Links for 1/12. The best stories in economics, energy, investing and other remarkable news..

BBC News – MPs call for ‘32% salary increase’

Growth and renewal in the Swedish economy | McKinsey Global Institute | Europe / Middle East / Africa | McKinsey & Company

BBC News – Cheap smartphones global market grows

BBC News – Cardiff Blues: Jason Tovey’s puppy eats his passport

MIT economist Josh Angrist’s natural experiments uncover what makes some schools better than others. | MIT Technology Review

Confidence in Southern European Banks Rising in Sign of Crisis Hope – SPIEGEL ONLINE

Rejection Therapy: A Hundred Days of ‘No’ – Businessweek

Hands-on with Corning’s bendable Willow Glass (exclusive) | CES 2013: Smartphones – CNET Blogs

Best of CES 2013: Razer Edge | Best of CES 2013 – CNET Blogs

Electric Solar Sail Technology Moving Forward, “Impossible To Create” Electric Sail Tether Produced – CleanTechnica

Five Brutal Years Teach Investors to Sit Tight – Businessweek

India’s Educated Women Face a Conservative Backlash – Businessweek

Ultra HD TVs stole the show at CES 2013, but they’re just part of the puzzle

The making of a businessman: How Al Gore got rich – CBS News

Little tweaks add up to big changes – CBS News

BBC News – Who, What, Why: Why do criminals smuggle garlic?

BBC News – Haiti quake: Why isn’t aid money going to Haitians?