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Chris Christie called Barack Obama to congratulate him on his re-election

Diane A. Wade
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Chris Christie called Barack Obama to congratulate him on his re-election

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has been under fire from conservatives for his effusive praise of Barack Obama after Hurricane Sandy, telephoned the president after his election win but only sent an email to Mitt Romney, it was revealed today.

Chris Christie told reporters at a press conference on Thursday that he had talked to Barack Obama.

“We didn’t have a political strategy discussion,” he said.

“I said, <<Congratulations on your win last night, Mr. President>>, he said, <<Thank you>>.”

Asked about whether he had spoken to Mitt Romney, Chris Christie said: “No. We exchanged emails last night. We haven’t spoken on the phone yet.”

Chris Christie, who is up for re-election in New Jersey next year and is a likely 2016 presidential candidate, is partly blamed by some senior Mitt Romney aides for the Republican nominee’s defeat.

They believe that his outspoken commendations of Barack Obama helped create an aura of bipartisan appeal that was invaluable.

Stuart Stevens, Mitt Romney’s top strategist, has said that Mitt Romney was “winning this race by five or six points before Sandy” but “came out of Sandy one or two behind”.

Part of Mitt Romney’s post-Sandy drop was due to his being all but absent from the television screens for three to four days. But conservatives have been quick to condemn Chris Christie, a one-time vice-presidential possibility for Mitt Romney, for what they regard as a deliberate undermining of the former Massachusetts governor.

When Chris Christie was asked at the time by Fox News if Mitt Romney had any plans to visit New Jersey, he said: “I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested. I’ve got a job to do here in New Jersey that’s much bigger than presidential politics, and I could care less about any of that stuff.”

Governor Chris Christie telephoned Barack Obama after his election win but only sent an email to Mitt Romney
Governor Chris Christie telephoned Barack Obama after his election win but only sent an email to Mitt Romney

In an opinion article entitled “Excommunicating Chris Christie”, Brett Decker of the Washington Times blasted Chris Christie as a moderate on guns, climate change and social issues and as being either “politically tone-deaf” or “purposely” trying to help Barack Obama.

“Mr. Christie handed Mr. Obama a big gift in the form of photo-ops, public hugs and gratuitously complimentary statements about the opposing party’s standard bearer.”

On Wednesday, Chris Christie appeared to be at pains to deny that he had been anything other than completely supportive of Mitt Romney.

“I wouldn’t call what I did an embrace of Barack Obama,” he said at a Wednesday press conference.

“I know that’s become the wording of it, but the fact of the matter is, you know, I’m a guy who tells the truth all the time.

“And if the president of the United States did something good, I was gonna say he did something good and give him credit for it.

“But it doesn’t take away for a minute the fact that I was the first governor to endorse Mitt Romney, that I travelled literally tens of thousands of miles for him, raised tens of millions of dollars for him and worked harder, I think, than any other surrogate in America other than Paul Ryan, who became his running mate.”

According to the Huffington Post, Chris Christie declined an invitation by Romney to an event in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, some three miles away across the Delaware river from Trenton, New Jersey’s capital, in the final week of the campaign.

While this was seen by some as a snub, the political downside of Chris Christie appearing at a political rally when many in New Jersey were still suffering extreme hardship after Hurricane Sandy would have made any appearance unlikely.

Responding to the story, Chris Christie lambasted the “know-nothing, disgruntled Romney staffers” who had made the accusation.

He added that he had told Mitt Romney before Hurricane Sandy hit that he would probably not be available for the rest of the campaign.

“I said to him, <<Listen, Mitt, if this storm hits the way I think it’s going to, I’m off the campaign trail from here to Election Day>>,” he recalled.

“And he said to me, <<Chris, of course. That’s what you have to do. Do your job. Don’t worry about me. I’ll take care of things>>.

“So all this other noise, I think, is coming from know-nothing, disgruntled Romney staffers who, you know, don’t like the fact that I said nice things about the president of the United States. Well, that’s too bad for them.”

 

Anders Behring Breivik decries inhumane prison conditions

Diane A. Wade
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Anders Behring Breivik decries inhumane prison conditions

Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian convicted of the massacre of 77 people last year, has said he is being held in “inhumane” conditions.

Anders Behring Breivik complained in a letter to the prison service that his coffee is served cold, he does not have enough butter for his bread, and he is not allowed moisturizer.

He is serving a minimum 21-year sentence for the bombings and shootings in Oslo and Utoeya island last July.

The Norwegian authorities have not commented on the letter.

However, his lawyer has confirmed that the details of the 27-page document leaked to Norway’s VG newspaper are authentic.

Anders Behring Breivik is being held in almost complete isolation – 23 hours a day, he says – at Ila prison outside Oslo.

His cell includes three sections, one to sleep, one for study and a third for exercise – each measuring 8 sq m (86 sq ft).

Anders Behring Breivik complained in a letter to the prison service that his coffee is served cold, he does not have enough butter for his bread, and he is not allowed moisturizer
Anders Behring Breivik complained in a letter to the prison service that his coffee is served cold, he does not have enough butter for his bread, and he is not allowed moisturizer

In the letter, he complains that the cell is poorly decorated and has no view.

“I highly doubt that there are worse detention facilities in Norway,” he writes.

Among his other complaints are:

• the handcuffs he wears when being moved around the prison “are too sharp and “cut in his wrist”

• the cell is too cold, forcing him to wear three layers of clothes

• he has to rush his morning shave and brushing of teeth

• light and television switches are outside the cell, so he has to ask for help to change channel or sleep.

Ila is an all-male institution which “houses some of the country’s most dangerous men”, its website says.

However, it differs markedly from other maximum security jails in western Europe. The staff is a half-and-half mix of men and women and none are armed.

Anders Behring Breivik massacred 77 people, most of them teenagers at a youth camp run by Norway’s governing Labour Party.

His 21-year sentence can be indefinitely extended for as long as he is considered a danger to society.

 

Ten signs Election Day is over

Diane A. Wade
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Ten signs Election Day is over

It’s been a long slog of a campaign and many Americans – whether their favored candidate won or lost – are just relieved it’s over. Here are 10 signs Election Day has been and gone.

1. No-one cares about Ohio

Once every four years, the state finds itself at the centre of the political universe, before dropping off the map. Ohio is often the butt of American jokes – seen as the embodiment of a Midwestern backwater. But as the election draws near, the world’s media descends, and commentators talk breathlessly about how “it’s all about Ohio”.

“People enjoy it,” says Fred Andrle, a former talk show host in Ohio. Most of the time, “we are considered fly-over people”.

Ohio law student Andrew Gordon-Seifert, 24, appreciated the attention – not least from the candidates themselves. But he says: “There’s a sentiment of cynicism – they realized how important we are to getting elected, but will they be there for us in the future?”

2. Mattress ads back on television

There were more than one million campaign ad airings in this presidential campaign – almost double that in 2008 and 2004. It has been a bonanza in terms of ad revenues for TV stations, but now the adverts have returned to staple subjects like mattresses, a dog’s arthritis or erectile dysfunction. Answering the phone has become a whole lot easier for those in swing states too – if there is a call, it is probably a real person.

3. The polling addicts are in detox

There are lots of “poll junkies” out there, says self-confessed addict Daniel Hamermesh, who teaches economics at the University of Texas at Austin and Royal Holloway in London. With a habit of checking the latest polls at least four times a day, he set himself the target of going cold turkey up to Election Day. He lasted just three days.

“I fell off the damn wagon,” he says.

But with the election over, he says he’s coping fine: “The thing that caused the addiction is gone – it’s as if there has been a tobacco blight, and the tobacco is gone,” he says.

“My wife is happy to have me back more full-time.”

4. All the news is about this cliff thing

Lots of things get put on ice during election season, but this one will have to come out of the freezer soon. The “fiscal cliff” refers to a deadline of December 31st for Congress to agree on spending levels and tax rates. The Fitch ratings agency recently called it the “single biggest near-term threat to a global economic recovery”. The word “bipartisanship” is one that has come out of the deep-freeze in the last couple of days. It will be needed.

Ten signs Election Day is over
Ten signs Election Day is over

5. You only read Buzzfeed for pictures of cats

Once upon a time, Buzzfeed was a site devoted to cats playing the piano, photos of kids with weird haircuts, and 90s nostalgia. But then Politico whiz-kid Ben Smith came on board just in time for the drama of the 2012 election. Suddenly the site known for articles like This Grandma And Her Cat Are The Cutest Best Friends Ever and 9 Most Controversial Salads was a must-read for political junkies, with trenchant articles from a stable of talented reporters, putting forward a mix of breaking scoops and in-depth features. They’re probably still doing all that stuff, but now that the election is over, you’re more interested in those salads.

