New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will be sworn in for a second term today amid George Washington Bridge scandal and Superstorm Sandy aid.
But the 55th governor of New Jersey has a full schedule of inaugural events.
Chris Christie’s day is scheduled to start with a service at Newark’s New Hope Baptist Church before a swearing in and address in Trenton and an evening party on Ellis Island, a symbolic spot synonymous with the promise of the US. The island where some 12 million immigrants first entered the US is divided between New Jersey and New York, but his party is to be in a hall on the New York side.
Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who was drawn into the controversy surrounding Chris Christie this weekend, is also to be sworn in for her second term.
Chris Christie won re-election in November by a 22-point margin over state Sen. Barbara Buono, a Democrat.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will be sworn in for a second term amid George Washington Bridge scandal and Superstorm Sandy aid
He became a fixture in speculation about who would seek the 2016 presidential nomination with his leadership after Superstorm Sandy slammed into his state in October 2012.
He worked with President Barack Obama and took on Republican members of Congress who were reluctant to approve aid for storm victims, receiving high marks from his constituents and plentiful national attention.
Chris Christie’s reputation has been battered somewhat since revelations this month that a staffer ordered two of three approach lanes to the George Washington Bridge from the town of Fort Lee shut down for four days in September apparently as political retribution against the mayor there, perhaps for not endorsing Christie for re-election.
The US Attorney’s Office and two state legislative committees are now investigating.
Chris Christie has apologized, denied any involvement with or knowledge of the plot and fired a deputy chief of staff at the center of the controversy. But questions have continued.
His administration also faces an allegation from the Democratic mayor of Hoboken that it tied the delivery of Superstorm Sandy aid to the low-lying city of 50,000 across from Manhattan to support for a prime real estate project.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer said that she was told by Kim Guadagno that the ultimatum came directly from Christie. Kim Guadagno strongly denied those claims Monday and described them as “false” and “illogical.”
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro accuses the “telenovelas” (TV soap operas) of spreading “anti-values” to young people by glamorizing violence, guns and drugs.
The criticism follows attacks last year by Nicolas Maduro on violent video games and the Hollywood movie Spider-man.
On Monday night, his vice president, Jorge Arreaza, met with broadcast and pay TV operators to review the prime time lineup, warning that they could be in violation of a 2004 law mandating “socially responsible” programming. The two sides will meet in a week with the aim of drafting an agreement on meeting those obligations.
It’s unclear whether the government will take steps to restrict programming or impose harsher rules on telenovelas, which are hugely popular across Latin America.
Analysts say arm-twisting is unlikely to reduce Venezuela’s high homicide rate, which the UN ranks as the fifth worst globally, and they warn that Nicolas Maduro’s campaign could be used as an excuse to further gag media criticism of the government.
“It’s a smoke screen to distract attention away from the real causes” of violence and crime, said Roberto Briceno Leon of the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, which estimates Venezuela’s murder rate has quadrupled in 15 years of socialist rule.
President Nicolas Maduro accuses the telenovelas of spreading anti-values to young people by glamorizing violence, guns and drugs
Pressure on the government to crack down on crime heated up this month after former Miss Venezuela Monica Spear and her ex-husband were shot to death by robbers, with their 5-year-old daughter looking on.
The double slaying shocked even Venezuelans hardened by rampant bloodshed and put the government on the defensive on an issue that surveys say is the biggest concern among voters.
In his state of the union speech last week, Nicolas Maduro took aim at a popular soap opera, De todas maneras Rosa, produced by Venevision.
He accused the nation’s biggest broadcaster of profiting from violence by celebrating the crimes of one of the melodrama’s lead characters, Andreina Vallejo, a psychopathic former beauty queen who fatally poisons her own mother to hide the paternity of her son.
“Mama, everybody in the world knows that the relationship between parents and their children is completely accidental,” Andreina Vallejo says as her mother gasps for breath in her daughter’s arms.
Alberto Barrera Tyszka, the creator of several soap operas, said television only reflects the alarming levels of violence present in society and is already tightly regulated for content deemed unsuitable for minors. He said Nicolas Maduro should turn his attention to the root causes of crime instead.
Venezuela’s government disputes those findings, but has blocked access to official crime statistics in recent years. Officials say the rate last year was 39 per 100,000 people — a level that’s still the highest in South America and eight times the US rate.
Two people have died and 10 others were seriously hurt in an explosion and partial building collapse at an animal feed processing plant in Omaha, Nebraska, on Monday morning.
Crews are now searching the building, Omaha authorities say.
Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine says he’s been notified about two deaths in Monday’s explosion.
It’s unclear if the death toll will rise as crews sift through the rubble of the International Nutrition plant.
Two people have died and 10 others were seriously hurt in an explosion and partial building collapse at an animal feed processing plant in Omaha
Interim Omaha Fire Chief Bernie Kanger says the search is progressing slowly because the structure is unsafe.
Bernie Kanger said he doesn’t believe anyone remaining inside is alive.
However, officials haven’t said how many people didn’t make it out.
Thirty-eight people were working. Officials say two died, 10 were hospitalized and seven were hurt but refused treatment. They have not said how many of the 19 others escaped.
Credit card details from 20 million South Koreans have been stolen and sold to marketing firms.
The data from almost half of South Korea’s population was stolen by a computer contractor working for a company called the Korea Credit Bureau that produces credit scores.
The names, social security numbers and credit card details were copied by the IT worker.
The scale of the theft became apparent after the contractor at the centre of the breach was arrested.
Managers at the marketing firms which allegedly bought the data were also arrested.
Early reports suggest that the contractor got hold of the giant trove of data thanks to the access Korea Credit Bureau enjoys to databases run by three big South Korean credit card firms. The contractor stole the data by copying it to a USB stick.
