Arthur Abraham vs. Carl Froch will be the best fight of the Super Six

                    Sergio Martinez might not have many options at middleweight, but super middleweight remains perhaps the most loaded division in boxing.Two of those top 168-pound boxers will attempt to rebound from losses when Carl Froch fights Arthur Abraham on Saturday night in Group Stage 3 of Showtime's "Super Six World Boxing Classic."

                The Armenian-born Abraham (31-1, 25 KOs) was disqualified during the 11th round of his March 27 fight against Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KOs), whom Abraham hit with a bout-ending punch when Dirrell was on one knee.

                 England's Froch (26-1, 20 KOs) was very competitive against Mikkel Kessler (43-2, 32 KOs) on April 24, but Kessler won a unanimous decision in his native Denmark.

              I'm not trying to disrespect Arthur at all when I say this," Froch said, "but if I was to have gotten beaten as badly as he got beaten for 11 rounds [against Dirrell], then I'd be worried.

                  "I'd be mentally dejected. Not only did he get beaten and out-classed, but he got beaten and outclassed by a guy that I previously beat. So that's got to have him worried and cause him concern."
The delayed broadcast of the Abraham-Froch fight from Helsinki, Finland, will begin Showtime's doubleheader at 9 p.m.

                  TRIPLE THREAT: Showtime's strong doubleheader will partially compete with an HBO "World Championship Boxing" tripleheader Saturday night from MGM Grand in Las Vegas.Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) and Australia's Michael Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs) will square off in the 12-round main event for Marquez's WBA and WBO lightweight titles. The co-featured fight will match Andre Berto (26-0, 21 KOs), of Winter Haven, Fla., against Mexico's Freddy Hernandez (29-1, 20 KOs), the mandatory challenger for Berto's WBC welterweight title.

                    The tripleheader will begin at 9:45 p.m., with a 10-round featherweight fight that'll pit Panama's Celestino Caballero (34-2, 23 KOs) against Jason Litzau (27-2, 21 KOs), of St. Paul, Minn. MAYWEATHER'S MESS: While we all want to see Manny Pacquiao fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. as soon as possible, maybe Mayweather should take some time to rectify whatever's wrong with his personal life before figuring out if he really wants to test himself against Pacquiao.

                   It seems as though Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs), arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, can't go a week without getting into some sort of trouble. His pattern of self-destructive behavior has become disturbing, especially from a man trying to raise four children.That said, HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg shouldn't concede to Mayweather's inevitable inquiry about fighting someone other than Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) early in 2011. Because when Mayweather's money starts running low — and it will once he's finished paying attorneys' fees — he will need to fight again, regardless of whether he wants to do so.

Markets bet on a Portuguese bailout

           Thursday was another punishing day on Europe's bond markets - with relief about a possible bailout of Ireland now firmly replaced by fear that the debt crisis may be spreading.

             On Friday the focus is on Lisbon where the government has to get its latest austerity budget safely through its final vote in Parliament. Portugal's deficit and debts may be smaller on a European scale than those of Spain, Greece or Ireland.

            However, according to press reports, the European Central Bank and other EU nations are pushing Portugal to seek a bailout to take some pressure off Spain. The yield on Portugal's ten year bond has surged to a new record above 7%.Nigel Cassidy reports.

Bengals vs. Jets: Brad Smith Runs Wild

                It was the Brad Smith show at The Meadowlands on Thanksgiving night. The New York Jets’ all-purpose weapon did it all, rushing for a touchdown, returning a kickoff for a touchdown and picking up 200 total yards as the Jets dropped the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-10. Smith’s individual effort proved to be the difference in the game, with the New York defense adding a safety to seal the win and cap a furious second half scoring barrage.

               Down 7-3 at the half, it took the Jets all of two plays to regain the lead. Smith took the reverse, making a quick cut upfield and waltzing into the end zone for 55 yards and the score. With the lead in hand, the Jets took off and never looked back, scoring 23 second half points to put the game away.

               Mark Sanchez was steady, though not spectacular, under center, throwing for 166 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Shonn Greene’s led the Jets’ running backs with 70 yards on 18 carries. LaDainian Tomlinson had a slow day in the backfield, rushing for 49 yards on 13 carries. Dustin Keller led the New York receivers with four catches for 49 yards, followed closely by Santonio Holmes’ 44 yards and a touchdown in the receiving game.

                   For the Bengals, costly mistakes practically handed the Jets the game. Two first half Carson Palmer interceptions killed promising drives, a muffed punt in the second half gave the Jets the ball with excellent field position and poor coverage on Smith’s kickoff return gave the Jets all they needed to wrap this game up. Palmer finished the day with just 135 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions on 17 of 39 passing. Chad Ochocinco led the Bengals’ receivers with four catches for 41 yards. Jordan Shipley added 38 yards and a touchdown, the only Cincinnati touchdown of the day.

