French Twitter burglar: Im a good hacker

PARIS - Hes impoverished and isnt most of a computer expert. The Frenchman indicted of infiltrating Twitter and peeping at the accounts of President Barack Obama and singers Britney Spears and Lily Allen says he longed for to exhibit only how exposed online interpretation systems are to break-ins — and he says he didnt meant any harm.

"I"m a good hacker," think Francois Cousteix told France 3 radio Thursday, a day after he was expelled from military questioning, adding that his idea was to advise Internet users about interpretation security.

"Hacker Croll," as he was well known online, is indicted of violation in to Twitter administrators" accounts and duplicating trusted interpretation — as well as peeping at Obamas and the singers" accounts, though he didnt have entrance to supportive report about them, a French prosecutor said.

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FBI agents sat inthe sessions whilst French military questioned the immature man for dual days, pronounced Jean-Yves Coquillat, prosecutor in Clermont-Ferrand, where the think will be attempted in Jun for hacking.

Could face dual years in prisonIf convictedthe assign of violation in to a interpretation system, he faces up to dual years in jail and a excellent of $40,068. The think lives nearby Clermont-Ferrand in executive France.

"He says the the challenge, the game, that done him do it," Coquillat said. Officials contend rough investigations indicate Hacker Croll did not twitter in alternative peoples" names or try to have income out of his information.

"He had entrance to elements that were so trusted that he could really well have profited from them" by blackmail, for example, pronounced Adeline Champagnat of the French military officeinformation record crimes.

She compared the hackers actions to "a criminal violation in to the domicile of a big company, means to see at the files of the all employees and clients, with their passwords and trusted information."

"In a way, he succeeded in receiving carry out of Twitter," Champagnat said.

Twitter, formed in San Francisco, declined to commentthe box Thursday.

Wanted to infer a pointAt one point, Champagnat said, the hacker attempted to find a cue for Obamas comment but didnt follow by with it. With director access, "he didnt even need" Obamas password, she pronounced — but hacking in to the presidents comment wasnt his goal.

Cousteix, who was identified as being twenty-three or 24, pronounced he only longed for to infer a point about Internet security.

"Its a summary I longed for to get out to Internet users, to show them that no complement is invulnerable," he told France 3 television.

Hacker Croll confessed to the hacking underneath questioning, and research of his computer backs up his statements, military and the prosecutor said.

The suspect, who lives with his relatives and has no college degree, didnt have any special computer training, the prosecutor said.

His technique was to get administrators" e-mail passwords" reset by rightly responding their security questions utilizing report about his chase that he collected from blogs and alternative open sites, officials said.

Breach voiced last JulyTwitter pronounced in Jul that it was the plant of a security breach. Co-founder Biz Stone wrote at the time that the personal e-mail of an unnamed Twitter executive worker was hacked, and by that the assailant got entrance to the employees Google Apps account.

The French prosecutor pronounced the think infiltrated the accounts of "several" Twitter executive employees. He was means to entrance report such as contracts with partners and resumes from pursuit applicants, Coquillat said.

Hacker Croll e-mailed a little of the papers to TechCrunch, a at large review record blog, and it subsequently published a little of them, together with monetary projections. The element was additionally publishedseveral French sites.

Click for associated contentFrenchman hacks Obamas Twitter accountWhere Facebook profiles go when we dieWho writes Wikipedia articles?

Some of the element was some-more annoying than damaging, similar to building plans for new bureau space and a representation for a Twitter TV show.

Using the director logins, Hacker Croll looked at Twitter sum of Obama, Allen, Spears and alternative obvious personalities and was means to see report such as IP addresses, when they were last continuous and when they sealed up, French officials said.

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CapStone Bank expands to Cary

CapStone Bank has stretched over the Raleigh roots.

The bank voiced this sunrise that it not long ago non-stop a loan prolongation bureau in Cary and in the future expects to open a full-service bend in Cary. The new bureau is at 1140 Kildaire Farm Road.

CapStone, that focuses to one side on small and midsize businesses, non-stop the flagship bureau in Raleigh in Aug 2006.

Unlike alternative banks, the commercial operation indication -- identical to alternative business-only banks such as Paragon Commercial Bank in Raleigh and KeySource Commercial Bank in Durham -- doesnt rely on carrying countless locations. Its commercial operation business lend towards to bank remotely, that includes online promissory note as well as submitting checks electronically.

"You dont unequivocally need to come in the banks," pronounced CEO Steven Ogburn.

Ogburn pronounced that CapStones enlargement was driven by the accessibility of Jonathan Taylor, who was hired as comparison clamp boss to lead the Cary operation. Taylor, a maestro of BBT and Crescent State Bank, majority not long ago was handling partner of Everest Group, a genuine estate investment association formed in Cary.

