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February 3, 2014

KIEV, UKRAINE (BNO NEWS) -- Embattled Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has recovered from his illness and will return to work on Monday, his office said on Sunday as tens of thousands gathered in Kiev's main square, ending rumors that the sudden sick leave was part of preparations for him to step down.

"After completing the required treatment, the President of Ukraine is feeling good and his condition has been assessed as satisfactory," said Oleksandr Orda, the deputy head of the State Affairs Department on Medical Issues, on Sunday. "Viktor Yanukovych plans to go to work on Monday."

In a statement released on Thursday, Orda had said Yanukovych was on sick leave due to acute respiratory disease accompanied by fever, fueling speculation about the president's intentions. But Yanukovych continued some of his work, repealing the controversial anti-protest laws that set off week-long clashes between protesters and police and signing an amnesty bill, which was rejected by the opposition.

Also on Sunday, leading opposition activist Dmytro Bulatov left a Kiev clinic where he had been treated after he claimed to have been kidnapped and tortured for more than a week over his role in anti-government protests. He later arrived in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius where he had been offered free medical treatment, and a Kiev court said earlier on Sunday he was free to seek foreign treatment.

"Protester of Euromaidan who suffered severe torturing - Bulatov - [is] on his way to Lithuania for health treatment. Wish good recovery!" Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevicius said before Bulatov arrived in Lithuania. A text message from Bulatov later said his "head is turning of joy."

February 3, 2014

PUNXSUTAWNEY, PENNSYLVANIA (BNO NEWS) -- Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog that folklore has it can predict an early spring, emerged from his burrow Sunday and predicted that six more weeks of winter-like weather is in store for the United States.

"Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, was awakened from his burrow at 7:28 a.m. by the cheers of thousands of his faithful followers," his handlers said during the annual event in Punxsutawney, a town about 80 miles (128 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh in the Pennsylvania Wilds.

"Phil looked to the sky and gazed around his stump. Then, speaking in Groundhogese, he directed President Deeley to the correct scroll," the handlers added. That scroll announced the bleak forecast: "A Super Bowl winner I will not predict, but my weather forecast you cannot contradict. That's not a football lying beside me. It's my shadow you see. So, six more weeks of winter it shall be!"

According to holiday folklore, if the groundhog emerges in the early morning on February 2 and does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring. If he sees his shadow, six more weeks of wintry weather are expected. The annual event that started with a small group of men known as the Inner Circle in 1886 now attracts up to 30,000 visitors to Punxsutawney each year.

Since the first event, Punxsutawney Phil has only predicted 17 early springs, although records are missing for 10 years.

"What started as a small gathering in 1887 has now evolved into tens of thousands of visitors from around the nation coming to Punxsutawney to participate in this time-honored Groundhog Day tradition. The economic impact of this multi-day event is tremendous," Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett said on Sunday. "Regardless of whether Phil predicts an extended winter or early spring, tourists will have plenty of recreational opportunities in Pennsylvania to choose from in the coming weeks."

Groundhog Day has become internationally known since the 1993 comedy that starred actor Bill Murray as local weatherman Phil Connors. In the movie, Connors finds himself stuck in a personal time loop that repeats February 2 over and over while he is on a hated assignment to cover Groundhog Day.

"It's the same shtick every year. The guy raps on the door, they pull the little rat out, they talk to him, he talks back. Then they tell us what's going to happen," Connors says in the movie, adding later: "This is pitiful. 1,000 people freezing their butts off waiting to worship a rat. What a hype."

In December 2006, the Library of U.S. Congress added the 1993 movie to its film preservation list that was established to ensure "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant movies are preserved forever. There are currently 625 movies on the list.

February 3, 2014

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman dead of suspected drug overdose
By Tashauna Thompson

NEW YORK CITY (BNO NEWS) -- American actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, whose performance in the 2005 film "Capote" earned him an Oscar, was found dead Sunday in his New York City apartment, officials said, with initial indications pointing to a drug overdose as the likely cause of death.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/701610-actor-philip-seymour-hoffman-dies-aged-46/#entry7386252

February 2, 2014

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) -- Dylan Farrow, the adopted daughter of Woody Allen, on Saturday renewed her claims that she was sexually abused by the American film director when she was seven years old. It was the first time she discussed the allegations publicly.

"What's your favorite Woody Allen movie?" Dylan Farrow, 28, asks in an open letter published by the New York Times. "Before you answer, you should know: when I was seven years old, Woody Allen took me by the hand and led me into a dim, closet-like attic on the second floor of our house. He told me to lay on my stomach and play with my brother's electric train set. Then he sexually assaulted me."

