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ObamaCare health reforms come into effect

Diane A. Wade
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ObamaCare health reforms come into effect

Millions of people in the US receive health insurance cover for the first time as ObamaCare healthcare reforms – Affordable Act Care – come into effect as of 1st of January 2014.

President Barack Obama’s reforms are part of his aim to ensure affordable healthcare is available to everyone.

But the policy is controversial and the roll-out of the new system has been beset with problems.

Some religious-affiliated groups won a last-minute reprieve from being forced to provide birth control cover.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor temporally blocked the government from forcing such groups to offer health insurance that would include contraception.

Sonia Sotomayor acted at the request of a group of Catholic nuns in Colorado, the Little Sisters of the Poor, who had earlier lost their request for a preliminary injunction at an appeals court in Denver.

They had argued that the ruling conflicted with the Catholic Church’s stance against the use of contraceptives.

Millions of Americans will receive health insurance cover for the first time as ObamaCare comes into effect
Millions of Americans will receive health insurance cover for the first time as ObamaCare comes into effect

Under the Affordable Care Act, it is now compulsory for people to have health cover – either provided for by their employer or by buying one of the private health plans now on offer.

Those who cannot afford it will get help, but those without any insurance will be fined.

As of 1st of January 2014, health insurance companies are also no longer able to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

More than 2.1 million people have enrolled so far for private health plans – short of the government’s original target.

But the phased roll-out of the new law has suffered a number of difficulties.

The Healthcare.gov website offering the new health plans was plagued with technical glitches when it was launched in October. There were long sign-in wait times, log-in difficulties, insurance account creation problems, slow page loads and outages.

Insurance companies have also announced the cancellation of millions of policies, saying they did not meet the law’s minimum requirements.

This came despite President Barack Obama’s promise that people would not be forced to move from plans they were happy with.

Barack Obama’s approval ratings fell in the wake of the problems, but the White House says things have been fixed.

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Kim Jong-un’s first public reference to Jang Sung-taek’s execution

Diane A. Wade
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Kim Jong-un’s first public reference to Jang Sung-taek’s execution

Kim Jong-un made his first public reference to the execution of his once-powerful uncle – Jang Sung-taek.

In a New Year message broadcast on state TV, Kim Jong-un said “resolute action” had strengthened the country’s unity.

North Korea announced on December 12 it had executed Jang Sung-taek after convicting him of “acts of treachery”.

The move raised concerns of instability in the secretive nuclear-armed country.

North Korea’s New Year messages are closely scrutinized by South Korea and other regional powers for clues to Pyongyang’s policy goals.

Kim Jong-un made his first public reference to the execution of Jang Sung-taek in his New Year message
Kim Jong-un made his first public reference to the execution of Jang Sung-taek in his New Year message

Kim Jong-un said action to “eliminate factionalist fi**h” within the ruling Workers’ Party had bolstered the country’s unity “by 100 times”.

“Our party’s timely, accurate decision to purge the anti-party, anti-revolutionary elements helped greatly cement solidarity within our party,” he said.

Kim Jong-un also accused South Korea and US of being “warmongers”, working “frantically” to bring nuclear weapons to the peninsula.

An accidental conflict, Kim Jong-un said, could trigger “an enormous nuclear catastrophe”.

He called for the strengthening of North Korea’s defense capabilities, adding that the country’s dignity and the people’s happiness depend on “the gun barrel”.

Jang Sung-taek was married to the sister of late leader Kim Jong-il, and is believed to have mentored Kim Jong-un when he succeeded his father in 2011.

Although seen as the second-most important figure in the country, Jang Sung-taek was dramatically removed from a special party session by armed guards and stripped of all his titles.

The state news agency KCNA later said he had admitted at a military trial to trying to overthrow the state, and had been executed immediately.

Analysts said one theory for Jang Sung-taek ‘s downfall was that he was too keen an admirer of China’s economic reform.

Happy New Year 2014! Celebrations around the world

Nancy Clayson
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Happy New Year 2014! Celebrations around the world

New Year celebrations took place around the world to mark the start of 2014.

People in Auckland, New Zealand, were among the first to celebrate. In Australia, hundreds of thousands gathered for a spectacular firework display around Sydney’s Harbor Bridge.

Similar shows took place in cities across the world, with thousands lining London’s River Thames.

New York staged its traditional New Year’s Eve countdown and ball-drop over a chilly Times Square.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a New York native, pushed the ceremonial button to drop the famous ball on a rooftop over the square.

Moscow also celebrated with a spectacular fireworks display over the Kremlin.

However, there was intense security in Red Square following recent suicide bombings in the southern Russian city of Volgograd.

Dubai – in the same time zone as Moscow – aimed for a world record with a fireworks extravaganza stretching along 30 miles of seafront.

Adjudicators from Guinness World Records were on hand to check proceedings, but it was not clear immediately whether the attempt was successful.

The world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, was the centrepiece of the display.

New Year celebrations took place around the world to mark the start of 2014
New Year celebrations took place around the world to mark the start of 2014

East Asian cities also rang in the New Year, with Beijing, Jakarta and Singapore all hosting celebrations.

In Hong Kong, tens of thousands of spectators watched the fireworks over Victoria Harbor.

The Chinese city of Wuhan had called off its display to avoid worsening a smog problem.

In Japan, Shinto priests gathered at shrines. Japanese people traditionally visit shrines and temples to pray for their families at this time.

