European Factors to Watch-Shares to rebound after China growth data

LONDON, July 13 (Reuters) - European shares were set to rebound on Friday, mirroring gains in Asian equities, after China's second-quarter growth data met forecasts but kept expectations alive that officials will take more steps to stimulate the world's second largest economy. Growth of 7.6 percent in the Spain 11/12 RAMOS Home Jersey second quarter from a year earlier was bang in line with market expectations but the slowest pace since the January-March quarter of 2009 and the sixth consecutive quarter of slower growth. "We feel the numbers are probably the best-case scenario for risk assets, as the print was just weak enough to keep the markets' anticipation of aggressive easing alive, while it was not too hot to take this notion away from the equation," IG Markets said in a note. "A closer look at the fixed asset investment and retail sales figures even suggests we have the platform many have been talking about that should see the Chinese economy stabilise into the third and fourth quarter, and we feel the PBOC will keep its pro-growth actions going," it said, referring to the country's central bank. Futures for Euro STOXX 50, Germany's DAX and France's CAC were up 0.4-0.5 percent. Financial spreadbetters earlier predicted Britain's FTSE 100 to open about 0.5 percent higher. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.7 percent. On Thursday, the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares fell 1 percent to its lowest in more than a week, while U.S. shares dropped 0.3-0.8 percent. Friday's gains in shares could be capped on lingering concerns about some highly-indebted European countries and after Moody's surprised markets by downgrading Italy's government bond rating by two notches to Baa2. Moody's warned it could cut the rating further. The move piled pressure just hours before the country launches its latest bond sale. However, analysts said that sentiment had improved following some recent bold moves by policymakers to tackle the euro zone debt crisis and the sectors that derive strength from economic growth could be in favour. "The equity rally since early June was initially led by financials and resources, but has since been broader based. We expect further cyclical leadership over the coming months, driven by political progression in Europe and central bank activism around the world," Graham Bishop, senior equity strategist at Exane BNP Paribas, said in a strategy note. MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 0628 GMT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG S&P 500 1,334.76 -0.5 % -6.69 NIKKEI 8,724.12 0.05 % 4.11 MSCI ASIA EX-JP 0.68 % 3.19 EUR/USD 1.2203 0.06 % 0.0007 USD/JPY 79.25 -0.04 % -0.0300 10-YR US TSY YLD 1.474 -- 0.00 10-YR BUND YLD 1.244 -- 0.00 SPOT GOLD $1,571.84 0.09 % $1.35 US CRUDE $86.27 0.22 % 0.19 * Shares jump on relief after China GDP, Caution stays * Nikkei almost flat after China data as worries linger * Wall St drops on tech warnings; P&G cuts Dow's loss * Aussie firm after China GDP;Italy downgrade weighs on euro * Brent stays above $100 as supply fears offset China GDP * Gold headed for 2nd losing week as dollar firms * Safe-haven bidding pushes yields near historic lows COMPANY NEWS PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN The French automaker, which has announced 8,000 job cuts and a plant closure as it struggles with mounting losses, is not going to seek aid from the French government, Chief Executive Philippe Varin said on Thursday. VIVENDI Chairman Jean-Rene Fourtou said the media-to-telecom conglomerate may sell its $8.1 billion stake in video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc, Bloomberg reported on Thursday citing an interview with the executive. STOREBRAND Norwegian insurance firm Storebrand posted second-quarter earnings below expectations on Friday and said it did not plan to raise new equity capital to manage the transition to the new Solvency II framework. VEOLIA An infrastructure fund that spun out of the bailed-out insurer American International Group is in advanced discussions to buy Veolia Environment SA's U.S. waste management business, in a deal that could be valued at as much as $2 billion, according to three people familiar the matter. Veolia declined to comment while Highstar did not respond to a request for comment. LLOYDS BANKING GROUP Lloyds is close to selling over 600 branches to the Co-operative Group at a steep discount to the previously mooted 1.5 billion-pound price tag, the Financial Times reported. VOLKSWAGEN Europe's largest automotive group sold 1.3 Toms Shoes Sale million cars in mainland China and Hong Kong in the first half of the year, up 17.5 percent from a year earlier. EADS Aircraft makers Airbus and Boeing, left a rain-swept Farnborough Airshow with the U.S. rival winning 50 percent more firm orders than Airbus, including a $14.7 billion bulk buy from United Continental. FONDIARIA-SAI, UNIPOL Fondiaria and Unipol said their twin 1.1 billion euro ($1.3 billion) capital increases were poised to start July 16, bringing them closer to creating Italy's second-largest insurance group.

