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Greece parliament backs new austerity measures plan despite violente protests

Clyde K. Valle
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Greece parliament backs new austerity measures plan despite violente protests

Greek parliament has narrowly backed a fresh round of austerity measures, despite violent protests across the country.

The austerity package aimed at securing the next round of bailout funds was passed with 153 MPs in favor – a majority of just three.

The 13.5 billion-euro ($17.3 billion) bill includes tax rises and pension cuts.

Earlier, riot police fired tear gas towards protesters when they were attacked with petrol bombs in Athens.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras warned before the vote late on Wednesday that without the bailout Greece would run out of money this month and face “catastrophe”.

The austerity package – Greece’s fourth in three years – is meant to close the nation’s budget deficit, lower its huge debt burden and make its economy more competitive.

MPs must now pass a revised budget on Sunday before eurozone finance ministers meet next week to approve 31.5 billion euros in fresh loans from the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that Greece needs to avoid imminent bankruptcy.

But the level of resistance on the streets is a reminder that implementing the latest tough measures will be extraordinarily difficult.

The crucial vote was held after a lengthy debate in the 300-strong parliament.

Greek parliament has narrowly backed a fresh round of austerity measures, despite violent protests across the country
Greek parliament has narrowly backed a fresh round of austerity measures, despite violent protests across the country

Immediately after the bill was adopted, co-governing New Democracy and Pasok parties expelled seven lawmakers from their ranks for failing to back the package.

The adopted plan includes a two-year increase in the retirement age from the current average of 65, as well as salary cuts and labor market reforms, including cuts to holiday benefits, notice periods and severance pay.

Workers fear this will just make it easier and cheaper for them to be fired at a time when unemployment has already soared to 25% and a five-year recession means there are few job prospects.

“Many of these measures are fair and should have been taken years ago, without anyone asking us to,” Antonis Samaras said.

“Others are unfair – cutting wages and salaries – and there is no point in dressing this up as something else,” the prime minister said, adding that Greece was, nevertheless, obliged to take the measures.

Antonis Samaras has said that without this money, which will be used largely to recapitalize the country’s banks, the country will be bankrupt by 15 November.

Earlier on Wednesday, tens of thousands of protesters held a rally in Syntagma Square – outside the parliament building in the heart of the capital.

The protesters chanted: “People – don’t bow your heads!”

Some in the crowd held giant flags of Greece, Portugal, Italy and Spain – four of the eurozone’s most heavily-indebted states.

The riot police – who sealed off parliament – later fired tear gas after the demonstrators attacked them with petrol bombs and flares.

Protests also took place in other big cities across Greece.

The Greek unions were staging what they described as the “mother of all strikes” – a 48-hour walkout which culminated on Wednesday.

The third major strike in just two months brought public transport to a halt and shut schools, banks and government buildings.

Measures in austerity package

  • Retirement age up from 65 to 67
  • A further round of pension cuts, of 5-15%
  • Salary cuts, notably for police officers, soldiers, firefighters, professors, judges, justice officials; minimum wage also reduced
  • Holiday benefits cut
  • 35% cut to severance pay
  • Redundancy notice reduced from six to four months.

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Dow Jones plunges 300 points after Barack Obama re-election as Wall St suffers worst day of the year

Clyde K. Valle
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Dow Jones plunges 300 points after Barack Obama re-election as Wall St suffers worst day of the year

New York stocks on Wednesday night took fright at the outcome of the American presidential election as the world braced itself for prolonged and difficult negotiations over the US budget deficit and debt levels.

Despite all the discussion of a bipartisan approach to tackling the US’s $1trillion a year budget deficit, investors fear that President Barack Obama will face a renewed struggle reaching an agreement with Congress by the deadline for the “fiscal cliff” of January 1st, 2013.

Failure to meet that deadline, enshrined in law, would mean that automatic budget cuts and tax rises would come into effect taking $600 billion out of the economy and sending America and much of the rest of the world back into recession.

In trading on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged from the opening bell and by mid-afternoon was showing a loss of 300 points or 2.24% the biggest single day fall in 2012 and the largest loss since November 2011. It closed down 312.95 points at 12932.73.

Disquiet about the outcome of the election and its impact on the rest of the world triggered a worldwide reaction with the FTSE 100 index plunging in its wake by 1.58%.

The overall mood on the markets was not assisted by fears of a deep slowdown in Europe and further troubles on the streets of Athens as Greek parliament met to approve a new fiscal package.

Among the biggest fallers on Wall Street were banking shares with JP Morgan, Citibank, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley suffering big setbacks. Although New York state was a solid Democratic win in the election, the banks were big financial backers of Mitt Romney in the hope he might ease some of the onerous regulation imposed since the Great Panic of 2008 if he won.

Matters were not helped by the intervention of Goldman Sachs that has lowered its forecast for American growth next year from 1.9% to 1.5%, barely enough to lower unemployment from its current level of 7.9% of the workforce.

In contrast to share prices, however, the dollar advanced against both the pound and the euro as part of the flight to safety, including American bonds, by international investors.

In times of uncertainty investors traditionally move away from risky assets like shares and opt for hard currencies and bonds. The pound was trading last night at just below the $1.60 level at $1.5986.

Dow Jones plunges 300 points after Barack Obama re-election as Wall Street suffers worst day of the year
Dow Jones plunges 300 points after Barack Obama re-election as Wall Street suffers worst day of the year

A big concern on financial markets is that the credit rating agencies will decide to follow the actions of Standard & Poor’s in August 2011 – when the last budget negotiations were in full flow – and remove the AAA credit rating enjoyed by the US.

In a note Fitch said the President would need to quickly secure a deal with Congress to avoid the fiscal cliff and raise the debt ceiling – the total amount of debt that the US can issue – if a ratings downgrade was to be avoided. America has among the highest debt levels in the Western world at 107% of gross domestic product according to the International Monetary Fund.

The fear is that unless Congress and the White House can deal with the fiscal deadlock before January 1st, 2013, then the automatic cuts would immediately trigger a recession potentially wiping as much as 2.5% of output and leading to a sharp rise in the jobless rate.

There had been hopes the election would cleanse the poison in US politics that has held up budget negotiations. In reality nothing has changed in that a Democratic president still has to deal with a hostile House where the Tea Party extremists still hold some sway.

They believe that the US’s budget problems would be solved by cutting welfare payments and keeping taxes low.

Another credit rating agency, Moody’s, said it would not be changing its assessment of the US economy until after the deadline for the fiscal cliff had passed.

 

Guatemala earthquake: up to 15 people killed and dozens missing

Diane A. Wade
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Guatemala earthquake: up to 15 people killed and dozens missing

Dozens of people are missing and up to 15 killed in Guatemala after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit off the Pacific coast, President Otto Perez Molina has said.

Otto Perez Molina has declared a national alert and advised people to evacuate tall buildings as a precaution.

Officials said landslides had buried roads and it would take 24 hours to restore links to the quake-hit area.

Frightened people fled from offices and homes around the region, as buildings shook from Mexico City to San Salvador.

Quake officials said the tremor hit at about 10:35 local time about 23 km (15 miles) from the Guatemalan town of Champerico.

Otto Perez Molina said so far three people had been confirmed dead.

“Other preliminary information, which has not been confirmed, says the number of dead could rise to around 15 people,” he said.

He added that another 15 people were believed to be trapped under ground and about 100 people were missing.

Dozens of people are missing and up to 15 killed in Guatemala after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit off the Pacific coast
Dozens of people are missing and up to 15 killed in Guatemala after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit off the Pacific coast

Other officials gave higher casualty figures.

Aroldo Rivera, governor of San Marcos, the worst-affected region, was quoted as saying 29 people had been confirmed killed and 155 injured.

Firefighters earlier said a school had collapsed in San Pedro Sacatepequez in San Marcos region.