In the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, an estimated 100,000 people sang the national anthem in the city’s Independence Square in support of further integration with Europe.

The square has been the focus of pro-European protests for more than a month after President Viktor Yanukovych ditched a key deal with the EU.

As midnight struck across Western Europe, Berlin and Paris were among the capitals staging spectacular displays.

In London, the chimes of Big Ben signaled what was billed as the world’s first “multi-sensory” firework show, with peach-flavored “snow” and edible banana confetti showering crowds packing the banks of the River Thames.

Cape Town in South Africa staged a free concert with lasers, fireworks and a special tribute to former President Nelson Mandela, who died on December 5.

In Brazil, organizers of Rio de Janeiro’s celebrations estimated that more than one million revelers packed the city’s famous Copacabana beach to watch fireworks light up the bay after midnight.

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Barbara Bush hospitalized in Houston

Nancy Clayson
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Barbara Bush hospitalized in Houston

Ex-First Lady Barbara Bush has been admitted to a Houston hospital with a “respiratory related issue”, the family said in a statement.

Barbara Bush, 88, the wife of ex-President George H.W. Bush and mother of ex-President George W. Bush, was admitted to the Houston Methodist Hospital on Monday and was listed as being in stable condition.

“She is in great spirits, has already received visits from her husband and family, and is receiving fantastic care,” the family statement said.

Barbara Bush has been admitted to a Houston hospital with a respiratory related issue
Barbara Bush has been admitted to a Houston hospital with a respiratory related issue

Last week Barbara Bush and her husband, the 41st president, honored a Houston philanthropist with a Points of Light Award, a volunteer service award started by the former president.

Barbara Bush was admitted to the same hospital in 2008 after she suffered a perforated ulcer. She had heart surgery the next year for a narrowing of her main heart valve.

In 2010, Barbara Bush was admitted to the hospital after having a mild relapse of Graves disease, a thyroid condition for which she was treated in 1989.

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Pervez Musharraf fails to appear in Islamabad court for treason trial

Roy Siemens
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Pervez Musharraf fails to appear in Islamabad court for treason trial

Pakistan’s former leader Pervez Musharraf has failed to appear in Islamabad court for his trial on treason charges.

Pervez Musharraf’s lawyers told the court there was not enough security for him. His trial was postponed last week after reports a bomb was found on his route to court.

The treason charges relate to his decision in 2007 to suspend the constitution and impose emergency rule.

Pervez Musharraf, 70, denies the charges and says all the accusations against him are politically motivated.

He is the first Pakistani former military ruler to face trial for treason. If found guilty, Pervez Musharraf could be sentenced to death or life in prison.

He also faces separate charges of murder and restricting the judiciary.

His lawyers told Wednesday’s hearing that more explosives had been found close to Pervez Musharraf’s residence on the outskirts of Islamabad.

“He is unable to appear before the court because of security hazards,” his lawyer Ahmed Raza Kasuri said.

Pervez Musharraf has failed to appear in Islamabad court for his trial on treason charges
Pervez Musharraf has failed to appear in Islamabad court for his trial on treason charges

The court also heard one of Pervez Musharraf’s lawyers, Anwar Mansoor, was recently attacked by a group of men in Lahore. Although he managed to escape unharmed, police refused to take his complaint seriously.

The defense team is arguing that Pervez Musharraf cannot get a fair trial in Pakistan. Defense lawyer Anwar Mansoor said the current prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, “has a bias against” his client.

Pervez Musharraf seized power from Nawaz Sharif in a coup in 1999. He remained president until 2008, when a democratically elected government forced him to resign.

He left the country soon afterwards to live in self-imposed exile in Dubai and London.

On his return to Pakistan in March 2013, Pervez Musharraf hoped he could lead his party into elections, but was disqualified from standing and found himself fighting an array of charges relating to his time in power.

Correspondents says many Pakistanis believe Nawaz Sharif’s government is using the trial to divert attention from the problems the country is facing, including a struggling economy and continuing sectarian and other attacks.

On December 24, Pervez Musharraf’s lawyers said he could not appear in the courtroom because of a heightened security threat after explosives and weapons were found by the road along his route.

The court granted Pervez Musharraf a one-off exemption from appearing.

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Vatican confirmation: Pope Francis has not abolished sin

Diane A. Wade
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Vatican confirmation: Pope Francis has not abolished sin

Pope Francis has not abolished sin as was published by Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said on Tuesday.

Father Federico Lombardi said the Vatican felt compelled to deny a published article titled Francis’ Revolution, has abolished sin writing by a renowned Italian intellectual, Eugenio Scalfari.

Pope Francis has not abolished sin as was published by Italian newspaper La Repubblica
Pope Francis has not abolished sin as was published by Italian newspaper La Repubblica

He also said the affirmation that Pope Francis has abolished sin was wrong, because those who really follow the pope daily know how many times he has spoken about sin and our human condition as sinners.

According to Reuters, it was not the first brush between the Vatican and Eugenio Scalfari, who founded La Repubblica newspaper in 1976.

Last month the Vatican removed from its website the text of Eugenio Scalfari’s transcript of his conversation with the pope, saying parts of it were not reliable.

In his reaction, Eugenio Scalfari said he had not used a tape recorder or taken notes when he met the pope.

Eugenio Scalfari said he rather reconstructed the long session from memory afterwards and made additions to help the flow of the article.

