Singapore arrests Indian boy over Facebook bomb threat

Singapore arrests Indian boy over Facebook bomb threat

Singapore arrests Indian boy over Facebook bomb threat

Singapore police on Tuesday arrested a 13-year-old Indian boy for posting a Facebook message in which he allegedly threatened to bomb a luxury casino resort in the city-state.The unnamed boy vowed to take "a big big revenge", "spit everywhere" and "plant bombs on Marina Bay Sands", a major tourist attraction, on the day he leaves Singapore, according to The Straits Times.

Police said the boy, a student of the Global Indian International School, was arrested under the Breach of Prohibition Against False Threats of Terrorist Acts, with reports saying that the Facebook posting had been taken down.The offence is punishable by a maximum of five years in jail or a fine of up to Sg$100,000 ($82,000), or both.In 2009, a Singaporean man suffering from depression was jailed for five years for sending hoax email messages warning of terror plots against airlines, the Pentagon and the White House.
In 2012, a Chinese university student was fined for calling Singaporeans "dogs" on a blogsite and an Australian woman was fired by a Singaporean employer for remarks disparaging the local Malay Muslim minority on her Facebook page.

Analysis: Economy would dodge bullet for now under fiscal deal

Analysis: Economy would dodge bullet for now under fiscal deal

Analysis: Economy would dodge bullet for now under fiscal deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A deal worked out by U.S. Senate leaders to avoid the "fiscal cliff," was far from any "grand bargain" of deficit reduction measures.But if approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, it could help the country steer clear of recession, although enough austerity would remain in place to likely keep the economy growing at a lackluster pace.The Senate approved a last-minute deal early Tuesday morning to scale back $600 billion in scheduled tax hikes and government spending cuts that economists widely agree would tip the economy into recession.The deal would hike taxes permanently for household incomes over $450,000 a year, but keep existing lower rates in force for everyone else.

It would make permanent the alternative minimum tax "patch" that was set to expire, protecting middle-income Americans from being taxed as if they were rich.

Scheduled cuts in defense and non-defense spending were simply postponed for two months.

Economists said that if the emerging package were to become law, it would represent at least a temporary reprieve for the economy. "This keeps us out of recession for now," said Menzie Chinn, an economist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.The contours of the deal suggest that roughly one-third of the scheduled fiscal tightening could still take place, said Brett Ryan, an economist at Deutsche Bank in New York.

That is in line with what many financial firms on Wall Street and around the world have been expecting, suggesting forecasts for economic growth of around 1.9 percent for 2013 would likely hold.

At midnight Monday, low tax rates enacted under then-President George W. Bush in 2001 and 2003 expired. If the House agrees with the Senate - and there remained considerable doubt on that score - the new rates would be extended retroactively.

Otherwise, together with other planned tax hikes, the average household would pay an estimated $3,500 more in taxes, according to the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank. Budget experts expect the economy would take a hit as families cut back on spending.Provisions in the Senate bill would avoid scheduled cuts to jobless benefits and to payments to doctors under a federal health insurance program.

AUSTERITY'S BITE

Like the consensus of economists from Wall Street and beyond, Deutsche Bank has been forecasting enough fiscal drag to hold back growth to roughly 1.9 percent in 2013. Ryan said the details of the deal appeared to support that forecast.That would be much better than the 0.5 percent contraction predicted by the Congressional Budget Office if the entirety of the fiscal cliff took hold, but it would fall short of what is needed to quickly heal the labor market, which is still smarting from the 2007-09 recession."We continue to anticipate a significant economic slowdown at the start of the year in response to fiscal drag and a contentious fiscal debate," economists at Nomura said in a research note.

In particular, analysts say financial markets are likely to remain on tenterhooks until Congress raises the nation's $16.4 trillion debt ceiling, which the U.S. Treasury confirmed had been reached on Monday.

While the Bush tax cuts would be made permanent for many Americans under the budget deal, a two-year-long payroll tax holiday enacted to give the economy an extra boost would expire. The Tax Policy Center estimates this could push the average household tax bill up by about $700 next year.The suspension of spending cuts sets up a smaller fiscal cliff later in the year which still could be enough to send the economy into recession, said Chinn.He warned that ongoing worries about the possibility of recession could keep businesses from investing, which would hinder economic growth."You retain the uncertainty," Chinn said.

The Winners and Losers of the Kim Kardashian-Kanye West Pregnancy

The Winners and Losers of the Kim Kardashian-Kanye West Pregnancy

The Winners and Losers of the Kim Kardashian-Kanye West Pregnancy

Not to be outdone by the Brits, American royalty Kanye West and Kim Kardashian will be having a baby, the rapper announced at a concert Sunday. His girlfriend's publicist later confirmed the news. This is certainly joyous news for both their families--the Kardashian clan took to the Twitters to express its excitement. But not everyone will be celebrating the news of the Kimye Kid.

Losers

Midori Liquor- For years Kim Kardashian didn't drink, but she began treating herself to a cocktail or two after her 30th birthday. Coincidentally, around this time, she also signed a deal to be the face of Midori, a green liqueur, appearing in ads and hosting Midori-sponsored bashes. Kim will have to put the Midori sour down while she's preggers. Perhaps she can find some baby formula to peddle instead.
Khloe Kardashian- Khloe has already tweeted her joy about her sister's pregnancy, and there is no reason to doubt her support. But Khloe and basketball player husband Lamar Odom have had their own, well-televised issues with getting pregnant. Kim's news, in addition to sister Kourtney's growing brood, will increase the pressure Khloe is feeling with her fertility struggles.

