in another stunning time-lapse sequence on 21 December as the crew filmed lightning on the Earth's night side.

Comet Lovejoy has been the talk of the astronomy community over the past few weeks. It was discovered on 27 November by the Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy and was classified as a Kreutz sungrazer, with its orbit taking it very close to the Sun [1]. Just last week, the comet entered the Sun's corona, a much-anticipated event, passing a mere 140 000 kilometres from the Sun's surface. A close shave indeed...

The comet was expected to break up and vaporise, but instead it survived its steaming hot encounter with the Sun and re-emerged a few days later, much to everyone's surprise. It is now visible from the southern hemisphere, appearing at dawn, and features a bright tail millions of kilometres long, composed of dust particles that are being blown away from the comet by the solar wind.

Lovejoy will now continue in its highly eccentric orbit around the Sun and once again disappear into the distant Solar System. It would be interesting to know if it will actually survive to re-appear in our skies in 314 years as predicted.

With this spectacular sequence of the 2011 Christmas Comet Lovejoy, ESO would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

###

Notes

[1] Kreutz sungrazers are members of a family of comets thought to come from the break up of one single large comet in the 12th century, and which now orbit the Sun along the same path.

More information

The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive astronomical observatory. It is supported by 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the world's largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning a 40-metre-class European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Links

Gabriel Brammer's web page
Guillaume Blanchard's web page
ESO Photo Ambassadors

Contacts
Gabriel Brammer
ESO
Vitacura, Chile
Cell: 56-9-94-89-00-75
Email: gbrammer@eso.org

Lars Lindberg Christensen
Head, ESO education and Public Outreach Department
Garching bei Mnchen, Germany
Cell: 49-173-3872-621
Email: lars@eso.org



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?


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: 2-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Gabriel Brammer
gbrammer@eso.org
56-994-890-075
ESO

The recently discovered Comet Lovejoy has been captured in stunning photos and time-lapse video taken from ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile. The comet graced the southern sky after it had unexpectedly survived a close encounter with the Sun.

A new time-lapse video sequence was taken by Gabriel Brammer from ESO less than two days ago on 22 December 2011. Gabriel was finishing his shift as support astronomer at the Paranal Observatory when Comet Lovejoy rose over the horizon just before dawn.

In the words of Gabriel Brammer himself: "On the last morning of my shift I tried to try catch it on camera before sunrise. The tail of the comet was easily visible with the naked eye, and the combination of the crescent Moon, comet, Milky Way and the laser guide star was nearly as impressive to the naked eye as it appears in the long-exposure photos."

The sequence also features the pencil-thin beam of the VLT's Laser Guide Star set against the beautiful backdrop of the Milky Way, as astronomers conduct their last observations for the night.

ESO optician Guillaume Blanchard made a marvellous wide-angle photo of Comet Lovejoy and ESO Photo Ambassador Yuri Beletsky, captured the spectacle from Santiago de Chile. Blanchard said: "For me this comet is a Christmas present to the people who will stay at Paranal over Christmas".

This bright comet was also seen from the International Space Station in another stunning time-lapse sequence on 21 December as the crew filmed lightning on the Earth's night side.

Comet Lovejoy has been the talk of the astronomy community over the past few weeks. It was discovered on 27 November by the Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy and was classified as a Kreutz sungrazer, with its orbit taking it very close to the Sun [1]. Just last week, the comet entered the Sun's corona, a much-anticipated event, passing a mere 140 000 kilometres from the Sun's surface. A close shave indeed...

The comet was expected to break up and vaporise, but instead it survived its steaming hot encounter with the Sun and re-emerged a few days later, much to everyone's surprise. It is now visible from the southern hemisphere, appearing at dawn, and features a bright tail millions of kilometres long, composed of dust particles that are being blown away from the comet by the solar wind.

Lovejoy will now continue in its highly eccentric orbit around the Sun and once again disappear into the distant Solar System. It would be interesting to know if it will actually survive to re-appear in our skies in 314 years as predicted.

With this spectacular sequence of the 2011 Christmas Comet Lovejoy, ESO would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

###

Notes

[1] Kreutz sungrazers are members of a family of comets thought to come from the break up of one single large comet in the 12th century, and which now orbit the Sun along the same path.

More information

The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive astronomical observatory. It is supported by 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the world's largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning a 40-metre-class European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".

