The Robertson family is ready to move on from the controversy surrounding Duck Dynasty’s patriarch Phil Robertson’s racist and homophobic rants, according to a new report.
A source close to Phil Robertson and his family told People magazine A&E’s announcement that the hit show will return for another season came as a relief.
“The family is happy that they can put this behind them,” the source said.
The Robertson family is ready to move on from the controversy surrounding Duck Dynasty’s patriarch Phil Robertson’s racist and homophobic rants
Phil Robertson caused a firestorm of outrage last week after making anti-gay remarks during an interview with GQ magazine.
He also said black men in Louisiana during the Jim Crow era weren’t “singing the blues” and were “godly” and “happy”.
“It got a little out of hand,” the source told the magazine.
“Phil has never been disrespectful to anyone and treats everyone with kindness. He made some comments off the cuff that he shouldn’t have made, and he knows that.”
An Australian vessel is en route to East Antarctica in a renewed bid to free Akademik Shokalskiy scientific mission ship trapped in dense pack ice since Christmas.
Earlier rescue attempts by Chinese and French icebreakers were foiled by the thick ice.
Seventy-four scientists, tourists and crew are on the Akademik Shokalskiy.
The vessel is being used by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition to follow the route explorer Douglas Mawson travelled a century ago.
The Shokalskiy remains well stocked with food and is in no danger, according to the team.
An Australian vessel is en route to East Antarctica in a renewed bid to free Akademik Shokalskiy
Despite being trapped, the scientists have continued their experiments, measuring temperature and salinity through cracks in the surrounding ice.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which is coordinating the rescue, said the Aurora Australis was expected to reach the trapped research ship on Sunday around 12:00 GMT.
The powerful icebreaker can cut ice up to 5.2 ft thick – potentially still enough to plough through the estimated three-metre wall surrounding the Shokalskiy.
If this latest relief operation fails, passengers could be winched to safety by a helicopter on board the Chinese icebreaker, which had to abort its rescue mission on Saturday.
The Snow Dragon came within seven nautical miles of the Russian ship before stalling and being forced to return to the open sea.
Cuba has decided to ease restrictions on loans to private borrowers in the latest measure aimed at boosting the island’s troubled economy.
Individuals and small businesses can now borrow smaller amounts and have more time to pay back the government.
President Raul Castro had launched the program two years ago as part of measures to reform Cuban socialism.
The minimum lending has been reduced from 3,000 to 1,000 pesos ($67).
The measure was published in the official gazette.
People will also be allowed to use their houses or jewellery to guarantee their loans.
The maximum period of the loans has been extended from five to 10 years.
Earlier this month, the Cuban government lifted restrictions on private individuals buying new and second-hand cars.
Cuban government also lifted restrictions on private individuals buying new and second-hand cars
Any Cuban citizen or foreigner with enough money will now be allowed to import the vehicles through an official agency.
Previously, official permits were required and they were often issued to government officials, doctors and other people with access to the authorities, such as sports stars.
Although Cubans have been able to request bank credits since 2011, barely 500 are reported to have borrowed money.
The government wants to boost that figure as part of its efforts to encourage 1.5 million people to switch from the state payroll to the new private sector.
Some 440,000 people, or about 9% of the Cuban workforce, are now self-employed.
But analysts point out that the new businesses face a big problem – they all chase a very limited number of Cubans with cash to spend.
Croatian authorities have charged pharmaceutical company Farmal and 364 people – most of them reportedly doctors – for allegedly rigging the drugs market.
Senior managers at Farmal bribed a network of doctors and pharmacists to prescribe the company’s products, officials said.
They have been charged with bribery, abuse of power and corruption.
Local media said the indictment was the biggest of its kind in Croatia’s judicial history.
Correspondents say the health system could have collapsed if all the doctors implicated were sacked. There are around 5,000 doctors in Croatia.
Many of those charged were given probation fines as a result, local media reported.
