Sunday, December 9, 2012

Obamas attend annual holiday concert in Washington

Obamas attend annual holiday concert in Washington

Obamas attend annual holiday concert in Washington

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:34 PM PST

FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012 file photo, South Korean rapper PSY, who sings the popular "Gangnam Style" song, performs at a university festival in Suwon, south of Seoul, South Korea. The annual holiday concert that President Barack Obama and his family traditionally attend includes a twist this year_ a performance by controversial South Korean rapper and Internet sensation PSY. PSY apologized Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, for using An annual holiday concert attended by President Barack Obama and his family includes something non-traditional this year: a performance by South Korean rapper and Internet sensation PSY.

Same-sex couples in WA start taking wedding vows

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:31 PM PST

Matthew Wiltse, right, and Jonathon Bashford, left, kiss after they took their wedding vows at the Thurston County Courthouse just after midnight on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, in Olympia, Wash. Sunday is the first day same-sex couples can marry under Washington state's new voter-approved law allowing gay marriage. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte)Same-sex couples in Washington state began reciting wedding vows at events across the state Sunday, on the first day they could marry after the state's gay marriage law took effect.

Clashes rage in Lebanon's Tripoli as bodies returned

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:30 PM PST

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - Lebanese authorities received on Sunday the first three bodies from a group of 14 Lebanese and Palestinian gunmen killed in Syria, local clerics said, as fighting triggered by the men's death shook the northern port town of Tripoli. A Reuters reporter in the area said clashes with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades killed at least three people on Sunday, raising the total to over 14 dead in a week, and more than 150 wounded. Among the wounded were two soldiers patrolling the city, hit by a grenade. ...

NJ mayor Booker to decide soon on governor's bid

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:28 PM PST

FILE- In this Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, file photo, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, right, talks during a news conference at the Office of Emergency Management in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, in Newark, N.J. Booker said Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, that he'll decide within two weeks whether to challenge Republican Gov. Chris Christie next year. Booker, who leads the state's largest city, also told CBS' "Face the Nation" that he's also thinking about running for the U.S. Senate. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)Democratic Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, N.J., a prominent figure in his party, said Sunday that he'll decide within two weeks whether to challenge Republican Gov. Chris Christie next year.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says team is grieving

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:27 PM PST

Dallas Cowboys players hang their heads during a moment of silence honoring teammate Jerry Brown who was killed in an automobile accident prior to an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)Dallas Cowboys players bowed their heads and some of them placed their hands over their hearts during a moment of silence Sunday for a teammate killed in a car accident a day earlier in Texas.

Last no-alcohol Ala. county votes dry, drinks wet

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:24 PM PST

Map locates Clay County, Alabama’s last dry countyClay County has almost 14,000 residents, around 100 churches and not a single place where you can buy a beer legally.

'Skyfall,' 'Guardians' duel for box-office win

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:22 PM PST

James Bond is in a box-office photo finish with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny over what looks to be the last slow weekend of the holidays.

Same-sex couples wed in Washington state for first time

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:18 PM PST

Mifflin and Beebe swear an oath while filing for their marriage license in Seattle, WashingtonSEATTLE (Reuters) - Hundreds of well-wishers braved a damp and chilly Seattle morning to celebrate the first of 140 weddings at City Hall on Sunday, marking the first day that same-sex couples can marry in Washington state. Washington, Maine and Maryland last month became the first U.S. states to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples by a popular vote, in a leap forward for gay rights. "It means that I can use the word husband without question or explaining," said Corianton Hale, a 34-year-old graphic designer, who was one of the first to tie the knot at City Hall. ...

Plane of singer Jenni Rivera missing in Mexico

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:18 PM PST

FILE - In this March 8, 2012, file photo, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. Mexican authorities confirmed that the plane in which Rivera was traveling disappeared early Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, after leaving the Mexican northern city of Monterrey where she performed in concert on Saturday night. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, file)A small plane carrying Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera went missing early Sunday after taking off from the city of Monterrey, authorities in northern Mexico confirmed Sunday.