6. Joe Biden stops emailing you

You can open your inbox without it being full of emails from the candidates or their campaign teams, usually exhorting you to dig deep into your pockets or give up some time to get people out to vote.

Mitt Romney’s final email on Election Day began with the words: “Friend, Polls are open for a few more hours. Your vote, and your outreach efforts, will determine the outcome. America’s future is up to you.”

7. Celebrities go back to selling you their perfume, not their political views

Celebrity endorsements have been a staple in American politics for some time, and this year was no exception. Barack Obama managed to muster a longer line-up, with more A-listers, but the celebrity moment of the campaign definitely goes to Clint Eastwood for his soliloquy to an empty chair at the Republican National Convention. That may well be remembered, but the B-and-C-listers will vanish back into oblivion.

8. Election tat is piling up

It will be decades before the bog-standard mugs, badges, bumper stickers and posters of this campaign gain any significant value as collectors’ items, says Steve Ferber an expert on political memorabilia. Campaigns have begun to charge for things which used to be given away for free, he says. There has also been an “amazing increase” in buyers from abroad, he says – especially from the UK, Germany and Australia, who are keen on Barack Obama items.

9. You can say what you like on Facebook

Election time can create some awkward moments with friends and family on the other side of the political divide. Student Andrew Gordon-Seifert says most of the political chat among his friends was on Facebook, and things could get testy at times, with inflammatory political posts, and angry ripostes. He took care about what he would say politically – both online and in person – to keep the temperature down. Now it’s over, “we can get back to not being so divided”, he says.

10. The talk is all about 2016

In-between the fierce recriminations and soul-searching among the Republican Party, is speculation on who will run for the presidency in 2016 (Hillary Clinton versus Jeb Bush, is Politico‘s prediction). This future-gazing actually begins a few days before Election Day, says Karlyn Bowman with the conservative think tank, American Enterprise Institute.

“We’re polled out. Everyone is so exhausted, that people just want to turn to something new,” she says.

Many who live and breathe politics are now – with their source of sustenance suddenly gone – feeling a little deflated now, she says.

But the main sentiment is a kind of collective phew: “Everyone will say a prayer – not just for Thanksgiving, but that the campaign is over.”

 

Barack Obama addresses looming fiscal cliff

Clyde K. Valle
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Barack Obama addresses looming fiscal cliff

President Barack Obama will make a statement on the economy later, setting the stage for a political showdown over a looming budget crisis.

Barack Obama is expected to discuss the so-called fiscal cliff, a package of tax rises and spending cuts due early next year unless Congress acts.

Budget analysts warn the US will tip into recession unless a deal is struck.

Barack Obama has repeatedly called for the wealthy to pay more taxes, but such a plan is anathema to Republicans.

The fiscal cliff would see Bush-era tax cuts expire at the end of 2012, combined with automatic, across-the-board reductions to military and domestic spending.

The International Monetary Fund has repeatedly warned that failure by US lawmakers to reach a deal would deepen uncertainty over the global economy.

Investor concerns over the issue have been partly blamed for two straight days of losses on financial markets.

John Boehner, leader of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, told ABC News on Thursday: “Raising tax rates is unacceptable.

“Frankly, it couldn’t even pass the House. I’m not sure it could pass the Senate.”

John Boehner reiterated his opposition to tax rises in a news conference on Friday morning.

He spoke shortly before Barack Obama was due to deliver his statement from the East Room of the White House at 13:05.

Barack Obama is expected to discuss the so-called fiscal cliff, a package of tax rises and spending cuts due early next year unless Congress acts
Barack Obama is expected to discuss the so-called fiscal cliff, a package of tax rises and spending cuts due early next year unless Congress acts

The president’s statement could set the tone for his second-term working relationship with Republicans, whom he has battled repeatedly over the last four years.

A White House official said the president’s oft-stated call for tax rises on the wealthy has been vindicated by his resounding victory over Republican challenger Mitt Romney in Tuesday’s election.

“One of the messages that was sent by the American people throughout this campaign is … [they] clearly chose the president’s view of making sure that the wealthiest Americans are asked to do a little bit more in the context of reducing our deficit in a balanced way,” senior White House adviser David Plouffe was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

Barack Obama’s position has been that taxes should rise on earnings above $250,000.

John Boehner says his party is willing to countenance cutting loopholes and special exemptions, but only in exchange for an overhaul of the tax code.

Republican lawmakers also want cuts to federal healthcare programmes such as Medicare, Medicaid and food-stamp assistance for the poor.

A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report published on Thursday warned that the US economy would fall back into recession if no deal were struck on the fiscal cliff.

The analysis projected that the package of tax rises and spending cuts would cut the ballooning US deficit by $503 billion through to next September, but also shrink the economy by 0.5% and cost millions of jobs.

Meanwhile, as Barack Obama turns his attention to shaping a second term in office his administration is expected to undergo a shake-up in the coming weeks.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner are among those expected to leave their posts.

Speculation has been swirling in Washington over possible replacements, with Democratic Senator John Kerry among those tipped as a substitute for Hillary Clinton.

Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to find out what went wrong their presidential election campaign.

The party’s officials said they would poll voters extensively in battleground states, as well as holding focus groups and discussions with supporters.

The review would not attempt to alter the party’s ideological base, Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer told the Washington Post.

“This is no different than a patient going to see a doctor,” Sean Spicer said.

What is the fiscal cliff?

• Under a deal reached last year between President Barack Obama and the Republican-controlled Congress, existing stimulus measures – mostly tax cuts – will expire on 1 January 2013

• Cuts to defence, education and other government spending will then automatically come into force – the “fiscal cliff” – unless Congress acts

• The economy does not have the momentum to absorb the shock from going over the fiscal cliff without going into recession

 

Burma train crash: at least 25 people killed and dozens injured in Kantbalu

Diane A. Wade
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Burma train crash: at least 25 people killed and dozens injured in Kantbalu

A train carrying liquid fuel has crashed and burst into flames near Kantbalu, central Burma, killing at least 25 people and injuring dozens.

The train was travelling from central Mandalay to Myiktyina in the north, when it crashed near Kantbalu.

Officials said the train had come off the tracks, then a fire broke out in fuel storage tanks.

Many of those killed were believed to be local residents who had gathered at the scene.

Burma’s information ministry said locals had been attempting to collect the spilled fuel. It posted images on its website of burnt out carriages and what appeared to be charred bodies.

Emergency officials said 83 people had been taken to hospital and that another two of those had later died.

The government put the number injured at 62.

 

A train carrying liquid fuel has crashed and burst into flames near Kantbalu, central Burma, killing at least 25 people and injuring dozens
A train carrying liquid fuel has crashed and burst into flames near Kantbalu, central Burma, killing at least 25 people and injuring dozens

Black Friday 2012: Wal-Mart opens stores on Thanksgiving Day at 8 pm

Nancy Clayson
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Black Friday 2012: Wal-Mart opens stores on Thanksgiving Day at 8 pm

2012 Black Friday sales will have Wal-Mart throwing open their doors earlier than ever before.

Opening at 8:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, two hours earlier than last year, the world’s largest retailer says they hope to relieve shoppers’ anxiety while also guaranteeing three of their most popular items for a special one hour.

If lined up inside the store between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, those three items guaranteed are: an Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi for $399 plus a $74 Wal-Mart gift card; an Emerson 32-inch LCD TV for $148, down from the original $228; and an LG Blu-ray Disc player for $38, about half off the original price.

If those inside during that one-hour window find the product sold out, Wal-Mart will offer a guarantee card for the item.

The item must be paid for by midnight and registered online. The product will then be shipped to the store where it was purchased for the customer to pick up before December 25.

“We know it’s frustrating for customers to shop on Black Friday and not get the items they want,” said Duncan MacNaughton, chief merchandising and marketing officer at Wal-Mart’s U.S. division.

To satisfy customers’ demands for coveted items, Wal-Mart “bought very deep” on products that matter to its customers, he said.

Duncan MacNaughton declined to offer details but he told reporters on Wednesday the discounter is offering sharper discounts and broader, deeper assortments for the kickoff and the rest of the season compared to years past. For example, Wal-Mart doubled the number of tablet computers it’s bringing in for the winter holidays.

