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Jovan Belcher’s mother files wrongful death lawsuit against Kansas City Chiefs

Clyde K. Valle
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Jovan Belcher’s mother files wrongful death lawsuit against Kansas City Chiefs

Jovan Belcher’s mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against his team, Kansas City Chiefs, on Tuesday after exhuming the linebacker’s body so that his brain could be examined for evidence of a degenerative condition linked to repeated concussions.

The lawsuit, filed by Cheryl Shepherd in Jackson County (Missouri) circuit court, alleges Jovan Belcher was subjected to “repetitive head trauma,” and that the Chiefs failed to provide adequate medical care before he killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, and then committed suicide in December 2012.

Cheryl Shepherd is seeking a jury trial and judgment “in excess of $15,000 for actual damages, punitive damages, and/or aggravating circumstances, for the cost of this action, and for such relief as the court deems fair and reasonable”.

Jovan Belcher’s body was exhumed at a cemetery in Bay Shore, New York, at his family’s request earlier this month so that his brain could be studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative neurological condition. CTE has been linked to multiple concussions and includes symptoms such as memory problems, behavioral changes and eventually dementia.

Jovan Belcher’s mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Kansas City Chiefs
Jovan Belcher’s mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Kansas City Chiefs

CTE has made headlines in recent years with the deaths of some former professional athletes, including former Chargers linebacker Junior Seau and former Bears safety Dave Duerson.

Cheryl Shepherd’s lawsuit claims the Chiefs failed to warn her son of the short-term and long-term risks of concussions; failed to identify and remove Jovan Belcher from practice or games after sustaining head trauma; failed to educate Belcher about concussions; failed to monitor or treat Belcher for neurological dysfunction; and failed to provide appropriate counseling.

According to the lawsuit, Jovan Belcher was knocked unconscious during a game against Jacksonville in 2009 but did not receive adequate treatment before returning to team activities.

On December 1, 2012, Jovan Belcher shot to death his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, while Cheryl Shepherd was caring for his infant daughter in a nearby room. Jovan Belcher then sped from the residence to the Chiefs training facility, where he shot himself in the head in the parking lot.

A spokesman for the Chiefs told The Associated Press on Tuesday night that the team was aware of the lawsuit. He could not comment further because of the pending litigation.

The Chiefs are already the subject of a worker’s compensation lawsuit filed on behalf of several former players who claim the Chiefs hid the risks of permanent brain injuries from repeated concussions from 1987-93, when there was no NFL collective bargaining agreement in place.

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Latvia joins eurozone on New Year’s Day

Clyde K. Valle
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Latvia joins eurozone on New Year’s Day

Latvia has joined the eurozone as of 1st of January 2014, becoming the 18th member of the group of EU states which uses the euro as its currency.

The former Soviet republic on the Baltic Sea recently emerged from the financial crisis to become the EU’s fastest-growing economy.

Correspondents report much skepticism in the country after recent bailouts for existing eurozone members.

But there is also hope that the euro will reduce dependency on Russia.

EU commissioner Olli Rehn said joining the eurozone marked “the completion of Latvia’s journey back to the political and economic heart of our continent, and that is something for all of us to celebrate”.

The government and most business owners also welcomed the single currency, saying it would improve Latvia’s credit rating and attract foreign investors.

However, some opinion polls suggested almost 60% of the population did not want the new currency.

Latvia became the 18th member of the group of EU states which uses the euro as its currency
Latvia became the 18th member of the group of EU states which uses the euro as its currency

“It’s a big opportunity for Latvia’s economic development,” PM Valdis Dombrovskis said after symbolically withdrawing a 10-euro note as fireworks led celebrations in the capital Riga after midnight.

The governor of the Latvian central bank, Ilmars Rimsevics, said: “Euro brings stability and certainty, definitely attracting investment, so new jobs, new taxes and so on. So being in the second largest currency union I think will definitely mean more popularity.”

One of those reluctant to give up Latvia’s own currency, the lats, was Zaneta Smirnova.

“I am against the euro,” she told AFP news agency.

“This isn’t a happy day. The lats is ours, the euro isn’t – we should have kept the lats.”

Leonora Timofeyeva, who earns the minimum wage of 200 lats (284 euros; $392) per month tending graves in a village north of the capital Riga, said: “Everyone expects prices will go up in January.”

But pensioner Maiga Majore believed euro adoption could “only be a good thing”.

“To be part of a huge European market is important,” she told AFP.

“All this talk about price rises is just alarmist.”

Alf Vanags, director of the Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies, told Bloomberg news agency he personally did not like giving up the familiar lats but it was an “entirely irrational sentiment”.

Euro adoption was good for Latvia “on balance”, he argued, since it provided a mutual insurance policy that countries could draw on when they got into trouble.

Latvia, with its large ethnic Russian minority, is often seen as having closer economic ties to Russia than its fellow Baltic states Lithuania and Estonia. Russia remains an important export market while its banking system attracts substantial deposits from clients in other ex-Soviet states.

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Pope Francis calls for tolerance in his first New Year blessing

Diane A. Wade
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Pope Francis calls for tolerance in his first New Year blessing

Pope Francis has called for the world to unite against violence as a “community of brothers” in his first New Year blessing.