Iron Man 3 tops worldwide box office in 2013

Sonia Pantiss
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Iron Man 3 tops worldwide box office in 2013

Iron Man 3 was the highest-earning film of 2013 around the world.

Iron Man 3, in which Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as billionaire crime-fighter Tony Stark, made $1.2 billion, according to online movie tracker Box Office Mojo.

Animated comedy Despicable Me 2 came in at number two with global takings of $918 million.

In the third slot was The Hunger Games: Catching Fire which made $795 million.

According to Variety, the top 10 includes eight sequels or reboots, two original properties and three that were animated.

Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron’s 3D film about astronauts adrift in space, is at number seven having made $653 million since it was released in October.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug also made a late entry into the top 10.

The second installment in the big screen Hobbit adaptation, directed by Peter Jackson, has topped the North American box office since the film was released in mid-December.

Iron Man 3 was the highest-earning film of 2013 around the world
Iron Man 3 was the highest-earning film of 2013 around the world

Top 10 worldwide box office 2013:

1. Iron Man 3 – $1,215 million

2. Despicable Me 2 – $918 million

3. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – $795 million

4. Fast & Furious 6 – $788 million

5. Monsters University – $743 million

6. Man of Steel – $662 million

7. Gravity – $653 million

8. Thor: The Dark World – $629 million

9. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – $614 million

10. The Croods – $587 million

Source: Box Office Mojo

According to other industry statistics, the North American box office is projected to reach $10.9 billion in 2013 – representing its largest ever take, surpassing 2012’s total takings of $10.8 billion by more than $100 million.

However, the estimated number of tickets sold remains similar to last year. The National Association of Theatre Owners projects the actual number of tickets sold in 2013 will remain at 1.36 billion, the LA Times reported.

Ticket-price inflation and pricier 3D and Imax movies helped lift revenue to an all-time high even as attendance failed to match its peak, it said.

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Taiwan giant yellow rubber duck explodes before New Year

Nancy Clayson
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Taiwan giant yellow rubber duck explodes before New Year

A giant yellow rubber duck on display in Taiwanese port of Keelung has burst in unexplained circumstances.

The 50-foot- inflatable duck suddenly collapsed on Tuesday, only 11 days after it had been put on display in the port at Keelung.

Organizers are unsure as to the cause of its demise, but one theory is that it was attacked by eagles.

The duck was designed by the Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman to be a giant version of a popular bath toy.

Last month a similar duck was damaged elsewhere in Taiwan, when an earthquake triggered a power outage that caused it to deflate.

A third Taiwanese duck was brought ashore in September because of an approaching typhoon.

The giant yellow rubber duck on display in Taiwanese port of Keelung has burst in unexplained circumstances
The giant yellow rubber duck on display in Taiwanese port of Keelung has burst in unexplained circumstances

A large crowd had been anticipated in Keelung Port for New Year celebrations, and the rubber duck was due to be an important part of the festivities.

A video footage showed the giant inflatable suddenly bursting in front of scores of people gathered on a quayside.

“We want to apologize to the fans of the yellow rubber duck,” organizer Huang Jing-tai told reporters.

“We will carefully examine the duck to determine the cause.”

The original duck designed by Florentijn Hofman has been transported around the globe since 2007, visiting cities including Sydney, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong and Amsterdam.

Florentijn Hofman artist hopes the works will bring people together and encourage a connection with public art.

Despite the ducks’ misfortunes, they have been a big hit among the Taiwanese.

The duck at Kaohsiung, which had to be deflated during Typhoon Usagi, attracted four million visitors during its one-month display.

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Akademik Shokalskiy: Passengers due to be evacuated by helicopter

James J. Williams
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Akademik Shokalskiy: Passengers due to be evacuated by helicopter

A rescue mission for Akademik Shokalskiy scientific ship stuck in ice in Antarctica is under threat as reports have emerged that one of the assisting vessels may itself be stuck.

Fifty-two passengers and four crew members were due to be evacuated by helicopter from China’s Xue Long ship as soon as conditions allowed.

However, the Xue Long has barely moved in a day and may be stuck in the ice.

The research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy has been trapped for nearly a week with 74 scientists, tourists and crew.

The ship is stocked with food and is in no danger, the team on board says.

The planned air evacuation required that the two icebreakers in the immediate area – the Xue Long and the Australian Aurora Australis – be positioned close to each other in open water, clear of the pack ice.

Akademik Shokalskiy rescue is under threat as one of the assisting vessels may itself be stuck
Akademik Shokalskiy rescue is under threat as one of the assisting vessels may itself be stuck

However, the captain of the Xue Long has told the Shokalskiy that he is keeping his vessel in a “holding position”.

The Aurora Australis, is now understood to be planning to carve through the dense thick pack to assist the Xue Long.

The initial plan had been for a helicopter from the Xue Long to carry people in groups of 15 up from the pack ice next to the Shokalskiy.

The airlifted passengers would then be transferred by a small boat, deployed from the Australian icebreaker, onto the Aurora Australis.

The expedition members would then have travelled to Australia’s Antarctic base at Casey some four days’ voyage away.

However, if the Chinese vessel is also stuck and the Australian vessel cannot help it reach clear water, there will be no airlift.

Under the initial plan, the remaining crew members would have stayed on board until another, more powerful US icebreaker arrived in up to 10 days’ time.

However, it may now be that all of those on board may have to wait for the US icebreaker, the Polar Star.

