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Monday, December 31, 2012

AP IMPACT: Al-Qaida carves out own country in Mali

AP IMPACT: Al-Qaida carves out own country in Mali

AP IMPACT: Al-Qaida carves out own country in Mali

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:59 PM PST

FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2012 file photo, fighters from Islamist group Ansar Dine leave after performing a public amputation, severing the hand of a young man found guilty of stealing rice, in Timbuktu, Mali. In recent months, al-Qaida and its allies have taken advantage of political instability within Mali to push out of their hiding place and into the towns, taking over an enormous territory which they are using to stock arms, train forces and prepare for global jihad. And as 2012 draws to a close and the world hesitates, delaying a military intervention, the extremists who seized control of the area earlier this year are preparing for a war they boast will be worse than the decade-old struggle in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/File)MOPTI, Mali (AP) — Deep inside caves, in remote desert bases, in the escarpments and cliff faces of northern Mali, Islamic fighters are burrowing into the earth, erecting a formidable set of defenses to protect what has essentially become al-Qaida's new country.

Senate "fiscal cliff" deal emerges, but not there yet

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:59 PM PST

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about negotiations with Capitol Hill while in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate leaders on Monday were very close to a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" but the compromise was heavy on tax increases and light on spending cuts, making it uncertain if rank-and-file lawmakers would back it, particularly in the House of Representatives. With only a few hours to go before a New Year's Day deadline, President Barack Obama said agreement was within sight to prevent the worst of the fiscal crisis. ...

Oil rises as 'cliff' consensus appears close

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:56 PM PST

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rose Monday as U.S. political leaders moved toward averting the "fiscal cliff" just hours before the deadline.

Report details changes in Benghazi explanations

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:52 PM PST

Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., right, accompanied by the committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, to discuss the committee's report on the security deficiencies at the temporary U.S. Mission in Benghazi, Libya. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI, CIA and other intelligence agencies — but not the White House — made major changes in talking points that led to the Obama administration's confusing explanations of the attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, a Senate report concluded Monday.

Illinois Sen. Kirk to return a year after stroke

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:51 PM PST

FILE - In this file photo taken Wednesday Nov. 3, 2010, in Wheeling, Ill., Illinois Sen.-elect Mark Kirk, R-Ill., speaks to media as he celebrates his election win. Nearly a year after a stroke left him barely able to move the left side of his body, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk is expected to climb the 45 steps to the Senate's front door this week _ a walk that's significant not just for Illinois' junior senator, but also for medical researchers and hundreds of thousands of stroke patients. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)CHICAGO (AP) — Nearly a year after a stroke left him barely able to move the left side of his body, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk is expected to climb the 45 steps to the Senate's front door this week — a walk that's significant not just for Illinois' junior senator, but also for medical researchers and hundreds of thousands of stroke patients.

Vanderbilt wins Music City Bowl to cap 9-4 season

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:49 PM PST

Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin, second from right, leads his team onto the field for the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game against North Carolina State, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference is so strong that now even Vanderbilt, yes Vandy, is winning like the Commodores haven't in nearly a century.

Armstrong better, Green Day to resume tour in 2013

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:47 PM PST

FILE - This Sept. 21, 2012 file photo shows Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day on stage at the iHeart Radio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. The Grammy-winning punk band announced new tour dates, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. Green Day's tour is scheduled to begin in March 28, 2013, in Chicago. (Photo by Eric Reed/Invision/AP, file)LOS ANGELES (AP) — Green Day is going back on the road.

Capsule reviews of new movie releases

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:46 PM PST

This undated publicity film image provided by Focus Features shows Matt Damon starring as Steve Butler in Gus Van Sant's contemporary drama, "Promised Land," a Focus Features release. (AP Photo/Focus Features, Sam Jones)"Promised Land" — An experience that's alternately amusing and frustrating, full of impassioned earnestness and saggy sections. Director Gus Van Sant has the challenge of taking the topic of fracking and trying to make it cinematic. Working from a script by co-stars Matt Damon and John Krasinski, based on a story by Dave Eggers, he succeeds in fits and starts. The impoverished small town that's the tale's setting, a place in need of the kind of economic rejuvenation fracking could provide, is full of folksy folks whose interactions with the main characters don't always ring true. "Promised Land" has its heart is on its sleeve and makes its pro-environment message quite clear, but it's in the looser and more ambiguous places that the film actually works. Damon stars as Steve Butler, a salesman traveling the country on behalf of a bland behemoth of an energy corporation. Having grown up on an Iowa farm himself and seeing how an economic downturn can devastate a small town, Butler seems to be a true believer in what he's selling. But he's also a pragmatist, as evidenced by the playfully cynical give-and-take he enjoys with his partner, Sue (a sharp Frances McDormand). Famously for his efficiency in persuading rural residents to sell their land for the drilling rights, Steve runs into a major challenge when he and Sue arrive in depressed McKinley, Pa., where an outspoken old-timer (Hal Holbrook) and a flashy, charismatic environmental crusader (Krasinski) dare to question the company's methods. R for language. 106 minutes. Two stars out of four.

