Paragon lifts first half profit and seeks acquisitions

By Matt Scuffham

LONDON (Reuters) - British buy-to-let mortgage provider Paragon plans to set up a bank next year, taking advantage of new rules designed to encourage competition to Britain's established lenders.

Under pressure from lawmakers to increase choice in a sector dominated by five banks, Britain's financial regulator said in March that start-up banks would no longer need as much capital as their established rivals.

Chief Executive Nigel Terrington said on Tuesday the change had prompted Paragon to end talks to buy the National Counties Building Society and to apply for a banking licence instead.

"We'd already decided to pursue the consumer finance market through a banking route," he said. "At one point we were pursuing entry via an acquisition but we changed that plan to go the organic route," he told Reuters in an interview.

Capital requirements will be lighter for the first three to five years as long as a new bank can show deposits are insured and that it can be wound up without destabilising markets.

Terrington said Paragon's bank would launch in 2014, offering deposit-funded consumer finance lending including personal loans and car loans.

New banks have slowly begun to surface since the 2008 financial crisis, looking to fill the gap as Britain's biggest lenders focus on shrinking their balance sheets and building up capital to meet new regulations.

Most of the challengers, such as Aldermore and Shawbrook, are not looking to offer all banking services, but are instead focusing on particular areas of the market where they believe they can compete with larger operators.

Paragon posted a 10 percent increase in underlying pretax profit in the first half of its fiscal year, but that missed market expectations and its shares, up over 90 percent since the start of 2012, were down 3.6 percent at 10.15 a.m.

Paragon reported an underlying pretax profit of 48.2 million pounds in the six months to the end of March, boosted by profits from newly acquired loan portfolios. Analysts' average forecast had stood at 50.25 million pounds, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S data.

Terrington said not all of the benefit of recent acquisitions had come through and was "comfortable" with the average profit forecast of 103 million pounds for the full year.

Paragon has performed strongly during the economic downturn with buy-to-let mortgages in demand as landlords take advantage of a booming rental market while first-time home buyers struggle to get on the housing ladder. The company has also expanded through acquisitions as mainstream lenders sell off loans.

Paragon granted loans worth 102.3 million pounds during the period, up from 89.2 million the year before.

(Reporting by Matt Scuffham, Editing by Brenda Goh and Mark Potter)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/paragon-lifts-first-half-profit-seeks-acquisitions-063356009.html

instagram facebook chicago cubs split pea soup recipe the client list yahoo.com/mail baylor april 9

Carol Burnett to win top US humor prize in DC

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Carol Burnett, who became famous for playing a variety of characters in sketch comedy routines on her namesake television show, was named the winner of the nation's top humor prize on Tuesday.

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts said Burnett will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Oct. 20 in Washington. A gala performance featuring top names in comedy will be taped and broadcast nationally Oct. 30 on PBS.

The 80-year-old Burnett said she can't believe she is receiving the prize from the Kennedy Center.

"It's almost impossible to be funnier than the people in Washington," she said in a statement.

Burnett had her breakout on Broadway in "Once Upon a Mattress," performing at night in 1959 while also appearing in the mornings on TV's "The Garry Moore Show." She is best known for her own long-running variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show." It ran from 1967 to 1978, averaging 30 million viewers a week on CBS. Her guest stars included Lucille Ball, Jimmy Stewart, Ronald Reagan and Betty White.

Burnett was born in San Antonio in 1933. She soon moved to Hollywood with her mother and grandmother and was raised in a small studio apartment. She received an anonymous donation to attend college at UCLA, where she studied journalism and took an acting class.

Burnett moved to New York City, where she staged musical revues and performed in nightclubs. She was spotted by talent bookers and soon performed her rendition of "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles" on television.

Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein called Burnett a "unique and beloved entertainer."

"From her television program and appearances, as well as her performances on Broadway and in film, Carol Burnett has entertained generations of fans with her vibrant wit and hilarious characters," he said in announcing the prize.