Links

Gabriel Brammer's web page
Guillaume Blanchard's web page
ESO Photo Ambassadors

Contacts
Gabriel Brammer
ESO
Vitacura, Chile
Cell: 56-9-94-89-00-75
Email: gbrammer@eso.org

Lars Lindberg Christensen
Head, ESO education and Public Outreach Department
Garching bei Mnchen, Germany
Cell: 49-173-3872-621
Email: lars@eso.org



[ 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/e-ccl010212.php

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U.S. consumer in the slow lane (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? It's up to the consumer to drive the U.S. economy and lift world growth in 2012, and the outlook is far from encouraging.

Over the past three and half years, growth in U.S. consumer spending has averaged a paltry 0.2 percent adjusted for inflation, the weakest in the post-World War II period, Morgan Stanley says.

While the employment picture is gradually brightening, wage growth is going in the opposite direction, keeping a lid on consumer behavior. Over the past year, pay for blue-collar workers adjusted for inflation fell 12 cents from the previous year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was the steepest decline since the stagflationary days of 1980.

Pay for all workers has fallen 16 cents this year in real terms.

Consumer buying power, modest over the holiday season, remains constrained by heavy debt loads. Total U.S. household debt as a percentage of disposable personal income is down from its 2007 peak at 130 percent, but it remains well above its 1970-2000 average of 75 percent.

As a result, Stephen Roach, non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley, sees U.S. consumption remaining anemic for years to come. That will place a drag on global growth, especially in Asia, a big manufacturer of U.S. consumer goods.

"With retrenchment and balance-sheet repair only in its early stages, the zombie-like behavior of American consumers should persist," Roach said.

Consumer spending rose 1.7 percent in the third quarter, far below the 3.6 percent it averaged in the decade before the 2007-2008 recession. So it is hard to see world growth accelerating significantly until the U.S. consumer, who drives over 70 percent of U.S. GDP growth, revives.

There are other factors holding Americans' spending in check. The Federal Reserve last week reported early signs of tightening credit conditions, and government stimulus spending dries up this year. At the same time, uncertainty persists over the payroll tax cut and jobless benefits, which currently add 0.50-0.75 percentage point to GDP but are set to expire in February.

On top of that, businesses are pulling back on capital expenditure as tax breaks expire, while exports wane as a growth driver amid the upheavals from Europe. Most economists expect at best only modest U.S. economic growth around 2 percent in 2012 despite a recent batch of encouraging data.

"The year ahead is fraught with risks," said Tom Porcelli at RBC Capital Markets. "In fact, consumer fundamentals are decidedly weaker than this time last year."

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For IFR's forecasts for the week ahead in U.S. economic data, click on: http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/11/12/IFRPV010212.pdf

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

If the U.S. employment report, due on Friday, shows marked improvement, it would lift optimism. But most economists expect only gradual gains of 150,000 new jobs added in December, up from 120,000 the prior month.

Although the average pace of job growth has nearly doubled over the past three months compared with the prior period, it remains well below the 200,000-250,000 mark viewed as healthy labor market conditions.

Wages may rise too. They are forecast to have climbed 0.2 percent in December after a drop in November. But buying intentions remain weak. The Conference Board reported in its U.S. consumer confidence survey for December that even though overall sentiment has improved, those in the market for big-ticket items like cars or houses mostly plan to buy used, not new -- a sign of extremely cautious attitudes.

That would explain why analysts forecast no acceleration in new car and truck sales data for the United States, due on Wednesday. They are seen holding steady at a 13.6 million annualized rate in December. Likewise, the ISM manufacturing index is expected to have ticked up only a slightly, to 53.2 from 52.7 in November.

"Still muddling through," is how Macroeconomic Advisers summarized the economic outlook for 2012.

A recent growth spurt might have given the U.S. economy some resiliency to withstand a euro-zone recession, weakening stock prices, rising credit costs, fiscal drag and a higher dollar. But the United States, and with it the world economy, remain vulnerable to shocks in the year ahead.

(Reporting By Stella Dawson; Editing by Dan Grebler)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120101/bs_nm/us_economy_global_weekahead

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jonfingas: Without spoiling anything, those who expect a breakthrough in Windows PCs at CES will probably be disappointed.

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Broncos, Giants win divisions, Patriots top AFC (AP)

The Giants won their way into the playoffs in the NFLs' final game. Denver and Cincinnati backed their way into the postseason.