Details of tentative deal averting 'fiscal cliff'

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:42 PM PST

Highlights of a tentative agreement Monday between the White House and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., aimed at averting wide tax increases and budget cuts scheduled to take effect in the new year. The measure would raise taxes by about $600 billion over 10 years. Still unresolved is how to avert across-the-board spending cuts set to begin slashing the budgets of the Pentagon and numerous domestic agencies.

Who might fill the NFL coaching openings

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:40 PM PST

When NFL coaching jobs open, the names Jon Gruden, Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy immediately surface as potential candidates.

Eagles fire Andy Reid after 14 seasons

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:38 PM PST

Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie speaks to members of the media during a news conference at the team's NFL football training facility, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, in Philadelphia. Andy Reid's worst coaching season with the Eagles ended Monday after 14 years when he was fired by Lurie, who said it was time "to move in a new direction." (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Andy Reid's worst coaching season with the Philadelphia Eagles ended Monday after 14 years when he was fired by owner Jeffrey Lurie, who said it was time "to move in a new direction."

Review: 'Promised Land' doesn't dig deep

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:36 PM PST

This undated publicity film image provided by Focus Features shows Frances McDormand starring as Sue Thomason in Gus Van Sant's contemporary drama, "Promised Land," a Focus Features release. (AP Photo/Focus Features, Scott Green)"Promised Land" offers an experience that's alternately amusing and frustrating, full of impassioned earnestness as well as saggy sections.

Pa. railroad calendar delivered 63 years late

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:30 PM PST

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A northeastern Pennsylvania newspaper has just received a calendar to help ring in the new year — except the year is 1950.

Bombs kill 23 across Iraq as sectarian strife grows

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:29 PM PST

A resident is seen behind the broken windshield of vehicle after a bomb attack in BaghdadBAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 23 people were killed and 87 wounded in attacks across Iraq on Monday, police said, underlining sectarian and ethnic divisions that threaten to further destabilize the country a year after U.S. troops left. Tensions between Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni factions in Iraq's power-sharing government have been on the rise this year. Militants strike almost daily and have staged at least one big attack a month. The latest violence followed more than a week of protests against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki by thousands of people from the minority Sunni community. ...

Central African Republic rebels ignore negotiation

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:25 PM PST

Soldiers from the Republic of Congo, operating under a multinational central-african regional mandate, arrive by airplane to boost existing forces, at an airport in Bangui, Central African Republic Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. Rebels in the Central African Republic on Monday rejected appeals for them to halt their advances and to negotiate to form a coalition government. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — President Francois Bozize's government came under growing threat Monday as rebels vowing to overthrow him rejected appeals from the African Union to hold their advance and try to form a coalition government.

Ryan stays as Jets coach, GM Tannenbaum fired

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:24 PM PST

FILE - In this Sept. 3, 2009 file photo, New York Jets Chairman and CEO Woody Johnson, left, and General Manager Mike Tannenbaum talk prior to an NFL preseason football game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The New York Jets have fired Tannenbaum and say coach Rex Ryan will be back next season. Johnson said in a statement Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, that "like all Jets fans, I am disappointed with this year's results." (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun, File)FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Mike Tannenbaum pulled out a letter as he stood in front of the New York Jets players for one last time.

UConn takes top spot in AP women's basketball poll

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:24 PM PST

Connecticut took over No. 1 in The Associated Press women's basketball poll after routing Stanford over the weekend.

Minimum wage gap grows wider between states

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:23 PM PST

This Friday, Dec. 28,2012 photo Kaylee Feight talks about the impact of a minimum wage increase on her job at Quiznos in Helena, Mont. Montana's minimum wage workers are getting a small pay raise on New Year's Day when an automatic cost-of-living increase takes effect. (AP photo/Matt Gouras)OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — With a bump in the minimum wage to $9.19 an hour on Tuesday, high school student Miranda Olson will edge closer to her goal of purchasing that black Volkswagen Beetle she's been researching online.

Suspect in NYC subway death arrested before

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:21 PM PST

In this image provided by the New York City Police Department, a composite sketch showing the woman believed to have pushed a man to his death in front of a subway train on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 is shown. Police arrested Erika Menendez on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, after a passer-by on a street noticed she resembled the woman seen in a surveillance video. The attack was the second time this month that a man was pushed to his death in a city subway station. (AP Photo/New York City Police Department)NEW YORK (AP) — The family of a woman accused of shoving a man to his death in front of a subway train called police several times in the past five years because she had not been taking prescribed medication and she was difficult to deal with, authorities said Monday.

