Germany sees tax intake $22.3 billion higher (AP)

BERLIN ? Germany expects its tax take this year to come in euro16.2 billion ($22.3 billion) higher than previously forecast, which should help the country balance its budget by 2016 at the latest, the government said Friday.

The new tax projection forecasts a total German tax take this year of euro571.2 billion ? up from the euro555 billion estimated in May.

"It's a result of very, very solid growth this year," Deputy Finance Minister Steffen Kampeter said. "But the overarching and long-term goal ... is that we aim at balancing the budget by 2016."

Referring to the eurozone's debt woes and the pressure on many governments to bring their budgets under control, Kampeter said "Germany demands discipline from many countries, therefore we also have to always be a model."

The 2011 projection was already revised upward in May, and the new estimate provides the government further leeway to cut its 2011 budget deficit down from an expected euro48 billion to "less than half" of that, Kampeter said.

That would bring the deficit down to about 1 percent of GDP ? well below the 3 percent deficit ceiling mandated by the eurozone.

As growth in Germany's economy ? Europe's biggest ? shows signs of slowing, the Finance Ministry expects next year's tax take to be only slightly higher than projected in May, up by euro7.4 billion to euro584.6 billion.

For the years 2011 through 2015 the government's new estimate expects a combined euro39.5 billion of additional tax take compared with the May projection.

"Germany remains Europe's anchor of stability with its solid fiscal and economic policies," Economy Minister Philip Roesler said in a statement.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right coalition recently announced plans to ease the problem of small increases in income being eaten up by earners moving into higher tax brackets starting 2013.

It hasn't yet determined how to do that. The coalition has squabbled on and off for nearly two years over whether and how to deliver on pledges of tax relief.

Anton Boerner, the head of the country's BGA exporters association, called on the government to swiftly implement those "long overdue" tax cuts.

But Germany's main opposition party, the Social Democrats, said tax cuts "would be irresponsible" given the current uncertain economic outlook for the coming years.

The party's finance expert Joachim Poss added the government cannot cut taxes while it tries to convince the 17-nation eurozone to follow Germany's lead in adopting constitutional amendments requiring a balanced budget within years.

A new poll showed that Germans would like the government to cut taxes ? but when asked whether the priority should be to reduce the country's deficit or the tax burden, only 28 percent insisted on lowering taxes, with 62 percent saying the priority must be cutting the deficit.

The poll by public broadcaster ARD published late Thursday surveyed 1,002 Germans and had a margin of error of up to plus or minus 3.1 points.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/eurobiz/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111104/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_germany_government_finances

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Logitech unveils the Mini Boombox: Rocking and talking via Bluetooth for $99

Logitech Mini Boombox

Logitech has announced a new little Bluetooth speaker that in addition to handling music and media playback also serves as a speakerphone for honest-to-goodness phone calls. Logitech's specs only mention the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch as being supported, but we're willing to bet our lowly Android smartphones will work as well.

The Mini Boombox has an internal battery (recharable via miniUSB) that claims to have up to 10 hours' playback time. It's got backlit controls via a touch panel on top of the speaker, an on-off switch, line in, and the whole thing is small enough to be palmed one-handed.

It's available for preorder for $99 and is expected to ship sometime this month.

Source: Logitech

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/FTsckrH9SyE/logitech-unveils-mini-boombox-rocking-and-talking-bluetooth-99

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Review: Why I bought an iPhone 4S (AP)

SAN FRANCISCO ? I felt nervous and a little giddy sidling up to the counter at the Apple Store on the first day the new iPhone went on sale last month.

I'd just given the iPhone 4S a rave review, and I was going to buy one for myself. It was about to be my first iPhone and only my second smartphone.

I was a little freaked out.

I hadn't bought a cellphone since October 2008, when I got the first phone running Google's Android software, the G1, on its first day on sale. Since then, I've reviewed scores of phones for The Associated Press, and I've given personal recommendations to friends and family.

When it came to opening my own wallet, though, it got a lot harder: There were so many great phones out there, but none that had it all. I'm sure I'm not the only person who's had trouble deciding.