Sparked by Victor Cruz, New York's newest football star, the Giants won the NFC East title Sunday night by beating the Dallas Cowboys in their showdown. Cruz sped 74 yards for one touchdown and, when Dallas got within seven points, made a leaping 44-yard catch on third down to set up a clinching field goal in a 31-14 victory. New York (9-7) also sacked Tony Romo six times to sweep the season series with the Cowboys (8-8).

The Giants won three of their last four games after a four-game slide dropped them to 6-6. Cruz was a big factor in each win, had a 99-yard catch-and-run score last week against the Jets, and made six receptions for 178 yards against the porous Dallas defense.

"It's amazing, man," Cruz said. "Growing up here and having seen the run in 2007 and the not-so-great runs, just to be a part of the team and the history is amazing. It's been an amazing roller-coaster ride."

New York, which last won the division in 2008, will host Atlanta (10-6) next Sunday at 1 p.m. EST. Dallas goes home.

"It's extremely painful and it's a damn shame," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "We have a good team and I thought we would be going to the playoffs, but that didn't happen."

Even without any Tim Tebow heroics, the Denver Broncos won the AFC West.

They did it despite falling 7-3 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday because San Diego knocked off Oakland 38-26. The Broncos and Raiders tied for the division lead at 8-8, but Denver won on the tiebreaker, better results in common games.

Baltimore (12-4) took the AFC North and a first-round bye as a No. 2 seed when it outlasted Cincinnati 24-16. Even though the Bengals lost, their 9-7 record earned them a wild card in a head-to-head tiebreaker over Tennessee, the only other team with that record in the AFC. The Bengals beat the Titans 24-17 in November.

Pittsburgh (12-4) is the other wild card, but lost both games to the Ravens this year to finish second in the division. The Steelers, who beat Cleveland 13-9, will be at Denver next Sunday at 4:30 p.m. EST.

Cincinnati visits Houston (10-6) at 4:30 p.m. EST Saturday.

"It's kind of weird," Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton said. "Obviously, we didn't get it done today, but we still have a chance."

Tebow's late-game magic helped Denver turn around its season, from 2-5 to the top of a weak division. He struggled mightily as the Broncos lost their last three games, but they are playoff-bound for the first time since 2005.

"It's obviously a little bittersweet right now," Tebow said. "We obviously would have loved to have won that game to have a little momentum going into the playoffs. But I think it's still a special thing what we accomplished ? to come back and win the AFC West is very special."

They did it at the expense of the archrival Raiders.

"It's obviously frustrating when you hear the other outcomes of other games and know what was there to be had just makes it that much worse, that much more difficult," Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer said.

By winning every game in the second half of the season, the Patriots own home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. By losing their last three games, the New York Jets won't be going to a third straight conference title game.

The Patriots (13-3) earned the right to stay at home throughout the AFC playoffs after a 49-21 victory over Buffalo, which led 21-0. It should be comforting to them, except the Patriots have lost their last two home playoff games, and their last three postseason games overall.

"It depends on how we play," three-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said. "It's great playing at home. It's great to have a bye. But I think we have to concentrate here this week on what we need to do to play our best football in a couple weeks."

The Jets (8-8) finished a late-season collapse with a 19-17 loss at Miami to fall out of contention. They dropped their final three games after taking control of the AFC's final wild-card spot.

"We played well in spurts this season, but we weren't consistent enough," said quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was among the most inconsistent Jets. "You have to ask yourself the tough questions and clean things up for next season.

"It doesn't feel good now, but we'll come back and be just fine."

San Francisco (13-3) is just fine thanks to a turnaround season. Under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers will be the No. 2 seed in the NFC behind Green Bay (15-1) after a 34-27 win at St. Louis.

"I'll sit back and watch the games. Let the games begin," tight end Vernon Davis said. "My mind is about to go on a whole new phase, that's the way I see it. We've just got to keep growing, keep trucking."

New Orleans (13-3) is seeded third after a 45-17 win over Carolina. The Saints will host Detroit (10-6), which lost at Green Bay 45-41, next Saturday night at 8 p.m. EST.

Atlanta (10-6) defeated Tampa Bay 45-24 and is seeded fifth in the NFC.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120102/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_nfl_playoffs_rdp

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Thousands protest in central China over investment scams - reports

BEIJING | Mon Jan 2, 2012 11:44am IST

BEIJING

(Reuters) - Thousands of protesters converged on a train station in central China, angered over collapsing illegal investment schemes that residents said the government had failed to staunch, according to news reports and a government notice on Monday.

