Firefighters serenade Judi Dench in London

LONDON (AP) — Judi Dench has been serenaded by firefighters as she arrived for the London premiere of her latest film.

Dench walked the red carpet in Leicester Square Wednesday for the London Film Festival screening of "Philomena."

The movie tells the true story of Irishwoman Philomena Lee's quest to track down the son she was forced to give up for adoption 50 years earlier.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union, drinking at a pub after a protest march against pension cuts, spotted the 78-year-old star, chanted "We love you Judi" and broke into a rendition of Beatles song "Hey Jude."

The Stephen Frears-directed film also stars Steve Coogan as Martin Sixsmith, a journalist who helped Lee in her search and wrote a book about her story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/firefighters-serenade-judi-dench-london-194452510.html
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U.S. farm bill negotiators may begin work next week

By Charles Abbott

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - House and Senate negotiators could meet for the first time next week to work on the new $500 billion U.S. farm bill, more than a year past due and repeatedly delayed by House Republican plans for steep cuts in food stamps for the poor.

The bill is also expected to cut funding for conservation programs but expand by $1 billion a year the federally subsidized crop insurance program, which now costs around $9 billion annually.

"Depending on the House and Senate schedules, the first, formal conference meeting could be scheduled as early as next week," said an aide to House Agriculture Committee chairman Frank Lucas. Under congressional protocol, Lucas will chair the conference committee formed to write a compromise bill between the House and Senate versions.

If Congress is not in session next week, the negotiators may not meet until the following week, said two other congressional staff workers.

The first meeting of House and Senate conferees is a milestone that marks the final round of work on major legislation. Commonly, a final version emerges within a few weeks.

Lucas says he is confident of consensus on a five-year bill.

Analysts said it will be difficult to reconcile the dramatically different proposals for food stamps.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia spearheaded the Republican drive to tighten eligibility rules for food stamps, ending benefits to nearly 4 million people in 2014, and save $39 billion over 10 years. His targeted cuts are nearly 10 times the amount proposed by the Democrat-run Senate, which focused on closing loopholes on utility costs.

The Republican-controlled House defeated its initial version of the farm bill, with $20 billion in food stamp cuts, because the cuts were too small to satisfy Tea Party-influenced conservatives. Democrats voted solidly against the cuts.

By comparison, disagreements over agricultural programs appear easier to resolve although some are lightning rod issues.

The Senate, for example, would require farmers to practice conservation to qualify for premium subsidies on crop insurance and would reduce the subsidy for growers with more than $750,000 adjusted gross income a year. Both ideas are anathema to Lucas.

The Senate backs stricter limits on who can collect farm subsidies and how much they can get per year. And it says the support prices in the House bill are so high they might result in farmers aiming for a subsidy payment rather than a profit in the marketplace.

Rice and peanut growers say the Senate bill is skewed in favor of corn and soybean growers in the Midwest and that they get a fairer deal in the House bill.

An expanded and stronger crop insurance program was the top goal of farm groups in the bill. The House and Senate bills would do that through a "supplemental coverage option" that is an insurance policy covering up to 90 percent of normal revenue from grains and oilseeds.

Cotton growers would get their a revenue insurance program intended to resolve a World Trade Organization ruling against the U.S. subsidies now in place. Brazil brought the WTO case against the United States a decade ago and has not said if the new scheme is satisfactory.

(Reporting by Charles Abbott; Editing by David Gregorio)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-farm-bill-negotiators-may-begin-next-week-195110755--sector.html
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SoftBank buys $1.5 billion stake in Finnish mobile games maker Supercell

By Sophie Knight, Ritsuko Ando and Malathi Nayak

TOKYO/HELSINKI/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Japanese tech and telecoms group SoftBank Corp is paying 150 billion yen ($1.53 billion) for a 51 percent stake in Finnish mobile game maker Supercell, valuing the small maker of hit games "Clash of Clans" and "Hay Day" at $3 billion.

Softbank's bid to claim a leading role in the fast-growing mobile games market makes 3-year-old Supercell, with about 100 employees and just two free-to-play games, more valuable than Zynga Inc, the $2.8 billion company behind former hits such as "FarmVille."