Credit card details from 20 million South Koreans have been stolen and sold to marketing firms
Regulators are now looking into security measures at the three firms – KB Kookmin Card, Lotte Card, and NH Nonghyup Card – to ensure data stays safe. A task force has been set up to investigate the impact of the theft.
The three bosses of the credit card firms involved made a public apology for the breach.
In a statement the Financial Services Commission, Korea’s national financial regulator, said: “The credit card firms will cover any financial losses caused to their customers due to the latest accident.”
Another official at the FSC said the data was easy to steal because it was unencrypted and the credit card firms did not know it had been copied until investigators told them about the theft.
This theft of consumer data is just the latest to hit South Korea. In 2012, two hackers were arrested for getting hold of the details of 8.7 million subscribers to KT Mobile.
Kiev clashes are continuing between police and anti-government protesters, prompting Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to warn that the violence is a threat to the whole country.
A burnt-out line of buses and trucks in central Kiev marks the boundary between protesters and police.
Clashes erupted on Sunday, after many more demonstrators rallied peacefully against President Viktor Yanukovych.
The authorities say police have the right to use firearms in self-defense.
In a statement on Monday evening, President Viktor Yanukovych said that “now, when peaceful actions are turning into mass unrest, accompanied by riots and arson attacks, the use of violence, I am convinced that such phenomena are a threat not only to Kiev but to the whole of Ukraine”.
Last week the president’s supporters in the Ukrainian parliament gave police extra powers to tackle demonstrators.
At least 20 people have been arrested in the clashes, and about 100 injured, including dozens of police officers.
Kiev clashes are continuing between police and anti-government protesters
The violence followed weeks of mainly peaceful action against Kiev’s decision to spurn a political agreement with the EU, and then to toughen anti-protest laws.
Viktor Yanukovych says he is now ready to negotiate with pro-EU protesters and opposition leaders.
A cross-party commission was being set up on Monday to try to resolve the deepening crisis.
Former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, who was injured in clashes earlier this month, is among four representatives of the opposition who will be taking part in the talks with the authorities, according to the website for Ukraine’s Fatherland Party.
On the road leading from Europe Square to parliament, riot police were still standing behind shields on Monday, lined up against dozens of protesters who had camped out overnight despite temperatures dropping well below freezing.
The police are firing plastic bullets, tear gas canisters and stun grenades, and even throwing back the cobblestones, he reports.
EU foreign ministers also released a statement on Monday expressing “deep concern” about the new legislation, which they said was passed under “doubtful procedural circumstances”.
“These legislative acts would significantly restrict the Ukrainian citizens’ fundamental rights of association, media and the press, and seriously curtail the activities of civil society organizations,” they said, following a monthly meeting.
Matt Sandusky, the son of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, took part in Happy Valley documentary about his father’s abuse case that explores whether his actions were an open secret.
Matt Sandusky tells the Centre Daily Times that he took part in Happy Valley to advocate for child abuse survivors.
Matt Sandusky took part in Happy Valley documentary about Jerry Sandusky’s abuse case
The 100-minute film is being screened this week at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. It explores whether it was an open secret that Jerry Sandusky was molesting boys.
Matt Sandusky was expected to be a defense witness at Jerry Sandusky’s trial but instead came forward to say that he had been abused by his adoptive father.
Jerry Sandusky is appealing his conviction and 30- to 60-year prison term.
Katie Couric’s documentary Fed Up premiered Sunday at Sundance Film Festival.
Katie Couric linked up with An Inconvenient Truth producer producer Laurie David to make a film that explores the epidemic of childhood obesity and its not-so-obvious causes.
The 57-year-old TV anchor produced and narrates the film.
Katie Couric said she pitched Laurie David her idea over email, “and it took her about 10 seconds to say, <<I’m in>>.”
She said documentaries “are replacing journalism in some cases” because budget cuts and a taste for quick news bites means “nobody invests the time to really investigate some of the biggest social issues”.
“It’s great to have the time and … to know that you don’t have to turn it around in a day, a week or even a month,” she said.
Katie Couric’s documentary Fed Up premiered Sunday at Sundance Film Festival
“You have 93 minutes to really flesh out an issue that deserves that and then some. That is so liberating.”
Fed Up, directed by Stephanie Soechtig, uses historical footage and news events to show the causes and costs of obesity in the US.
“This generation of children is the first to live a shorter life span than their parents, and it has ramifications in every aspect of our lives,” Katie Couric said.
“Talk about skyrocketing health care costs: the obesity epidemic is behind these health care costs. And national security: these people are too heavy to join the military…. It affects so many aspects of our country’s health that we really need to start paying attention.”
Katie Couric said she hopes the film informs people and incites them to action so the food industry might become as accountable for its harmful products as the tobacco industry has.
“We really hope this is going to be a wakeup call,” she said.
Katie Couric also plans to dig into social issues and talk with newsmakers and cultural leaders in her new gig at Yahoo, and she’s not afraid to leave television behind.
Edward Snowden may have collaborated with Russia, Mike Rogers, the chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee, has alleged.
“I believe there’s a reason he ended up in the hands, the loving arms, of an agent in Moscow,” Rep Mike Rogers told CBS’s Face the Nation program.
Mike Rogers offered no firm evidence to back his theory, and the FBI is said to remain sure Edward Snowden acted alone.
The former NSA contractor has been granted temporary asylum in Russia.
Edward Snowden faces espionage charges over his actions, but denies turning over documents to any foreign government.
Mike Rogers suggested that Edward Snowden may have collaborated with Russia
Mike Rogers – a Republican who represents Michigan – told NBC that some of the things Edward Snowden did were “beyond his technical capabilities”.
It appeared “he had some help and he stole things that had nothing to do with privacy”, such as large amounts of data on the US military, Mike Rogers alleged.
And it would cost the US “billions and billions” to put right its capabilities following the intelligence breaches, he said.