Troops on standby for Olympic security

Philip Hammond isn't everyone's cup of tea at the Ministry of Defence, but he's no pushover, and he has accounted for every penny in the overstretched military budget. His calculations didn't include offering even more troops for the security of the Olympics, and being a stickler for detail the defence secretary has been beavering around Whitehall in recent days making plain he has no intention of picking up the bill. That may be the least of the MoD's worries as it draws up yet more plans to cancel leave and deploy up to 3,000 extra troops, some of whom may have only recently returned from Afghanistan. None of which will do military morale much good, coming just a week after Hammond announced defence reformsthat will see 20,000 posts lost from the army in the next three years. Anger within the armed forces at the manner in which the MoD has been called to the rescue Italy Euro 2012 Jersey has been replaced by weary resignation after a year in which the overall number of military personnel needed for 2012 duties has ballooned. That has been caused by one huge miscalculation by the Olympic organisers, Locog, followed by what appears to have been optimistic recruitment and training assessments by the security firm G4S. Locog first realised it had a major problem last summer, when its predictions for the number of staff needed at the Olympic venues began to unravel. It had thought it would need 10,000 people to undertake routine security checks, but when organisers started doing role-playing exercises at some of the new stadiums they began to appreciate that this was a woeful underestimate. More than twice that number would be required. The Metropolitan police could not help, because its staff were already accounted for. Senior officers say they had been warning Locog for months that it had got its sums wrong. And with the Olympic budget set, there was a reluctance to pay G4S to make up the shortfall. As ministers started to panic during the Cabinet Office briefings, known as Cobra, all eyes fell on the MoD. The military had already committed a number of ships, aircraft and ceremonial personnel to the Games, but it had not bargained for – and was initially resistant to providing – huge numbers of troops at the venues. "The military will do what they are told, but I don't think any of our people signed up for Queen and country to check bags," said one senior army officer. Though the problem was identified a year ago, the haggling over who would do what and when, and who would pay, didn't end until December last year, shortly after posters began to appear at the MoD's Whitehall headquarters advising staff to take out comprehensive holiday and travel insurance for the summer. Days before Christmas, the government announced that up to 13,500 military personnel would be deployed at the Olympics, including 7,500 doing security checks at the busiest times . More than 2,000 reserves were called up in the spring to help make up the total. Even with that, Locog and the Home Office were relying on G4S to provide a total of 10,400 licensed security guards – five times more than had originally been envisaged. The contract is reported to be worth £284m. Last autumn, G4S made it clear that it could only recruit substantial numbers if it was given sufficient time to do so. With time now running perilously short, it seems it is struggling to meet the commitment. Last weekend, only half the guards needed to guarantee fully staffed patrols of the entrances to venues and undertake other security duties were ready to start work. G4S admitted it had been having "some challenges on workforce scheduling", but insisted it could resolve them. Earlier this week, it was reported that it still needed to train and accredit as many as 9,000 2012 EURO Spain Casillas 1 Home Goalkeeper Jersey guards and was calling in retired police officers to fill vacant roles. , G4S declined to give a specific figure, saying the picture was constantly changing. A spokesman added that it remained confident it would meet its commitment by the start of the games. In Whitehall, though, patience is wearing thin. With the Games only a fortnight away, the home secretary, Theresa May, has been coordinating talks about how best to provide cover. Inevitably, she turned to her cabinet colleague, the defence secretary. Hammond has been involved in many of the discussions, and though it would be inconceivable for the military to turn down such a request, he has made it clear that it will cause avoidable inconvenience, which must be properly compensated. The MoD will not grumble in public. Earlier this year, General Sir Nick Parker, Commander Land Forces, said he was unconcerned that the military was required to help the Olympics at short notice. "I am entirely comfortable with the warning time. Short notice, rapid reaction, flexibility is what we do. From my perspective, 12 hours to grab your kit and go is short notice – this is not. And let me reiterate that the feeling amongst military personnel about their involvement in the Olympics will be excitement, pride and a determination to do a good job." Parker did not know then how prophetic those words would be. With days to go to the biggest sporting event ever held in the UK, the troops are on standby again.