Kris Humphries- Since his 72-day marriage to Kim fell apart last year—all in front of E!'s television cameras—their divorce has dragged on. That Kanye impregnated Kim without even putting an engagement ring on her finger is a slap to Humphries' oversized face, and the announcement comes days after Humphries was sidelined a couple of games for the Brooklyn Nets due to an abdominal injury.

Winners

E!-The station that brought you Kourtney Kardashian pulling her baby out of her own womb will most likely present the Kimye pregnancy and birth in a similarly outrageous fashion. And unlike the reported $15 million deal to broadcast Kim's wedding to Kris Humphries, babies cannot be undone.Kris Jenner- The ultimate stage mom has much to gain if she can line up various marketing deals and endorsements for her pregnant daughter. Our guesses? A Dash maternity line, a Quick Trim lose-the-baby-weight program, Skechers baby shoes, and Kim Kardashian Perfume baby wipes. Kanye can jump on the money train by releasing his own rap nursery rhyme.
  
Blue Ivy- Playdates are in order for the Kimye kid and Blue Ivy, the nearly one-year-old daughter of Beyonce Knowles and Jay Z, Kanye's recording buddy. Blue Ivy has two ways she can play this: she can embrace the Kanye and Kim's child with open arms, and the two can be the next Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie. Or Blue can give them the Beyonce cold shoulder, and the two could become the ultimate rap royalty progeny rivals, a la Paris and Nicole post-friendship break up. Either way will sell a lot of tabloids.

Same-sex couples marry in Md. as law goes into effect

Same-sex couples marry in Md. as law goes into effect

Same-sex couples marry in Md. as law goes into effect

BALTIMORE (AP) — Same-sex couples in Maryland were greeted with cheers and noisemakers held over from New Year's Eve parties, as gay marriage became legal in the first southern state on New Year's Day.
James Scales, 68, who has worked for the Baltimore mayor's office for 25 years, was married to William Tasker, 60, on Tuesday shortly after midnight by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake inside City Hall.
 
"It's just so hard to believe it's happening," Scales said shortly before marrying his partner of 35 years.
Six other same-sex couples also were being married at City Hall. Ceremonies were taking place in other parts of the state as well.The ceremonies follow a legislative fight that pitted Gov. Martin O'Malley against leaders of his Catholic faith. Voters in the state, founded by Catholics in the 17th century, sealed the change by approving a November ballot question."There is no human institution more sacred than that of the one that you are about to form," Rawlings-Blake said during the brief ceremony. "True marriage, true marriage, is the dearest of all earthly relationships."

Same-sex couples in Maryland have been able to get marriage licenses since Dec. 6, but they did not take effect until Tuesday.In 2011, same-sex marriage legislation passed in the state Senate but stalled in the House of Delegates. O'Malley hadn't made the issue a key part of his 2011 legislative agenda, but indicated that summer that he was considering backing a measure similar to New York's law, which includes exemptions for religious organizations.Shortly after, Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore wrote to O'Malley that same-sex marriage went against the governor's faith."As advocates for the truths we are compelled to uphold, we speak with equal intensity and urgency in opposition to your promoting a goal that so deeply conflicts with your faith, not to mention the best interests of our society," wrote O'Brien, who served as archbishop of the nation's first diocese from October 2007 to August 2011.

The governor was not persuaded. He held a news conference in July 2011 to announce that he would make same-sex marriage a priority in the 2012 legislative session. He wrote back to the archbishop that "when shortcomings in our laws bring about a result that is unjust, I have a public obligation to try to change that injustice."The measure, with exemptions for religious organizations that choose not to marry gay couples, passed the House of Delegates in February in a close vote. O'Malley signed it in March. Opponents then gathered enough signatures to put the bill to a statewide vote, and it passed with 52 percent in favor.
Voters in Maine and Washington state also approved same-sex marriage at the ballot box in November. In total, nine states and the District of Columbia have approved same-sex marriage. The other states are Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.

Senate approves deal to avoid worst of ‘fiscal cliff’

Senate approves deal to avoid worst of ‘fiscal cliff’

Senate approves deal to avoid worst of ‘fiscal cliff’

The Senate approved a bipartisan agreement early Tuesday morning to let income taxes rise sharply for the first time in two decades, fulfilling President Obama’s promise to raise taxes on the rich and avoiding the worst effects of the “fiscal cliff.” The agreement, brokered by Vice President Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), passed 89 to 8 in a highly unusual New Year’s morning vote. It now heads to the House, where leaders have not guaranteed passage but top officials believe it could win passage in the next few days.
 
The agreement primarily targets taxpayers who earn more than $450,000 per year, raising their rates for wages and investment profits. At the same time, the deal would protect more than 100 million households earning less than $250,000 a year from income tax increases scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The deal came together barely three hours before the midnight deadline, after negotiators cleared two final hurdles involving the estate tax and automatic spending cuts set to affect the Pentagon and other federal agencies this week.

Republicans gave in on the spending cuts, known as sequestration, by agreeing to a two-month delay in budget reductions that would be paid for in part with new tax revenue, a condition they had resisted. And the White House made a major concession on the estate tax, agreeing to terms that would permit estates worth as much as $15 million to escape taxation by the end of the decade, Democrats said.