Protester shot in Cairo may have been targeted

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:16 PM PST

An Egyptian woman holds a poster with Arabic that reads, "my Christian siblings.. happy new year.." in front of the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)CAIRO (AP) — Gunmen drove into Cairo's Tahrir Square before dawn Monday and fired at an anti-government sit-in, seriously wounding a protester who had been jailed and tortured by former military rulers after he witnessed the killing of another activist. Two lawyers involved in the case suggested it was a targeted attack.

Egypt's pound slips further against dollar

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:15 PM PST

Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil talks during a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Kandil says his country will resume talks in January with the International Monetary Fund over a $4.8 billion loan, after they were suspended during this month's political turmoil over the now-adopted constitution. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)CAIRO (AP) — The Egyptian pound slipped further against the dollar on Monday, a downward plunge on the first two days of trading under a new system, as the president tried to assure a worried public that the crisis atmosphere will end soon.

Global shares up on hopes U.S. to avoid "fiscal cliff"

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:15 PM PST

An employee of a foreign exchange trading company looks at monitors as a television set shows Japan's incoming Prime Minister and the leader of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Shinzo Abe speaking in TokyoNEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street rallied on Monday and global equities headed for their best year in the last three as U.S. lawmakers closed in on a deal to avoid a budget crisis that many fear could cripple the world economy in 2013. U.S. President Barack Obama said Congress was close to an agreement that would start chipping away at the deficit without raising middle class taxes. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell also said agreement was "very, very close." U.S. ...

Stocks turn up on hints of 'fiscal cliff' deal

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:14 PM PST

A trader wearing "2013" glasses works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. The stock market struggled for direction Monday morning after five days of losses, with the "fiscal cliff" just hours away and lawmakers yet to reach a solution. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market shot higher on Monday afternoon, in the year's final hour of trading, signaling that investors believe the politicians in Washington will work out a budget compromise to avoid the "fiscal cliff."

Texas judge OKs ban on Planned Parenthood funding

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:13 PM PST

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas can cut off funding to Planned Parenthood's family planning programs for poor women, a state judge ruled Monday.

NC governor signs pardons for Wilmington 10

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:13 PM PST

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Outgoing North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue issued pardons Monday to the Wilmington 10, a group wrongly convicted 40 years ago in a notorious Civil Rights-era prosecution that led to accusations that the state was holding political prisoners.

Bears fire coach Lovie Smith after 9 seasons

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:12 PM PST

FILE -- In a Dec. 23, 2012 file photo Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith watches his team during the first half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz. The Chicago Bears have fired coach Lovie Smith after the team missed the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri/file)LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears reached the Super Bowl under coach Lovie Smith and consistently boasted a formidable defense.

Final resting place of Newtown gunman a mystery

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:10 PM PST

FILE - This undated file photo circulated by law enforcement and provided by NBC News, shows Adam Lanza. Authorities say Lanza killed his mother at their home and then opened fire inside the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, killing 26 people. Connecticut Medical Examiner Wayne H. Carver II told the Hartford Courant that the remains of Adam Lanza were claimed several days ago by someone who wanted to remain anonymous. (AP Photo/NBC News, File)HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The body of the man who massacred 26 people at a Connecticut elementary school was claimed by his father, a family spokesman said Monday, but the public may never know what happened with the remains.

AP Sources: 'Fiscal cliff' deal emerging

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 12:06 PM PST

President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks about the fiscal cliff, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. The president said it appears that an agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff is "in sight," but says it's not yet complete and work continues. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)WASHINGTON (AP) — Working with Congress against a midnight deadline, President Barack Obama said Monday that a deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" was in sight but not yet finalized. The emerging deal would raise tax rates on family income over $450,000 and individual income over $400,000 a year, increase the estate tax rate and extend unemployment benefits for one year.

McConnell: 2 sides close on 'fiscal cliff' deal

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:59 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he and the White House have agreed on preventing tax hikes that the "fiscal cliff" will trigger after midnight. And he says they are very close to an overall deal that would also prevent budget-wide spending cuts.

NC governor sign pardons for Wilmington 10

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:57 AM PST

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Outgoing North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue issued pardons Monday to the Wilmington 10, a group wrongly convicted 40 years ago in a notorious Civil Rights-era prosecution that led to accusations of the state holding political prisoners.

