Italy PM Monti takes stability message to Europe (Reuters)

ROME (Reuters) ? Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti prepared for a New Year campaign to reassure European partners that his technocrat government can boost the ailing economy, with an unexpected and apparently private visit to Brussels on Thursday.

Monti flew to the Belgian capital, where he previously worked as a European commissioner, ahead of a series of meetings with European leaders aimed at rebuilding confidence in Italy's battered public finances.

"Europe has no reason to fear Italy any more," Monti told the French daily Le Figaro ahead of a one-day visit to Paris, where he will meet French President Nicolas and Prime Minister Francois Fillon on Friday and speak at a conference at the Finance Ministry.

Italy, the euro zone's third largest economy, still poses the biggest threat to the bloc and a debt emergency would overwhelm the bloc's existing defenses and potentially destroy the single currency.

On Thursday, the yield on its 10-year bonds stood at more than 7 percent, around the level which tipped Greece into seeking an international bailout.

Monti will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on January 11 and British Prime Minister David Cameron in London on January 18 before a summit of European Union leaders in Brussels at the end of the month.

He will add his support to efforts to bind the euro zone's disparate economies more closely together and he will argue for the European Financial Stability Facility, the bloc's bailout fund, to be beefed up.

He has also said he wants to bridge the gap between France and Germany, the EU's two driving powers, and Britain following the rancorous summit in December, which drove a deep wedge between London and its European partners.

UNTENABLE

Monti's appointment as prime minister in November was greeted enthusiastically by partners exasperated by his scandal-prone predecessor Silvio Berlusconi, but Italy is still struggling to contain an escalating debt crisis that threatens the entire euro zone. Last month Italy passed a tough austerity package, but the pressure remains.

With some 600 billion euros of bonds maturing over the next three years, Italy cannot afford to keep borrowing at current levels for long and the European Central Bank has been forced to keep buying Italian paper to try to limit the damage.

Monti has stuck to the goal imposed by Europe of a balanced budget by 2013 and has already passed a 33-billion-euro mix of tax hikes and pension and spending cuts to reduce the budget deficit over the coming two years.

But Italy's main problem remains weak growth and without action on this front, no progress will be made in bringing Italy's massive public debt down from its current level of 120 percent of gross domestic product.

Italy has been the euro zone's most sluggish performer over the past decade and faces a severe recession this year which Confindustria, the main business lobby expects will see the economy contract by 1.6 percent.

Monti has said he will open up sections of the economy to more competition and overhaul rigid job protection laws blamed for giving cast-iron guarantees to some workers while condemning others to years of dead-end casual contracts.

Unions have promised resistance but so far public protests have been limited and recent opinion polls suggest his approval ratings remain above 50 percent.

"Italians have accepted the very heavy measures that have been imposed on them with an almost British phlegm. They have shown an admirable sense of responsibility," he told Le Figaro.

(Additional reporting by Luke Baker in Brussels; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Matthew Jones)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120105/wl_nm/us_italy_monti

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Suicide bomb kills 25 in Damascus: Syrian TV (Reuters)

BEIRUT (Reuters) ? A suicide bomber killed about 25 people and wounded 46 in Damascus on Friday, Syria's state news agency SANA said, in the third such attack in the Syrian capital in a month.

The blast occurred two days before an Arab League committee was due to discuss an initial report of Arab observers who are checking Syria's compliance with an Arab plan to halt President Bashar al-Assad's crackdown on unrest.

The meeting may decide whether to continue the mission or to refer Syria to the United Nations Security Council, perhaps paving the way for some form of international action, a scenario that many Arab countries are keen to avoid.

Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby said he was sending a message with Damascus-based Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal asking the Syrian government to work to halt the violence.

Syrian state television earlier showed body parts, bloodstains and broken glass from the blast in the central Maidan district, along with people shouting that this was the work of "terrorists." Several riot police shields could be seen in a wrecked bus, which was among several damaged vehicles.

"Immediate information indicates that a suicide terrorist blew himself up at a traffic light in the Maidan neighborhood," state television said. "There are dozens of dead and wounded, mostly civilians."

State television did not immediately confirm the death toll given by SANA and the semi-official Addounia television. Syria bars most independent journalists from the country, making first-hand reporting impossible.

On December 23 at least 44 people were killed by what Syrian authorities said were two suicide bombings that targeted security buildings in the Syrian capital.