2012 Black Friday sales will have Wal-Mart throwing open their doors earlier than ever before
2012 Black Friday sales will have Wal-Mart throwing open their doors earlier than ever before

The stepped-up strategy comes as Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, is counting on keeping its momentum going at its U.S. business, which started roaring back late last year after struggling during a more than two-year slump.

It’s critical for the holiday shopping season, which accounts for as much as 40% of a retailer’s annual sales.

Wal-Mart’s strategy raises the competitive stakes for the start of the holiday season.

American retailers have increasingly expanded their hours on Black Friday to get ahead of the competition, but now the kickoff is creeping earlier into Thanksgiving Day.

Starting with the 8:00 p.m. sale on Thanksgiving, Wal-Mart will have two more rounds of sales that will also include a consumer electronics sale two hours later and a sale at 5:00 a.m. on Friday.

Last year, Target, Best Buy, Macy’s and Kohl’s were closed on Thanksgiving and kicked off Black Friday sales at the stroke of midnight, their earliest starts ever. Best Buy Co Inc, Macy’s and Kohl’s all plan to open at midnight again, while Target has not given its plans yet.

Sears Holdings Corp’s (SHLD.O) Sears and Kmart stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day. Last year, Sears kept its discount chain Kmart open on Thanksgiving but the Sears chain was closed.

This year, Sears stores will open at 8:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and stay open overnight until 10:00 p.m. on Black Friday. Kmart has been open on Thanksgiving for the last 21 years.

In 2011, Wal-Mart began with deals on toys, home items and clothing at 10:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving, followed by electronics deals at midnight and other offers at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, November 25.

Most Wal-Mart stores will be open on Thanksgiving, unless they are required to close by local or state law.

Wal-Mart has faced protests in various U.S. cities lately and some workers have planned to walk off the job on Black Friday. Such actions are being sponsored by groups including a contingent of workers called OUR Wal-Mart that receives union support.

 

Top Thanksgiving ideas for a fantastic 2012 Turkey Day

Kathryn R. Bown
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Top Thanksgiving ideas for a fantastic 2012 Turkey Day

On Thursday, November 22nd, America celebrates Thanksgiving, the traditional harvest feast which dates back to 1621.

Check the list below for the best ways to give thanks, whether it’s on a traditional plantation or with giant helium balloons.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, New York City

There is always something going on in the city that never sleeps. But on November 22nd, all eyes turn skyward and the city turns out for one event and one event only.

The Macy’s Parade is not only attended by hundreds of thousands of people but is televised throughout the USA.

Broadway is transformed into a colorful extravaganza as floats and falloons (half-way between a float and a balloon) march together.

Barbie, Mickey Mouse and Big Bird will mingle with Uncle Sam, Santa Claus and Thanksgiving’s own Tom Turkey to parade through Times Square and down the Avenue of the Americas.

Marching bands, the Radio City Rockettes and cast members from Broadway shows will also perform alongside them.

The first notes of the Let’s Have A Parade tune which opens the event, have now come to signal the official beginning of the Christmas season in New York. www.macys.com

Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Although Thanksgiving is now better known as a festival involving giant balloons and music, there is a more authentic way to commemorate America’s forefathers.

For a taste of history and the real meaning of Thanksgiving it is best to head to Massachussetts, the birthplace of the holiday.

At the Plimoth Plantation, visitors can board the Mayflower II, which recreated the original Pilgrims’ journey in the 1950s and now forms part of a special exhibition about the voyage.

Actors dressed as Pilgrims and the indigenous Wampanoag people will guide you through the story of the first Thanksgiving.

Visitors also have the chance to explore a traditional 1627 English village, the crafts centre and, in true Thanksgiving spirit, there are a multitude of different places to eat the traditional turkey dinner.

If you’re travelling with children, this could make a great and interactive day out. www.plimoth.org

National Football League (NFL), Dallas, Texas and Detroit, Michigan

It may not be what the Pilgrims imagined their legacy to be, but one extremely popular way to celebrate Thanksgiving is by watching the classic battles between some of America’s most loved football teams.

It is not unusual for the family to settle down and watch what is referred to as Turkey Bowl as different teams – which normally include the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys – fight it out.

For visitors to the country, this could be the perfect opportunity to indulge in a truly American pastime and try and learn the rules of a baffling game.

Tickets are still available and are relatively affordable from $45. www.ticketexchangebyticketmaster.com.

McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade, Chicago

If you thought the Macy’s parade was big then prepare yourself for the inflatable extravaganza that takes over Chicago.

One of the city’s most popular events since it started in 1934, the parade regularly pulls in crowds of 400,000.

It was first created as a way to help people feel better during the Great Depression of the 1930s so visitors to the city this Thanksgiving may feel a strange irony given the current economic climate.

Observers and balloon holders on State Street will both be hoping the Windy City does not live up to its name that day.  www.chicagofestivals.org

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in New York City
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York City

Sales shopping in Orlando, New York and Boston

Like all great celebrations, Thanksgiving would not be a true national holiday without some cut-price bargains to encourage people to part with their cash.

And sales are particularly worthwhile at the outlet stores that are so popular with visitors to the US.

Some of the biggest outlets are Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in New York, Orlando Premium Outlets, Florida and Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in both New York and Boston.

So any shopaholics in these malls over Thanksgiving may well want to take advantage of some serious bargains.

Discounts of between 25 and 65% are offered on designer items in their Midnight Madness sale event (which actually starts at 9:00 p.m.).

The reductions will then go on for the next three days until, stuffed with turkey and shopped out, bargain hunters can survey their hoard before beginning the diet to fit back into them. www.premiumoutlets.com

Turkey bowling, Oregon

Beyond the grand parades and American football, there are actually a lot of smaller Thanksgiving celebrations taking place throughout the country.

Anyone enjoying West Coast hospitality in Oregon may want to head to one of the nation’s quirkier events.

According to these Oregon residents, nothing says Thanksgiving like bowling a Turkey.

In a new take on Turkey Bowl, Hood River offers a train ride out into the state’s most breathtaking scenery where people can enjoy a traditional holiday meal at a rural restaurant before starting on the real festivities.

This competition sees people bowling five, 10 or 20 lb turkeys in the hope of winning a variety of prizes. Taking place over the Thanksgiving weekend and costing $32 for an adult ticket and $20 for children, the day out could really add an interesting twist to the traditional Thanksgiving activities.

Skiing Thanksgiving World Cup, Aspen

Not everyone has the Thanksgiving holidays off – in fact some women will be working very hard in Aspen.

Aspiring skiers can pick up some tips watching the slalom and giant slalom events from the bleachers before heading off to try their ski legs for the first runs of the season. www.aspensnowmass.com

Turkey pardon, Washington and the pardoned turkey’s parade, Disneyland California

If you are in the Washington area and think you have a hope of swinging an invite to the White House, you may want to head there the week before Thanksgiving.

Traditionally the President holds a lighthearted gathering and pardons a turkey which is saved from becoming dinner and sent to live its life in peace.

But if, like the rest of us, it is unlikely you will be calling in at the White House, you can always catch a glimpse of the lucky turkey at Disneyland in California.

After the presidential touch grants turkeys their freedom, they are sent down to take part in the Thanksgiving Disney Parade.

They lead the spectacular parade as grand marshalls, joined by all of the familiar faces we associate with Disney. Once their duties are done, they are free to live out their days in the Frontierland part of the park. Find out more about Disneyland holidays here.

McDonald’s Follansbee flies US flag upside-down as businesses close for a day of mourning after Barack Obama’s re-election

Clyde K. Valle
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McDonald’s Follansbee flies US flag upside-down as businesses close for a day of mourning after Barack Obama’s re-election

Several American businesses reacted to the news of President Barack Obama’s re-election with both anger and despair, as one McDonald’s location hung the US flag at half-mast and upside-down.

Some diners at the Follansbee restaurant in West Virginia could not believe their eyes when the say the flag on the day after Barack Obama secured more electoral votes than Republican rival Mitt Romney.

An upside-down flag is a “signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property”, according to federal law.

Mitt Romney won West Virginia in Tuesday night’s election – and its five electoral votes.

Karen Mezan, the McDonald’s franchise owner, said in an emailed statement to WTOV-TV: “Unfortunately, a flag cable broke and during the process of trying the fix the flag, it was inadvertently turned upside down.