Israel frees hunger-striking Palestinian soccer player

Israel released yesterday a member of the Palestinian national soccer team who had been held for three years without formal charges and who pushed for his freedom with a hunger strike of more than 90 days. Mahmoud Sarsak, 25, was given a hero's welcome in his native Gaza where hundreds cheered him as he emerged from an ambulance at a local hospital. Sarsak, who had lost almost half his normal weight during the fast, was able to walk. He kissed his parents and siblings before undergoing medical checks. Israel has accused Sarsak of being active in the violent group Islamic Jihad, a claim he cheap Toms Blue Canvas Women's Classics denied while in custody. However, senior Islamic Jihad officials were present during his reception yesterday, and one of the group's leaders, Nafez Azzam, praised the soccer player as "one of our noble members." Sarsak was released from an Israeli prison hospital earlier yesterday, said the spokeswoman of the Israeli Prison Authority, Sivan Weizman. Sarsak was arrested in TomsJuly 2009 at a crossing between Gaza and Israel on his way to the West Bank for a soccer match. The Shin Bet security service alleged that Sarsak once planted a bomb that injured an Israeli soldier but said it did not have sufficient evidence for a trial. As a result, Sarsak was held without charges. In March, he launched a hunger strike to press for his release. He ended the fast in mid-June, after winning assurances that he would be freed. During the hunger strike, doctors who examined him said he suffered from fainting spells, memory lapses and dangerous pulse disruptions. Hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel have staged hunger strikes this Toms Glitters year, but no one has generated as much international support as Sarsak. As Sarsak's condition deteriorated, FIFA's president asked Israel's soccer federation to urgently intercede on the player's behalf with the Israeli authorities and FIFPro, an international organization of professional players, called for his release. Former Manchester United great Eric Cantona, British filmmaker Ken Loach and others signed a petition calling for freedom for the player.

Expensive, newer stents not better for all-study

Many heart patients get newer, pricey stents inserted during artery-clearing procedures, even if it's not clear they would be worse off with more basic, less expensive stents, a new study suggests. The new findings are an example of ways technology gets overused and at times misused in healthcare, according to a commentary accompanying the study. Along with being more costly, so-called drug-eluting stents require patients to take aspirin and other blood-thinning drugs for a longer period of time after their procedure. That may require them to put off future elective surgeries because of bleeding risks, according to one researcher who worked on the report produced by Dr Robert Yeh and colleagues. Some patients having a stent inserted are at high risk of having that stent get Spain 11/12 TORRES Home Jersey clogged, requiring a repeat procedure. They include people with diabetes or narrow arteries, for whom drug-eluting stents can help prevent build-up in and around the stent and avoid the need for future surgeries, said Yeh, a cardiologist from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Such stents release a drug to help prevent the artery becoming blocked. But in people whose stents probably won't get clogged, the older bare-metal stents can work just as well at a much lower price, he said. "Non-diabetic patients who have big arteries and have very short blockages, their rate of restenosis can be quite low, even with bare-metal stents," Yeh told Reuters Health. "Patients need to ideally know an estimate of their individualized risk of requiring a repeat procedure, and they need to know, what are the implications of the different stent choices they might receive?" Medtronic, Abbott Laboratories and Boston Scientific are among the leading manufacturers of drug-eluting stents, which can cost up to $1,000 more per patient than more basic models. Almost three-quarters of patients at very low risk of needing a repeat stent-inserting procedure received drug-eluting stents. That compared with 83 percent of the higher-risk patients, who had more to gain from the extra protection. Doctors varied greatly in their use of drug-eluting stents: Individual surgeons Portugal Euro 2012 Jersey used the newer devices for between two and 100 percent of procedures. Yeh's team calculated that if half of low-risk U.S. patients given a drug-eluting stent instead received a bare-metal stent, that could save over $200 million per year on heart procedures, or about $340 per procedure. As a result, an extra one in 200 patients given a bare-metal stent would eventually need a repeat artery-clearing procedure. "This is definitely a case where you can't have a general rule that applies in every situation," said Dr. Jack Tu, head of cardiovascular research at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto, who wasn't involved in the new study. "The higher-risk patients should be getting these (drug-eluting) stents, whereas I think an argument could be made that lower-risk patients should be getting bare-metal stents." Dr. Peter Groeneveld, who wrote the commentary accompanying the study, said more expensive stents can be a waste of money. "All the incentives are aligned right now to use the most expensive, newest therapeutic options when often there are much cheaper, tried and true, evidence-based therapies that are going to deliver just as much benefit," Groeneveld, from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, told Reuters Health. "If you get an expensive stent, somebody has to pay for it, even if that stent doesn't benefit anybody, including the patient, any more than a cheaper alternative," he added. In that case, Groeneveld added, "That's just money down the drain."