“I don’t think it was a gee-whiz luck event that he ended up in Moscow under the handling of the FSB,” he added, referring to the Russian state security organization.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Californian Democrat who heads the Senate intelligence committee, told the same program Edward Snowden “may well have” had help from Russia, but “we don’t know at this stage”.
Last week, the latest leaks to emerge via Edward Snowden suggested that the US had been collecting and storing almost 200 million text messages every day across the globe, according to the UK’s Guardian newspaper and Channel 4 News.
Kenneth Bae, the American citizen held for more than a year in North Korea, has spoken to foreign media, and called for US “co-operation” to secure his release.
The Korean-American gave his first “press conference” since his detention under heavy prison guard.
Kenneth Bae was arrested in November 2012 and sentenced to 15 years’ hard labor in May.
North Korea said he had used his tourism business to form groups to overthrow the government.
Correspondents say Kenneth Bae – described as both a tour operator and Christian missionary – may have been speaking under strict editorial control.
“As far as I know, I have now been here for the longest amongst American citizens who came here and got detained,” he said.
“I believe that my problem can be solved by close co-operation and agreement between the American government and the government of this country.”
Kenneth Bae has spoken to foreign media, and called for US “co-operation” to secure his release
Kenneth Bae, who was wearing a grey cap and inmate’s uniform, denied reports that he had been badly treated.
He said there had been no infringement of his human rights, nor any severe or unfair treatment by Pyongyang.
The US state department says it has seen the reports and “remain(s) very concerned about Kenneth Bae’s health. We continue to urge the DPRK authorities to grant Bae amnesty and immediate release”.
A spokeswoman added the department continued to work actively to secure his release, “including through regular, close consultation with the Swedish embassy”.
Kenneth Bae’s appearance on Monday came weeks after North Korea freed Merrill Newman, 86-year-old American veteran of the Korean War who had been held since October.
Chris Christie’s deputy, Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, has denied claims that they threatened to withhold disaster funds from Hoboken, a New Jersey city hit by Superstorm Sandy.
New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno told reporters the accusation was “wholly and completely false”.
Hoboken’s mayor alleges she was told her city could lose out on federal money unless she backed a real estate project favored by Governor Chris Christie.
It is the latest claim of corruption to hit the Republican governor.
Chris Christie is often tipped as the party’s top contender to take back the White House in 2016. According to some pollsters, he is one of the only Republicans who could beat Democrat Hillary Clinton, if she decided to run for president.
But communications made public earlier this month suggest Chris Christie’s senior staff orchestrated traffic gridlock in an act of political retaliation against another mayor who refused to endorse the governor’s re-election.
Separately, federal officials are investigating whether Chris Christie misused recovery funds in the wake of Superstorm Sandy to finance an advertising campaign during an election year.
Then on Saturday, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer said that Lt Gov Kim Guadagno had approached her in a car park in May last year and told her recovery funds would be disbursed to her city on condition she approved a property development by the New York-based Rockefeller Group.
Chris Christie’s deputy, Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, has denied claims that they threatened to withhold disaster funds from Hoboken
The mayor – who has offered to take a lie-detector test or testify under oath about her claims – recalled Lt Gov Kim Guadagno saying that it was “a direct message from the governor”.
But at Monday morning’s event in Union Beach, New Jersey, Lt Gov Kim Guadagno said that as a victim herself of Superstorm Sandy she found the Hoboken mayor’s allegations “particularly offensive”.
“Mayor Zimmer’s version of our conversation in May of 2013 is not only false but is illogical and does not withstand scrutiny when all of the facts are examined,” she said.
“Any suggestion, any suggestion that Sandy funds were tied to the approval of any project in New Jersey is completely false.”
A spokesman for Chris Christie issued a statement late on Saturday denying the alleged political strong arm tactics.
Hoboken, a low-lying city across the Hudson River from New York City, was inundated with flood waters when Sandy struck in October 2012. Chris Christie’s handling of the recovery effort greatly boosted his popularity.
The city received $342,000 out of an initial $1.8 billion of federal aid distributed by the state, Mayor Dawn Zimmer said. Another rollout of funding is due to disburse $1.4 billion.
The Hoboken mayor said at the weekend that she had decided to speak out now in the hope that her city would not lose out on the second tranche of aid, and because she thought no-one would have believed her beforehand.
The Rockefeller Group has denied the claims, which relate to plans for a 40-storey office tower and commercial development in Hoboken.
The defense and prosecution in Amanda Knox’s third trial were both making their final rebuttals on Monday before the court begins deliberations on January 30.
Prosecutor Alessandro Crini urged the court on Monday to take steps to make sure that Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecitp would serve their sentences, if they are convicted of murdering British student Meredith Kercher.
The prosecutor preceded his request by noting that Amanda Knox has remained in the US for this trial, while co-defendant Raffaele Sollecito has traveled abroad during it.
A verdict is expected later that on January 30.
Alessandro Crini has requested guilty verdicts and jail sentences of 26 years for both defendants, and that the court increase to four years Amanda Knox’s three-year sentence for a slander conviction, which has been upheld.
In the case of Raffaele Sollecito, who told reporters Monday that he intends to remain in Italy for the verdict, the precautionary measures could include immediate arrest, house arrest or the confiscation of his passport.
Amanda Knox is being tried in absentia
The court’s reach in Amanda Knox’s case is limited by her presence in the US, where she returned a free woman after the 2009 guilty verdicts against her and Raffaele Sollecito were thrown out by a Perugia appeals court in 2011. Italy’s highest court ordered a second appellate trial after blasting the acquittal.
Amanda Knox’s lawyer, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said during a break that any request for extradition could be made only after a possible guilty verdict is confirmed by Italy’s highest court – a process that can a year or more.
For the moment, Amanda Knox is being tried in absentia, a status that formally is not prejudicial in her regard. She would become a fugitive should she fail to return to serve a sentence should any guilty verdict in this trial be upheld on appeal by Italy’s top criminal court.