The firefighters later said at least eight people had been killed, though it was not clear if the deaths were related to the school collapse.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement there was no threat of a destructive widespread tsunami.

But it added: “Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometres of the earthquake epicentre.”

The region is often hit by quakes, which have periodically caused huge damage and many deaths.

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Natina Reed funeral attended by son Tren Brown and his father Kurupt

Lisa.Felice
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Natina Reed funeral attended by son Tren Brown and his father Kurupt

Natina Reed’s ten-year-old son, Tren Brown, bravely attended his mother’s funeral while standing wrapped in his father’s arms.

The only child of the R & B star, Tren Brown was joined by friends, family and stars of the music scene as Natina Reed was laid to rest in her hometown.

Tren Brown’s father, the rapper Kurupt, footed the bill for the service and the reception afterwards so that his son could say a proper goodbye to his mother.

The boy has lived with his father since he was six and will continue to do so.

On Saturday, Kurupt, 39, tweeted: “We luv u Natina ….. #MissedButNotForgottin.”

Natina Reed’s funeral took place on Saturday at Abundant Life Church in Lithonia, Georgia with many of her friends and family present.

Natina Reed’s ten-year-old son, Tren Brown, bravely attended his mother’s funeral while standing wrapped in his father's arms
Natina Reed’s ten-year-old son, Tren Brown, bravely attended his mother’s funeral while standing wrapped in his father’s arms

Members of the late singer’s 1990s all-girl group Blaque were said to be in attendance, as well as Chilli and T-Boz from TLC and rappers Big Boi, Daz and Snoop Dogg.

Natina Reed was killed in Georgia on the night of October 26 after being struck by a car. She was two days shy of her 32nd birthday.

The driver of the vehicle who hit the singer called 911 at 10:30 p.m., according to the Gwinnett Police Department.

Just 29 minutes later Natina Reed was pronounced dead at Gwinnett Medical Center.

A press release said that Natina Reed “was in the roadway on Lawrenceville Highway near Hamilton Road when struck”.

Police said that the driver “was determined to be not at fault and there are no charges pending”.

Natina Reed had been living at an extended stay motel at the time of her death, and had only been 12 miles from the $45 per night StudioPlus Atlanta Peachtree Corners in Norcross, Georgia when the accident happened.

She had been wearing dark clothing in an unlit area when she died, and police were trying to determine whether she was walking in the road or attempting to cross it.

Many of her friends have expressed their grief over Natina Reed’s untimely passing.

“Last night the world was changed forever, life will never be the same… she was my sister,” Brandi Williams, singer and former Blaque bandmember, tweeted.

Brandi, Natina and Shamari Fears-Devoe had several hits throughout the 1990s including their most famous, Bring It All To Me.

Besides a music career, Natina Reed appeared in the hit movie Bring It On in 2000, playing a cheerleader for the Clovers.

 

New York Impressionist and Modern auctions to sell $1 billion worth of art

Sonia Pantiss
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New York Impressionist and Modern auctions to sell $1 billion worth of art

More than $1 billion worth of art will come under the hammer in New York’s autumn art auctions, which start later.

Highlights of the four nights of sales include works by Picasso, Monet, Rothko and Andy Warhol.

Officials from the auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s have described the current art market as “exuberant”.

Earlier this year Edvard Munch’s The Scream set a new auction record for art when it sold for $120 million.

Experts have said there is little chance of that record being surpassed but expect Claude Monet’s Nympheas and Mark Rothko’s No1 (Royal Red and Blue) to be sold for about $50 million.

Brooke Lampley, Christie’s head of Impressionist and Modern Art, ascribed the inflationary bubble in the art world to growing demand.

“Participation in our major sales is more global than ever, with buyers from growing markets in South America, Asia and the Middle East,” she said.

The company’s Americas chairman, Marc Porter, said the high quality of lots at Christie’s Post-Impressionist and Contemporary auctions was in part due to what he called “discretionary sellers” – collectors who decide to realize their assets.

More than $1 billion worth of art will come under the hammer in New York's autumn art auctions
More than $1 billion worth of art will come under the hammer in New York’s autumn art auctions

Analysts have said rising prices for the rarest works have encouraged owners to offer prized possessions for sale.

With new buyers from China, Russia and Qatar willing to pay what it takes to secure iconic works, the prices at auction have risen sharply.

But some experts have warned the disparity between art values and the broader economy cannot continue and that while the most coveted works are rising in value, other sectors of the art market are less buoyant.

The four nights of sales at Sotheby’s and Christie’s get under way later with Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Sale. Its highlight is expected to be Monet’s Nympheas.

On Thursday Sotheby’s will belatedly stage its own Impressionist auction. The sale has been delayed for three days because of the damage caused to New York and its infrastructure by Hurricane Sandy.

Among the 68 lots there is much interest in Pablo Picasso’s Still Life with Tulips, painted in 1932 in under three hours.

This disguised portrait of his mistress, Marie Therese Walter, fetched $28.6 million when it was last sold in 2000. Its estimate this time round is between $35 million and $50 million.

Next week the two auction houses stage their contemporary sales, where works include Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled 1981. Its sale could set a new record for the painter.

Basquiat rose from being an obscure graffiti artist in New York to become one of the city’s most lionized artists before his death of a heroin overdose in 1988.

Most expensive works sold at auction

• The Scream by Edvard Munch – $120 million , May 2012

• Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Pablo Picasso – $106 million, April 2010

• L’Homme qui Marche by Alberto Giacometti – $104 million, January 2010

• Boy with a Pipe by Pablo Picasso – $104 m, May 2004

• Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II by Gustav Klimt – $88 million, November 2006

 

2012 Mitt Romney concession speech in full

Diane A. Wade
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2012 Mitt Romney concession speech in full

Mitt Romney thanked family and campaigners for support in his concession speech after admitting defeat in 2012 US election.

Congratulating Barack Obama on his win, Mitt Romney said the Republican Party’s “principles would endure” the defeat and asked his supporters to join him and his wife Ann in praying for Obama and the U.S.

“Thank you.

I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory. His supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. I wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady and their daughters.

This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.

I want to thank Paul Ryan for all that he has done for our campaign and for our country. Besides my wife, Ann, Paul is the best choice I’ve ever made. And I trust that his intellect and his hard work and his commitment to principle will continue to contribute to the good of our nation.

I also want to thank Ann, the love of my life. She would have been a wonderful first lady. She’s – she has been that and more to me and to our family and to the many people that she has touched with her compassion and her care.

I thank my sons for their tireless work on behalf of the campaign, and thank their wives and children for taking up the slack as their husbands and dads have spent so many weeks away from home.

I want to thank Matt Rhoades and the dedicated campaign team he led. They have made an extraordinary effort not just for me, but also for the country that we love.

And to you here tonight, and to the team across the country – the volunteers, the fundraisers, the donors, the surrogates – I don’t believe that there’s ever been an effort in our party that can compare with what you have done over these past years. Thank you so very much.”

Mitt Romney thanked family and campaigners for support in his concession speech after admitting defeat in 2012 US election
Mitt Romney thanked family and campaigners for support in his concession speech after admitting defeat in 2012 US election

“Thanks for all the hours of work, for the calls, for the speeches and appearances, for the resources and for the prayers. You gave deeply from yourselves and performed magnificently. And you inspired us and you humbled us. You’ve been the very best we could have imagined.

The nation, as you know, is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work. And we citizens also have to rise to the occasion.

We look to our teachers and professors, we count on you not just to teach, but to inspire our children with a passion for learning and discovery. We look to our pastors and priests and rabbis and counselors of all kinds to testify of the enduring principles upon which our society is built: honesty, charity, integrity and family. We look to our parents, for in the final analysis everything depends on the success of our homes. We look to job creators of all kinds. We’re counting on you to invest, to hire, to step forward. And we look to Democrats and Republicans in government at all levels to put the people before the politics.