On Sunday, the protesters faced rows of police at the railway station in Anyang, Henan province, where some residents said their wanted to board trains to Beijing to lodge their complaints, Hong Kong's Mingpao newspaper reported.

Pictures in that paper and on China's "Weibo" microblogging site showed thousands of people milling around the square in front of the station, while police watched. The photos, which Reuters could not verify, showed no scenes of violence.

But news reports over past months have shown that collapsing illegal investment schemes have become a serious problem for the government in Anyang, a heavily rural area of 5.2 million people about 500 km (310 miles) southwest of Beijing.

China's ruling Communist Party worries that the tens of thousands of sporadic protests over land grabs, corruption and economic grievances that break out across the country every year could coalesce into discontent that threatens its control. And Anyang, with its mix of economic grievances and suggestions of corruption, illustrates the discontent driving many protests.

On Monday, the Anyang government (www.anyang.gov.cn) issued a notice acknowledging the protest and vowed to take tougher action against the investment schemes, that have promised investors much higher returns than can be gained from banks.

"On New Year's Day, our city experienced a mass demonstration by some people who participated in illegal investments," said the notice from the Communist Party secretary of Anyang, Zhang Guangzhi.

Although officials managed to contain the protest, said Zhang, "this incident has exposed weak links in our handling of the illegal investment schemes."

In October, a Chinese newspaper, the 21st Century Business Herald, reported that many operators of the illegal investment vehicles in Anyang had fled as their schemes for generating high returns from real estate and other investments began to unravel.

Police have also launched investigations into schemes involving hundreds of suspects, the Mingpao newspaper said.

But websites for Anyang residents have echoed with allegations that officials were tardy in cracking down on the schemes.

"If the government hadn't abetted this, there would never have been so many illegal investment schemes," said one earlier message on the Chinese Internet operator Baidu.com's site for Anyang residents.

Messages on the "Weibo" microblogging site said Anyang police sent a text message to residents saying 21 people were detained over the protest. An officer who answered the phone at the Anyang Public Security Bureau refused to comment to Reuters.

Last month, a village protest in southern China over land grabs and the death of a village organiser drew national attention after officials conceded to the protesters' key demands.

No official counts of the number of protests, riots and mass petitions have been released in recent years. But most estimates in government-sponsored studies put such "mass incidents" at around 90,000 a year in recent years.

In 2007, China had more than 80,000 "mass incidents", up from more than 60,000 in 2006, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley, Editing by Jonathan Thatcher)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/SXlEKOSmRpY/china-protest-idINDEE80103N20120102

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Utah football: Utes down Georgia Tech in OT to win Sun Bowl

El Paso, Texas ? Bowl games are supposed to be the culmination of a season?s worth of experiences. How fitting, then, for the Utah Utes to experience a wild range of emotions and performances Saturday in rallying to stun Georgia Tech 30-27 in overtime at the Sun Bowl.

The Utes (8-5) overcame a 24-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to claim the Pac-12?s first bowl win and put a capper on what was a wild season.

Just like the regular season, Saturday?s contest had the Utes down, forcing them to overcome long odds to battle back. Just like the regular season, it was running back John White who was the hero of the day, as he scored on an 8-yard run in overtime to give the Utes the win.

White finished the game with 26 carries for 115 yards, giving him the single-season school rushing record with 1,529 yards. The Utes finished the year 8-0 when he broke the 100-yard mark.

"I knew they were going to give me the ball," White said of his last run, which clinched the Sun Bowl MVP award. "I just looked to the left, saw them signal ?touchdown,? and I knew we had won."

That the Utes came back from a 14-point deficit was fitting for a team that started the year 0-4 in conference play, then won four in a row to put itself in position to reach the Pac-12 championship game.

That hope ended when the Utes lost to Colorado, but beating the Yellow Jackets Saturday, in front of 48,123 fans, gave the Utes something to feel good about in the offseason.

"It was a microcosm of our entire year," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "We stumbled out of the gate 0-4 and showed resiliency and toughness and character, and the same thing happened in this game. We were down 14 points but never had an ounce of quit in these guys. They kept believing and the coaches kept believing, and we found a way to win in the end."

Story continues below

The overtime win was made possible thanks to a wild finish in regulation.

DeVonte Christopher, the special teams player of the game, caught a 28-yard pass on fourth down with 1:32 remaining to tie it, 24-24.