Raffaele Sollecito’s father, Francesco Sollecito, said his son has no intention of fleeing justice.
“The fact that Raffaele has no intention of escaping the trial is evident by his presence” in the courtroom, Francesco Sollecito said. He said his son has been legitimately looking for jobs abroad, having explained in court that prospective employers in Italy are put off by the notoriety surrounding the case.
“He is looking around, because he hopes this story ends soon.”
A third person, Ivory Coast-born Rudy Hermann Guede, is serving a 16-year sentence for the murder. His conviction specified that he did not carrying out the murder alone.
Former musical director of La Scala, Claudio Abbado, has died at the age of 80.
Italian conductor died in Bologna after a long illness, said Raffaella Grimaudo, spokeswoman for the Bologna mayor’s office.
Claudio Abbado, who was appointed senator for life in Italy last year, had cancelled several recent performances and appearances due to ill health.
He also conducted the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) between 1979 and 1988.
Claudio Abbado won plaudits for his LSO concerts of his favorite composer, Gustav Mahler.
He was also musical director of Vienna’s Staatsoper from 1986 to 1991 and a guest conductor at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
In 1989, Claudio Abbado was elected head of the Berlin Philharmonic by its members, where he worked until 2002.
Claudio Abbado was born into a musical family in Milan in 1933 and trained at the Milan Conservatoire before studying under Hans Swarowsky in Vienna
He made his first recording for Deutsche Grammophon in 1967 and his last in 2013.
Claudio Abbado was born into a musical family in Milan in 1933 and trained at the Milan Conservatoire before studying under Hans Swarowsky in Vienna.
His career began at La Scala in 1960 and he went on to become musical director of the famous opera house until 1986, before his work with Vienna’s state opera and the Berlin Philharmonic.
In 1997, Claudio Abbado won a Grammy Award in the best instrumental soloist performance (with orchestra) category.
In 2012, he was voted into the Gramophone Hall of Fame and awarded the conductor prize at the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Music Awards.
The latter prize was given for his concerts with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall in 2011.
Claudio Abbado had suffered health problems for many years, resigning from his Vienna Opera post for health reasons in 1991 and then undergoing stomach cancer surgery in 2000.
In the past few years Bangalore has emerged as one of the most sought after places of India. One of the major IT hubs of the country, this city has allured people from the world over. The favorable weather, good job opportunities, friendly people, and mesmerizing lifestyle have inspired people to invest in the real estate and get settled in the city.
The fast growth of the IT companies has led to the increase in high net worth individuals ready to invest in luxury homes. As a result, luxurious villas have become a fad in this city. In recent years there has been a great rise in the demand for premium properties, especially villas. With most of the IT companies located in the Whitefield area of Bangalore, there is an increase in the demand for villas in Whitefield.
With the increase in the disposable income most of the residents of Bangalore, people now aim to own world-class homes with the best of amenities. Most of the buyers look for villas in Whitefield close to their workplace as well as close to other basic amenities like medical centers, schools, supermarkets, and more. This helps them to save on the time and money spent on commuting. Luxury homes have now become a necessity for the opulence demanding young professionals.
These villas in Whitefield come with all the basic as well as luxurious amenities including private parking, swimming pool, personal terrace gardens, gym, spa, modern fitting & fixtures, Jacuzzi, foolproof security system, centralized heating, & air conditioning, and more. Some developers also offer customized villas and hence cater to the individual style and needs of their clients.
Another important reason for more and more people getting keen to buy villas is the factor of safety & privacy. The villas are considered safer and also provide the privacy which everyone requires for one’s family.
However, an important to note in this context is the rising prices of these villas in Whitefield. With the demand increasing and the supply of premium homes & villas not at par with the demand, has led to the overall increase in the price of the real estate in Bangalore. Another important reason for the increase in the price of villas is the increase in the labour and raw material rates. However, this has not stopped the buyers to invest in these properties. On the contrary, there is a surge in the demand for these villas as most people consider it to be a good long-term investment which would yield profitable returns in the long run.
The main reason for the shortage of supply of these premier homes is the huge investment required to build these villas. Not all real estate developers have the availability of land as well as finances to build such large properties. Another hindrance is the getting the required sanction from the authorities for building such properties is a time consuming process. Hence, it is only the big players of the real estate market that can afford investing in such big projects.
In the present day, the real estate property market is actually full of dream properties overloaded with all kinds of modern facilities that anyone can dream of. Moreover, the Villas in Whitefield are ideal buys in the market for those who are looking for something really good and magnificent villas. No wonder, the price range depends on the kind of facilities and amenities available for the buyers. The scenario is changing these days and there are lots of people who can now afford to buy these villas.