I believe in America. I believe in the people of America. And I ran for office because I’m concerned about America. This election is over, but our principles endure. I believe that the principles upon which this nation was founded are the only sure guide to a resurgent economy and to renewed greatness.

Like so many of you, Paul and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign.

I so wish – I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader. And so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation.

Thank you, and God bless America. You guys are the best. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks, guys.”

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2012 Barack Obama acceptance speech in full

Diane A. Wade
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2012 Barack Obama acceptance speech in full

Barack Obama announced that the “best is yet to come” during a moving acceptance speech as the news came that he had been re-elected as President of the United States.

President Barack Obama vowed to return to the White House “more determined and inspired than ever”, saying he had “listened and learned” during his campaign.

As the re-elected President thanked his family for their support, his Republican rival Mitt Romney did the same in his concession speech.

Congratulating Barack Obama on his win, Mitt Romney said the Republican Party’s “principles would endure” the defeat and asked his supporters to join him and his wife Ann in praying for Obama and the U.S.

Barack Obama announced that the “best is yet to come” during a moving acceptance speech as the news came that he had been re-elected as President of the United States
Barack Obama announced that the “best is yet to come” during a moving acceptance speech as the news came that he had been re-elected as President of the United States

Barack Obama acceptance speech in full:

“Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward,’ The newly re-elected President said.

It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people.

Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America the best is yet to come.

I want to thank every American who participated in this election, whether you voted for the very first time or waited in line for a very long time. By the way, we have to fix that.

Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone, whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference.

I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign. We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service and that is the legacy that we honor and applaud tonight.

In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.

I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America’s happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden.

And I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. Let me say this publicly: Michelle, I have never loved you more. I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you, too, as our nation’s first lady.

Sasha and Malia, before our very eyes you’re growing up to become two strong, smart beautiful young women, just like your mom. And I’m so proud of you guys. But I will say that for now one dog’s probably enough.

To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics – the best. The best ever. Some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning.

But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together and you will have the life-long appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way, through every hill, through every valley.

You lifted me up the whole way and I will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work that you put in.

I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics that tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym, or saw folks working late in a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you’ll discover something else.

You’ll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity.

You’ll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who’s going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift.

You’ll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse whose working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home.

That’s why we do this. That’s what politics can be. That’s why elections matter. It’s not small, it’s big. It’s important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy.

That won’t change after tonight, and it shouldn’t. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty. We can never forget that as we speak people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter, the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.

But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future. We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers. A country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation, with all the good jobs and new businesses that follow.

We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. We want to pass on a country that’s safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this – this world has ever known.

But also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war, to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being. We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America, open to the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag.

To the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner. To the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president – that’s the future we hope for. That’s the vision we share. That’s where we need to go – forward. That’s where we need to go.

Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always a smooth path.

By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won’t end all the gridlock or solve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward. But that common bond is where we must begin. Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. A long campaign is now over.

And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you, and you’ve made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead.

Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together. Reducing our deficit. Reforming our tax code. Fixing our immigration system. Freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do.

But that doesn’t mean your work is done. The role of citizens in our Democracy does not end with your vote. America’s never been about what can be done for us. It’s about what can be done by us together through the hard and frustrating, but necessary work of self-government. That’s the principle we were founded on.

This country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth.

The belief that our destiny is shared; that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations. The freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That’s what makes America great.

I am hopeful tonight because I’ve seen the spirit at work in America. I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors, and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job.

I’ve seen it in the soldiers who reenlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back.

I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm.

And I saw just the other day, in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his 8-year-old daughter, whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care.

I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father, but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd listening to that father’s story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes, because we knew that little girl could be our own.

And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That’s who we are. That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president.

And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future.

I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope. I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight.

I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.

America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunity and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.

I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America.

And together with your help and God’s grace we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on Earth.

Thank you, America. God bless you. God bless these United States.”

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Women’s fertility predicted by their mothers’ age at menopause

Kathryn R. Bown
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Women’s fertility predicted by their mothers’ age at menopause

A new study has concluded that women may be able to better gauge their own fertility based on the age their mother went through the menopause.

Women whose mothers had an early menopause had far fewer eggs in their ovaries than those whose mothers had a later menopause, a Danish team found.

Women with fewer viable eggs have fewer chances to conceive.

The study, of 527 women aged between 20 and 40, was reported in the journal Human Reproduction.

Researchers looked at two accepted methods to assess how many eggs the women had – known as their “ovarian reserve” – levels of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC).

Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have. These are released from the ovary cyclically, usually one every month after puberty, until menopause.

The AFC and AMH give readings doctors an idea of how many yet-to-be released eggs remain in the ovary.

Women whose mothers had an early menopause had far fewer eggs in their ovaries than those whose mothers had a later menopause, a Danish team found
Women whose mothers had an early menopause had far fewer eggs in their ovaries than those whose mothers had a later menopause, a Danish team found

In the study of female healthcare workers, the researchers found both AMH and AFC declined faster in women whose mothers had an early menopause (before the age of 45) compared to women whose mothers had a late menopause (after the age of 55).

Average AMH levels declined by 8.6%, 6.8% and 4.2% a year in the groups of women with mothers who had early, normal or late menopauses, respectively.

A similar pattern was seen for AFC, with annual declines of 5.8%, 4.7% and 3.2% in the same groups, respectively.

Past research suggests there is about 20 years between a woman’s fertility starting to decline and the onset of menopause. So a woman who enters the menopause at 45 may have experienced a decline in her fertility at the age of 25.

Lead researcher Dr. Janne Bentzen said: “Our findings support the idea that the ovarian reserve is influenced by hereditary factors. However, long-term follow-up studies are required.”

Also, having fewer eggs does not necessarily mean that the woman will go on to have fewer babies.

Dr. Valentine Akande, a consultant gynaecologist and spokesman for the British Fertility Society, said the findings were helpful, but that women should not be overly concerned if their mother did have an early menopause.

“There is a huge amount of variation among women. Some will have more eggs and some will have less.

“Whilst it is assumed that lower egg number is associated with more challenges at getting pregnant this study did not look at that.

“Currently there is no test that can accurately predict fertility.

“The advice remains the same – the younger you start trying for a baby the more likely you are to be successful.”

He said, in general, women are most fertile between the ages of 18 and 31.

 

Honey Boo Boo has a new pet: Nugget the chicken

Lisa.Felice
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0
Honey Boo Boo has a new pet: Nugget the chicken

Honey Boo Boo is set to ruffle some feathers with her new animal pal as she recently got a pet chicken.

The seven-year-old pageant child and TV star has christened the bird Nugget, and the pair are apparently inseparable, spending lots of their time cooped up together.

Honey Boo Boo’s mother June Shannon updated the youngster’s fans on Facebook and revealed that her daughter is very concerned with Nugget’s welfare.

June Shannon wrote: “Meet Alanas new pet NUGGET her pet chicken yes I said chicken her and nugget have became very attached this weekend.”

She went on to say that the chicken is “in the house but has a outside house too but alana refuses to let her sleep outside”.

June Shannon added that her precocious daughter ensures Nugget “sleeps inside at night in her inside cage”.

Honey Boo Boo’s mother June Shannon updated the youngster’s fans on Facebook and revealed that her daughter is very concerned with Nugget’s welfare
Honey Boo Boo’s mother June Shannon updated the youngster’s fans on Facebook and revealed that her daughter is very concerned with Nugget’s welfare

June Shannon shared a photo of Honey Boo Boo, real name Alana Thompson, proudly showing off the bird.

Sporting a Hello Kitty T-shirt, the young star clutches little Nugget to her chest as she grins for the camera in front of her cage.

The mother and daughter duo were spending the day reading Honey Boo Boo’s fan mail and June Shannon also snapped photos of her daughter plucking letters and holding them up as a token of thanks.