"The ball was in the air, and I just had to get it," Christopher said. "That is how we do things: We battle injuries and setbacks, and we find ways to win. This was big, real big."

Georgia Tech (8-5) drove the ball down the field with quarterback Tevan Washington working the clock and the sidelines well. However, the Yellow Jackets? hopes of a win came up short when a 48-yard field goal attempt was just shy.

Once in overtime, Utah?s defense held Georgia Tech to a field goal, making the Utes? last rally possible.

Just like the second half of the season, everyone in the stands seemed to know White was going to get the ball. Just like many of those games, no one could stop him as he bulldozed his way into the end zone.

As soon as White scored he was enveloped in the end zone by teammates who did a better job of tackling him than the Yellow Jackets did.

"You can?t say enough about John White," quarterback Jon Hays said. "When he got the ball, we knew it was over."

Next Page ?

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/utes/53209959-89/utes-win-game-season.html.csp

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Nissan and Dongfeng Motor to manufacture Renault vehicles in China

Nissan Motor Co. and China-based joint venture partner Dongfeng Motor Corp. have entered into a memorandum of understanding to produce Renault vehicles in the country, Wuhan newspaper Changjiang Evening News reported. Specifically, Dongfeng will enter into a joint venture with Renault in the central China city of Wuhan, the paper revealed, citing sources from Dongfeng. Details about the plans for Renault's China production are not available.

The current joint venture of Dongfeng and Nissan manufactures Nissan-brand automobiles in China. In 1999, Renault and Nissan created the industrial and commercial partnership Renault-Nissan Alliance.

Without an assembly facility in China, Renault must depend on imports. Thus, sales have been minimal. During the first 10 months of 2011, Renault sold 15,958 vehicles in China, an increase by 49 percent year-on-year, according to LMC. Dongfeng, which is a state-owned Chinese company based in Wuhan, also has partnerships with Kia Motors Co., PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and Honda Motor Co. [source: Autonews]

Source: http://www.4wheelsnews.com/nissan-and-dongfeng-motor-to-manufacture-renault-vehicles-in-china

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NYC, world ring in 2012, bid adieu to a tough year (AP)

NEW YORK ? Revelers erupted in cheers amid a confetti-filled celebration in New York's Times Square to welcome in the new year, part of star-studded celebrations and glittering fireworks displays around the world to usher in 2012.

From New Zealand to New York, the world eagerly welcomed a new year Sunday and hoped for a better future, saying goodbye to a year of hurricanes, tsunamis and economic turmoil that many would rather forget.

In New York, hundreds of thousands gathered at the crossroads of the world to witness a crystal ball with more than 30,000 lights that descended at midnight. Lady Gaga and Mayor Michael Bloomberg led the crowd in the final-minute countdown of the famed crystal-paneled ball drop.

Matheus Campos, a law student from Brazil, threw both arms in the air as the new year began in Times Square.

"It's awesome," he said.

Revelers in Australia, Asia, Europe and the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, which jumped across the international dateline to be first to celebrate, welcomed 2012 with booming pyrotechnic displays. Fireworks soared and sparked over Moscow's Red Square, crowds on Paris' Champs-Elysees boulevard popped Champagne corks at midnight.

But many approached the new year with more relief than joy, as people battered by weather disasters, joblessness and economic uncertainty hoped the stroke of midnight would change their fortunes.

"It was a pretty tough year, but God was looking after us and I know 2012 has got to be better," said Kyralee Scott, 16, of Jackson, N.J., whose father spent most of the year out of work.

Some New York revelers, wearing party hats and "2012" glasses, began camping out Saturday morning, even as workers readied bags stuffed with hundreds of balloons and technicians put colored filters on klieg lights. The crowds cheered as workers lit the crystal-paneled ball that drops at midnight Saturday and put it through a test run, 400 feet above the street. The sphere, now decorated with 3,000 Waterford crystal triangles, has been dropping to mark the new year since 1907, long before television made it a U.S. tradition.

In Times Square, hundreds of thousands people crammed into spectator pens ringed by barricades, enjoying surprisingly warm weather for the Northeast. The National Weather Service said it was about 49 degrees in nearby Central Park ? about 10 degrees warmer than the normal high temperature.

As the country prepared for the celebration, glum wasn't on the agenda for many, even those who had a sour year.

"We're hoping the next year will be better," said Becky Martin, a former elementary school teacher who drove from Rockford, Ill., to Times Square after spending a fruitless year trying to find a job. "We're starting off optimistic and hoping it lasts."