Earlier attempts by Chinese and French icebreakers to reach the ship were also foiled by the thick ice.

Akademik Shokalskiy was trapped on Christmas Eve by thick sheets of ice, driven by strong winds, about 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart – the capital of the Australian state of Tasmania.

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Slovakia accepts ethnic Uighur Chinese prisoners from Guantanamo

Roy Siemens
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Slovakia accepts ethnic Uighur Chinese prisoners from Guantanamo

Slovakia has accepted three ethnic Uighur Chinese prisoners from Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the Slovak interior ministry says.

The three are now in the capital Bratislava, a ministry official said. None of them are terror suspects, the ministry stressed.

Slovakia – a member of the EU and NATO – also accepted three inmates from Guantanamo in 2010.

The US says all the Uighur prisoners have now been released from Guantanamo.

Since 2001 the prison has housed suspects detained by US forces during operations against al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

“As in the case of the first transport, the persons in this transport have never been suspected nor accused of terrorism. The transport is a follow-up to the agreement of 2009 [with the US],” the Slovak ministry statement said.

Slovakia has accepted three ethnic Uighur Chinese prisoners from Guantanamo Bay detention camp
Slovakia has accepted three ethnic Uighur Chinese prisoners from Guantanamo Bay detention camp

A US Department of Defense statement named the latest three Uighurs as Yusef Abbas, Saidullah Khalik and Hajiakbar Abdul Ghuper.

“These three are the last ethnic Uighur Chinese nationals to be transferred,” the statement said, adding that they “are voluntarily resettling in Slovakia”.

“This transfer and resettlement constitutes a significant milestone in our effort to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay,” the statement said, and it thanked the Slovak government for its “humanitarian gesture”.

The US refuses to repatriate Uighur detainees to China because of the risk that they could be mistreated. China has cracked down hard on Uighur dissidents who oppose rule from Beijing.

The latest release brings down the total of Guantanamo detainees to 155. Many have been held there for more than a decade, and many were cleared for release years ago.

More than 100 inmates went on hunger strike earlier this year.

According to a prisoner list published on WikiLeaks website, 22 Chinese Muslim Uyghurs were imprisoned at Guantanamo by US forces after capture in Afghanistan.

In April 2013, President Barack Obama renewed his call to close the prison, saying “it is inefficient, it hurts us in terms of our international standing”.

Previously six Uighurs have been sent from Guantanamo to the Pacific island nation of Palau, while 11 others have gone to Bermuda, Albania and Switzerland.

The Uighurs are a mainly Muslim, Turkic-speaking minority based in western China’s Xinjiang region.

2014 New Year celebration: Australia welcomes new year with Sydney’s traditional fireworks

Nancy Clayson
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2014 New Year celebration: Australia welcomes new year with Sydney’s traditional fireworks

Thousands of people are attending Sydney’s traditional pyrotechnic as Australia welcomes 2014.

Celebrations around the world are under way to mark the start of 2014

Earlier, Auckland in New Zealand was one of the first cities to ring in the New Year, at 11:00 GMT on Tuesday.

In Japan, Shinto priests gathered at shrines to prepare to usher in the New Year.

Other cities globally are also planning big displays, with Dubai attempting a world record for the largest display.

Thousands of people are attending Sydney’s traditional pyrotechnic as Australia welcomes 2014
Thousands of people are attending Sydney’s traditional pyrotechnic as Australia welcomes 2014

The display will be streamed live on the internet and organizers say it will stretch over 30 miles of seafront, with the highest fireworks reaching more than one kilometer in height.

While celebrations are expected in major Chinese cities, the city of Wuhan called off its display in order to avoid worsening the city’s smog problem.

Later on, festivities will be held in European cities including Moscow, Paris and London.

Cape Town in South Africa is planning a free concert with lasers, fireworks and a special 3D tribute to former President Nelson Mandela, who died on December 5.

New York will mark the New Year with the traditional New Year’s Eve countdown and ball drop over Times Square, while Rio de Janeiro is once again expecting more than two million people to pack its Copacabana beach.

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Michael Schumacher’s condition slightly improved after brain operation

Clyde K. Valle
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Michael Schumacher’s condition slightly improved after brain operation

Michael Schumacher’s condition has improved slightly after an operation to relieve pressure on his brain, his doctors say.

The doctors said a scan carried out after an overnight operation indicated that he was “better than yesterday”, but the former F1 champion was still “not out of danger”.

Michael Schumacher, 44, suffered head injuries on Sunday in a skiing accident in the French Alps.

He is in a medically induced coma at a hospital in Grenoble.

An initial scan on Monday night showed “an improved situation” and indicated a window of opportunity for a second operation, doctors said.

Michael Schumacher's condition has improved slightly after an operation to relieve pressure on his brain
Michael Schumacher’s condition has improved slightly after an operation to relieve pressure on his brain

The family took the “difficult decision” to give consent for the procedure, and doctors operated on Michael Schumacher for about two hours.

A subsequent scan revealed a “slight improvement”.

“We can’t say he is out of danger but… we have gained a bit of time,” said Dr. Jean-Francois Payen.

“The coming hours are crucial.

“All the family is very much aware that his state is still sensitive and anything can happen.”

Doctors said it was impossible to give a prognosis for his condition in the coming days and months.

Michael Schumacher had been skiing off-piste with his teenage son when he fell and hit his head.

