Mexico dog mutilated by drug traffickers recovers

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A dog reportedly mutilated by Mexican drug traffickers is recovering at a sanctuary for abused and abandoned dogs.
Sanctuary owner Patricia Ruiz says Pay de Limon, or Lemon Pie, was fitted with prosthetic front legs last year. The Belgian shepherd mix now walks, jumps and runs.
Ruiz says the dog was left in a trash can to die after his two fronts legs were cut off. She says people who asked her to help Pay de Limon told her that drug traffickers used the dog to practice for mutilating humans.
Pay de Limon is one of 128 abused dogs living at the Milagros Caninos sanctuary. Dogs on wheelchairs, blind, deaf or ill frolic and run around the huge sanctuary in the southern part of Mexico City.

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NFL-Steelers cut Rainey after domestic violence arrest

Jan 10 (Reuters) - The Pittsburgh Steelers have cut rookie running back Chris Rainey following his arrest for a domestic battery, the National Football League team said on Thursday.
"Chris Rainey's actions this morning were extremely disappointing," said Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert in a statement on the team's website. "Under the circumstances and due to this conduct, Chris will no longer be a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers."
Rainey was charged by Gainesville, Florida police with a single count of misdemeanor simple battery following an incident with his girlfriend, according to media reports.
A fifth round selection of the Steelers in last season's draft, Rainey was used primarily on specialty teams during his rookie campaign, returning 39 kickoffs for 1,035 yards while filling in at running back.

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AP Source: Browns meet 2nd time with Whisenhunt

CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the meeting says the Cleveland Browns are having a second interview with former Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt about their vacancy.
Whisenhunt, who was recently fired after six seasons with the Cardinals, is meeting with the Browns on Thursday, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the search. The team met with Whisenhunt last week in Arizona. He went 45-51 in six seasons with the Cardinals and led them to one Super Bowl appearance.
The Plain Dealer was first to report Whisenhunt's second interview.
The 50-year-old worked as a special teams coach with the Browns in 1999, when they returned to the NFL as an expansion team.

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Apple CEO visits China for second time in less than a year

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Apple Inc's Chief Executive Tim Cook is meeting with partners and government officials in China on his second visit to the firm's second-largest market in less than a year.
China is Apple's fastest-growing market, with the maker of the popular iPhone and iPad opening a raft of retail stores last year. Last month, Apple sold more than 2 million iPhone 5s in the country in just three days, the company's best ever smartphone launch in the country.
Despite the roaring success of iPhone sales in China, analysts say the company's longer-term outlook in the market may hinge on expanding its partners to include China Mobile Ltd, the country's top telecoms carrier.
"Tim is in Beijing meeting with government officials and partners. China is an important market for us and we look forward to continued customer excitement and growth here," Apple's spokeswoman in China Carolyn Wu said on Wednesday.
She declined to say whether or not Cook would be meeting with China Mobile executives.
In China, the iPhone is currently sold through Apple's seven stores, resellers and through China Unicom and China Telecom - which together have fewer than half the mobile subscribers of bigger rival China Mobile.
A deal with China's biggest carrier is seen as crucial to improving Apple's distribution in a market of 290 million users. Apple has been in talks on a tie-up with China Mobile for four years.
China Mobile and Apple initially said they were separated only by a technical issue - as the Chinese carrier runs a different 3G network from most of the world - but that has evolved into a broader and more complex issue of revenue-sharing.
On Tuesday, Cook met with the Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Miao Wei, where they discussed the development of the smartphone industry and innovation trends, according to a statement posted on the ministry's website.
China, Apple's biggest market after the United States, currently accounts for about 15 percent of its annual revenue.

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AP Exclusive: Richardson pressing NKorean test ban

