“Zero Dark Thirty” review: Like a really good “Law & Order” – with waterboarding

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – It’s always a challenge to tell a story where the audience knows the ending. The trick comes in offering a new perspective on familiar events or at least generating suspense in a way that makes us nervous that Apollo 13 might not land safely, even when history tells us otherwise.

“Argo” and “Lincoln” are two films that successfully tread these waters, and now comes “Zero Dark Thirty,” Kathryn Bigelow‘s eagerly awaited follow-up to “The Hurt Locker.”

She and screenwriter Mark Boal have consciously chosen to take a just-the-facts-ma’am approach to the manhunt and subsequent killing of Osama bin Laden, and while there’s no denying the skill with which they’ve gone about telling the tale, the results are simultaneously uninvolving and somewhat infuriating.

Uninvolving, to some extent, because the people in this movie are not so much characters as they are plot functionaries, chess pieces that move around strategically to capture their target. Jessica Chastain stars as Maya, a CIA agent who, with each passing year, grows more determined to nab the man behind the 9/11 attacks.

There’s nothing wrong with this style of storytelling — giving us some backstory about Maya’s taste in men or love of antique cars or whatever wouldn’t necessarily add anything to what Bigelow and Boal are trying to do here – but it’s a gamble that doesn’t quite pay off.

After spending its first half getting into the false leads and call-tracing and all the nitty-gritty of a manhunt, “Zero Dark Thirty” subjects its capable lead character to the requisite scene in which she snaps and barks at her bureaucrat boss (played by Kyle Chandler) that she’s so close, and not to take her off the case.

It’s a moment that feels like it might have come from any given episode of “Homeland” or any TNT show about a plucky female cop, and it capsizes a movie that, until that point, had been a fairly fascinating examination of the unglamorous sausage-making that goes into a worldwide search for a terrorist.

The somewhat infuriating facet comes early on, as we watch Maya observe seasoned interrogator Dan (Jason Clarke, giving a fascinating performance) torture terror suspects to find out what they know about September 11. The movie indirectly implies that waterboarding and electrodes to the genitals and all that other stuff that George W. Bush‘s consiglieri convinced him were kosher actually resulted in actionable intelligence, despite the reams of reportage that suggested otherwise.

I believe Bigelow and Boal’s after-the-fact denials that they intended to glorify torture in any way, but when you include material like this in a movie that takes such a coolly detached tone in telling its story, you can’t then be surprised later when some viewers interpret a filmmaker’s neutral tone as an implicit endorsement.

Still, even if the eventual raid on the bin Laden compound isn’t as exciting as the film’s first half (this is where some “Argo”-style suspense might have come in handy), there’s a lot to recommend about “Zero Dark Thirty,” which more often than not reflects Bigelow’s consummate abilities as an action filmmaker; her no-frills skills in mounting car chases, surveillance and the other tools of the CIA trade get a full workout.

The acting is also uniformly strong, although if you found the parade of famous faces popping up in “Lincoln” to be distracting, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Many recognizable performers turn up very briefly for their chance to be in the new Bigelow movie, to the occasional point of distraction. (I started counting lines from well-known actors; “Torchwood” star John Barrowman? Two.)

And even if “Zero Dark Thirty” packs something less of a punch than “The Hurt Locker,” it’s still a movie that’s going to part of the national discussion, both politically and artistically, and deservedly so. Whether you love it, hate it, or have mixed feelings, it’s not to be ignored.

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After Ghana vote, investors turn to economy

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – A closely fought but peaceful election in Ghana this month has burnished the international image of the west African oil, gold and cocoa producer as “the Switzerland of Africa.”

But to win economic bragging rights too, Ghana’s new government will have to convince investors that it can tame a swelling fiscal deficit, stabilize a volatile currency and rebuild foreign exchange reserves that have declined this year while those of other African economies have grown.

Elected President John Dramani Mahama‘s administration will have to confront these challenges while economic growth slows – albeit to a robust 7.8 percent projected for 2013, from a blistering 14.5 percent last year.

Then there is the pressure of high expectations from ordinary Ghanaians impatient to see the benefits of oil production, which started in 2010.