Although most banks are struggling, Capstone had the most appropriate year ever last year. Its 2009 distinction totaled $925,000, up from $287,000 a year earlier.

CapStone finished 2009 with $185 million in assets, up from $152 million in 2008.

Using a superficial knowledge of neon can lift the dullest room out of the winter ennui

When majority people think of neon, visions of Eighties Day-Glo wardrobe and smiley faces open to mind. But how about neon in interiors? Somehow that doesn"t receptive to advice as if it would work in the homes.

And yet, here we are at the commencement of a new decade with a superficial knowledge of neon looming in the shops.

Neon is not for timorous violets - rather it"s for people who wish to have a confidant statement.

Spoon club stool, 280, Heal"s, heals.co.uk Briar lampshade, 89, Clarissa Hulse at Abode Living, abodeliving.co.uk

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Arjen Robbens luminosity finishes off Manchester United Football

Oliver Kay, Football Correspondent & ,}

In the space of 9 days, Manchester Uniteds deteriorate has lurched dramatically towards disintegration. But nothing of the common complaints at this time of year fatigue, loss of nerve, bad luck, refereeing decisions can insist the approach they went from bust to bang and behind again after Sir Alex Ferguson gambled all on the series ten, usually to see his loot vanish over the course of a infuriating evening.

At 8.26pm United were coasting in to the Champions League semi-finals for the fourth uninterrupted deteriorate and, even if Wayne Rooneys ankle had started to trouble him, Fergusons good gamble, that lengthened to a arrogant group selection in that experience gave approach to innocence, seemed to have paid off. But a play is usually successful if you travel afar from the list in credit. Many a mop punter will have recognized the approach in that Uniteds night free in front of them.

It was all going so well. United had led 3-0 after 41 minutes, with a idea by Darron Gibson and dual by Nani branch a 2-1 necessity in to a 4-2 total advantage, but the mettle of the tie altered when Ivica Olic scored the softest of goals dual mins later.

Then, early in the second half, the unawareness of Rafael Da Silva brought a red label and United were left unresolved on with ten men until Arjen Robben plunged a Chelsea cutting edge by their hearts and warranted Bayern Munich revenge, of sorts, for the suffering suffered in the Nou Camp behind in 1999.

Related LinksCoaching deception ends English epoch of plentyGermany celebrates the "sweetest defeat"Player ratings: United and Bayern

By afterwards Rooney was examination grim-faced from the dais carrying aggravated the ankle damage that was ostensible to have kept him out of this diversion where Dimitar Berbatov, in a opinion of no certainty from Ferguson, was kept for all but the last ten minutes.

With the good of hindsight we can contend that the Rooney play backfired spectacularly he right afar looks sure to miss the Premier League compare afar to Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, when United will see to drive their debate away from the rocks but, as with the preference of Rafael, Gibson and Nani in place of Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, it seemed, for a time, to have been unconditionally vindicated.

The bewail for Ferguson and it is one that will show up him for a prolonged time to come, only similar to those defeats at the semi-final theatre by Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 is that, ultimately, Uniteds inexperience told. It was the same childish animation that had desirous them to overwhelm Bayern early on with a high-tempo dire game, but there was a naivety about the approach Rafael warranted his dual yellow cards, initial for a outing on Mark outpost Bommel and afterwards for a yank on Franck Ribry.

Ferguson has no peers in the managerial game, but, if Arsène Wenger, Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benítez have respectively been indicted of inflexibility, sluggishness and oddity over the march of a profoundly disappointing Champions League debate for the Premier League clubs, the Scot cannot design to shun inspection after a tie in that United led 1-0, 3-2 and 4-2 and nonetheless someway constructed to lose on afar goals. No make a difference that his instinct is to censure referees or antithesis players, something has left seriously badly for United in new matches.

The extraordinary thing is that Fergusons group preference had seemed to have been vindicated so fast and so spectacularly. Within 3 minutes, Rafael picked out Rooney, whose layoff sent Gibson hurtling in to the last third of the pitch. Bayern are doubtful to have well known most about the Northern Ireland midfield player, but he possesses a thunderbolt of a shot, something he illustrated to harmful outcome as he struck the round early to kick Hans-Jorg Butt from twenty-five yards.

Four mins after it was 2-0. Not for the initial time or the last time, the dreadful Holger Badstuber was the diseased couple in the Bayern defence, as he allowed Antonio Valencia as well most space to cranky from the right-hand side, prompting Nani to step in from the far post and furnish the kind of apt flick with that Joe Cole scored on this belligerent for Chelsea on Saturday.

Rafael picked up his initial yellow label in the eighteenth minute, for a petulant outing on Van Bommel, nonetheless he contributed to Uniteds brazen momentum. He roughly scored a consternation idea on the half-hour in law he would have been improved suggested to pass to Rooney but his open-handedness did not appear to make a difference after his discerning throw-in 4 mins prior to half-time released Valencia, whose cranky was again converted by the glorious Nani, this time with a side-foot shot in to the roof tiles of the net.