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Wednesday that his delegation is pressing North Korea to put a moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests and to allow more cell phones and an open Internet for its citizens.
Richardson told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview in Pyongyang that the group is also asking for fair and humane treatment for an American citizen detained in North Korea. Also on the trip is Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt.
"The citizens of the DPRK (North Korea) will be better off with more cell phones and an active Internet. Those are the ... messages we've given to a variety of foreign policy officials, scientists" and government officials, Richardson said.
Most North Koreans have never logged onto the Internet, and the country's authoritarian government strictly limits access to the World Wide Web.
Richardson has said the delegation is on a private, humanitarian trip. Schmidt, who is the highest-profile U.S. business executive to visit North Korea since leader Kim Jong Un took power a year ago, has not spoken publicly about the reasons behind the journey to North Korea.
The visit comes just weeks after North Korea launched a long-range rocket to send a satellite into space. Washington has condemned the launch as a banned test of missile technology. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday "the trip is ill-advised," and another State spokesman reacted to Richardson's latest remarks by referring to Nuland's statement again.
Spokesman Peter Velasco also said from Washington that he also did not believe Richardson's delegation had been in contact with U.S. officials since they arrived in Pyongyang.
Schmidt, who oversaw Google's expansion into a global Internet giant, speaks frequently about the importance of providing people around the world with Internet access and technology. Google now has offices in more than 40 countries, including all three of North Korea's neighbors: Russia, South Korea and China, another country criticized for systematic Internet censorship.
He and Google Ideas think tank director Jared Cohen, who is also on the trip, have collaborated on a book about the Internet's role in shaping society.
Using science and technology to build North Korea's beleaguered economy was the highlight of a New Year's Day speech by leader Kim Jong Un. Still, the reality is that experts see North Korea as one of the least connected countries in the world.
On Tuesday, students at North Korea's elite Kim Il Sung University showed Schmidt how they use Google to look for information online. Surfing the Internet that way is the privilege of only a very few in North Korea.
Officials say students at the university have had Internet access since April 2010.
While university students at Kim Chaek University of Science and Technology and the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology also have carefully monitored Internet access — and are under strict instructions to access only educational materials — most North Koreans have never surfed the Web.
Computers at Pyongyang's main library at the Grand People's Study house are linked to a domestic Intranet service that allows people to read state-run media online and access a trove of reading materials culled by North Korean officials. North Koreans with computers at home can also sign up for the Intranet service. But access to the World Wide Web is extremely rare and often is limited to those with clearance to get on the Internet.
The U.S. delegation's visit takes place as the U.S. pushes to punish North Korea for launching a long-range rocket in December.
Pyongyang celebrates the launch as a peaceful bid to send a satellite into space. The U.S. and other critics, however, condemn it as a covert test of long-range missile technology, and are urging the U.N. Security Council to take action against North Korea.
Some conservatives in the United States have had harsh criticism of the Schmidt-Richardson trip.
Schmidt and Richardson "have joined the long list of Americans and others used by the Kim family dictatorship for political advantage," John Bolton, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration, wrote in the New York Daily News.
"North Korea has repeatedly welcomed prominent Americans to help elevate its stature. It is seeking direct negotiations with Washington, for in the distorted vision of the nation's leadership, this might lead to full diplomatic recognition and 'equal' status in the world community.

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RIM conducting under-the-radar campaign to promote BlackBerry 10 at CES [video]

RIM (RIMM) isn’t conducting any big press conferences at the Consumer Electronics Show this year and it doesn’t even have a booth, but that doesn’t mean the company isn’t working hard to promote BlackBerry 10 in Las Vegas this week. Jeff Gadway, RIM’s senior manager for BlackBerry product marketing, took some time this week to talk with Forbes about his company’s upcoming new smartphone OS and how it will hopefully put RIM back on the map as a major player in the mobile industry.
[More from BGR: Is Samsung the new Apple?]
Among other things, Gadway showed off BlackBerry 10′s nifty multitasking capabilities that allow users to easily access all their important messages within the BlackBerry Hub messaging center without closing down any of the apps they currently have open. What makes this capability particularly cool is that Gadway performed it with just two finger swipes: A swipe up from the bottom of the screen to shrink the app window and a second swipe right to bring up a “peak” at his messages.
[More from BGR: iPhone 5 now available with unlimited service, no contract on Walmart’s $45 Straight Talk plan]
Gadway also showed off the BlackBerry Hub itself, which acts as a one-stop message center that lets users handle messages from multiple email accounts, BlackBerry Messenger, social networking sites and text messages all in one location. RIM has already signed up big-name social networks sites such as Facebook (FB), Twitter and LinkedIn (LNKD) for the Hub, and Gadway notes that the Hub will have an open API that will let developers easily hop on and add their own social networks to the service.
And finally, Gadway demonstrated RIM’s new keyboard technology that takes auto-complete suggestions to a whole new level by allowing users to simply swipe up on a suggested word hovering over the keyboard to insert it into a message.
All of these new functions seem very cool, and we’re very eager to see the complete BlackBerry 10 package once RIM unveils it later this month. A full video of the Forbes interview follows below.

