Hagel nomination: Israelis ask 'what's the big deal?'

President Obama’s choice of Chuck Hagel for secretary of Defense, hotly contested by the American Jewish community, has received a muted response in Israel. While some echo concerns that the former Republican senator is dangerous or anti-Semitic, others here ask, “Who’s that?”
To be sure, the appointment of a man who is seen as soft on Iran and eager to talk to terrorist groups on Israel’s borders isn’t generally popular here.
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said today that Israel should be "concerned, but not afraid of Hagel's isolationist ideas." But he and other politicians, including candidates in Israel's Jan. 22 elections, have emphasized that US-Israel ties go deeper than any one personality and have expressed confidence that the two countries would remain strong allies.
“It’s none of our business, it’s America’s prerogative,” said Naftali Bennett of the right-wing HaBayit HaYehudi (The Jewish Home) party, whose popularity has surged in recent weeks. “Israel and America’s bond goes way beyond certain relationships between individuals.”
Mr. Bennett's shrug comes despite the fact that Hagel’s record diverges sharply from Bennett’s views on Iran, which he identifies as the most pressing foreign policy issue facing Israel. While representing Nebraska in the Senate, Hagel voted repeatedly against US sanctions on Iran and has expressed opposition to a military strike on Iran – a country seen by some Israelis as an existential threat to the Jewish nation.
[Recommended: Obama-Netanyahu tensions: Not as bad as 5 other US-Israel low points]
“Zionism was about creating a shelter, the most secure place on earth for Jews,” said Bennett, speaking at a foreign policy debate at Hebrew University of Jerusalem today. “By having a nuclear Iran, Israel by one fell swoop would turn into the most dangerous place for Jews.”
Obama has promised to prevent a nuclear Iran, but his appointment of Hagel signals to some that Obama may be more lenient than they feel comfortable with.
“[Hagel] is dangerous,” says Eliyahu Ben Haim, one of the few Jerusalemites out and about on a very stormy day. “He’s anti-Semite. He’s against attacking Iran, he’s against sanctions, and he wants us to talk to Hamas and Hezbollah.”
But in the same shopping area, Fred Sternberg says Hagel essentially shares Obama’s views on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and thus his appointment would not trigger any major policy change. The bigger conflict is between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and Obama, he says.
“The problem is that we don’t have a government that is very friendly toward Obama,” says Dr. Sternberg, who has lived here for 40 years. “I do not agree with the policy of the Israeli government. So I am not very far from Obama.”
Others on the political left here even go so far as to support Hagel’s nomination.
“I listened yesterday to some remarks that Mr. Hagel said – one was his critique about the behavior of Israel in the Palestinian issue. I share his views,” said Yaakov Peri, former director of Israel’s internal security service, the Shin Bet. He notes that Hagel supports a Palestinian state and thinks Israel “should go for it, initiate it.
“I rely on the president of the United States that Chuck Hagel is a responsible and capable guy to do his job and I share the view that the US and Israeli bond and relationship and cooperation will remain, and hopefully strengthen,” said Mr. Peri, a member of Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid (There is a Future) party.
Isaac Herzog of the Labor Party, another participant in today’s foreign policy debate, said it’s fine for American officials to criticize Israel as long as they know the facts.
“After that, they can be a critical friend, because that’s what friends are for,” said Mr. Herzog, the son of former Israeli president Chaim Herzog.
Yitzhak Hanegbi of Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud-Yisrael Beitenu bloc joked during today’s debate that all of Israel’s friends, even tiny Micronesia, are critical friends. On a more solemn note, he added that part of being a friend is trying to understand Israel’s “fears and hopes,” and expressed gratitude to the US for striving to do just that – despite personal tensions between Obama and Netanyahu.
“We believe that the president feels for Israel,” he said. “Even though sometimes personal tensions do occur, it has nothing to do with the strategy and with the instincts of the US toward Israel.

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Does Depardieu herald Russia as a tax haven for Europe?

