Sandra Bullock

The Oscar-winning actress stars in " Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," a new drama from the director of "The Reader." The film, which also stars a guy you may have heard of named Tom Hanks, focuses on a sensitive young boy (Thomas Horn), who lost his father in the World Trade Center

Africa Cup of Nations all set for kick-off

The Estadio de Bata will host the opening match of the 2012 Nations Cup

Fans have started arriving at the Estadio de Bata ahead of Saturday's opening match of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

The game sees co-hosts Equatorial Guinea take on Libya at 1830 GMT after the opening ceremony.
Local fans have started to come out in force, waving flags, blowing vuvuzelas and banging drums.
Authorities have cut off all but authorised traffic from the kilometre of road leading up to the stadium.
The opening ceremony is scheduled to get underway at 1715 GMT, following which Equatorial Guinea will make their Nations Cup debut.
The squad has been offered a huge bonus by the son of president Obiang Nguema, with a million dollars on offer should the National Lightning beat surprise qualifiers Libya.
But the stand-in captain of Equatorial Guinea, Juvenal Edjogo, has downplayed the importance of the cash offer.
"We play for the love of our country and for football," he told BBC Sport.
"If we win, he gives us money but the most important thing is to win as this will give us a possibility to progress out of the group stage."
Meanwhile, Libya coach Marcos Paqueta believes his squad, who overcame the backdrop of civil war to qualify against the odds, are all set for the tournament.
"My players are ready for the start - with determination and motivation," the Brazilian told BBC Sport.
"My players don't have a lot of experience for a game like the Nations Cup, but I hope they can control their emotional pressure."
Neither Equatorial Guinea nor fellow co-host Gabon have ever staged the Nations Cup before, and there is plenty of football fever across both countries.
The Gabonese capital Libreville is awash with posters and placards promoting a tournament where the final will take place on 12 February.

Yemen officials: Saleh to depart for Oman

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh will leave soon to Oman, en route to medical treatment in the United States, Yemeni officials said on Saturday, part of an American effort to get the embattled strongman out of the country to allow a peaceful transition from his rule.

Washington has been trying for weeks to find a country where Saleh can live in exile, since it does not want him to settle permanently in the United States. The mercurial president, who has ruled for more than 33 years, has repeatedly gone back and forth on whether he would leave.

The officials' comments Saturday suggested Oman, Yemen's neighbor, could be a potential home for him. Three officials said he would go, but they were divided on whether he would remain in exile in Oman or return to Yemen after treatment. His return, even if he no longer holds the post of president, could mean continued turmoil for the impoverished nation at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.

After nearly a year of protests demanding his ouster, Saleh in November handed his powers over to his vice president and agreed to step down. A unity government between his party and the opposition has since been created. However, Saleh — still formally the president — has continued to influence politics from behind the scenes through his family and loyalists in power positions.

The U.S. does not want to take him in, concerned it would be seen by Yemenis as harboring a leader they say has blood on his hands for the killings of protesters. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates already have rejected Saleh, American officials said.

Senior ruling party figure Mohammed al-Shayef told The Associated Press that Saleh would travel "in the coming days" to Oman, then head to the United States for treatment of wounds he suffered in an June assassination attempt.

After treatment, Saleh would return to Yemen to head his People's Congress Party, said al-Shayef, who is also a prominent tribal leader. Another top party official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk of the plans, gave the same itinerary, though he said Saleh would pass through Ethiopia en route from Oman to the U.S.
Saleh himself has spoken in recent weeks of working as an opposition politician after he leaves the presidency.
However, an official in the prime minister's office said Saleh "is supposed" to return to Oman to stay after his U.S. treatment is completed.
The official said Saleh's powerful son Ahmed was currently in Oman, arranging a residence for his father. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk the press. It did not seem that Ahmed, who commands the elite Republican Guard that has been at the forefront of the crackdown on protests, would remain in Oman.
The unity government has been struggling to establish its authority in the face of Saleh's continuing strength in the country. Like Saleh's son Ahmed, Saleh's nephew also commands one of Yemen's best trained and equipped security forces, and the president's loyalists remain in place in the government and bureaucracy.
Saleh agreed to step down under a U.S.-approved and Gulf-mediated accord with the opposition in return for immunity for prosecution.
Yemen's parliament on Saturday approved the immunity law, a key step toward Saleh's formal retirement from his post.
The law grants Saleh complete immunity for any crimes committed during his rule, including the killing of protesters during the uprising against his regime. However, parliament limited the scope of immunity for other regime officials and excluded immunity for terrorism-related crimes.
Initially, the law would have similarly given complete immunity to everyone who served Saleh's governments throughout his rule, sparking a public outcry and a new wave of protests. In response, the law was changed to grant them immunity only on "politically motivated" criminal acts. That apparently would not cover corruption charges.
Most protesters have rejected the accord entirely, saying Saleh should not be given immunity and demanding he be prosecuted.

Human Rights Watch said Saturday in a statement that the law allows senior officials to "get away with murder" and "sends the disgraceful message that there is no consequence for killing those who express dissent."

Deep clean for Belfast hospital where three babies have died

Pseudomonas bacteria can cause infections in the chest, blood and urine

 

 

 

 

 

 

The neo-natal ward at Belfast's Royal Jubilee Hospital is undergoing a deep clean this weekend, following the deaths of three babies from a bacterial infection.

The three infants died over a two-week period this month, having contracted the Pseudomonas infection.
A fourth baby is now being treated and all others in the unit are being tested to see if they have the infection.
The infection can live on surfaces for several days, one expert told the BBC.
Infection risk Pseudomonas can cause breathing difficulties and tissue damage.
Three other babies at the hospital were diagnosed with the infection. Two recovered, while the other died of an unrelated cause.
It has also emerged that in December at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry, a baby died of a different strain of the bacterial infection.
GP Dr Sarah Jarvis told BBC News the infection was a risk to "the very very young, the very very old, burns victims or cancer victims".
She said the infection can take hold in areas such as sinks and in water pipes with stagnant water. The bacteria can live for several days on surfaces but can be destroyed by vigorous hand-washing.
She urged all visitors to make use of hygiene facilities when they visited the wards, as many people unwittingly brought infections into them.

A helpline has been set up to deal with concerns

Professor Hugh Pennington, a bacteriologist from Aberdeen University, said identifying the source of the of the infection would not be easy.
"This is very, very difficult detective work basically because one has to look at all sorts of possibilities," he said.
"This is a bug which of course is very common in nature so just finding it doesn't necessarily mean that that's the cause of the problem, you know, that you've identified it."
The Department of Health in Northern Ireland said there was no evidence to link the current outbreak in the Royal Hospital with that of the incident at Altnagelvin in December.
It said all necessary control measures were put in place at the time and "the infection was eradicated".
A helpline has been set up for parents on 028 90 635 389.
The chief executive of the Belfast Health Trust earlier said a full investigation was being carried out.
However, Colm Donaghy said that the "first priority is the safety of the babies and ensuring the work that we do keeps babies safe".
 