Reuters TV cameraman wounded in Syria

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:47 AM PST

ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - A Reuters television cameraman was shot in the leg and wounded while filming on the front line in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on Monday. Ayman al-Sahili, a Libyan citizen working as part of a Reuters multi-media reporting team, was hit by a rifle bullet fired from a distance. He was treated in Syria and then driven across the border to Turkey. His life was not in danger. The ambulance transporting Sahili to Turkey encountered an air strike in Aleppo and maneuvered into an alley until it was safe to continue the journey. ...

Maine man in court for shooting deaths of tenants

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:46 AM PST

In this undated photo provided by York County Jail, James Pak, 74, of Biddeford, Maine, stands during a booking photo. Pak is to face charges Monday, Dec. 31, 2012 in the shooting deaths Saturday of two of his tenants after a possible dispute over where they parked their cars during a snowstorm, state police said. (AP Photo/York County Jail)ALFRED, Maine (AP) — A 74-year-old Maine man has made his first court appearance on charges he fatally shot two tenants after a possible dispute on where they parked their cars during a snowstorm.

In concession, Israel eases restrictions on Gaza

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:40 AM PST

Palestinian workers rebuild a house in Gaza City, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. Israel has started allowing long-banned building materials into the Gaza Strip, its first key concession to the territory's Hamas rulers under a cease-fire that ended eight days of intense fighting last month, the military said Monday. A Hamas official described the quantity sent so far as "cosmetic" and Gaza economists said it would take years of round-the-clock shipments to even make a dent in the gap left by the five years of blockade. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)JERUSALEM (AP) — In a major concession to Gaza's Hamas leaders Monday, Israel dropped its five-year ban on construction materials crossing into the territory and raised hopes there that rebuilding could begin following a damaging eight-day Israeli air campaign.

NTSB sends investigators to Ore. bus crash site

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:37 AM PST

Emergency personnel respond to the scene of a multiple-fatality accident after a tour bus careened through a guardrail along an icy highway and fell several hundred feet down a steep embankment, authorities said, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012 about 15 miles east of Pendleton, Ore. The charter bus carrying about 40 people lost control around 10:30 a.m. on the snow- and ice-covered lanes of Interstate 84, according to the Oregon State Police. (AP Photo/East Oregonian, Tim Trainor)PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) — A federal agency has sent two investigators to the site of an Eastern Oregon tour bus crash that killed nine people.

Obama says fiscal cliff deal in sight, not done yet

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:34 AM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Monday that a deal with Congress to avoid the U.S. "fiscal cliff," with its tax increases looming at midnight, was close, but he warned that it was not yet complete. "Today it appears that an agreement to prevent this New Year's tax hike is within sight, but it is not done," Obama said during remarks at the White House complex. "There are still issues left to resolve, but we're hopeful that Congress can get it done, but it's not done." The president made his remarks surrounded by cheering supporters identified as "middle class Americans. ...

Asian nations giving enthusiastic welcome to 2013

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:30 AM PST

LONDON (AP) — Sydney's skyline erupted in fireworks as Australia ushered in 2013 on Tuesday, while extravagant displays soon followed in Hong Kong and Beijing, and even the once-isolated country of Myanmar joined the party for the first time in decades.

Fla. man pleads guilty in NY in dinosaur dispute

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:13 AM PST

FILE - This photo released by the U.S. Attorney's office shows the fossil of a Tyrannosaurus bataar dinosaur at the center of a lawsuit demanding its return to Mongolia. Florida resident Eric Prokopi has pleaded guilty, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, at Federal Court in New York to smuggling this fossil and others into the United States. In return for his cooperation, prosecutors say they will recommend leniency. (AP Photo/U.S Attorney Office for the Southern District of New York, File)NEW YORK (AP) — A Florida fossils dealer pleaded guilty to smuggling charges Thursday and agreed to give up a celebrated $1 million dinosaur skeleton seized by the U.S. government earlier this year for its eventual return to Mongolia.

Road trip on tap for NASA's Mars rover in new year

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:12 AM PST

FILE - This Dec. 12, 2012 file image provided by NASA shows the Mars rover Curiosity at a pit stop, a shallow depression called "Yellowknife Bay." It took the image on the 125th Martian day, or sol, of the mission (Dec. 12, 2012), just after finishing that sol's drive. The Sol 125 drive entered Yellowknife Bay and covered about 86 feet (26.1 meters). The descent into the basin crossed a step about 2 feet (half a meter) high, visible in the upper half of this image. Curiosity will now head for Mount Sharp in mid-February after it drills into its first rock. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL-Caltech, File)PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Since captivating the world with its acrobatic landing, the Mars rover Curiosity has fallen into a rhythm: Drive, snap pictures, zap at boulders, scoop up dirt. Repeat.