In an August episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Alana Thompson was seen having a great time with her pet pig Glitzy, popping a tiara on her.

So the seven-year-old was unsurprisingly distraught when she had to send back the pig to its breeder as it became too much work for the family to take care of.

However, it seems Honey Boo Boo is just as smitten with her new feathered friend, who may feature on her hit show when it returns for a second season.

 

Melcom department store collapses in Accra with dozens of people trapped inside

Diane A. Wade
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Melcom department store collapses in Accra with dozens of people trapped inside

Melcom department store has collapsed in Ghana’s capital, Accra, with dozens of people believed to be trapped inside.

Rescue efforts are under way, with officials saying that at least three people died in the multi-storey Melcom store.

Ten people have been pulled alive from the rubble so far.

Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama said he had suspended his campaign for next month’s election.

The government has declared the area in the city’s Achimota neighborhood a disaster zone.

Vice-President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur is at the site, co-ordinating rescue efforts at the building, which opened earlier this year.

Hundreds of rescuers are digging through the rubble, amid fears that dozens of people are trapped inside, our correspondent says.

Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur said the building collapsed shortly before the Melcom store was due to open for business.

Rescue efforts were being hampered by the large crowd that had gathered at the site, he added.

Melcom department store has collapsed in Ghana's capital, Accra, with dozens of people believed to be trapped inside
Melcom department store has collapsed in Ghana’s capital, Accra, with dozens of people believed to be trapped inside

“There’s so much noise that it’s not possible to hear the trapped people asking for help,” Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur said.

“If we could move out of here, it could help rescue operations.”

In a statement on its Facebook page, Melcom said it had rented the building which housed its Achimota branch on a 10-year lease.

“This is indeed a very tragic incident,” it said.

“We are doing everything possible to see that help reaches those who need it. Our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies goes to the families of those who may have lost their lives.”

Customers often queue outside the store before it opens and officials say they believe about 50 people may been inside at the time of the collapse.

Eyewitness Ama Okyere told the AFP news agency she was very close to the shopping centre when the building came down.

“I had to run for my life. I was so terrified. I believe there are lots of people trapped under this because this is a heavily patronized shopping mall in the area.”

Family members have been trying to call relatives feared trapped beneath the rubble on their mobile phones, AFP reports.

Another witness, John Owusu, said he heard a bang before the building collapsed.

President John Dramani Mahama, in a tweet moments after the building collapsed, said: “My prayers are with the workers, shoppers and others who are trapped in the rubble of the Achimota Melcom building.”

He has cut short his campaign in the north of the country and is flying back to Accra.

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Nor’easter threatens to hit East Coast with 60 mph winds and snow on Wednesday

Diane A. Wade
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Nor’easter threatens to hit East Coast with 60 mph winds and snow on Wednesday

As relief efforts continue for the thousands of Northeasterners impacted by Superstorm Sandy, a new storm on Wednesday threatens to bring chilly temperatures and even snow to the wearied low lying coastal areas where residents are just beginning to pick up the pieces from the damage of last week.

The National Weather Service is warning that the nor’easter could bring high winds of up to 60 mph, rain and possible flooding, in addition to a very real danger from falling limbs from trees already beaten down by the previous superstorm.

The unnamed storm is moving up along the Atlantic coast from Florida and is set to join with a weather system moving East from the Midwest but some forecasters project the storm could veer offshore, which would be a welcome relief to the battered coast.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie warned that the severe weather could mean residents who just had their power restored, could once again be living without electricity.

There is “nothing we can do to stop the storms”, he said.

Similarly, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said some residents living in neighborhoods at risk of flooding will be encouraged to relocate until the storm passes.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Michael Bloomberg warned the city would be “on a high wind watch and coastal flood watch beginning Wednesday morning through late Wednesday night”.

The mayor projected the city could receive an inch of rain, which could turn to sleet and even possibly snow.

“Keep in mind, these are forecasts and forecasts, as we know, change as you get closer to the event,” he added.

Though there are no forced evacuations, he said New York police will be patrolling at risk areas to encourage the elderly and families with children to evacuate.

“We can expect winds of up to 25 to 35 mph and gusts rising to 45 to 55 mph, with the highest winds occurring late Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday night,” he continued, adding that the strong winds will make it feel around 10 degrees colder than the listed temperature.

The city will close all parks, playgrounds and beaches, given the threat of falling tree branches, he added.

Nor’easter storm on Wednesday threatens to bring chilly temperatures and even snow
Nor’easter storm on Wednesday threatens to bring chilly temperatures and even snow

Travelers flying to and from the East Coast will also experience delays and cancellations.

United Airlines announced on Tuesday afternoon that it will suspend most service to and from the New York area between noon Wednesday and noon Thursday due to the winter storm.

Storm surges along the coasts of New Jersey and New York are expected to reach 3 feet, only half to a third of what Hurricane Sandy caused last week, National Weather Service meteorologist Lauren Masters said.

Coastal Virginia could also get a surge of 2 or 3 feet, causing minor flooding on the east side of Chesapeake Bay during high tides on Wednesday morning and evening, he said.

However, most of the storm’s rain will stay offshore.

Up to an inch of snow may fall in northeastern New Jersey and the lower Hudson River valley, weather service meteorologist Mike Layer said.

Central Massachusetts and western Connecticut also could get an inch or two of snow, according to Masters.

Along the Jersey shore, which was devastated by last week’s superstorm, there was some relief that damage projections from the nor’easter have been scaled back.

But there was still concern about the ocean barreling past beaches and dunes that were largely washed away.

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Empire State Building bathed in blue light to mark Barack Obama’s victory

Nancy Clayson
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Empire State Building bathed in blue light to mark Barack Obama’s victory

The Empire State Building was bathed in blue light on Election Night as Barack Obama won a second term in office.

Two columns of light, one red and one blue, had been winding their way up the skyscraper in a display put on by CNN.

Each column represented the number of electoral college votes secured by Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

But at 11:20 p.m. the building was lit completely blue as the channel predicted that Barack Obama would serve another four years in office.

Dominating the Midtown skyline of Manhattan, the Empire State Building already celebrates many cultures and causes worldwide with its iconic lighting’s and this latest addition is the brainchild of CNN.

The tower changes lights to recognize key milestones such as Christmas Day and Halloween, charitable organizations such as World AIDS Day and even beloved movies such as the Disney’s The Lion King.

The tradition began in 1932 when a searchlight shone from the skyscraper to announce the election of New York born Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

To celebrate the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, the building’s owners installed colored lights to illuminate the building at night in red, white and blue – which was the direct descendant of the popular Lighting Partner program that runs to this day.

Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna), the Empire State Building is the World’s Most Famous Office Building.

The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market.

The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects.

The Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world’s most beloved attractions and is the city’s number one tourist destination.

Indeed, CNN ran a test on 3:30 a.m. last Friday but no one worked out what the skyscraper was doing before today’s announcement.

 

The Empire State Building was bathed in blue light on Election Night as Barack Obama won a second term in office
The Empire State Building was bathed in blue light on Election Night as Barack Obama won a second term in office

FAMOUS LIGHTING OF EMPIRE STATE

• In May 1998 the Empire State was bathed in blue lights to celebrate the life of Frank Sinatra in honor of his nickname Ol’Blue Eyes

• After the death of Fay Wray, the star of 1933’s legendary King Kong which makes use of the skyscraper in its final scene – the building stood in complete darkness for 15 minutes.

• For several months after the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001, the building was lit in the red, white and blue of the Star Spangled Banner.