Those attacks occurred the day before the arrival in Damascus of the head of the Arab League observer mission.

The League's special committee on Syria is due to meet in Cairo on Sunday to debate the initial findings of the mission, which has been criticized by Syrian activists who question its ability to assess the violence on the ground.

Elaraby, the League's secretary-general, said after meeting Meshaal in Cairo that he had given the leader of the militant Palestinian Islamist group a message for the Syrian authorities "that it is necessary to work with integrity, transparency and credibility to halt the violence that is happening in Syria."

Syria has been racked by a popular uprising against Assad in which the United Nations says more than 5,000 people have been killed. The government says armed "terrorists" have killed 2,000 members of the security forces during the revolt.

FATE OF ARAB MISSION

Arab government sources said on Thursday the League monitors would pursue their mission in Syria, despite criticism from Qatar's prime minister that they had made "mistakes."

Syria, keen to show it is respecting the Arab peace plan, said it had released another 552 people detained during the anti-Assad revolt "whose hands were not stained with blood."

The state news agency SANA said some 4,000 detainees had been freed since November. The Avaaz campaign group says 37,000 people picked up during the revolt are still behind bars.

The monitors began work on the streets on December 26 to try to verify whether the government was keeping its promise to pull troops and tanks out of cities and free thousands of detainees.

Syria, which the Arab League has suspended for failing to honor the plan previously, is a major player in the region and is allied to Iran and the Lebanese Shi'ite Hezbollah group.

The Free Syrian Army (FSA), an armed opposition force composed mainly of army deserters, condemned the Maidan attack and cast the blame on the Syrian authorities themselves.

"These operations inside Syria are an attempt to terrorize the people and blame groups from the revolution but we stress that this is planned and systematic state terrorism by the security forces of President Bashar al-Assad," FSA spokesman Major Maher al-Naimi said.

An opposition activist, who asked not to be named, suggested that Islamist militants might be involved.

"It seems clear that there is a growing extremist Islamist presence in Syria these days and I think there are hundreds of these extremists willing to fight the regime and blow themselves up in the name of jihad," he said.

"We will be seeing more and more of these explosions in Syria in the coming days, I am sorry to say," he added.

One Damascus resident, who gave her name only as Dima, said the city had been tense even before the blast.

"Some friends who work in the security forces were warning my family since yesterday to stay at home. The streets were empty and only a few people went to pray. There are checkpoints all over Damascus right now, especially at the exits."

Syrian activists say the Arab monitors have had inadequate access to trouble spots and were escorted by Syrian officials, who manipulated them and hid prisoners in military facilities.

Damascus says it has given the monitors all the facilities they needed.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, who chairs the Arab League committee on Syria, said after meeting U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Thursday that it was the League's first monitoring mission.

"I said we must evaluate the types of mistakes it made and without a shadow of a doubt I see mistakes, even though we went in to observe, not to stop the violence," he said.

Ban's spokesman said the United Nations could help train Arab League observers.

The violence in Syria has raged unabated since the Arab monitors arrived, with scores of people reported killed.

Security forces killed four protesters in Hama on Friday when they shot at people shouting anti-Assad slogans as they emerged from the Amer bin Yasser mosque, activists said. Snipers were posted on rooftops in the Qusoor district, they added.

In Hajar al-Aswad, a suburb of Damascus mostly inhabited by refugees from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, protesters shouted: "The people want the execution of the president."

(Writing by Alistair Lyon, additional reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120106/wl_nm/us_syria

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Kanye West: The Anatomy Of A Twitter Spree

Have trouble connecting the dots on Kanye's string of tweets? MTV News breaks it down.
By Rob Markman

Kanye West
Photo: Getty Images

Kanye West has never had a shortage of ideas, and on Wednesday night into Thursday morning (January 5), the rap star spoke — or, rather, wrote — his mind on Twitter in a 91-message manifesto.

'Ye, who is currently in London, went off on a gang of topics, including his women's fashion line, the Grammys, his design dreams for the MTV Video Music Awards and the vision for his new 22-division company, DONDA. Unorganized but informative, Yeezy put the string of tweets into context on his 39th post, writing: "This is just a train of thought .. but figure it's better to read than trained thoughts."