“It wasn’t noticed that the flag was upside down until a customer inquired about it. We are working on fixing the flag right now. It’s important to note that this was an accident, not intentional.”

Follansbee McDonald’s restaurant hung the US flag at half-mast and upside-down
Follansbee McDonald’s restaurant hung the US flag at half-mast and upside-down

While US flag flew in reverse in West Virginia, a Florida real estate mogul backed down from a pledge to lay off some or all of his 8,000 in protest of Barack Obama’s victory.

Instead, David Siegel says he gave all of his workers a raise this week, to help them cope with new taxes and regulations that he believes the president will heap on in his second term.

David Siegel is perhaps known for his ambitious attempts to build the largest house in the world outside Orlando, Florida.

Modeled after the Palace of Versailles in France, he hopes it will be worth $100 million when it’s completed.

The property magnate’s 1,400-word rant was largely copied from a chain email which circulated around the time of the 2008 presidential election, according to Gawker.

David Siegel told Bloomberg BusinessWeek on Wednesday, the day after the election, that he hadn’t laid off anyone – yet.

“I’m going to work my hardest to keep the company going and expand the best I can. We’ll see what happens,” he said.

He added that he had given all employees in his company a raise, at least five per cent, to “help them handle the additional burdens the government will put on them”.

Last month, David Siegel told his workers that the company was performing well, saying: “The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job.

“What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration. Of course, as your employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best.”

He added: “So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current president plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company.

“Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.

“So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job?

“Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job.”

The 77-year-old starred alongside his wife Jackie, 46, in a documentary film titled Queen of Versailles, chronicling the construction of the 30-bedroom house and the struggles of David Siegel’s company during the financial crisis and recession.

The flamboyant businessman has previously boasted of using his employees for political ends.

He apparently surveyed his 8,000 workers before the 2000 election, and encouraged only those who supported George W. Bush to vote – an act which he believes brought the Republican victory in Florida, and therefore in the race as a whole.

In Bedford, Virginia, Lyons Jewelers posted a massive sign in the store window saying: “Closed to mourn the loss of the America that our forefathers endowed to us.”

WDBJ-TV reports that the store also had a sign that said “Shame on the U.S. and Virginia” and one that read “Lyons will reopen tomorrow to continue the fight against a president who seeks my demise”.

Also on Wednesday, a man who claimed to own a business in Las Vegas called into a local radio station to announce he had fired 20% of his staff.

The man, who called a talk radio program on KXNT, gave his name only as “Dave” and said “elections have consequences”.

He claimed that Tuesday night’s victory for the Democratic president was the tipping point for him to decide that he needed to cut back his business to save money.

He said he had 114 employees and that he sacked 22 of them.

“I explained to them a month ago that if Obama gets in office that the regulations for Obamacare are gonna hurt our business, and I’m gonna have to make provisions to make sure I have enough money to cover the payroll taxes, the additional health care I’m gonna have to do, and I explained that to them and I said you do what you feel like in your heart you need to do, but I’m just letting you know as a warning this is things I have to think of as a business owner,” he said.

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How to wrap your Christmas presents

Nancy Clayson
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0
How to wrap your Christmas presents

Wrapping gifts is one of the most fun parts of Christmas, but somehow making it just right can leave many of us in a mess.

So to make it easier this year.

How to get the paper right

Thicker paper isn’t necessarily better. It can work well on larger gifts, but for small or awkwardly-shaped ones it’s difficult to get around corners. For these presents, use brown paper which is thin but tough, this also means you’ll have a blank canvas to add ribbons, bows or decorations to.

The biggest mistake most people make when wrapping presents is using too much paper.

How to work out how much to use

The biggest mistake people make is to use too much paper. An excess just means the gift will be bulky and harder to wrap. Pull the paper taut around the present (but never tape it to the gift as this might damage it), and cut just enough to overlap, then move it to one side of the paper so you can trim the side edge too. A lot of people just fold in the extra paper here rather than cutting it off, but it’s much harder to get it looking neat.

How to match up patterns

It’s best to avoid striped patterns as they’re tricky to line up. Instead, go for a small alternative pattern like spots, rather than large patterns that don’t repeat very often, then it won’t be so obvious where the join is.

How to be tidy with the tape
Ideally you should use double-sided tape for a professional finish. But if you only have regular tape, use small pieces and then cover it with a ribbon. Avoid decorative tape as it’s harder to get right and if you make a mistake it will be really noticeable.

How to get around corners
Crease each edge of the paper as you go along, so the folds are all sharp. Cutting the paper to fit beforehand means there won’t be an excess of paper to deal with here, so simply fold the top edge down and crease, then each corner in and finally the bottom up, turning the edge under neatly and securing with double-sided tape to get a polished finish.

Wrapping gifts is one of the most fun parts of Christmas, but somehow making it just right can leave many of us in a mess
Wrapping gifts is one of the most fun parts of Christmas, but somehow making it just right can leave many of us in a mess

How to do ribbons right

Just wrap the ribbon once around the gift then tying it in a bow. If you avoid doing a crossover around the gift it will look neater, plus you only use half as much ribbon. If you just can’t get the bow right, use a wide ribbon, then you can simply tie a loose knot and cut the ends at sharp angles instead. It looks just as good.

How to get the perfect finishing touches

With simple paper you can decorate the finished gift with fresh foliage such as rosemary, laurel, bay and ivy – and they smell lovely too. You can use also sticks and feathers, and even add nuts and dried fruit to the ribbon using a glue gun. And finally to the gift tag… Strung gift tags are best, slip them under the bow and they won’t get pulled off accidentally. And writing names in metallic pen on large leaves is a great way to get a gift tag on a budget.

Quick tips on how to deal with…

Round tin of chocolates: Start with a tube of thin paper around the tin and pleat both sides in to the centre.

Bottle of wine: Use tissue. Place in the centre of a few sheets of tissue, then gather the tissue around it, tying a ribbon around the neck.

Child’s micro scooter: For large awkward shapes use a paper tablecloth. Place the item in the centre, gather the sides above the top and secure with ribbon.

Socks and other soft items: Wrap them as a cracker with paper and add ribbons and decorations

Gift basket: Place the item in the centre of a large sheet of clear cellophane (available from florists), pull up sides and tie a large ribbon around the top.

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John Lewis Christmas advert 2012: The Journey

Nancy Clayson
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0
John Lewis Christmas advert 2012: The Journey

John Lewis department store unveils its new Christmas ad, banking on a lovestruck snowman to leave viewers misty-eyed.

Last year’s John Lewis Christmas commercial it was a little boy with a big heart.

2012 Christmas advert, called The Journey, shows the extraordinary lengths some will go to in their search of the perfect gift for the person they love.

The 90-second commercial opens with children happily making a snowman and snowwoman in their snow-covered garden. But before they have time to wrap up the snowwoman with scarf and gloves, they are called inside by their mother.

Perhaps inspired by the Christmas classic tale The Snowman by Raymond Briggs, the snowman mysteriously disappears the next morning. We then see him undertake an epic journey, akin to Frodo in the Lord of the Rings, as he travels across fields, forests, rivers and sweeping mountains.

And just like in the hit film, these scenes for the advert where also filmed in New Zealand.

The snowman then braves the High Street and hides behinds some bins to avoid some youngsters having a snowball fight but his face lights up when he reaches his destination.

John Lewis department store unveils its new Christmas ad, banking on a lovestruck snowman to leave viewers misty-eyed
John Lewis department store unveils its new Christmas ad, banking on a lovestruck snowman to leave viewers misty-eyed

The motive for the snowman’s secret journey isn’t revealed until the last scene, when he returns on Christmas morning with gifts of a scarf and gloves for his wife. The slogan “give a little more love this Christmas” is then shown.

Gabrielle Aplin, a relatively unknown 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Bath, sings The Power Of Love, the 1984 hit from Frankie Goes To Hollywood, as the soundtrack (which will also be released today as a single).

The British department store will hope they have another hit on their hands, following the chart success of previous songs featured in their adverts.

This includes Ellie Goulding’s cover of Elton John’s Your Song which shot to number one after it featured in their 2010 Christmas offering. She went on to perform the song at the wedding reception of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as the couple had their first dance as man and wife.

Also in 2010, Fyfe Dangerfield climbed into the top ten with his cover of Billy Joel’s classic Always A Woman To Me after it was used in the High Street brand’s touching advert which showed a woman on the path of life from childhood to becoming a wife, mother and grandmother.