The Mark Twain Prize honors people who have an impact on society in the tradition of Samuel Clemens, better known as Twain, as a social commentator and satirist. Previous honorees include Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Tina Fey and Ellen DeGeneres, who won last year.

___

Kennedy Center: http://www.kennedy-center.org

___

Follow Brett Zongker online at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/carol-burnett-win-top-us-humor-prize-dc-150413474.html

Art Modell Frank Ocean Gay bill clinton andy roddick Costa Rica Earthquake sandra fluke costa rica

'Whodunnit' of Irish potato famine solved

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

It is the first time scientists have decoded the genome of a plant pathogen and its plant host from dried herbarium samples. This opens up a new area of research to understand how pathogens evolve and how human activity impacts the spread of plant disease.

Phytophthora infestans changed the course of history. Even today, the Irish population has still not recovered to pre-famine levels. "We have finally discovered the identity of the exact strain that caused all this havoc", says Hern?n Burbano from the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology.

For research to be published in eLife, a team of molecular biologists from Europe and the US reconstructed the spread of the potato blight pathogen from dried plants. Although these were 170 to 120 years old, they were found to have many intact pieces of DNA.

"Herbaria represent a rich and untapped source from which we can learn a tremendous amount about the historical distribution of plants and their pests - and also about the history of the people who grew these plants," according to Kentaro Yoshida from The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich.

The researchers examined the historical spread of the fungus-like oomycete Phytophthora infestans, known as the Irish potato famine pathogen. A strain called US-1 was long thought to have been the cause of the fatal outbreak. The current study concludes that a strain new to science was responsible. While more closely related to the US-1 strain than to other modern strains, it is unique. "Both strains seem to have separated from each other only years before the first major outbreak in Europe," says Burbano.

The researchers compared the historic samples with modern strains from Europe, Africa and the Americas as well as two closely related Phytophthora species. The scientists were able to estimate with confidence when the various Phytophthora strains diverged from each other during evolutionary time. The HERB-1 strain of Phytophthora infestans likely emerged in the early 1800s and continued its global conquest throughout the 19th century. Only in the twentieth century, after new potato varieties were introduced, was HERB-1 replaced by another Phytophthora infestans strain, US-1.

The scientists found several connections with historic events. The first contact between Europeans and Americans in Mexico in the sixteenth century coincides with a remarkable increase in the genetic diversity of Phytophthora. The social upheaval during that time may have led to a spread of the pathogen from its center of origin in Toluca Valley, Mexico. This in turn would have accelerated its evolution.

The international team came to these conclusions after deciphering the entire genomes of 11 historical samples of Phytophthora infestans from potato leaves collected over more than 50 years. These came from Ireland, the UK, Europe and North America and had been preserved in the herbaria of the Botanical State Collection Munich and the Kew Gardens in London.

"Both herbaria placed a great deal of confidence in our abilities and were very generous in providing the dried plants," said Marco Thines from the Senckenberg Museum and Goethe University in Frankfurt, one of the co-authors of this study. "The degree of DNA preservation in the herbarium samples really surprised us," adds Johannes Krause from the University of T?bingen, another co-author. Because of the remarkable DNA quality and quantity in the herbarium samples, the research team could evaluate the entire genome of Phytophthora infestans and its host, the potato, within just a few weeks.

Crop breeding methods may impact on the evolution of pathogens. This study directly documents the effect of plant breeding on the genetic makeup of a pathogen.

"Perhaps this strain became extinct when the first resistant potato varieties were bred at the beginning of the twentieth century," speculates Yoshida. "What is for certain is that these findings will greatly help us to understand the dynamics of emerging pathogens. This type of work paves the way for the discovery of many more treasures of knowledge hidden in herbaria."