• On June 4, 2002, the Empire State Building donned purple and gold (the royal colors of Queen Elizabeth II), in thanks for the United Kingdom playing the Star Spangled Banner during the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace on September 12, 2001 which was a show of support after the September 11 Attacks

• The building is illuminated in tennis-ball yellow during the US Open tennis tournament in late August and early September

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Donald Trump calls for a revolution after disgusting injustice, sham and travesty of Barack Obama’s re-election

Nancy Clayson
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0
Donald Trump calls for a revolution after disgusting injustice, sham and travesty of Barack Obama’s re-election

Moments after Barack Obama’s victory was projected by several news outlets last night, Donald Trump took to Twitter to voice his outrage, demanding a “revolution”.

Donald Trump also said that the Democrat’s re-election to office was a “great and disgusting injustice”.

Earlier Tuesday, Donald Trump took to Twitter reminding his followers: “Whoever wins today, remember that tomorrow we still have a country struggling.

“Our work is not done until America is strong again.”

However, as it became apparent that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney would not win the election, Donald Trump’s tweets became more enraged, and more hyperbolic.

He began with: “Well, back to the drawing board!”

Donald Trump quickly followed up with a call to revolution. He wrote: “He lost the popular vote by a lot and won the election. We should have a revolution in this country!”

He later deleted that tweet.

But he was far from over.

“This election is a total sham and a travesty,” he wrote.

“We are not a democracy!”

He also added the “serious and unprecedented trouble” that America is in – “like never before”.

Donald Trump said that Barack Obama’s re-election to office was a great and disgusting injustice
Donald Trump said that Barack Obama’s re-election to office was a great and disgusting injustice

Donald Trump, 66, later went onto attack the Electoral College, but offered a kernel of hope for the still-Republican House of Representatives.

“Hopefully the House can hold our country together for four more years,” he tweeted.

“House shouldn’t give anything to Obama unless he terminates Obamacare.”

He did not tweet anything after Mitt Romney’s gracious concession speech.

Donald Trump’s attacks on Barack Obama have been more frequent in the weeks preceding the election.

Only last week, he lashed out at Barack Obama for using Superstorm Sandy to garner more votes and essentially buy the election.

The billionaire’s grudge hasn’t gone unnoticed by the president.

During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Barack Obama quipped that their rivalry began when the two were growing up in Kenya.

“We had constant run-ins on the soccer field, he wasn’t that good,” Barack Obama told the NBC late-night host.

 

Peruvian mummy stolen by Bolivian antiquities traffickers returns to Lima

James J. Williams
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Peruvian mummy stolen by Bolivian antiquities traffickers returns to Lima

Bolivia has returned a 700-year-old mummy to Peru, from where it was stolen by antiquities traffickers.

The mummy of a child of about two years of age is only 30 cm (12 in) tall and sits wrapped in blankets.

Bolivian police seized it two years ago from a woman who was going to ship it to France.

Experts determined it was an original but found that one of its legs had been added later presumably by the smugglers who wanted to raise its value.

Experts have not been able to determine the sex of the mummy but archaeologists think it came from a pre-Inca culture of coastal Peru.

Bolivian Culture Minister Pablo Groux handed the mummy to his Peruvian counterpart Luis Peirano at a ceremony at the Peruvian Foreign Ministry in Lima.

The two ministers also signed an agreement to improve their co-operation in the fight against the smuggling of cultural artefacts.

Bolivia has returned a 700-year-old mummy to Peru, from where it was stolen by antiquities traffickers
Bolivia has returned a 700-year-old mummy to Peru, from where it was stolen by antiquities traffickers

Referring to an increase in the illegal trade in antiquities, Luis Peirano said the mummy was “just a sample of the sacking, of the violation of our patrimony and all our inheritance.”

Peru, at the centre the Inca culture and other civilizations predating the Incas, has had thousands of its relics plundered and stolen over the centuries.

Peruvian officials say trafficking in mummies has been less common, though “lately, there has been an increase in the trafficking of human remains”.

 

Composer Elliott Carter dies aged 103

Sonia Pantiss
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Composer Elliott Carter dies aged 103

American classical composer Elliott Carter has died at the age of 103.

Known for his challenging and complex pieces, Elliott Carter won two Pulitzer Prizes and was also honored with the US National Medal of Arts.

While not widely known by the general public, Elliott Carter was hugely respected by critics and musicians.

In 2002, The New York Times said Elliott Carter’s string quartets were among “the most difficult music ever conceived”.

Elliott Carter was hailed by fellow composer Igor Stravinsky for his Double Concerto for harpsichord, piano and two chamber orchestras (1961) and Piano Concerto (1967), both of which Stravinsky dubbed “masterpieces”.

Twelve years ago, during an interview, Elliott Carter said hearing Stravinsky’s famous work The Rite of Spring in the 1920s was what made him want to become a composer.

“It was a scandal. Everybody walked out of the hall and people were terrified. Maybe that’s why I liked it but in any case I became a fan of modern music in very early adolescence.”

His music publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, said in a statement announcing his death: “The great range and diversity of his music has, and will continue to have, influence on countless composers and performers worldwide.

“He will be missed by us all but remembered for his brilliance, his wit and his great canon of work.”

Elliott Carter once said he was unperturbed by his apparent lack of fame.

“I don’t think it means anything to be popular,” he said.

“When we see the popular tastes and the popular opinion constantly being manipulated by all sorts of different ways, it seems to me popularity is a meaningless matter.”

Elliott Carter composed more than 130 works, including 1942’s Symphony 1 and 1944’s Holiday Overture.

His later works included Dialogues (2004), which was nominated for the a Pulitzer, and 2006’s Boston Concerto, nominated for a Grammy for best classical contemporary composition.

American classical composer Elliott Carter has died at the age of 103
American classical composer Elliott Carter has died at the age of 103

Aldeburgh Music, which organizes the annual Aldeburgh Festival said they were “very sad” to hear of Elliott Carter’s death.

His music was first heard at Aldeburgh in 1968 and he last visited the festival in 2009 aged 100.

Pierre-Laurent Aimard, artistic director of the festival, said they would remember “his smile, his joie de vivre and his sense of humor”.

“He was and will always remain a composer of fantasy and structure, reflective yet alive, always reinventing and yet true to himself,” he said.

“By turns lyrical, dramatic, complex, amusing and poetic, this grand master of polyphony understood the challenges of his time and entertained us with great intelligence,” he added.

Elliott Carter’s latest work, Instances – for chamber orchestra – will have its world premiere in February next year, and will be performed by the Seattle Symphony.

He won his first Pulitzer Prize in 1960 for his Second String Quartet, the second was for his Third String Quartet in 1973.

In 1998, Elliott Carter was inducted into the Classical Music Hall of Fame.

Elliott Carter was also honored with prestigious awards in France and Germany.

He said he found Europeans were more receptive to his work because music was part of the culture, “something that people make an effort to understand”.

The composer celebrated his 100th birthday at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 2008, where a new work of his was played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Elliott Carter was born in New York in 1908 and was first encouraged toward a musical career by his friend and mentor Charles Ives.

He went on to study literature at Harvard and then studied music in Paris under Nadia Boulanger, who also taught Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland.

It was his First String Quartet in 1951 which first brought him to the attention of music critics.

In 1939, Elliott Carter married sculptor Helen H. Frost Jones.

Elliott Carter is survived by his son and a grandson.

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Nelson Mandela banknote goes into circulation in South Africa

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Nelson Mandela banknote goes into circulation in South Africa

The first banknotes featuring the face of former President Nelson Mandela have gone into circulation in South Africa.

They are the first South African notes to bear the image of a black person – they replace notes with wild animals and rural and industrial scenes.

President Jacob Zuma says the banknotes were a “humble gesture” to express South Africa’s “deep gratitude”.

Nelson Mandela, 94, is one of the world’s best loved figures after spending 27 years in prison for fighting apartheid.

Reserve Bank governor Gill Marcus was the first to use the new banknotes when she spent 160 rand, about $18 on some nuts, beetroot, a watermelon and a cucumber at her local shop in the capital, Pretoria.

