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LOS ANGELES, Ca., Jan. 31 (TOTI) –

Wall Street executives paid themselves $18 billion in bonuses last year, despite having one of the worst years in history, complete with their firms receiving billions of dollars of TARP “bailout money.” To almost anyone, it would seem untoward that executives would be earning extra cash, all the while they’re laying off workers, closing offices, and generating losses.

A new proposal by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri would limit the amount of compensation bailed out company execs could receive. The Senator would cap pay at $400,000, the same annual salary as President Barack Obama.

“We have a bunch of idiots on Wall Street that are kicking sand in the face of the American taxpayer,” an enraged McCaskill said on the floor of the Senate. “They don’t get it. These people are idiots. You can’t us…

See the full post at Wall Street Bonuses Going Over like A Lead Balloon

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 31 (UPI) –

A Pakistani investigation has found that the Mumbai terrorist attack was not planned in Pakistan, the country’s high commissioner in London said Friday.

Wajid Shamsul Hasan said India might have fabricated evidence in a dossier meant to show the operation was based in Pakistan, The Times of London reported.

We are not doing any whitewashing business, Hasan said in an interview with the Indian broadcaster NDTV. We believe in going about facts. Our findings will be acceptable to the world.

At least 173 people were killed in November when a small group of armed men raided selected targets in Mumbai, including the Taj and Oberoi Trident hotels and a Jewish community center. Only one of the attackers is known to have survived.

Indian investigators say Mohammad Ajmal Amir Iman revealed under questioning the group had trained in Pakistan and were members of Lashkar-e-Toiba, a group based in Pakistan. Indian officials say m…

See the full post at Pakistan: Mumbai attack not planned there

STRASBOURG, France, Jan. 31 (UPI) –

A European court has agreed to hear a lawsuit by shareholders of the Yukos oil company who are seeking billions of dollars from the Russian government.

The claim is the largest ever to come before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, the EU Observer reported. The shareholders claim the government seized the company illegally and are asking for 32.5 billion euros ($42 billion).

The company was seized by the government under former President Vladimir Putin and its former chief executive officer Mikhail Khodorkhovsky, who was convicted of fraud and sent to a Siberian prison. Khodorkhovsky had been the richest man in Russia and reportedly had political ambitions that might have made him a rival to Putin.

The company was broken up and sold at auction, with Russian state energy companies buying its most valuable assets.

Shareholders have also made a claim for arbitration at the International Court in The Hague.

The E…

See the full post at European court to hear Yukos claims

LHASA, China, Jan. 31 (UPI) –

Chinese police in the capital of Tibet have detained at least 81 people in thousands of raids in a crackdown ostensibly aimed at crime, dissidents said.

Supporters of Tibetan independence say the strike hard campaign was actually aimed at their movement, the China Post reported. At least two of the detainees were picked up for having reactionary cell phone ring tones.

The Lhasa Evening News said more than 600 officers were involved in raids on 2,922 apartments or houses, 14 hotels and guesthouses, 18 bars and three Internet cafes. The raids began Jan. 18.

The motive is to intimidate and eliminate those supporting Tibetan independence and human rights activists in Tibet, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said in a statement.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of an uprising in March 1959 against Chinese rule of Tibet. The uprising failed and the Dalai Lama fled to India and has lived in exile ever s…

See the full post at Police crack down in Tibetan capital

KINGSTON, Ontario, Jan. 31 (UPI) –

Sedentary, obese older adults appear to improve their functional abilities and reduce insulin resistance through exercise, a Canadian researcher said.

Lance E. Davidson of Queen’s University in Kingsland, Ontario, and colleagues conducted a randomized clinical trial involving 136 sedentary older adults who were abdominally obese, meaning they had a waist circumference of at least 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women.

For six months, participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: resistance exercise — one set of nine exercises, 20 minutes three times per week; aerobic exercise — 30 minutes of moderate-intensity treadmill walking five times per week; combined exercise — 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week plus 60 minutes of resistance training weekly; and a control group that did not exercise.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that after six months, insulin resistance improve…

See the full post at Exercise combo improves senior function

SACRAMENTO, Jan. 31 (UPI) –

Ben Gordon and Luol Deng helped break the game open in the third period Friday, carrying the Chicago Bulls to a 109-88 thrashing of Sacramento.