As Biden rushed to the Capitol to brief Senate Democrats on the deal, Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) laid plans for a vote shortly after midnight, when taxes were set to rise for virtually every American.
“I think we’ll get a very good vote tonight,” a beaming Biden said as he emerged from the meeting with Democrats after nearly two hours. “But happy new year and I’ll see you all maybe tomorrow.”
Upon Senate ­passage, the measure would go to the House, where Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) pledged to bring it to a vote in the coming days. “Decisions about whether the House will seek to accept or promptly amend the measure will not be made until House members — and the American people — have been able to review the legislation,” Boehner and other GOP leaders said in a written statement.
Senior aides predicted the measure would pass the House with bipartisan support. But Boehner’s decision to delay the vote meant the nation would tumble over the cliff at least briefly.

In addition to dealing with the fiscal crisis, the measure would extend federal farm policies through September, averting an estimated doubling of milk prices. The deal also nixed a set pay raise for members of Congress.During a midday event at the White House, Obama praised the emerging agreement even though it would raise only about $600 billion over the next decade by White House estimates — far less than the $1.6 trillion the president had initially sought to extract from the nation’s richest households.The agreement “would further reduce the deficit by asking the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans to pay higher taxes for the first time in two decades. . . . So that’s progress,” Obama said.

McConaughey sets record straight on new baby

McConaughey sets record straight on new baby

 McConaughey sets record straight on new baby

 

It's a boy!

No, seriously, it's really a boy for Matthew McConaughey and his love Camila Alves. Despite earlier reports that the couple had welcomed a baby girl, McConaughey took to his Twitter account to announce that their third child was a son."Our son, Livingston Alves McConaughey was born at 7:43am on 12.28.12," the actor tweeted. "He greeted the world at 9lbs. and 21 inches."
Livingston joins big brother Levi, 4, and big sister Vida, 2.

India Marks Somber New Year's Eve After Rape Victim's Death

India Marks Somber New Year's Eve After Rape Victim's Death

India Marks Somber New Year's Eve After Rape Victim's Death

Many across India canceled festive New Year's Eve celebrations Monday out of respect for the young woman who died days earlier from injuries suffered during a brutal gang rape. The unidentified victim, a 23-year-old student, died Saturday from severe internal injuries that her assailants caused with a metal rod during the attack on a bus two weeks ago. Six men have been arrested and charged with murder in the December 16 attack in New Delhi. They could face the death penalty if convicted.

Reflecting the country's somber mood, hotels, clubs, India's military and even the head of the ruling Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, called off their parties to greet the new year. Many have joined candlelight vigils in the capital and other major cities. Others have chosen to protest peacefully, in contrast to the violent demonstrations that erupted in New Delhi a week ago.

Debate sparked

The woman's death has set off a debate about what India needs to do to protect women. Issues such as rape, dowry-related deaths and female infanticide rarely enter mainstream political discourse in India.
Protesters and politicians have called for tougher rape laws, major police reforms and a transformation in the way the nation treats women. BJP, the main opposition party, has called for a special session of parliament to discuss the issues and to amend legislation. However, BJP lawmaker Banwari Lal Singhal has called for a ban on skirts as part of school uniforms. He said he wants the girls to wear pants because a new dress code would keep girls "away from the lustful gazes of men."

Mamata Sharma, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, slammed the legislator for his remarks, saying instead of changing the dress code of the girls, he should ask men to change their attitudes and treat both sexes equally.

Action demanded

Human Rights Watch said the gang rape "should spur decisive action" by the Indian government.  
Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW's South Asia director, said the Indian government needs to act immediately to prevent sexual assault and ensure the dignified treatment of survivors. The outcry over the attack caught the Indian government off guard. It took a week for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make a statement on the case, infuriating many protesters. The woman is reported to have accepted a ride with a male companion on a charter bus in New Delhi where the six men on board beat them both with an iron rod. The woman was raped repeatedly. Reports say the rod was used in the rape. The woman and her friend were then thrown from the moving vehicle. The male friend survived the attack.
 

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West Expecting First Child

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West Expecting First Child

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West Expecting First Child

The Kardashian clan is about to have a new addition to the family now that reality-TV star Kim Kardashian is pregnant with Kanye West's child, according to her rep.West, 35, broke the news Sunday night during a concert in Atlantic City. West told more than 5,000 concertgoers to congratulate his "baby mom" and that this was the "most amazing thing."Kardashian, 32, confirmed the news in a blog post today."It's true!! Kanye and I are expecting a baby," she wrote. "We feel so blessed and lucky and wish that in addition to both of our families, his mom and my dad could be here to celebrate this special time with us. Looking forward to great new beginnings in 2013 and to starting a family. Happy New Year!!! Xo"

"KIMYE!," sister Khloe Kardashian Odom tweeted. "Keeping secrets is hard with so many family members! Especially when you are so freaking excited!!!!! LOVE is everything!!!," she added.
Soon after the tweet, the hashtag #Kimye took off on Twitter and was trending worldwide. Most of the Kardashian clan tweeted their excitement via Twitter.

"Been wanting to shout from the rooftops with joy and now I can! Another angel to welcome to our family. Overwhelmed with excitement!," tweeted Kardashian's other sister, Kourtney Kardashian, 33, who has two children of her own.Kardashian's mother, Kris Jenner, expressed her excitement on Twitter, tweeting, "Oh BABY BABY BABY!!"Congratulatory tweets are already pouring in for the future parents.
"Congrats to Kim and Kanye. Happy for both of them," Russell Simmons tweeted.Kardashian filed for divorce from NBA star Kris Humphries October 2011 after 72 days of marriage. The divorce is not yet finalized.West and Kardashian began dating in April.