John Lewis has a hard act of follow with their latest advert as their 2011 Christmas broadcast touched the heart of the nation. The advert featured a little boy desperately waiting for Christmas because he was so excited about giving a gift to his parents.

The advert featured a moving cover of The Smiths Please, please, please let me get what I want, by the then unknown Amelia Warner, AKA Slow Moving Millie. Her version reached number 31 while The Smiths also re-entered the charts as people rushed to download the original.

John Lewis’ Marketing Director, Craig Inglis, said the message this year remains the same – that people want to show their nearest and dearest just how much they care at Christmas.

He said: “We know that our customers put real effort into finding the perfect gift for their loved ones at Christmas. This year’s ad brings that to life, with a creative twist.”

Craig Inglis added that he hopes people will take the snowman into their hearts just like they did with the little boy, played by Lewis McGowan, last year.

“When you watch it again and again you grow to love the snowman and start to look him as a human, and you look him in the same way you did the kid last year. The snowman becomes a metaphor for that child. The fact is we have to keep it interesting,” he said.

[youtube 0N8axp9nHNU]

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Robert Pattinson plays Water Wars with Jimmy Fallon

Lisa.Felice
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0
Robert Pattinson plays Water Wars with Jimmy Fallon

Robert Pattinson donned his nicest suit while promoting the upcoming and final installment of Twilight franchise on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show.

Robert Pattinson and Jimmy Fallon played a silly game called Water Wars which involved them basically taking it in turns to chuck glasses of water into each other’s faces.

Mischievous host Jimmy Fallon got so wet his white shirt was completely soaked through.

Robert Pattinson, who is dating co-star Kristen Stewart, 22, seemed to come out of the water fight marginally better off though his suit was still sodden.

His face and hair were also left given a thorough dousing and by the end the British star was left looking resigned to his fate and a little sheepish.

Robert Pattinson and Jimmy Fallon played a silly game called Water Wars which involved them basically taking it in turns to chuck glasses of water into each other's faces
Robert Pattinson and Jimmy Fallon played a silly game called Water Wars which involved them basically taking it in turns to chuck glasses of water into each other’s faces

This isn’t the first time recently Robert Pattinson’s behavior has been somewhat bizarre while promoting Breaking Dawn-Part 2.

While on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show on Tuesday he appeared to be drunk and admitted to the chat show host that he had “had a little vodka backstage”.

Robert Pattinson, who plays vampire Edward Cullen in the smash hit films, also slurred his words and jumped about excitedly trying to hide his too-big “clown” shoes.

Despite being a bit tipsy though his interview was still engaging and Robert Pattinson admitted that even though he gets to travel the world, he is so busy promoting his movies that he doesn’t get to see many of the wonders of the places he visits.

He told the Kimmel: “I’m a freak, I want to stay in my hotel room all the time.”

Breaking Dawn-Part 2 is set to premiere at the Nokia Plaza Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles on Monday.

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Most racist states of America: map reveals hateful tweets following Barack Obama’s re-election

Diane A. Wade
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0
Most racist states of America: map reveals hateful tweets following Barack Obama’s re-election

Many of Americans were upset when Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney lost the election and most of them used social media to post shockingly racist tweets against President Barack Obama.

A map collected by Floating Sheep, a collective of geography academics, shows the shocking demographic of racist “hate tweets”, many of them collected from states that were won by Mitt Romney.

The majority of the tweets, as Jezebel noted, were often from young white residents in southern states.

One male user wrote on Election Day following Romney’s loss: “Ok we pick a worthless n***** over a full blooded American what the h*** has our world come its (sic) called the white house for a reason.”

Another wrote: “F*** you, Obama. Your (sic) a stupid n***** and you don’t do anything good for our country.”

Using geodata called DOLLY (Data On Local Life and You), Floating Sheep mapped out tweets beginning November 1. They then calculated the percentage of each state’s so-called hate tweets in relation to the gross number of tweets coming out of that state.

Their results showed that states like Arkansas and Mississippi were relatively inundated with racist tweets. However, they measured only the quantity of tweets, noting that a lone Twitter user could be sending out dozens of vitriolic tweets all on their own, thus adding to the location-inspired measure, or LQ.

A map collected by Floating Sheep, a collective of geography academics, shows the shocking demographic of racist hate tweets after Barack Obama re-election
A map collected by Floating Sheep, a collective of geography academics, shows the shocking demographic of racist hate tweets after Barack Obama re-election

The map also reveals other southern states like Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas had their fair share of people tweeting bigoted things. Floating Sheep noted that both the East and West coast had a lower number of such tweets.

The site noted, too, that the phenomenon wasn’t only in the south – a series of racist tweets trickled up the Eastern Seaboard, and could also be found in Utah and Missouri.

While it was not openly addressed by the candidates on the campaign trail, political pundits have insisted that demographics and race played a huge role in helping Barack Obama keep the White House.

On Election Day, a riot broke out at The University of Mississippi – known as Ole Miss – as more than 400 students yelled out racial slurs and burned Obama-Biden campaign posters after the Democratic incumbent was crowned the victor.

Emotions ran high among the angered college conservatives in Oxford, Mississippi, with university police being called in shortly after midnight to diffuse the crowd.

The incident began as a small gathering of frustrated voters, meeting to share their misery at Barack Obama getting another four years in office, shortly after midnight.

But word soon spread over social media and the crowd began to swell to hundreds of students, yelling out racial slurs, chanting anti-Obama rhetoric and some reportedly throwing rocks at cars.

Police were called and told the crowd to go home but their presence only attracted more attention and the mass began to multiply.

Two students were arrested in the fracas, one for public intoxication and one for failure to comply with police orders, the university confirmed.

“Disperse or go to jail,” University Police Department officers told the crowd, according to the student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian.

But Ole Miss student Nicholas Carr tweeted that the whole thing was being overblown, saying that more people were taking pictures of the so-called riot than actually joining in on the chanting.

“I was there the whole time. No rocks were thrown. There was 1 sign lit on fire. For about 45 seconds,” Nicholas Carr wrote.

“Mostly, it was 100s of college kids who heard the word riot and ran to take pictures and see what it was about. Again, no rocks or missiles thrown.”

But the school’s administration confronted students on Wednesday and blasted Tuesday’s behavior as “a very immature and uncivil approach to expressing their views about the election”, University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones said in statement.

“The gathering seems to have been fueled by social media, and the conversation should have stayed there.”

 

General Nikolai Makarov, Russian armed forces chief, dismissed by Vladimir Putin

Diane A. Wade
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General Nikolai Makarov, Russian armed forces chief, dismissed by Vladimir Putin

President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Russian armed forces chief, General Nikolai Makarov, just three days after the defence minister was sacked over a corruption scandal.

General Valery Gerasimov replaces General Nikolai Makarov as the new armed forces chief of general staff.

Gen. Valery Gerasimov commanded Russian forces during the conflict in Chechnya.

Russian authorities are investigating the sale of defence ministry assets at prices below market value.

On Tuesday President Vladimir Putin dismissed defence minister Anatoly Serdyukov, replacing him with a former emergencies minister and loyal ally, Sergei Shoigu.

General Nikolai Makarov, Russian armed forces chief, dismissed by Vladimir Putin
General Nikolai Makarov, Russian armed forces chief, dismissed by Vladimir Putin

 

Iberia airlines to cut 4,500 jobs as part of IAG restructuring plan

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Iberia airlines to cut 4,500 jobs as part of IAG restructuring plan

British Airways-owner IAG has announced 4,500 job cuts at Iberia as part of a widely anticipated restructuring of the Spanish carrier.

Iberia is cutting its 156-strong fleet by 25 aircraft, and reducing 15% of its network capacity, with the airline focusing on the most profitable routes.

The plan aims to stem Iberia’s cash losses by mid-2013, and raise profits by at least 600 million euros ($766 million).

IAG also revealed a 30% drop in pre-tax quarterly profits to 221 million euros.

The drop was due to the poor performance at Iberia and at the recently-purchased UK regional airline BMI, as well as rising fuel, operating and engineering costs.

“The group performance is coming back to the levels seen in 2011 and this is particularly true if you strip out the BMI losses of 31 million euros in the quarter,” said IAG chief executive Willie Walsh.

“However, there remains a strong difference between the performances of British Airways and Iberia.”