Croatian authorities have charged Farmal and 364 people for allegedly rigging the drugs market
In a statement, Croatia’s anti-corruption agency Uskok said the top management of Farmal, based in the northern town of Ludbreg, was charged with bribing “medical workers”, mostly primary care doctors and pharmacists, to “order and prescribe drugs produced” by the company.
“The charges are brought up against 364 Croatian citizens and Farmal pharmaceutical company for bribery, abuse of power and corruption,” it said.
The agency did not specify how many doctors have been charged, but local media reported that some 300 doctors have been indicted, according to AFP.
The suspects face up to five years’ imprisonment if convicted, the news agency said.
Doctors and pharmacists were offered bribes, including money and travel, worth between 5-10% of the medicines they prescribed, according to Sofia News Agency.
The crimes allegedly took place between 2009 and 2012.
The date for the trial has yet to be set.
Croatia has previously struggled with a widespread corruption problem but became a member of the EU in July after introducing a series of reforms.
An estimated 1.3 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits after an emergency federal program expired on Saturday.
Lawmakers failed to agree on an extension of the scheme before the Congress began its winter recess.
Former President George W. Bush introduced the assistance plan in 2008 at the start of the recession.
Under the program, jobless people received an average monthly stipend of $1,166 for up to 73 weeks.
The White House says the benefits have kept millions of families out of poverty, but many Republicans argue that the scheme’s annual $25 billion price tag is too expensive.
The stalemate comes two months after a budget fight in the US Congress led to the partial shutdown of the government.
President Barack Obama has vowed to push for the renewal of the expired program when Congress reconvenes in early January.
An estimated 1.3 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits after an emergency federal program expired
“The president said his administration would, as it has for several weeks now, push Congress to act promptly and in bipartisan fashion to address this urgent economic priority,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
An estimated 1.3 million people will initially be cut off with the end of the “emergency unemployment compensation”, US officials say.
Millions more could be affected next year after they lose state benefits, which in many states expires after six months.
The financial aid was designed to help US citizens who lost their jobs during the recession and were unable to find new work while receiving the state benefits.
The US unemployment rate fell to a five-year low of 7% in November, according to the US Labor Department.
But the long-term jobless rate remains a problem for the economy, with some 4.1 million Americans currently out of work for six months or longer.
There has been repeated political wrangling between the Republicans, who control the lower house – the House of Representatives – and the Democrats, who have a majority in the upper house, the Senate.
Because of disagreements between the two houses over federal government spending, the Congress failed to pass a budget before the fiscal year ended on September 30.
Both sides eventually struck a last-gasp deal in October to end the federal shutdown and raise the federal debt limit.
A New York Times in-depth report found no proof that al-Qaeda or any international terrorist groups played any role in the Benghazi attack, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
A senior Obama administration official said the White House does not dispute the article published Saturday about the 2012 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
The six-part report goes on to say that an American-made video mocking Islam largely triggered the attack, which was not well-planned.
“The attack was led, instead, by fighters who had benefited directly from NATO’s extensive air power and logistics support during the uprising against Colonel Qaddafi,” the Times report reads, referring to the late Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.
A New York Times in-depth report found no proof that al-Qaeda or any international terrorist groups played any role in the Benghazi attack
“And contrary to claims by some members of Congress, it was fueled in large part by anger at an American-made video denigrating Islam.”
The Times said its investigation took months and was “centered on extensive interviews with Libyans in Benghazi who had direct knowledge of the attack there and its context.”
It is not surprising the White House would welcome this report. Since the attack, Republicans have accused the Obama administration of downplaying the perpetrators’ links to al-Qaeda for political gain. The attack took place during the last leg of the 2012 presidential campaign.
Then UN Ambassador Susan Rice (now the national security advisor) became a lightning rod of criticism after appearing on all the Sunday talk shows shortly after the Benghazi attack and arguing it was the result of the American-made video.
Republicans have also held several hearings into the administration’s handling of the attack and its aftermath.