French movie star Gerard Depardieu has returned to his native habitat in western Europe following a tumultuous Russia visit that has left behind a nation collectively scratching its head over the instinctively authoritarian Vladimir Putin's quirky decision to bestow Russian citizenship upon a cantankerous foreign tax rebel, and the equally odd spectacle of Mr. Depardieu accepting it amid a fusillade of lavish praise for Mr. Putin's regime.
Most analysts say the event was probably a big domestic propaganda win for Putin, who has been under criticism – even from members of his own government – for imposing a seemingly vindictive ban on US citizens adopting Russian orphans in response to US legislation that targets official Russian human rights abusers.
Some suggest that Depardieu's move might trigger a wave of wealthy Europeans, disgruntled by ever-higher tax rates, to move to Russia where everybody pays a flat 13 percent income tax.
Recommended: Vladimir Putin 101: A quiz about Russia's president
Such talk is encouraged by news that French actress Brigitte Bardot is also threatening to apply to Putin for a Russian passport, albeit for completely different reasons. Ms. Bardot, an ardent supporter of animal rights, is angry about plans by French authorities to euthanize two circus elephants thought to be carrying tuberculosis.
"In the West they badly understand the specifics of our tax system. When they do learn about it, you can expect a mass migration of rich Europeans to Russia," tweeted Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin on Saturday.
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"If someone like Depardieu wants to be a Russian citizen, that's good. Putin made a beautiful gesture," by granting his wish, says Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the the official Institute of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow.
"If rich people want to come here, why not? Plenty of talented Russians, like the tennis player Maria Sharapova, live in the US but hang on to their Russian passports.... It's not just about patriotism, but also about money. So, let rich people rush here and pay that 13 percent to the Russian treasury," he adds.
But Rustam Vakhitov, head of tax practice at the Moscow office of International Tax Associates, a Dutch tax consultancy, says that if things were that simple, rich tax evaders would have been flocking to Russia since the flat tax was initiated about a decade ago.
"In principle it's possible that rich Europeans could manage to maintain residency in Russia," by utilizing loopholes to get around the six-month-per-year residency requirement to be eligible for the 13 percent rate, he says.
"But they'd have to spend a few months here. In practice, the number of Europeans who'd be willing to come and live in Russia is probably quite limited," by a variety of factors, including distance from Europe, lifestyle and language, he says.
"Some may come here. I'm not saying Russia's a bad place, but there are other countries that probably offer better terms," for wealthy tax fugitives, he adds.
Depardieu was shown over the weekend on Russian TV bearhugging and dining with a smiling Putin in the Kremlin leader's palatial Black Sea dacha in Sochi, where the 2014 Winter Olympic Games are slated to take place.
Later Depardieu visited the deep-Russian republic of Mordovia, where (perhaps not coincidentally) one of the members of the punk rock band Pussy Riot, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, is serving her two-year sentence in one of the region's notorious penal colonies.
Mordovian officials greeted Depardieu like a visiting hero. Russian media reported that the French actor, who is planning to star in a film about the 18th century Russian peasant revolutionary Emilian Pugachov, was given a free apartment and offered the job of culture minister of the small, ethnic Volga River region.
And in a widely quoted open letter to Russian journalists, Depardieu declared that Putin's Russia is a "great democracy.... I love your President Vladimir Putin, and the feeling is mutual."
"I adore your culture, your intelligence. My father was a communist, listening to Radio Moscow! This is also my culture," he wrote.
"In Russia, there is a good life. Not necessarily in Moscow, which is too big a metropolis for me. I prefer the countryside, and I know wonderful places in Russia.... I like the press, but it is also very annoying because there is too often a single thought. Out of respect for your president and your great country, I have nothing to add," Depardieu wrote.
No opinion polls have yet detailed the Russian public's response to all this, but veteran pollster Alexei Grazhdankin, deputy director of the independent Levada Center in Moscow, says it will probably be mostly positive.
"We don't yet know how the population feels about this move of Putin's, but I believe the approval will be higher than the level of disapproval," Mr. Grazhdankin says. "Putin is a figure who crystallizes positive and negative attitudes."
Dmitri Oreshkin, head of the Mercator Group, a Moscow-based political consultancy, says the Depardieu visit to Russia, with its colorful political overtones, is a throwback to Soviet practices. Shortly after the Bolshevik Revolution, nearly a century ago, leading Western intellectual lights such as H.G. Wells, Bertrand Russell and George Bernard Shaw visited Russia, and brought back a largely sympathetic image of the new revolutionary state. Muckraking US journalist Lincoln Steffans famously returned from a trip to Soviet Russia declaring, "I have seen the future, and it works."
"This is a PR exercise, not too different from Putin's flight with the birds last September," aimed at countering negative views of Russia under his leadership, says Mr. Oreshkin.
"I recall in the 1980s the Soviet leadership gave Soviet citizenship and a Moscow apartment to a defecting American scientist, Arnold Lokshin," who claimed to be persecuted in the United States.
"Where is Lokshin now? I'm pretty sure Depardieu isn't going to want to come and live here, and this whole foolish business will blow over after a while," he adds.

