Share Rules Could Push Offering by Facebook

Facebook likes big numbers — it now has more than 500 million users, each one of whom can have as many as 5,000 friends. Yet as a privately held company, its ownership base must remain small, or it will have to disclose publicly its financial results.

A surging shadow market in the privately held shares of Facebook is making such restraint difficult and could spur the company to go public — even
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/focus-on-private-shares-could-push-a-public-offering/?partner=rss&emc=rss

South Korea's Lee says talks imperative for North's denuclearization

BEIJING - South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday described international talks as the necessary means of coaxing North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, opening a narrow window for the resumption of long-dormant negotiations.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/29/AR2010122903699.html

Obama moves toward center, but will he stay there?

(CNN) -- In the aftermath of the midterms, President Obama acknowledged the "shellacking" handed to him and his party.

"I've got to take direct responsibility for the fact that we have not made as much progress as we need to make," he said the day after the GOP slapped Democrats with the worst congressional beating in more than half a century.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/29/obama.review/index.html

Online holiday shopping: $30.8 billion spent

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Holiday shopping online was strong right through Christmas, with consumers spending a record $30.8 billion for the season, according to a research firm report issued Wednesday.

Online sales for the 56 days ended Dec। 27 rose 13% from the same period in 2009, according to Reston, Va,-based comScore. There was a 17% year-over-year surge in the week that ended Dec. 26 -- the day after
http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/29/technology/online_holiday_shopping/index.htm

Kuwait bill would allow military beards

KUWAIT CITY - The Kuwaiti parliament adopted a bill on Wednesday that scraps government restrictions on military and police personnel from growing beards.

The vote was 21-13, with all cabinet ministers voting against the measure and two MPs abstaining.

The government can reject the law within 30 days. However, parliament is dominated by Islamist and tribal conservatives who want the beard, and it could override that with a two-third majority vote.

http://en.news.maktoob.com/20090000541836/Kuwait_bill_would_allow_military_beards/Article.htm

Union leaders predict surge in strike

Leaders of trade unions expect large numbers of public and private sector workers to take to the picket lines early next year in action that could affect the royal wedding

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http://www।guardian।co.uk/politics/2010/dec/30/union-leaders-surge-strike-action-next-year

Seoul, South Korea (CNN

-- South Korea's live-fire military exercise has ended, the country's defense ministry said Monday.

The drill started about two hours earlier Monday afternoon, and fighter jets took to the sky in preparation for possible retaliation by North Korea.

North Korea had said the drill could ignite a war and that it would respond militarily to the exercise, but the country did not act immediately on Monday.


http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/12/20/koreas.tensions/