I really liked the G1 at first and because it never died, I kept using it. But over the years, smartphones have moved light years ahead. I granted it a new lease on life in January by replacing its battery, but with sluggish performance, tired features and an inability to run many newer apps, I knew time was running out.

It wasn't just the phone. It was also the phone's service plan with T-Mobile.

I've been a loyal T-Mobile customer for years. I've stuck with it when my first apartment in New York lacked coverage and again when I moved to a San Francisco apartment where I have to practically stick my head out the window to get a signal. But that was getting tiring.

I wanted a hot, new phone and reliable service to go with it.

As a gadget reviewer, you'd think it would be easy for me to pick out a new cellphone. I know what's out there, and I have access to the top devices. At any given time, I have a disturbing number of "loaner" smartphones crowding my desk, waiting to be reviewed or sent back to a handset maker or wireless carrier.

As it turns out, this made it even harder to make a decision. Part of me felt paralyzed by choice, while another part of me felt no existing phone had everything on my wish list of features. I also hesitated knowing that anything I bought would soon be replaced by a newer model.

On top of all that, I felt anxious about signing a new two-year service contract. I'd been going month to month with the G1 for almost a year. I was fearful that if I committed now, I'd miss out on a better phone over the next two years ? one packed with more goodies from my wish list.

I wanted it all. I wanted design and ease of use like the iPhone, but with an operating system that's more flexible, like Android. I didn't want a physical keyboard, but I longed for a good on-screen keyboard. I wanted the ability to use third-party keyboard software like Swype for fast typing, something I couldn't do with an iPhone. I also desired an awesome touch screen and a built-in camera that could take the place of my trusty, yet older-model digital camera.

Also, it had to work well in my home and office.

When the iPhone 4 came out last June, it had much of what I wanted, but I wasn't completely swayed. I also held off because it was still only available with AT&T's network, so it would barely work in my apartment.

When the iPhone came to Verizon Wireless this February, I was more tempted by that network's reliability. But I figured I could hold out until June, when Apple typically announces a new iPhone. I figured a new iPhone would have an even better camera and processor and other features besides those. So I waited.

When it became clear a new iPhone wouldn't be coming until the fall, I waited some more.

By the summer, my G1 was looking sadder and sadder. After reviewing the excellent T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide, I almost gave in and bought one for myself, but I didn't want a physical keyboard or two more years of being tied to my service provider.

Finally, the iPhone 4S was announced in October. I reviewed it and was impressed enough with the hardware and new software to brave the launch day crowds and get a white 16-gigabyte model that runs on Verizon Wireless' network. It cost me $199 and will tie me up with the carrier for two years.

Now, several weeks later, I'm happy with my decision.

The iPhone 4S isn't perfect. I really wish, for example, that Apple would let outside developers offer keyboard apps for the device. Yet it's a fast, fantastic smartphone. Despite complaints from other users that they've been experiencing poor battery life, I haven't noticed any problems so far. And Verizon's service, while costlier than what I had with T-Mobile, is reliable for calls and transferring data.

One of my favorite parts of the device is Siri, the built-in "personal assistant" that responds to your voice in a soothing, robotic female tone. It can do everything from scheduling meetings to texting friends to telling you how many calories you'll burn if you bike 100 miles (4,455, assuming you're a 159-pound male).

Most impressive to me are the little things. For instance, if I ask her midday to set an alarm for 7 o'clock, Siri knows I mean 7 p.m. (she'd set it for 7 a.m. if I issued the same order in the evening). I've used voice-recognition software before, but never anything like this.

Weirdly, I often find myself saying "thank you" after Siri completes a task, almost as if she were a friend doing me a favor (her responses range from "that's nice of you to say" to "your wish is my command.")

I'm digging the organizational features, such as the Notification Center, which gives me a quick glance at missed calls, appointments, weather and more when I swipe down on the screen.

Also, the camera is great. At a recent Portishead concert, I was able to snap plenty of detailed shots very quickly, even in the low light of an outdoor evening show.