If you had trouble following 'Ye's 24-hour stream of creative consciousness, don't worry — MTV News has you covered with this breakdown:

Wednesday, 1 p.m.
A gracious Yeezy takes to Twitter to thank everyone for supporting his women's fashion line, which he unveiled in Paris back in October. Two hours later, 'Ye corrects reports that the line is called DW.

Key Tweet: "The name of the line is Kanye West not DW... The Dw was a design element placed on the invite in homage to my mom : )"

Wednesday, 7 p.m.
With plenty of time lapses between tweets, no one could have guessed what West had in store in the hours to come. He clearly started off slow, quoting Da Vinci for his fourth tweet of the day.

Key Tweet: " 'Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.' - Leonardo Da Vinci"

Wednesday, 9 p.m.
This just in: Kanye West is without representation after Cara Lewis got her Jerry Maguire on.

Key Tweet: "More clarity... I have no agency representing me currently... William Morris was fired after Cara lewis quit. I love Cara Lewis : )"

Wednesday, 11 p.m.
West picks up the action. Inspired by his fashion workspace, Yeezy talks about how challenging and fun it is to work on clothing designs. It's been an eight-year journey for the Louis Vuitton Don, who turned down offers to do an urban clothing line in favor of something more upscale. How are his fashion endeavors funded, you ask? All the Kanye concert tickets you've bought, of course.

Key Tweet: "I did the first fashion show out of my own pocket and used the money I made touring to follow my passion."

Wednesday, midnight
'Ye goes on a tear during the midnight hour, sending a whopping 48 tweets. It was approximately 5 a.m. in London, and Kanye couldn't sleep because his dreams kept him "woke." And what dreams he has. The rapper recounts his days hopping from Japan to Rome to Paris, interning at Fendi, working with Louis Vuitton, being courted by Versace and designing his Air Yeezys for Nike. What, you thought West was a newbie to the fashion game? No, he learned how to design shoes at the Giuseppe Zanotti factory and broke bread with fashion luminaries like Azzedine Alaïa. Things weren't all good, though. The Chicago MC/producer admits that the language barrier in Paris hindered him some.

West rattles on, reminiscing about the times he spent fur shopping with his mother, Donda West, who died in 2007. Kanye then reveals that he was in talks to become a creative director for a possible "Jetsons" Movie. (West ..."Heartless" video.) West showcased art inspired by the iconic animated series in his 2008 "Heartless" video.

Of course, no Yeezy rant would be complete without some type of Grammy commentary, and this time, the outspoken rapper noted that he appreciated all his 2012 nominations.

The biggest news of the night came when Kanye announced that he had started a 22-division design company called DONDA. He hopes DONDA will group free thinkers and various professionals in a creative space to help simplify and improve the human experience. The company's mission: "To marry our wants and needs," West writes.

Key Tweet: "DONDA will be comprised of over 22 divisions with a goal to make products and experiences that people want and can afford..."

Thursday, 1 a.m.
Continuing to detail his DONDA experience, 'Ye says the Watch the Throne Tour, with its stunning visual cubes, was just a small part of what the company can do. He aims to one day present seven screens onstage. He's taking 10 steps at a time, he said, with plans to design for the 2016 Olympics and the MTV Video Music Awards — imagine that!

Before ending his day of Twitter enlightenment, a compassionate 'Ye turns his attention toward education, writing that he and "Otis" video director and noted filmmaker Spike Jonze want to create a summer school that experiments with new curriculums for children. Why can't kids use iPhones while taking tests? Yeezy wonders.

He hasn't bought a chain or a car in two years, Kanye writes. Instead, he reinvests his dollars into creativity and his grand scheme to change the world for the better.

Key Tweet: "We need to take what Michael Jackson felt and [Alexander] Mcqueen and Steve Jobs and we need make things better..."

Did you follow Kanye's Twitter activity? Let us know what you think!

Related Artists

• Kanye West

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676797/kanye-west-twitter.jhtml

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Iran tests missiles near oil strait

2012-01-02 23:04

Tehran - Iran on Monday test-fired three missiles on the last day of navy war games near the Strait of Hormuz, according to official media.

The last of the weapons, a Nour missile, was launched late on Monday and successfully destroyed its target, the Islamic Republic News Agency and other outlets reported.

A navy spokesperson, Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, told IRNA and state television that two other missiles, named Qader and Nasr, were fired earlier.