Investors say they would also like more opportunities to participate in Ghana’s capital markets, but the main constraints are a bond yield curve that ends at five years and a small and illiquid stock market with just 34 listed companies.

“Ghana is one of our favorite places,” said Sven Richter, head of frontier markets at Renaissance Asset Managers. “We would have more in Ghana if there was more liquidity. We have less than one percent of our fund there and we’d quite happily have 10 percent.”

Despite a legal challenge by the opposition to Mahama’s narrow victory earlier this month, the largely incident-free election in a region known for coups and civil wars has given foreign investors comfort.

“Someone described Ghana to us as the Switzerland of Africa. I think that’s an apt description,” said Ayo Salami, chief investment officer of asset manager Duet Group’s Africa Opportunities Fund. “There seems to be a continuing commitment on the part of the government to institutional reform, to embedding democratic culture. All these are things we like.”

But the government has to show it is serious about cutting Ghana’s twin deficits – on its budget and current account – which are putting pressure on the currency, Salami said, echoing the concerns of credit rating agencies.

Continuing an election year trend, heavy public spending forced the government to revise its 2012 budget deficit target to 6.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), from the original 4.8 percent. Some analysts think it could end up in double digits when figures are published next year.

Fitch, which affirmed Ghana’s B+ rating in September, said the gap reflects a combination of repayment of arrears, public sector wage increases and higher energy subsidies.

OIL HOPES

Finance Minister Kwabena Duffuor said last week the country would pursue a fourth year of fiscal consolidation in 2013, expecting oil, agriculture and an infrastructure program to underpin economic growth.

Salami at Duet Group warns, however, against relying too much on oil, even if output is set to increase to 120,000 barrels per day next year, from around 90,000 bpd now.

“I know the government is hoping or waiting for oil revenues to come as the cavalry over the hill to sort this out for them,” he said. “What usually happens is that when governments get a new source of revenue they find a new way to spend it.”

Ghana’s current account deficit is likely to hit 14 percent this year, from 11 percent last year, due to infrastructure spending and demand for imports from local businesses and a growing middle class.

The deficit contributed to a near 20 percent depreciation in the local cedi currency in the first half of the year before the central bank intervened.

But its efforts to shore up the cedi have hit Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves, now at $ 5.2 billion or 2.9 months of imports, just below the traditional 3-month benchmark. Ghana also bucks a sub-Saharan African trend as Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique and others have built up their reserves this year.

DEBT CONCERNS

While the smooth elections may have allowed investors “to cut the country a bit more slack”, the worsening fiscal picture means they will not do so for long, said Giulia Pellegrini, JP Morgan strategist for sub-Saharan Africa.

She expects the cedi to lose another 5-8 percent in the new year. “Investors will increasingly be monitoring the fiscal and current account situation,” she said.

“People are taking in the full picture rather than simply saying ‘it’s stable, it’s looking good, let’s just go for it’. They’re becoming more discerning if anything.”

The country’s rapid accumulation of debt since debt relief is also a cause for concern, Pellegrini said, with external debt currently at $ 7.8 billion, nearly double its 2008 levels.

Finance Minister Duffuor said Ghana would issue a second Eurobond next year, which should help to lower borrowing costs. Ghana’s 2017 bond is trading at a yield of 4.9 percent, much lower than the 21 percent investors demanded for a 3-year domestic bond sold in October.

Given high liquidity globally and the success of previous Eurobonds from African sovereigns, the issue should do well. But investors could make Ghana pay if it does not work on its budget. “Investors would still show quite a bit of interest but would want to be compensated for that,” Pellegrini said.

(Reporting by Tosin Sulaiman; Editing by Pascal Fletcher/Ruth Pitchford)

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Darien Cosmetic Dentist on Difference Between Dental Implants and Bridges

DARIEN, CT–(Marketwire – Dec 19, 2012) – Dr. James Diette, a cosmetic dentist in Darien, says dental implants provide many benefits when treating cosmetic dental issues. Implants serve a variety of purposes, including replacing missing teeth and securing dentures in place. Dr. Diette assesses the best treatment options for patients based on their individual needs.