Fiscal deal 'within sight' -- but chances in Congress unclear

Fiscal deal 'within sight' -- but chances in Congress unclear

Fiscal deal 'within sight' -- but chances in Congress unclear

Facing the near-certainty that they would miss the midnight deadline for averting sweeping tax hikes, Senate lawmakers on Monday nevertheless edged closer to a potential deal that could undo most of the damage -- presuming Congress approves it. President Obama, speaking from the White House Monday afternoon, reported that a deal was "within sight." But he cautioned that it's "not done" yet. Indeed, a number of potential roadblocks lie ahead. The two sides are still at odds over a couple provisions in the proposed framework -- and as details of that framework leaked out, the rank-and-file in both parties were already howling about the terms.

 The reaction raises the possibility that if any agreement is announced, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner might still struggle to sell it to their members. Amid the uncertainty, Obama said: "There are still issues left to resolve, but we're hopeful that Congress can get it done. But it's not done." The president stressed that if taxes rise, "middle class families can't afford it, business can't afford it, our economy can't afford it." Logistically speaking, it is highly unlikely that both chambers can pass anything by midnight, after which the more than $500 billion in tax hikes are set to start kicking in, followed by sweeping spending cuts. Lawmakers, though, could potentially let the tax rates lapse, only to patch up the problem in early January. To do that, they need a deal.

Officials familiar with the working agreement said Democrats and Republicans were making progress on the sticky issue of tax hikes, with Democrats opening the door to raising rates only for families making above $450,000 -- up from Obama's earlier threshold of $250,000. The draft framework would also extend long-term jobless benefits for a year and address other expiring provisions. The sticking point, though, concerns how to address automatic spending cuts poised to hit next month. According to an email from Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to colleagues, obtained by Fox News, McConnell said he thought "the entire deal was sealed" by early Monday. But he claimed the White House called in the morning "demanding" to avert the automatic spending cuts, $110 billion of which is set to take effect in 2013. McConnell said he now wants to find "offsets" to allow for a two-month delay in those cuts.

 The two sides, he said, have not yet reached an agreement. Further, Fox News is told there are no new spending cuts as part of a deal. Senior Republican lawmakers told Fox News it would be very difficult to pass a bill out of the House if they can't extract additional spending cuts. On the other side, Democrats were crying foul over the move to raise taxes only on those making over $450,000. "Looks like a very bad deal the way this is shaping up," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said. Reid said shortly before noon that the two sides still had not reached an agreement. "We really are running out of time," Reid said. "Americans are still threatened with a tax hike in just a few hours." Reid stressed that "there are a number of issues on which the two sides are still apart, and negotiations are continuing." He said those "issues" need to be resolved before lawmakers can introduce a bill. In the worst-case scenario, the stalemate drags on, and more than $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts kicks in with no relief in sight.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/31/lawmakers-struggle-to-produce-fiscal-deal-as-ball-drop-set-to-ring-in-tax-hikes/#ixzz2GjlBP4G2

Revelers around the globe ring in 2013 with fireworks, celebrations

Revelers around the globe ring in 2013 with fireworks, celebrations

Revelers around the globe ring in 2013 with fireworks, celebrations

Sydney's skyline erupted in fireworks as Australia ushered in 2013 on Tuesday, while extravagant displays soon followed in Hong Kong and Beijing, and even the once-isolated country of Myanmar joined the party for the first time in decades.Asia greeted the new year with an atmosphere of renewed optimism despite the "fiscal cliff" impasse of spending cuts and tax increases threatening to reverberate globally from the United States and the tattered economies of Europe, where the party was expected to be more subdued.
Celebrations were planned around the world, culminating with the traditional crystal ball drop in New York City's Times Square, where 1 million people were expected to cram into the surrounding streets.
The balmy summer night in Sydney was split by 7 tons of fireworks fired from rooftops and barges, many cascading from the city's Harbor Bridge, in a $6.9 million pyrotechnic extravaganza billed by organizers as the world's largest.

In Myanmar, after nearly five decades under military regimes that discouraged or banned big public gatherings, about 90,000 people experienced the country's first New Year's Eve countdown in a field in the largest city of Yangon."We feel like we are in a different world," said Yu Thawda, a university student who came with three of her friends.Tens of thousands of people lined Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor to view a $1.6 million fireworks display, said to be the biggest ever in the southern Chinese city.In North Korea, cannons boomed at midnight in Pyongyang as people crowded the streets of the capital to watch a fireworks show over the Taedong River. After being in mourning a year ago regarding leader Kim Jong Il's death, North Koreans celebrated the end of a big year that included the rise of new leader Kim Jong Un and the recent launch of a satellite into space.

Hotels, clubs and other sites in New Delhi, the Indian capital, canceled festivities after the death Saturday of a young rape victim touched off days of mourning and reflection about women's safety. People were asked to light candles to express their solidarity with the victim.In Indonesia, Jakarta's street party centered on a 7-kilometer (4-mile) thoroughfare closed to traffic from nightfall until after midnight. Workers erected 16 large stages along the normally clogged, eight-lane highway through the heart of the city. Indonesia's booming economy is a rare bright spot amid global gloom and is bringing prosperity -- or the hope of it -- to its people.

In the Philippines, where many are recovering from devastation from a recent typhoon, health officials have hit upon a successful way to stop revelers from setting off huge illegal firecrackers that maim and injure hundreds of Filipinos each year.A health official, Eric Tayag, donned the splashy outfit of South Korean star PSY and danced to his YouTube hit "Gangnam Style" video while preaching against the use of illegal firecrackers on TV, in schools and in public arenas."The campaign has become viral," Tayag said.In austerity-hit Europe, the mood was more restrained -- if hopeful. The year 2013 is projected to be a sixth straight one of recession amid Greece's worst economic crisis since World War II.Still, in his televised New Year's Eve message, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras promised Greeks that the worst of the crisis is past, and declared 2013 a "year of hope" that will see the beginning of the country's rebirth.