She said that Nelson Mandela was delighted with the design.

The first banknotes featuring the face of former President Nelson Mandela have gone into circulation in South Africa
The first banknotes featuring the face of former President Nelson Mandela have gone into circulation in South Africa

Gill Marcus also noted that South Africa tries to update its currency every seven years for security reasons. The new design includes watermarks and a metal strip, while raised printing was added to assist the visually impaired.

Nelson Mandela’s face is on one side of all the new banknotes, while the “Big Five” animals – lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant – remain on the reverse.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his campaign against white minority rule and was elected president the following year before stepping down after a single term.

Known affectionately by his clan name “Madiba”, Nelson Mandela has now retired from public life.

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Diane Sawyer drunk during ABC News election coverage

Nancy Clayson
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Diane Sawyer drunk during ABC News election coverage

Diane Sawyer’s Election Night performance left some viewers asking if she had begun celebrating Tuesday’s election a bit early.

Co-anchoring ABC News’ coverage, the veteran journalist struck a different manner from her practiced, straight-news-delivering style.

Diane Sawyer spoke more slowly than usual while seeming to prop herself on outstretched arms at the anchor desk she shared with George Stephanopoulos.

“OK,” she said at one point around 10 p.m. EST, “I wanna – can we have our music, because this is another big one here?

“Minnesota, we’re ready to project Minnesota, rrright now. … Well, tonight we know that President Barack has won Minnesota,” she rambled on, stumbling over the president’s name.

Maybe Sawyer was just weary from the recent torrent of news.

In any case, the Twitterverse took quick notice and began cracking wise.

Diane Sawyer's Election Night performance left some viewers asking if she had begun celebrating Tuesday's election a bit early
Diane Sawyer’s Election Night performance left some viewers asking if she had begun celebrating Tuesday’s election a bit early

Her name was soon trending with unflattering posts, while a new Twitter handle, Drunk Diane Sawyer, collected hundreds of followers. An ABC spokesman did not comment.

“A bit tipsy”, ”hammered” or “on pain killers, muscle relaxers, benzos or some combination” were among the jeering explanations.

Another likened it to an episode of HBO’s drama The Newsroom, where Will McAvoy, the fictitious anchorman, had eaten a couple of pot brownies before unexpectedly being summoned to his anchor desk to report a news story.

Some tweeters joked that a more fun-loving Diane Sawyer was a ploy by ABC to boost viewership.

Several Twitter followers said they were drawn to the network by word that Diane Sawyer was behaving, by one description, “a bit wacky”.

“Bad night for Romney,” one tweeter summed up.

“Worse night for Diane Sawyer?”

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Barack Obama Twitter: Four more years

Nancy Clayson
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Barack Obama Twitter: Four more years

Barack Obama won re-election to the White House tonight with a landslide victory over Mitt Romney, according to projections from most of the television networks.

Broadcast networks called the 2012 presidential election for Barack Obama as he swept the map with wins in the swings states of Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Virginia while Florida still hung in the balance.

Barack Obama seemed poised for a resounding electoral college win – despite predictions of one of the tightest finishes in history and the dogged insistence of Mitt Romney advisers that they were making gains all over the political battlefield.

Despite unemployment standing at 7.9% and Barack Obama performing very poorly during the first presidential debate, Mitt Romney was crushed nationally, though he might finish only just behind in the popular vote.

Barack Obama won re-election to the White House tonight with a landslide victory over Mitt Romney
Barack Obama won re-election to the White House tonight with a landslide victory over Mitt Romney

Minutes after his victory was announced, Barack Obama tweeted: “We’re all in this together. That’s how we campaigned, and that’s who we are. Thank you.”

He also posted a picture of himself embracing his wife Michelle Obama – and the post rapidly became the most popular tweet of all time.

Mitt Romney called Barack Obama to concede defeat shortly before 1:00 a.m., a few minutes before he was set to take the stage at his Boston headquarters to deliver his concession speech.

 

Natina Reed funeral: the star was living in StudioPlus Atlanta motel at time of her tragic death in car accident

Lisa.Felice
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Natina Reed funeral: the star was living in StudioPlus Atlanta motel at time of her tragic death in car accident

Natina Reed had been living in an extended stay motel when she was killed in a car accident last week.

The tragic RnB star was just 12 miles from the $45 per night StudioPlus Atlanta Peachtree Corners extended stay motel in Norcross, Georgia, when she was knocked down last Friday according to the police incident report.

Gwinnett County authorities are still seeking information to help explain the accidental death of the 32-year-old, who was a popular member of the 1990s girl group Blaque.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Natina Reed’s family is planning a press conference in the city to discuss the case, according to attorney Christopher Chestnut’s office.

Investigators are still trying to determine why Natina Reed was in the roadway and whether she was crossing or walking alongside it.

She was wearing dark clothing in an area that had no artificial lighting, according to the incident report.

Other than the driver, who was not charged, and a passenger in the car, there do not appear to be any additional witnesses.

Natina Reed had been living in an extended stay motel when she was killed in a car accident last week
Natina Reed had been living in an extended stay motel when she was killed in a car accident last week

Gwinnett police spokesman Sgt. Rich Long said: “It’s kind of a dark lit area. There is not really anything in that area that’s open at that time of night, that would be any kind of a draw to a person up there.”

Police said toxicology reports are pending and are standard in fatal accidents.

It comes after the likes of Brandi, Jordin Sparks and Gabrielle Union lead the celebrity tributes to R&B singer Natina Reed who tragically died in a car accident on Friday.

The Gwinnett Police Department said the driver of the vehicle which hit Natina Reed called 911 at 10:30 PM on Friday night.

They added that she was pronounced dead at Gwinnett Medical Centre 29 minutes later.

A press release relayed that Natina Reed “was in the roadway on Lawrenceville Highway near Hamilton Road when struck”.

Police say the driver “was determined to be not at fault and there are no charges pending”.

Natina Reed also appeared in the 2000 film, Bring It On, in which she played cheerleader Jenelope.

 

Kim Kardashian displays her fake tan in pink string bikini on Miami Beach

Lisa.Felice
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Kim Kardashian displays her fake tan in pink string bikini on Miami Beach

Kim Kardashian paraded her stunning curves in a pretty light pink string bikini as she took a morning dip earlier this month in Miami.

Against the stunning backdrop of the pink and red-hued Miami skyline and the glistening sea, Kim Kardashian, 32, strolled along the sand with her best pal Jonathan Cheban.

Kim Kardashian wore hardly any make-up for her swimming session, an unusual move for her who is usually made up to an inch of her life.

Her body was however benefitting from a heavy glow, most likely from a fresh application of fake tan.

Kim Kardashian smiled as she walked along the coastline with Jonathan Cheban, who displayed his own fit figure in a pair of swimming trunks.

The brunette beauty at one point hitched up her bikini bottoms to make sure her famous derriere was not exposed.

Kim Kardashian paraded her stunning curves in a pretty light pink string bikini as she took a morning dip earlier this month in Miami
Kim Kardashian paraded her stunning curves in a pretty light pink string bikini as she took a morning dip earlier this month in Miami

Kim Kardashian had headed into the warm water in the early am just hours before leaving Miami Beach to go to a special birthday getaway with boyfriend Kanye West in Rome, Italy.

She was treated to a surprise birthday trip, jetting across the pond to Italy to tour the likes of romantic Italian cities Rome, Venice and Florence.

Kanye West jetted Kim Kardashian to Venice earlier this month to mark her 32nd birthday.

During their trip the pair visited the most expensive restaurants and did plenty of shopping at the designer boutiques.

Like most women, the famous Kardashian wasn’t into the idea of turning another year older.

Speaking to E! News in the run-up to her 32nd, Kim Kardashian revealed: “I’m not so into a 32nd birthday. Doesn’t do it for me, so I don’t really care.”