Laurel Coppock, who plays the character “Jan” in a series of Toyota commercials, grew up on the East Coast and went to Colby College in Maine followed by the Circle in the Square Acting Conservatory in New York City.
Before moving to Los Angeles, Laurel Coppock studied and performed comedy in Chicago at Second City and ImprovOlympic.
Laurel Coppock plays the character “Jan” in a series of Toyota commercials
She also spent a year performing with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam.
Laurel Coppock can be seen in the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love and on TV shows including the new season of Arrested Development, Modern Family, The Office, 2 Broke Girls and Workaholics.
Marvin Rosales Martinez, the man who stumbled upon an orphaned $1 million lottery ticket a month after Hurricane Sandy, has finally been awarded the prize money.
New York Lottery officials cut 27-year-old Marvin Martinez a check Friday for the winning ticket he found raking leaves last November in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.
New York Lottery officials cut Marvin Martinez a check for the winning ticket he found raking leaves last November in the wake of Superstorm Sandy
A state gaming commission spokesman told The New York Post investigation failed to identify anyone who claimed the scratch card was stolen or reported it missing.
Marvin Martinez, who immigrated to Long Island from El Salvador six years ago, took a lump sum payment of $779,106. After taxes that comes out to $515,612.
Marvin Martinez, who still lives with his mother in a storm-damaged home, told the newspaper he will keep working six days a week.
“Magnetic Man” Etibar Elchiyev has broken his own record for carrying metal spoons on his chest and back.
Etibar Elchiyev, 42, claims he has magnetic properties that attract the 53 spoons to his body.
The Georgian man based in Tbilisi today broke a Guinness World record that he himself created in December 2011: having the most spoons stuck on the human body.
Two years ago, Etibar Elchiyev set the record by sticking 50 spoons on his body.
The kick-boxing trainer originally planned to break the Guinness World Record for balancing spoons on one’s face – with 27 the current target to beat.
Etibar Elchiyev succeeded in sticking 53 metal spoons and breaking his own record
But he made the new weird Guinness record by managing to secure 50 metal spoons around his neck and chest setting the world record for the most spoons balanced on a human body.
Today, Etibar Elchiyev succeeded in sticking 53 metal spoons, thereby breaking his own record.
However, there are doubts whether Elchiyev’s body really contains magnet to make the feat possible. One commentator said he is only playing smart as metallic objects will stick to a hairless, smooth body.
But Etibar Elchiyev maintains that his body acts as a magnet attracting metal objects. He discovered the magnetic property of his body a few years ago, when he magnetized a car hood to his body, with a man sitting in the car.
The eclipsed Guinness world record for the most spoons balanced on the face was achieved by Aaron Caissie (Canada) on the set of Lo Show dei Record, in Milan, Italy on April 18, 2009.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ center Andrew Bynum has been suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team, general manager Chris Grant announced Saturday.
Andrew Bynum did not travel with the team for Saturday afternoon’s game against the Celtics. He has been excused from all team activities.
He has played in 24 games this season, averaging 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ center Andrew Bynum has been suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team
The Cavs signed Andrew Bynum as a free agent in the offseason.
Andrew Bynum spent his first seven seasons in the league with the Lakers but was hampered by multiple knee injuries.
“He doesn’t want to play basketball anymore. He never liked it that much in first place,” league source told Yahoo Sports.
Pope Francis has received a private message from Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, the Vatican said on Saturday, without disclosing its contents.
It was the first known time Bashar al-Assad has sent a direct message to the Pope since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011.
Pope Francis has made numerous appeals for an end to the conflict, the latest on Christmas Day.
Vatican sources said the message likely included the Syrian government’s position ahead of peace talks due to start on January 22nd under UN auspices in Geneva.
The Vatican, which has permanent observer status at the United Nations, also has a representative to UN organizations in Geneva.