IAG has announced 4,500 job cuts at Iberia as part of a widely anticipated restructuring of the Spanish carrier
IAG has announced 4,500 job cuts at Iberia as part of a widely anticipated restructuring of the Spanish carrier

The parent company said it now expected to make an overall operating loss of 120 million euros for the year – excluding any costs associated with the Iberia restructuring – with further losses likely in the remaining three months due to the impact of storm Sandy in the US.

Its pre-tax losses for the first nine months of the year have now reached 169 million euros, compared with a 355 million-euro profit in the same period last year.

Iberia has been suffering record losses, and IAG flagged up three months ago that job cuts were likely to come.

“Iberia is in a fight for survival,” said the Spanish subsidiary’s chief executive, Rafael Sanchez-Lozano.

“It is unprofitable in all its markets.

“Unless we take radical action to introduce permanent structural change, the future for the airline is bleak.”

The 4,500 job losses are not as steep as the 7,000 figure that reportedly had been expected by the airline’s unions.

IAG said the restructuring would safeguard 15,500 posts at the airline.

However, the restructuring plan also includes “permanent salary adjustments to achieve a competitive and flexible cost base”.

The airline has set a deadline of 31 January next year to reach agreement with unions over the cuts.

“Time is not on our side,” said Rafael Sanchez-Lozano.

“The company is burning 1.7 million euros every day,” he added.

“If we do not reach consensus, we will have to take more radical action, which will lead to greater reductions in capacity and jobs.”

The restructuring plan comes a day after IAG announced that it would pay 113 million euros to buy up the remaining 54% stake in Spanish budget airline Vueling that it did not already own.

Willie Walsh had said that the acquisition of Vueling would be “good for Spain” and “create new Spanish jobs”.

On Wednesday, IAG released its latest passenger figures for October, which showed that traffic rose by 6.2% at British Airways from a year earlier, while at Iberia traffic was down 3.7%.

The airline’s woes in part stem from the weakness of the eurozone economy, including a sharp downturn in its Spanish home market. However, according to Rafael Sanchez-Lozano, the airline’s problems are also “systemic and pre-date the country’s problems”.

 

SEAL Team Six disciplined for revealing secrets as consultants on Medal of Honor: Warfighter video game

Nancy Clayson
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0
SEAL Team Six disciplined for revealing secrets as consultants on Medal of Honor: Warfighter video game

Seven US Navy SEAL’s have been disciplined for revealing secrets during work as paid consultants on a video game, officials say.

They received reprimand letters and had half of their pay docked for two months for work on Medal of Honor: Warfighter.

The active-duty troops reportedly include one member of the team that killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011.

The game, published by Electronic Arts, does not recreate the Bin Laden mission but purports to show realistic raids.

Those punished were two Senior Chief Special Operators and five Chief Special Operators.

They were charged with violation of orders, misuse of command gear, dereliction of duty and disclosure of classified material.

Seven Navy Seals received reprimand letters and had half of their pay docked for two months for work on Medal of Honor Warfighter
Seven Navy Seals received reprimand letters and had half of their pay docked for two months for work on Medal of Honor Warfighter

The seven troops worked for two days during the spring and summer on the recently released video game, according to CBS News.

The game’s maker has boasted that real commandos, both on active duty and retired, were involved with the process of designing the game to make it as realistic as possible.

It is not clear what classified secrets were divulged by the troops while they were consulting for Electronic Arts. But they reportedly used material from the US Navy.

“We do not tolerate deviations from the policies that govern who we are and what we do as sailors in the United States Navy,” Deputy Commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, Rear Admiral Garry Bonelli told the Associated Press.

He added that the disciplinary action would “send a clear message throughout our force that we are and will be held to a high standard of accountability”.

Four other Navy SEAL’s are also under investigation, US reports said. They are said to have left Team Six but are still said to be on active duty.

The Navy SEAL’s usually respect an unwritten code of staying out of the public eye.

SEAL Team Six is now a household name, celebrated on T-shirts and immortalized in film.

The unit was the subject of a recent TV movie about the Bin Laden raid in Pakistan and will feature in another film, about the rescue of a ship’s captain kidnapped by Somali pirates.

Meanwhile, another member of the team on the Bin Laden raid wrote a book, No Easy Day, giving his account of that operation.

Some details of Osama Bin Laden’s death offered in the book differed from the official version of events.

The content of the book was not reviewed first by the Pentagon, and officials warned that criminal charges could have resulted from the improper disclosure of secret information.

 

Buenos Aires mass protests against Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner government

Diane A. Wade
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0
Buenos Aires mass protests against Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner government

Thousands of Argentineans have taken to the streets of Buenos Aires in protest at the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

Opposition activists used social networks to mobilize the march, which they said was one of the biggest anti-government protests in a decade.

Those gathered said they were angry at rising inflation, high levels of crime and high-profile corruption cases.

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was re-elected by a landslide to a second term in 2011.

Her approval ratings have since dropped and protests against some of her policies have mounted.

Official figures say inflation is at 12%, but analysts say it is probably much higher.

Thousands of Argentineans have taken to the streets of Buenos Aires in protest at the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner
Thousands of Argentineans have taken to the streets of Buenos Aires in protest at the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

The International Monetary Fund warned Argentina in September that unless it produced reliable growth and inflation data by December, it could face sanctions.

Protesters also voiced their objections to restrictions introduced last year, and further sharpened this year, on the purchase of dollars, which have made it harder for Argentines worried about inflation to trade in their currency.

The government says the slowdown of the Argentine economy is the fault of the global financial crisis rather than its policies.

Supporters of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner say the protests are driven by people from the middle and upper class worried about losing their privileges.

They point to policies supporting the poor, such as cash payments to the unemployed, as the real achievements of her government.

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Malala Yousafzai thanks people around the world for supporting her

Diane A. Wade
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0
Malala Yousafzai thanks people around the world for supporting her

Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old education campaigner shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan, has thanked people around the world for supporting her.

Malala Yousafzai was flown to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, after being shot on a school bus in October.

Her father Zianuddin Yousafzai said she wanted to thank well-wishers for helping her “survive and stay strong”.

Meanwhile, more than 60,000 people have signed a petition calling for Malala Yousafzai to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Doctors in Birmingham, where Malala Yousafzai has been receiving specialist treatment, have said she stands every chance of making a good recovery.

She had campaigned for the rights of girls to have an education and had written a diary for the BBC Urdu service when the Pakistan Taliban controlled her home area of Swat.

Since the attack, the teenager has received thousands of goodwill messages from around the world.

Malala Yousafzai wanted to thank well-wishers for helping her survive and stay strong
Malala Yousafzai wanted to thank well-wishers for helping her survive and stay strong

Zianuddin Yousafzai said in a statement issued by the hospital trust: “She wants me to tell everyone how grateful she is and is amazed that men, women and children from across the world are interested in her well-being.

“We deeply feel the heart-touching good wishes of the people across the world of all caste, color and creed.”

In the UK, Shahida Choudhary has begun a campaign calling for Malala Yousafzai to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

She said: “Malala doesn’t just represent one young woman, she speaks out for all those who are denied an education purely on the basis of their gender. There are girls like Malala in the UK and across the world. I was one of them.

“I started this petition because a Nobel Peace Prize for Malala will send a clear message that the world is watching and will support those who stand up for the right of girls to get an education.”

Events are expected to take place around the world on Saturday to mark one month since Yousafzai Malala was shot.

 

Bananas trade dispute ends after 20 years

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Bananas trade dispute ends after 20 years

An international trade dispute over bananas between Europe and Latin America, dating back two decades, has finally been settled.

The European Union and 10 Latin American countries signed an agreement to formally end eight separate World Trade Organization (WTO) cases.

The head of the WTO, Pascal Lamy, called it a truly historic moment.

The formal agreement followed the EU agreeing in December 2009 to gradually reduce the tariffs on Latin American bananas.

Latin American banana exporters had long protested against EU tariffs designed to protect small growers in former European colonies in Africa and the Caribbean.

“After so many twists and turns, these complicated and politically contentious disputes can finally be put to bed,” Pascal Lamy said.

“It has taken so long that quite a few people who worked on the cases, both in the secretariat and in member governments have retired long ago.”

The December 2009 agreement involved the EU reducing its tariffs on imported bananas from 176 euros ($224) per ton to 114 euros per ton within eight years.

 

New York fuel rationing based on number plate begins on Friday

Diane A. Wade
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New York fuel rationing based on number plate begins on Friday

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered number plate-based petrol rationing, 10 days after Hurricane Sandy battered the city.

Fuel shortages since the superstorm hit have led to hours-long waiting times at pumps, and traffic chaos for commuters struggling to get to work.