Old Trafford was buzzing, but that ambience altered dual mins after when Thomas Müller kick Rio Ferdinand to a high ball, withdrawal Michael Carrick to track Olics run in to the chastisement area. Nemanja Vidic was nowhere to be seen and Carrick, covering, dealt with the round appallingly, withdrawal Olic to squeeze a shot past Edwin outpost der Sar from a parsimonious angle.

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Aston Villa 1 Sunderland 1 John Carew on evidence to save the hosts after Fraizer Campbell strikes initial

John Carews prohibited strain in front of idea was deficient to lift Martin ONeills men to feat as Steve Bruce experienced an all-too-familiar feeling at Villa Park.

Norway striker Carew found the net for the eighth time in the last 7 matches as Villas distinguished resources were spread out to violation point on a night when they indispensable them most.

He manfully stepped brazen to shoulder the weight after Emile Heskey hobbled out of the movement early in the initial half with an Achilles damage as Sunderlands new reconstruction one after another to accumulate pace.

Chile upheaval halts refineries copper mines

Alonso Soto SANTIAGO Sat February 27, 2010 6:07pm EST

The BHP Billiton Escondida copper mine, 170 km (105 miles) southest of Antofagasta, Chile, is seen in this aerial welfare sketch performed February 10, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/BHPBillinton/Handout

Factbox Factbox: Chile copper mines, oil refineries, ports strike by quakeSat, February twenty-seven 2010 Stocks & &

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A absolute trembler that strike Chile on Saturday halted prolongation at dual oil refineries and dual vital mines in the world"s tip copper supplier, but exports of the steel will not be affected, officials said.

The 8.8-magnitude upheaval forced state mining association Codelco to hindrance operations at the El Teniente and Andina mines, and Mining Minister Santiago Gonzalez pronounced it could take dual days for prolongation to resume. Other Codelco operations were unaffected.

Gonzalez pronounced Codelco had sufficient bonds to be means to encounter the trade commitments, and a kinship personality pronounced the key copper ports of Antofagasta and Mejillones were handling normally, nonetheless the not as big copper pier of San Antonio was closed.

"Export commitments are going to be honored," Gonzalez told Reuters, adding that Codelco"s Caletones smelter had additionally been halted.

Anglo-American"s (AAL.L) Los Bronces and El Soldado mines, that together furnish about 280,000 metric tones of copper annually, additionally halted operations, but alternative vital mines were using as usual.

Most of Chile"s key mining industry is formed in the north of the country. The quake, that killed at slightest 147 people, struck in executive Chile, 70 miles northeast of the city of Concepcion.

REFINERIES

The earthquake, that tore up highways and bridges, additionally shop-worn dual oil refineries run by state oil association ENAP, and one central pronounced motor fuel imports were being stepped up to safeguard there were no shortages.

ENAP"s Aconcagua and Bio Bio refineries have a total enlightening genius of about 220,000 barrels per day.

ENAP ubiquitous physical education instructor Rodrigo Azocar pronounced the refineries had appetite supply problems and constructional repairs that "had together forced prolongation to be paralyzed."

He total that the association had sufficient gasoline bonds to last for dual weeks and sufficient motor fuel for 10 days.

"There won"t be any motor fuel supply problems for dual weeks," he told a internal air wave station.

Gonzalez pronounced it was still as well early to consider the turn of the repairs to Bio Bio, the greatest of ENAP"s 3 oil refineries, but that the incident should be transparent on Sunday.

El Teniente and Andina are Codelco"s second- and third-largest mines by production, with total annual outlay last year of 614,000 metric tones.

The mines suffered energy outages after the tremor, but there was no critical damage.

(Additional stating by Fabian Cambero and Monica Vargas; Writing by Helen Popper, modifying by Stuart Grudgings and Philip Barbara)

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Leading essay Ex-ministers for hire

Professional lobbying on the US indication is a partially recent, and regrettable, further to the abounding hardness of British domestic life. This is not to contend that it has not existed in one form or alternative for a prolonged time, rather that the "revolving door" that authorised MPs and comparison polite servants to leave by one exit, usually to crop up at an diagonally opposite opening a small after has turn some-more viewable in new years, as have the prominent sacks of income on offer. It is additionally clear, from yesterdays revelations by Channel 4 and The Sunday Times, that efforts done so far to carry out the use have been zero similar to severe enough.

The alliance of the election, of course, creates the accusations opposite 3 former ministers utterly damaging, even though they repudiate any wrongdoing. With the MPs" losses liaison and the Lords "cash for questions" event sneaking in the background, this additionally explains because heading members of the Government lined up to demonstrate shock and horror. David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, pronounced he was "appalled", insisting that there was "absolutely no room for any one to traffic on their ministerial office".