Taylor Swift Parties with the Kennedys

PARK CITY, Utah - The premiere of HBO's "Ethel" brought out a cast of Kennedys: Rory Kennedy, who made the biopic about her mom, Ethel Skakel Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy Jr., Bobby Kennedy III, Matt Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy and … Taylor Swift.
There were more notable guests but the country-pop crossover singer stood out next to the members of the iconic American family. Why was she there? She said in a recent interview with  Vogue that she met the 83-year-old Kennedy and felt "starstruck."
"The only time in my life I have ever been starstruck was meeting Caroline and Ethel Kennedy," she said. "I got to spend the afternoon with Ethel a couple of weeks ago. She is one of my favorites, because you look back at the pictures of her and Bobby, and they always look like they are having the most fun out of everybody. You know, 11 kids, all these exotic animals on their property. I've read a lot about them."
Swift didn't chat with reporters on the red carpet today, but judging from the photo above, she's enjoying hanging out with the Kennedy clan.

Costa Concordia disaster: Woman's body found on board

The body of a woman has been found on board the Italian cruise ship that ran aground and capsized a week ago, bringing the known death toll to 12.

The woman, who was wearing a life jacket, was found by divers on the fourth deck of the Costa Concordia.
Twenty people are still missing after the ship, with 4,200 people on board, struck a rock in shallow waters on 13 January off Tuscany's Giglio island.
The captain is being investigated for manslaughter, which he denies.
An unnamed police official said the woman's body was found at around 13:30 (12:30 GMT) and was taken to the mainland.
"They will have to rely on DNA tests now to identify the victim after a week in the water," he told AFP news agency.
Coastguard divers have been using explosives to blast their way into submerged areas of the vessel to search for those unaccounted for.
Earlier on Saturday, rescue officials said they would not end the search until the whole ship had been examined.

Nigeria violence: Scores dead after Kano blasts

The aftermath of a series of blasts in Kano

Co-ordinated attacks by Islamist militants in the northern Nigerian city of Kano on Friday killed at least 120 people, witnesses and reports say.

Aid workers said dozens of bodies had been recovered from the streets, and hospital records seen by reporters said 120 corpses had been admitted.
Police stations and official buildings were targeted in several bombings. Militants from the Boko Haram group said they carried out the attacks.
A 24-hour curfew is in place in Kano.
Police have so far confirmed only seven deaths, but eyewitnesses said they had seen bodies littering the streets and being loaded into vehicles.
Wave of attacks A BBC reporter in Kano said he had counted 150 bodies in the mortuary of the city's main hospital.

The AP news agency said its reporter in Kano had been shown hospital records documenting 120 deaths in Friday's violence.

And an unnamed Red Cross source told the AFP news agency that their tally for the numbers of bodies removed from the streets stood at 121.
Boko Haram, which loosely translates from the local Hausa language as "Western education is forbidden", has been behind a string of attacks in recent years.
The group formed in 2002 and campaigned for Islamic law to be established across Nigeria, whose population is split between the largely Muslim north, and the south where Christianity and traditional beliefs predominate.
It first hit the headlines in 2009 when a spate of attacks by its followers on police and government buildings in the city of Maiduguri led to a crackdown in which hundreds died.
More recently, the group has launched bomb attacks on churches, drive-by shootings on government targets and other attacks across northern Nigeria, killing scores and forcing many more to flee.
But the Kano attacks now appear to be the group's most deadly co-ordinated assault.

The police said in a statement that four police stations around the city, the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS), as well as passport and immigration offices had been targeted.

There was also a shoot-out at the headquarters of the state police in the city's eastern district of Bompai, reports said.
One local man, Andrew Samuel, described the scene of one blast: "I was on the roadside and I just heard a 'boom'. As I came back, I saw the building of the police headquarters crashing down and I ran for my life."
Witnesses said the bomber who attacked one of the police stations pulled up outside the building on a motorbike, dismounted and ran inside holding a bag.
Some unconfirmed reports have claimed suicide bombers carried out some of the attacks.

The BBC's Mark Doyle, in Kano, says he has seen one police station with its roof completely burnt off, though it was not clear whether this was caused directly by an explosion or by fire.
He says the atmosphere is nervous, and a large crowd outside the police station quickly dispersed when soldiers arrived.
Nigeria's Channels TV said in a statement that one of its reporters, Enenche Akogwu, had been killed in the attacks .
It said he had been "shot by unknown gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect", outside the state government house.
The wounded were reported to include foreigners from an area near the SSS headquarters, which is home to many expatriates, particularly Lebanese and Indians.
Late on Friday, a Boko Haram spokesman, Abul Qaqa, told journalists that it had carried out the attacks because the authorities had refused to release group members arrested in Kano

Alan McMenemy's body recovered five years after Iraq kidnap

The British Embassy in Baghdad has confirmed that a body handed over to them is that of Alan McMenemy, who was kidnapped in Iraq in 2007.

Mr McMenemy, a security guard from Glasgow, was snatched along with three other guards and an IT expert.
The bodies of Jason Swindlehurst, Jason Creswell and Alec MacLachlan were returned in 2009. Peter Moore was released alive in 2010.
Mr McMenemy's widow said his family would be comforted by having him home.
'Draw comfort' Roseleen McMenemy said: "Our families have suffered terrible uncertainty and distress over the past four years and eight months.
"We have worried about Alan every single minute of each waking day.
"We now know that we will shortly have Alan home again, this will allow us to properly grieve for him and we will draw some comfort from the fact that we have him home at last."

A 24-hour curfew is in place in Nigeria's northern city of Kano, after co-ordinated bomb attacks killed at least seven people.

A 24-hour curfew is in place in Nigeria's northern city of Kano, after co-ordinated bomb attacks killed at least seven people.

Police stations and the state police HQ were among the targets, and gunfire was heard across the second biggest city.
The militant Islamist group Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden", said it was responsible.
The group has been behind a recent campaign of violence in the mainly Muslim north.
Meanwhile, organisers of a controversial civil activists' mass rally set for Saturday in the commercial capital Lagos called off the event in light of the attacks.
Organisers of the demonstration against government corruption and the military's presence in Lagos say they fear their protest could be infiltrated by militants sent to cause mayhem and cost more lives.

Occupy Wall Street protesters demonstrate outside US SC

WASHINGTON: Holding signs and shouting slogans, dozens of activists braved the chilly temperatures and gathered in front of the US Supreme Court on Friday (January 20) to protests against a 2- year decision called 'Citizens United.'That 2010 decision, Citizens United v Federal Elections Commission, allows corporations and private groups to spend huge amounts of money on political campaigns with few restrictions.The protest, dubbed 'Occupy the Courts,' was among hundreds occurring at federal courthouses in cities across the country, and included signing a petition to try and get the high court s decision overturned.In Washington, protesters chanted 'Rights are for people, not for corporations' and 'Which side are you on?' A handful of protesters were arrested.The nonprofit organization, Move to Amend organized 'Occupy the Courts' to launch its campaign to amend the U.S. Constitution, seeking to abolish corporate constitutional rights and establish that money is not speech.Move to Amend expected up to 25,000 people to rally across the United States, according to one of its spokesman.Occupy Wall Street began when protesters set up camp in New York s Zuccotti Park on Sept. 17, sparking demonstrations across the United States and elsewhere in the world and, in some cases, violent clashes with police.Protesters say they are upset that billions of dollars in bailouts given to banks during the recession allowed a return to huge profits while average Americans have had no relief from high unemployment and a struggling economy.They also believe the richest 1 percent of Americans do not pay their fair share of taxes.