Many expressed cautious hope that better times were ahead after a year in which Japan was ravaged by an earthquake and tsunami, hurricanes wreaked havoc across the country and a debt crisis devastated Europe's economy.

"Everybody's suffering. That's why it's so beautiful to be here celebrating something with everybody," said Lisa Nicol, 47, of Melbourne, Australia.

For all of the holiday's bittersweet potential, New York City always treats it like a big party ? albeit one that now takes place under the watchful eye of a massive security force, including more than 1,500 police officers.

Dick Clark, who suffered a stroke in 2004, put in a few brief appearances mentioning that he has hosted his namesake New Year's Eve celebration for years, but said "tonight, it's better than ever." Clark, looking cheerful but struggling with his speech, introduced a performance by Lady Gaga and also assisted in the countdown. The show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest also featured a performance by Justin Bieber.

Natalie Tolli, a 13-year-old from Yonkers, said "it was the best time I ever had, especially seeing Justin Bieber in his red hat."

The father, George Tolli, said he and his wife and three daughters and son waited since 2 p.m. to get their place.

"It was a pleasant surprise, very controlled," he said. "In my 51 years, I've never been here for New Year's. But I did it for the kids. And it was worth it."

In Las Vegas, police shut down a four-mile section of the Strip to vehicle traffic six hours before midnight, letting revelers party in the street. Casino nightclubs touted pricey, exclusive bashes hosted by celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Fergie, and fireworks were expected to shoot from the rooftops of eight of the city's most famous casinos.

Atlanta welcomed thousands to its downtown, where a giant peach dropped at midnight. Fireworks were to be launched from the top of the Space Needle in Seattle; in Houston, tens of thousands were celebrating at a party with country singer Delbert McClinton.

In summer temperatures at Key West, Fla., three separate midnight drops took place. A giant facsimile of a conch shell was lowered at Sloppy Joe's Bar, Ernest Hemingway's favorite watering hole when he lived in Key West. At the Schooner Wharf Bar, the bar owner dressed as a pirate wench and dropped down from a mast of a tall sailing ship. And at the Bourbon Street Pub complex, a drag queen named Sushi descended in a glittering 6-foot red women's high heel.

The town of Eastport, Maine, lowers an 8-foot-long wooden sardine from a downtown building at midnight, in celebration of its sardine canning and fishing history.

In San Francisco, revelers were lining the waterfront for the annual fireworks show. Though the city's fickle weather and persistent fog can never be counted on to cooperate, forecasters say the skies above the city should be clear overnight.

The first worldwide celebrations started in the island nation of Samoa, which hopped across the international date line at midnight on Thursday, skipping Friday and moving instantly to Saturday.

Samoa and the neighboring nation of Tokelau lie near the dateline that zigzags vertically through the Pacific Ocean; both sets of islands decided to realign themselves this year from the Americas side of the line to the Asia side to be more in tune with key trading partners.

In Sydney, more than 1.5 million people watched the shimmering pyrotechnic display designed around the theme "Time to Dream." In London, some 250,000 people gathered to listen to Big Ben chime at the stroke of midnight.

World leaders evoked 2011's struggles in their New Year's messages with some ambivalence.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Europe's crisis is not finished and "that 2012 will be the year full of risks, but also of possibilities."

Pope Benedict XVI marked the end of 2011 with prayers of thanks and said humanity awaits the new year with apprehension but also with hope for a better future.

"We prepare to cross the threshold of 2012, remembering that the Lord watches over us and takes care of us," Benedict said. "In him this evening we want to entrust the entire world. We put into his hands the tragedies of this world of ours, and we also offer him the hopes for a better future."

In Brazil, heavy rains didn't halt parties as upward of 2 million people gathered on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro and nearly as many on a main avenue in Sao Paulo, South America's biggest city. Massive fireworks displays and top music acts graced stages across the nation.

Brazil has seen healthy economic growth in recent years, as the country prepares to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. Growth, however, has stalled in recent months, and Brazilian leaders are trying to stimulate the economy in the new year.

"This was a good year for Brazil and I think things are only getting better, it feels like we're making big advances," said Fabiana dos Santos Silva, an 18-year-old student who gathered with hundreds of thousands of others on a main avenue in Sao Paulo.

Several people preparing to celebrate the holiday in the U.S. told the AP that they would usher in the New Year hoping the Congress would become a more cooperative place. Some talked about their hopes for the presidential election. Others said they hoped to hold on to their job, or find a new one to replace one they'd lost.