Quite so. But the charges are not utterly so simply brushed away. Nor is it in any approach slackening that the 3 Labour MPs in subject will be withdrawal the Commons at the election. All crop up entirely informed with the gain intensity afforded by the posts they have hold and their stability entrance to the corridors of power. We know, not slightest from the lobbying pursuit the Conservative MP, Andrew MacKay, has landed, that they are doubtful to be the usually ones seeking to feat their imagination and contacts in this way.

At present, former ministers contingency wait for one year prior to lobbying the Government. The Conservative leader, David Cameron, has due fluctuating this to dual and tightening up the penalties for rule-breaking. We doubt, though, either even this will be enough. Labour says it will embody proposals for a statutory, rather than voluntary, register of lobbyists in the manifesto. The box has right away been some-more than made, and it should not request usually to ministers. Voters are entitled to know whose interests, in further to those of their constituents, an MP might be representing.

Going immature in the sanatorium Recycling healing apparatus saves income reduces rubbish and is safe

The recommendation, done in an research by Johns Hopkins researchers in the Mar issue of the biography Academic Medicine, remarkable that with correct sterilization, recalibration and testing, reuse of apparatus is safe.

No one unequivocally thinks of great hospitals as large rubbish producers, but they are, says lead writer Martin Makary, M.D., M.P.H., a surgeon and join forces with highbrow of open health at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. There are most things hospitals can do to diminution rubbish and save income that they are not now doing.

Hospitals toss out all from surgical gowns and towels to laparoscopic ports and costly ultrasonic slicing collection after a singular use. In handling rooms, a little apparatus that are never even used are thrown afar -- single-use inclination that are taken out of their wrapping contingency be tossed out given they could have been contaminated. Selecting such great inclination for resterilization and retesting could diminution the volume of unnecessary rubbish from hospitals.

And, the researchers say, hospitals could gain some-more apparatus written to be used safely some-more than once after being sterilized.

Hospitals, they add, are increasingly captivated to reprocessing given recycled inclination can cost half as most as new equipment. Only about a entertain of hospitals in the United States used at slightest one sort of reprocessed healing device in 2002, and whilst the series is growing, the use is not nonetheless widespread, they say. Banner Health in Phoenix, they write, saved scarcely $1.5 million in twelve months from reprocessing handling room reserve such as application sleeves, open but new devices, beat oximeters and more.

Safety concerns with reprocessing embody probable malfunction of devices, the risk of transmitting infections, and the reliable quandary that reprocessing presents given the deficiency of studious agree to use of such inclination in their treatment. The supervision requires all reprocessed apparatus to be labeled as such, along with the name of the reprocessing company. A new investigate by the U.S. Government Accountability Office resolved reprocessed inclination do not benefaction an increasing health risk over new devices.

These inclination are safe, but ita open family challenge, Makary says. Some people don"t similar to the thought that they"re being treated with colour with apparatus that has been used before. But these reprocessed inclination are as great as new given the contrast standards for reuse are exquisite and there have been no studious reserve problems in the analysis.

The alternative authors of the explanation are Gifty Kwakye and Peter J. Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., both of Johns Hopkins.

Humans Behind Rising Seas Study Says

Since 1900, tellurian sea levels�have crept ceiling about 7 inches. Rising temperatures are�melting glaciers�and ice sheets, as well as warming the oceans directly, that causes them to expand. Various researchers have attributed usually a apportionment of the climb in H2O turn to�carbon dioxide (CO2)released by human actionsand blamed the rest on healthy factors such as solar activity. The ultimate investigate goes most further, faulting people for some-more than three-quarters of the sea-level shift during the past century.

Records of�tide height�have been kept for centuries at multiform seaports (Amsterdam given 1700, Liverpool given 1768, Stockholm given 1774, and most alternative places given 1850). Such prolonged annals have enabled Svetlana Jevrejeva, of the British governments Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory in Liverpool, and dual colleagues to statistically indication the change of assorted factors on�sea level�during the past 3 centuries, and to extrapolate the commentary over the past millennium.

The group found that up until about 1800, sea levels essentially fell owing to volcanic eruptions that intermittently injected ash in to the atmosphere, veiling the Sun and cooling the Earth. But as the waters rose after 1850, the greatest contributing cause was augmenting windy CO2.

Significantly, Jevrejevas group distributed that but the ongoing, mitigating goods of volcanic wake up given 1880, sea levels would right away be about 3 inches higher than they are.�

This investigate was published in the biography Geophysical Research Letters.