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Poaching crisis escalates with 'targeted, efficient' slaughter of 12 Kenya elephants

Kenya has suffered its worst single loss of elephants to poachers on record, with 12 members of one family slaughtered and their tusks hacked out in just a few hours last weekend.
Eleven adults and one infant calf died in a “targeted and efficient” attack highlighting the growing professionalism of poachers bankrolled by international criminals supplying soaring demand for ivory in the Far East. The calf, less than a year old, is believed to have been crushed by its dying mother as she fell to the ground.
“It is unimaginable, a heinous, heinous crime,” said Paul Udoto, spokesman for the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). “We have not seen such an incident in recent memory, it’s the worst single loss that we have on record, and our records go back almost 30 years. These were professional killers. The attack was targeted and efficient.”
Recommended: Think you know Africa? Take our geography quiz.
The poachers, armed with automatic rifles, had already fled but there were hopes Tuesday that a massive search involving foot patrols, a dozen vehicles, and three aircraft could still find them.
“Every possible resource is being deployed to track down these criminals,” Mr. Udoto said. “They will feel the full force of the law.”
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But privately, conservations fear the poachers and their haul of 22 tusks, worth an estimated $281,000 on the Asian market, would already have escaped following the attack, which occurred late Saturday in a remote corner of Tsavo East National Park, Kenya’s largest wildlife reserve.
This was the latest in a surge of elephant deaths that has seen the number of the animals killed for their ivory in Kenya increase sevenfold in five years, from fewer than 50 in 2007 to 360 in 2012, according to KWS figures. Over the past six weeks, 20 elephants have been found dead, with their tusks hacked out, in the Samburu ecosystem of northern Kenya alone. Three females were killed close to the Amboseli National Park in October. Experts speculate that many more are killed in the wilderness and their carcasses never found.
The increase has led many wildlife experts to declare the current situation a crisis worse even than the mass slaughter of Africa's elephants in the 1970s and 1980s, which led to a global ivory trade ban in 1989.
“Now the situation is far graver, because we have fewer elephants left, but the demand for ivory is far greater," says Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save The Elephants. “The only thing that will radically alter the situation now is somehow to lower that demand.”
Two average 10-lb. tusks from an adult female elephant are now worth more than $20,000 in China, close to double their value a decade ago. The new demand is driven by the country’s booming middle class, for whom carved ivory and tusk trinkets are a sign of wealth.
Occasional “one-off sales” to China and Japan of stockpiled ivory from Southern Africa, most recently in 2008, are also blamed for restarting a market that had been dormant since the trade was banned.
In the past year, several Chinese celebrities, including former NBA player Yao Ming, have lent their voices to campaigns encouraging Chinese consumers to avoid ivory products. And dozens of African religious leaders gathered late last year outside Nairobi to discuss how to use their moral clout to discourage poaching.
"Africa has a half-million elephants left, but all together we know they are not enough to satisfy the demand for their ivory," adds Udoto, of the KWS. "We must all pull in one direction to stop that demand."

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SPORTS BRIEFS: Disc golf tournament in Pooler this weekend

LOCAL

Disc golf tournament in Pooler this weekend

The ninth annual Savannah Open Disc Golf Tournament will be held Saturday and Sunday at Tom Triplett Park in Pooler.

A field of 90 players is expected for the event, including defending champion Michael Johansen and four-time winner Brian Schweberger.

The tournament format will be two rounds of 18 holes on Saturday and one round on Sunday, followed by a six-hole shootout for the top four pros.

There will be competition in ten divisions and organizers are still seeking sponsors. Potential sponsors should contact George Shaw at 484-7821.

For more information on the tournament, go to savannahdiscgolf.com.