                   The Jets improved to 9-2, grabbing a much-needed win before heading to New England to take-on the Patriots on Monday, Dec. 6. Cincinnati fell to 2-9 with the loss. The Bengals host the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints next Sunday.

Orange Movie Review: Telugu Orange Hitting the Screens Today

Review:

             Director Bhaskar thought he could make a cerebral film with a romantic touch and give it a colour. He also was lucky enough to get a hero who gave a massive hit in the recent past and so gave him the role of a graffiti artist; instead of giving the artist some clarity about his role, he grabs the colour tin from his hand and splashes colours all over the screen, so much that you cannot distinguish orange from red and red from yellow, the end result is that audience go clueless and colour blind.

             The director is clearly reeling with a Bommarillu hangover, in this movie Orange instead of a father-son conflict it is a pair of lovers thrashing out their views and ideologies on love. The point is simple, the hero considers himself the world's greatest lover, is obsessed with his likes and dislikes and keeps falling in love with many girls without promising a commitment.

If 'commitment' is the crux of the story, the director fails in eliciting any kind of expression from Ram Charan that remotely shows his beliefs and even his body language doesn't suggest that he has fallen in love even temporarily. The youth for whom the film is targeted are the first ones who fail to feel or connect with the emotion. Strange and also surprising that he is the same director who made Allu Arjun come out with intense emotions in Parugu despite a static location.

       To make the character of the film realize his limitations, he wastes a single line script, converts it into a nonsensical drama compelling the audience to take multiple popcorn breaks, so much that even the comedian in the film Brahmanandam scratches his head and declares that he hates love stories. Not many people can understand beyond three colours and it's significance, how else will the vast Andhra Pradesh populace if at all they watch this film, made to understand that Orange is the first flush of love and it has some connection with the story.

                    Thankfully, he throws up a surprise, you do keep saying okay..there is Gayatri Rao, there is Avasarala Srinivas, there is Naga Babu, Prakash Raj, Prabhu and Manjula and her husband and a miserable marketing strategy..who serve no purpose at all. To show the predicaments, quandary of the protagonist, the filmmaker needs to engage the viewer first in the first fifteen minutes, here you have the hero yelling and the heroine screeching, yelping and the Telugu goes beyond comprehension.

                  Genelia does look young, but her expressions aren't, they are worn out. There is no novelty in her work, except her hair style. She plays the daughter of a couple who appear once in a while and smile on the framed pictures on the walls, the mother has no problem revealing that she isn't in love any more..but for godsake why that forlorn expression?

                 It is a universal truth that an ordinary couple do not on a day to day basis keep cootchie cooing and repeating I love you's on a minute to minute basis, even in the best of love marriages, romance takes a back seat once the child comes of marriageable age. The daughter takes the expression from her mother as a revelation which is indeed a serious aberration. Ram Charan looks disinterested in the role and appears to be just another artist in the drama etched out by Bommarillu Bhaskar. Rest of the characters while away their time as well as the audiences.

               One number is worth listening and so is Ram Charan's dance. Dialogues are a yawn, visuals are pleasant and Sydney..must ask Bhaskar how it was, and how it looked like because he had been there twice. Had he been faithful to the original [Bachna Ae Haseeno], some sort of sanity would have been achieved. Finally, stay at home, and peel Nagpur Oranges for the tangy and sweet taste..say no to Oranges that have labels.

Rating: 3.5/5

Jagan's channel targets Rahul for Bihar debacle

             Hyderabad: Intensifying its attack on the top leadership of the Congress, Sakshi TV, owned by late YSR Reddy’s son and party MP Jaganmohan, has now criticised Rahul Gandhi for the Bihar poll debacle.

              "A charismatic leader is missing. In its 125-year history, the Congress has never reached a nadir like now." the channel stated in a current affairs programme aired on Thursday night.

Last week, the channel carried stories on the affairs of the Congress criticizing Sonia Gandhi's leadership in the wake of scams in the Commonwealth Games contracts and 2G spectrum allocation.It blamed Sonia Gandhi's "poor leadership" for the party's rout in various states, termed her an "uninspiring speaker".

It also attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh describing him as "Sonia Gandhi's rubber stamp".

Pro-democracy party becomes big winner in Tonga

             Two political reformers have emerged as front-runners to become the first prime minister of Tonga to be elected rather than appointed by the king after a vote that marks an important step in the South Pacific nation's slow path toward democracy.