###

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft: http://www.mpg.de

Thanks to Max-Planck-Gesellschaft for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 44 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128332/_Whodunnit__of_Irish_potato_famine_solved

vikings Colin Powell noaa Jessica Ridgeway ipad mini Kevin Krim Autumn Pasquale

ZAGG introduces a pair of new iPad Mini keyboards with backlit keys

Accessory maker ZAGG has introduced a pair of keyboard covers for the iPad Mini that work great in low light, as both come with backlit keys. A physical keyboard is a great accessory to have for anyone who does anything constituting work on their iPad, and these new options from ZAGG look promising.

The ZAGGkeys Cover claims to be the thinnest iPad keyboard on the market, coming in at just 6.3mm. Coming with a 'unique hinge' that allows the iPad to be positioned at virtually any viewing angle, as well as being reversible for a kickstand like effect for viewing. The backlit keys come with 7 different color options and 3 different lighting levels, and the cover boasts battery time of 3 whole months. And, as is the norm for iPad cases, it's magnetic so it snaps shut over your iPad Mini's display. Retail price for the ZAGGkeys cover is set to be $99.99 and will be available in silver or black.

The ZAGGkeys Folio takes the same ideas as the Cover, and turns it into a full body protecting case. It features the same hinge design, colors for the backlight on the keys, and it too will carry you through 3 months on a full battery charge. The price is also the same, at $99.99.

Both are expected to be available sometime during the summer, though no indication exactly when. If you've been looking for a great keyboard for your iPad Mini, would you be considering picking one of these up?

Source: ZAGG (Businesswire)

Source: http://www.imore.com/zagg-introduces-pair-new-ipad-mini-keyboards-backlit-keys

Earl Weaver Inauguration Schedule barack obama dear abby WRAL John Harbaugh jill biden

This Radio-Book Was The Future of Education

New technologies often go through a honeymoon phase where educators hold them up as the futuristic savior of learning. Today teachers can't get enough of those Kindles, iPads and MOOCs which promise to radically change education for generations to come. But this line of thinking has a long history.

In the 1930s some people predicted that TV might allow students of the future to get a university education without ever stepping foot in a classroom. In the 1950s videophones and desktop computer machines were going to ease the crisis of overcrowded schools caused by the baby boom. And from 1934 until 1948 the first practical long-playing records were used almost exclusively by blind people who listened to the world's first audiobooks.

But the techno-utopian educational technology of the 1920s was radio.

The November 1924 issue of Science and Invention magazine included a photo of a young girl wearing headphones ? her book filled with the gadgetry that would allow her to capture her daily lessons from the ether.

The magazine explained:

With the everyday added perfections in the transmission and reception of radio, such a remark as the above will soon be a thing commonplace. Little Mary Jane will enjoy her radio lessons as much as she now enjoys her bedtime stories. Everything will be an "open book" to her. A complete set in the shape of a leatherette covered book will take the place of bulky primers and readers. Home work will now be a great joy to the kiddies and lesson will be learned with much greater facility.

Of course, if countless educational apps and audiobooks have taught us anything, it's that while technology might make homework more bearable, sometimes the only joy comes from being done with it.

Source: http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/this-radio-book-was-the-future-of-education-509067457

Chrissy Amphlett Java stevie wonder 2013 NFL Mock Draft paleo diet paleo diet earth day

Monday Brief: The Nokia Lumia 928, a Galaxy S4 vs HTC One camera shootout, BlackBerry Live, and more!

Mobile Nations Podcast Feed Mobile Nations on iTunes Mobile Nations YouTube Iterate 46: Beck, Ohms, Urbanick, and Press ?	Megapixels and Ultrapixels: The Galaxy S4 versus HTC One camera shootout Welcome to the all-new Android Central app! Sony Xperia ZL review
From BlackBerry Live, It?s CrackBerry Live! BlackBerry Z10 or Q10? The CrackBerry Vodcast Gesture tutorial video for the rumored BlackBerry R10	Jon Rubinstein returns: Former Palm CEO joins Qualcomm's board ?
How Apple can stop Google from taking over the iPhone. Again. iPhone 5 vs HTC One: Camera shootout Creative Cloud crossroads: Will Adobe users flee in droves?	Dev update: Itsdagram, the full Instagram app for Windows Phone 8, gets notifications, more Microsoft wants an iTunes Windows 8 app but Apple isn't liking the idea The Nokia Lumia 928 - the Lumia 920, a bit better and on Verizon?