“NEBRASKA” (Paramount Pictures); Producers: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa
“SAVING MR. BANKS” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures); Producers: Ian Collie, Alison Owen, Philip Steuer
“12 YEARS A SLAVE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures); Producers: Anthony Katagas, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner WINNER (TIE)
“THE WOLF OF WALL STREET” (Paramount Pictures); Producers: Riza Aziz, Emma Koskoff, Joey McFarland
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:
“THE CROODS” (DreamWorks Animation); Producers: Kristine Belson, Jane Hartwell
“DESPICABLE ME 2″ (Universal Pictures); Producers: Janet Healy, Chris Meledandri
“EPIC” (Twentieth Century Fox); Producers: Jerry Davis, Lori Forte
“FROZEN” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures); Producer: Peter Del Vecho WINNER
“MONSTERS UNIVERSITY” (Pixar Animation); Producer: Kori Rae
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:
“A PLACE AT THE TABLE” (Magnolia Pictures); Producers: Julie Goldman, Ryan Harrington, Kristi Jacobson, Lori Silverbush
“FAR OUT ISN’T FAR ENOUGH: THE TOMI UNGERER STORY” (First Run Features); Producers: Brad Bernstein, Rick Cikowski
“LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM” (HBO Documentary Films); Producers: Andrea Nix Fine, Sean Fine, Miriam Weintraub
“WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS” (Focus Features); Producers: Alexis Bloom, Alex Gibney, Marc Shmuger WINNER
“WHICH WAY IS THE FRONT LINE FROM HERE? THE LIFE AND TIME OF TIM HETHERINGTON” (HBO Documentary Films); Producers: James Brabazon, Nick Quested
Television Programs
The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television:
“AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM” (FX); Producers: Brad Buecker, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk, Alexis Martin Woodall, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Jennifer Salt, Chip Vucelich, James Wong
“BEHIND THE CANDELABRA” (HBO); Producers: Susan Ekins, Gregory Jacobs, Michael Polaire, Jerry Weintraub WINNER
“KILLING KENNEDY” (National Geographic Channel); Producers: Mary Lisio, Larry Rapaport, Ridley Scott, Teri Weinberg, David W. Zucker
“PHIL SPECTOR” (HBO); Producers: Michael Hausman, Barry Levinson
“TOP OF THE LAKE” (Sundance Channel); Producers: Philippa Campbell, Jane Campion, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman
The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:
“BREAKING BAD” (AMC); Producers: Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett WINNER
“DOWNTON ABBEY” (ITV – United Kingdom; PBS – United States); Producers: Julian Fellowes, Nigel Marchant, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge
“GAME OF THRONES” (HBO); Producers: David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, D.B. Weiss, Christopher Newman, Greg Spence, Carolyn Strauss
“HOMELAND” (Showtime); Producers: Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Michael Cuesta, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Michael Klick, Meredith Stiehm
“HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix); Producers: Joshua Donen, David Fincher, Karyn McCarthy, John Melfi, Eric Roth, Kevin Spacey, Beau Willimon
The 25th annual Producers Guild of America Awards ceremony was held yesterday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles
The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:
“30 ROCK” (NBC); Producers: Jack Burditt, Robert Carlock, Luke Del Tredici , Tina Fey, Matt Hubbard , Marci Klein, Jerry Kupfer , Colleen McGuinness, Lorne Michaels, David Miner, Dylan Morgan , Jeff Richmond , Josh Siegal, Tracey Wigfield
“ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT” (Netflix); Producers: John Foy, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Mitchell Hurwitz, Dean Lorey, Troy Miller, Richard Rosenstock, Jim Vallely
“THE BIG BANK THEORY” (CBS); Producers: Bill Prady, Chucke Lorre, Steve Molaro, Faye Oshima Belyeu
“MODERN FAMILY” (ABC); Producers: Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeffrey Morton, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Chris Smirnoff, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker WINNER
“VEEP” (HBO); Producers: Simon Blackwell, Christopher Godsick, Armando Iannucci, Stephanie Laing, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Frank Rich, Tony Roche
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:
“30 FOR 30″ (ESPN); Producers: Bill Simmons, John Dahl, Erin Leyden, Connor Schell
“ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN” (CNN); Producers: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandra Zweig
“DUCK DYNASTY” (A&E Networks); Producers: Deirdre Gurney, Scott Gurney, Mike Odair, Hugh Peterson, Adam Saltzberg, Charlie Van Vleet WINNER
“INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO” (Bravo); Producers: James Lipton, Shawn Tesser, Jeff Wurtz
“SHARK TANK” (ABC); Producers: Mark Burnett, Becky Blitz, Bill Gaudsmith, Yun Lingner, Clay Newbill, Jim Roush, Laura Skowlund, Max Swedlow
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment and Talk Television:
“THE COLBERT REPORT” (Comedy Central); Producers: Meredith Bennett, Stephen T. Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Barry Julien, Matt Lappin, Emily Lazar, Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Tom Purcell, Jon Stewart WINNER
“JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE” (ABC); Producers: David Craig, Ken Crosby, Doug DeLuca, Gary Greenberg, Erin Irwin, Jimmy Kimmel, Jill Leiderman, Molly McNearney, Tony Romero, Jason Schrift, Jennifer Sharron, Josh Weintraub
“LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON” (NBC); Producers: Hillary Hunn, Lorne Michaels, Gavin Purcell, Michael Shoemaker
“REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER” (HBO); Producers: Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, Matt Wood
“SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE” (NBC); Producers: Ken Aymong, Erin Doyle, Steve Higgins, Erik Kenward, Lorne Michaels, Lindsay Shookus
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television:
“THE AMAZING RACE” (CBS); Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Elise Doganieri, Jonathan Littman, Bertram van Munster, Mark Vertullo
“DANCING WITH THE STARS” (ABC); Producers: Ashley Edens-Shaffer, Conrad Green, Joe Sungkur
“PROJECT RUNWAY” (Lifetime); Producers: Jane Cha Cutler, Desiree Gruber, Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Jonathan Murray, Sara Rea, Colleen Sands
“TOP CHEF” (Bravo); Producers: Tom Colicchio, Daniel Cutforth, Casey Kriley, Jane Lipsitz, Erica Ross, Nan Strait, Andrew Wallace
“THE VOICE” (NBC); Producers: Stijn Bakkers, Mark Burnett, John de Mol, Chad Hines, Lee Metzger, Audrey Morrissey, Jim Roush, Kyra Thompson, Nicolle Yaron, Mike Yurchuk, Amanda Zucker WINNER
Gravity and 12 Years a Slave have tied for the top prize at this year’s Producer’s Guild of America (PGA) Awards.
It is the first time the guild has declared a tie for best film in its 25-year history, another indicator that this year’s Oscars race is wide open.
The PGA has correctly picked the film that has gone on to win best picture at the Oscars for the last six years.
Disney’s Frozen won best animation and Behind the Candelabra won best TV film.
ABC’s Modern Family picked up the best episodic comedy award, while Breaking Bad won for best episodic TV drama.
