Viacom 2Q earnings up 56 percent

NEW YORK (AP) — Viacom Inc., the owner of Paramount Pictures, MTV and Comedy Central, on Thursday said its net income rose 56 percent in the latest quarter, even though a slate of movies that was lackluster compared with last year held back revenue.Viacom earned $585 million, or $1.07 per share, in the January to March quarter. That compares with $376 million, or 63 cents per share, it earned in the same period last year. Viacom has bought back shares, reducing stock outstanding and boosting earnings per share.Excluding special items, earnings...

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CEOs rank Texas tops for business, California worst

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Texas remains the top state for business and California still holds the title for the worst, according to an annual ranking of states by Chief Executive magazine released on Wednesday.Chief Executive each year surveys CEOs and asks them to grade states in which they do business. This year 650 responded, giving Texas high marks "foremost for its business-friendly tax and regulatory environment," a report on the survey and ranking said on the magazine's website."Texas easily clinched the No. 1 rank, the eighth successive...

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Freddie Mac profit falls, needs $19 million in aid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Freddie Mac , the No. 2 provider of U.S. mortgage money, said on Thursday it will seek another $19 million in taxpayer aid after its quarterly profit failed to make up for a dividend payment to the government for its controlling stake.Net income fell to $577 million from $676 million in the year-ago quarter. The drop was mainly due to derivatives losses totaling $1.06 billion, up from $427 million a year earlier and $766 million in the previous 3-month period.Still, the $19 million from the U.S. Treasury in the first quarter...

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Obama's top security adviser to travel to Russia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's top security aide will be in Moscow this week for meetings with Russian officials on the U.S.-Russia relationship and other issues, the White House said on Wednesday.National Security Adviser Tom Donilon's two-day trip comes ahead of a G-8 leaders' summit the United States is hosting this month as well as an expected White House meeting between Obama and Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin.White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said Donilon would meet senior Russian officials on Thursday and Friday...

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Robert Doisneau Google doodle marks centenary of his birth

Famous French photographer's landmark shots adorn search engine's homepage Robert Doisneau Google doodle His photographs once adorned the walls of student residences everywhere but now on the centenary of his birth, 14 April, Robert Doisneau, the French photographer, is himself the latest subject of Google's homepage, the Google doodle. Doisneau was born on 14 April 1912 and is best known for the photograph, "The Kiss by the Town Hall" in which in a young couple, oblivious to the bustle around them kiss. The photograph, which has the...

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Loder1899's Range Rover Evoque Horus gets wide

German aftermarket tuner Loder1899 tells us Horus was an Egyptian god, and Wikipedia says he was usually depicted as a falcon or a man with a falcon's head. While we're not seeing much that's bird-like in this customized Range Rover Evoque, a new front fascia with integrated fender flares and a similar treatment for the other end means the Evoque no longer looks like the baby of the Land Rover clan. The vehicle in the photos is also fitted with optional gigantic 11x23-inch wheels shod with 315/35R23 Michelins and a lowered suspension. Without them,...

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Intel's Ivy Bridge Launch Hints of Refreshed MacBook Pro

Intel's Ivy Bridge processors, which are expected to feature in new MacBook Pros, may ship on April 23. This could mean a new MacBook Pro could launch as early as Tuesday, April 24. Authorized Apple resellers are suffering from low 15in MacBook Pro stock, which suggests that Apple is slowing production of the current MacBook Pro line-up in preparation for a redesigned MacBook Pro launch. Intel's Ivy Bridge processor announcement had been anticipated for the end of the month, but according to DigiTimes sources it has been bought forward...

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