Addressing pilgrims in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis departed from his prepared text to vent frustration at the level of conflict in the world.

“What is happening in the heart of man?” he asked.

“It’s time to stop.”

Without referring to any specific conflicts, he urged people to accept each other’s differences.

Pope Francis has called for the world to unite against violence as a "community of brothers" in his first New Year blessing
Pope Francis has called for the world to unite against violence as a “community of brothers” in his first New Year blessing

“We belong to the same human family and we share a common destiny,” Pope Francis said, speaking from his studio window overlooking the crowds in the square at the Vatican.

“This brings a responsibility for each to work so that the world becomes a community of brothers who respect each other, accept each other in one’s diversity, and take care of one another.”

Pope Francis plans major reforms in Church organization this year and will soon announce the appointment of a new group of cardinals to replace those who have died or reached the age of 80 in recent years.

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Palestinian Ambassador Jamal al-Jamal killed by explosion in Prague

Roy Siemens
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Palestinian Ambassador Jamal al-Jamal killed by explosion in Prague

Head of Palestinian mission in Czech Republic, Jamal al-Jamal, has been killed by an explosion at his home in Prague.

Jamal al-Jamal had been taken to hospital after the explosion but died of his injuries some four hours later.

Palestinian officials said the blast happened when the Palestinian diplomat was moving a safe. Czech police say there is no evidence that it was a planned attack.

A 52-year-old woman was also taken to hospital suffering from shock.

The explosion happened at a two-storey property in the city’s Suchdol district.

Jamal al-Jamal had been taken to hospital after the explosion but died of his injuries some four hours later
Jamal al-Jamal had been taken to hospital after the explosion but died of his injuries some four hours later

Palestinian mission spokesman Nabil El-Fahel told Czech public radio Jamal al-Jamal had been in the flat with his family at the time of the explosion.

Jamal al-Jamal had only recently moved into the property.

Palestinian officials have been quoted as saying the blast took place when Jamal al-Jamal attempted to move a safe from an old embassy building to the new one.

“The device was in a safe and was triggered after the door of the safe was opened. The police are not ruling out that the device was a part of the safe,” Czech police spokeswoman Andrea Zoulova told Reuters.

There are no visible signs of damage to the house from the street, according to a Reuters reporter at the scene.

The Palestinian foreign ministry said it would send a delegation to Prague to assist with the investigation.

The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which is recognized by the UN and Israel as representing the Palestinian people, has diplomats based in European and other capitals, and has a mission in Prague.

Michael Schumacher remains in stable but critical condition in hospital

Clyde K. Valle
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Michael Schumacher remains in stable but critical condition in hospital

Michael Schumacher remains in a stable but critical condition in hospital, his manager Sabine Kehm has said.

Sabine Kehm said he was being carefully looked after, and that she would not comment on rumors about his condition.

Michael Schumacher is in a medically induced coma in hospital in Grenoble, after he suffered head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps on Sunday.

Doctors said on Tuesday that the F1 champion had shown signs of improvement.

But they added that he was still “not out of danger”.

Michael Schumacher remains in a stable but critical condition in hospital
Michael Schumacher remains in a stable but critical condition in hospital

They will not give any update on Michael Schumacher’s condition on Wednesday unless it changes significantly, Sabine Kehm said.

“The good news for today is… there’s no significant changes,” Sabine Kehm told reporters and well-wishers outside the hospital.

But she added that the situation remained critical.

Doctors say they cannot give a prognosis for his condition in the coming days and months.

But it is medically possible for someone to spend several weeks in an induced coma and fully recover from it.

Michael Schumacher had been skiing off-piste when he fell and hit his head. His helmet cracked on impact after hitting a rock.

Sabine Kehm said that Michael Schumacher was not skiing with just his teenage son, as had been reported, but also with a group of friends.

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Bill de Blasio sworn in as New York City’s new mayor

Diane A. Wade
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Bill de Blasio sworn in as New York City’s new mayor

Bill de Blasio, the first Democrat in more than two decades, has been sworn in as the new mayor of New York City.

Bill de Blasio took the oath of office outside his home a few minutes into the New Year, in line with tradition.

A grander inauguration ceremony will take place later at City Hall, with former President Bill Clinton administering the oath of office.

Bill de Blasio succeeds billionaire Michael Bloomberg, and has promised to govern with a liberal agenda.

He won November’s election by a record margin, contrasting himself with the pro-business Bloomberg years which he said had created a “tale of two cities”.

Michael Bloomberg is credited with leaving New York a safer, healthier and revitalized place after his 12 years in office. However, critics say his policies have widened the gap between rich and poor.

Democrat Bill de Blasio has been sworn in as the new mayor of New York City
Democrat Bill de Blasio has been sworn in as the new mayor of New York City

Bill de Blasio, 52, was joined by his wife Chirlane McCray and their two teenage children outside their home in Brooklyn for the oath of office administered by state attorney Eric Schneiderman.

“To everyone, this is the beginning of a road we will travel together,” he said after he was sworn in.