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Phil Robertson advises young men to marry 15-year-old girls in newly surfaced video

Sonia Pantiss
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Phil Robertson advises young men to marry 15-year-old girls in newly surfaced video

Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson is back in the headlines for a newly surfaced video.

The 2009 footage, which was posted on YouTube, shows Phil Robertson speaking at a Christian retreat in Georgia. During the speech, the Duck Dynasty patriarch tells a story about advising a young man to find a good Christian girl and marry her.

“Make sure that she can cook a meal. You need to eat some meals that she cooks, check that out. Make sure she carries her Bible. That’ll save you a lot of trouble down the road,” Phil Robertson said.

Phil Robertson married Miss Kay when she was just 16-year-old
Phil Robertson married Miss Kay when she was just 16-year-old

Phil Robertson then went on to say that men should wed girls who are young.

“They got to where they’re getting hard to find, mainly because these boys are waiting ‘til they get to be about 20 years old before they marry ’em,” he said.

“Look, you wait ‘til they get to be 20 years old the only picking that’s going to take place is your pocket. You got to marry these girls when they are about 15 or 16. They’ll pick your ducks.”

Phil Robertson married Miss Kay when she was just 16-year-old. In the state of Louisiana, such unions are legal with parental consent.

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Willie and Korie Robertson to appear on Fox’s New Year’s Eve special

Sonia Pantiss
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Willie and Korie Robertson to appear on Fox’s New Year’s Eve special

Duck Dynasty’s Willie and Korie Robertson will appear on Fox’s New Year’s Eve special to talk about  Phil Robertson.

Willie and Korie Robertson will appear live from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to discuss the recent nine-day suspension of Phil Robertson following his anti-gay comments in GQ magazine. A&E Networks reinstated Phil Robertson, 67, on Friday.

Willie and Korie Robertson will appear on Fox's New Year’s Eve special to talk about Phil Robertson
Willie and Korie Robertson will appear on Fox’s New Year’s Eve special to talk about Phil Robertson

The Fox News All-American New Year will be hosted by Bill Hemmer and Elisabeth Hasselbeck from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. E.T.

Janice Lokelani: Hawaii resident with 36 character name wins ID battle

Nancy Clayson
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Janice Lokelani: Hawaii resident with 36 character name wins ID battle

A Hawaii woman whose last name is 36 characters long has finally gotten the whole thing to fit on her driver’s license and state identification card.

Janice “Lokelani”, 54, has a surname that consists of 35 letters plus an okina, a mark used in the Hawaiian alphabet. She received her new license and ID after her campaign to get her full name on the cards prompted the state Department of Transportation to change its policy to expand the number of characters that can appear.

Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele (KAY’-ee-hah-nah-EE’-coo-COW’-ah-KAH’-hee-HOO’-lee-heh-eh-KAH’-how-NAH-eh-leh) said Monday that she’s happy she was able to help fix the problem of identification cards lacking sufficient space for long names.

“Now, in the state of Hawaii, we are no longer second class citizens because of the length of our name,” she said.

Janice Lokelani Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunael finally got her ID
Janice Lokelani Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunael finally got her ID

Hawaii driver’s licenses and ID cards previously had room for names totaling up to 35 characters. The new policy allows 40 characters for last names, 40 for first names and 35 for middle names.

Janice Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele got the name when she married her Hawaiian husband in 1992.

He used only the one name, which his grandfather gave him after it came to him in a dream.

Under the old policy, Hawaii County issued Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele her driver’s license and state ID with the last letter of her name chopped off. And it omitted her first name.

Janice “Lokelani” told news media about the issue earlier this year after a policeman gave her a hard time about her driver’s license during a traffic stop.

Last month, the state Department of Transportation announced it expanded the character limits.

Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele is now hoping to get the Social Security Administration to allow more characters on its identification cards.

The agency’s cards have two lines for names. The first line has 26 spaces for first and middle names while the second line has 26 spaces for a last name and suffix.

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Beyonce justifies using Challenger disaster audio in XO track

Lisa.Felice
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Beyonce justifies using Challenger disaster audio in XO track

Beyonce has justified using audio recordings from the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster in her XO track from her recently released album.

Beyonce has been criticized for using clips of an ex-NASA public affairs officer on her XO track.

“My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the Challenger disaster,” Beyonce said in a statement.

The song, she continued, “was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones”.

The use of the recordings, she said, was intended “to remind us that unexpected things happen, so love and appreciate every minute that you have with those who mean the most to you.

Beyonce has been criticized for using clips of an ex-NASA public affairs officer on her XO track
Beyonce has been criticized for using clips of an ex-NASA public affairs officer on her XO track

“The songwriters included the audio in tribute to the unselfish work of the Challenger crew with hope that they will never be forgotten.”

XO, one of the 14 songs on Beyonce’s self-titled new album, was written and produced by Ryan Tedder and Terius Nash.

Seven astronauts died on January 28, 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after launch.

The XO track begins with a recording of NASA’s former public affairs officer Steve Nesbitt referring to “a major malfunction” on the day of the tragedy.

June Scobee Rodgers, the widow of Challenger commander Dick Scobee, told ABC News she was “disappointed” that footage from an “emotionally difficult moment” had been used in the song.

Retired NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson was also critical of the singer, calling the sample “simply insensitive, at the very least”.

Beyonce was born in 1981 in Houston, home to America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

In 2011, Beyonce recorded a special greeting for the Atlantis shuttle crew, telling them they “inspire all of us to dare to live our dreams”.