Gravity and 12 Years a Slave have tied for the top prize at this year’s Producer’s Guild of America Awards
James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson were among those given special honors for their contribution to film.
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, scooped best documentary, while The Voice won best competitive TV series.
Other winners included Sesame Street, which won outstanding children’s program.
The PGA Awards followed hot on the tails of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, which also took place this weekend – SAG voters eschewed both Gravity and 12 Years a Slave, choosing instead 1970s crime caper American Hustle for its top honor.
The Oscars will take place on March 2. Voting among the 6,000 members runs from February 14 to 25.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has agreed to talk with pro-EU protesters and opposition leaders after violent clashes in Kiev.
Viktor Yanukovych said a cross-party commission would be set up on Monday to try to resolve the deepening crisis. Opposition leaders confirmed this.
Earlier, a group of protesters – trying to reach parliament – clashed with police. Dozens of people were injured.
The US and EU called for an end to the violence and urgent political talks.
The violence broke out as many thousands of protesters held a rally in Kiev’s Independence Square, outraged by new laws which they said restricted basic freedoms.
The ruling party of Viktor Yanukovych denies this, saying the legislature is in line with European standards.
However, Western countries have expressed deep concern at the new laws.
The anti-government movement began in protest at Viktor Yanukovych’s decision in late November to pull out of a landmark treaty with the EU, but has expanded to demand his resignation.
President Viktor Yanukovych has agreed to talk with pro-EU protesters and opposition leaders after violent clashes in Kiev
Late on Sunday, President Viktor Yanukovych’s press office said a “working group” headed by National Security and Defense Secretary Andriy Kluyev would be set up.
It said the group – made of members of government and the presidential administration – would meet opposition representatives on Monday to try to resolve the crisis.
Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko confirmed this after meeting President Viktor Yanukovych at his residence outside Kiev.
“We must use every opportunity to resolve the crisis peacefully,” the former world heavyweight boxing champion, who leads the Udar party, told Ukraine’s Hromadske TV.
He warned against a “scenario of force”, adding that he “didn’t rule out the possibility of a civil war”.
Arseniy Yatseniuk, another opposition leader, said Viktor Yanukovych personally called him to say that he was ready for talks.
However, the opposition warned that the talks must produce real results and not be an opportunity for the president to play for time. The opposition is demanding the resignation of the government and snap presidential elections.
But opposition leaders are under huge pressure to come up with an action plan, amid criticism from many activists that their campaign has been too passive.
Iran has started restricting its uranium enrichment, state TV says, under an agreement which will also trigger an easing of international sanctions.
Centrifuges used for enrichment were disconnected at the Nantaz plant, according to TV.
The move is part of a deal reached with the US, Russia, China and European powers last November.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, will now confirm whether Tehran is implementing its side of the agreement.
This should pave the way for partial suspension of EU and US sanctions, allowing Iran to restart petrochemical exports and trade in gold, worth billions of dollars.
“The IAEA inspectors in the Natanz plant are disconnecting cascades,” the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, said.
“The sanctions iceberg against Iran is melting.”
The West accuses Teheran of seeking nuclear weapons, but it denies the claim, saying its program is solely for peaceful purposes.
Verification by IAEA inspectors that the terms of the deal are being implemented by Teheran is expected to happen by the end of Monday.
Iran has started restricting its uranium enrichment under an agreement which will also trigger an easing of international sanctions
Within an hour or two restrictions on Iran’s trade would then be lifted.
On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he hoped for “positive results for the country, as well as regional and global peace and security”.
Under the terms of the agreement, reached with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, Iran has agreed to halt enrichment of uranium above 5% purity.
It will “neutralize” its stockpile of near-20%-enriched uranium.
In return, the world powers agreed to suspend certain sanctions on trade in gold and precious metals, Iran’s automotive sector, and its petrochemical exports.
Officials said as a result of the deal:
From Monday, Iran starts diluting its stockpile of 20%-enriched uranium
All 20%-enriched uranium will be gone within six months
Daily access will be provided to the Fordo uranium enrichment site near the holy city of Qom
Monthly inspections will be allowed at the Arak heavy water reactor
In return, US President Barack Obama has said the US and the other five powers over the next six months will begin to implement “modest relief” so long as Iran fulfill its obligations.
Shashi Tharoor, whose wife Sunanda Pushkar was found dead in a Delhi hotel room on Friday, has called for a swift investigation so that the truth “emerges at the earliest”.
The Indian minister has appeared before a magistrate probing the death of Sunanda Pushkar.
An autopsy found “injury marks” on Sunanda Pushkar’s body, but did not say if they were linked to her death.
The couple became embroiled in a row on Wednesday after Twitter messages suggested Shashi Tharoor was having an affair.
Shashi Tharoor wrote to India’s home minister over the weekend urging him to “issue instructions to the relevant authorities to expedite their investigations and come to a rapid conclusion so that the truth emerges at the earliest”.
He said he was “horrified to read the reckless speculation” over the death in the media.
“I pledge my full and unstinting cooperation. Nothing short of the truth will end the indignity to which my wife and I are being subject at a time when all I seek is to be allowed to grieve in private with her and my near and dear ones,” Shashi Tharoor wrote.
Shashi Tharoor has appeared before a magistrate probing the death of Sunanda Pushkar
On Sunday, Shashi Tharoor gave his testimony to a magistrate who is leading the inquest into Sunanda Pushkar’s death.
Doctors said the autopsy showed “certain injury marks on the body of Ms Pushkar, but the nature of these cannot be revealed”.
They said that initial results showed no sign of poison in her body, but more tests would be carried out.
A public row broke out on Wednesday when seemingly private messages between Shashi Tharoor and Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar were published on his Twitter feed.
Sunanda Pushkar, 52, said she had gone into her husband’s account and published the messages.
She accused Mehr Tarar of stalking her husband – an allegation denied by the Pakistani journalist.
Sunanda Pushkar and Shashi Tharoor later insisted they were happily married and blamed “unauthorized tweets” for causing confusion.