Afghan Taliban say recruited soldier who killed French troops

 

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - The Afghan Taliban said on Saturday they had recruited an Afghan soldier who shot dead four French soldiers in the country's east a day earlier, prompting France to threaten an early pullout from the NATO-led war.
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has recruited people in important positions. Some of them have already accomplished their missions," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by telephone, using another name the Islamist group call themselves.
A regional Taliban commander added that incidents such as a video showing U.S. marines urinating on corpses was boosting support for the group among Afghans and threatened more attacks.

Ousted Madagascar leader boarding flight for return

 

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Ousted Madagascar leader Marc Ravalomanana was boarding a South African Airways plane Saturday to return home after nearly three years in exile, a spokesman said.
"He is about to climb onto the plane and is departing out of the state protocol lounge. The airline has said they will allow him to board," a spokesman for the former president told Reuters.
The plane is scheduled to depart at 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) and is expected to land in the capital Antananarivo at 3 p.m. (1200 GMT).
(Reporting by Ed Stoddard; editing by Tim Pearce)

Mexico baby trafficking dates back over 20 years

 

A baby-trafficking ring aiming to pass infants on for adoption had operated for more than 20 years in Mexico and sent children to Italy as well as Ireland, according to a Mexican official.
Authorities have detained nine suspects and interviewed 15 Irish nationals in the past week in western Mexico in a probe into the trafficking network. Ten babies have also been taken into custody.
Documents seized from a lawyer's office during the probe showed children had been "legalized" by the network in cases dating back to 1990, said Blanca Barron, an official from the Jalisco state attorney general's office.
Birth certificates, adoption papers and receipts sent to the babies' natural mothers were among the discoveries.
Some children had been sent to Italy as well as Ireland, Barron said, but she was unable to say how many youngsters had been victims.
Suspects from the law firm were missing, she said.
Nine people, two men and seven women, have been detained in the past week, including a 21-year-old woman who was denounced by her family when she tried to negotiate the sale of her two sons, sparking the investigation.
Four of the children taken into custody showed signs of sexual abuse, prosecutors said.
Fifteen Irish nationals have been questioned but none were charged. It is unclear if they knew about the illegality of the process.
The network, which apparently operated through small advertisements in the local press, paid 1,200 pesos (88 dollars) per week to mothers during their pregnancies and provided medical aid.

LA hospital prepares to send tiny baby home

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of the world's smallest surviving babies is headed home.
Melinda Star Guido weighed only 9 ½ ounces at birth— less than a can of soda. After spending her early months in the neonatal intensive care unit, a team of doctors and nurses will gather Friday to see her off.
Melinda has been growing steadily and gaining weight since she was born premature at 24 weeks in August at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. She is the world's third smallest baby and the second smallest in the U.S.
Now weighing 4½ pounds, doctors said Melinda has made enough progress to be discharged. It's too early to know how she will fare developmentally and physically, but doctors planned to monitor her for the next six years.
Most babies this small don't survive even with advanced medical care. About 7,500 babies are born each year in the United States weighing less than 1 pound, and about 10 percent survive.
A study published in the journal Pediatrics in 2010 found that many survivors have ongoing health and learning concerns. Most also remain short and underweight for their age.
There are some rare success stories. The smallest surviving baby born weighing 9.2 ounces is now a healthy 7-year-old and another who weighed 9.9 ounces at birth is an honors college student studying psychology, according to doctors at Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois where the girls were born.
Soon after birth, Melinda was treated for an eye disorder that's common in premature babies and underwent surgery to close an artery. Melinda's mother, 22-year-old Haydee Ibarra, held her for the first time after the operation in November.
Despite the hurdles, doctors said Melinda was fortunate she did not suffer serious complications such as bleeding in the brain.

‘Kiss’ and sex talk lands Ali Zafar’s film in trouble

The sex talk and kiss in 'London, New York, Paris' got its trailer an 'A' certificate

After the Censor Board clamped down on Ali Zafar and Aditi Rao Hydari's next, the filmmakers are now in a panic mode. The sex scene between the two has already created a problem for the film's producer after the board gave an 'A' certificate to the film trailer, thereby limiting its reach.

The trailer is said to have sexual references. 'Adult' trailers can only be screened with feature films for mature audiences.

It is also being said that Pakistani pop star Ali Zafar's smooch with Aditi might be up for moral scrutiny in the actor's home country. Now the producers have decided to modify the sequence for both the trailer and feature film format.

Vijay Singh, the CEO of the production company says, 'We got an 'Adults' certificate for the trailer. But we're aiming for a 'U/A'. Unlike Delhi Belly that targeted an adult audience, our film is for a much younger audience. We will modify the sex reference in the relevant scene.'

We also hear that Ali was rather reluctant to kiss his co-star in the film. However he had to give in finally.

Says a source, 'Unlike some of his Pakistani colleagues from the entertainment world who come to India and create controversies, Ali is very careful about his image.

When the kisses in the script were narrated to him he had flatly refused, arguing that they could be fudged. He did not want to risk offending his country's strong political and cultural lobby after kissing his co-star. On top of being a Pakistani, Ali is also a married man with a child.'

However, it seems Aditi has no qualms with smooching scenes despite belonging to a conservative royal family in Hyderabad. Our source points out, 'Aditi has done innumerable kisses in Sudhir Mishra's Yeh Saali Zindagi. She also kissed Ranbir Kapoor in Rockstar.

She convinced Ali it was okay to let the lip-lock happen.' We hear that instead of several kisses that were penned in the script, the Pakistani singer finally agreed to shoot for just one. The producers have refrained from commenting on this matter. Ali's kissing debut is being kept as quiet as possible.

Ex-champ Mats Wilander out of hospital

Former world number one Mats Wilander has been released from hospital following treatment after he fell and lacerated a kidney, his company said on Friday.
In a Facebook posting Wilander on Wheels (WOW), which runs tennis clinics, gave an update on the condition of the Swede, a commentator for Eurosport.
"To give everyone an update on Mats' condition... Mats has been released from the hospital and is recovering at a hotel," the message, posted on Thursday, said.
"In the end, Mats received a blood transfusion of three units of blood (a little less than a litre) and accepted the transfusion well! He is healing properly and hopes to be on his feet shortly for GAME SET MATS!
"He will not be playing tennis for at least one month. WOW's schedule for the month of February will need to be postponed. WOW is hopeful to resume operations sometime in March.... Thanks for everyone's concerns."
Wilander was taken to hospital in Melbourne on the eve of the Australian Open after a fall in his apartment on Saturday in which he lacerated one of his kidneys, causing internal bleeding.
Wilander, 47, won seven grand slam singles titles, including three Australian Open titles, in a glittering career.