The Most Surprising Results of Global Warming The 10 Worst U.S. Natural Disasters Natural Disasters: Top 10 U.S. Threats

Bowersox again wows American Idol judges

March 24, 2010, 4:15 AM EST

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "American Idol" finalist Crystal Bowersox is on a roll.

The 24-year-old musician and singular mom of Toledo, Ohio, warranted the judges" top regard on the Fox singing foe Tuesday for her normal take on Janis Joplin"s "Me and Bobby McGee" — all from a native runner rolled out on the "Idol" stage.

Simon Cowell told her he wouldn"t have altered a thing, but the alternative judges longed for a bigger reaction.

"These people love you," pleaded Ellen DeGeneres. "Take it all in and respond."

Paige Miles was a prolonged approach from removing any love from the judges, who were similarly opposite the smiley 24-year-old preschool clergyman from Houston. Randy Jackson pronounced her delivery of Mariah Carey"s "Against All Odds" was "honestly terrible" whilst all DeGeneres could enrich was Miles" capability to stay station on the theatre in a span of high heels.

"You didn"t tumble down," pronounced DeGeneres, "and that"s a great thing."

Also slipping even serve out of preference with the judging row was Tim Urban, the shaggy-haired 20-year-old college tyro from Duncanville, Texas. He punctuated his opening of Queen"s "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by shifting opposite the theatre on his knees.

Kara DioGuardi and DeGeneres compared his acrobatic exploits to a bad "High School Musical" audition, whilst Jackson declared: "The dopest thing that you did was the slide, dude."

Several singers, however, stayed in the panel"s great graces, together with 23-year-old Lee Dewyze of Mount Prospect, Ill., with The Box Tops" "The Letter;" 16-year-old Aaron Kelly of Sonestown, Pa., with Aerosmith"s "I Don"t Want to Miss a Thing;" and 27-year-old Casey James of Fort Worth, Texas, with Huey Lewis and The News" "The Power Of Love."

"You"re only ready to have an album," DioGuardi sensitive James.

The judges again uttered their disappointment with 24-year-old musician Andrew Garcia of Moreno Valley, Calif., after he incited in an ungainly delivery of Marvin Gaye"s "Heard It Through the Grapevine." They additionally weren"t fans of a sexed-up melodramatic version of Linda Ronstadt"s "You"re No Good" by 23-year-old waitress Didi Benami of Los Angeles.

"It was similar to a musical," pronounced Cowell, "the bad piece of a musical."

Unless the judges confirm to save a singer, an additional finalist will be separated Wednesday formed on spectator votes.

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Fox is a section of News Corp.

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On the Net:

— American Idol, http://www.americanidol.com/

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Fiat seen wanting a run with Chrysler prior to spin-off

Lisa Jucca - Analysis MILAN Fri Mar 12, 2010 11:05am EST Stocks & &

MILAN (Reuters) - Fiat (FIA.MI) boss Sergio Marchionne will look at spinning off its car business from the rest of the industrial group only when he has a firmer grip on U.S. maker Chrysler and can put the two together.

Deals

The uncertain outlook for the European car industry this year as the scrapping incentives that supported 2009 car sales wane and signs of real economic recovery remain fleeting, also means the time is not yet right for the long-mooted spin-off, analysts said.

Fiat Group Automobiles (FGA), 100-owned by Fiat Group, accounted for 53 percent of last year"s group revenues of 13.6 billion euros ($19 billion) and 44 percent of trading profits.

Fiat Group shares on Friday were unchanged at 9.4 euros. valuing the group at 11.3 billion euros ($15.6 billion).

But listing FGA without Chrysler, whose own IPO is planned for some time between 2011 and 2014, would not provide the higher valuation multiples investors are hoping for.

"(A spin-off) would only be possible if you do a Chrysler IPO beforehand, and for that the business needs to be in good shape," said Arndt Ellinghorst, a car analyst at Credit Suisse.

"Let"s see how Chrysler is doing in two to three years."

Fiat Group also owns 100 percent of Maserati and 85 percent of Ferrari. The group also controls commercial vehicle unit Iveco, agricultural and construction machinery maker CNH (CNH.N), several makers of automotive industry components and production systems and a newspaper publisher.

Industry experts say putting the pure-play car activities in a separate entity would allow the market to better price it and may lead to higher multiples.

"An investor holding a share in Fiat without the car division and one in Fiat Auto would probably have a total worth that is higher than the current share price," ex-Fiat chairman Paolo Fresco told Italian magazine Il Mondo on Friday.

A spin-off followed by a market listing would also allow Exor (EXOR.MI), the holding company owned by the Agnelli family that is Fiat"s largest shareholder with 30.45 percent, to cut its exposure to the struggling car sector, analysts say.

"We believe a spin-off is on the cards, because the Agnellis are looking to cut their exposure to Fiat," said an analyst at a large Italian brokerage. "A merger with Chrysler or a similar operation that would allow Exor to be diluted is probable."