Some of the ideal candidates for dental implants include:

• Patients who have lost one or more teeth and are looking for an alternative to dentures


• Patients who already have dentures but are looking for ways to secure them in place


• Patients with bone and gums that are healthy enough to provide adequate support for the new implants

Dr. Diette says many patients ask about the difference between dental implants and bridges. Each procedure is designed to improve cosmetic dental issues, but some patients may be a better candidate for one procedure over the other. Dr. Diette conducts comprehensive evaluations on patients’ teeth to determine the best solution for their needs. In regards to the difference between the two techniques, Dr. Diette says:

“Dental implants act very similar to a natural tooth and do not affect the adjacent teeth. Implants can last a lifetime and give the patient a better opportunity to maintain the health of the gum and bone tissue where the tooth is missing. On the contrary, a dental bridge involves affecting the adjacent teeth because they will have to support the bridge or artificial tooth.”

In addition to dental implant restorations, Dr. Diette provides comprehensive dental care and services to his patients at his Darien cosmetic dentistry practice. He strives to educate his patients on how to maintain long-lasting results and believes strongly in doctor-patient communication. His goal is to create healthy, beautiful smiles for his patients while facilitating a friendly, comfortable atmosphere.

About James G. Diette, DDS

Dr. James Diette is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University School of Dentistry. He is an active member of the Stamford Dental Society, American Dental Association, the Connecticut State Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry. Some of the cosmetic dentistry services Dr. Diette provides include porcelain veneers, dental crowns, dental bridges and Invisalign®. He is available for interview upon request.

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Stock index futures trade flat to higher

LONDON (Reuters) - Stock index futures pointed to a flat-to-higher open on Wall Street on Wednesday, consolidating gains after the S&P 500's best two-day run in a month.

* Futures for the S&P 500 were unchanged, while Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 contracts rose 0.2 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively, at 0924 GMT.

* Japan's Nikkei <.n225> jumped 2.4 percent to end above 10,000 for the first time in more than eight months on Wednesday on growing expectations of easier monetary policy under a new government.

* European shares continued to drift higher as expectations built that a budget deal in the United States is close, though traders reckoned any positive outcome is largely baked into the price.

* The U.S. Commerce Dept. releases housing starts and permits for November at 1330 GMT. Economists in a Reuters survey forecast 873,000 housing starts in November versus 894,000 in October, and a total of 875,000 building permits in November compared with 868,000 in the prior month.

* FedEx, the No. 2 U.S. package-delivery company, is due to report second-quarter results at 1230 GMT. It is expected to post earnings per share of $1.41 down from $1.57 one year earlier, as a weakening economy leads corporate customers to choose slower, cheaper and less profitable ways of shipping goods.

* Industrial machinery maker SPX Corp is closing in on a roughly $4.2 billion deal to buy rival Gardner Denver Inc , as it makes progress in securing financing, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

* U.S. securities regulators on Tuesday outlined potential ways to reduce conflicts of interest at the country's largest credit-rating agencies, Moody's Corp , McGraw-Hill Cos Inc's Standard & Poor's, and Fimalac SA's Fitch.

* Google's Motorola Mobility unit cannot assert a patent against Apple Inc which covers a sensor that stops phone users from dialing wrong numbers on touchscreen devices, a U.S. trade judge ruled.

* The Federal Trade Commission is unlikely to finish its investigation before January into whether Google Inc abused its power in the search market, the New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the investigation.

* Oracle Corp's quarterly profit beat Wall Street expectations on strong software sales growth, suggesting that the approach of the "fiscal cliff" has yet to crimp corporate spending on technology.

* Pharma group Pfizer plans to cut about 20 percent of its sales force for primary-care drugs, Bloomberg News reported, as the pharmaceutical company copes with the loss of a patent for top-selling cholesterol drug Lipitor.

* Time Warner Cable , the second-largest cable TV distributor in the United States, said on Tuesday it is planning to drop arts-focused cable channel Ovation, citing its low ratings relative to the cost of carrying the network.

* Accenture, the technology outsourcing and consulting company, reports first quarter results after the market close.

* The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> rose 115.57 points, or 0.87 percent, to 13,350.96 on Tuesday. The S&P 500 <.spx> gained 16.43 points, or 1.15 percent, to 1,446.79. The Nasdaq Composite <.ixic> added 43.93 points, or 1.46 percent, to 3,054.53.

