Marriott posts $179M profit on higher occupancy

Hotel giant Marriott International Inc. said Wednesday that second-quarter earnings rose as business and leisure travelers continued to book hotel rooms and paid slightly more for them.

Marriott, based in Bethesda, Md., earned $179 million, or 57 cents a share, in the three-month period ended June 30. That's up from $143 million, or 42 cents per share, a year ago.

A change in the company's fiscal year meant seven extra days in the quarter this year compared to last year.

Revenue rose 18 percent to $3.26 billion.

Analysts expected earnings of 57 cents per share and revenue of $3.20 billion, according to FactSet.

The company's revenue per available room ? or REVPAR ? was $129.59, up 4.4 percent from the prior year. That key figure increased thanks to slightly higher occupancies and a 3 percent gain in the rates charged to guests.

"Both business and leisure transient demand were strong in the quarter, more than offsetting weak short-term group business," Arne M. Sorenson, Marriott president and CEO, said in a statement.

"As occupancy rates reach 2007 peak levels for many brands, room rates are moving higher, improving hotel profitability and incentive fees," Sorenson said.

Marriott now expects its revenue per available room to increase 4 to 6 percent worldwide for the full year, down from its outlook last quarter for growth of 4 to 7 percent.

The company expects its annual earnings per share to be $1.92 to $2.03, slightly lower than Wall Street analysts' estimate of $2.04. Marriott's stock fell about 2.6 percent in after-hours trading. It gained 18 cents to $41.57 in the regular session.

Marriott doesn't own most of the hotels in its system but makes money off either managing or franchising its 18 brands. Those include Ritz-Carlton, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites and Renaissance.

Marriott added 43 new properties, with a total of 6,203 rooms, to its worldwide lodging portfolio in the quarter. Eighteen properties, with 3,225 rooms, exited the system. As of June 30, the company was responsible for 3,847 properties and timeshare resorts globally with more than 666,000 rooms.

The company's worldwide pipeline of hotels under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development increased to nearly 850 properties with more 140,000 rooms.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/marriott-posts-179m-profit-higher-occupancy-210142932.html

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Finger lickin' tortoise denied boarding in China

AFP - A tortoise was denied boarding at an airport in China after its owner's attempt to sneak it through security checks in a KFC burger failed, state media said Wednesday.

Security staff at Baiyun airport in the southern city of Guangzhou saw "suspicious corners" on X-ray images of a bag passing through security, the Guangzhou Daily reported.

They asked the passenger, identified only by his surname Li, to open the bag.

Li initially insisted there was "nothing but a burger" inside, but after persistent questioning admitted the KFC package contained a tortoise, it said.

He said he came up with the trick because he wanted to travel with his "beloved tortoise", the report added.

Chinese use the same character to refer to tortoises, turtles and terrapins and it was not clear what precise type of chelonian was involved.

Li had to leave the animal with a friend and fly to Beijing alone, the newspaper said.

China strengthened air security and banned passengers from carrying liquids exceeding certain limits on domestic flights in 2008 after it foiled an alleged attempt to deliberately crash a plane flying to Beijing from Urumqi, capital of the restive northwestern region of Xinjiang.

Source: http://www.france24.com/en/20130731-finger-lickin-tortoise-denied-boarding-china

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Pirates drill Cardinals 6-0 to sweep doubleheader

PITTSBURGH (AP) ? Forget about the best record in baseball, the lead in the NL Central and the buzz of a city giddily envisioning the end of two decades of despair.

After a euphoric doubleheader sweep of reeling St. Louis on Tuesday that propelled them to the top of the division, the Pittsburgh Pirates ? yes, the Pirates ? are ready to get greedy.

"We want more," manager Clint Hurdle said.

Keep pitching like this, and that shouldn't be a problem.

Three hours after Alex Presley's grounder caromed off the glove of St. Louis reliever Kevin Siegrist and rolled into shallow left field to give the Pirates a taut 2-1, 11-inning victory in the opener, the Pirates breezed to a 6-0 victory in the second game behind rookie starter Brandon Cumpton.

Working with usual Triple-A battery mate Tony Sanchez ? making his major league debut ? Cumpton (1-1) scattered three hits over seven innings to extend the Cardinals' losing streak to a season-high six straight games.