Celebrating New Year's Eve with a vespers service in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI said that despite all the injustice in the world, goodness prevails. In his homily, Benedict said taking time to meditate in prolonged reflection and prayer can help "find healing from the inevitable wounds of daily life."German Chancellor Angela Merkel's New Year's message warned her country to prepare for difficult economic times ahead. Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, decided to cancel celebrations in light of the economic crisis. Nicosia said 16,000 euros ($21,000) saved from the canceled event will be given to some 320 needy choolchildren.In Spain, where a recession has left unemployment at a staggering 25 percent, people are hoping for a better new year."It's been tough, but some celebrations are too deeply-ingrained to let go," said Olga Camino, 25, who said she would be celebrating in the streets of Madrid in fancy dress with a large group of friends. She said they would all eat 12 grapes as the clock in Madrid's central Puerta del Sol struck midnight, a tradition observed throughout Spain.

Scotland's Edinburgh, which traditionally hosts one of the biggest New Year's Eve parties in Europe, also planned good cheer. Organizers said about 75,000 people are expected for the Scottish capital's Hogmanay -- or year-end -- celebrations.Hong Kong feng shui master Raymond Lo predicted 2013 would be less turbulent than 2012 because the Chinese New Year in February will usher in the year of the snake, bringing an end to the year of the dragon, which was associated with water. Water is one of the five elements in feng shui theory, the Chinese practice of arranging objects and choosing dates to improve luck.

"Water is fear. So that's why we have had so much turbulence especially in the winter months," such as doomsday prophecies, school shootings and concerns about the fiscal cliff, said Lo.
"But the good news is that the coming year of the snake is the first time that fire has come back since 2007. Fire actually is the opposite to water, fire is happiness. So therefore the year of the snake is a much more optimistic year. So you can see signs of economic recovery now," he added.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/31/asian-nations-give-enthusiastic-welcome-to-2013/#ixzz2GjjAzv5c

Heads roll on Black Monday as seven coaches fired

Heads roll on Black Monday as seven coaches fired

Heads roll on Black Monday as seven coaches fired

(Reuters) - Heads continued to roll for under-achieving head coaches across the National Football League as the Philadelphia Eagles' Andy Reid, Buffalo Bills' Chan Gailey and Cleveland Browns' Pat Shurmur were all fired on what has become known as Black Monday.

The unemployment ranks swelled even further later on Monday with the Chicago Bears' Lovie Smith, Kansas City Chiefs' Romeo Crennel, San Diego Chargers' Norv Turner and Arizona Cardinals' Ken Whisenhunt also getting the axe to bring the total to seven teams with head coaching vacancies.

The 5-11 Browns, who closed out the season on Sunday with a 24-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, were among the first to begin house cleaning by announcing Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert had been relieved of their duties.

The news was quickly followed by the 6-10 Bills confirming they had sacked Gailey and the 4-12 Eagles announcing Reid was being relieved of his duties after 14 years in charge.Reid's departure had been widely expected but still came as shock to many after a mostly successful tenure in Philadelphia leading the Eagles to six NFC East titles, five NFC championship games and a Super Bowl appearance in 2004.

His 140 victories are a franchise record and rank 22nd on the all-time NFL coaching list.But a bitterly disappointing 2012 campaign that ended in a 42-7 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday signaled to owner Jeffrey Lurie that is was time for a change."Andy Reid won the most games of any head coach in Eagles' history and he is someone I respect greatly and will remain friends with for many years to come," said Lurie in a statement. "But, it is time for the Eagles to move in a new direction.

"Andy leaves us with a winning tradition that we can build upon and we are very excited about the future."

UNEXPECTED FIRINGIf there was a surprise it came in Chicago where Smith was sacked despite guiding his team to a respectable 10-6 record and narrowly missing out on a playoff berth.In nine seasons in Chicago, Smith posted a record of 81-63 in leading the team to an NFC championship and Super Bowl appearance in 2006.But in five of the past six seasons, the Bears have failed to make the playoffs and after a sparkling 7-1 start to the 2012 campaign stumbled down the stretch to again miss out on the post-season.After a league worst 2-14 season, that earned the Chiefs the number one pick in 2013 draft, it came as no surprise that Kansas City would be looking for a new head coach.

It was a difficult season on and off the field for Crennel, who watched the losses pile up then looked on as linebacker Jovan Belcher shot himself dead at the team's training facility after killing his girlfriend.
San Diego fired both coach Turner and general manager A.J. Smith after the team went 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.Arizona also removed its coach and general manager with Rod Graves dismissed along with coach Whisenhunt.The Cardinals started the season 4-0 but won only one other game as quarterback problems beleaguered the team.

Black Monday began with the Jacksonville Jaguars announcing they had fired general manager Gene Smith and was followed by the New York Jets dumping GM Mike Tannhauser.The Jets, however, ended the speculation swirling around Rex Ryan by confirmingthe under-fire head coach would be back next season.
"Rex Ryan will remain the head coach of our football team. I believe that he has the passion, the talent, and the drive to successfully lead our team," said Jets owner Woody Johnson on the team's website.

After a tumultuous 6-10 season, overshadowed by a quarterbacking controversy around the use of incumbent Mark Sanchez and polarizing Tim Tebow, Ryan was widely expected to pay for the Jets under-achieving results with his job.