Shashi Tharoor, a former UN diplomat, was forced to resign from his first ministerial position in 2010 amid controversy over his involvement in bidding for a cricket team.
Sunanda Pushkar had allegedly received a free stake in the Indian Premier League franchise he was bidding for.
Shashi Tharoor was appointed minister of state for human resource development in 2012.
China’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 7.7% in 2013 from a year ago, the slowest pace of growth since 1999, official figures show.
Chinese economy is the world’s second largest.
The growth rate was higher than the government’s target of 7.5% and the same as in 2012.
The data highlights the challenge policymakers face in sustaining China’s high growth rate as they look to rebalance the economy.
Many analysts expect the country’s growth rate to slow as it takes steps to move away from an investment-led growth model to one driven by domestic consumption.
China’s growth rate slowed to an annual rate of 7.7% in the October-to-December quarter, down from 7.8% in the previous three months.
“The figure showed China’s economy had touched the bottom in the third quarter of 2013 and then stabilized in the end of last year,” said Li Huiyong, an economist with Shenyin & Wanguo Securities in Shanghai.
“We expect the trend will continue in 2014 as the policymakers [are] determined to push forward the reforms to maintain stable economic growth.
“We maintain our 2014 GDP growth forecast of 7.5% as we still need to be on guard for the risks from debt problems in the economy.”
China’s economy grew at its slowest pace in 14 years in 2013
A government-led investment boom has been a main factor driving China’s growth in recent years.
Chinese banks, especially the big four state-owned lenders, lent record sums of money in the years after the global financial crisis in an attempt to sustain the country’s high growth rate.
However, there have been concerns that part of that money has gone towards unproductive investments and that banks may not be able to recover those loans.
The fear among many is that a jump in bad loans – ones that cannot be repaid – would not only hurt the country’s banking sector, but also have a big impact on its overall growth.
There are also concerns over the growth of shadow banking – lending by non-banking companies – in the country.
Critics have warned that shadow banking makes credit less transparent and poses a major risk to China’s economic growth.
Earlier this month, various media reports indicated that China had drafted rules calling for greater supervision and monitoring of the shadow banks.
Banks have been told to publish data on 12 key indicators, including off-balance-sheet assets, to enhance their transparency.
Many analysts have said that curbing lending growth to address these concerns could would probably have a negative impact on China’s economic growth.
Nearly 70 years ago, 14-year-old George Junius Stinney Jr. from South Carolina was convicted of murdering two white girls in a one-day trial in which his lawyers called no witnesses, and executed by electrocution.
Back in 2014, attorneys in South Carolina say they have fresh evidence that warrants a new trial in the case of George Junius Stinney Jr.
George Stinney Jr. was the youngest person to be executed in the US in the last century, and attorneys say the request for another trial so long after a defendant’s death is the first of its kind in the state.
No official record of the original court proceedings exists; no trial participants are alive, and no evidence was preserved. The law is unclear on whether any statute of limitations would prevent the case from being reopened.
Despite those obstacles, attorneys for George Stinney’s family will argue at a hearing Tuesday that the crime that rocked the small mill town of Alcolu in 1944 deserves another look.
The defense filed its motion requesting a new trial in October based on newly discovered evidence. Since then, new witnesses who could help exonerate George Stinney have come forward, including a former cellmate who says the teen told him police forced his confession, attorneys said.
The defense also is relying on old newspaper accounts and a few records in state and county archives to make their case to a judge in Sumter, about 20 miles from the town where George Stinney was tried and convicted.
George Stinney Jr. was the youngest person to be executed in the US in the last century
Lawyers said they had determined George Stinney was convicted solely on testimony by police who said the teen confessed to killing Betty June Binnicker, 11, and Mary Emma Thames, 7. The two girls disappeared on March 23, 1944, after leaving home on their bicycles to look for wildflowers.
The girls rode a distance of about a mile to a railroad track that divided the segregated town, according to the defense’s account of the case in court records.
George Stinney and his younger sister Amie were sitting on the tracks as their family cow grazed nearby. Amie recalls the girls asking where they could find flowers before both pairs of children went their separate ways.
Betty June Binnicker and Mary Emma Thames never returned home. A search party found their bodies the next morning in a shallow ditch behind a church. Their skulls had been crushed and the bicycles laid on top of them.
After George Stinney told someone he had seen the girls along the railroad tracks, he was picked up by police and held for five days before being arrested, said Matthew Burgess, one of the attorneys seeking a new trial.
The teen’s family was run out of town, and his siblings never saw him again.
George Stinney’s lawyers called no witnesses during his day-long trial a month after the murders, according to the current defense team, and a jury of white men deliberated for only 10 minutes before finding him guilty.
Then-governor Olin D. Johnston refused to grant clemency.
George Stinney, who weighed just 95 pounds, was executed by electrocution in June 1944.
Solicitor Ernest “Chip” Finney III, the prosecutor who will appear at the hearing this week for the state, said the case was the most interesting one ever to cross his desk. But he said he will argue that no information about the original trial exists to show it had been conducted improperly.
Relatives of Betty June Binnicker, one of the girls killed, do not want the case revisited without good reason.
George Stinney’s sister, Amie Ruffner, now in her 70s and living in New Jersey, will testify that Stinney was with her the entire day of the murders and could not have killed the girls.
Beyonce and Jay-Z’s daughter celebrated her second birthday and her mother shared a picture of Blue Ivy Carter’s new rides – a Cadillac and Ferrari.
Beyonce, 32, posted photos of the mini cars via Tumblr on Friday.
In the photo, Blue Ivy’s new wheels are parked next to one another. Her blue Ferrari is personalized with “Blue Ivy Baby Slab” written on the front windshield, with “BABY SLAB” adorning the black interior seats. Blue Ivy’s shiny pink Cadillac, meanwhile, is twice the size of her sports car. The Fisher-Price toy features gold detailing and cotton candy-colored interior seats.