Pope Francis has received a private message from Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad
It also said a delegation headed by Joseph Sweid, a Syrian minister of state, held talks in the Vatican with Pope Francis’ secretary of state, Archbishop Pietro Parolin and his foreign minister, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti.
“The delegation brought a message from President Assad for the Holy Father and illustrated the position of the Syrian government,” a statement said.
Syria’s civil war between forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad and mostly Sunni Muslim rebels fighting to topple him has killed more than 100,000 people since March 2011.
The Vatican is also keen to have information on the fate of Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, a Jesuit priest who supported the rebels and disappeared in July in eastern Syria.
As Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson was reinstated on the show Friday following his suspension over anti-gay comments, fans and foes of the move made their views known.
Advocacy group Faith Driven Consumer, which campaigned vigorously that Phil Robertson’s suspension be dropped, issued this statement: “Today’s decision by A&E to reinstate Phil Robertson to Duck Dynasty is in direct response to the powerful and engaged voices of millions of Faith Driven Consumers, as highlighted by more than 260,000 signers of the IStandWithPhil.com petition.
“However, the question remains, has the Faith Driven Consumer community truly been heard?
Phil Robertson was reinstated on Duck Dynasty reality show
“Despite our celebration, we remain uncertain of A&E’s true intent. Today, in the network’s statement of their core values – centered on <<creativity, inclusion, and mutual respect>> – Faith Driven Consumers are left wondering whether A&E considers us to be a part of America’s rich rainbow of diversity. Do they also now embrace the biblically based values and world view held by the Robertson family and millions of Faith Driven Consumers?”
GLAAD, the advocacy group whose vocal condemnation of Phil Robertson’s controversial comments to GQ magazine contributed to A&E’s decision to suspend him, warned both the network and its reality star that they were none too pleased, and would be watching carefully the show’s next steps.
“Phil Robertson should look African-American and gay people in the eyes and hear about the hurtful impact of praising Jim Crow laws and comparing gay people to terrorists,” GLAAD said.
“If dialogue with Phil is not part of next steps then A&E has chosen profits over African American and gay people – especially its employees and viewers.”
Duck Dynasty reality show is a huge money making enterprise for A&E which is co-owned by Walt Disney Co. and Hearst Corp.
According to Forbes magazine, Duck Dynasty has generated $400 million in merchandise sales and $80 million in ad sales for the first nine months of this year.
A&E has announced today that Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson can continue with the reality show despite his anti-gay comments in GQ magazine interview.
The network is reversing its suspension of Phil Robertson, which was imposed last week after his inflammatory comments about gay and black people made. The network’s decision clears the way for the entire Robertson family to resume filming the highly lucrative program this spring.
“While Phil’s comments made in the interview reflect his personal views based on his own beliefs, and his own personal journey, he and his family have publicly stated they regret the <<coarse language>> he used and the misinterpretation of his core belief based solely on the article,” A&E executives said in a statement.
“But ‘Duck Dynasty’ is not a show about one man’s views. It resonates with a large audience because it is a show about family … a family that America has come to love.”
Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson can continue with the reality show despite his anti-gay comments
The network said it consulted with “numerous advocacy groups” and would soon air public service announcements that would promote “unity, tolerance and acceptance”.
A&E executives did not make themselves available for media interviews and it was not known whether any of the Duck Dynasty stars would participate in the announcements.
Before the holidays, the furor surrounding Duck Dynasty reality show exposed wide political and social rifts in the country and stocked cable news programs for days. Conservative commentators argued that Phil Robertson was being punished for exercising his right to free speech and adhering to his Christian principles. A Christian group called Faith Driven Consumers collected more than 250,000 signatures in an online petition that demanded that A&E reinstate Phil Robertson.
On Friday, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, one of many conservatives to speak out in support of the TV family after the suspension, said he was pleased with the network’s about-face.
“I am glad to hear that the folks at A&E came to their senses and recognized that tolerance of religious views is more important than political correctness,” Bobby Jindal said in a statement.
“Today is a good day for the freedoms of speech and religious liberty.”