Not long after I switched, I got a tempting offer in the mail from T-Mobile. Come back to us, it pleaded, and we'll give you any smartphone for free.

For a moment, I imagined returning to T-Mobile's welcoming arms and snagging a new Android smartphone. I'd pick an expensive one, naturally, as the letter said I could have any one I wanted. The iPhone's not for everyone, I reminded myself, and there are plenty of people who are happy with other handsets.

Then I remembered why I switched to Apple's gadget ? and changed networks ? in the first place.

Most people won't get their hands on as many phones as I have as a gadget reviewer, but chances are they share my desire for getting the best product at the best price.

For my money, the iPhone 4S gives me the right combination of brains, beauty and reliable service.

And so, I set the letter aside and got back to playing around with my new iPhone.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111102/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_digital_life_tech_test_phone_shopping

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100 lawmakers to debt panel: Consider all options (AP)

WASHINGTON ? About 40 House Republicans have joined some 60 Democrats in pressing Congress' special debt reduction committee to consider all options, including higher revenues, and shoot for $4 trillion in savings.

Their letter puts about one-sixth of House GOP lawmakers on record as saying the supercommittee should consider collecting more taxes to help shrink the enormous national debt, now at $14.8 trillion. Most Republicans have strongly opposed raising revenues to address the problem.

"To succeed, all options for mandatory and discretionary spending and revenues must be on the table," according to the letter obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press.

With a deadline three weeks away, the evenly divided, 12-member committee has shown few signs of progress. Democrats have demanded higher taxes as their price for accepting significant savings from benefit programs such as Medicare, but have been rebuffed by Republicans who oppose tax increases.

The letter, to be released later Wednesday, also urges the committee to aim well beyond its official goal of finding at least $1.2 trillion in savings over a decade.

"We know from other bipartisan frameworks that a target of some $4 trillion in deficit reduction is necessary to stabilize our debt as a share of the economy and assure America's fiscal well-being," the letter says.

Bipartisan budget experts who have produced plans for reducing the debt have urged the committee to produce at least $4 trillion in savings. They say doing less would not significantly alter the long-term financial nightmare the government faces, in which federal red ink continues growing at a faster rate than the U.S. economy.

A partial list of the letters' signers shows many moderates from both parties. There's a range, too, from conservative Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., who has had tea party support, to liberal Peter Welch, D-Vt.

Others who signed on include Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democratic leader and Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., one of this year's 87 House freshmen. Reps. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., and Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, organized the letter.

"We know that many in Washington and around the country do not believe we in the Congress and those within your committee can successfully meet this challenge. We believe that we can and we must," the letter says.

In an interview, Loomis said that while she would prefer to reduce the debt without raising taxes, "This is not an ideal world." She said the national debt is a problem created by Republicans and Democrats, and both parties must solve it. She said she is not "an absolute `hell no' person when it comes to considering all options."

Like all nine Republicans on a partial list of the letter's signers, Loomis has signed the pledge by anti-tax activist Grover Norquist to oppose tax increases. Loomis said she did so when she was first elected in 2008, but did not sign it last year.

"Grover Norquist is not in my district," she said. "I represent the state of Wyoming and its people."

Norquist did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

There are approximately 60 Democrats on the letter, showing that nearly one-third of House Democrats say they are willing to cull savings from benefit programs as part of a debt-cutting deal. Republicans have insisted that these huge and fast-growing programs, also called entitlements, must be targeted heavily.

"Those of us who are the strongest supporters of entitlement programs have to be at the table to guarantee sustainability," Welch said in an interview. "If we stand on the sidelines, those programs will be in enormous jeopardy."

The committee faces a Nov. 23 deadline for proposing at least $1.2 trillion in savings over 10 years. So far, it has made little apparent progress.

If Congress doesn't approve a plan by Dec. 23, $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts would start taking effect in 2013.

"Our country needs our honest, bipartisan judgment and our political courage. Your committee has been given a unique opportunity and authority to act. We are prepared to support you in this effort," the letter concludes.