He is New York’s first Democratic mayor since David Dinkins, who became the city’s first black leader in 1993.

Bill de Blasio has promised to reverse the city’s rising income inequality and end a controversial stop-and-frisk policy which has been criticized for disproportionately targeting black and Hispanic men.

He worked as an aide to David Dinkins when he was mayor and has also worked closely with the Clintons, managing Hillary Clinton’s successful 2000 run for the US Senate.

He was elected to New York City Council in 2001, representing his home area of Brooklyn, before becoming public advocate, the city’s official watchdog.

Bill de Blasio’s bid for the mayor’s job was aided by the implosion of the campaign of former congressman Anthony Weiner.

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Chaparrastique volcano eruption prompts evacuations in El Salvador

James J. Williams
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Chaparrastique volcano eruption prompts evacuations in El Salvador

El Salvador has resumed evacuating residents living on the slopes of the Chaparrastique volcano.

The 7,000 ft-high volcano started erupting on Sunday morning, spewing ash and gases.

Officials from the Salvadoran environment ministry said there was a risk the volcano could erupt again, this time emitting a lava flow.

The last time the Chaparrastique spewed lava was in 1976. It also caused a strong tremor in the area in 2010.

During Sunday’s eruption a 5,000m-high ash cloud rose from the cone of the volcano. Since then, it has been emitting gases.

Volcanologist Francisco Barahona of the University of El Salvador said that a further increase in the emission of sulphur dioxide could be a sign that another eruption was approaching.

Chaparrastique volcano started erupting on Sunday morning, spewing ash and gases
Chaparrastique volcano started erupting on Sunday morning, spewing ash and gases

Another eruption “could trigger not ashes, but a lava flow”, Herman Rosa of the environment ministry said.

More than 2,000 people were evacuated after the first eruption on Sunday, but Civil Protection Director Jorge Melendez said almost half of them had decided to return to their homes against official advice.

Jorge Melendez said people had been “reluctant” to stay in the shelters provided, but he warned the authorities would use coercion in the case of an emergency.

Chaparrastique is one of more than 20 volcanoes in the small Central American nation.

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Majid al-Majid arrested in Lebanon

Roy Siemens
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Majid al-Majid arrested in Lebanon

Lebanon has reportedly arrested Majid al-Majid, the head of a jihadist group that claimed the suicide bomb attack on Iran’s embassy in November.

Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn told AFP that Majid al-Majid, the Saudi “emir” of the al-Qaeda-affiliated Abdullah Azzam Brigades, was being held by Lebanese army intelligence in Beirut.

Hezbollah’s al-Manar television also said Majid al-Majid was detained “recently”.

Majid al-Majid, head of al-Qaeda-affiliated Abdullah Azzam Brigades, was being held by Lebanese army intelligence in Beirut
Majid al-Majid, head of al-Qaeda-affiliated Abdullah Azzam Brigades, was being held by Lebanese army intelligence in Beirut

The embassy attack killed 23 people, including the Iranian cultural attaché.

A cleric close to the Abdullah Azzam Brigades warned attacks would continue in Lebanon until Hezbollah forces stopped fighting alongside government forces in Syria and its prisoners were released in Lebanon.

Wednesday’s reports did not say when Majid al-Majid was captured.

Al-Manar cited Lebanese security sources as saying that two attacks on army checkpoints outside the southern city of Sidon on December 15 had been attempts to free him.

A soldier and four gunmen were killed in the ensuing clashes in the suburb of Majdelyoun, for which there was no claim of responsibility.

ObamaCare health reforms come into effect

Diane A. Wade
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ObamaCare health reforms come into effect

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy New Year 2014! Celebrations around the world

Nancy Clayson
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Happy New Year 2014! Celebrations around the world

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Barbara Bush hospitalized in Houston

Nancy Clayson
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Barbara Bush hospitalized in Houston

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Pervez Musharraf fails to appear in Islamabad court for treason trial

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Vatican confirmation: Pope Francis has not abolished sin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iron Man 3 tops worldwide box office in 2013

Sonia Pantiss
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Iron Man 3 tops worldwide box office in 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 10 worldwide box office 2013:

1. Iron Man 3 – $1,215 million

2. Despicable Me 2 – $918 million

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

4. Fast & Furious 6 – $788 million

5. Monsters University – $743 million

6. Man of Steel – $662 million

7. Gravity – $653 million

8. Thor: The Dark World – $629 million

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

10. The Croods – $587 million

Source: Box Office Mojo

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

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

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

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Taiwan giant yellow rubber duck explodes before New Year

Nancy Clayson
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Taiwan giant yellow rubber duck explodes before New Year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Akademik Shokalskiy: Passengers due to be evacuated by helicopter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Slovakia accepts ethnic Uighur Chinese prisoners from Guantanamo

Roy Siemens
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Slovakia accepts ethnic Uighur Chinese prisoners from Guantanamo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Michael Schumacher’s condition slightly improved after brain operation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A subsequent scan revealed a “slight improvement”.

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

“The coming hours are crucial.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Beyonce justifies using Challenger disaster audio in XO track

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Prince fails to perform at aftershow event in Connecticut

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

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

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

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

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

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