GLAAD officials released a statement Friday evening but would not comment on whether the gay rights group had participated in talks with the network about its decision to bring back Phil Robertson.
“Phil Robertson should look African American and gay people in the eyes and hear about the hurtful impact of praising Jim Crow laws and comparing gay people to terrorists. If dialogue with Phil is not part of next steps then A&E has chosen profits over African American and gay people — especially its employees and viewers,” GLAAD said.
Baby North West got her very own mini Ferrari sports car over the holidays, just like her father Kanye West.
Her mother, Kim Kardashian, shared the picture of Nori’s new wheels via Instagram on Friday.
“Like father like daughter,” Kim Kardashian, 33, wrote.
Baby North West got her very own mini Ferrari sports car over the holidays, just like her father Kanye West
Alongside the caption, the reality star shared a picture of Kanye West’s black Ferrari, with Nori’s miniature one placed to the right.
Kim Kardashian also shared the designer presents baby North Westt was gifted with earlier this week. A sweater and two dresses from Stella McCartney, black shoes marked with kittens on top by British designer Charlotte Olympia, shoes by the legendary Giuseppe Zanotti and a matching pink blanket and slippers from Michael Coste (of Hermes Paris).
Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and their 6-month-old daughter spent Christmas at Kris Jenner’s home.
Vanessa Carlton tied the knot with Deer Tick’s lead singer and guitarist John McCauley on Friday, her rep confirms to Us Weekly.
The singer also revealed that Stevie Nicks officiated the ceremony.
“Married this gentleman two hours ago xo,” Vanessa Carlton, 33, wrote via Twitter late Friday night.
Vanessa Carlton tied the knot with John McCauley and Stevie Nicks officiated the ceremony
Alongside the caption, the new bride shared a photo of herself and her new husband beaming at each other while holding hands.
Vanessa Carlton looked stunning for her special day, wearing a tight-fitting, long-sleeved white wedding gown, and donning a purple head piece and matching flowers.
John McCauley had a casual outfit, green pants and a brown button-up.
Vanessa Carlton previously dated Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins from 2002 to 2007.
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows in 2016.
The 67-year-old country singer has been married to Carl Dean since 1966 and she reveals they are eager to mark their relationship milestone with a huge party at their sprawling estate in Nashville, Tennessee.
Dolly Parton married Carl Thomas Dean on May 30, 1966
Dolly Parton told Closer magazine: “We’ve talked about that [renewing vows] – we might do it all over again! Another big wedding. … [It will] probably be at our big old plantation home. We love it there.”
Tyler Armstrong, a 9-year-old boy from South California, has become the youngest person to climb Mount Aconcagua.
The boy wanted to raise awareness for a type of muscular dystrophy that only affects young boys.
Tyler Armstrong reached the summit of Argentina’s 22,837-foot-tall Mount Aconcagua on Christmas Eve, two days ahead of schedule, according to a post on the Top With Tyler Facebook page, which is tracking his progress.
The boy and his father set out December 7 on the arduous journey, which the young climber dedicated to those who can’t walk. He’s raising awareness and money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which affects 1 in 3,600 boys.
“It’s when muscles get smaller every time you use them and by 14 they can’t walk,” Tyler Armstrong said of those afflicted with the disease.
Tyler Armstrong has become the youngest person to climb Mount Aconcagua at 9
Temperatures along the route to the top of Mount Aconcagua typically drop to 20 degrees below zero this time of year. And the pinnacle is just below the elevation where oxygen is mandatory.
Tyler Armstrong is the youngest person to scale the towering peak.The previous record had been held by a 10-year-old climbe).
Mount Aconcagua – the highest in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres – is now added to an already impressive list of summits the fourth grader from Yorba Linda has reached.
At the age of 7, Tyler Armstrong climbed 14,505 feet up Mount Whitney, the highest summit in the contiguous US.