CHRYSLER FIRST

Investors have been on tenterhooks for the announcement of a possible spin-off since the dynamic Marchionne first floated the idea more than a year ago, when Fiat was still hoping to win over Opel and had not yet taken its stake in Chrysler.

Marchionne said on March 3 the subject may be addressed at an investor day on April 21, fuelling speculation in the Italian press that a decision is imminent.

But Fiat needs to first raise its stake in the embattled Chrysler to at least 35 percent, analysts say, a level that would allow management to make strategic decisions if it wants the spin-off to make sense. And that would take time.

"Spinning off a good business is a good idea, spinning off a bad business is a bad idea," said Ellinghorst.

Marchionne said in January Chrysler "absolutely" needed to have its shares listed in an IPO.

Fiat agreed to take on 20 percent of bankrupt Chrysler last year in exchange for lending its superior technology to resurrect the U.S. maker. Fiat has the option to raise its stake by a further 15 percent in three tranches of 5 percent upon reaching certain investment targets for Chrysler.

These are: production of a fuel-efficient engine for Chrysler vehicles in the United States, the introduction to the U.S. market of a car with a small fuel appetite of 40 miles per gallon and an increase in Chrysler"s production and sales abroad.

Fiat is on its way to achieve these targets. It has announced plans to make a fuel-efficient 1.4-liter engine in Michigan, wants to sell the Fiat 500 city car in the United States and has recently signed a joint venture with Russia aimed at expanding group sales into that market.

But Chrysler still needs to boost sales in America and Marchionne said earlier this month in Geneva that 2010 would be a "tough year" for Fiat, which has to learn to live without the tax incentives that have helped it through the crisis.

"It is clear that we cannot approach the issue of the spin-off without taking Chrysler into consideration," a person familiar with the situation told Reuters.

Brokers at Mediobanca said they did not expect the spin-off to take place before 2011, although further sector consolidation or a new partnership, could speed up the process. "The timing is dependent on economic growth. This is not the right moment because the economic outlook is negative," said Pierluigi Bellini, an autos specialist at IHS Global Insight.

And if Fiat was to take majority control of Chrysler before acting, investors would need to wait at least until 2013, when Fiat could first exercise an option to buy a further 16 percent of Chrysler once the U.S. government loans have been repaid.

($1=.7257 euros)

(With additional reporting by Stefano Rebaudo, Gianni Montani and Jo Winterbottom; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

Deals

Carlyle says will cruise bid for Loscam

Victoria Thieberger SYDNEY Thu Mar 4, 2010 2:38am EST Stocks & &

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Carlyle Group CYL.UL will consider bidding for Australian pallet maker Loscam, the U.S. private equity giant"s managing director said on Thursday, in a deal that could be worth at least A$500 million ($452.5 million).

Deals

"It is an interesting asset. We will take a look at it," Simon Moore told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference.

"There is a series of secondary sales in the market today which we will take a look at," he said.

Moore was referring to businesses being sold by other private equity firms, with the pipeline for 2010 shaping up to be the best year since 2007, after a slump during the global financial crisis.

Private equity firm Affinity Equity Partners bought Loscam in 2005 in a leveraged buyout, and has appointed Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX) and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) to advise on exit options, including a possible share market listing, sources told Reuters Basis Point last month.

Loscam makes and rents out wooden and plastic pallets, competing against Brambles Ltd (BXB.AX), the world"s top pallet supplier. Loscam is based in Australia and has 11 offices in Asia, according to the company"s website.

"We are keen to make investments here," Moore said of Australia, particularly in the mining and mining services sectors, education and information technology industries.

Moore said although Carlyle was interested in investments in the education sector, he thought CHAMP Private Equity"s prospective exit of its education provider Study Group International was more likely to go to a public listing than a trade sale because of strong interest in the market.

Moore earlier told the AVCJ industry conference that constraints on lending from more cautious banks meant that Carlyle was likely to make smaller deals in Australia than in the past.

"For us at the bigger end (of the market), the deal size going to be smaller," he said.

Carlyle teamed up with the National Hire group in 2007 to buy Australia"s biggest rental equipment business Coates, for A$2.2 billion.

Moore said Australian banks were now willing to lend a maximum facility size of A$400 million to A$700 million, with a leverage ratio of three to four times a company"s earnings.

That is a conservative level below the 5.5 to 6 times earnings that banks in the U.S. are prepared to lend as the market there recovers.

"The reality is in a bank market that was over 30 deep, that market doesn"t exist any more. There are 6 to 8 banks open to do business with the (private equity) community on a leverage basis," Moore said.

($1=1.105 Australian Dollar)

(Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Deals

Beauty confidential: How can I compare the shade of my prime old foundation?