Vigil recalls NJ homicides, an hour at a time

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:11 AM PST

Sister Helen Cole lights a candle during a vigil for homicide victims at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden, N.J., on Dec. 31, 2012. The city of 77,000 had a record 67 homicides in 2012. (AP Photo/Geoff Mulvihill)CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — In this city, everybody knows someone who's been killed or charged with a murder. But no one's sure how to stop the violence.

AP IMPACT: Big Pharma cashes in on HGH abuse

Posted: 31 Dec 2012 11:10 AM PST

Dr. Mark Molitch of Northwestern University, who helped write medical standards meant to limit HGH treatment to legitimate patients, holds an injector pen that contains approximately a weeks worth of doses for a patient in need of the drug at his clinic Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012, in Chicago. An Associated Press investigation shows that a federal crackdown on illicit foreign supplies of human growth hormone has failed to stop rampant misuse, and instead has driven record sales of the drug by some of the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)A federal crackdown on illicit foreign supplies of human growth hormone has failed to stop rampant misuse, and instead has driven record sales of the drug by some of the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies, an Associated Press investigation shows.
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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Bears beat Lions 26-24 to stay in playoff race

Bears beat Lions 26-24 to stay in playoff race

Bears beat Lions 26-24 to stay in playoff race

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 01:12 PM PST

Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) runs between Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril (92) and free safety Louis Delmas (26) during the second quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)DETROIT (AP) — Jay Cutler threw for 257 yards and a touchdown and helped seal the game with a late scramble, and the Chicago Bears kept their playoff hopes alive — for now — with a 26-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Yemen: Al-Qaida offers bounty for US ambassador

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 01:08 PM PST

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Al-Qaida's branch in Yemen has offered to pay tens of thousands of dollars to anyone who kills the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa or an American soldier in the country.

'The Hobbit' stays atop box office for third week

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 01:01 PM PST

FILE - This publicity file photo released by Warner Bros., shows the character Gollum voiced by Andy Serkis in a scene from the fantasy adventure "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." (AP Photo/Warner Bros., File)LOS ANGELES (AP) — "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" continues to rule them all at the box office, staying on top for a third-straight week and capping a record-setting $10.8 billion year in moviegoing.

Chelsea ends year with 2-1 win at Everton

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 01:01 PM PST

Chelsea's Frank Lampard, centre, celebrates after scoring his second goal against Everton during their English Premier League soccer match at Goodison Park Stadium, Liverpool, England, Sunday Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Jon Super)LONDON (AP) — Frank Lampard scored twice in a 2-1 victory at Everton on Sunday, boosting Chelsea's hopes of catching Manchester United and Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

NY plaintiff: Gay benefits 'bigger than marriage'

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:58 PM PST

In this Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012 photo, Edith Windsor speaks during an interview in her New York City apartment. Windsor has found some notoriety at age 83, as her challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act will be heard by the United States Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)NEW YORK (AP) — At age 83, Edith Windsor gets plenty of compliments for her courage to take on the federal government in a landmark case that has put attitudes about gay America squarely before the Supreme Court.

NHL, union end info talks as sides mull next step

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:34 PM PST

FILE - This Aug. 14, 2012, file photo shows NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, left, and Bill Daly, deputy commissioner and chief legal officer, following collective bargaining talks in Toronto. The NHL is set to get back to the bargaining table Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, with the locked-out players' association after a new contract offer from the league broke the ice between the fighting sides. "We delivered to the union a new, comprehensive proposal for a successor CBA," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement Friday, Dec. 28. "We are not prepared to discuss the details of our proposal at this time." (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young, File)NEW YORK (AP) — After two days of questions and answers, the NHL and the players' association now need to figure out if they are ready to bargain again in what could be a last chance to save the hockey season.

Senate leaders offer dour take on 'cliff' talks

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:26 PM PST

Clouds roil over the White House in Washington on the morning of Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, as Washington has less than 48 hours to avert the WASHINGTON (AP) — The top Senate negotiators on the effort to prevent the government from going over the "fiscal cliff" offered a pessimistic assessment Sunday barely 24 hours before a deadline to avert tax hikes on virtually every worker.

Afghan violence falls in 2012, insider attacks up

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:21 PM PST

Internally displaced Afghans wait in line to receive firewood donated by Welt Hunger Hilfe 'German Agro Action' in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Around 240 internally displaced families received firewood. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Violence in Afghanistan fell in 2012, but more Afghan troops and police who now shoulder most of the combat were killed, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press.

Maine man, 74, held in deaths of teenage tenants

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:19 PM PST

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A 74-year-old Maine man was charged in the shooting deaths of two tenants inside an apartment he rented out at his home, possibly over a dispute about where they parked their cars during a snowstorm, state police said Sunday.