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Prince fails to perform at aftershow event in Connecticut

Lisa.Felice
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Prince fails to perform at aftershow event in Connecticut

Prince fans, who paid $150 to attend an early morning after show event in Connecticut on December 30, have been offered refunds after their hero failed to perform.

They hoped Prince had something special planned for them after three successive nights at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, which ended with performances from Doug E. Fresh and Janelle Monae on Sunday night, but it was not to be.

Prince disappointed Connecticut fans at aftershow party in Uncasville
Prince disappointed Connecticut fans at aftershow party in Uncasville

Instead, Prince, who was not billed to perform at the Mohegan Sun resort bash, appeared briefly in the DJ’s mixing desk to prompt the playing of a new track and then his backing band The NPG took the stage shortly after 4 a.m. and played for just 20 minutes. Fans booed when it became clear the show was over.

2014 New Year celebrations: Crowds and fireworks welcome new year in New Zealand

Nancy Clayson
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2014 New Year celebrations: Crowds and fireworks welcome new year in New Zealand

New Year 2014 celebrations are beginning with Auckland in New Zealand ringing in the New Year at 11:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Crowds have gathered in Sydney, Australia, in anticipation of the city’s famous firework display.

In Japan, Shinto priests gathered at shrines to prepare to usher in the new year.

Other cities globally are also planning big displays, with Dubai attempting a world record for the largest display.

New Year 2014 celebrations are beginning with Auckland
New Year 2014 celebrations are beginning with Auckland

The display will be streamed live on the internet and organizers say it will stretch over 30 miles  of seafront, with the highest fireworks reaching more than one kilometer in height.

While celebrations are expected in major Chinese cities, the city of Wuhan called off its display in order to avoid worsening the city’s smog problem.

Later on, festivities will be held in European cities including Moscow, Paris and London.

Cape Town in South Africa is planning a free concert with lasers, fireworks and a special 3D tribute to former President Nelson Mandela, who died on 5 December.

New York will mark the New Year with the traditional New Year’s Eve countdown and ball drop over Times Square, while Rio de Janeiro is once again expecting more than two million people to pack its Copacabana beach.

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Michael Schumacher skiing accident: Family in bedside vigil

Clyde K. Valle
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Michael Schumacher skiing accident: Family in bedside vigil

Michael Schumacher’s family is at his bedside as the German motor-racing champion fights for life following a skiing accident in the French Alps.

His manager, Sabine Kehm, said his wife, Corinna, daughter Gina Maria and son Mick are in a state of shock at the Grenoble hospital.

The seven-time Formula 1 champion suffered head injuries on Sunday in a fall at the resort of Meribel.

Michael Schumacher has been put in a medically-induced coma to relieve pressure on his brain.

“The family is not doing very well, obviously. They are shocked,” Sabine Kehm told reporters.

Prof. Jean-Francois Payen, of Grenoble University Hospital’s intensive care unit, told a news conference that they could not give a prognosis for the 44-year-old driver.

“He is in a critical state in terms of cerebral resuscitation. We are working hour by hour,” he said.

Prof. Jean-Francois Payen said that if MichaelSchumacher had not been wearing a helmet “he wouldn’t be here now”.

Michael Schumacher’s family is at his bedside as he fights for life following a skiing accident in the French Alps
Michael Schumacher’s family is at his bedside as he fights for life following a skiing accident in the French Alps

“We had to operate urgently to release some pressure in his head,” the anaesthetist said.

Neurosurgeon Stephan Chabardes said that a post-operative scan had shown “diffuse haemorrhagic lesions” on both sides of Michael Schumacher’s brain.

Michael Schumacher is likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours, or even several weeks – and there can be many months of therapy in order to achieve as full a recovery as possible.

Doctors have lowered Michael Schumacher’s body temperature to 34-35C (93.2-95F) as part of the coma, slowing his metabolism to help reduce inflammation.

The driver had been skiing off-piste with his teenage son when he fell and hit his head on a rock.

Michael Schumacher was first evacuated to a hospital in the nearby town of Moutiers.

Prof. Stephan Chabardes said Michael Schumacher was in an “agitated condition” on arrival in Moutiers and his neurological condition “deteriorated rapidly”.

He was taken from Moutiers to the larger facility in Grenoble.

Messages of support have come from around the world.

A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she and her government were, like millions of Germans, “extremely shocked”.

“We hope, with Michael Schumacher and with his family, that he can overcome and recover from his injuries,” the spokesman said.

Former Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa, who recovered from life-threatening head injuries he suffered at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, wrote on Instagram: “I am praying for you my brother! I hope you have a quick recovery! God bless you, Michael.”

On Monday some fans had gathered outside the hospital in Grenoble.

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Israel frees 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of US-brokered agreement

Roy Siemens
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Israel frees 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of US-brokered agreement

Israel has freed a group of 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a US-brokered agreement to resume direct peace talks.

The prisoners were greeted by cheering crowds on their return to the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel approved the releases on Saturday, but they were delayed to allow victims’ families to appeal.

The prisoners committed murder or attempted murder before the 1993 Oslo accords and have served 19 to 28 years.

They make up the third tranche of a total of 104 prisoners to be freed.

Eight of the men were driven late at night to checkpoints leading into Gaza and East Jerusalem.