The Prescriptives counters have nowall closed down, but you can still find the perfect shade or a matchfor a much loved foundation.

Cosmeticsa la Carte offer a Made to Measure Foundation service, which includes aconsultation (of up to ten minutes) after which they will then find youthe perfect shade to suit your skin tone. It costs 45 for 30ml.

They also offer a bespoke colour matching service for discontinued lipstick, powder or eye shadow.

Sendthem a sample of the product and they will send you three colouroptions to try at home. They will adjust the shade to make it match asaccurately as possible, so you end up with a perfect match.

The service takes 3-4 weeks and costs 200 and repeat orders cost 45.

Thecolour creation works best for lipsticks and eye shadows and it isexpensive as it involves hours of work blending different pigments andtextures.

Call 0207 622 2318 or visit cosmetics a la carte.com.

My eyebrows are quite sparse, what can I do?

Bold brows are back and here are a couple of excellent new brow pencils which will help you enhance your brows, without that hard, pencilled-in look which can look very fake.

Bobbi Browns new Powder Brow Pencils, 16.00 (bobbibrown.co.uk) do the job very well. The start of the brow should follow an imaginary line drawn from the outside of the nose to the inside corner of the eye.

For more definition, Bobbi recommends shaping your brows using a powder shadow with a brow brush.

"Begin at the inside of the brow and fill in the brow using a shade that matches your eyebrows and hair," she advises.

"Lightly stroke along the length of the brow, continue all the way up to the centre, creating an arch, and then turning the brush as it goes down.

"Make sure the brow is long enough and use a clear eyebrow mascara to brush up an unruly brow."

Cliniques new Instant Lift for Brows, 12.50 (Clinique counters nationwide) is a great product for perfect brows gives an instant "eye lift" in one dual-ended applicator.

The dual-ended pencil contains a brow filler and one end to fill-in, even-out and create perfectly defined, natural-looking brows.

The brow bone highlighter gives brows a lifted look - opening up and brightening the face instantly. Available in Soft Blonde, Soft Brown and Deep Brown.

I am obsessive about washing my hands all the time, but they are now feeling tight and a bit itchy.

Gentle: Organic Surge Tropical Bergamot Hand Wash, 3.99

The dry, tight feeling is a result of chemicals stripping your skin of its natural oils.

Use soaps made from natural ingredients to help moisturise as you wash. Look out for those high in naturally skin-loving ingredients such as olive oil, coconut oil and shea butter and avoid artificial fragrances and colours where possible.

Organic ranges, such as Organic Surge Tropical Bergamot Hand Wash, 3.99, (organicsurge.com) and Dr Organic"s Lavender Handwash, 4.99 (Holland & Barrett) are gentle on the skin, and no matter how often you wash your hands, they won"t leave the skin feeling tight.

Duchy Originals organic hand washes are great value at 3.25 (Waitrose) with wonderful scents, including fig and milk thistle and lavender.

Anatomicals Natural Collection is paraben and SLS-free, and their Whole Lotta Shakin" Goin" On Grapefruit and Mandarin Hand Soap, 3.25, (Waitrose and anatomicals.net) smells delicious.

Or try Method Foaming Hand Wash, 2.99 (B&Q, Homebase and Lakeland) or Tisserand Renewing Hand Wash with Wild Rose and Lemon, 6.08 (tisserand.com).

All are kind to skin and by helping your hands retain their natural moisture, will also reduce signs of ageing.

I have dry skin. Should I use a cleansing lotion or a wash-off cleanser?

As a general rule, wash-off cleansers, such as gels, are best for oily skin as they can dry out the face. Non-foaming cleansers, such as cleansing liquids or creams, are best for people with dry skin.

f your skin becomes dry and itchy, the cleanser is too strong. For drier skin, Dermalogica"s Ultracalming Cleanser, 21.60, won"t dry or irritate. For extra cleansing, use Dermalogica"s Precleanse first, 26.50 (dermalogica.co.uk) which transforms into a milky emulsion when added to water.

Oskia is a beautifully gentle range, and the Perfect Cleanser, 38.50 (Liberty or oskiaskin care.com) is a nourishing balm which is good for dry or combination skin.

REN"s No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm, 28 (renskincare.com or Selfridges) has two cleansing phases - a gentle emulsifying oil to remove dirt followed by a milk to deeply purify pores when used with water.

Fat buster: Tisserand Diet Aid Roll-On Remedy, 4.50

Do the new ;fat melting beauty products really work?

More than half of all women try to shed a few pounds at this time of year, so we welcome any products that offer a helping hand.

These won"t make you lose weight and they can"t make cellulite vanish (only diet and exercise do that) but some of them will firm and smooth wobbly areas, making everything look tighter.