___

Online:

Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction: http://www.deficitreduction.gov/public

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111102/ap_on_go_co/us_debt_supercommittee

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Duke Nukem 3D for Android now available; we go hands-on

Duke Nukem 3D
[Insert witty Duke Nukem soundboard item here]

He's back, baby. Duke Nukem 3D, the classic first-person shooter, is finally available on Android. It's everything you'd expect it to be, which is to say it's an extremely faithful port. If you've ever played Duke Nukem, you're right at home here. Same snide remarks, same point of view, same guns, same monsters.

Gameplay's fast -- almost too fast. The simple graphics don't allow much room for lag, which is good. But the screen's also pretty cluttered with buttons -- doubly so if you use dual-stick mode. But you can move the controls around, so that'll help some.

The game is a fairly big 27MB download. But for all those MBs, you only get one episode to play -- L.A. Meltdown. Lunar Apocalypse and Shrapnel City will each cost you another 99 cents. And that's on top of the ads that show up on the menus. Not a huge deal, but it's something to be aware of.

Otherwise, it's pretty straightforward. Not the best game we've seen on Android. But for 99 cents worth of nostalgia, it ain't bad.

Check out a few more screen shots, download links and our hands-on footage after the break.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/IjBFTdMijiI/story01.htm

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Mexico: Video threatens to disclose Zetas allies

VERACRUZ, Mexico (AP) ? An Internet video is threatening Mexico's Zetas drug cartel with exposure of its allies in the local police and news media this week unless the gang frees a kidnapped member of the international hacker movement known as "Anonymous."

The YouTube message, which claims to be from Anonymous "Veracruz, Mexico and the world," says it is "tired of the criminal group the Zetas, which is dedicated to kidnapping, stealing and extortion," and threatens to fight back with information instead of weapons.

It said it knows of police officers, journalists, taxi drivers and others working with the Zetas.

The video refers to an unidentified person kidnapped in the coastal city of Veracruz, and says: "You have made a great mistake by taking one of us. Free him."

The hacker group, which has claimed responsibility for attacks on corporate and government websites worldwide, supposedly will act Friday if the kidnapped activist is not freed or is harmed, according to the message.

"We cannot defend ourselves with weapons, but we can with their cars, houses, bars," the message adds, apparently alluding to properties owned by cartel supporters. "It's not difficult. We know who they are and where they are are."

"Information is free," it says. "We do not forgive. We do not forget."

An official with the Veracruz state attorney general's office, who could not be named because he was not authorized to speak on the record, said the office could not confirm video's authenticity or the case of the kidnapping.

Veracruz, an oil state on the Gulf of Mexico with a major port of the same name, has seen a spike in drug violence in recent months in what authorities say is a battle between the Zetas drug cartel, which has controlled the territory for at least a year, and its rivals. Dozens of bodies have been showing up in recent weeks, including the dumping of 35 last month on a main highway in rush-hour traffic in the city of Boca del Rio.

Two other Internet postings since July have announced the arrival of group that calls itself the "Mata Zetas," or Zeta Killers, who authorities say are likely aligned with the powerful Sinaloa Cartel. Others have raised questions about whether the group's members are vigilantes or other rogue bands taking justice into their own hands against the Zetas.

The new message, presented by someone wearing a theater mask that is a trademark of Anonymous, was reportedly uploaded to websites early this month, but was first reported Friday on the website of the global intelligence think tank Stratfor.

Stratfor, in its analysis of the video, said anyone exposed by Anonymous as a Zetas collaborator ? accurately or not ? would be targeted by rival gangs, and the Zetas could respond by attacking Internet activists even if they are not affiliated with Anonymous.

Three people have been killed recently in the northern states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas by suspected Zetas who apparently believed the victims used the Internet to spread information about the gang.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-10-30-LT-Mexico-Hackers-Threat/id-6486dd4358f84447bd0302a83fd2e542

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Credit Suisse to cut 1,500 jobs after weak Q3 (AP)

GENEVA ? Switzerland's second-biggest bank Credit Suisse Group AG said Tuesday it will trim its staff by a further 1,500 globally and reorganize its securities unit despite reporting a modest uptick in year-on-year third quarter profits.