Arfa Karim (Daughter Of Pakistan)

LAHORE: Funeral prayer of Arfa Karim, the world s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), has been offered here on Sunday morning, Geo news reported.According to the report, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif among various political leaders, officials of armed force and large number of people attended the funeral.On Saturday, Arfa lost the battle of life after remaining admitted in Combined Military Hospital. Arfa Karim was only sixteen years old.Arifa Karim remained in intensive care at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) after suffering an epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest a few weeks ago. After battling for life for 26 days, one of Pakistan s brightest brains left this world for good.Born in 1995, Arfa Karim got the honor of World s Youngest Microsoft Certified Professional when she was only 9 years old in 2004. Bill Gates, the Chairman of Microsoft, invited Arfa to visit the Microsoft Headquarters in the USA in the age of 10 only.Later, in August 2005, Arfa was also honored by the Pakistan Government for the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal in the field of Science and Technology which she received from then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. She was also honored with Salaam Pakistan Youth Award in 2005 which has been set up by Pakistan s only Nobel laureate Dr Abdul Salam. Moreover, Arfa has won the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance.

Man pleads no contest to stalking Halle Berry

(Reuters) - A man with a criminal history who showed up at Oscar winner Halle Berry's house in the Hollywood Hills pleaded no contest on Thursday to a charge of stalking her, and a judge ordered him to stay 200 yards away from the actress for 10 years.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dennis Landin also handed down a 386-day jail sentence to the 28-year-old man, Richard Franco.
But Franco will soon be released because he has already served half that term behind bars since his arrest in July, and he is being given credit for the other half of the sentence under measures to reduce overcrowding in the Los Angeles County jail system, prosecutors said.
Franco, who according to Los Angeles police has a history of violence, theft and drug offenses, was found to have a book with "nonsensical ramblings" and Berry's name in his handwriting, the actress said in court papers filed last year.
Franco first approached Berry's home on July 9, 2011, when she was talking to her manager and saw through a glass door that Franco -- whom she does not know -- was in the gated backyard, the papers stated. Berry's manager yelled at Franco and he left, she said in the papers.
The actress further said that on July 10, she went to her kitchen to get a Diet Coke and noticed Franco was on the other side of a glass door, less than one foot away.
She said she ran upstairs to call police. That evening, arrangements were made to have armed security officers at her home, and Franco was caught when he returned the next day.
Los Angeles police Detective John Gregozek testified in court last year that he spoke to Berry a day after the defendant's arrest.
"She was afraid for her safety and that of her daughter, as well," Gregozek said. "She hired armed security to stay at her residence 24 hours."
As a result of his plea, a residential burglary charge against Franco was dismissed.
In addition to jail time and the stay away order, Franco was placed on five years probation and ordered to undergo one year of psychological counseling, said Los Angeles deputy district attorney Wendy Seagall.

Redford slaps Romney as Sundance filmfest opens

Veteran US actor Robert Redford took a dig at Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney, his party's White House nomination battle and Congress as he opened the annual Sundance film festival.
Redford, touting his knowledge of European culture, lamented the "mushroom cloud of ego" hovering over the Republican party's presidential debates, the latest of which was being held in South Carolina Thursday evening.
He was asked about US policies towards filmmakers in contrast to Europe's, and the questioner suggested Romney might be someone who would prefer a US blockbuster like "Transformers" rather than an independent film.
"In terms of what's going on there... in terms of Mitt Romney. I mean, I'm not going to get into politics. The fact is you can see the (Republican) debates going on, this mushroom cloud of ego hovering over everybody," he said.
"It's kind of silly and stupid and I'm sorry about it... Mitt Romney can go and see what he wants to see. If he likes 'Transformers,' great, it's there for him, but that's not where we are," he added.
Redford recalled the time he spent in France and Italy when he was a student, saying it probably still influences his outlook -- and even the Sundance Film Festival, which he launched in the 1980s.
More generally, he added: "For years and years and years, you've all experienced what we had to live with, the fact that other countries are far more supportive of their artists than we are...
"But when you have congressional narrow-minded people, people who are afraid of change when change is the only thing that succeeds, the only thing we know is going to happen is that things are going to change.
"There are people that are afraid of it, so they fight it. I think it's just tragic that we don't support our artists more than we do. And as long as we're going to have that kind of thinking in Congress, we're going to have to fight it."
The 28th Sundance Film Festival, held in the Utah ski resort of Park City from January 19-29, will present 117 feature films from 30 countries, including 45 first-timers -- 24 in competition -- and 91 world premieres.

File-sharing site shut down, seven indicted in US

Megaupload.com, one of the world's largest file-sharing sites, has been shut down and seven people charged with copyright infringement and other crimes, US authorities announced.
The indictments sparked retaliation from the "Anonymous" hacktivist group, who announced in a tweet that they had downed the websites of the US Justice Department, Universal Music, and the Recording Industry Association of America.
The founder of the Hong Kong-based Megaupload was among four people arrested in connection with what the Justice Department and FBI described as "among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States."
In a statement, the Justice Department and FBI said the seven were "responsible for massive worldwide online piracy of numerous types of copyrighted works, through Megaupload.com and other related sites."
They generated more than $175 million in criminal proceeds and caused "more than half a billion dollars in harm to copyright owners," the statement said, by offering pirated copies of movies, TV programs and other content.
The announcement of the indictment came one day after Wikipedia, Google and other websites staged a protest against congressional legislation intended to crack down on online piracy.
Attempts to access the Justice Department, Universal Music, and Recording Industry Association of America portals failed, following the action by Anonymous on Thursday.
Megaupload Ltd and another company, Vestor Ltd, were indicted by a grand jury in Virginia and charged with racketeering conspiracy, various copyright infringement counts and conspiring to commit money laundering.
Among those indicted was the founder of Megaupload and sole shareholder of Vestor, Kim Dotcom, 37, a resident of Hong Kong and New Zealand who is also known as Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor.
The others charged are Finn Batato, 38, of Germany; Julius Bencko, 35, of Slovakia; Sven Echternach, 39, of Germany; Mathias Ortmann, 40, of Germany; Andrus Nomm, 32, of Estonia; and Bram van der Kolk, 29, of the Netherlands.
The Justice Department and FBI said Dotcom, Batato, Ortmann and van der Kolk were arrested on Thursday in Auckland, New Zealand, by local authorities on the basis of arrest warrants requested by the United States.
Bencko, Echternach and Nomm remain at large.
The Justice Department and FBI said $50 million in assets was seized during the operation along with 18 domain names. Attempts to connect to Megaupload.com were unsuccessful on Thursday.
Conspiracy to commit racketeering and conspiracy to commit money laundering each carry maximum sentences of 20 years in prison while five years in prison is the maximum punishment for the copyright infringement charges.