Twenty percent of Softbank's investment will come from its mobile games maker subsidiary, GungHo Online Entertainment Inc, which has a market capitalization of about $8.3 billion.

Softbank's offer values Supercell, with daily revenue of about $2.4 million mainly through the sale of in-game, virtual items, at about 3.5 times projected annual sales. That is cheaper than several major recent deals such as Electronic Arts' acquisition of PopCap in 2011, which went through at about 10 to 11 times sales the year before.

Market researcher Newzoo estimates global game revenues across all platforms will reach $86.1 billion by 2016 as the number of gamers reaches 1.55 billion. It expects the fastest growth to come from mobile gaming, which will make up almost 30 percent of the total, up from about 17 percent this year.

The deal shows SoftBank Chief Executive Masayoshi Son's appetite for foreign M&A has not dimmed since his $21.6 billion acquisition of U.S. mobile carrier Sprint Corp this year.

He was quoted on Supercell's blog as saying the acquisition was part of its "quest to become the #1 mobile Internet company," showing his ambition to expand further beyond its main wireless and Internet services business.

"Mobile games are a growth market; however, franchises in mobile have been particularly tenuous," Hudson Square Research analyst Daniel Ernst said. "Look at the experiences of Zynga and Glu."

From that perspective, the Supercell deal is potentially risky.

"But it's a talented team and Softbank thinks very long term," Ernst said.

The deal underscores the spectacular rise of Supercell, which was founded in 2010. Its hit games "Clash of Clans" and "Hay Day" reached No. 1 in Apple's App Store in 137 and 96 countries, respectively, SoftBank said, citing app analytics firm AppAnnie.

Supercell and GungHo developed a relationship after striking a partnership to launch strategy game "Clash of Clans" in Japan this July, Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen said in a telephone interview.

"How this came about is we've been very excited about the Asian market, and Japan especially, for the last 6 to 9 months ... since we launched Clash in Japan and it obviously started to do very well," Paananen said.

"Clash of Clans" ranks among the top three iOS games in Japan and China, he added.

Last year sales at Supercell rose by more than 500 times to 78.4 million euros compared with 2011, according to a filing by SoftBank, while turning a profit of 39.2 million euros after a loss of 1.8 million in 2011.

"Now that we have Softbank backing us we can take (our)existing games to new markets and strengthen our position in the big three Asian markets - Japan, Korea and China," Paananen said.

Supercell also plans to release new games at some point, Paananen said without providing a timeline.

SoftBank has the third largest market capitalisation in Japan and is set for a major windfall as Alibaba, China's top online retailer in which it owns a 36.7 percent stake, is preparing for a stock market listing.

Moreover, the tech and telecoms giant is also in final stages of talks to buy a majority stake in U.S. wireless device distributor Brightstar Corp in a deal estimated to be worth slightly more than 100 billion yen, according to a Nikkei report.

MEGA DEAL

Since Electronic Arts' $1.3 billion purchase in 2011 of casual and mobile game maker PopCap, known for "Plants vs. Zombies," Softbank's investment is the first billion-dollar mobile gaming deal.

PopCap's revenue was over $100 million in 2010 before its acquisition. Supercell is raking in about the same with sales of about $106 million or 78.4 million euros last year, according to Softbank's filing.

Venture Capital firms like Index Ventures, Accel Partners and Atomico have invested in Supercell over the last two years.

Supercell said earlier this year that it had raised $130 million through a secondary funding round, led by Index Ventures in February at a valuation of $770 million.

Globally, mobile game revenues generated through Apple iOS and Google Playstore are expected to exceed $10 billion this year, according to Adam Krejcik at technology and gaming research firm Eilers Research in California.

Led by "Angry Birds" maker Rovio, Finland's gaming industry has been a rare bright spot in a small Nordic economy which has struggled with a decline in traditional industries such as paper and machinery as well as the decline of Nokia, once the world's biggest handset maker.

Paananen, who will remain as CEO of Supercell, said the company will work autonomously.

"The most important point in the deal for us is that it guarantees our independence," Paananen said.