Last year, Tyler Armstrong scaled Mount Kilamanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 19,341 feet. He had to apply for a special permit for that trek because, at 9, he was a year younger than the age limit.
Tyler Armstrong’s Argentina itinerary planned for him to summit between December 26 and 29. It should take him about three days to climb down from the mountain.
Tyler Armstrong is set to be back in the US on January 5, 2014.
A storm will hit the South during Saturday night and much of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England on Sunday bringing a dose of drenching rain, minor flooding and travel delays.
Those taking to the roadways should expect poor visibility from the driving rain and be wary of water collecting on portions of the highway that drain poorly.
The rain will be heavy enough to cause flash, urban and small stream flooding. However, fast movement of the storm system will prevent widespread and major flooding of larger streams and rivers. A general 1 to 2 inches, with locally 3 inches of rain is forecast and should be handled with few problems on the major rivers.
Downpours, fog and low cloud ceilings can lead to flight delays.
The storm was already spreading rain across the Gulf Coast on Saturday morning. It was a wet drive along the I-10 corridor from much of Louisiana to Mississippi and Alabama.
Atlanta can expect rain on Saturday afternoon through Saturday night, but improving travel conditions on Sunday.
The storm will hit the South during Saturday night and much of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England on Sunday
Farther northeast along the I-85 corridor, rain will soak the Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C., areas on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Expect a miserable drive Saturday night along I-77 with rain, but also fog over the high ground.
The rain will reach Richmond and Roanoke, Virginia, late on Saturday night.
In the I-95 swath from Jacksonville, Florida to Savannah, Georgia, along the coasts of South and North Carolina, to southeastern Virginia, thunderstorms will also affect some locations with strong, gusty winds and blinding downpours
A couple of the strongest storms can produce a short-lived tornado.
On Sunday, rain and thunderstorms will push southeastward across the Florida Peninsula, while clearing sweeps from west to east across the interior South.
Farther north along I-95 from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia and New York City on Sunday, rain will spread northward. A breeze will cause the rain to be windswept at times, further reducing the visibility and adding misery to those attending NFL games.
The rain will reach across southern New England on Sunday afternoon and evening from Hartford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island, to Boston.
Muslim Brotherhood supporters clashed with Egyptian police and Cairo university buildings were set on fire killing one student.
State TV blamed protesters for the fire at al-Azhar University’s business faculty, where exams had to be postponed, and the agriculture faculty.
The Muslim Brotherhood said police were “fabricating” the charges.
Muslim Brotherhood supporters clashed with Egyptian police and Cairo university buildings were set on fire killing one student
The crackdown on the group began when President Mohamed Morsi, who belongs to it, was deposed by the army in July.
The campus fires had been brought under control by Saturday afternoon, and some 60 people had been arrested, reports said.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which had been banned since September from all activity, was declared a terrorist group on Wednesday following a suicide bombing of a police headquarters in the Nile Delta.
The government said the Muslim Brotherhood was behind the attack – a charge it strongly denied.
Justin Bieber has bought another animal, nine months after abandoning his pet monkey Malley.
Justin Bieber, 19, stopped by a pet store in Stratford, Canada, on Thursday and decided to treat himself to a belated Christmas present by spending $600 on a seven-week-old Bulldog named Petey, according to TMZ.com.
The singer came under fire in March after Mally, his capuchin monkey, was seized by German authorities because he did not have the required documentation for the animal to enter the country.
Justin Bieber’s new pet is a seven-week-old Bulldog named Petey
He never claimed the primate and Malley was eventually transferred to a local zoo.
Justin Bieber also previously owned a hamster, but offloaded the animal to a fan. The rodent subsequently died.
Iraqi troops arrested MP Ahmed al-Alwani and killed his brother and at least three of his guards during a raid on his home in the western city of Ramadi.
Ahmed al-Alwani, a member of the Sunni community, had backed protests against the mainly Shia government of PM Nouri al-Maliki and was reportedly wanted on terrorism charges.