(Reporting By Francesco Canepa; editing by Patrick Graham)

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Boeheim wins 900th, appeals for action on firearms

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — With his wife, Juli, looking on at the postgame press conference and his young children close by, Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim's final remarks were not about his milestone 900th career victory.

Instead, he was thinking about two 6-year-old boys who were buried Monday, victims along with 18 other children and six adults in a shooting massacre last week at an elementary school in Connecticut.

"If we cannot get the people who represent us to do something about firearms, we are a sad, sad society," Boeheim said Monday night. "If one person in this world, the NRA president, anybody, can tell me why we need assault weapons with 30 shots — this is our fault if we don't go out there and do something about this. If we can't get this thing done, I don't know what kind of country we have."

It was a sobering end to what was a memorable evening for Syracuse basketball. The third-ranked Orange's 72-68 victory over Detroit in the Gotham Classic made Boeheim just the third Division I men's coach to reach 900 wins.

Boeheim, 68 and in his 37th year at his alma mater, is 900-304 and joined an elite fraternity. Mike Krzyzewski (936) and Bob Knight (902) are the only other men's Division I coaches to win that many games.

"To me, it's just a number," said Boeheim, whose first victory was against Harvard in 1976. "If I get 900, have I got to get more? That's why maybe it's just not that important to me because to me it's just a number, and the only number that matters is how this team does."

So far, it's done OK.

James Southerland had 22 points for Syracuse (10-0), which increased its home winning streak to 30 games, longest in the nation. Detroit (6-5), which lost 77-74 at St. John's in the second game of the season and 74-61 at Pitt earlier this month, had its four-game winning streak snapped.

Dave Bing, Boeheim's college roommate, teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, and Roosevelt Bouie, a star on Boeheim's first team in 1976-77, were in the Carrier Dome crowd of 17,902.

Bing was standing tall in the locker room after the game.

"Nobody would have thought when we came here 50 years ago that either one of us would have had the kind of success we've had," said Bing, today the mayor of Detroit. "I'm so pleased and proud of him because he stuck with it. He's proven that he's one of the best coaches ever in college basketball, and he'll be No. 2 shortly."

After a victory that nearly was short-circuited, Boeheim was presented a jersey encased in glass with 900 emblazoned on it.

"I'm happy. I've stayed around long enough. I was a little nervous," Boeheim said at center court. "I'm proud to be here. To win this game is more pressure than I've felt in a long time. I wasn't thinking about losing until the end. That wouldn't have been a good thing to happen, but it very well could have."

Indeed.

Midway through the second half with Syracuse dominating, fans were given placards featuring cardboard cutouts of Boeheim's face with 900 wins printed on the back to wave in celebration. But when the public address announcer in the Carrier Dome invited fans to stick around for the postgame ceremony, the Titans roared back.

Juwan Howard Jr., who finished with 18 points, scored 14 over the last 6 minutes to key a 16-0 run, his two free throws pulling Detroit within 67-63 with 55.1 seconds left after the Titans had trailed by 20 with 6:09 to play.

"You know what, I didn't hear it, but the players probably heard because they sure came alive," Detroit coach Ray McCallum said. "This is a big stage. Guys sitting around the hotel watching television getting ready to play the No. 3 team in the country and they're talking about going for 900 wins, coach Boeheim. That's a lot for a young man to digest."

Michael Carter-Williams hit three of four free throws in the final seconds to secure the win.

"Michael made big-time free throws you've got to make. If he misses a couple, it's a new game. That was the difference," Boeheim said. "We have not been in that situation. Hopefully, we'll learn from that."

Carter-Williams finished with 10 assists and 12 points, his sixth straight double-double.

"It was great to be part of this," Carter-Williams said. "It's a part of history."

Doug Anderson scored 18 points and Nick Minnerath had 13 for Detroit. Ray McCallum Jr., the coach's son and Detroit's leading scorer at 19.4 points per game, finished with nine, while Jason Calliste had seven.