 

Barack Obama re-elected as US president

Diane A. Wade
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Barack Obama re-elected as US president

Barack Obama has been re-elected to a second term, defeating Republican rival Mitt Romney.

With results in from most states, Barack Obama has secured the 270 votes in the electoral college needed to win the race.

Barack Obama prevailed despite lingering dissatisfaction with the economy and a well-funded challenge by Mitt Romney.

Barack Obama’s margin of victory is not yet certain because four states have yet to report results.

With swing states Virginia, Florida and Colorado still too close to call, Barack Obama has won 281 electoral votes to Mitt Romney’s 203.

Under the US constitution, each state is given a number of electoral votes in rough proportion to its population. The candidate who wins 270 electoral votes – by prevailing in the mostly winner-takes-all state contests – becomes president.

The popular vote, which is symbolically and politically important but not decisive in the race, remains too close to call.

Barack Obama has been re-elected to a second term, defeating Republican rival Mitt Romney
Barack Obama has been re-elected to a second term, defeating Republican rival Mitt Romney

On Tuesday, the president held the White House by assembling solid Democratic states and a number of important swing states such as Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. His narrow victory in Ohio, a critical Mid-Western swing state, sealed the victory.

Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, won North Carolina and Indiana, as well as the solid Republican states.

But he was unable to win in Ohio or other states needed to breach the 270 threshold.

Also on Tuesday’s ballot were 11 state governorships, a third of the seats in the 100-member US Senate and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives.

Republicans are projected to keep control of the House, while Democrats are tipped to remain in control in the Senate.

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2012 Election Results So Far

Diane A. Wade
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2012 Election Results So Far

2012 Election: voting results so far

Alabama (9 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 61% (1,245,221 votes)

Barack Obama 38% (787,027 votes)

Alaska (3 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 55% (120,329 votes)

Barack Obama 41% (90,743 votes)

Arizona (11 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 55% (896,302 votes)

Barack Obama 43% (707,744 votes)

Arkansas (6 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 60% (631,244 votes)

Barack Obama 37% (387,139 votes)

California (55 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 38% (3,542,862 votes)

Barack Obama 59% (5,474,746 votes)

Colorado (9 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 47% (1,100,186 votes)

Barack Obama 51% (1,199,142 votes)

Connecticut (7 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 41% (567,679 votes)

Barack Obama 58% (815,227 votes)

Delaware (3 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 40% (165,476 votes)

Barack Obama 59% (242,547 votes)

District of Columbia (3 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 7% (17,337 votes)

Barack Obama 91% (222,332 votes)

Florida (29 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 49% (4,083,321 votes)

Barack Obama 50% (4,129,360 votes)

Georgia (16 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 53% (2,054,373 votes)

Barack Obama 45% (1,745,283 votes)

Hawaii (4 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 28% (119,494 votes)

Barack Obama 70% (303,090 votes)

Idaho (4 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 65% (375,417 votes)

Barack Obama 32% (182,505 votes)

Illinois (20 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 41% (2,087,366 votes)

Barack Obama 57% (2,912,872 votes)

Indiana (11 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 54% (1,407,195 votes)

Barack Obama 44% (1,134,577 votes)

Iowa (6 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 46% (727,545 votes)

Barack Obama 52% (816,174 votes)

Kansas (6 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 60% (671,154 votes)

Barack Obama 38% (425,383 votes)

Kentucky (8 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 61% (1,086,970 votes)

Barack Obama 38% (679,105 votes)

Louisiana (8 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 59% (1,149,054 votes)

Barack Obama 40% (781,733 votes)

Maine (4 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 40% (230,048 votes)

Barack Obama 56% (321,017 votes)

Maryland (10 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 37% (894,718 votes)

Barack Obama 61% (1,480,976 votes)

Massachusetts (11 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 37% (1,115,559 votes)

Barack Obama 61% (1,813,580 votes)

Michigan (16 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 46% (2,041,969 votes)

Barack Obama 54% (2,398,517 votes)

Minnesota (10 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 45% (1,312,426 votes)

Barack Obama 53% (1,536,520 votes)

Mississippi (6 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 55% (661,056 votes)

Barack Obama 44% (521,036 votes)

Missouri (10 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 54% (1,478,961 votes)

Barack Obama 44% (1,215,031 votes)

Montana (3 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 55% (236,677 votes)

Barack Obama 42% (180,259 votes)

Nebraska (5 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 61% (462,972 votes)

Barack Obama 38% (289,154 votes)

Nevada (6 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 46% (462,422 votes)

Barack Obama 52% (528,801 votes)

New Hampshire (4 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 47% (300,241 votes)

Barack Obama 52% (335,004 votes)

New Jersey (14 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 41% (1,356,792 votes)

Barack Obama 58% (1,916,190 votes)

New Mexico (5 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 43% (330,863 votes)

Barack Obama 53% (407,111 votes)

New York (29 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 36% (2,204,525 votes)

Barack Obama 63% (3,844,883 votes)

North Carolina (15 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 51% (2,272,506 votes)

Barack Obama 48% (2,175,670 votes)

North Dakota (3 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 59% (187,586 votes)

Barack Obama 39% (124,490 votes)

Ohio (18 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 48% (2,571,539 votes)

Barack Obama 50% (2,672,302 votes)

Oklahoma (7 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 67% (888,844 votes)

Barack Obama 33% (442,359 votes)

Oregon (7 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 44% (641,965 votes)

Barack Obama 53% (779,964 votes)

Pennsylvania (20 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 47% (2,610,385 votes)

Barack Obama 52% (2,894,079 votes)

Rhode Island (4 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 35% (146,395 votes)

Barack Obama 63% (262,464 votes)

South Carolina (9 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 55% (1,005,870 votes)

Barack Obama 44% (799,026 votes)

South Dakota (3 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 58% (210,539 votes)

Barack Obama 40% (144,983 votes)

Tennessee (11 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 59% (1,450,595 votes)

Barack Obama 39% (951,406 votes)

Texas (38 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 57% (4,542,012 votes)

Barack Obama 41% (3,285,200 votes)

Utah (6 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 73% (670,394 votes)

Barack Obama 25% (229,271 votes)

Vermont (3 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 31% (87,966 votes)

Barack Obama 67% (189,301 votes)

Virginia (13 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 48% (1,745,397 votes)

Barack Obama 51% (1,852,123 votes)

Washington (12 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 43% (822,611 votes)

Barack Obama 55% (1,062,561 votes)

West Virginia (5 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 62% (412,406 votes)

Barack Obama 35% (234,985 votes)

Wisconsin (10 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 46% (1,397,888 votes)

Barack Obam 53% (1,599,656 votes)

Wyoming (3 electoral votes)

Mitt Romney 69% (170,259 votes)

Barack Obama 28% (68,779 votes)

 

Voting results election 2012
Voting results election 2012

The secret to a long life: walking for just two and a half hours a week

Kathryn R. Bown
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The secret to a long life: walking for just two and a half hours a week

Walking for just 2.5 hours a week could add more than seven years to your life, researchers believe.

The study found even half of that is beneficial, with 75 minutes of brisk walking a week enough to extend life by almost two years.

The analysis of the lives of more than 600,000 men and women aged 40 and over also added weight to the idea that it is possible to be fat and fit.

The experts from the US government’s medical research agency and Harvard University crunched the results of six previous long-term studies into health and lifestyle.

The analysis focused on moderate exercise – defined as walking fast enough to break into a sweat but slow enough to hold a conversation.

The benefits were clear, with two and a half hours of brisk walking a week adding 3.4 years to life on average.

Doing twice this added 4.2 years, while walking for seven and a half hours weekly added 4.5 years to life.

The biggest gains were seen in people of a healthy weight, where two and a half hours of moderate exercise a week extended life by more than seven years, the journal PLoS Medicine reported.