Mama Mio"s Get Waisted, 35, (mamamio.com or Debenhams) increases the destruction of fat cells and smoothes the skin, and it has taken the beauty world by storm after claims it can shift an inch from your waistline.

Transformulas FirmSlim, 25 (0845 1133 888 or transformulas.com) is an effective firming and cellulite treatment that gives instant results. It "fizzles" when you apply it to skin, helping to increase tissue drainage.

Dr Murad"s Firm and Tone Serum, 49.50 (murad.co.uk) claims to reduce the appearance of cellulite by up to 69 per cent, and increases the skin"s firmness and elasticity.

Try a relaxing bath that will also help shift some of the body"s toxins. O"Spa"s Detox Bath Oil, 34.50 (ospa london.com) contains juniper and cedarwood.

And the new Tisserand Diet Aid Roll-On Remedy, 4.50 (tisserand.com), a blend of essential oils, including frankincense, neroli and reassuring cocoa, helps you to mentally rejuvenate so you can think more clearly and focus when chocolate cravings strike.

ASK ELSA

Do you have a beauty problem? Write to Ask Elsa, Beauty Confidential, Femail, the Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, Kensington, London W8 5TT. Or email: askelsa@daily mail.co.uk. Elsa reads all your letters and will answer your beauty problems in future Beauty Confidential columns, but regrets she cannot answer letters or emails personally.

BEAUTY DECADES: Liquid eyeliner

Click on each image to enlarge and scroll through for more...

SIXTY PLUS TWENTIES THIRTIES FORTIES FIFTIES SIXTY PLUS TWENTIES Next Previous Close TWENTIES: 17 Liquid Eyeliner, 3.91, Boots stores nationwide

This creamy liquid eyeliner is easy to apply so makes an ideal choice for novices. It is waterproof so doesn�t smudge and holds fast for hours. The precision tip makes it easy to create a variety of looks from simply defining your lashes to creating the statement winged eyeliner look THIRTIES: The Body Shop Liquid Eye Liner, 8.50, 01903 844 554

With a felt-tipped style brush for total control, this water resistant liner is straightforward to use and stays put all day. Containing Marula oil which is an effective moisturizer that conditions the skin, as well as vitamin E, an antioxidant your skin will be softened and protected FORTIES: Max Factor Masterpiece Glide & Define Liquid Eyeliner, 6.99, Boots stores nationwide

Whether you�re an eyeliner pro or a first timer, this eyeliner makes it easy. With its precision felt-tipped style tip, you can build up the colour as you go, and it"s difficult to make mistakes. Its quick drying formula also makes it a good choice for women on the go, and it"s guaranteed to stay put all day FIFTIES: Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Liquid Eyeliner, 17.50, esteelauder.co.uk

Promising up to fifteen hours of wear, this will stay put no matter what your day throws at you. With an ultra-fine felt-tip applicator, the smooth, comfortable formula glides on precisely and dries in seconds, maintaining dense, high-impact colour and a high-shine finish that looks glossy all day SIXTY PLUS: Christian Dior Style Liner, 21, Boots stores nationwide

This concentrated liquid eyeliner delivers a dense and precise line to help to emphasize your eyes. The quick drying formula easily glides on, making it difficult to smudge and make a mess of the application. The thin brush guarantees precise application, allowing you to build up the colour as your confidence grows CHEAP TREAT

Tesco Vitamin E cleansing wipes

Tesco have relaunched their Vitamin E range, and as well as beingfantastic value for money, it looks and feels great.

The range ofcleansing lotion, foaming facial wash, moisturiser, night cream, toner,face scrub, eye make-up remover, hand and nail cream and facial wipes -which are an astonishing 72p - is paraben-free and is enriched withvitamin E for its anti-oxidant, protecting and conditioning properties.

The Face Scrub (72p) leaves skin feeling really fresh and clean, andwhile it removes dead skin cells, it isn"t harsh and doesn"t leave anytightness.

The Facial Wash, (also 72p), is gentle and soap-free, whilethe Night Cream, (72p), sinks into skin really well, leaving no oilyresidue.

The whole range smells beautifully fresh, while not having anoverpowering scent, and really is fantastic value, for all skin typesand ages.

This season: Frontcover"s Rainbow Eyes Reborn features 25 colours

RAINBOW EYES

Vogue has described rainbow eyes as a key make-up look for this season and if you want to try this, Frontcovers new kit - Rainbow Eyes Reborn - features 25 colours and gives you everything you need to achieve the look.

It includes applicators and Shadowline - a revolutionary product that turns any eye shadow into eyeliner.

Frontcover is the cult make-up collection which sold out in 2008 and again in 2009 in record time.

Frontcovers Rainbow Eyes Reborn will be stocked in Boots from today (February 25 March 23) at 15, instead of the usual price of 30.

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