An Associated Press-GfK poll conducted Dec. 8-12 found that 62 percent of Americans are optimistic that the nation's fortunes will improve in 2012, and 78 percent hopeful that their own family will have a better year. Most wrote off 2011 as a dud.

Debbie Hart, 50, of Perry, Ga., called herself the "perpetual optimist" who believes each year will be better than the one before.

"I married a farmer. `Wait until next year. Next year will be better.' That's what I've been hearing for 30 years," said Hart. "I have faith."

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Chris Hawley and David B. Caruso in New York, Oskar Garcia in Las Vegas, Bruce Shipkowski in Jackson, N.J., Dorie Turner in Atlanta, Greg Keller in Paris, Harold Heckle in Madrid, Kristen Gelineau in Sydney, Ray Lilley in Wellington, New Zealand, Frances D'Emilio in Vatican City, Meera Selva in London, Bradley Brooks in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jack Chang in Mexico City and Melissa Eddy in Berlin.

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/weather/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120101/ap_on_re_us/new_year_s_eve

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Russia: Nuclear submarine fire finally out (AP)

MOSCOW ? Firefighters extinguished a massive fire aboard a docked Russian nuclear submarine Friday as some crew members remained inside, officials said, giving assurances that there was no radiation leak and the vessel's nuclear-tipped missiles were not on board.

Military prosecutors have launched an investigation into whether safety regulations were breached. President Dmitry Medvedev summoned top Cabinet officials to report on the situation and demanded punishment for anyone found responsible.

The fire broke out Thursday at an Arctic shipyard outside the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk where the submarine Yekaterinburg was in dry-dock. The blaze, which shot orange flames high into the air through the night, was put out Friday afternoon and firefighters continued to spray the vessel with water to cool it down, Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

Russian state television earlier showed the rubber-coated hull of the submarine still smoldering, with firefighters gathering around it and some standing on top to douse it with water. Most modern submarines' outer hulls are covered with rubber to make them less noisy and more difficult for an enemy to detect.

Seven members of the submarine crew were hospitalized after inhaling poisonous carbon monoxide fumes from the fire, Shoigu said.

An unspecified number of crew remained inside the submarine during the fire, Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. He insisted there never was any danger of it spreading inside the sub and said the crew reported that conditions on board remained normal.

Konashenkov's statement left it unclear whether the crew were trapped there or ordered to stay inside.

There has been no radiation leak from the fire, the Defense Ministry and Foreign Ministry said, and Norway's Radiation Protection Authority across the border reported it has not measured any increased radioactivity.

The governor in Finnmark, Norway's northeastern province that borders Russia, and the radiation agency complained about the Russian response.

"There have been problems to get clear information from the Russian side," Gunnar Kjoennoey told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. "We have an agreement to exchange information in such cases, but there has been no information from the Russian side so far."

Russia's military says the blaze started on wooden scaffolding and then engulfed the sub's outer hull. The vessel's nuclear reactor had been shut down and its nuclear-tipped missiles and other weapons had been unloaded before dry-dock repairs, it said.

Toxic fumes from the blaze had spread to the town of Roslyakovo where the shipyard is located, but officials said there was no need to evacuate local residents.

The Interfax new agency quoted the former director of the biggest shipyard in the area as saying the fire was probably caused by the failure to take proper safety precautions, such as coating the scaffolding with special sprays to make it fire-resistant.

"It was either lack of professionalism or an attempt to save money that has turned into huge losses," Nikolai Kalistratov said.

The Yekaterinburg is a Delta-IV-class nuclear-powered submarine that normally carries 16 nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles. The 166-meter (548-feet) vessel has a displacement of 18,200 tons when submerged.

The chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, led a team of senior military officials to Roslyakovo to oversee the emergency response.

The damage from the fire could be so massive that the submarine would need to be scrapped, the Interfax news agency reported Friday. But Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who is in charge of the nation's military industries, said that the submarine will rejoin the navy after repairs.

The Russian navy suffered its worst accident in August 2000, when the Kursk nuclear submarine exploded and sank during naval maneuvers, killing all 118 crew members aboard.

A 2008 accident at the Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine killed 20 Russian seamen and injured 21 others when its fire-extinguishing system activated in error and spewed suffocating Freon gas.

___

Jan M. Olsen contributed to this report from Copenhagen.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_submarine_fire

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