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BSE Sensex ends lower; earnings eyed

MUMBAI (Reuters) - The BSE Sensex fell on Wednesday as two-wheeler makers such as Bajaj Auto retreated after an industry body cut its estimates for motorcycle sales, while software services exporters fell ahead of earnings announcement.
After a strong start to the year, investors are turning more cautious ahead of third-quarter earnings reports. Infosys Ltd will kick off the blue-chip reporting season on Friday.
Even more important will be the corporate profit outlook for the year, at a time of optimism that an expected interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India on January 29 will help support economic growth.
"Third-quarter earnings growth should be better than second-quarter, or else the market is likely to show signs of nervousness," said R.K. Gupta, managing director at Taurus Mutual Fund.
Any positive surprise cannot be ruled out, Gupta added.
The BSE Sensex fell 0.38 percent, or 75.93 points, to end at 19,666.59. However, the index is still up 1.63 percent for the month.
The broader Nifty ended 0.5 percent, or 30.20 points, lower at 5,971.50.
Shares in two-wheeler makers were hit after the country's automobile industry association cut FY13 motorcycle sales growth forecast to 3-5 percent from 5-7 percent earlier.
Bajaj Auto shares fell 1.84 percent while Hero MotoCorp lost 1.8 percent.
Software services exporters also fell. The December quarter is a seasonally weak one for technology companies, and analysts are waiting for management comments on outlook.
Infosys fell 0.55 percent while Tata Consultancy Services ended down 1.8 percent.
Larsen & Toubro Ltd extended its recent fall and ended 1.1 percent lower. Citigroup and Barclays downgraded the engineering conglomerate on Tuesday on concerns over order cancellations and weak investment cycle.
Among gainers, Tata Motors Ltd closed 4.2 percent higher after hitting a record high of 330.35 rupees, as Credit Suisse and CLSA upgraded their ratings on the stock, citing expectations of improving sales.
Oil marketing companies, among the top performers this month, gained on hopes the government will announce diesel reforms soon. Hindustan Petroleum Corp rose 4 percent while Bharat Petroleum Corp gained 1.3 percent.
Shares in Havells India Ltd gained 4.82 percent as analysts lauded the transfer of the brand name 'Havells' from one of its promoters to the company at no cost, which is expected to save on royalty payments and improve corporate governance.

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UK shares rise as U.S. earnings get off on the right foot

* FTSE 100 index rises 0.4 percent
* Miners get boost from Alcoa's positive outlook
* Banks led up by Lloyds after upgrade
* Slow sales growth hits Sainsbury's despite meeting targets
LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Britain's blue-chip stocks rose on
Wednesday, led by banking stocks and miners, as a reassuring
start to the U.S. earnings season boosted investors' appetite
for riskier assets.
Miners were set for their first gains in a week
as investors welcomed news that Alcoa, the largest
aluminium producer in the United States, posted in-line
fourth-quarter earnings after the Wall Street close on Tuesday
and offered a positive outlook for 2013.
"This uptick on the FTSE is a reaction to Alcoa, and
people's expectations for earnings in the U.S.," said James
Butterfill, global equity strategist at Coutts.
"As has been for quite a few quarters now, analysts are
overly bearish for fourth quarter results. So it seems that
we'll see earnings beat expectations for another quarter in the
U.S., and that will help to support stocks."
Butterfill said that if earnings came in ahead of
expectations for the fourth quarter, it would be the 15th
consecutive quarterly earnings beats in succession on the
S&P500, bar a minor earnings miss at the end of 2011.
Banks added 12.5 points to the index, with
Lloyds Banking Group the best performer, up 5 percent
as traders cited the impact of a UBS upgrade to "buy" from
"neutral" with an increased target price of 60 pence.
"We think Lloyds will deliver rising margins, falling costs
and falling provisions, which will provide a very strong upswing
to profitability and EPS momentum over the next few years," UBS
said in a note.
The FTSE 100 was up 23.60 points, or 0.4 percent, at
6,077.23 by 1158 GMT, resuming a rally that took it to its
highest closing level since early February 2011 on Friday,
having slipped on Monday and Tuesday of this week.
The index is now up 3 percent for 2013 only a week into the
year, just over half the total 2012 gain of 5.8 percent.
"We continue to have a constructive outlook for equities.
It's a combination of a pick-up in economic activity... ongoing
policy support and lower systematic risk, relative to the last
year or so," Christopher Ferrarone, global equity strategist at
UBS in Hong Kong, said.
UBS' Risk Appetite Indicator hit 20-month highs after U.S.
politicians reached a fiscal compromise on New Year's day, and
Ferrarone expected growth to support equity prices so long as
outstanding issues in the U.S. budget negotiations were resolved
without drama.
"After a fairly broad-based deterioration in economic
activity last year, we have seen economic activity pick up,
initially in the U.S. but also notably in China. The improvement
in economic activity that we've seen develop over the last
several months is fairly broad-based, and we do look for that to
continue in the months ahead."
However, sluggish growth from last year had a hangover on UK
retailers, with J Sainsbury losing 2.9 percent and
relinquishing the previous session's advance as it issued a
trading update which prompted Seymour Pierce to cut its rating
on the stock to "reduce".
Britain's No. 3 supermarket met forecasts for underlying
sales in the Christmas quarter but growth slowed from its first
half in a highly competitive festive market.
"We suspect Sainsbury will struggle to outperform in 2013 as
Tesco continues its fight back and there is some margin
vulnerability as momentum slows," Seymour Pierce said in a note.
For a graphic showing UK retailers' share price performances