Explosions hit N.Ireland govt offices, no one hurt

BELFAST: Two explosions hit Northern Ireland s second largest city of Londonderry on Thursday in what a police source said were believed to be attacks by dissident Irish nationalists.No injuries were reported. One blast hit a tourist information office in the centre of the city and a second explosion happened near a social services office, also in the city, a police spokesman said.Coded telephone warnings were received before both attacks, the police source told.Some Irish nationalists, who want the British province of Northern Ireland to be part of a united Ireland, have attacked government offices in recent months.The office housing the organising committee for Londonderry s term as UK City of Culture in 2013 were hit by bomb attacks twice last year.A 1998 peace agreement largely ended more than three decades of violence between mainly Catholic Irish nationalists and predominantly Protestant unionists who want the province to remain British.However, dissident nationalists fight on with sporadic gun and bomb attacks, which have intensified in the past few years. (Reuters)

Iran says scientist s killer may have used UN info

UNITED NATIONS: Iran charged on Thursday that assassins who killed an Iranian nuclear scientist in Tehran last week may have used information obtained from the United Nations.Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, 32, was killed by a motorbike hitman who put a magnetic bomb on his car on a street during the morning rush hour on Jan. 11. Iran, at odds with Western governments over its nuclear program, has accused US and Israeli agents of being behind the killing.Iran s deputy U.N. ambassador Eshagh Al Habib said there was a 'high suspicion that ... terrorist circles used the intelligence obtained from United Nations bodies, including the sanctions list of the Security Council and interviews carried out by IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) with our nuclear scientists, to identify and carry out their malicious acts.'Ahmadi-Roshan recently met with IAEA inspectors, Al Habib told the Security Council, 'a fact that indicates that these U.N. agencies may have played a role in leaking information on Iran s nuclear facilities and scientist.'He also accused the world body of failing to observe secrecy over its inspections of nuclear facilities.U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said he was looking into the allegations. The Vienna-based IAEA is the U.N. nuclear watchdog and has played a key role in trying to determine whether Tehran s atomic program has military dimensions.The murder of Ahmadi-Roshan was the fifth daylight attack in two years on technical experts involved in Iran s nuclear program, which Western countries believe is aimed at producing an atomic weapon but Tehran says is for peaceful purposes.The United States has denied involvement in the killing and has condemned it, as has U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. An Israeli minister also said this week that Iran s charges of Israeli involvement were 'completely baseless.' (Reuters)

Johnson & Johnson settles $158m US Medicaid fraud case

The company's strong reputation has been hurt by massive recalls in the past two years

 

Johnson & Johnson has settled for $158m (£102m) over allegations that a subsidiary defrauded a state healtcare programme in the US state of Texas.

The company is accused of illegal marketing and kickbacks to boost Risperdal, an anti-psychotic drug.
Judges in other states have also ordered the subsidiary, Janssen, to pay millions for similar accusations, but those cases are still under appeal.
The company said it was "committed to ethical business practices".
The state of Texas had been seeking up to $1bn in the suit.
According to court records, the company was accused of targeting "every level" of the Texas Medicaid programme.
Medicaid is a government-backed US public heath programme for low-income citizens.

Texas' Risperdal case was filed by whistle-blower Allen Jones, who alleged the company made false or misleading statements about the drug's safety and effectiveness when compared to other drugs.

Mr Jones, a former employee of the Pennsylvania Inspector General's office, said he learned of Johnson & Johnson's actions in Texas while investigating similar claims in his home state.
The state of Texas joined the suit in 2006.
'Subverted science' The subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceutics Inc, said in a statement that the company was "committed to ethical business practices, and has policies in place to ensure its products are only promoted for their FDA-approved indications".
Allen Jones, who will receive part of the settlement, told reporters that while the payment was enough punishment, "this industry will not change its behavior until executives are prosecuted, until executives actually go to jail for the frauds they perpetrate".
"They trashed the Johnson & Johnson credo and they misused Texas and, I believe, well-meaning officials, to further their marketing aims," Mr Jones said.
"They subverted science and they induced others to betray the people they were supposed to be taking care of. To me that is reprehensible."
Last year, a South Carolina judge ruled Johnson & Johnson must pay a $327m penalty after a jury found it guilty of similar charges. In 2010, a Louisiana jury found the company violated that state's Medicaid fraud act and
awarded it $258m in damages. The company is appealing against the Louisiana verdict and has said it will appeal the South Carolina verdict as well.
Arguments in the Texas trial had already begun on 10 January. At the start of the trial, lawyers for the New Jersey-based health care giant insisted the company did nothing improper in marketing the drug.
 

Haiti police jailed for Les Cayes prison killings

Haiti's police force is rarely held to account

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seven Haitian police officers have been jailed for their part in the killing of at least 10 prisoners in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.

The officers were found guilty of offenses including murder and attempted murder for firing on inmates during a prison riot in the city of Les Cayes.
They were given sentences ranging from two to seven years with hard labour.
An eighth officer was found guilty in absentia. Another six were cleared of involvement.
Human rights activists have welcomed the outcome as a rare victory in the fight against impunity.
Correspondents say the trial itself was an unusual event in Haiti, where the justice system is limited and public officials accused of abuses are rarely held to account.
"The decision of the judge is his version of the truth," Judge Ezekiel Vaval said as he read out the sentences in a makeshift courtroom in Les Cayes.
"There are other versions that exist but this is mine, and that is the law."
Cover-up Before the verdict Judge Vaval told journalists he had received death threats during the three-month trial.
Lawyers for the police officers argued that they had faced a difficult situation in trying to suppress a riot in the chaotic aftermath of the earthquake, and said the killings were committed by an inmate who escaped.
The case was brought to trial after an investigation by an independent commission formed by the Haitian government and the UN Mission in Haiti.
It was set up after a report by the New York Times newspaper alleged that police officers had shot unarmed prisoners after they had surrendered and then tried to cover up the massacre.
The longest sentence - 13 years hard labour - was given in absentee to the head of the local riot police.
 

Dozens of Tuareg rebels dead in Mali clash, says army

The Tuareg have long complained that they have been marginalised by Mali's government

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forty-five Tuareg rebels have been killed in two days of fierce clashes with Mali's government troops, the country's military says.

It says that two soldiers also died in the fighting in the vast desert area of northern Mali.
Some of the rebels have returned from Libya where they had been part of Col Muammar Gaddafi's security forces.
The Tuareg are calling for an autonomous Azawad region in the north of Mali.
"The attackers suffered heavy losses," Mali's defense ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
It said several vehicles were destroyed during the clashes, and three towns in the desert - including Tessalit and Aguel'hoc- were now under the army's control.
At least eight people - including government troops - were injured.
The rebels were members of the the newly formed National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (NLMA), the ministry added.
The rebels have not publicly commented on the statement.

The BBC's Martin Vogl, in the capital, Bamako, says that these new rebels are heavily armed and well-trained fighters.
They returned to Mali after Libya's uprising - after spending years fighting for Col Gaddafi, who was overthrown and killed by rebel forces last year.
This week's clashes ended several years of fragile peace in the region.
The Tuareg are a nomadic community who mostly live in northern Mali, northern Niger and southern Algeria.
In Mali, they have long complained that they have been marginalized by the southern government and have staged several rebellions over the years.
 

General Motors reclaims world's top vehicle-maker slot

General Motors has been launching new models in a bid to increase its market share

Suicides down among US soldiers but violent crimes rise

Seriously injured soldiers are now treated at specialised units across the US.

US Army suicides are leveling off but rates of domestic violence and sex crimes among soldiers have increased, a report says.