On Sunday, another missile, described as a medium-range surface-to-air weapon, was also tested.

The navy drill and missile tests were designed to show Iran's military might and ability to close the Strait of Hormuz - a vital shipping channel in the Gulf through which 20% of the world's oil flows - if the West applies more sanctions.

The United States and its allies have been ratcheting up the sanctions to punish Iran for pushing ahead with its nuclear programme. Western capitals accuse Iran of developing an atomic bomb, something Tehran denies.

France on Monday said the missile tests were a "very bad signal to the international community" and stressed to Iran that "freedom of navigation" must be maintained in the Strait of Hormuz.

Two of the missiles tested, the Qader ground-to-ship cruise missile and the Nour surface-to-surface missile, have a range of around 200km.

That is generally considered a short range for cruise missiles, even though Mousavi and Iranian media called the Qader a "long-range" missile.

The other missile tested, the Nasr, is an anti-ship weapon with a shorter range of around 35km.

Mousavi said it was "the first time" a Qader missile had been tested. He said it was built by Iranian experts.

The Nour and the Nasr missiles are based on Chinese designs.

"The super-advanced Nour system has been improved in its anti-radar, pursuit of target, navigation, control and its anti-electronic warfare systems, compared to its previous version," Mousavi said, according to the IRIB website.

"It can easily follow and hit the target after identifying it," he said.

Source: http://www.news24.com/World/News/Iran-tests-missiles-near-oil-strait-20120102

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Get used to it, South Florida ? pipes are breaking and it?s only going to get worse

The hectic nature of Christmas Eve ? last-minute presents to buy, family to entertain, meals to cook ? can be a mountain of stress. Now try keeping it together after all the faucets stop running.

That was the challenge presented to more than 200,000 Broward County homes and businesses this holiday season, after a ruptured water line left families high and, quite literally, dry. On Christmas Day, though the water was again flowing, it had to be boiled before families could be assured it was safe.

For South Florida?s aging water and sewer pipes, it was but the latest example of an underground infrastructure that has repeatedly experienced breaks ? sometimes with serious consequences. Folks typically don?t think about their water and sewer pipes until something goes wrong, so it?s certainly not good news that residents across Broward County have recently had pipelines on their minds.

It?s become an issue in Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park and Wilton Manors ? all cities affected by the Christmas Eve water line break. It?s become a quite-smelly issue in parts of Hollywood, where a November sewer main rupture sent millions of raw sewage into a nearby neighborhood and canal.

In Miramar, even pipe replacements have proved contentious, as residents of eastern Miramar say a year-long $4 million sewer project has caused flooding so bad that streets become miniature lakes when it rains.

?It?s a coincidence that they all happened around the same time,? said Fort Lauderdale Public Works Director Albert Carbon. Fort Lauderdale?s water utility provides service to several cities, which is why the Christmas Eve break affected other municipalities as well. Fort Lauderdale?s system also experienced a sewer break in October near the Harbor Shoppes on Cordova Road ? a break that sent a stinky mess into the roadway and surrounding parking lot.

The problem is replacing underground pipes ? some of them dating back to the 1940s or 1950s ? isn?t unique to South Florida. In 2009, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation?s sewer system a D-minus grade, noting that aging pipes discharge billions of gallons of untreated wastewater into U.S. waterways each year.

The environmental group Cry of the Water, comprised of divers concerned about illegal dumping, argues that repeated spill can destroy the environment unless infrastructure needs are addressed.

?These old pipes are leaking,? organization director Dan Clark said after Hollywood?s November sewer break. ?It?s only going to get worse.?

The federal government?s stimulus bill contained millions of dollars for Florida water and sewer improvements, but the sheer depth of the upgrades needed means that local governments often have to foot most of the bill themselves. Money for system repairs typically comes from the water and sewer rates paid by utility customers.

In the midst of the sluggish economy, some utilities have been loathe to hit customers with whopping increases, preferring to raise bills more modestly and tackle the problem over time.

?Infrastructure is not something you can fix overnight,? said city of Hollywood spokeswoman Raelin Storey.

Early in 2010, Miami-Dade County had its own flurry of pipe breaks ? a 54-inch water main break in Hialeah flooded homes and caused a large sinkhole, and several months later a 72-inch sewage pipe burst and sent raw sewage pouring into Biscayne Bay.