The bank, which currently employs about 50,700 staff around the world announced the 3 percent across-the-board job cuts by the end of 2013 ? on top of earlier plans to trim back 2,000 jobs ? as it reported a net profit of 683 million Swiss francs ($785 million). Though that was 12 percent from last year's equivalent of 609 million francs, the boost came from a one-off accounting gain.

The improvement was not as big as many in the markets had been expected. Some analysts had predicted that Credit Suisse might report earnings of about 900 million francs ($1 billion) or more this quarter.

Shares of Credit Suisse had plunged more than 9 percent to 23.23 francs in Swiss trading early Tuesday.

The company admitted the results were disappointing.

"The performance was below our expectations," chief financial officer David Mathers told reporters.

He said the "incremental 3 percent reductions" would fall evenly across divisions. The bank increased its cost savings target from the staff cuts to 2 billion Swiss francs ($2.3 billion), but said those would not be fully realized until during 2014.

In July, the bank reported it would eliminate more than 2,000 jobs after quarterly profits dropped by half due to a strong Swiss franc and a plunge in trading and investment banking earnings.

Chief executive Brady Dougan said the third quarter presented "a challenging environment with a high degree of uncertainty, low levels of client activity across businesses and extreme market volatility."

Despite warning that these challenges could persist, he said the bank was well-positioned to boost growth and record a "stronger performance as economic and market conditions improve."

The Zurich-based bank also said it incurred 291 million francs in restructuring charges. And it has yet to close the book on a U.S. tax evasion probe and announced that it had set aside 295 million francs in connection with that matter. In addition, it said it had set aside 183 million francs (euros150 million) in connection with a German tax probe.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/earnings/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111101/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_switzerland_earns_credit_suisse

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Link between fungus and bat epidemic confirmed

Monday, October 31, 2011

Bats in North America are under attack. Since 2006, more than a million have been killed. Little has been done to save them, because there has not been enough evidence to implicate the suspect?until now.

A study has discovered that the fungus Geomyces destructans is the causal agent of White-nose Syndrome (WNS), the fungal disease decimating the bat population.

The study is coauthored by Justin Boyles, a post-doctoral research associate in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a team led by David Blehert at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center together with Jeffrey Lorch, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. WNS is dubbed so because affected bats develop halos of white fungus around their muzzles. The symptoms of WNS include loss of body fat, unusual winter behavior, lesions to the wing membranes, and death.

The findings are published in the latest edition of Nature.

G. destructans has been thought to be the likely culprit, because the skin lesions characteristic of the disease are associated with colonization of the fungus. Still, the role of G. destructans in WNS has remained controversial, because evidence proving the fungus as the primary cause of the disease was lacking.

"Many assumed that fungal infections in mammals only occur if some other pathogen has already weakened the immune system," said Boyles. "Additionally, the recent discovery that G. destructans commonly colonizes the skin of bats in Europe with no major die-offs generated speculation that other unidentified factors are the primary cause of WNS."

To put the speculation to rest, the researchers set up an experiment to see if G. destructans causes WNS. They housed healthy little brown bats in a laboratory under hibernation conditions and treated them with G. destructans. Exposure to the fungus caused WNS in the healthy bats. They also found that WNS can be transmitted from infected bats to healthy bats through direct contact.

"This information can be very useful to managers in their efforts to contain the spread of the disease," said Boyles. "These results provide the first direct evidence that G. destructans is the causal agent of WNS and that the recent emergence of WNS in North America suggests the fungus is new to the continent and the bats here have not developed immunity to the disease."

The researchers are hopeful the findings will allow land managers and reseachers to focus efforts on solutions that may slow the spread of the fungus to new bat populations.

"By illustrating that the fungus causes WNS, we are taking an instrumental step in clarifying how this disease develops and how to control it," said Boyles. "We hope our findings are useful in guiding management actions to preserve bat populations against this novel and devastating threat."