?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/lW62_hkcptc/story01.htm

new jersey atlantic city ocean city maryland Nexus 7 KDKA Pumpkin Carving Ideas Hurricane Sandy path

Analysis: Controversies give Obama new governing headaches

By Fred Barbash

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama learned on Monday what can happen to presidents caught up in allegations of scandal: they have to address them instead of anything else.

It happened when the president had to interrupt his news conference with Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain to answer questions about the widening investigation into the Benghazi attacks in Libya and the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of Tea Party and other conservative groups.

By the end of the day he was facing a third major problem when the Associated Press said the Department of Justice had secretly seized some of its reporters' phone records last year.

It is all leading to comparisons with the second term of President Bill Clinton, in which his agenda was severely disrupted by the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Obama, unlike Clinton, has not been accused of personal misconduct. But his ability to steer the Washington "conversation" could be compromised.

"I think the IRS scandal comes at a very inopportune time for the president and the Democratic agenda," said Sarah Binder, a George Washington University scholar of Congress.

"The challenge for Obama and the Democrats in the coming weeks and months will be to keep the public's attention focused on Obama's policy goals when Republicans and the media will be focused on scandal."

The problems for Obama and Democrats may be worsened as well by the nature of the IRS behavior: targeting groups for extra scrutiny based on their political leanings reinforces the notion of big government pursuing citizens exercising constitutional rights.

It could feed into gun rights activists' worries about slippery slopes that lead to gun confiscation or gun-owner registries, said one Republican Senate aide, or fears of government "takeovers" of healthcare.

Ron Bonjean, a veteran Republican aide on Capitol Hill who is now a consultant, said even though the IRS is an independent agency, the White House can expect to be blamed by the public for any wrongdoing by it.

"The public sees the IRS as part of the federal government, which the White House controls," Bonjean said.

The same might be said of the news that broke Monday that the Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for the Associated Press.

'WAY OFF MESSAGE'

The potential risk is high for Obama and the Democrats.

The Democratic-controlled Senate is considering a comprehensive bipartisan immigration bill that already faces a rough road in the Republican-controlled House, where suspicion of the Obama administration runs highest.

"The political fallout will be very damaging for the administration," said Bonjean.

"This will be another issue that takes the administration way off message," he said. "There's no way they can punch through with a positive agenda while investigations of the IRS are going on."

The IRS scandal could easily spill over into the 2014 mid-term election year.

A week ago, Obama was confronting a single investigative proceeding on Capitol Hill on the subject of the deadly attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, last September.

It was attracting relatively little public attention outside conservative circles, and he could dismiss as partisan because only Republicans were pushing it.

On Monday he confronted the prospect of multiple probes, with those into the IRS backed by Obama's Democratic allies in Congress as Democrats moved quickly to show they were as concerned as Republicans about alleged IRS abuses.

On top of that, the AP is assessing options for legal action in response to the government's actions, said David Schulz, an attorney representing the AP.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the White House was not involved in the decision to seize the AP records.

The administration's chief opponent in Congress of late -Representative Darrell Issa of California - threatened to add the AP issue to the list of things he is already probing, which include Benghazi and the IRS scandal.

Even without charges of personal misconduct, "staying coherent" in pursuit of an agenda is much more challenging for a president than it was in the Clinton years, said one of his former press secretaries, Mike McCurry.

"The environment for communications is so much more complicated now because you have this voracious social media environment in which everything is magnified," he said.

"We didn't have that. You could have congressional inquiries and scandals but you could calibrate a little bit and keep an agenda in play."

(Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro and Richard Cowan; Editing by Xavier Briand)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-controversies-obama-governing-headaches-050324627.html

ny giants brandon marshall ryder cup Kate Middleton Bottomless the Pirate Bay Hotel Transylvania eagles