The Bulls had not won in Sacramento since November 1997, when Michael Jordan scored 33 points.

Chicago won its second in a row after halting a five-game losing streak. Both Gordon and Deng scored 20 points and Joakim Noah had 17.

The Bulls had an 11-point lead at halftime and expanded it to 20 by the end of the third quarter.

Sacramento lost its eighth straight game. The Kings are one of four teams in the Western Conference with 11 or fewer victories for the season.

Kevin Martin’s 27 points led the Kings, whose woeful numbers this year include no victories against the Eastern Conference and only three wins on the road.

See the full post at NBA: Chicago 109, Sacramento 88

NEW YORK, Jan. 31 (UPI) –

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg introduced a $43.4 billion budget Friday that counts on state and federal aid to help fill in a $4 billion shortfall.

Bloomberg proposes service cuts and tax hikes that would make up about half of the $4 billion. Balancing the budget also depends on reducing healthcare costs for city employees, getting them to pay 10 percent of their medical expenses and getting help from Albany and Washington, the New York Daily News reported.

The mayor plans to eliminate almost 23,000 jobs, more than 15,000 through layoffs. Among the cuts would be 1,000 police officers and 14,000 teachers and aides.

Bloomberg said the city’s situation is serious, but I think it is manageable.

New York has been hit hard by the financial crisis. Bloomberg’s budget assumes a 7.2 percent increase in property tax revenue and a drop of 13.2 percent in income, sales and real estate transfer taxes — which all depend on the economy.

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See the full post at Bloomberg proposes drastic NYC cuts

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 31 (UPI) –

Jamal Crawford put Golden State in front for good midway through the fourth period Friday night and the Warriors held on to surprise New Orleans 91-87.

It was only the fifth road win of the season for Golden State and easily the most impressive. The Warriors held the Hornets without a point for a span of 4:04 in the fourth quarter and wrapped up the victory when Jamal Crawford made two free throws with 3 seconds to play.

That gave Golden State a five-point lead and the Hornets’ Chris Paul accounted for the final score by making three free throws with a second remaining after being fouled on a three-point attempt.

The Warriors had lost three of their previous four games.

New Orleans took a 69-67 lead when Julian Wright converted a dunk with 10:11 to play in the fourth quarter. The Hornets did not score again until James Posey hit a free throw with 6:07 left.

Crawford’s two free throws gave the Warriors the lead with 6:28 remaining.<…

See the full post at NBA: Golden State 91, New Orleans 87

DENVER, Jan. 31 (UPI) –

Carmelo Anthony, playing for the first time in almost a month, scored 19 points Friday and Denver coasted in the second half to a 110-99 victory over Charlotte.

Anthony suffered a fracture in his right hand during a Jan. 5 game against Indiana. The fracture has not yet completely healed, but he was cleared to play by team physicians.

He was averaging a team-best 21.1 points per game before missing 10 contests. He played 30 minutes against the Bobcats, hitting 5-of-12 shots from the field and 9-of-11 from the foul line.

Nene led Denver with 22 points and Linas Kleiza had 21 for the Nuggets, who increased their lead over Portland at the top of the Northwest Division to two games.

Raja Bell scored 27 to pace Charlotte.

Denver opened a 15-point lead at halftime and the closest Charlotte could come in the second half was the final score.

See the full post at NBA: Denver 110, Charlotte 99

NEW YORK, Jan. 31 (UPI) –

Bernard Lagat, who suffered through a disappointing Olympics last summer, won the Wanamaker Mile in New York Friday for a record-tying seventh time.

Lagat captured the feature event of the 102nd Millrose Games by running a 3:58.44 mile, edging New Zealand’s Nick Willis, who won the Olympic bronze medal over 1,500 meters.

After winning both the 1,500 and 5,000 meters at the 2007 world championships, Lagat finished first in both events at the American Olympic trials prior to the Beijing Games. He then suffered an Achilles’ tendon injury that slowed his training and he failed to qualify for the Olympic final in the 1,500. He finished ninth in the 5,000.

In other events Friday:

– Olympic gold medalist Steven Hooker of Australia won the pole vault with a personal best 19-8 ½. He missed three tries at what would have been an indoor world record of 20-2 ½.

– American Terrence Trammell, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 110-meter …

See the full post at Lagat wins mile run at Millrose Games