Fiscal deal stalls as clock ticks to deadline

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:17 PM PST

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell addresses the Senate during an unusual session in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Efforts to prevent the economy from tumbling over a "fiscal cliff" stalled on Sunday as Democrats and Republicans remained at loggerheads over a deal that would prevent taxes for all Americans from rising on New Year's Day. One hour before they had hoped to present a plan, Democratic and Republican leaders said were still unable to reach a compromise that would stop the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that could push the economy into recession. "There are still serious differences between the two sides," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said. ...

Choctaw family devastated in Miss. SUV wreck

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:14 PM PST

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. (AP) — Funerals will be held this week for five young siblings and an adult who died when a sport utility vehicle driven by the children's father careened off an eastern Mississippi road and into a creek.

Sunni protesters attack Iraq official's convoy, guards wound two

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:07 PM PST

RAMADI, Iraq (Reuters) - Bodyguards for Iraq's deputy prime minister wounded two people when they fired warning shots at Sunni protesters who pelted his convoy with bottles and stones on Sunday, witnesses said. The incident took place in the city of Ramadi in the western province of Anbar, to where Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq had travelled to address people in an attempt to defuse sectarian tensions. ...

Comedian Katt Williams arrested in LA

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 12:04 PM PST

In this Sunday, July 22, 2007 photo, Katt Williams performs onstage during the "Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav," in Burbank, Calif. Williams found himself on the wrong side of the law after being arrested in Los Angeles, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, on suspicion of child endangerment and possession of a stolen gun. Police Officer Norma Eisenman says Williams was taken into custody Friday after the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services did a welfare check at his home. Authorities found more than one firearm, one of which had been reported stolen. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)LOS ANGELES (AP) — Katt Williams, the comedian who has repeatedly found himself on the wrong side of the law, is out on bail after being arrested in Los Angeles on suspicion of child endangerment and possession of a stolen gun.

African Union head visits Central African Republic

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 11:56 AM PST

Map locates the Central African Republic and city of SibutBANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — The leader of the African Union, Benin's President Thomas Boni Yayi, has proposed a government of national unity to resolve the rebel conflict in Central African Republic.

Bomb at Egyptian-run church in Libya kills 2

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 11:52 AM PST

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Egypt's Foreign Ministry says an explosion at an Egyptian Coptic church in Libya's third largest city, Misrata, has killed two people and wounded two others.

If cut, fiscal deal will pale against expectations

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 11:50 AM PST

Clouds roil over the White House in Washington on the morning of Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, as Washington has less than 48 hours to avert the The top Senate negotiators on the effort to prevent the government from going over the "fiscal cliff" offered a pessimistic assessment Sunday barely 24 hours before a deadline to avert tax hikes on virtually every worker.

AP's Honduras correspondent navigates violent land

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 11:33 AM PST

FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2009 file photo, passengers ride in a taxi in downtown Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Taxi drivers are known to pay extortionists more than $500 a year to park on public property. During Christmas, the cabbies dish out another $500 each in holiday TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Every Saturday morning, one of my taxi drivers pays about $12 for the right to park his cab near a hospital, about two blocks from a police station.

International envoy warns of failed state in Syria

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 11:29 AM PST

U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, left, shakes hands with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby following a joint press conference at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. The international envoy to Syria warned Sunday that as many as 100,000 could die in the next year if a solution is not reached quickly to end the country's civil war. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)BEIRUT (AP) — The international envoy seeking to end Syria's civil war warned Sunday that the failure of the government and the rebels to pursue a political solution could lead to the "full collapse of the Syrian state" and threaten the world's security.

AP photo essay: Ex-Soviet immigrants change Israel

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 11:23 AM PST

In this March. 8, 2012 photo, Russian-speaking Israelis dance to Russian pop beats at the Babylon nightclub in Tel Aviv. The club caters to the Russian-speaking immigrant community, featuring hired dancers and extravagant decorations rarely seen in informal Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — In parts of Israel, it's hard to find a single Hebrew sign in a sea of Cyrillic. Shopkeepers address customers in Russian, and groceries are amply stocked with non-kosher pork, red caviar and rows of vodka. Russian pop beats thump at bars, and in some homes, people will as likely be hunched over a chessboard as a computer keyboard.

Liberal arts colleges forced to evolve with market

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 11:22 AM PST

In this 2012 photo provided by Adrian College, members of the school's Bulldog football team warm up before homecoming in Adrian, Mich. Adrian's president, Jeffrey Docking, has added seven sports and two pre-professional degree programs to the liberal arts college since arriving in 2005 _ and nearly doubled enrollment to about 1,750. (AP Photo/Adrian College, Matt Gaidica Photography)ADRIAN, Mich. (AP) — They're the places you think of when you think of "college" — leafy campuses, small classes, small towns. Liberal arts colleges are where students ponder life's big questions, and learn to think en route to successful careers and richer lives, if not always to the best-paying first jobs.