NATIONAL

BCS blowout hurts television ratings

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The BCS title game’s television rating was up from last season, but the lopsided score kept viewership down.

Alabama’s 42-14 rout over Notre Dame drew a 15.1 fast national rating Monday on ESPN, the network said Tuesday. The 26.4 million viewers were up 9 percent from last year’s game, another blowout Crimson Tide victory, 21-0 over LSU.

But that’s down from the 27.3 million for ESPN’s first BCS championship two years ago, Auburn’s win over Oregon that was decided in the final seconds. This year’s game posted the second-largest audience in cable history behind the 2011 championship.

The matchup between traditional powerhouses in Alabama and Notre Dame created the potential for a record-setting audience. But once the Crimson Tide went up 28-0 by halftime, viewers had reason to skip the second half. Ten previous BCS title games drew a higher rating.

Ratings represent the percentage of U.S. homes with televisions tuned into a program. The game was on in 17.5 percent of homes that get ESPN.

The first half was watched by 20.4 percent, significantly higher than 17.9 for Auburn-Oregon. Typically viewership increases throughout a game if it is competitive. But on Monday, the rating peaked between 9 and 9:30 p.m. EST — midway through the first half — and decreased from there as Alabama pulled away.

NHL owners to vote on agreement today

NEW YORK — NHL owners will vote today on the tentative labor agreement reached with the players’ union.

If a majority approves, as expected, the NHL will move one step closer toward the official end of the long lockout that began Sept. 16.

As of Tuesday afternoon, a memorandum of understanding of the deal hadn’t been completed, so the union has yet to schedule a vote for its more than 700 members. A majority of players also must approve the deal for hockey to return to the ice.

“We continue to document the agreement,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email Tuesday.

If there are no snags, ratification could be finished by Saturday and training camps can open Sunday if approval is reached on both sides. A 48-game regular season would then be expected to begin on Jan. 19.

U.S. Doping chief claims Armstrong offered donation

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The chief of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency tells CBS’s “60 Minutes Sports” that a representative for Lance Armstrong offered the agency a “donation” in excess of $150,000 several years before a USADA investigation led to Armstrong being stripped of seven Tour de France titles.

In an interview on the show’s premier airing tonight, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said he was “stunned” when he received the offer in 2004 and USADA didn’t hesitate to turn it down.

Armstrong’s attorney, Tim Herman, denied such an offer was made.

“No truth to that story,” Herman wrote Tuesday in an email to The Associated Press. “First Lance heard of it was today. He never made any such contribution or suggestion.”

Tygart did not immediately respond to requests from the AP for comment.

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USADA chief says Armstrong rep offered 'donation'

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) -- The chief of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency tells ''60 Minutes Sports'' that a representative for Lance Armstrong offered the agency a ''donation'' in excess of $150,000 several years before a USADA investigation led to Armstrong being stripped of seven Tour de France titles.
In an interview on the show's premiere airing on Showtime Wednesday night, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said he was ''stunned'' when he received the offer in 2004.
''It was a clear conflict of interest for USADA,'' Tygart said. ''We had no hesitation in rejecting that offer.''
Armstrong's attorney, Tim Herman, denied such an offer was made.
''No truth to that story,'' Herman wrote Tuesday in an email to The Associated Press. ''First Lance heard of it was today. He never made any such contribution or suggestion.''
Tygart was traveling and did not respond to requests from the AP for comment. USADA spokeswoman Annie Skinner said Tygart's comments from the interview were accurate. In it, he reiterates what he told the AP last fall: That he was surprised when federal investigators abruptly shut down their two-year probe into Armstrong and his business dealings, then refused to share any of the evidence they had gathered.
''You'll have to ask the feds why they shut down,'' Tygart told the AP. ''They enforce federal criminal laws. We enforce sports anti-doping violations. They're totally separate. We've done our job.''