Southerland scored a career-high 35 points, matching a school record with nine 3-pointers, in a win at Arkansas in late November and, after an 0-for-10 slump over three games, found his range again Saturday night with three 3s in a win over Canisius. He finished 5 of 8 from behind the arc against the Titans.

One of the keys to breaking Syracuse's 2-3 zone is hitting the long ball, and Detroit struck out in the first half. The Titans were 0 for 10 and the lone 3 they did make — by McCallum with just over 6 minutes left — was negated by a shot-clock violation.

Detroit could only lament what might have been if a couple had gone in.

"We never gave up. That's a tribute to our team," Howard said. "We had the right attitude. We played a tough opponent. You usually don't want a moral victory, but we can take some positives from this game."

Syracuse plays again Saturday against Temple in Madison Square Garden, and the Orange faithful are likely to be out in numbers as they usually are when the team plays there.

Boeheim was effusive in praise of the support the team has received during his long tenure. Syracuse has had 71 crowds of over 30,000 since the Carrier Dome opened in 1980 and holds the NCAA on-campus record of 34,616, set nearly three years ago against Villanova.

"The support of fans cannot be overestimated," he said. "You have to have that kind of support in your building to bring recruits in, to help you play better. We've had a tremendous loyal fan base. That's why I always felt this was a great place to coach and why I never really thought about going anywhere else. The support from the fans is the No. 1 thing you have to have."

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Honor the victims -- with action

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

President Obama addresses Newtown

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• David Gergen says we should take a cue from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address


• He says U.S. must deal with its culture of guns and find real solutions


• Gun owners should be licensed, and assault weapons should be banned, he says


• He says we will be held morally accountable for what we do -- or fail to do

Editor's note: David Gergen is a senior political analyst for CNN and has been an adviser to four presidents. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he is a professor of public service and director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Follow him on Twitter.

(CNN) -- Yet again we are struggling to bear the unbearable. How can we find meaning in the massacre of so many innocent children, savagely cut down in a hail of bullets?

Abraham Lincoln is much on our minds these days and, fortunately, there is much his life teaches us about giving meaning to human horror. Eleven months from now, we will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of his journey to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he consecrated a national cemetery in honor of the thousands slaughtered in the Civil War battle there.

In the most eloquent address in American history, Lincoln told us, "The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to (their) great unfinished work." In their honor, he concluded, "we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom."

David Gergen

These were not idle words; he devoted himself to action. In the final months of his life, as the new film on Lincoln shows, he threw himself into the enactment of the 13th Amendment, outlawing slavery in the entire nation. After his death, the nation continued to act as he had asked, passing the 14th Amendment and quickening its progress toward realizing the dream of the Declaration: that all are created equal.

The shootings in Connecticut are not Gettysburg, but surely the long, unending string of killings that we have endured must do more than touch our hearts. As Lincoln saw, we must find meaning in the madness of life -- and we do that by honoring the dead through action.

The moment to act is now upon us, not to be lost as we rush headlong into the holiday season and more twists and turns ahead. We are better than that.

There is a common thread running through most of the mass killings we have seen in recent years: A deranged gunman gets his hands on a gun, usually a semi-automatic, and rapidly cuts down innocents before anyone can stop him.

Clearly, we must find better answers for the mentally unstable. We have the ability to recognize the characteristics of those more likely to commit such acts of violence, and we must do more to provide long-term treatment.

But just as clearly, we need to change our culture of guns. There is something terribly wrong in a nation that has some 300 million guns floating around, easily accessible to the mentally ill. Of the 62 mass shootings in the U.S. over the past three decades, more than three-quarters of the guns used were obtained legally.

Unless we act to change our laws as well as our culture, we will all be enablers when the next loner strikes. The blood will be on our hands, too.

Experts can come up with precise policy prescriptions that will allow us to maintain the constitutional freedoms of the 2nd Amendment while also changing our gun culture. Contrary to what the National Rifle Association says, it is very possible to do both. What is needed immediately is a conversation determining what principles we want to establish -- and then action to realize them. From my perspective, there should be at least three basic principles:

FIRST: To own a gun, you must first have a license -- and it shouldn't be easy to get. The right parallel is to cars: Everyone over a prescribed age is entitled to drive. But cars are dangerous, so we first require a license -- determining that you are fit to drive. Citizens have a right to bear arms, but guns are dangerous, too. So, get a license.