Suicides among active duty soldiers, as well in the National Guard and the Reserve, totaled 278 in 2011, down 9% from 2010.
It was the first decline in four years.
The report also calls post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) an "epidemic", estimating there could be as many as 472,000 troops with the condition.
"There's a lot of good news in this report, but there's also some bad news," Gen Peter Chiarelli told reporters at a Pentagon news conference. "We know we've got still a lot of work to do."
Violent sex crimes and domestic violence have increased more than 30% since 2006 and child abuse by 43%.
Repeat offenders The findings follow a 2010 report that said the Army was either missing signs that suicidal soldiers were trouble or were looking the other way as commanders tried to keep up with tight deployment schedules in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gen Chiarelli said commanders were now getting more soldiers into substance abuse programs, and kicking out more troops for misconduct.
The report also shows an increase in soldiers being brought to hospital for suicidal thoughts.

"After 10 years of war... you're going to have problems that no-one could have foretasted" said Gen Chiarelli.

"I think we've at least arrested this problem and hopefully will start to push it down," Gen Chiarelli said.
Part of the increase in domestic abuse, the report says, is recidivism from previous offenders. Both domestic and child abuse associated with alcohol has increased since 2006.
Such an increase "may be associated" with research linking high rates of drinking and aggression among veterans suffering from combat-related wounds, injuries and illnesses, according to the Army's findings.
While the report notes that screening and treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) has improved, the Army currently has over 126,000 diagnosed cases of traumatic brain injury, 3,500 of them severe, penetrating injuries.
As of mid-2011, there were over 187,000 diagnosed cases of PTSD, but projections of the number of veterans and current soldiers with the disorder were much higher.
 

Six Nato soldiers killed in Afghan helicopter crash

Six Nato soldiers have been killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan, the worst crash since 30 soldiers died last August. A Nato statement said the helicopter came down in the south of the country.
Nato said no insurgent activity had been reported in the area at the time. The cause of Thursday's crash is now being investigated.
No further details of the crash would be released until the families of those on board had been informed, Nato said.
"The cause of the crash is under investigation, however initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash," a spokesman from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by Nato said.
ISAF has not disclosed the nationalities of those killed.
The British Ministry of Defense said there were no UK soldiers involved.

The crash happened on the same day at least seven civilians died in a suicide attack at an airport used by international forces in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

The attacker, driving a car, detonated explosives close to a gate at the perimeter of the airport. Afghan officials said the victims included two children.
The Taliban has said it was behind the attack, which analysts say shows Kandahar's fragile security situation.
In August 2011, 30 soldiers, including 22 US Navy Seal commandos, died in a helicopter crash in the east of Afghanistan.
They were aboard a Chinook helicopter that went down in a district of Wardak province, west of Kabul. Officials, witnesses and the Taliban have said it was shot down by insurgents during a combat mission.

South Carolina debate: Newt Gingrich fury at media

Mr Gingrich: ''I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that''.

 US Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich has angrily denied a report that he once wanted an "open marriage", strongly criticising the US media at the start of a key debate.

Mr Gingrich told CNN's debate host that even raising the issue was "as close to despicable as anything I can imagine".
He called the US media "destructive, vicious and negative".
The four remaining candidates appeared in a last-ditch debate before Saturday's South Carolina primary.
Mr Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum debated in Charleston after a dramatic day.
As Mr Gingrich gained on Mr Romney in the polls, an ex-wife revealed in an interview he wanted an "open marriage".
Meanwhile, Texas Governor Rick Perry pulled out of the race and Iowa said a vote mix-up meant Mr Romney had not won its caucuses.
Mr Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is the front-runner in the state-by-state race for the Republican Party's nomination to challenge Democratic President Barack Obama for the White House this November.
He is ahead of Mr Gingrich, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Christian conservative former Senator Rick Santorum and Texas Congressman Ron Paul.
'Grandiose thoughts' After Mr Gingrich's blistering opening, Mitt Romney's caution on the issue of his tax returns provided the most revealing moment.

Mr Romney: ''What I have, I earned. I worked hard, the American way''

Asked if he would follow his father's example and release 12 years of returns, Mr Romney - who is worth an estimated $200m (£130m) - said he would release "multiple years", but hesitated in his answer and drew jeers from the crowd.
"I'm not going to apologise for doing well," he said. "What I have, I earned."
Mr Gingrich, by contrast, was able to announce that his campaign had released his tax returns shortly before the debate began.
The candidates also clashed over healthcare and President Barack Obama's controversial reform law.
Mr Santorum said he doubted Mr Romney and Mr Gingrich would keep their promises to repeal the law, citing their previous support for similar legislation.
The former Pennsylvania senator said he had never supported the individual mandate, while Mr Gingrich and Mr Romney "played footsie with the left" on healthcare.

Mr Santorum - who adopted a combative tone throughout the debate - also questioned Mr Gingrich's time as House speaker, a time when he was a close associate of his rival.

"Sometimes you have these worrisome moments," he said, warning that Mr Gingrich could "pop off" at any time, in an echo of Mr Romney's earlier attacks that he was "unreliable".
Mr Gingrich was unapologetic, casting himself as a "rebel" during his congressional days, and arguing that he helped Republicans win a majority in the 1990s.
"You're right. I think grandiose thoughts." Mr Gingrich said. "This is a grandiose country"
Perry bows out Mr Gingrich took the debate stage hours before ABC News broadcast the full details of an interview with his second wife, Marianne.
Despite poll numbers showing him gaining on Mr Romney, the long-time front-runner, his pitch to South Carolina's largely conservative and Christian electorate looked to be under threat by her testimony.
In an excerpt of her remarks on ABC News' Nightline programme, the former Mrs Gingrich says her ex-husband wanted her to share him with Callista Bisek, the woman who would become his third wife.
"He was asking to have an open marriage and I refused," she said.
A dramatic day on the campaign trail began with the news that Texas Governor Rick Perry had decided to quit - and endorse Mr Gingrich.

Rick Perry: "I know when it's time to make a strategic retreat"

When Mr Perry entered the race in August, he briefly shot to the front of the pack before gaffes and poor debate performances set him back.
The Texas governor told supporters in South Carolina on Thursday: "I've come to the conclusion that there is no viable path forward for me in this 2012 campaign.
"Therefore today I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich."
He called Mr Gingrich "a conservative visionary who can transform our country", adding: "Newt is not perfect, but who among us is?"
His departure follows on the heels of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and last month, Georgia businessman Herman Cain.
Mr Perry had faced calls in recent days to stand aside as rivals warned the conservative vote would fracture across the candidates, ultimately benefiting Mr Romney.
Thursday also saw the final results of the Iowa caucuses certified as a split decision between Mr Romney and Mr Santorum because of missing data.
Mr Romney had initially been declared the winner of the 3 January nominating contest, by a mere eight votes.
But the final count shows Mr Santorum ahead by 34 votes. No winner has been declared because the results from eight precincts are missing.