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Oprah to interview Lance Armstrong

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Lance Armstrong has agreed to a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey where he will address allegations that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career.
According to a release posted on Oprah's website on Tuesday, it's the first interview with Armstrong since his athletic career crumbled under the weight of a massive report by USADA detailing allegations of drug use by the famous cyclist and teammates on his U.S. Postal Service teams.
It's unclear if the interview at Armstrong's home in Austin, Texas, has already been taped. Nicole Nichols, a spokeswoman for Oprah Winfrey Network & Harpo Studios, declined comment.
The show will air at 9 p.m. EST on Jan. 17 on OWN and Oprah.com.
Armstrong has strongly denied the doping charges that led to him being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, but The New York Times reported Friday he has told associates he is considering admitting the use of PEDS.
The newspaper report cited anonymous sources, and Armstrong attorney Tim Herman told The Associated Press that night that he had no knowledge of Armstrong considering a confession.
Earlier Tuesday, ''60 Minutes Sports'' reported the head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency told the show a representative for Armstrong offered the agency a ''donation'' in excess of $150,000 several years before an investigation by the organization led to the loss of Armstrong's Tour de France titles.
In an interview for the premiere airing on Showtime on Wednesday night, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said he was ''stunned'' when he received the offer in 2004.
''It was a clear conflict of interest for USADA,'' Tygart said. ''We had no hesitation in rejecting that offer.''
Herman denied such an offer was made.
''No truth to that story,'' Herman wrote Tuesday in an email to the AP. ''First Lance heard of it was today. He never made any such contribution or suggestion.''
Tygart was traveling and did not respond to requests from the AP for comment. USADA spokeswoman Annie Skinner said Tygart's comments from the interview were accurate. In it, he reiterates what he told the AP last fall: That he was surprised when federal investigators abruptly shut down their two-year probe into Armstrong and his business dealings, then refused to share any of the evidence they had gathered.
''You'll have to ask the feds why they shut down,'' Tygart told the AP. ''They enforce federal criminal laws. We enforce sports anti-doping violations. They're totally separate. We've done our job.'

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Neah Power Systems Issues Letter to Shareholder Highlighting Recent Developments

Neah Power continues its aggressive efforts to commercialize proprietary patented fuel cell technology – the PowerchipTM product and the PowerPlay™ product - that has the potential to revolutionize the energy storage marketplace.

Bothell, WA (PRWEB) January 07, 2013
Neah Power Systems, Inc., (OTCBB: NPWZ) http://www.neahpower.com, a developer of power solutions using proprietary, award winning technology for the military, transportation, and portable electronic devices, issued a letter to shareholders highlighting recent developments as part of its ongoing communication plan.
Neah Power continues its aggressive efforts to commercialize proprietary and patented fuel cell technology. The Powerchip™ product and the PowerPlay™ product have the potential to revolutionize the energy storage marketplace.
"Over $50 million has gone into the Company, and we are starting to see the benefits," said Dr. Chris D’Couto, CEO. He continued to say “The company recently introduced PowerPlay™ technology that leverages some key components of the Powerchip™ technology to build a low-cost, consumer-oriented product.” Some of the key recent developments giving rise to an optimistic future include:

Product shipment to a Fortune 150 defense contractor
Continued licensing discussions with a foreign Defense entity
Scope of work and commercial proposal for a large aerospace company
Verified interest in off-grid power solutions
Various consumer and telecommunications applications of the PowerPlay™ technology
Various grant proposals jointly submitted by the company and its customers
Please visit http://www.neahpower.com to view the detailed Letter to Shareholders and view the corporate video ‘About Neah Power Systems’ which is a very informative overview of the Company and the Powerchip™ and PowerPlay™ technologies. The company continues to be optimistic about opportunities, and advise readers to review publically available information on annual report 10-K recently filed.
About Neah Power

Neah Power Systems, Inc. (NPWZ.OB) is a developer of long-lasting, efficient and safe power solutions for the military, transportation, and portable electronics applications. Neah uses a unique, patented and award winning, silicon-based design for its PowerchipTM and PowerPlay™ micro fuel cells that enable higher power densities, lower cost and compact form-factors. Previous awards include the 2012 ZINO Green finalist, the 2010 WTIA finalist, and 2010 Best of What’s NewTM Popular Science and other awards. The Company’s micro fuel cell system can run in aerobic and anaerobic modes.
Further Company information can be found at http://www.neahpower.com.

________________________________________
Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the statements contained herein may be, within the meaning of the federal securities laws, "forward-looking statements," which are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. See Neah Power System’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2011 and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC during fiscal 2012 for a discussion of such risks, uncertainties and other factors. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations as of the date hereof, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update any of these statements in the future.