Similar measures were introduced in New Jersey on Saturday and will also be enforced in New York’s Long Island.

Only 25% of New York’s petrol stations are operating, Michael Bloomberg said.

Under the rationing system, cars with licence plates ending in odd numbers will be allowed to buy fuel only on odd-numbered days of the month; cars with even numbers at the end of their licence plates will be allowed to buy petrol on even-numbered days.

“We have to do something, and this is something that is practical and enforceable and understandable, and doing something is a lot better than doing nothing,” Michael Bloomberg said.

But the owner of one petrol station was more cautious.

“It’s more pressure on us,” Ash Gaied said.

“They yell. They curse. You wouldn’t believe it.”

The rule will come into effect at 06:00 EDT on Friday, the mayor announced.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered number plate-based petrol rationing, 10 days after Hurricane Sandy battered the city
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered number plate-based petrol rationing, 10 days after Hurricane Sandy battered the city

New York City’s yellow taxis and emergency vehicles are exempt from the rationing rules.

Sandy – which started as a hurricane but was dubbed “Superstorm Sandy” as it moved inland – struck the US East Coast on Monday last week.

It devastated parts of New Jersey and New York, causing record flooding and widespread power cuts.

More than 100 people were killed as the storm barreled inland across Pennsylvania, and estimates suggest Sandy may have caused between $30 billion and $50 billion in property damage and lost business.

A unseasonably early snowstorm that hit New York on Wednesday has compounded the misery for some residents in the area, who have yet to regain electricity since being were cut off last week.

Parts of neighboring Connecticut saw more than 1ft (30cm) of snow on Wednesday, and wind speeds of as much as 50 mph (80 km/h) – and resulted in power cuts for about 300,000 customers.

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David Graham’s four-storey underground house

Nancy Clayson
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0
David Graham’s four-storey underground house

David Graham, a Canadian multi-millionaire, plans to triple the size of his London mansion by digging down 50 ft to create a four-storey basement complete with swimming pool, spa, ballroom and no fewer than 20 toilets.

Unluckily for David Graham – a former cable TV mogul – building under your home is no less controversial than extending it on the surface. His plans have caused fury among the well-heeled residents of Knightsbridge, including a novelist and a duchess.

Architects’ drawings show how the vast house, originally built as a school in the 19th century, will be created by excavating deeper than the height of neighboring homes.

As well as the spa area, it will have servants’ quarters consisting of five staff bedrooms. There will also be wine cellars, an art storage room, parking for three vehicles and a car lift.

In total the house will have 15 bedrooms, seven bathrooms and 20 toilets. Rooms upstairs will include a library, bar, and laundry.

Estate agents estimate the property could be worth up to £90 million ($138 million) with the work completed.

Neighbors say the massive excavation, which will involve 1,375 skipfuls of earth being removed, will bring years of “utter misery”. But David Graham says the extension is necessary to provide his “family’s needs as required by today’s contemporary living”.

Millionaire David Graham plans to triple the size of his mansion by digging down 50 ft to create a 4-storey basement
Millionaire David Graham plans to triple the size of his mansion by digging down 50 ft to create a 4-storey basement

The 75-year-old, who was once married to Barbara Amiel, wife of disgraced media mogul Conrad Black, bought the property in 2000 and converted it into a house.

He was granted permission to build a pool and one basement level, but now wants to add three additional storeys extending under the house and garden.

According to the application submitted to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, David Graham “has been looking for a larger house in the locality which has proved unsuccessful”.

He therefore wishes to extend his home to provide further accommodation for his family and servants’.

The firm that filed the application on his behalf said the conversion would take up to four years.

Neighbors who have objected to the plans include novelist Edna O’Brien and the Duchess of St Albans Gillian Beauclerk.

The duchess said: “These plans are absolutely monstrous and unnecessary. It’s just absolute greed.

“No one needs that much space.”

A spokesman for the nearby Milner Street Area Residents Association said: “Why should we all suffer just so one man can indulge his fantasy?”

 

Kirstie Alley reveals she was tempted to have an affair with Woody Harrelson in her new book The Art of Men

Lisa.Felice
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0
Kirstie Alley reveals she was tempted to have an affair with Woody Harrelson in her new book The Art of Men

Kirstie Alley admits she developed strong feelings Woody Harrelson while filming sitcom Cheers.

The actress, now 61, had to remind herself she was married to stop the temptation to embark on a passionate affair with Woody Harrelson.

Writing in her memoir, The Art of Men, Kirstie Alley revealed: “He would incessantly insist we sleep together, half joking and half serious.

“We’re not sleeping together, I would say, half wishing I wasn’t married so we could.”

When Kirstie Alley played bar manager Rebecca Howe in Cheers she was married to her second husband, actor Parker Stevenson.

The couple – who have two adopted children together, William True and Lillie Price – eventually divorced in 1997.

Woody Harrelson was not married when he portrayed naive barman Woody Boyd in the bar based comedy series from 1985 to 1993.

Last week, Kirstie Alley admitted John Travolta had been the love of her life.

The actress fell for the actor on the set of their film Look Who’s Talking, which was shot almost 25 years ago, but she couldn’t act on her feelings because she was married to Parker Stevenson at the time.

Kirstie Alley admits she developed strong feelings Woody Harrelson while filming sitcom Cheers
Kirstie Alley admits she developed strong feelings Woody Harrelson while filming sitcom Cheers

Kirstie Alley said: “Believe me, it took everything that I had, inside, outside, whatever, to not run off and marry John. And be with John for the rest of my life. [He was the] greatest love of my life.”

This week Kirstie Alley has also claimed she and the late Patrick Swayze, her North and South co-star, were once “in love”.

She told Entertainment Tonight on Monday: “Both of us were married. We did not have an affair. But again, I think what I did was worse. Because I think when you fall in love with someone when you’re married you jeopardize your own marriage and their marriage. It’s doubly bad.”

Kristie Alley insisted she is good friends with Patrick Swayze’s wife of 34 years Lisa Niemi Swayze and was even asked to speak at his funeral after he died of pancreatic cancer in 2009.

Kirstie Alley’s book The Art of Men lifts the lid on the behavior of all the guys she has dated and the famous men she has worked with.

 

Kardashian Kollection: Kim and Kourtney Kardashian launch their own clothing collection with Dorothy Perkins

Lisa.Felice
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Kardashian Kollection: Kim and Kourtney Kardashian launch their own clothing collection with Dorothy Perkins

Kim and Kourtney Kardashian have landed in London in their typical glamorous style as they launch their own clothing collection with high street retailer Dorothy Perkins.

Celebrating their English fashion partnership, the two famous brunettes took over Aqua club in Soho for a lavish star studded bash.

The two sisters both looked the part in their matching little black dresses from their new collection as they entered the party, which was also attended by X Factor’s Ella Henderson, Rylan Clarke and James Arthur.

Kim Kardashian decided to show off her legs in a sequin little number, leaving her long brown locks down and sporting a surprisingly more natural make-up look.

Meanwhile Kourtney Kardashian followed the British ladies’ love for tights as she covered up her legs in a pair with black dots, which matched her high-neck chiffon dress.

The oldest Kardashian sister kept her look stylish as she teamed up the dress with a fashionable high bun hairstyle.

Kim and Kourtney Kardashian have landed in London to launch their own clothing collection Kardashian Kollection with Dorothy Perkins
Kim and Kourtney Kardashian have landed in London to launch their own clothing collection Kardashian Kollection with Dorothy Perkins

Of course, the whole event was intended to showcase their new fashion venture, called the Kardashian Kollection, which features over a hundred pieces of clothing and accessories.

Therefore, a range of models sporting the traditional Kardashian look of long brown locks and fierce smoky eye-make-up paraded around in the clothes designed by the reality stars.

And the two sisters made sure to spend some time with their devoted fans, with both of them defying the British cold to hang out outside the venue, signing autographs and taking pictures.

Noticeably missing at the party was third sister Khloe, who also lend a hand with designing the range.

Khloe Kardashian is set to join her sisters in London tomorrow, after first completing a hosting gig on the US version of X Factor.

 

Snow Storm batters New York and New Jersey leaving FEMA offices closed due to bad weather

Diane A. Wade
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Snow Storm batters New York and New Jersey leaving FEMA offices closed due to bad weather

A strong winter storm last night dumped heavy snow on New York and New Jersey, also pummeled by Hurricane Sandy last week – even forcing FEMA to shut its doors to families in need.