Bill rectifying by-polls tabled in NA

Bill rectifying by-polls tabled in NAISLAMABAD: The government on Monday tabled the 20th Constitutional Amendment bill in the National Assembly, recommending assuming incomplete Election Commission acceptable.The bill moved by Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah recommends an amendment in Article 219 of the Constitution.It recommends to rectify a constitutional wrong, which surfaced after the election of a number of members to Parliament and provincial assemblies without meeting the criteria set in the 18th Amendment.The bill, if passed will authorise the Chief Election Commissioner tohold by-elections without constituting a four-member Election Commission -a mandatory requirement under the 18th Amendment.The statement of objects and reasons of the bill says that in judgmentof the Supreme Court of Pakistan dated 25-4-2011 in the ConstitutionPetition No 32/2009, direction was given to the Federation for constitution of an Election Commission in accordance with the amended provisions of the Constitution and certain observations were also made in the course of hearing of Constitution Petition No.31/2001, particularly with reference to by-elections, which had been conducted by the Chief Election Commissioner in the interregnum.In order to give legal cover it has become necessary to amend the Constitution for the said purpose, the statement added.Earlier, the House deferred the National Commission for Women Bill, 2011 with an aim to give members more time for further deliberation. (APP)

Inside Obama's World: The President talks to TIME About the Changing Nature of American Power

Zakaria: So when we talked when you were campaigning for the presidency, I asked you what Administration's foreign policy you admired, and you had said that you looked at Bush Sr.'s diplomacy, and I took that to mean the pragmatism, the sense of limits, good diplomacy, as you looked upon it favorably. Now that you are President, how has your thinking evolved? Do you still look at that as a hallmark of good diplomacy?

Obama: It is true that I've been complimentary of George H. W. Bush's foreign policy and I continue to believe that he managed a very difficult period very effectively. Now that I've been in office for three years, I think that I'm always cautious about comparing what we've done to what others have done, just because each period is unique. Each set of challenges is unique. But what I can say is that I made a commitment to change the trajectory of American foreign policy in a way that would end the war in Iraq, refocus on defeating our primary enemy, al-Qaeda, strengthen our alliances and our leadership in multilateral fora and restore American leadership in the world. And I think we have accomplished those principal goals.

We still have a lot of work to do, but if you look at the pivot from where we were in 2008 to where we are today: the Iraq war is over, we refocused attention on al-Qaeda, and they are badly wounded. They're not eliminated, but the defeat not just of bin Laden, but most of the top leadership, the tightening noose around their safe havens, the incapacity for them to finance themselves, they are much less capable than they were back in 2008.

Kodak Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

Heather Ainsworth/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Eastman Kodak Co. announced today that it has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The photography and imaging equipment company and its U.S. subsidiaries "filed voluntary petitions for the reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York," according to a news release posted on Kodak's website early this morning.
According to the company, the move is intended "bolster liquidity in the U.S. and abroad, monetize non-strategic intellectual property, fairly resolve legacy liabilities, and enable the Company to focus on its most valuable business lines." In addition, the company said it has received $950 million financing from Citigroup to maintain operations as it goes through bankruptcy.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Kodak was preparing for bankruptcy in the "coming weeks" in case efforts to sell its patents fall through.
"Kodak is taking a significant step toward enabling our enterprise to complete its transformation," said Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in the release.
Perez said the company "must complete the transformation by further addressing our cost structure and effectively monetizing non-core IP assets. We look forward to working with our stakeholders to emerge a lean, world-class, digital imaging and materials science company."
Kodak has long struggled with reinventing itself as a technology company amid advancements in digital cameras and photo sharing.
The company has closed 13 manufacturing plants and 130 processing labs, and reducing its workforce by 47,000 since 2003, the release said.
Earlier this month, Kodak disclosed that the New York Stock Exchange warned the company's shares could be delisted unless it gets its finances in order in the next six months.
Since 1892, the company has been called Eastman Kodak Company under George Eastman.
In 1888, the word KODAK was registered as a trademark for a camera that could be used by a larger market, the company said.
ABC News' Susanna Kim contributed to this report.

Rick Perry to drop out of presidential campaign: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Texas Governor Rick Perry was poised to drop his run for the Republican presidential nomination later on Thursday, CNN reported.

Perry entered the race in August and briefly was at the front of the pack of Republican candidates, but a series of gaffes and controversial statements during the campaign undermined his standing in polls. CNN cited two unnamed sources in saying Perry would drop his candidacy later on Thursday.

Perry abandoning bid, backing Gingrich

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Texas Gov. Rick Perry is abandoning his presidential bid and endorsing Newt Gingrich.
That's according to Republican officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the Republican presidential candidate's announcement.
Perry plans a news conference at 11 a.m. in South Carolina, where he will announce his decision.
He has faced calls to drop out of the race in recent days as polls show him languishing while Gingrich gains steam.

Southwest posts $152M 4Q profit on strong traffic

• FILE - In this April 6, 2011 file photo, a Southwest Airlines aircraft taxies at …

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines Co. is making money even with higher fuel prices, thanks to full planes and rising fares.
The airline expects strong revenue in the first quarter too, based on passenger-booking trends, says CEO Gary C. Kelly.
Southwest said Thursday that it earned $152 million in the fourth quarter, up from $131 million a year earlier.
The increase, however, came entirely from gains on fuel-hedging contracts. Without those one-time gains, Southwest would have earned $66 million, or 9 cents per share, down from adjusted income of $115 million, or 15 cents per share, a year earlier.
Still, the results beat analysts' prediction of 8 cents per share, according to FactSet.
With the addition of AirTran Airways, which Southwest bought last year, revenue jumped to $4.11 billion, just below analysts' forecast of $4.12 billion.
Southwest paid $1.4 billion for AirTran, which allowed it to expand into Atlanta, Mexico and the Caribbean, but it said Thursday that the cost of combining the two airlines will end up at $500 million. The company said it saved $80 million in overlapping expenses in 2011 and expects the annual savings to go much higher.
Southwest carries more passengers in the U.S. than any airline, and it's the first to report fourth-quarter results, so its profit is likely to be seen as a precursor to figures from other carriers that report next week.
Fuel costs have weighed on the airlines, but they were able to offset that by raising fares repeatedly in 2011.
The average passenger on Southwest paid a fare of $140.18 in the fourth quarter, a 7 percent increase from a year earlier.
Southwest paid 34 percent more at the pump to fill its fleet of Boeing 737s, however. Fuel averaged $3.29 per gallon, up from $2.46 a year earlier, and Southwest's final fuel tab came to $1.49 billion.
And there's no relief in sight. Southwest expects to spend $3.35 per gallon in the first quarter, up from $2.95 per gallon in same period last year.

UK spied on Russians with fake rock

Russian TV first reported the fake rock allegations five years ago

A former UK government official has admitted Britain was caught spying when Russia exposed its use of a fake rock in Moscow to hide electronic equipment.

Russia made the allegations in January 2006, but this is the first time anyone in the UK has publicly accepted them.
Jonathan Powell, then Prime Minister Tony Blair's chief of staff, told a BBC documentary it was "embarrassing", but "they had us bang to rights".
He added: "Clearly they had known about it for some time."
They had been "saving it up for a political purpose", he said.
The story was first aired on Russian television, which ran a report showing how the rock contained electronic equipment and had been used by British diplomats to receive and transmit information.

It showed a video of a man walking along the pavement of a Moscow street, slowing his pace, glancing at a rock and slowing down, then picking up his pace. Next the camera films another man, who walks by and picks up the rock.

Mexican navy seizes huge haul of precursor chemicals

There has been a series of such seizures in recent weeks

The Mexican navy says it has seized 195 tonnes of chemicals which can be used to make the drug methamphetamine.