###

University of Tennessee at Knoxville: http://www.tennessee.edu

Thanks to University of Tennessee at Knoxville for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/114769/Link_between_fungus_and_bat_epidemic_confirmed

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Japan intervenes to curb yen strength (Reuters)

TOKYO (Reuters) ? The dollar spiked to a three-month high against the yen on Monday after Japan intervened in the currency markets to stem the yen's rise.

In a matter of minutes the dollar spiked as high as 78.36 yen, the highest level since August 8, having hit another all-time low of 75.31 yen on EBS earlier in Asian trade.

Last week the dollar fell to fresh lows against the yen several times prompting Japanese officials to warn markets of the possibility of intervention.

(Reporting by Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111031/ts_nm/us_markets_forex

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Court ends Qantas strike, fleet grounding

Qantas Airways could begin returning its grounded fleet to the skies as early a Monday after an Australian court intervened in a bitter labor dispute by ending strikes and canceling a staff lock out.

The arbitration court ruling Monday is a major victory in the airline's battle with unions whose rolling strikes have forced to cancellation of 600 flights in recent months, disrupted the travel for 70,000 passengers and cost Qantas 70 million Australian dollars ($75 million).

But the surprise grounding of all 108 planes on Saturday, at a cost of $20 million a day, has hurt the Australian flagship's reputation among the tens of thousand of passengers who have been stranded around the world.

"We will be getting our aircraft back up in the air as soon as we possibly can," CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement within an hour of his court victory 2 a.m. Monday.

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A limited flight schedule could begin Monday afternoon with the approval of aviation regulators, he said.

The Australian government, angered by a lack of warning of the grounding, called an emergency court hearing on Saturday night to end the work bans for the sake of the national economy.

The arbitration court heard more than 14 hours of testimony from the airline, the government and unions after the government. Workers have held rolling strikes and refused overtime work for weeks out of worry that some of Qantas' 35,000 jobs would be moved overseas in a restructuring plan.

The unions wanted a temporary suspension of the employee lockout, but the airline said the strikes had been too devastating and it needed certainty to continue operating.

Tribunal President Geoffrey Giudice said the panel decided a temporary suspension would still risk Qantas' grounding its fleet in the future and would not protect the tourism and aviation industry from damage.

"We decided that in the particular circumstances of this case which on the evidence include the particular vulnerability of the tourism industry to uncertainty, suspension will not provide sufficient protection against the risk of significant damage to the tourism industry and aviation," Giudice said.

Qantas is the largest of Australia's four national domestic airlines, and the grounding affected 108 planes in 22 countries.

About 70,000 passengers fly Qantas daily, and would-be fliers this weekend were stuck at home, hotels, airports or even had to suddenly deplane when Qantas suspended operations. More than 60 flights were in the air at the time but flew to their destinations, and Qantas was paying for passengers to book other flights.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said before the panel ruled that the airline could be flying again within hours of a decision. He had estimated the grounding would cost the carrier $20 million a day.

German tourist Michael Messmann was trying to find a way home from Singapore on Sunday. He and his wife spent five weeks traveling around Australia but found their connecting flight home to Frankfurt suddenly canceled.

"I don't know the details of the dispute, but it seems like a severe reaction by the airline to shut down all their flights. That seems a bit extreme," said Messmann, 68. "After five weeks of traveling, we just want to go home."

Australian business traveler Graeme Yeatman sided with the airline, even though he was also trying to find a new flight home to Sydney on Sunday after his flight was canceled.

"I think the unions have too much power over Qantas. Even though this is an inconvenience for me, I'm glad the airline is drawing a line in the sand," said Yeatman, 41.

The airline infuriated unions in August when it said it would improve its loss-making overseas business by creating an Asia-based airline with its own name and brand. The five-year restructure plan will cost 1,000 jobs.

Qantas said in August it had more than doubled annual profit to AU$250 million but warned that the business environment was too challenging to forecast earnings for the current fiscal year.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45087583/ns/travel-news/

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