Police said Ahmed al-Alwani’s guards opened fire as officers arrived to detain him.
Another 18 people were wounded in the ensuing skirmish, an official said.
“Security forces attacked the residence of MP Ahmed al-Alwani in central Ramadi to arrest him this morning, sparking a battle with his guards with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades,” a police major told AFP news agency.
“Five of Alwani’s guards and his brother were killed and eight others wounded, while 10 security forces members were also wounded,” the major said.
Ahmed al-Alwani, a member of the Sunni community, had backed protests against the mainly Shia government of PM Nouri al-Maliki and was reportedly wanted on terrorism charges
Some reports suggest that a sister of the MP – a member of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc – was also among those killed in the raid.
The reasons for Ahmed al-Alwani’s arrest were not immediately clear. Associated Press news agency said he was wanted on terrorism charges.
He has also been a prominent supporter of a group of activists camped on a highway near Ramadi protesting against the perceived marginalization and persecution of Iraqi Sunnis by the Shia-dominated government.
PM Nouri al-Maliki has reportedly threatened to shut down the camp, saying it has become a headquarters of al-Qaeda.
Ahmed al-Alwani’s arrest comes as Iraq remains in the grip of sectarian fighting which has made this the deadliest year since 2008.
India is checking the tax statuses of Americans working at schools in the country, after the arrest this month of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in New York.
Devyani Khobragade – the deputy consul general of India in New York – was handcuffed and strip-searched while in custody.
Her detention on charges of visa fraud and underpayment of her housekeeper sparked outrage in India.
India would no longer turn a blind eye to tax violations by diplomats’ spouses taking up work in the country, Reuters cited an unnamed official as saying.
Delhi has also withdrawn some privileges enjoyed by American diplomats and their families in the country, added the official.
“Spouses and children have no more immunity. So if there is a parking offence or… something else happening in Bangalore etcetera, they would be held liable.”
While US Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed his “regret” over Devyani Khobragade’s arrest, the state department has said it will not drop charges, as requested by India.
Delhi has also demanded an apology from the US over the diplomat’s alleged “humiliation”.
Devyani Khobragade’s detention on charges of visa fraud and underpayment of her housekeeper sparked outrage in India
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 underpaying her Indian maid.
She was handcuffed and strip-searched after a complaint from the maid, Sangeeta Richard.
The diplomat, 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.
According to documents filed in a New York court, Devyani Khobragade wrote on a visa application that the maid would be paid $4,500 a month.
But investigators said she instead paid only $573 per month – less than the New York state minimum wage.
If found guilty, Devyani Khobragade faces a maximum sentence of 10 years for visa fraud and five years for making false statements.
Thousands of documents related to police investigation into the killing of 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut have been released.
Officials described as “painful” some of the details in the report, which includes photos and transcripts.
The report reveals new facts about the life of gunman Adam Lanza, 20, said to have suffered from mental health issues.
Adam Lanza turned a gun on himself after opening fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in December 2012.
Before killing 20 children and six adults with a semi-automatic rifle, Adam Lanza shot dead his own mother at the family home. She had bought him the weapons used in the rampage.
Last month, Connecticut police published a summary of their findings, showing that Adam Lanza had “an obsession” with the 1999 Columbine massacre, during which two teenagers killed 12 students and a teacher.
Adam Lanza turned a gun on himself after opening fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in December 2012
Investigators also found that Adam Lanza had acted alone and planned the shooting, which took less than 11 minutes.
The final report contains evidence that Adam Lanza’s mother discussed her son’s “disabilities” with a friend they day before the Sandy Hook attack.
The student would “write 10 pages obsessing over battles, destruction and war”.
The findings also reveal autopsy reports and new information about how the shooting unfolded.
A teacher hiding in a closet said he heard janitor Rick Thorne challenge Adam Lanza. Rick Thorne, who survived the attack, apparently yelled: “Put the gun down.”