Miami-Dade?s Water and Sewer Department?s had requested an 18 percent increase the previous year, with infrastructure improvements its top priority. Instead, county commissioners approved a pair of 6 percent increases.

?It?s a balancing act for us,? said department spokeswoman Jennifer Messemer. ?Maintaining the quality of water and sewer services with being able to provide a cost-effective rate for our residents.?

Miami-Dade operates the largest water and sewer utility in the Southeast, providing water to more than 2 million customers and monitoring about 6,200 miles? worth of sewer lines. The county?s leak detection system includes lowering acoustical equipment underground, which records the noise emanating from the pipes and can be used to pinpoint cracks or other issues.

But at the end of the day, not all leaks can be prevented, especially when a frequent cause across South Florida is not age or decay but actually local construction crews who made an unfortunate mistake.

?Think of it as your car,? Messemer said. ?Things break, and no matter how proactive we can be, unfortunately there are going to be times that we do have pipe failures.?

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/02/2569352/get-used-to-it-south-florida-pipes.html

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South Korea's Lee calls on North to end nuclear activities (Reuters)

SEOUL (Reuters) ? South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called on North Korea's new leader to seize the opportunity and return to dialogue, saying he was prepared to offer help to revive the North's shattered economy if it suspends nuclear activities.

Two days after a state funeral for Kim Jong-il, North Korea sounded a bellicose note against the South on Friday, assailing Lee's government for lacking the decency to mourn the death of a compatriot leader and vowing to continue a hardline policy.

The North's new leader, Kim Jong-un, toured a major army tank division on Sunday in his first public activity as supreme commander, underlining that he would stick to his father's songun, or military-first, policy.

"We have left the window of opportunity open," Lee said in a New Year address broadcast from South Korea's presidential Blue House. "If North Korea comes forward with sincerity, we will be able to open a new era for the Korean peninsula together.

"As soon as North Korea suspends nuclear activities in progress, six party talks should be able to resume. Through a six-party agreement, we are prepared to ease the North's security concern and provide necessary resources to revive its economy."

The six party talks, involving the two Koreas, the United States, Japan, Russia and China, have been stalled since 2008 when the North walked away from an aid-for-disarmament deal.

Experts who study the North said it was unlikely it would take a dramatically different path under its new ruler, who at around 27 is believed to lack the experience or political support to initiate his own line of policy.

In a New Year message issued in its state newspapers that normally sets out policy for the year, the North made no mention of its nuclear programs which had been the key source of regional security worry during Kim Jong-il's reign.

Under Kim Jong-il's leadership, the reclusive state twice tested nuclear devices, as well as variety of missiles. Experts say, however, the North still lacks the ability to miniaturize a nuclear bomb to fix atop a missile.

The untested new leader is the third member of the Kim dynasty to rule but he had only been groomed for power since 2009.

Analysts believe he will rule with the aid of a close coterie that includes his uncle and key power-broker, Jang Song-thaek, at least in the early stages of the leadership transition.

North Korea has called for the resumption of the nuclear talks, but Washington and Seoul have been reluctant to rush back to the table, wary of Pyongyang's potential to engage in protracted negotiations only to walk away from its obligations.

Most analysts say the North will never give up its nuclear weapons program, as it provides the authoritarian state with the ultimate deterrent as well as a bargaining chip in negotiations.

Tension has eased over the past year after escalating to its highest level in decades in 2010 when 50 South Koreans were killed in two separate attacks.

Lee said the South would retaliate against any aggression by the North but he said he had hoped there would be progress on ending its nuclear program.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence and Robert Birsel)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120102/wl_nm/us_korea_north_lee

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Nowitzki, new-look Mavs seeking 2nd straight title

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, right, shoots as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka defends during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, right, shoots as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka defends during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

FILE - FOR END OF THE YEAR SPANISH STORY 2011 BASQUETBOL - In this June 12, 2011 file photo, Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki holds up the championship trophy after Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball game against the Miami Heat in Miami. The Mavericks won 105-95 to win the series. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Vince Carter (25) drives past Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom, left, goes up for a shot in front of Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden (13) in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle shouts to his team during the first quarter of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011. Oklahoma City won 87-83. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

DALLAS (AP) ? Dirk Nowitzki has an idea of what it's like to be an NBA champion. He learned one of the lessons over the years he spent being teammates with Devean George.