Egypt's currency falls to a new low

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 11:19 AM PST

Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil talks during a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Kandil says his country will resume talks in January with the International Monetary Fund over a $4.8 billion loan, after they were suspended during this month's political turmoil over the now-adopted constitution. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)CAIRO (AP) — The Egyptian pound fell to a record low against the dollar Sunday as the central bank stepped into the market to try to stabilize trading and stop an anxious public that has been buying up dollars for fear of an even bigger dive in the local currency, bankers said.

Pakistan official: 19 killed in attack on Shiites

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 10:53 AM PST

Firemen try to extinguish a fire following a blast in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. The blast that ripped through the bus set the vehicle on fire and reduced it to little more than a charred skeleton, killing scores of people and leaving many injured. Authorities were trying to determine whether the explosion was caused by a bomb or a gas cylinder, said a police spokesman. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — A car bomb targeting a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims killed 19 people in southwest Pakistan on Sunday, officials and eyewitnesses said.

Former President Bush remains hospitalized

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 10:32 AM PST

FILE - In this Sept. 21, 2006 file photo, former President George H.W. Bush delivers the keynote speech before receiving an honorary Doctor of Public Administration degree at Suffolk University in Boston. A spokesman says Bush's condition continues to improve and that he was moved Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, out of intensive care and into a regular hospital room. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, Pool, File)HOUSTON (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush remains hospitalized in Houston recovering from an illness that began with a bronchitis-related cough.

Psychiatric test for suspect in NYC subway death

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 10:30 AM PST

In this image provided by the New York City Police Department, a composite sketch showing the woman believed to have pushed a man to his death in front of a subway train on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 is shown. Police arrested Erika Menendez on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, after a passer-by on a street noticed she resembled the woman seen in a surveillance video. The attack was the second time this month that a man was pushed to his death in a city subway station. (AP Photo/New York City Police Department)NEW YORK (AP) — A woman suspected in the death of an immigrant who was pushed off a New York City subway platform has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

GOP governors walk balance beam on health law

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 10:25 AM PST

FILE - In this May 16, 2012 file photo, Florida Gov. Rick Scott speaks in Fort Lauderdale. Florida Gov. Rick Scott, long opposed President Barack Obama's remake of the health insurance market. After President Obama won re-election, the Republican governor softened his tone. He said he wanted to "have a conversation" with the administration about implementing the 2010 law. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter, File)ATLANTA (AP) — Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who made a fortune as a health care executive, long opposed President Barack Obama's remake of the health insurance market. After the Democratic president won re-election, the Republican governor softened his tone. He said he wanted to "have a conversation" with the administration about implementing the 2010 law. With a federal deadline approaching, he also said while Florida won't set up the exchange for individuals to buy private insurance policies, the feds can do it.

Pagano makes grand entrance in return to sideline

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 10:18 AM PST

Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano, right, is hugged by general manager Ryan Grigson after he walks onto the field before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Colts coach Chuck Pagano received a warm welcome in his return to the sideline Sunday, then watched his team score on its first drive.

Iran: US plane leaves after emergency landing

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 10:15 AM PST

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A small American commercial plane left Iran Sunday after it was repaired following an emergency landing at an Iranian airport this month, state TV reported.

2 Iraqi Sunni protesters wounded by gunfire

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 09:42 AM PST

Protesters inspect a damaged vehicle during a demonstrations in Ramadi, 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Gunshots wounded at least two people Sunday at demonstrations in western Iraq when bodyguards protecting a senior Sunni politician opened fire to disperse protesters, a local official said, marking the first casualties in a week of rallies. (AP Photo)BAGHDAD (AP) — Gunshots wounded at least two people Sunday at demonstrations in western Iraq when bodyguards and security forces protecting a senior Sunni politician opened fire to disperse protesters, a local official said, marking the first casualties in more than a week of rallies.

Obama wants gun violence measures passed in 2013

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 09:39 AM PST

Obama: Failure to reach fiscal deal would hurt marketsWASHINGTON (AP) — Recalling the shooting rampage that killed 20 first graders as the worst day of his presidency, President Barack Obama on Sunday pledged to put his "full weight" behind legislation aimed at preventing gun violence.

Israeli leader's party criticizes president

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 09:35 AM PST

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads the weekly cabinet meeting in his Jerusalem office, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Abir Sultan, Pool)JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's president and prime minister are trading charges over making peace with the Palestinians.