Among the audiovisual material released on Friday were photos of items found in Adam Lanza’s home, including numerous rounds of ammunition, gun magazines, shooting earplugs and a gun safe with a rifle in it.
The files were heavily redacted to protect the students’ identity and to withhold gruesome details of the crime.
The Newtown shooting prompted a renewed US campaign for stricter firearms controls.
While no legislation was passed at a national level, some states – including Connecticut and Colorado – imposed tougher gun laws. Other states loosened restrictions.
China has formally adopted a resolution easing the country’s one-child policy, the state news agency Xinhua reports.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passed a resolution allowing couples to have two children if either parent is an only child.
A proposal to abolish re-education through labor camps was also approved.
The changes in policy were announced following a meeting of top Communist Party officials in November.
The reforms, which came at the end of a six-day meeting of the congress, have already been tested in parts of the country.
They needed formal legislative approval to be put into effect.
China has formally adopted a resolution easing the country’s one-child policy
It is expected that reforms will be rolled out gradually and incrementally around the country, with provincial authorities entrusted to make their own decisions on implementation according to the local demographic situation.
Factors other than the one-child policy, such as a lack of social security support, have also encouraged couples to limit their offspring.
China is now believed to have a birth rate of just over 1.5 children per woman of child-bearing age – which is, in fact, higher than many of its regional neighbors, including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
Niger has the world’s highest birth rate per woman, with over seven, India has 2.55 and the US has 2.06.
China introduced its one-child policy at the end of the 1970s to curb rapid population growth.
But correspondents say the policy has become increasingly unpopular and that leaders fear the country’s ageing population will both reduce the labor pool and exacerbate elderly care issues.
By 2050, more than a quarter of the population will be over 65.
The one-child policy has on the whole been strictly enforced, though some exceptions already exist, including for ethnic minorities.
Previous reforms also permitted couples to have a second child where both were only children or, in the case of rural couples, where their first-born child was a girl.
The traditional preference for boys has created a gender imbalance as some couples opt for gender-selective abortions.
By the end of the decade, demographers say China will have 24 million “leftover men” who, because of China’s gender imbalance, will not be able to find a wife.
Russian Akademik Shokalskiy scientific mission ship, trapped in dense pack ice off East Antarctica, is still awaiting rescue after Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon failed to reach it.
The Snow Dragon icebreaker was itself stalled by heavy ice, officials say.
It had been trying to cut a path through the ice in order to help the research vessel reach open water.
The Akademik Shokalskiy, which has been trapped since Christmas Day, has 74 on board and is being used by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.
They are following the route explorer Douglas Mawson travelled a century ago.
One of the leaders of the expedition, Chris Turney, earlier tweeted an image of the Snow Dragon icebreaker – also known as the Xue Long – on the horizon as it approached the research ship.
The Chinese vessel came within seven nautical miles of the expedition ship, but encountered heavy ice and was forced to return to the open sea.
Akademik Shokalskiy scientific mission ship is still awaiting rescue after Snow Dragon icebreaker failed to reach it
“Our rescue boat, the Xue Long, has had to turn back because the ice was too thick for it to get through,” said Alok Jha, a journalist on board the Shokalskiy.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is coordinating the rescue, confirmed that a French vessel had also failed to penetrate the ice.
The agency said another boat, the Aurora Australis, was on its way to the Russian vessel and expected to arrive on Sunday.
“I think we’re probably looking at another 24 hours of twiddling our fingers and waiting for something to happen,” the expedition’s spokesman Alvin Stone told the Associated Press.
Correspondents say expedition members could be winched to safety by a helicopter if the weather remains favorable.
The research ship Shokalskiy was trapped by thick sheets of ice that were driven by strong winds about 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart – the capital of the Australian state of Tasmania.
There had also been fears that blizzards could hamper the rescue effort.
The Shokalskiy is well stocked with food and is in no danger, according to the team.
Although trapped for the moment, the scientists are continuing their experiments. They have been measuring temperature and salinity through cracks in the surrounding ice.