"Pitching inside has been my thing all year," Cumpton said. "I didn't want to get away from it. I wanted to force the issue."

All it did was compound the issues for St. Louis, which has scored all of five runs in the last 56 innings. Even worse, catcher Yadier Molina is likely headed to the disabled list after leaving in the top of the fourth inning of the second game with a sprained right knee.

The knee has been bothering the All-Star for weeks. An MRI earlier this month revealed inflammation. After trying to play through it, Molina believes the better course of action is some rest so he can be ready for the stretch drive.

"I'm a guy who wants to be on the field playing," Molina said. "But right now I need time."

The injury is the latest setback for a team that appeared the class of the majors at the All-Star break but now finds itself 1? games behind the resilient Pirates. The sweep pushed Pittsburgh to a season-high 22 games over .500 (64-42). The last time their record was this gaudy was 1992, which also happens to be the last time the beleaguered franchise reached the postseason.

It's a destination that appears well within the Pirates' reach, even if they opt to keep their wallets closed at Wednesday's trading deadline. A pitching staff that keeps topping itself has allowed the Pirates to overcome a series of injuries.

Cumpton didn't even spend any time with the big league club during spring training. On Tuesday he found himself polishing off arguably the biggest day at PNC Park since it opened in 2001.

"Coming out of spring, (Cumpton) was 13th on our starting pitching depth chart," Hurdle said. "You trust the people that are working with the players and they've been confident about Brandon's improvement."

It's a rise that took a little while longer than St. Louis rookie Tyler Lyons (2-4), though the right-hander has cooled off since winning his first two starts in spectacular fashion earlier this year.

Lyons gave up four runs, three earned, in six innings. He struck out five and walked one but received no help from a reeling offense and some sloppy play in the field.

A couple hours after Presley's slapper off Siegrist (0-1) won the opener, the fortuitous bounces kept on coming. The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the second when a rare passed ball by Molina let Jose Tabata sprint across the plate. Molina was done for the night in the top of the fourth when the right knee pain he's been battling for the better part of a month flared up again. He was replaced by Rob Johnson.

The absence of their leader further weakened the Cardinals, and things quickly fell apart.

While Cumpton kept the NL's top offense in check, Pittsburgh poured it on with a little help from St. Louis left fielder Matt Holliday. The Pirates took a 2-0 lead on Jordy Mercer's RBI single before McCutchen stepped in. He drilled Lyons' pitch deep to left but Holliday appeared ready to track it down at the wall. Instead, the ball popped off the heel of Holliday's glove and into the stands.

Lyons placed both hands on his head in shock while the packed bleachers let Holliday have it. Holliday's night didn't get any better an inning later when he overran Josh Harrison's flyball to the wall, allowing Harrison to make it all the way to third.

"It's a hard game," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "Our guys have been making a lot of good plays. Every once in a while there's tough ones you don't make."

Harrison never made it home, but by then Cumpton had all the backing he would require.

Cumpton needed just 87 pitches to get 21 outs. He received a loud ovation as he headed to the dugout, the latest in a series of unheralded Pirates pitchers to rise from obscurity and help propel the franchise into the midst of a pennant race.

The staff takes its cue from ace A.J. Burnett, who worked seven emotional innings in the opener. Burnett struck out nine and walked three while allowing one run on three hits. He was long gone, however, by the time Presley stepped in with Martin on in the 11th.

"It's a battle, it's fun," Burnett said. "Let's roll from here. Let's keep going."

NOTES: The series continues on Thursday. Adam Wainright (13-6, 2.51 ERA) starts for the Cardinals against Jeff Locke (9-3, 2.15) ... St. Louis sent struggling reliever Marc Rzepczynski to Cleveland on Tuesday in exchange for minor league infielder Juan Herrera. Rzepczynski had a 7.84 ERA in 10 1-3 innings this season with the Cardinals ... Pirates 2009 first-round pick Tony Sanchez went 0 for 3 with an RBI in his first major league start at catcher.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pirates-drill-cardinals-6-0-sweep-doubleheader-031643421.html

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Blood Pressure Swings Could Be Linked to Mental ... - Health.com

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) ? Wide fluctuations in blood pressure may be associated with memory and thinking difficulties in older adults already at high risk for heart disease, a new European study suggests.