No end to Syria war if sides refuse to talk -envoy

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST

AZAZ, Syria/CAIRO (Reuters) - The international peace negotiator for Syria pleaded with outside countries on Sunday to push the warring parties to the table for talks, warning that the country would become a failed state ruled by warlords unless diplomacy is given a chance. Lakhdar Brahimi, who inherited the seemingly impossible task of bringing an end to the war after his predecessor Kofi Annan resigned in frustration in July, has launched an intensified diplomatic campaign to win backing for a peace plan. He spent five days this week in Damascus, where he met President Bashar al-Assad. ...

CAR president says ready to share power with rebels

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 09:23 AM PST

Central Africa Republic's President Francois Bozize arrives at the Egmont Palace ahead of the Central Africa International Donors' Conference in BrusselsBANGUI (Reuters) - Central African Republic's embattled President Francois Bozize said on Sunday he was ready to share power with the leaders of a rebellion that has swept aside government defences to within striking distance of the capital. The three-week old onslaught by the rebel alliance Seleka has highlighted the instability of the landlocked former French colony, which remains one of the least developed nations on the planet despite its rich deposits of uranium, gold and diamonds. ...

Will retailers rebound after weak holiday season?

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 09:22 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — As signs emerge that holiday sales this year grew at the weakest pace since 2008, investors are dumping retail stocks. Analysts are crowing about the missing "consumer engine" without which the economy may stagnate.

Nobel scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini dies in Rome

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 09:05 AM PST

FILE -- Undated file photo of Italian neurologist and senator for life Rita Levi Montalcini, Nobel Prize winner for Medicine in 1986. Rome's mayor says biologist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution, and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, has died at her home in the city. She was 103. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)ROME (AP) — Rita Levi-Montalcini, a biologist who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, died at her home in Rome on Sunday. She was 103 and had worked well into her final years.

Obama skeptical of NRA proposal to put more guns in schools

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 08:57 AM PST

U.S. President Obama salutes as he returns via Marine One from a Christmas visit with his family in Hawaii, to the White House in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said in an interview broadcast on Sunday he hopes to get new U.S. gun control measures passed during the first year of his second term and is skeptical of a proposal by the National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby to put armed guards in schools. Obama assigned Vice President Joe Biden to lead a task force to come up with proposals on guns at the beginning of 2013 after the massacre of 20 children and six adults by a gunman at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, this month. "I'd like to get it done in the first year. ...

Republican Senator says chances very good for limited "fiscal cliff" deal

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 08:49 AM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Sunday that chances for a limited "fiscal cliff" deal in the next 48 hours were "exceedingly good," as talks to avoid tax increases and spending cuts on New Year's Day went down to the wire. "I think people don't want to go over the cliff if we can avoid it," Graham, a leading conservative, said on Fox News Sunday. ...

Turkey's Erdogan tells refugees Syrian rebirth near

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 08:41 AM PST

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told a crowd of thousands of Syrian refugees on Sunday their country was preparing for a "sacred birth" that would replace President Bashar al-Assad with the will of the Syrian people. Refugee camps in Turkey host 150,000 Syrians who have fled the conflict across the border, and Erdogan visited one of them on Sunday, telling the people there they should regard Turkey as their "second home" and that help was at hand. "We can see very clearly that God's help is close. ...

Central African Republic president says ready to share power with rebels

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 08:40 AM PST

Central African Republic President Bozize speaks to supporters and anti-rebel protesters during an appeal for help, in BanguiBANGUI (Reuters) - Central African Republic's embattled President Francois Bozize said on Sunday he was ready to share power with the leaders of a rebellion that has swept aside government defenses to within striking distance of the capital. The three-week old onslaught by the rebel alliance Seleka has highlighted the instability of the landlocked former French colony, which remains one of the least developed nations on the planet despite its rich deposits of uranium, gold and diamonds. ...

Pakistan militants kill 41 in mass execution, attack on Shi'ites

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 08:36 AM PST

Tribesmen attend a funeral of a paramilitary soldier who was kidnapped and executed by Taliban militants at Darra Adam KhelPESHWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani militants, who have escalated attacks in recent weeks, killed at least 41 people in two separate incidents, officials said on Sunday, challenging assertions that military offensives have broken the back of hardline Islamist groups. The United States has long pressured nuclear-armed ally Pakistan to crack down harder on both homegrown militants groups such as the Taliban and others which are based on its soil and attack Western forces in Afghanistan. ...

More French troops go to Central African Republic

Posted: 30 Dec 2012 08:22 AM PST

BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — As rebels advance in Central African Republic, France has deployed an additional 180 troops to protect its interests.
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