In a company blog post, he also reassured Finns that the company's operations would remain in Finland and that it would continue to pay taxes in the country.

"I think more and more people in this country are realising that there is life after Nokia!" he wrote.

(Editing by Richard Chang)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/softbank-buys-1-5-billion-stake-finnish-mobile-062051110--sector.html
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French banks face new foe as tobacconists offer accounts

By Lionel Laurent and Matthias Blamont

PARIS (Reuters) - The French will soon be able buy their cigarettes and do their banking at the same time with the launch of a stripped-down, cut price bank account by the country's huge network of tobacconists.

France's 27,000 "tabacs", whose distinctive red, diamond-shaped signs dot the nation's streets, will be out to win business from the likes of BNP Paribas and Societe Generale as established banks cut back their retail networks in a stagnating economy.

The Nickel bank account, which after initial tests is due to be expanded nationwide next year, will offer customers a debit card and a current account for 20 euros ($27.17). That compares with about 28 to 30 euros for the cheapest payment cards at BNP, SocGen and Credit Agricole.

Though Nickel clients will be charged fees for depositing and withdrawing money, the tabac association CBF still estimates the cost of having an account at less than 50 euros a year. The association says this is a third less than the cost of an account with Bank of France.

Nickel, co-founded by ex-SocGen communications chief Hugues Le Bret, also wants to lure people on the fringes of the system who may be unable to open a traditional bank account.

"With this account, we are bringing banking access to those who feel they've been forgotten, notably in rural areas, or simply shut out because of a mistake along the way," Pascal Montredon, head of the CFB network, told a press conference.

Nickel estimates that 1 percent of the French population does not have a bank account, while there are 2.5 million people who are classified as "overindebted" and 6 million who are unhappy with their current bank.

It also said that it wants to help to fight debt problems by not offering loans and is using the slogan "100 percent useful, zero percent toxic".

Nickel is being launched at a time when French retail banking, traditionally a cash cow thanks to lucrative fees and widespread appetite for conservative savings products such as life insurance, is taking a hit from the stagnant economy and competition from cheaper online competitors.

Lenders themselves are trying to come up with alternatives even as they close branches. BNP this year launched the online-only Hello Bank in Germany, Belgium, France and Italy to bring in customer deposits without a bricks-and-mortar branch network.

Consumer association UFC-Que Choisir, which has railed against the rising cost of bank charges, said that Nickel might help hard-pressed consumers to save money on bank fees.

BNP declined to comment. SocGen and the French Banking Federation did not respond to requests for comment.

(Editing by David Goodman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-banks-face-foe-tobacconists-offer-accounts-135956343--sector.html
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Sony VAIO Flip 15 review: Sony's new convertible is cheaper, bigger than most

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When Sony first teased the VAIO Flip series, we were sure it was going to look like the Lenovo Yoga. After all, here was a laptop with a screen that presumably could fold back so that it faced away ...

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/fZd_unX-ZHI/
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Suspension over, Von Miller asks for time, trust

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — No apologies. No promises. No explanations.

Instead, Broncos linebacker Von Miller simply asked his fans, teammates and coaches to judge him on what he does in the future, now that his six-game suspension for violating the NFL's drug-abuse policy is over.

"I definitely made mistakes in the past," Miller said Monday during his first en masse interview since his suspension officially came down. "It won't do anybody any good to go back and defend that stuff. I've already served my suspension. I'm working hard to gain everybody's trust back."

He fell short of the promise he made in July, when news of his pending suspension first surfaced, that "when this is all done and resolved, I will sit down with all you guys and be candid about everything."

Instead, during a nine-minute interview heavy on scripted talking points, the third-year veteran talked about how grateful he was for the support his teammates have shown him during his ordeal, and how happy he'll be to get back onto the practice field with the Broncos on Wednesday.

The last 2½ months, he conceded, have been difficult — not only the part about sitting out, but hearing the constant reports about his traffic tickets, missed court dates, his attempt to manipulate the NFL drug-testing system and, of course, all the conjecture about how he let down his teammates.