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OnFarm Released for Growers, First to Integrate Fixed Field Agriculture Information

OnFarm, the first company to integrate field, cloud, and activity information into a single agriculture dashboard has been released for customers.

Fresno, CA (PRWEB) January 07, 2013
OnFarm represents a fundamental shift in the way farmers run their operations. By putting critical information at their fingertips, OnFarm gives farmers a competitive edge in the global marketplace.
OnFarm enables a farmer to see real-time growing conditions, soil moisture, pesticides, field conditions, weather, and other vital information on their PC, tablet, or smartphone. Armed with this information, growers can better plan their day, manage their costs, and increase their production. OnFarm is collaborative and allows farmers to share their information with ranch managers, irrigators, field staff, and agricultural consultants.
OnFarm has partnerships with several leading agriculture companies to integrate data. Farmers with information from Agrian, McCrometer, Adcon, Decagon, Irrometer, Banner, or C3 can access their data in OnFarm. The OnFarm integrated dashboard can significantly improve the decision making process throughout the entire farming operation, a major advantage for today’s farmers.
Growers interested in how OnFarm can benefit their operation should contact 559-483-9508 or sales(at)onfarmsystems(dot)com.

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SB-Tickets.com Announces Super Bowl Ticket and Hotel Availability Leading Up To The Championship Games

In approximately 2 weeks, following the conference championship games the site will begin to list specific seating arrangement including section and row to give customers a concrete location when making their purchase.

New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) January 07, 2013
SB-Tickets.com a leading Super Bowl ticket marketplace is conducting heavy preparations for this year’s game in New Orleans. The 2013 Super Bowl is taking place on February 3, 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sugar Bowl Drive. This year Super Bowl week is falling in between two weeks of Mardi Gras, meaning all the party atmosphere will be lingering around from the first week of celebrations and you are guaranteed to have a good time.
With a slim amount of hotel accommodations directly assessable to fans and all of which are miles and miles away from the stadium, SB-Tickets.com is continually looking for new affordable housing options through its existing network of vendors and immediately listings those options for sale on their website. Currently they have several options inside the French Quarter, Warehouse/Arts District and near the international airport.
In approximately 2 weeks, following the conference championship games the site will begin to list specific seating arrangement including section and row to give customers a concrete location when making their purchase. Up until now, all ticket locations are sold in zones, which guarantee purchasers specific area in the dome but not a specific section or row. http://www.sb-tickets.com/ will be increasing their staff and hours of operation to handle the call volume and phone orders being placed following those games.
SB-Tickets.com is also announcing their Official Party Calendar, and easy to use guide that displays all parties taking place Super Bowl week. Once on their calendar you can hover over each party, get a quick description and if you like what you read, click the party for complete details of that event. Events taking place Thursday thru Sunday are currently for sale including red carpet parties, tailgate and pre-game events.
About SB-Tickets.com
SB-Tickets.com gives you first hand access to Super Bowl tickets, hotel accommodations and exclusive parties and special events occurring Super Bowl week. Their mission is to provide exceptional customer service and support that goes above the norm to create an unforgettable experience for their clients. In addition their hospitality division caters to corporate clients looking to drive sales, close business deals and offer performance incentives. SB-Tickets.com can provide your company with block hotel rooms, group tickets, private luxury suite rentals, arrange ground transportation, book private jets, hire celebrity speakers and coordinate your entire corporate event so that you can focus on what is most important; your day to day operations.

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Cricket-Australia beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in third test

SYDNEY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Australia beat Sri Lanka by five wickets on the fourth day of the third test at Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday to sweep the series 3-0.
Scores: Australia 141-5 (R. Herath 3-47) & 432-9 dec (M. Wade 102 not out, P. Hughes 87, D. Warner 85, M. Clarke 50; R. Herath 4-95) v Sri Lanka 278 (Dimuth Karunaratne 85, D. Chandimal 62 not out, M. Jayawardene 60; M. Johnson 3-34, J. Bird 3-76) & 294 (Lahiru Thirimanne 91, M. Jayawardene 72; J. Bird 4-41, M. Starc 3-71) (Compiled by Nick Mulvenney

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