Braun hits into 3 DPs as Brewers lose to Marlins

Ryan Braun had a tough day. So did the rest of the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee had no answer for Carlos Lee, who doubled and scored in his Miami debut, and Mark Buerhle, who struck out a season-best eight over 7 2-3 innings, and the Brewers lost 4-0 to the Marlins on Thursday. The Brewers put up 25 runs the previous three games but Buehrle (8-8) shut them down, allowing only six hits. "You don't really get too many opportunities when you're facing good pitchers and they're on top Spain Euro 2012 Jersey of their game," Braun said after going 0 for 4 and hitting into three double plays. "Unfortunately, a couple of those balls I hit really hard, but right at guys." The Brewers were 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. "We didn't get too many chances," Braun said. "When you do get baserunners on against a quality pitcher, you have to take advantage of it." The Brewers tested Buehrle in the fourth when they put runners at the corners with two outs, but he worked out of trouble by striking out Rickie Weeks. "Maybe they're tired of swinging the bats so much and getting runs," Buehrle said jokingly. "We scored just a few more than they did." Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen relieved Buerhle with one on and two outs in the eighth, and Steve Cishek stranded Cody Ransom at second when he struck out pinch-hitter Travis Ishikawa. Buehrle, who came in with a 1.29 ERA in his last two starts, has three consecutive wins with at least seven strikeouts. His current run came after four straight losses. Milwaukee starter Mike Fiers (3-3) said that Buehrle is tough even though for most of the game he was just as good. "Everything kind of looks like a fastball," Fiers said of Buehrle's pitching. "That's why he's one of the best pitchers. To get a couple runs off him is big, but he had one of those games today." The last four Brewers games have been one-run games and decided in the last at-bat. Greg Dobbs made it tougher for Milwaukee to duplicate that when he hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer off Jose Veras in the top of the ninth for Miami. Randy Choate started the ninth and immediately hit Norichika Aoki, prompting Guillen to bring in Heath Bell, who got Ryan Braun to hit into his third double play of the game. "It's rare," Braun said of his futility. "It's a rare occurrence." Aramis Ramirez then singled, but Bell struck out Corey Hart to end it. Lee needed just two at-bats in his first game with the Marlins to make his presence known. He Spain 11/12 RAMOS Home Jersey struck out in the first before doubling in the fourth. Hustling all the way, he scored easily on Logan Morrison's single. "That's the way I play the game," Lee said. "I always enjoy my time. Have fun, and like I say, try my best." Morrison snapped Fiers' streak of scoreless innings at 21 1-3 with the run-scoring hit. Fiers (3-3) allowed two runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out nine, one off his season high. Unrattled, Fiers was just as tough as Buehrle and limited Miami to that one run on six hits until getting chased in the eighth. "If you look at just stuff, you might say, 'Well, he's pitching better than you think he is,'" Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "He's got deception." Jose Reyes singled and took third on Lee's one-out single. Manny Parra relieved Fiers, who left to a standing ovation. Morrison hit into a fielder's choice to score Reyes before Veras took over for Parra and retired Justin Ruggiano on a grounder to second to end the inning. Lee, acquired in a trade with the Houston Astros on Wednesday, started at first base. NOTES: The temperature was 101 degrees at first pitch. ... Aoki extended his Brewers-best hitting streak to 12 games. ... The Brewers are 22-21 at Miller Park so far this season. ... Marlins All-Star RF Giancarlo Stanton missed his third consecutive game with discomfort in his right knee. Guillen said that he won't play Friday against the Cardinals in St. Louis.

Mitt Romney joins New Hampshire parade

WOLFEBORO, N.H. - Wednesday’s Fourth of July parade in this New Hampshire community gained a national flavor, with the participation of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann. “I see you waterskiing!” one parade-watcher told Romney as he crossed from one side of Main Street to the other, shaking hands with well-wishers. “Oh, I do it from time to time,” Romney replied, smiling. At the end of the parade, he spoke to a crowd waiting at Brewster Academy.“I see you waterskiing!” one parade-watcher told Romney as he crossed from one side of Main Street to the other, shaking hands with well-wishers. “Oh, I do it from time to time,” Romney replied, smiling. At the end of the parade, he spoke to a crowd waiting at Brewster Academy. Romney was also joined by New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Spain Euro 2012 Jersey work just as much as he is at play - and probably focused on the biggest decision he will make between now and when he accepts the GOP’s presidential nomination at the convention. His self-imposed deadline for picking a running mate “before the convention” is looming large and the search for a No. 2 is well under way. His campaign has stayed mum on whether that was a topic of conversation Tuesday when he and his wife spent at least 45 minutes talking with campaign manager Matt Rhoades, senior adviser Beth Myers and top strategist Stuart Stevens on the deck that overlooks the lawn behind his home. Romney’s five sons - particularly his eldest son, Tagg - also serve as informal political advisers, and all have been on hand this Spain 11/12 SILVA Home Jersey week, virtually ensuring that the campaign and the running mate search were discussed. Romney’s vacation ends Sunday when he’s scheduled to head to New York for fundraising events - and to resume his campaign schedule full time.