However, people of a healthy weight who didn’t exercise could expect to die 3.1 years earlier than obese people who did stay active – a finding that underlines the importance of exercising whatever your weight.

The study also revealed the association between physical activity and life expectancy was similar between men and women, and that black people gained more years of life expectancy than white people.

The relationship between life expectancy and exercise was stronger among those with a history of cancer or heart disease than those with no history of either disease.

Dr. I-Min Lee, the study’s senior author, said: “We must not underestimate how important physical activity is for health – even modest amounts can add years to your life.”

 

Pennsylvania voting machine turns vote for Barack Obama into one for Mitt Romney

Nancy Clayson
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Pennsylvania voting machine turns vote for Barack Obama into one for Mitt Romney

An electronic voting machine in Pennsylvania has been removed from service after it changed votes for Barack Obama into those for Mitt Romney.

An 18-second clip posted onto YouTube shows a voter’s finger repeatedly pressing the button for Barack Obama, but the check mark instead comes up next to Mitt Romney’s name.

This is the latest in a flurry of voting glitches across the country today from West Palm Beach in Florida where ballot counting machines broke down, to vast swathes of New Jersey where text alert systems for residents sent them to the wrong polling stations.

In comments attached to the clip, the anonymous user named “centralpavote” said that “all the other buttons worked fine” and asked voters either side if they were experiencing similar problems – which they denied.

NBC News has reported that since the clip was posted to Reddit this morning, it spread across the Internet and the offending machine has been retired from service.

The video which was filmed on the YouTube users Android phone shows the potentially serious malfunction affect only a vote for the incumbent president.

A vote for any other of the candidates for the presidency and vice presidency resulted in a successful choice – it was only a vote for Barack Obama that caused the machine to change to Mitt Romney.

An electronic voting machine in Pennsylvania has been removed from service after it changed votes for Barack Obama into those for Mitt Romney
An electronic voting machine in Pennsylvania has been removed from service after it changed votes for Barack Obama into those for Mitt Romney

“I initially selected Obama but Romney was highlighted,” said “centralpavote” on the introduction to his video on YouTube.

“I assumed it was being picky so I deselected Romney and tried Obama again, this time more carefully, and still got Romney.

“Being a software developer, I immediately went into troubleshoot mode.

“I first thought the calibration was off and tried selecting Jill Stein to actually highlight Obama. Nope. Jill Stein was selected just fine.

“Next I deselected her and started at the top of Romney’s name and started tapping very closely together to find the <<active areas>>.

“From the top of Romney’s button down to the bottom of the black checkbox beside Obama’s name was all active for Romney.

“From the bottom of that same checkbox to the bottom of the Obama button (basically a small white sliver) is what let me choose Obama.

“Stein’s button was fine. All other buttons worked fine.”

The voter reported the problem to an electoral official who declared it a non issue.

“I then called over a volunteer to have a look at it,” said “centralpavote”.

“She him hawed (sic) for a bit then calmly said <<It’s nothing to worry about, everything will be OK>>. and went back to what she was doing.

“I then recorded this video.”

However, far from evidence of electoral fraud, experts have weighed in with the theory that this is a calibration problem specific to the machine.

“It’s a concern but not because of fraud… that’s an obviously miscalibrated iVotronic (ES&S) voting machine,” said Jospeh Lorenzo Hall, Senior Staff Technologist at the Center for Democracy & Technology to Gawker.

“We would recommend that poll workers would recalibrate the machine and everything would be fine.

“Also, with some models of voting system if you place a thumb on accident while resting on the machine it can <<bias>> the calibration of the touchscreen up towards the errant thumb.

“That could be happening to, if it’s only for this one voter.”

Further controversy over voting continued at a polling place in a Philadelphia school where workers ignored a judge’s order to cover a mural of President Barack Obama “in its entirety”.

The art work which is positioned behind voting machines contains the words “change!” and “hope” together with a quote from the president and a painting of him.

However, electoral poll workers only covered up the mural with three pieces of paper – leaving the Obama logo and quote from the serving president in full view of all prospective voters.

Seeing an attempt to influence the votes of those attending the polling place in Ward 35, Republicans were outraged.

[youtube QdpGd74DrBM]

2012 election results so far: Who is winning presidential race?

Diane A. Wade
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2012 election results so far: Who is winning presidential race?

The final voting precincts on the west coast won’t even begin to be tallied until early Wednesday morning, but the election could be decided much earlier than that.

Polls begin to close at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and results will flood in not long thereafter. Whichever candidate reaches 270 electoral college votes wins the White House.

Crucially, Barack Obama won each of the swing states listed below in 2008.

7:00 p.m.: Virginia is the first battleground state to close its polls. Barack Obama has a slight lead in most recent polls, but the state is essentially a tossup. The president won the state in 2008 by 6.3% – but Mitt Romney has made it essential to his election strategy. If he wins Virginia, and its 13 electoral votes, it will confirm that the national race is as tight as everyone believed it to be. If Barack Obama wins, Mitt Romney’s chances of taking the White House become narrower.

Polls begin to close in North Carolina, as well. Barack Obama won the state by a narrow margin in 2008, though a strong rightward swing in the last four years means Romney has a large advantage.

7:30 p.m.: Polls close in Ohio – the most important swing state in the nation. This is a must-win for Mitt Romney. If he cannot take Ohio, with 18 electoral votes, he will have to win nearly every other swing state in the country. No Republican has ever won the presidency without Ohio. If Barack Obama loses Ohio, his chances of winning reelection become significantly smaller. Watch the Cincinnati metro area – which is perhaps the most important region of the state for determining the overall outcome. Barack Obama won Ohio by 5.4% in 2008.

It is important to note that Barack Obama is likely to take an early lead in Ohio as early voters are counted first. Polls show he leads among people who cast their ballots before Election Day.

The final voting precincts on the west coast won't even begin to be tallied until early Wednesday morning, but the election could be decided much earlier than that
The final voting precincts on the west coast won’t even begin to be tallied until early Wednesday morning, but the election could be decided much earlier than that

8:00 p.m.: Florida, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania close their polls.

Florida is another essential state for Mitt Romney, though it is less important to Obama’s strategy. With 29 electoral votes, Florida is the largest swing state in the country. Mitt Romney has a 1.5-point advantage, though both candidates have fought hard for it. However, don’t expect rapid results from the Sunshine state. Ballots in Florida are long and voting lines are expected to be even longer – meaning it could be hours before results are tabulated.

Pennsylvania, 20 electoral votes, is heavily leaning in Barack Obama’s favor, but Mitt Romney has fought hard to reduce the Democratic lead.

New Hampshire has just four electoral votes, but both candidates have visited multiple times. Barack Obama holds and edge in the polls, but Mitt Romney owns a house in the Granite State and was governor of neighboring Massachusetts.

9:00 p.m.: Wisconsin and Colorado polls close.

Colorado isn’t a big catch, with nine electoral votes, but it’s a major test of Barack Obama’s support among Hispanic voters. Both candidates have campaigned heavily here and Barack Obama has a narrow lead in recent polls.

A Mitt Romney win in Wisconsin would be hugely symbolic. With ten electoral votes, the state has not gone for a Republican since Ronald Reagan in 1984. However, Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan hails from Wisconsin and the divisive Republican Gov Scott Walker recently survived a recall election. Polls show Barack Obama has a four-point lead in polls.

10:00 p.m.: Iowa and Nevada, the last of the swing states, close their polls.

Iowa has just six electoral votes, but it’s important to Barack Obama – it’s the state where his presidential campaign began in 2008. The president currently leads here, though it’s a traditionally white, working-class state with a largely rural electorate – all Mitt Romney’s strong points.

Nevada, also six electoral votes, is the westernmost swing state. Barack Obama leads here in polls, as well, though the economy has been badly battered by the housing crisis and unemployment is more than 11% – much higher than the rest of the nation.

 

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