The navy found 12 shipping containers full of the precursor chemical in the Pacific coast port of Lazaro Cardenas.
They said the chemical had been shipped from China and was destined for Guatemala and Nicaragua.
The authorities said that Mexican drug cartels have been expanding their methamphetamine operations to Guatemala.
Mexican officials said the chemical, methylamine, could be used to make the synthetic drug methamphetamine, and also to produce cocaine.
Growing demand
Over the past six weeks, the Mexican security forces have seized nearly 900 tonnes of precursor chemicals, almost all of them bound for Guatemala.

Colombia prosecutors question 'shaman rain payment'

The tournament, won by Brazil, was held across Colombia with the final in Bogota.

Colombian prosecutors are investigating why organizers paid a "shaman" $2,000 (£1,400) to keep rain away from the closing ceremony of the Fifa U-20 World Cup held in the country last year.

The inquiry was launched after cost overruns totaling $1m came to light.
But the focus of their questions is a 64-year-old man who says he uses dowsing to stave off or attract rain.
The event's organizers defended their decision to use him, noting that the final event was indeed rain-free.
The "rain-stopper" in question, Jorge Elias Gonzalez, has been dubbed a "shaman" or medicine man by the Colombian media.
A dark joke doing the rounds in the capital, Bogota, asks why the shaman was not also hired to minimise the impact of the last rainy season, which killed 477 people and affected some 2.6 million Colombians.
Yet more cynical voices have said that, given the corruption allegations involving the Bogota authorities in recent years, Mr Gonzalez should be praised as the only contractor to deliver what he promised.
The spectacular closing ceremony in Bogota's El Campin stadium on 20 August last year remained dry - a stark contrast with the opening event in Barranquilla a month earlier that was drenched.
Ana Marta de Pizarro, the anthropologist and theater director who was in charge of the ceremony, used this argument to defend the hiring of a rain stopper.
"Had it rained, the event would not have taken place. It didn't rain on the ceremony, it was successful and I would use him again if I needed to," she said.
And Ms Pizarro also said Mr Gonzalez had been hired in the past to ensure Bogota's International Theatre Festival was rain-free.

Mexican army frees three children held by alleged gang

Police found a threatening message at the place where a head was dumped on Tuesday

The Mexican army says it has rescued three children who were being held by a suspected criminal gang.

Officials said the children had been chained and locked up in a private home in the central city of Temixco.
Inside the home, soldiers also found the decapitated body of a man, whose head had been dumped on Tuesday.
Thirteen people suspected of belonging to a criminal gang specialising in theft, kidnapping and drug trafficking were arrested during the raid.
No information was released about the children, or where and when they may have been abducted.
Officials only said they would be receiving psychological counselling.
Growing violence
The army said the body found in the apartment belonged to Eduardo Gonzalez Mora.
His head had been found inside a motorcycle helmet in the nearby town of Nueva Morelos de Xochitpec on Tuesday.
A threatening message had been left next to the head signed by a criminal gang calling itself "Los Rojos" (Red Ones).
Officials said very little was known about Los Rojos.
Morelos state, where Temixco is located, has seen a number of violent events in recent weeks.
On Monday, unidentified gunmen killed the police chief of Zacatepec, also in Morelos.
There have also been a number of shoot-outs over the past months.
Until recently, Morelos had escaped the high levels of violence seen in some other regions of Mexico.

Italian captain 'turned too late'

Mr Schettino reportedly said he sailed close to land to salute a former captain

 

The captain of the cruise ship that capsized on Friday, killing at least 11 people, has admitted making a navigation mistake, Italian media say.

Captain Francesco Schettino told investigators he had "ordered the turn too late" as the luxury ship sailed close to an island, according to a leaked interrogation transcript.
The Costa Concordia ran aground with about 4,200 people on board.
More than 20 are still missing but the search for survivors has been halted.

According to the leaked transcript quoted by Italian media, Capt Schettino said the route of the Costa Concordia on the first day of its Mediterranean cruise had been decided as it left the port of Civitavecchia, near Rome, on Friday.

The captain reportedly told the investigating judge in the city of Grosseto that he had decided to sail close to Giglio to salute a former captain who had a home on the Tuscan island.
"I was navigating by sight because I knew the depths well and I had done this manoeuvre three or four times," he reportedly said.
"But this time I ordered the turn too late and I ended up in water that was too shallow. I don't know why it happened."
'Saving lives' The ship's owners, Costa Crociere, said earlier this week that the change of route had not been authorised.
On Tuesday, Capt Schettino's lawyer said his client had told the judge that lives had been saved thanks to the manoeuvre he made after the ship hit rocks.
 

India exhumes graves of Japanese World War II soldiers

The Guwahati cemetery has over 500 graves

he remains of 11 Japanese soldiers killed in World War II are being exhumed at a war cemetery in the north-eastern Indian city of Guwahati. Three Japanese officials are in the city to take back the remains to Japan, officials say.
No significant remains have been exhumed yet, reports say.
The Guwahati war cemetery was established during World War II for burials of those killed during the war in the area.
The exhumation is taking place in the presence of officials of Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which maintains the cemetery, police and forensic experts.
"Guwahati is the only war cemetery among the nine war cemeteries in India which has war graves of Japanese soldiers," Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) regional manager Salew Pfotte told The Hindu newspaper.
"We have been informed that records available with Japanese government suggest that the remains of the Japanese soldiers had been buried in wooden boxes."
The Guwahati war cemetery has 548 graves, of which 486 belong to Commonwealth servicemen.
 

Bail for Delhi Commonwealth Games chief Suresh Kalmadi

Suresh Kalmadi has denied all allegations of corruption

The high court in the Indian capital, Delhi, has granted bail to Suresh Kalmadi, the disgraced former chief of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Mr Kalmadi has been in jail since April. He is accused of conspiracy regarding the awarding of commercial contracts for the Games.
He denies any wrongdoing. The build-up to the Games was marred by allegations of sleaze and incompetence.
He was removed from his post in January last year.
The court also granted bail to former Games organising committee official VK Verma.
The court has set bail at 500,000 rupees ($10,000) for Mr Kalmadi and Mr Verma and they are set to leave the Tihar Jail once the bail formalities are completed in the next 24 hours.
"We are expecting the documentation to be completed in a day or two. And we shall expect Mr Kalmadi to walk out either by the end of the day [Thursday] or tomorrow [Friday]," news agency AFP quoted Mr Kalmadi's lawyer Hitesh Jain as saying.
In his bail petition, Mr Kalmadi cited the Supreme Court's recent order in the telecoms scandal which said that "bail is rule and jail is exception".
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Mr Kalmadi "for conspiracy to cause favour to a company in Switzerland while procuring timers and scoring equipment for the Games".
Other charges related to contracts at a 2009 event in London which marked the start of a baton race across Commonwealth countries, say reports.
If found guilty he could face years in prison. Mr Kalmandi denies the charges.
VK Verma, the former director general of the Games organising committee, was arrested in February last year and accused of financial irregularities linked to the event.
The row over the Games is one of a series of corruption scandals that has rocked India in recent months.