Regardless of average blood pressure, ?high variability in blood pressure may lead to mental impairment,? said lead researcher Dr. Simon Mooijaart, director of the Institute for Evidence-Based Medicine in Old Age in Leiden, the Netherlands.

The three-year study, published July 30 in the online edition of the BMJ, involved more than 5,000 seniors, average age 75.

Fluctuating blood pressure has previously been linked with an increased risk of stroke, and evidence is mounting that factors that disrupt blood flow to the brain contribute to dementia?s development and progression, the researchers noted.

However, because the study shows only an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship, Mooijaart cautioned that it is still too early to make definitive claims about blood pressure inconsistency and mental decline.

?It?s an interesting association, because it might very well be causal,? he said. If it is causal, controlling these fluctuations with blood pressure medication might help reduce the risk of dementia, Mooijaart added. But further research is needed, the study authors noted.

?It?s very important to keep your vasculature healthy to prevent detrimental effects to your body,? Mooijaart said.

Another heart expert agreed.

?Variability in blood pressure readings has been shown to be associated with greater risk of heart attack and stroke, independent of average blood pressure readings,? said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a spokesman for the American Heart Association.

Blood pressure medications can reduce fluctuations and lower the risk of cardiovascular events, stroke and, some studies suggest, decline in mental function, he added.

?Physicians and patients with hypertension should increase focus on keeping blood pressure levels consistently at goal levels minimizing, to the extent possible, fluctuations in blood pressure,? Fonarow said.

To gauge the effect of blood pressure changes on mental ability, Mooijaart?s team collected data on more than 5,400 men and women, aged 70 to 82, who took part in the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk. That study, conducted by centers in Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, looked at whether lowering cholesterol protected people at risk for heart disease.

Over three years of follow-up, participants? blood pressure was checked every three months. Researchers looked at the variability in those readings and tested participants? mental functioning. Specific tests evaluated attention, reaction time and memory.

Mooijaart?s team found that people whose blood pressure varied from visit to visit performed worse on all of the tests than those with stable readings. These results persisted after the researchers accounted for cardiovascular disease and average blood pressure.

But Mooijaart said it isn?t clear whether blood pressure variability is a cause or consequence of impaired mental function.

Several explanations may exist for this connection, he said. It?s possible that blood pressure variability and mental impairment both result from cardiovascular risk factors. Or blood pressure variability might be a sign of long-term instability in blood flow to vital organs. Another possibility is that blood pressure fluctuations could deprive the brain of blood, which might lead to poorer mental functioning, Mooijaart noted.

More information

For more information on blood pressure, visit the American Heart Association.

Source: http://news.health.com/2013/07/30/blood-pressure-swings-could-be-linked-to-mental-decline-study/

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Nintendo brings not-so-stealthy black 3DS XL to North America on August 11th

Looking for a (slightly) less conspicuous take on the 3DS XL? If you live in the US or Canada, you'll get it when the all-black version of Nintendo's giant handheld reaches those countries on August 11th. Don't expect any bonuses with the subtler color, though. The darker-hued 3DS XL costs the same $200 as before, and it's virtually identical to the Japanese version that launched last fall. It's shipping at the same time as Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, however, which makes it a decent consolation prize for gamers who can't get a Luigi edition 3DS LL to call their own.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Nintendo

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Nintendo

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/30/nintendo-black-3ds-xl-north-america/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Fresh signs of life in Asia debt markets

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Source: www.ft.com --- Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Baidu issues first $1bn Chinese corporate bond since May, the second Chinese bond this week and the latest indication Asian activity is picking up ...

Source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/654f1eee-f9b0-11e2-98e0-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=published_links/rss/markets_emerging/feed//product

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76ers Hope To Remain Active With Most Cap Space In NBA

The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to continue to be active in?rebuilding?their roster and have the ability to facilitate trades due to having the most cap space in the NBA.

"We will be an attractive trading partner for teams around the league all year - not just for players, but for the cap room that we have," Sam Hinkie said.

The 76ers are approximately $16.6 million under the cap for this season and could have as much as $36 million available next summer.

"That kind of flexibility will give us real options," Hinkie said.

Source: http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/229190/76ers-Hope-To-Remain-Active-With-Most-Cap-Space-In-NBA

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