Police: Airport security officer killed in Ohio

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:18 PM PST

Authorities in Cleveland say a man fatally shot his airport-security-officer wife, fired at a second person, and then killed himself at an off-site airport employee parking lot.

Phillies confirm trade for INF Michael Young

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:13 PM PST

Michael Young's leadership skills were as attractive to the Philadelphia Phillies as his hitting ability.

Venezuela's Chavez suffers cancer again, names potential heir

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:12 PM PST

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez smiles as he speaks during a Council of Ministers at Miraflores Palace in CaracasCARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez returns to Cuba on Sunday for more surgery after a recurrence of cancer led him to name a successor for the first time in case the disease ends his 14-year dominance of the OPEC nation. Singing, praying and waving Chavez election posters from just two months ago, throngs of red-clad supporters gathered in squares across the South American country to show solidarity with the 58-year-old socialist leader. ...

Chavez faces new cancer battle, surgery in Cuba

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:11 PM PST

A woman holds a picture of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez as supporters gather at Simon Bolivar square in Caracas,Venezuela, Sunday Dec. 9, 2012. Chavez is to return to Cuba Sunday for another surgery in his battle against cancer, which has led him to speak publicly of a successor for the first time. Chavez said Saturday that if there are "circumstances that prevent me from exercising the presidency further" Vice-President Nicolas Maduro should replace him for the remainder of his term.(AP Photo/Fernando Llano)Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was heading back to Cuba on Sunday for a third cancer surgery after naming his vice president as his choice to lead the country if the illness cuts short his presidency.

United ends City's unbeaten start to title defense

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:11 PM PST

Manchester United's Robin van Persie celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Manchester City during their English Premier League soccer match at The Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, Sunday Dec. 9, 2012. United won the match 3-2. (AP Photo/Jon Super)Robin van Persie scored in the third minute of stoppage time Sunday to send Manchester United to a 3-2 victory over Manchester City, ending the champions' unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

Syria's civil war spills into Lebanon, 4 dead

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:08 PM PST

Syrian men heat a fire to boil water near their tent at a refugee camp near the Turkish border, in Azaz, Syria, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Manu Brabo)Syria's civil war spilled over into neighboring Lebanon once again on Sunday, with gun battles in the northern city of Tripoli between supporters and opponents of President Bashar Assad's regime that left four dead.

Cowboys player's attorney: $500K bond excessive

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 12:08 PM PST

This photo provided by the Irving Police Department shows Dallas Cowboys' Josh Brent. Brent has been charged with intoxication manslaughter after he was speeding early Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, in Irving, Texas, and his vehicle hit a curb and flipped, resulting in the death of teammate Jerry Brown. (AP Photo/Irving Police Department)Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent remained in custody Sunday on $500,000 bond, one day after being charged with intoxication manslaughter after what police said was a drunken-driving accident that killed close friend and teammate Jerry Brown.

Hope and fear in gay marriage cases at high court

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:57 AM PST

FILE - This Sept. 6, 2011 file photo shows opponents of gay marriage outside a courthouse in San Francisco where the California Supreme Court was hearing arguments on California's ban on same-sex marriage. The Supreme Court will take up California's ban on same-sex marriage, a case that could give the justices the chance to rule on whether gay Americans have the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)Gay marriage supporters see 41 reasons to fret over the Supreme Court's decision to take up the case of California's ban on same-sex unions.

Egypt's opposition rejects constitutional referendum

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:46 AM PST

Egypt's President Mursi attends meeting with Egypt's Vice President Mekky and other politicians at presidential palace in CairoCAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's main opposition coalition rejected on Sunday Islamist President Mohamed Mursi's plan for a constitutional referendum this week, saying it risked dragging the country into "violent confrontation". Mursi's decision on Saturday to retract a decree awarding himself wide powers failed to placate opponents who accused him of plunging Egypt deeper into crisis by refusing to postpone the vote on a constitution shaped by Islamists. ...