Blue Ivy Carter’s new rides
Beyonce and Jay-Z marked Blue Ivy’s birthday with a blow-out bash at Jungle Island, an interactive wildlife park and botanical garden in Miami, Florida on January 7.
Blue Ivy’s birthday party included Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, with all the ladies sporting painted faces of butterflies and flowers.
The big screen’s team-up Superman vs. Batman has been delayed by almost a year, film studio Warner Bros has confirmed.
Originally scheduled for July 2015, Superman vs. Batman release date is now set for May 6, 2016.
A sequel to 2013’s Man of Steel, the as-yet-untitled film sees Ben Affleck stepping into the Batman role, next to Henry Cavill’s Superman.
It was reported the delay was triggered by Ben Affleck sustaining a leg injury, but that has been dismissed by the studio.
Instead, the release date has been pushed back to “allow the filmmakers time to realize fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story,” it said.
The film has recently gained a third superhero – with Fast and Furious star Gal Gadot signed up to play Wonder Woman.
Originally scheduled for July 2015, Superman vs. Batman release date is now set for May 6, 2016
Filming had already started before the announcement, with some incidental footage of an American Football game shot before Christmas.
However, director Zack Snyder was not due to call “action” on the main scenes until spring.
The move away from 2015 means the Superman vs. Batman blockbuster avoids a crowded marketplace, with new installments of The Avengers, Terminator, Jurassic Park and Fast and Furious all scheduled to hit cinemas over the summer.
Warner Bros says it will still make use of the July 17 date, scheduling a new Peter Pan film by director Joe Wright for that weekend.
Meanwhile, Superman‘s release date had already been earmarked for an as-yet-unannounced film from comic book rivals Marvel – which could mean a superhero stand-off at the box office, as well as on the silver screen.
American Hustle won the top prize at this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Representing his co-stars, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams and Christian Bale, actor Bradley Cooper praised film director David O. Russell.
As actors form the biggest voting bloc in the Oscars, the SAG awards are seen as a key indicator for that ceremony.
Last year, the guild chose hostage drama Argo for its top honor, with that film going on to receive the Academy Award for best picture.
However, this year’s field is more competitive – with 12 Years a Slave and Gravity expected to give American Hustle‘s A-list cast a run for their money when the Oscars roll around on 2 March.
Newcomer Lupita Nyong’o, who plays an abused plantation worker in 12 Years a Slave, was given the best supporting actress award by SAG voters.
The Kenyan actress also thanked her director, British film-maker Steve McQueen, “for taking a flashlight and shining it underneath the floorboards of this nation and reminding us what it is we stand on”.
Both best actor and best supporting actor went to the stars of Dallas Buyers Club, a small film that cost just $4 million to make.
American Hustle won the top prize at this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards
The film is based on the true story of a homophobic Texan who gets AIDS and smuggles unapproved anti-HIV drugs into the US in the 1980s.
Matthew McConaughey, in the lead role, and Jared Leto both endured dramatic weight loss to play their parts.
Cate Blanchett took home the best actress prize for her complex, cracked portrayal of a socialite fallen on hard times in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine.
It was Cate Blanchett’s 17th best actress prize of the awards season – and she is considered a near-certainty for the trophy at both the BAFTAs and Oscars.
The SAG Awards also recognize actors working in TV, with sitcom Modern Family winning best ensemble in a comedy series and best male actor in a comedy series for Ty Burrell’s dumb-but-loveable patriarch Phil Dunphy.
Accepting the show’s cast award – its fourth in a row – Colombian star Sofia Vergara said the honor was “mind-blowing”, adding: “I can barely speak English.”
Breaking Bad, which left TV screens last year, continued its victory lap around the awards shows, winning outstanding dramatic cast and for best lead actor Bryan Cranston, for his indelible performance as teacher-turned-meth dealer, Walter White.
Maggie Smith and Helen Mirren won best actress awards for Downton Abbey and the TV movie Phil Spector respectively.
Michael Douglas picked up a best actor prize in the TV category for his performance as Liberace in the movie Behind The Candelabra, which was only shown on cable channel HBO.
The lifetime achievement award was given to Rita Moreno, the 81-year-old actress who played Anita del Carmen in West Side Story, alongside roles in Singin’ in the Rain and The King and I, and on Broadway in The Ritz and The Odd Couple.
Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has decided to return to the centre of the political stage, striking a reform deal with a centre-left rival.
Silvio Berlusconi, 77, was thrown out of parliament in 2013 after a tax fraud conviction.
The former prime minister still heads the opposition Forza Italia party and held lengthy talks with Democratic Party (PD) leader Matteo Renzi late on Saturday.
Under their agreement, Silvio Berlusconi will back electoral and constitutional proposals aimed at making Italy more governable.
The current electoral system has left Italy with a series of shaky coalitions.
Last year’s general election left no party strong enough to govern alone, until a broad coalition emerged, headed by Enrico Letta of the PD.
Silvio Berlusconi has agreed with centre-left rival Matteo Renzi over a reform deal
Silvio Berlusconi was initially part of the government but later pulled out. Several key former allies abandoned him to form the New Centre Right party while he became a more marginalized figure.
But he remained head of Italy’s biggest opposition faction, Forza Italia.
Matteo Renzi’s talks with the former centre-right prime minister have divided the coalition, and the PD in particular.
His car was hit with an egg and he was booed as he arrived at PD headquarters.
After the talks Silvio Berlusconi said the deal would “consolidate the biggest parties and simplify the political system”.
Matteo Renzi said the two leaders had backed a law that “favors governability and a bi-polar system, and eliminates the blackmail power of the smallest parties”.
Silvio Berlusconi is keen to make a political comeback despite his fraud conviction and a separate conviction for paying an underage prostitute. He is appealing against a seven-year jail term.