The other 18 prisoners were heading to Ramallah in the West Bank.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas greeted the prisoners at his headquarters in Ramallah and pledged to continue pressing for the release of other long-serving and sick prisoners.

“We will not sign a final peace deal with Israel before all the prisoners are released,” he said.

President Mahmoud Abbas has previously hailed the prisoners as heroes of the Palestinian cause.

Israel has freed a group of 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a US-brokered agreement to resume direct peace talks
Israel has freed a group of 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a US-brokered agreement to resume direct peace talks

Palestinians celebrate the releases as victories over Israel – something deeply resented by families of Israeli victims of political violence.

Relatives of the victims of the latest prisoners being freed – 18 from the West Bank, three from Gaza and five from East Jerusalem – have staged days of protests against the releases and appealed to the Supreme Court to block them.

In the past, the court has allowed such releases to take place.

“One of the things we knew when we captured these detainees is that they needed to stay in prison for the maximum period,” Meir Indor of Israeli victims’ association, Almagor, told the Jerusalem Post.

“These men are time-bombs. Wherever they go they kill, because that’s the purpose of their lives.”

The Israeli government has stressed that if any of the prisoners “resume hostile activity” they will have to serve the remainder of their sentences.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu also defended the decision to free those behind deadly attacks at a meeting of his Likud party on Monday.

“Leadership is judged by the ability to implement decisions, difficult as they may be,” he said.

“We were not elected to make easy decisions.”

The Palestinian minister for prisoner affairs, Issa Qaraqai, dismissed the Israeli complaints, saying: “Israel is a murderous state and these prisoners are freedom fighters.”

After the two previous releases, the Israeli government has sugared what the right-wing parties within its coalition regard as a bitter pill by making announcements about Jewish settlement plans in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli media reports suggest Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to unveil plans to build an additional 1,400 housing units, including 600 at Ramat Shlomo in East Jerusalem.

About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

Palestinians say continued settlement construction undermines the direct peace talks, which have shown little sign of progress since resuming in July after a three-year hiatus.

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Devyani Khobragade case: US to prosecute Indian diplomat after detention

Diane A. Wade
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Devyani Khobragade case: US to prosecute Indian diplomat after detention

According to new reports, the US is proceeding with the prosecution of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade after her arrest earlier this month caused a huge diplomatic row.

Devyani Khobragade’s detention on charges of visa fraud and underpaying her housekeeper led to outrage in India, where she is seen as being victimized.

She has denied all the charges and has been released on bail.

India has demanded an apology from the US over her alleged “humiliation”.

But Press Trust of India news agency quoted American sources in New York as saying that the US is gathering more evidence against Devyani Khobragade ahead of January 13, the deadline for her indictment.

The sources said there was no question of dropping the charges against Devyani Khobragade or apologizing for the arrest.

The US is proceeding with the prosecution of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade after her arrest earlier this month caused a huge diplomatic row
The US is proceeding with the prosecution of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade after her arrest earlier this month caused a huge diplomatic row

Devyani Khobragade, India’s deputy consul general in New York, was arrested in the city on December 12 on suspicion of visa fraud and making false statements, after being accused of paying her Indian maid below the US minimum wage.

She was handcuffed and strip-searched after a complaint from the maid, Sangeeta Richard.

Devyani Khobragade, who has been released on bail, denies all the charges and has in turn accused Sangeeta Richard of theft and attempted blackmail.

Delhi had already ordered a series of reprisals against the US.

Security barricades around the US embassy in Delhi were removed and a visiting US delegation was snubbed by senior Indian politicians and officials. India is also checking the tax status of Americans working at schools in the country.

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North Dakota train collision sets oil tankers ablaze

Nancy Clayson
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North Dakota train collision sets oil tankers ablaze

Authorities urged residents to evacuate Casselton town in North Dakota after wagons from a mile-long train carrying crude oil have burst into flames as they derailed following a collision.

A plume of thick black smoke could be seen many miles away and explosions were heard.

No injuries were reported, but officials are urging people from the nearby town of Casselton – some 2,300 people – to evacuate as a precaution.

An investigation into the incident has been launched.

A spokeswoman for the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services said the last 50 wagons of the train had been uncoupled, but another 56 remained at risk.

The derailment, after a collision involving another goods train, is reported to have happened near an ethanol plant.

A plume of thick black smoke could be seen many miles away and explosions were heard
A plume of thick black smoke could be seen many miles away and explosions were heard

Emergency and fire-fighting crews have been sent to the scene.

Cass County sheriff’s office said it was “strongly recommending” that residents in parts of Casselton and anyone living five miles to the south and east evacuate.

Officials have said a change in weather patterns could expose residents to smoke and possible health hazards.

Residents within 10 miles of the scene are being asked to stay indoors.

A shelter for those evacuated has been set up in Fargo, about 25 miles away.

Correspondents say it is the latest in a string of incidents that have raised alarm about a rise in crude oil traffic on the railways.

In July, a train carrying oil from the Bakken oil region in North Dakota derailed near the Canadian town of Lac Megantic, killing more than 40 people.

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FAA announces states to host commercial drone test sites

Diane A. Wade
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FAA announces states to host commercial drone test sites

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced the six states that will host sites for testing commercial use of drones.

FAA picked Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia.

The sites are part of a program to develop safety and operational rules for drones by the end of 2015.

Hitherto mainly used by the military, the potential of drones is now being explored by everyone from real estate agents to farmers or delivery services.