Three killed in shooting on California Indian reservation

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:41 AM PST

Handout of Celaya, of Tule River Indian Reservation near Porterville, California(Reuters) - California police have detained a suspect in a shooting at the Tule River Indian Reservation in which three people were killed and three were wounded, including two young daughters of the suspect, county officials said on Sunday. Hector Celaya, who lived on the central California reservation, fled the scene of the shooting with his daughters and was shot during a low-speed car chase as authorities attempted to take him into custody, the Tulare County Sheriff's Department said. The two girls, ages 5 and 8, also suffered gunshot wounds. ...

Expectations will be high for Manziel's encore

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:38 AM PST

FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2012 file photo, Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel (2) reacts after a touchdown run during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Florida in College Station, Texas. Manziel could become the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy when the award is presented Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel, File)Heisman Trophy history suggests it will never get better for Johnny Manziel than it did this season. In the 78-year history of the Heisman, only one player has one more than one: Ohio State's Archie Griffin in 1974 and '75.

3 dead in Calif. Indian reservation shooting

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:35 AM PST

A man shot three people to death and wounded another on a California Indian reservation, and was wounded himself several hours later in an exchange of gunfire with sheriff's deputies as he tried to flee in a vehicle, authorities said Sunday.

Egypt opposition urges more protests

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:33 AM PST

Egyptian men stand near Arabic writing on a wall in Arabic that reads, "down with the leader's rule, no to the Muslim Brotherhood," in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. Egypt's liberal opposition has called for more protests on Sunday after the president made concessions overnight that fell short of their demands to rescind a draft constitution going to a referendum on Dec. 15. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)Egypt's opposition says it will keep up protests against a referendum on a disputed draft constitution but has stopped short of advocating either a boycott or a "no" less than a week before voting.

Arabs offer Palestinians $100 million a month "financial safety net"

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:32 AM PST

DOHA (Reuters) - Arab states agreed to provide the Palestinian Authority with a $100 million monthly "financial safety net" to help President Mahmoud Abbas's government cope with an economic crisis after the United Nations granted de facto statehood to Palestine. Israel has responded to the November 29 U.N. vote by ordering 3,000 Jewish settler homes be built in the occupied West Bank and announced it would hold back payments of customs duties it collects on behalf of the Palestinians to pay an outstanding electricity bill. ...

End may be sight for FBI's unloved Hoover building

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:32 AM PST

FILE - This Feb. 3, 2012 file photo shows Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters in Washington. Just six blocks from the White House, the FBI's hulking headquarters overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue has long been the government building everyone loves to hate. The verdict: it's an ugly, crumbling concrete behemoth. An architectural mishap, all 2.4 million square feet of it. But in this time of tight budgets, massive deficits and the "fiscal cliff," the 38-year-old FBI headquarters building has one big thing in its favor. It sits atop very valuable real estate, an entire city block on American's Main Street midway between the U.S. Capitol and the White House. Just how valuable, the General Services Administration intends to find out. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)Just six blocks from the White House, the FBI's hulking headquarters overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue has long been the government building everyone loves to hate. The verdict: It's an ugly, crumbling concrete behemoth, an architectural mishap — all 2.4 million square feet of it.

South Africa at crossroads as Mandela hospitalized

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:31 AM PST

A man readies his shop near a mural showing former South African President Nelson Mandela in the Soweto area of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. South Africa's presidency says that Mandela, 94, was admitted to a hospital Saturday in the nation's capital for tests. (AP Photos/Jon Gambrell)Inside a Catholic church that once served as a major rallying point for anti-apartheid activists, the image of a gray-suited Nelson Mandela appears in stained-glass window that also features angels and the cross.