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Futures rise as earnings season begins in the US

NEW YORK (AP) — Stock futures are rising after a pair of U.S. companies opened the earnings season with a surprisingly strong start.
Dow Jones industrial futures are up 13 points to 13,280. The broader S&P futures have added 0.80 points to 1,435.10. Nasdaq futures are up 0.25 points to 2,714.25.
After markets closed Tuesday, Alcoa predicted rising demand for its aluminum this year and topped revenue expectations for the fourth quarter. Earlier in the day, agricultural giant Monsanto said its profit tripled and raised its guidance for 2013.
Alcoa's outlook, which could hint at a broader economic recovery, helped to buoy markets overseas Wednesday.
Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent, Germany's DAX added 0.3 percent and France's CAC-40 rose 0.4 percent. In Asia, Hong Kong's Hang Seng advanced 0.5 percent.

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American Football-Alabama's Saban shoots down talk of move to NFL

MIAMI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, showered with acclaim after a fourth national title, said on Tuesday he has no desire to return to the National Football League and that the college game is where he belongs.
Saban's Crimson Tide won their second successive national title on Monday and third in four years with a 42-14 hammering of Notre Dame.
The win confirms the 61-year-old as the most successful active coach in college football -- he captured his maiden title with Louisiana State University in the 2003 season.
Then came an unhappy two seasons with the NFL's Miami Dolphins that ended in 2006, but despite his well documented disappointment there has remained speculation that Saban could be tempted back into the pro game.
With five NFL teams currently having vacancies for a head coach that speculation, not surprisingly, re-emerged following Alabama's second consecutive championship.
"How many times do you think I've been asked to put it to rest? And I've put it to rest, and you continue to ask it. So I'm going to say it today, that you know, I think somewhere along the line you've got to choose," he said.
"You learn a lot from the experiences of what you've done in the past," added Saban, before reflecting on the two seasons he spent in Miami after being tempted out of the college game by then Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga.
"I came to the Miami Dolphins, what eight years ago for the best owner, the best person that I've ever had the opportunity to work for? And in the two years that I was here, had a very, very difficult time thinking that I could impact the organization in the way that I wanted to or the way that I was able to in college," he said before highlighting some of the reasons he prefers working with student athletes.
"It was very difficult for me, because there's a lot of parity in the NFL, there's a lot of rules in the NFL. People say you can draft the players that you want to draft; you can draft a player that's there when you pick. It might not be the player you need, it might not be the player you want.
"You've got salary cap issues. We had them here (in Miami) You've got to have a quarterback. We had a chance to get one here; sort of messed it up," he said, referring to the missed opportunity to sign Drew Brees, later a Super Bowl winner with New Orleans.
Saban enjoys a huge amount of personal control over the entire football program at Alabama and clearly did not enjoy the more devolved power structure in the NFL.
"I didn't feel like I could impact the team the same way that I can as a college coach in terms of affecting people's lives personally, helping them develop careers by graduating from school, off the field, by helping develop them as football players, and there's a lot of self gratification in all that, all right," said Saban.

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