FEMA shuttered its recovery centers, which were set up to offer assistance to those most affected by the monster storm, and the Staten Island office closed “due to bad weather”.

The Nor’easter rattled the East Coast with high winds and piles of wet, slushy snow on Wednesday – leaving thousands of Sandy victims without power just after it had been restored.

Adding to the mess, the three major airports in the tri-state area closed, commuter trains slowed service, and mass transit lurched to a halt, inflicting another round of misery on the city’s residents.

The storm dropped nearly four inches of snow in Central Park, which areas of southern New Jersey suffered more than 9 inches, the National Weather Service said.

Residents from Connecticut to Rhode Island were also slammed with up to six inches of snow, while areas of Massachusetts had a whopping eight inches.

Carrying gusts of 60 mph, the storm brought down tree limbs and electrical wires damaged by Sandy. Utilities across the two states in New York and New Jersey reported that nearly 60,000 customers who lost power in the superstorm lost it again.

“It’s Mother Nature’s one-two punch,” Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey, told CNN.

“It’s testing the resolve and the grit of my state and my city and, obviously, this region.”

Airlines cancelled at least 1,300 U.S. flights in and out of the New York metropolitan area on Wednesday, causing a new round of disruptions that rippled across the country. And on the roads, icy conditions brought traffic to a crawl.

Despite this newly-inflicted chaos and slushy sidewalks across the tri-state area, schools across New York City opened on Thursday, including 43 schools still without power or damaged by Sandy.

Transit systems have also spluttered back to a start, with the Long Island Rail Road running all lines by 5:00 a.m. except for the Long Beach line.

The Nor'easter rattled the East Coast with high winds and piles of wet, slushy snow on Wednesday leaving thousands of Sandy victims without power just after it had been restored
The Nor’easter rattled the East Coast with high winds and piles of wet, slushy snow on Wednesday leaving thousands of Sandy victims without power just after it had been restored

Commuter traffic also reopened in the Holland Tunnel, where around 90,000 vehicles pass under the Hudson River between Manhattan and Jersey City, New Jersey.

Airlines at the city’s airports were also scheduled to resume flights on Thursday, but officials warned travelers to check with their carriers ahead of the storm.

The states’ utilities reported scattered outages on Thursday, with some customers complaining that they had just gotten their electricity back in the past two day or two, only to lose it again.

The Long Island Power Authority said 200,000 customers were without power, with around 50,000 losing it in the new storm.

Con Edison reported the storm knocked out electricity to about 60,000 customers in New York City and Westchester County. On Thursday, these customers included 21,000 in Queens, 7,000 in Brooklyn, 4,000 in the Bronx, 3,900 in Staten Island and 140 in Manhattan.

Public Service Electric & Gas reported 160,000 outages, including 40,000 caused by the new storm.

Jersey Central Power & Light has about 238,000 customers without power, while Atlantic City Electric reported more than 5,000 customers without power.

The Nor’easter also cut a feed to a substation briefly on Wednesday night, knocking out power to 8,000 customers around East Brunswick, New Jersey.

Ahead of the storm, authorities had warned communities they could be pummeled by this latest bout of bad weather and in New York, police went to low-lying areas with loudspeakers, urging residents to leave.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg didn’t issue mandatory evacuations, and many people stayed behind, some because they feared looting, others because they figured whatever happens couldn’t be any worse than what they have gone through already.

The city manager in Long Beach, New York, urged the roughly 21,000 people who ignored previous mandatory evacuation orders in the badly damaged barrier-island city to get out.

More than 600 residents were moved from three nursing homes and an adult care facility in the Rockaway area in Queens amid fears that the weather would knock out electricity.

Public works crews in New Jersey built up dunes to protect the stripped and battered coast.

All construction in New York City was halted – a precaution that needed no explanation after a crane collapsed last week in Sandy’s high winds and dangled menacingly over the streets of Manhattan.

Parks were closed because of the danger of falling trees. Drivers were advised to stay off the road after 5:00 p.m.

Forecasters had said the nor’easter would bring moderate coastal flooding, with storm surges of about three feet possible Wednesday into Thursday – far less than the 8 to 14 feet Sandy hurled at the region.

“I am waiting for the locusts and pestilence next,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had said.

“We may take a setback in the next 24 hours.”

Hurricane Sandy killed more than 100 people in 10 states, with most of the victims in New York and New Jersey.

On Tuesday, the death toll inched higher when a 78-year-old man died of a head injury, suffered when he fell down a wet, sandy stairwell in the dark, authorities said.

Long lines persisted at gas stations but were shorter than they were days ago.

At the peak of the outages from Sandy, more than 8.5 million customers lost power. Before the nor’easter hit, that number was down to 675,000, nearly all of them in New Jersey and New York.

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Gabrielle Giffords faces Tucson shooter Jared Lee Loughner in court

Diane A. Wade
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Gabrielle Giffords faces Tucson shooter Jared Lee Loughner in court

Gabrielle Giffords has attended court to see Jared Lee Loughner, the gunman who shot her in Arizona last year, sentenced to life in prison.

Jared Lee Loughner shot congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the head and killed six others.

Gabrielle Giffords attended the hearing with her husband, Mark Kelly, who spoke to Jared Lee Loughner directly and told him that the shooting had changed his wife’s life but had not dented her spirit.

Jared Lee Loughner pleaded guilty to 19 counts in a deal to spare him the death penalty.

He is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

It was the first time Jared Lee Loughner, who did not speak at Thursday’s hearing, had faced his victims in court.

Mark Kelly said: “You may have put a bullet through her head, but you haven’t put a dent in her spirit and commitment to make the world a better place.

“Although you were mentally ill, you were responsible. You have decades upon decades to contemplate what you did, but from this moment, Gabby and I are done thinking about you.”

In addition to the six fatalities, a total of 13 people were wounded in the January 2011 shooting at an outdoor political meeting in Tucson.

Earlier, court-appointed experts said Jared Lee Loughner suffered from schizophrenia and delusions.

Gabrielle Giffords has attended court to see Jared Lee Loughner, the gunman who shot her in Arizona last year, sentenced to life in prison
Gabrielle Giffords has attended court to see Jared Lee Loughner, the gunman who shot her in Arizona last year, sentenced to life in prison

In May 2011, his case was put on hold as he was deemed unfit to stand trial.

But that ruling was reversed after Jared Lee Loughner went through more than a year of treatment in prison.

Among those due to address the Tucson hearing are Suzi Hileman, who was shot three times while trying to save her nine-year-old neighbor.

“He has to pay the consequences for what he did, and justice will be served,” Suzi Hileman told the Associated Press news agency.

Mavy Stoddard, whose husband died shielding her from bullets, was also scheduled to speak.

Gabrielle Giffords resigned from Congress in January 2012 to focus on her recovery.

Her former aide, Ron Barber, also wounded in the attack, served out the rest of her term after winning a special election. He is also due to address Thursday’s hearing.

On Tuesday, Ron Barber ran in the election for a newly-created congressional district in Arizona.

The full result has yet to be announced.

 

Twitter resets hacked passwords

Nancy Clayson
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Twitter resets hacked passwords

Thousands of Twitter users around the world have received emails warning their account has been compromised by a third party.

Some accounts had been compromised, but other users had received the emails after Twitter had unintentionally reset unaffected passwords, the company said.

The mass email coincided with incidents involving several high-profile accounts.

Other media organizations, such as the TechCrunch blog, reported being warned.

Twitter gave no indication of the cause or source of the compromise, and would not share details of the size of the issue.

Thousands of Twitter users around the world have received emails warning their account has been compromised by a third party
Thousands of Twitter users around the world have received emails warning their account has been compromised by a third party

In a statement, Twitter said: “When we believe an account may have been compromised, we reset the password and send an email letting the account owner know this has happened along with information about creating a new password. This is a routine part of our processes to protect our users.

“In this case, we unintentionally reset passwords of a larger number of accounts, beyond those that we believed to have been compromised.

“We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion this may have caused.”

Some users who received the email noticed that some of their tweets had been deleted, while others said spam links had been posted without their knowledge – a typical characteristic of a compromised account.

British comedian David Mitchell tweeted that he had received the email, and that a tweet he had written publicizing his column in the Observer newspaper had been removed.

Some users criticized Twitter’s email, suggesting it looked like a “phishing scam” – a message that impersonates an official email in an attempt to trick users into giving up personal details.

 

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