EU leaders in Norway to pick up Nobel Peace Prize

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:24 AM PST

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, addresses the Nobel Peace Prize media conference, at the Nobel institute in Oslo, Norway, Sunday Dec. 9, 2012. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee awarded the prize to the European Union for its efforts to promote peace and democracy in Europe, despite being in the midst of its biggest crisis since the bloc was created in the 1950s. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)European Union leaders on Sunday hailed the achievements of the 27-nation bloc, but acknowledged they need more integration and authority to solve problems, including its worst financial crisis, as they arrived in Norway to pick up this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

Grandmother says NFL was dream of Cowboys' Brown

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:19 AM PST

This photo provided by the Irving Police Department shows Dallas Cowboys' Josh Brent. Brent has been charged with intoxication manslaughter after he was speeding early Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, in Irving, Texas, and his vehicle hit a curb and flipped, resulting in the death of teammate Jerry Brown. (AP Photo/Irving Police Department)The grandmother of Jerry Brown, who was killed in what police say was a drunken-driving accident, remembers him as a young man who stopped at nothing to realize his dream of becoming a professional football player.

Cowboys lineman still in custody on $500,000 bond

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:11 AM PST

This photo provided by the Irving Police Department shows Dallas Cowboys' Josh Brent. Brent has been charged with intoxication manslaughter after he was speeding early Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, in Irving, Texas, and his vehicle hit a curb and flipped, resulting in the death of teammate Jerry Brown. (AP Photo/Irving Police Department)Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent remains in custody on $500,000 bond a day after he was charged with intoxication manslaughter in what police say was a drunken-driving accident that killed teammate Jerry Brown.

Georgia details nuke black market investigations

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:11 AM PST

This undated photo provided by the Georgia Interior Ministry shows part of a seizure of radioactive substances including iridium-192 and europium-152. Police in Kutaisi, Georgia arrested two people involved in the smuggling in February 2011. The investigation led police to track a third man, Soslan Oniani, who would be arrested in April 2012 trying to sell radioactive material to two Turkish men. Despite years of effort and hundreds of millions of dollars spent in the fight against the illicit sale of nuclear contraband, the black market remains active in the countries around the former Soviet Union. The radioactive materials, mostly left over from the Cold War, include nuclear bomb-grade uranium and plutonium, and dirty-bomb isotopes like cesium and iridium. (AP Photo/Georgia Interior Ministry)On the gritty side of this casino resort town near the Turkish border, three men in a hotel suite gathered in secret to talk about a deal for radioactive material.

No. 1 Indiana loses Etherington for season

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:09 AM PST

No. 1 Indiana has lost sophomore forward Austin Etherington for the rest of the season because of a fractured left kneecap.

Egypt opposition coalition "rejects" constitutional referendum

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:03 AM PST

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's main opposition coalition announced on Sunday its rejection of a constitutional referendum set by Islamist President Mohamed Mursi for December 15. In a statement read by its spokesman, the National Salvation Front also called for mass protests on Tuesday against a draft constitution that it said lacked consensus and did not properly represent the interests of women and minorities. "The National Salvation Front rejects the referendum to be held on December 15," Hussein Abdel Ghani told a news conference. "We are against this process from start to finish. ...

After climate talks, eyes on US for next round

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 11:02 AM PST

Local and international activists march inside a conference center under a giant statue of a spider to demand urgent action to address climate change at the U.N. climate talks in Doha, Qatar, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. A dispute over money clouded U.N. climate talks Friday, as rich and poor countries sparred over funds meant to help the developing world cover the rising costs of mitigating global warming and adapting to it. (AP Photo/Osama Faisal)Even as international climate talks ended this weekend with no new commitments on carbon emissions or climate aid from the United States, some were relieved America didn't make a weak deal even weaker.