There are a number of issues with our current system of state-based permits. First, variation in gun regulations from state to state deeply complicates enforcement efforts. Arizona, for instance, allows concealed carry without any permit, while its neighbor California has implemented the strongest gun laws in the country. We must design a sensible federal gun control policy to address the current legal chaos.

As we construct a federal licensing system, we should look to California. The state requires all gun sales to be processed through a licensed dealer, mandating background checks and a ten-day waiting period; bans most assault weapons and all large-capacity magazines; closes the nonsensical gun-show loophole; and maintains a permanent record of all sales.

SECOND: If you are a civilian, you can't buy an assault gun. Hunters don't need military style weapons, nor do homeowners who want to be able to protect their families. They are far too popular among people who shouldn't have access to guns in the first place.

We should restore the federal ban that has expired.

THIRD: Parents should be heavily advised to keep guns out of their houses and out of the hands of kids. No one wants to blame the poor mother of the Connecticut shooter, but everyone wonders why she kept so many military-style guns in the house, so accessible to her son. It's hard to believe, but roughly a third of households with children younger than 18 contain at least one gun. In too many neighborhoods in America -- not just in big cities -- parents who don't allow guns in their homes are apprehensive, even frightened, by their kids playing at homes where they are kept.

Some years ago, no one thought that we could change our tobacco culture. We did. No one thought that we could reduce drunk driving by teenagers. We did -- thanks in large part to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Years from now, no one will note what we say after this latest massacre. But they will hold us morally accountable for what we do. To honor all of those who have been slain in recent years -- starting with the first-graders in Connecticut -- we should highly resolve to change our culture of guns.

Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter.

Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Gergen.

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“The Playroom” lands distributor

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – Freestyle Releasing and Freestyle Digital Media have acquired the theatrical, DVD and VOD rights to “The Playroom,” a drama directed by Julia Dyer (“Late Bloomers”), which stars John Hawkes (“Winter’s Bone,” “The Sessions”) and Molly Parker (“Dexter,” “The Firm”).

The film is slated for a day-and-date theatrical release and on DVD/VOD on February 8, 2013.

“The Playroom” premiered in the gala/spotlight section of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. It was produced by Stephen Dyer (“Hysteria”) and Angie Meyer (“Wuss”).

Set in the suburbs during the1970s, the family drama tells the story of Maggie (Olivia Harris), a vulnerable teenager who acts as a big sister to her three younger siblings. Upstairs in the attic, she tells them stories to mask what is happening downstairs with their hard-drinking parents.

“Julia Dyer has created a beautiful time machine back to the ’70s,” said Susan Jackson, president of Freestyle. “The film is a bird’s eye view of a tumultuous period told from the perspective of children.”

Freestyle Digital Media‘s slate of releases includes “Samsara,” from Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson, as well as the recently released “You May Not Kiss the Bride,” starring Katharine McPhee and Rob Schneider.

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Sweden cuts main interest rate to 1 percent

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden‘s central bank has cut its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 1 percent as inflationary pressures remain benign and problems in Europe weigh on the Scandinavian country’s economy.

Tuesday’s decision was widely expected.

The Riksbank also says that its main interest rate will likely “remain at this low level for the coming year” due to the economic slowdown, rising unemployment and subdued inflation.

By the end of 2013, it expects inflation to start edging up as the global economic recovery gathers steam, partly on the back of recent measures taken by the 17 EU countries that use the euro to get a grip on their 3-year debt crisis.

The Riksbank says the weaker European economy has so far had “a clear effect” on Sweden.

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How Will Vantage FX UK Help Forex Traders as Further QE Becomes Less Likely for the US Dollar?

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–(Marketwire – Dec 18, 2012) – Based on the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) minutes from their meeting on the 11^th of December, there is a clear indication that further Quantitative Easing will be less likely to hit the US Dollar.