          Of 17 parliamentary seats contested in Thursday's general election, 12 were won by candidates of the Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands and five by independents. Nine other seats are held by the country's aristocratic landowners, who are selected by fellow nobles. (AP) 

            A Tongan pro-democracy leader has emerged with the biggest bloc of lawmakers after the Pacific nation's historic first vote for a popularly elected parliament.
Akilisi Pohiva, a veteran pro-democracy campaigner, and the leader of the Friendly Islands Human Rights and Democracy party won 12 of the 17 publicly contested seats in Thursday's vote, preliminary results showed. The remaining five publicly contested seats went to independents.

         About 42,000 registered voters had cast their ballots to elect 17 of the 26 members of parliament, in an election hailed as marking the country's transition from monarchy to democracy.
However the poll did not reflect full democracy, as the remaining nine seats are reserved for the kingdom's nobility - or aristocratic landowners.

           Still, King George Tupou V described the vote as "the greatest and most historic day for our kingdom" in an address to the nation before polling stations opened on Thursday."You will choose your representative to the parliament and thus the first elected government in our country's long history," he said.'Happy mood'Officials said voting was "steady" with a "happy mood" around the polling stations.More than 140 candidates were competing for the seats in the legislature.When the make up of the new parliament is complete, the newly elected representatives will elect a prime minister.

           Previously the parliament was dominated by politicians selected by the monarch, who also picked the prime minister and cabinet. Calls for democracy A delegation of 14 observers from Australia and New Zealand were in Tonga to observe the election.

            The election comes after Tonga suffered major political unrest in 2006 when rioters demanding democratic change torched the centre of the capital, Nuku'alofa, burning down buildings and killing eight people.The declining economy was seen as the most pressing issue for Tongan voters. The World Bank estimates up to 40 per cent of Tonga's 123,000 people live on or below the poverty line.

      "People are saying we're very concerned about what we feed ourselves with, our future, how much we get paid, whether we can have the ability to put our kids to school," Kalafi Moala, a voter, said. "The economy is definitely the priority."

Insider-trading investigation

                 Key targets of the government's crackdown on insider trading on Wall Street are "expert network" firms that funnel valuable insights and business-specific data about companies and sectors to big clients, such as hedge funds, to give them an edge when making investment decisions.

                The fact that expert networks are now ensnared in the government's multiyear probe into insider trading was driven home Wednesday. Don Chu, 56, an Asian liaison for the expert network firm Primary Global Research (PGR), was arrested by federal agents for allegedly arranging for the firm's consultants working inside publicly traded companies to pass along "insider information" to the firm's hedge fund clients, who then used the material and non-public information to make profitable trades.

CRACKDOWN: Insider-trading investigation enters 'new phase'

                This is the latest development in what is shaping up as a major offensive by the feds on insider trading. The crackdown is on both criminal and civil fronts, with pressure being exerted by Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; the FBI; and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

                 Major hedge funds, big mutual fund companies and smaller firms that provide research to big institutional investors are under fire. This week the FBI raided three hedge funds, and federal authorities have started asking some big investment firms for trading data and other records pertinent to the inquiry.

               Securities lawyers say the government is being aggressive by targeting expert network firms. "The Chu arrest reflects the government's willingness to pursue all participants in the insider-trading scheme," says Jacob Frenkel, a former SEC prosecutor and now partner at Shulman Rogers. "This is the first of what will be many indictments."

                   The roughly 40 expert network firms had annual revenue near $400 million in 2009, says Sandy Bragg, CEO at Integrity Research Associates. Nearly four of 10 investment management firms use the networks, Bragg says, and expert consultants earn $100 to $500 an hour.

                 In providing "independent investment research" or "market intelligence," the firms provide a legal service. They typically arrange for clients to meet or communicate with experts who can provide insight on new business strategies, how sales are going and other data points that highlight how a company is faring.

                 In Chu's case, prosecutors allege the information given to the hedge fund client was non-public and material and, therefore, illegal. The complaint says Chu had relationships with employees at firms including Broadcom, Atheros Communications and Sierra Wireless. Prosecutors say Chu would contact his experts to get information about the companies' financials before they reported the results, then pass the information to Richard Choo-Beng Lee, who as a former employee of the hedge fund would use the information to make a profit.Chu's attorney did not respond to a call for comment Wednesday night.

                Lee pleaded guilty to insider-trading charges and has been cooperating with the investigation. In one instance, the complaint alleges that an expert in a phone call gave Lee detailed information on a tech company that included "revenue numbers, average sales prices, unit sales for different product lines, gross margin figures and revenue forecasts."

           Expert networks are "a major gray area right now. We're getting into uncharted territory," says Andrew Stoltmann of Stoltmann Law. The distinction between good fundamental research and misuse of material non-public information will need to be clarified.Stringent compliance policies are in place. PGR's policy states that experts are "explicitly instructed to decline to comment on subjects that represent (company) information that is confidential or proprietary."