Nowitzki noticed that before practically every game, George found someone warming up on the other side of the court and greeted them with a smile and a hug that seemed warmer than most pregame how-do-you-do's. Nowitzki eventually asked George why. The answer: they were his teammates, guys he had one an NBA title with during one of those three magical seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Once you win a championship," George told Nowitzki, "it's like a bond. It's like family forever."

Nowitzki told that story the first day he met with reporters after the lockout. Although the last time he'd been at team headquarters was for the championship parade, a day when everyone vowed to stick together and try winning it all again, Nowitzki returned knowing the Mavericks would lose several valuable contributors.

So while Nowitzki was going to miss Tyson Chandler bailing him out on defense, J.J. Barea zipping through the lane or nailing a long 3 and Caron Butler taking some the scoring load he also knew those guys would always have a special place in his life.

And, he trusted Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson to find competent replacements.

Sure enough, the front office plugged holes with some big names, practically swiping Lamar Odom from the Lakers and signing Vince Carter. Adding that pair of 30-somethings, plus 28-year-old backup guard Delonte West, doesn't completely fill the void, but it's a good start and an indication that Cuban remains serious about trying to defend the first title in franchise history.

"We weren't the favorites to win it last year, so nobody really knows what's going to happen," Nowitzki said. "Last year, it just worked out. The chemistry was great, guys wanted to win and play with each other. To me, the team is set up kind of the same again with a bunch of older guys that want to win, who've seen basically everything in this league and have individual (accolades) but they just want to win together and off each other."

In a 66-game season, Dallas will be hard pressed to keep up its streak of 50-win seasons. There's no telling how their aging legs will handle a schedule packed with more games and fewer off-days.

The thing is, the postseason remains the same. So this veteran group understands the ups and downs of the next four months are all about getting ready for the chase of those 16 wins that matter most.

Odom certainly understands. He spent each of the last two seasons trying to defend a championship. His Lakers did it two years ago, then were swept by the Mavs in the second round last season.

"If they thought winning a championship was hard, defending it is going to be ... it's tough," Odom said. "It changes the mindset of teams, and of your team. It's tough. But if a team can do it, this one can."

Coach Rick Carlisle considers the reinvention of this team part of the challenge of repeating.

"We've got to reformulate this thing, but the guys coming in are veteran guys and they've played in a lot of big games. ... They know what it's about," Carlisle said. "If you're a new guy coming to this team, you've got to be excited. And you've got to be trying to figure out how you're going to fit in and how you're going to help this team get in position to repeat. Hey, I like the fact our team has a different look. That's a great challenge for our coaching staff. And I think our players are energized as well."

Jason Kidd is going into the final year of his contract but is already talking about playing a few more years. Jason Terry is going into the final year of his deal, but hopes to remain with the Mavericks for the rest of his career. There's no telling what will happen in the new, post-lockout landscape, especially with Cuban letting Chandler, Barea and Butler go for the sake of gaining salary-cap flexibility.

"The way things fell was unique and you know we certainly did our homework," said Nelson, the Mavs' general manager. "We got a little lucky, which is certainly part of things, and we really feel good about this thing."

Brendan Haywood becomes the starting center, the job he was expected to have last season before Chandler arrived and proved to be a perfect fit. Third-year guard Rodrigue Beaubois could become the exciting, change-of-pace player off the bench that Barea used to be, providing he's overcome his foot injuries and learned to play enough defense to satisfy Carlisle.

All those things will fall into place over time.

For now, there's one mystery remaining. The bling.

Never one for tradition, Cuban threatened to do something other than rings. He relented, but because he decided to give players input in the design, the rings won't be ready for opening night. So there will be at least two celebrations of the title: at the opener on Christmas Day ? which just so happens to be against the Heat in an NBA finals rematch ? and again whenever the ring ceremony is held.

"We would've loved to have raised the banner and got our rings Nov. 1, but we've had this little delay," Nowitzki said. "That (opener) can't even come fast enough. We're looking forward to it so much, just to see that banner go up.

"We're going to see it there for the rest of our careers ? for the rest of our lives, really. That always means it was a special season with a bunch of guys that I loved playing with. They are always going to be like family to me, no matter where they play."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-21-BKN-Mavericks-Preview/id-f44e951141ba4b598b581beab2c07fbc

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