Yes, the Broncos went 6-0 without him. They also head into Game 7, at Indianapolis on Sunday, with the bottom-ranked passing defense in the league. They've allowed more than 500 yards once and more than 300 three other times. Last season, when Miller made 18½ of his 30 career sacks, the Broncos didn't allow a single 300-yard passing game in the regular season.

"I've definitely had to mature up a lot," said Miller, who insists he's now in the best physical shape of his life. "There was some stuff that I didn't see that I see now. I've definitely taken strides to do that. I can't say I'm super mature. Not that it just happens. It's a constant struggle. I know if I take it one day at a time, I'll get there."

Can he guarantee he'll never make another mistake?

"I can't sit here and say this is never going to happen or I'm never going to do this," he said. "I'd be lying. I've just got to take it one day at a time and gain everybody's trust back."

He used that valued word — "Trust" — 11 times over the session, during which he was peppered with nearly two dozen questions from the 30 or so reporters and cameramen crowded around his locker.

After their 35-19 win over Jacksonville, Miller's teammates offered a united front, not judging the linebacker but sticking mainly to the advantages they'll rediscover when a pass rusher of his caliber returns. The Broncos don't have to officially bring him back on the roster until Saturday.

"It cost us because he's a superstar," safety Rahim Moore said. "He's a great player. Just imagine what we could have done here in these six games. Now it's all over. Everyone's getting back healthy, everybody's back practicing. We're excited."

Miller said he had talked to all his teammates and coaches. Coach John Fox said Miller's "got the support of everybody here."

Asked if he was concerned with another incident, which would likely cost Miller an entire season, the coach didn't sound any more confident than his linebacker.

"I get concerned every night about incidents, to be quite honest with you," Fox said. "I think he understands that he made some errors, we have a lot of people here to help him, including his teammates, coaching staff and people in the organization. We'll see where it goes. People in life make mistakes."

In the strangest twist of his interview, Miller went out of his way to say that, no, his mother and father had not moved in with him since his troubles went public and, no, he had no need for a so-called baby sitter to monitor his every move.

"You can go around the facility and ask anybody, and nobody would give you that description of what they did as a baby sitter," Miller said.

But he has received plenty of words of wisdom. They are, he said, only as good as the man receiving them.

"I've got a lot of good advice but I feel like it all starts with me," he said. "No matter how much help you have around, if you can't do it, you just can't do it. I feel like I've taken steps in that direction. It's a constant struggle every single day, but I'm positive I'll be all right."

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

___

Follow AP Pro Football Writer Eddie Pells on Twitter: http://twitter.com/epells

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suspension-over-von-miller-asks-time-trust-213208488--spt.html
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Josh Hutcherson Thinks The Laughs Are Ever In His Favor And That He's Funnier Than Jennifer Lawrence!

Josh Hutcherson might actually have to fight Jennifer Lawrence in a battle royale to the death over recent comments he made!

In a recent interview, Josh Quarter Quelled the notion that JLaw might be the more humorous of the two, and actually went on to say that he thinks he's more on fire comically than the girl who was on fire:

"We have this debate all the time – I think it's me! This sounds mean, but it's true, and Jennifer would agree. Her thing is being shocking, goofy, and silly – which is amazing, and it takes a talented person to do that. I like to be more clever and witty. But if you had to go on who gets more laughs, I'd say she'd be the winner."

Hmm, usually whoever's funniest actually get more laughs. That's typically how that works out! Just sayin'!

The two should compete for the title of being the funniest Hunger Games actor, in a Hunger Games-style elimination, and then we'll see who can make us giggle, gaggle, and guffaw the most!

We can just imagine the jokes now: "'What's the deal with President Snow?" or'…and then I was like, 'sorry, I don't date Muttations!' Oh snap!" or "My sister Prim is such a whiner! Uh, can someone make her an Avox ASAP! Just kidding but not really!"

Tags: celebrity feuds, clever, funnier, funny, gifs, goofy, interview, jennifer lawrence, josh hutcherson, more, than, witty

Source: http://perezhilton.com/2013-10-15-josh-hutcherson-think-funnier-witty-clever-jennifer-lawrence
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