With Ryan back for next season the speculation will now center on the futures of Sanchez and Tebow in New York.The Jets' sputtering offense ranked 30th among 32 teams, generating an average of just 299 yards per game.Changes had been expected in Jacksonville after the toothless Jaguars finished the season tied with the Chiefs for the NFL's worst record (2-14)."Now it is time for the Jacksonville Jaguars to begin a new chapter," new owner Shahid Khan said in a statement. "We're not looking back."I've made it clear from Day One that we pledge nothing less than to deliver the first Super Bowl championship to Jacksonville.

(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond and Gene Cherry)

India gang rape protesters gather in Delhi

India gang rape protesters gather in Delhi

India gang rape protesters gather in Delhi 

Protesters are gathering in the Indian capital, Delhi, for more demonstrations in anger at the gang rape of a young woman on a bus a fortnight ago.Thousands of residents and clubs have cancelled New Year celebrations to mourn the 23-year-old student who died in a Singapore hospital where she was being treated for severe injuries.She was cremated in Delhi on Sunday.The attack sparked huge protests about gender attitudes in India amid calls to change laws on violence against women.

Six men arrested for the 16 December rape have been charged with murder. If convicted, they face the death penalty.Meanwhile, the victims's family has demanded death penalty for her killers.
"The fight has just begun. We want all the accused hanged, and we will fight for that, till the end," the brother told The Indian Express newspaper.Speaking to the newspaper, the woman's father said the family has been consumed by grief."My wife had hardly eaten in the last two weeks," he said."She was exhausted... I think she was not ready to face the shock of our daughter's death, despite doctors always telling us that she was serious. She cried intermittently all of Saturday, but it got worse on the flight back home."The father said he too was in shock."It is too painful. I have not gone inside her room. She was born in this house. Her books, clothes they are all here."It is hard to believe I will never hear her voice again, she will never read books to me in English again," he said.The Indian government was heavily criticised for its response to the attack which many called "slow" and inadequate.

Indian PM Mr Singh said he was "very saddened" by the woman's death, and that the angry public reaction was "perfectly understandable".The leader of India's governing Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, has promised to fight what she called India's shameful social mindsets that lie behind such crimes.Call for tougher laws
A condolence meeting for the gang-rape victim is due to be held at the Jantar Mantar observatory in central Delhi on Monday.

Groups of students, who have been holding days of spontaneous protests in the capital, have said they will gather to demand tougher laws to protect women in the country.Leaders from India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are also expected to take part in the protests.Meanwhile, the city authorities are due to launch a new telephone helpline for women in distress.The 24-hour helpline number 181 will operate out of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's office and will be connected with all the 185 police stations across the city, officials said.Brutal assaultThe gang-rape has sparked two weeks of massive protests in the city.Over the weekend, candlelit vigils were held to mourn the woman and express anger and sorrow at her death.Large areas of Delhi were sealed off and hundreds of armed police and riot troops deployed.

The victim died in Singapore on Saturday and her body was brought back to Delhi. Her funeral took place on Sunday under tight security.
The woman - a medical student whose identity has not been released - and her friend had been to see a film when they boarded the bus in the Munirka area of Delhi, intending to travel to Dwarka in the south-west of the city.

Friends told the AFP news agency the couple were in a relationship and had been planning to marry in the next few weeks.According to official figures, a woman is raped in Delhi every 14 hours, while women across the country say they are frequently subjected to sexual intimidation and violence.Officials have since announced a series of measures intended to make the city safer for women.These include more police night patrols, checks on bus drivers and their assistants, and the banning of buses with tinted windows or curtains.
But many of the protesters say that women are viewed as second-class citizens, and that a fundamental change in culture and attitudes, backed up by law, is needed to protect them.

Kim Kardashian Pregnant With Kanye West's Baby!

Kim Kardashian Pregnant With Kanye West's Baby!

Kim Kardashian Pregnant With Kanye

Move over, Baby New Year, and make way for Kimye Jr.
Yes, indeed, Kim Kardashian is pregnant with Kanye West's baby!
E! News has confirmed with the Kardashian family that Kim is expecting her first child with the rapper. But it was West who already spilled the exciting news to a few hundred concertgoers.
During his Atlantic City show on Sunday night, West decided to announce that Kim was expecting to all his fans.
 
Kanye West says he "ain't crazy"
And the congratulatory tweets have already begun for the future parents.
"Congrats to Kim and Kanye. Happy for both of them... ," Russell Simmons tweeted, while the Kardashians all showed their joy for the newest member of the family. "Im a happy girl !!!!!!!!! Wowza! Oh BABY BABY BABY," Kris Jenner tweeted.

Khloé Kardashian Odom wrote, "Keeping secrets is hard with so many family members! Especially when you are so freaking excited!!!!! LOVE is everything!!!!" Kourtney Kardashian also went to Twitter with, "Been wanting to shout from the rooftops with joy and now I can! Another angel to welcome to our family. Overwhelmed with excitement!"
Kim is about 12 weeks pregnant.
Breaking news. More to come.
How excited are you about the news?! Sound off in the comments below.

Blood clot lands Hillary Clinton in hospital

Blood clot lands Hillary Clinton in hospital

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been admitted to a New York hospital with a blood clot following a concussion in mid-December.Her spokesman, Philippe Reines, said the clot was discovered during a follow-up exam on Sunday."Secretary Clinton's doctors discovered a blood clot had formed, stemming from the concussion she sustained several weeks ago," Reines said. "She is being treated with anti-coagulants and is at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital so that they can monitor the medication over the next 48 hours."
The State Department declined to give specifics beyond the statement.In the statement, Reines said Clinton's doctors will assess her condition and decide whether any further action is needed. Clinton is at the same hospital complex that performed heart bypass surgery on her husband.