The head of the FAA, Michael Huerta, said safety would be the priority as it considers approval for unleashing the unmanned aircraft into US skies.

Pilots will be notified through routine announcements about where drones are being flown.

FAA said that its decision followed a 10-month process involving proposals from 24 states.

The agency said it had considered geography, climate, location of ground infrastructure, research needs, airspace use, aviation experience and risk.

FAA picked Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia for testing commercial use of drones
FAA picked Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia for testing commercial use of drones

The sites chosen are:

  • A set of locations proposed by the University of Alaska in seven zones with varying climates, from Hawaii to Oregon
  • Griffiss International Airport in central New York state will test how to integrate drones into the congested north-east airspace
  • North Dakota Department of Commerce will test the human impact of drones and also how the aircraft cope in temperate climates
  • The state of Nevada will concentrate on standards for air traffic and drone operators
  • Texas A&M University plans to develop safety requirements for drones and testing for airworthiness
  • Virginia Tech university will research operational and technical areas of risk for drones

The biggest chunk of the growth in the commercial drone industry is currently expected to be for agriculture and law enforcement.

Police and other emergency services could use them for crowd control, taking crime scene photos or for search and rescue missions.

It can cost a police department hundreds of dollars an hour to deploy a helicopter, while an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can be sent into the skies for as little as $25.

Farmers, meanwhile, might find it easier to spray crops or survey livestock with the pilotless aircraft.

The FAA estimates as many as 7,500 aircraft could be in the air five years after widespread airspace access is made legal.

However, the commercial use of drones has drawn criticism from both conservatives and liberals.

In a report last December, the American Civil Liberties Union said that giving drones access to US skies would only ensure “our every move is monitored, tracked, recorded and scrutinized by the authorities”.

However, lawmakers from winning states were delighted with the selections.

“This is wonderful news for Nevada that creates a huge opportunity for our economy,” said Senator Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada.

An industry-commissioned study predicted more than 70,000 jobs – including drone operators – would develop in the first three years after Congress loosens drone restrictions on US skies.

The same study, conducted by the Teal Group research firm, found that the worldwide commercial drone market could top $89 billion in the next decade.

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Britney Spears accused of lip-syncing during her Las Vegas show launch

Lisa.Felice
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Britney Spears accused of lip-syncing during her Las Vegas show launch

Britney Spears was accused of lip-syncing during the launch of her Las Vegas show, Britney: Piece of Me.

Britney Spears, 32, kicked off her show at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Friday night, and concert reviewers have now accused her of letting down fans by failing to sing live.

Britney Spears was accused of lip-syncing during the launch of her Las Vegas show, Britney: Piece of Me
Britney Spears was accused of lip-syncing during the launch of her Las Vegas show, Britney: Piece of Me

A number of critics claim Britney Spears has reneged on a promise to provide live vocals on stage after the singer’s manager, Larry Rudolph, previously insisted the show would not be mimed, saying: “There might be some numbers where she’s full out dancing with a [vocal] track underneath her, but there won’t be any lip-syncing across the board.”

Britney Spears was previously accused of lip-synching during shows on her Femme Fatale Tour in 2011.

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Harold Simmons dies at Baylor University Medical Center aged 82

Clyde K. Valle
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Harold Simmons dies at Baylor University Medical Center aged 82

One of America’s wealthiest men, Dallas billionaire and philanthropist Harold Simmons, died Saturday night at the age of 82.

Harold Simmons’ wife, Annette, told The Dallas Morning News her husband died at Baylor University Medical Center. Annette Simmons said her husband had been in Baylor’s intensive care unit for the last eight days, the newspaper reported. She did not give the cause of death.

The billionaire made his fortune through investing and corporate takeovers. The Dallas Morning News said his net worth was $10 billion. Two years ago, Harold Simmons gave millions of dollars to the Republican Party in an effort to defeat President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign.

In 2008, Harold Simmons bankrolled ads linking then-presidential candidate Barack Obama to William Ayers, a Vietnam-era militant who helped found the violent Weather Underground. Simmons was also a key backer of the Swift Boat Veterans’ attacks on Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004.

Billionaire Harold Simmons made his fortune through investing and corporate takeovers
Billionaire Harold Simmons made his fortune through investing and corporate takeovers

He also gave money to Planned Parenthood and his foundation most recently donated $600,000 to the Resource Center of Dallas, which serves the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in Dallas.

Harold Simmons has given tens of millions of dollars to Republican candidates, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Rick Perry issued the following statement Sunday afternoon: “Harold Simmons was a true Texas giant, rising from humble beginnings and seizing the limitless opportunity for success we so deeply cherish in our great state. His legacy of hard work and giving, particularly to his beloved University of Texas, will live on for generations. Anita and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Simmons family.”

The arts community is also mourning the passing of Harold Simmons. He and his wife Annette donated $5 million to build the AT&T Performing Arts Center. The center issued this statement Sunday evening: “Dallas has lost a truly generous giant,” said Doug Curtis.

“The Simmons’ generosity has touched so many parts of our city. The Center considers itself fortunate to have the Simmons’ name gracing such a prominent part of our beautiful opera house. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Simmons family.”

Harold Simmons, born to two school teachers in East Texas, became one of the richest men in the country with interests ranging from energy to chemicals. His spokesman Chuck McDonald said Harold Simmons died Saturday in Dallas. Chuck McDonald said he did not know the cause of death.

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