The current open-asset purchase program looks likely to be extended beyond the $ 40B monthly limit with ”Operation Twist” at an end. A generally positive atmosphere has been growing in the US due to:

• Private sector credit expansion


• Housing market recovering


• Reduced unemployment

However, carrying the current policy stance into the New Year may just be a stalling tactic as wage growth has been slow, along private sector consumption. The Dollar could still be in for some trouble if the Fed decides a stronger recovery needs to be encouraged in 2013.

How Can Vantage FX UK Help?

As a multi-award winning forex broker, Vantage FX UK is ideally placed to provide both experienced and novice forex traders with the tools and education they need to deal with this event and all similar ones in the future.

Forex Tools Available to Vantage FX UK customers:

• Meta Trader 4 – the most popular and best in class trading platform which is used globally for its comprehensive charting package, essential tools and all-in-one forex features – Vantage FX UK customers will also have access to new unique enhancements


• Autochartist – Powerful chart-pattern recognition software which offers traders a market leading level of technical analysis that helps Vantage FX UK account holders gain confidence in their trading decisions.


• EA Labs – Expert Advisory test lab allows traders to see the performance of certain expert FX experts before using them on their own account.


• Forex Strategy Software – Includes: Forex Strategy Builder and Forex Strategy Trader

Vantage FX UK can also offer access to watch Expert Advisors (via EA Test Lab) who provide insight on trading pairs, performance stats and trade-by-trade descriptions and events such as the current FOMC fall out.

(NB:EA Labs are provided for information and education purposes only.)

About Vantage FX UK

Vantage FX UK is an internationally recognised Forex broker based in the City of London, providing foreign exchange trading services to clients in the UK, the EU and the rest of the world. 

What sets forex brokers Vantage FX apart is its wide range of services and outstanding level of customer support. The company strives to provide an intuitive, interactive Forex experience by continually innovating and taking advantage of the latest trading technology, such as MetaTrader 4 and Expert Advisors as well as offering handy tools such as a forex market calendar.

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Stock futures point to higher open

LONDON (Reuters) - Stock futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street on Tuesday, with futures for the S&P 500 rising 0.4 percent. The Dow Jones futures were up 0.2 percent and Nasdaq 100 futures were up 0.4 percent at 4:15 a.m. ET.

Expectations that U.S. politicians were closer to a deal to avoid a looming "fiscal cliff" of steep tax hikes and spending cuts that could hurt the U.S. economy enabled European shares to rise on Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street.

The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index <.fteu3> was up by 0.4 percent at 1,137.30 points.

Hopes of a "fiscal cliff" deal grew on Monday night as President Barack Obama made a counter-offer to Republicans that included a major change in position on tax hikes for the wealthy, according to a source familiar with the talks.

The Bank of Japan was also set to ease monetary policy this week and consider adopting a 2 percent inflation target no later than in January, sources said, responding to pressure from next Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for stronger efforts to beat deflation.

* AIG

American International Group Inc raised $6.45 billion from the sale of its remaining stake in AIA Group Ltd in Asia's second-largest block sale ever, exiting a business the U.S. insurer started nearly 100 years ago.

* APPLE /GOOGLE

A U.S. judge on Monday denied Apple Inc's request for a permanent injunction against Samsung Electronics' smartphones, depriving the iPhone maker of key leverage in the mobile patent wars.

* WAL-MART

Wal-Mart Stores Inc's Mexican affiliate routinely used bribes to open stores in desirable locations, according to a New York Times investigation published Monday, which cites 19 instances of the retail giant paying off local officials.

* KNIGHT CAPITAL

Electronic trading firm Knight Capital Group is considering two competing acquisition offers following a board meeting on Monday that included presentations from suitors Getco Holding LLC and Virtu Financial LLC, sources familiar with the talks said.

* U.S. Q3 current account deficit figures are due to be released at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists in a Reuters survey forecast a $103.4 billion deficit versus a deficit of $117.4 billion in Q2.

* Major U.S. companies reporting results include software group Oracle and investment bank Jefferies .

* The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> rose 100.38 points, or 0.76 percent, to 13,235.39. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> advanced by 16.78 points, or 1.19 percent, to 1,430.36, its highest close since October 22. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> rose 39.27 points, or 1.32 percent, to 3,010.60.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta/Chris Pizzey, London MPG Desk, +44 (0)207 542-4441)

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