Asked to comment on Clinton being hospitalized at the facility, New York-Presbyterian spokeswoman Myrna Manners replied only, "Please contact the State Department."
A White House official also referred questions to Reines but said President Barack Obama has been notified of her condition.Clinton had been expected to return to work next week after spending nearly two weeks at home recovering from a concussion she suffered in a fall.Her illness forced her to postpone her testimony on Capitol Hill this month about the administration's handling of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. She is now scheduled to appear before the Senate in January. A special report led to the resignation of lower-tier State Department officials but did not target Clinton.

On Dec. 15, the State Department issued a statement saying doctors had determined that Clinton suffered a concussion after fainting earlier in the week. The announcement came just after Clinton informed the Senate that she would not be able to testify at the hearing set for the following week.The statement, issued under Reines's name, did not say precisely when Clinton fainted or when the concussion was discovered.State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland was asked at a news briefing a few days later exactly when Clinton fainted. Nuland never answered the question directly but said she would not get into detail about Clinton's exchanges with her physicians.

Clinton has not had any public event since Dec. 7.
This is not the first time Clinton has experienced a blood clot. She was rushed to Bethesda Naval Hospital in 1998 after doctors diagnosed a clot behind her left knee, according to the New York Daily News.
It happened as she was campaigning on behalf of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and had logged a significant amount of air travel. She was ordered to take blood thinners and later told the Daily News that it was "the most significant health scare" she had ever faced.In 2005, Clinton fainted during a speech in upstate New York. Her aides attributed her weakness to a stomach virus, CNN reported.Aides say the fall during which she suffered her concussion this month also was caused by weakness and extreme dehydration due to a stomach virus.

NFL playoff picture and schedule: Both Vikings and Texans will play next week

NFL playoff picture and schedule: Both Vikings and Texans will play next week

NFL playoff picture and schedule: Both Vikings and Texans will play next week

AFC: 1. Broncos, 2. Patriots; 6. Bengals at 3. Texans, 5. Colts at 4. Ravens

NFC: 1. Falcons, 2. 49ers; 6. Vikings at 3. Packers, 5. Seahawks at 4. Redskinss
Saturday: Bengals at Texans (4:30 ET, NBC/Y! Sports), Vikings at Packers (8 ET, NBC/Y! Sports)
Sunday: Colts at Ravens (1 ET, CBS), Seahawks at Redskins (4:30 ET, Fox)
Saturday, Jan. 12: at Broncos (4:30 ET, CBS), at 49ers (8 ET, Fox)
Sunday, Jan. 13: at Falcons (1 ET, Fox), at Patriots (4:30 ET, CBS)

The Vikings are happy to be playing next Saturday. The Texans are disappointed to be doing the same.
Minnesota edged the Packers to earn the NFC's final wild card spot and a rematch against Green Bay next weekend. The Vikings' win also gave the 49ers next week off.
The Texans' loss was a gift to the Broncos and Patriots. Both earned first-round byes with wins, dropping Houston into a rematch of last year's opening round against the Bengals.
Here's the updated playoff picture.

Jessica Simpson Reveals Baby Bump Photo On Twitter

Jessica Simpson Reveals Baby Bump Photo On Twitter

Jessica Simpson Reveals Baby Bump Photo On Twitter

 
Singer turned fashion mogul Jessica Simpson has unveiled her baby bump on her official Twitter account. Jessica has been in Hawaii, spending the holidays there with her fiance Eric Johnson, pal CaCee Cobb and her hubby Donald Faison. Since dropping the bombshell that she is pregnant with her second child, she is now showing off her second baby bump.

She tweeted the above photo, saying, “Bumpin’ and Proud! pic.twitter.com/zFM1maIy”. In addition to the “bumpin’” picture, she was also showing off some serious duck face.
On Christmas day, Jessica confirmed her second pregnancy using a photo of her daughter Maxwell Drew Johnson. The photo showed the tot on the beach with the words “big sis” written in the sand.

Jessica made headlines earlier in the year by signing a multi-million dollar contract with weight loss company Weight Watchers. She reportedly lost a total of 50 pounds utilizing the program, but is now on hiatus from the system due to her pregnancy. The company announced that they would still be running her pregnancy announcement ads and that Jessica would be resuming the program after she gives birth to her second baby.
Weight Watchers has lent Jessica their support during her pregnancy on the company’s Twitter account. They tweeted, “Congrats to @JessicaSimpson, Eric and big-sister-to-be Maxwell! Your WW family is so thrilled for you. what an amazing year you’ve had!”

Congratulations to Jessica and Eric on the impending arrival of their second child. Anyone want to start taking guesses as to what she’s going to name him or her?

100000 more could die in Syria - Brahimi

100000 more could die in Syria - Brahimi

100000 more could die in Syria - Brahimi

Arab League and UN envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi is warning another 100,000 people could be killed in the next year if fighting in Syria between the government and rebels does not end.
Brahimi’s comments, from the an Arab League meeting in Cairo on Sunday, come as rebels intensify their efforts around the airport in Damascus.

Meanwhile, the army is trying the take control of the restive city of Homs and claims to have occupied the neighbourhood of Deir Baalbeh, seizing a number of weapons.
Homs is where the uprising began 22 months ago. Located in the west and Syria’s third largest city, it is strategically important.