Chavez to return to Cuba for cancer surgery again

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 10:52 AM PST

A woman holds a picture of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez as supporters gather at Simon Bolivar square in Caracas,Venezuela, Sunday Dec. 9, 2012. Chavez is to return to Cuba Sunday for another surgery in his battle against cancer, which has led him to speak publicly of a successor for the first time. Chavez said Saturday that if there are "circumstances that prevent me from exercising the presidency further" Vice-President Nicolas Maduro should replace him for the remainder of his term.(AP Photo/Fernando Llano)Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was heading back to Cuba on Sunday for more cancer surgery after announcing that the illness returned despite two previous operations, chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Cowboys lineman due in court after teammate dies

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 10:43 AM PST

This photo provided by the Irving Police Department shows Dallas Cowboys' Josh Brent. Brent has been charged with intoxication manslaughter after he was speeding early Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, in Irving, Texas, and his vehicle hit a curb and flipped, resulting in the death of teammate Jerry Brown. (AP Photo/Irving Police Department)Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Josh Brent was due to appear at a court hearing in Irving on Sunday morning, a day after he was charged with intoxication manslaughter in connection with an accident that killed teammate Jerry Brown.

U.S. and Russia still back Syria settlement: UN envoy

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 10:42 AM PST

Demonstrators hold a banner during a protest against Syria's President Assad after Friday prayers in Binish, near IdlibBEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. and Russian officials have given their commitment to a political solution for the deepening Syrian conflict, a United Nations envoy said on Sunday, but Moscow dismissed speculation it was preparing for President Bashar al-Assad's exit. With rebels now fighting on the doorsteps of Damascus, Assad's forces kept up their now daily artillery strikes and air raids on eastern suburbs as well as some rebel-held districts on the capital's outskirts. U.N. special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met the U.S. ...

Italy awaits market reaction to Monti exit soon

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 10:40 AM PST

In this photo taken at Chigi Palace government's office in Rome, on Dec. 6, 2012, Italian Premier Mario Monti gestures during a press conference at the end of a cabinet meeting. Premier Mario Monti told the Italian president Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, he plans to resign following the sudden loss of support from Silvio Berlusconi's party, paving the way for early elections a year after the economist helped pull the country back from the brink of financial disaster. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)Italy and the rest of Europe on Sunday anxiously awaited the reaction of financial markets to Premier Mario Monti's surprise decision to resign and set the stage for an early vote, as speculation abounded over whether he might dive into politics and challenge Silvio Berlusconi in the election.

Egypt military to maintain security until vote

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 10:39 AM PST

Egyptian men stand near Arabic writing on a wall in Arabic that reads, "down with the leader's rule, no to the Muslim Brotherhood," in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. Egypt's liberal opposition has called for more protests on Sunday after the president made concessions overnight that fell short of their demands to rescind a draft constitution going to a referendum on Dec. 15. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi has ordered the military to maintain security and protect state institutions until after the results of the Dec. 15 referendum on the disputed draft constitution.

Peru's capital highly vulnerable to major quake

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 10:34 AM PST

Map shows all significant earthquakes in the Peruvian region sinceThe earthquake all but flattened colonial Lima, the shaking so violent that people tossed to the ground couldn't get back up. Minutes later, a 50-foot (15-meter) wall of Pacific Ocean crashed into the adjacent port of Callao, killing all but 200 of its 5,000 inhabitants. Bodies washed ashore for weeks.

Israel grows jittery of new Palestinian uprising

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 10:25 AM PST

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, attends the weekly cabinet meeting in his Jerusalem office, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Ammar Awad, Pool)The rising confidence and bellicosity of Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, combined with rapidly deteriorating relations with Israel's would-be peace partner in the West Bank, are raising jitters in Israel that a new Palestinian uprising could be near.

Talks between Congo government and rebels open

Posted: 09 Dec 2012 10:22 AM PST

Talks started here between the Congo government and rebels who have seized strategic parts of eastern Congo.
Posted by Harshad at 1:02 PM

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