At least 500,000 Syrians are now registered as refugees with the UN.A camp in Akcakale in southeastern Turkey is a temporary home to some who have fled and a large crowd greeted Turkey’s prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a visit on Sunday.Telling the refugees to regard Turkey as their “second home”, Erdogan also spoke of their struggles.“Every sacred birth is painful, and now Syria is preparing for a second sacred birth through which the will of all Syrian people will take power,” he said.During a visit to Moscow on Friday, Brahimi said neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan would not be able to handles another 100,000 refugees.

Tour bus crash in Oregon leaves 9 dead

Tour bus crash in Oregon leaves 9 dead

Tour bus crash in Oregon leaves 9 dead

 

LA GRANDE, Oregon –  A tour bus careened through a guardrail along an icy Oregon highway and 100 feet down a steep embankment Sunday, killing nine people and injuring more than 20 others, authorities said.
The charter bus carrying about 40 people lost control around 10:30 a.m. on snow- and ice-covered lanes of Interstate 84 in a rural area of eastern Oregon, according to the Oregon State Police. The bus crashed near the start of a 7-mile section of road that winds down a hill.

The bus came to rest at the bottom of a snowy slope and landed upright, with little or no debris visible around the crash site.More than a dozen rescue workers descended the hill and used ropes to help retrieve people from the wreckage in freezing weather. The bus driver was among the survivors, but had not yet spoken to police because of the severity of the injuries the driver had suffered.

Lt. Greg Hastings said the bus crashed along the west end of the Blue Mountains, and west of an area called Deadman Pass. The area is so dangerous the state transportation department published specific warnings for truck drivers, advising it had "some of the most changeable and severe weather conditions in the Northwest" and can lead to slick conditions and poor visibility.St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton treated 26 people from the accident, said hospital spokesman Larry Blanc. Five of those treated at St. Anthony were transported to other facilities.

The East Oregonian said it spoke with two South Korean passengers, ages 16 and 17. Both said through a translator that they were seated near the rear of the bus when it swerved a few times, hit the guardrail and flipped. They described breaking glass and seeing passengers pinned by their seats as the bus slid down the hill. Both said that they feared for their lives.

The paper said that the teens, one of whom injured a knee and the other suffered a broken collarbone, were staying at a hotel arranged by the Red Cross.I-84 is a major east-west highway through Oregon that follows the Columbia River Gorge.Umatilla County Emergency Manager Jack Remillard said the bus was owned by Mi Joo travel in Vancouver, B.C., and state police said the bus was en route from Las Vegas to Vancouver.
A woman who answered the phone at a listing for the company confirmed with The Associated Press that it owned the bus and said it was on a tour of the Western U.S. She declined to give her name.

A bus safety website run by the U.S. Department of Transportation said Mi Joo Tour & Travel has six buses, none of which have been involved in any accidents in at least the past two years.
The bus crash was the second fatal accident on the same highway in Oregon on Sunday. A 69-year-old man died in a rollover accident about 30 miles west of the area where the bus crashed.
A spokesman for the American Bus Association said buses carry more than 700 million passengers a year in the United States.

"The industry as a whole is a very safe industry," said Dan Ronan of the Washington, D.C.,-based group. "There are only a handful of accidents every year. Comparatively speaking, we're the safest form of surface transportation."
The bus crash comes more than two months after another chartered tour bus in October veered off a highway in northern Arizona, killing the driver and injuring dozens of passengers who were mostly tourists from Asia and Europe. Authorities say the driver likely had a medical episode.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/30/tour-bus-crash-in-oregon-leaves-5-dead/?intcmp=trending#ixzz2GgjhHHUI

3 family members found dead in California apartment blaze

3 family members found dead in California apartment blaze

3 family members found dead in California apartment blaze

SAN FRANCISCO –  Authorities say a couple and their granddaughter were killed and three others were injured in a late-night fire at a Northern California apartment complex.
An officer credited with pulling at least one person to safety as he responded to Saturday night's blaze is among three people taken to a hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. San Jose Fire Department Capt. Mary Gutierrez says the officer was the first person on the scene.
A woman who escaped the blaze told the San Jose Mercury News she lost her parents, Bulmaro and Mariana Maldonado, and 4-year-old daughter Kyra in the blaze.
The fire destroyed the family's apartment and damaged one below. It left 56 people in the complex homeless, and authorities said they could be allowed back in their apartments after a few days.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/31/3-family-members-found-dead-in-california-apartment-blaze/#ixzz2GgjG30XM

Asian nations giving enthusiastic welcome to 2013

Asian nations giving enthusiastic welcome to 2013

Asian nations giving enthusiastic welcome to 2013

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Fiscal cliff? Recession? Not in Asia, where the first countries to see 2013 dawn will enthusiastically welcome the new year.
Increasingly democratic Myanmar will have a public countdown for the first time. Jakarta plans a huge street party befitting Indonesia's powering economy.

In Sydney, eager revelers camped over Sunday night on the shores of the harbor to get the best vantage points as some 1.5 million are expected to see the fireworks show centered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
In Hong Kong, this year's 12.5 million Hong Kong dollar ($1.6 million) fireworks display was being billed by organizers as the biggest ever in the southern Chinese city. Police expect as many as 100,000 people to watch, local news reports said.

The buoyant economies of the Asia-Pacific are prepared to party with renewed optimism despite the so-called fiscal cliff threatening to reverberate globally from the United States and the tattered economy of Europe.In a field in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, workers early Monday were testing a giant digital countdown screen with the backdrop of the revered Shwedagon pagoda.