She adds: "He talked to me while he did it, whispering that I was a good girl, that this was our secret, promising that we'd go to Paris and I'd be a star in his movies. I remember staring at that toy train, focusing on it as it traveled in its circle around the attic. To this day, I find it difficult to look at toy trains."

The child abuse allegations first surfaced in 1992 after his long-time girlfriend, actress Mia Farrow, discovered Allen was having an affair with her then 19- or 21-year-old adopted Korean daughter, Soon-Yi. She made the discovery by finding nude photos of Soon-Yi at Allen's home, but the film director later defended the relationship, saying he had never lived with Mia and was not a father figure to Soon-Yi.

It would later ensue a bitter and highly-publicized custody battle for Allen's three children with Mia Farrow, whose allegations that Dylan was sexually abused triggered a police investigation. But doctors found no physical evidence of sexual abuse and the Connecticut State Police filed no charges, although New York Supreme Court Justice Elliott Wilk expressed his doubts over those findings.

The allegations were all but forgotten after Allen lost the custody battle and continued his successful career, which recently earned him the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Oscar for "outstanding contributions" to the world of entertainment. He also married Soon-Yi in the Italian city of Venice in December 1997.

Allen did not immediately respond to Dylan Farrow's renewed accusations, which were previously discarded by the film director's lawyers as either a fabrication of Dylan or a fabrication of Mia that she talked the girl into telling. They also said Allen passed a lie-detector test and pointed out a 'suspicious' series of stops and starts in a videotape in which a young Dylan confirms the abuse.

"For as long as I could remember, my father had been doing things to me that I didn't like. I didn't like how often he would take me away from my mom, siblings and friends to be alone with him," Dylan wrote in Saturday's letter. "I didn't like it when he would stick his thumb in my mouth. I didn't like it when I had to get in bed with him under the sheets when he was in his underwear. I didn't like it when he would place his head in my naked lap and breathe in and breathe out."

Dylan claims the abuse happened so often that she began to believe it was normal behavior for a father, but says she later told her mother after the alleged abuse in the attic at age 7. "I didn't know the firestorm it would trigger. I didn't know that my father would use his sexual relationship with my sister to cover up the abuse he inflicted on me," she wrote.

The adopted daughter adds: "I didn't know that he would accuse my mother of planting the abuse in my head and call her a liar for defending me. I didn't know that I would be made to recount my story over and over again, to doctor after doctor, pushed to see if I'd admit I was lying as part of a legal battle I couldn't possibly understand."

Dylan, who says she is now happily married, says it "haunted" her while growing up that Allen had gotten away with the alleged abuse and that she was "terrified" of being touched by men. "I developed an eating disorder. I began cutting myself. That torment was made worse by Hollywood. All but a precious few - my heroes - turned a blind eye," she writes.

The open letter also blamed celebrities for working with Allen, and said the recent Cecil B. DeMille Oscar and other awards in the past felt as a way to tell her to "shut up and go away." She added: "What if it had been your child, Cate Blanchett? Louis CK? Alec Baldwin? What if it had been you, Emma Stone? Or you, Scarlett Johansson?"

February 2, 2014

RAOUL ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND (BNO NEWS) -- A strong earthquake struck off the uninhabited Kermadec Islands in the South Pacific Ocean on late Sunday evening, seismologists said, but no tsunami warnings were issued. Damage or casualties in the New Zealand-governed region were not expected.

The 6.4-magnitude earthquake at 10:26 p.m. local time (0926 GMT) was centered about 188 kilometers (116 miles) southeast of L'Esperance Rock, which is located halfway between New Zealand's North Island and Tonga. It struck about 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to New Zealand's seismological agency GeoNet.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude of Sunday's earthquake at a stronger 6.5, but determined the depth to be slightly deeper at 40.4 kilometers (25.1 miles). It said it was unlikely to have been felt on Raoul Island, which is home to a government-run station.

Both the New Zealand government and the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Center determined there was no tsunami threat to their coastlines. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also said there was no threat of a destructive widespread tsunami, although it initially cautioned about a very small risk of local tsunamis.

New Zealand's Kermadec Islands and the surrounding region as a whole are part of the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire,' an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently in the region.

In October 2011, a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck about 169 kilometers (105 miles) east of Raoul Island, generating a small tsunami but causing no damage. The largest tsunami wave, approximately 0.17 meter (0.6 feet) above normal sea levels, was recorded at Fishing Rock on Raoul Island.

Three months earlier, in July 2011, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck about 163 kilometers (101 miles) east of Raoul Island. The powerful earthquake generated a 1-meter (3.2 feet) tsunami that hit the island, but no damage or casualties were reported.

February 2, 2014

MEDAN, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least fourteen people were killed Saturday when a volcano erupted on the island of Sumatra in western Indonesia, just a day after villagers further away from the crater were allowed to return to their homes because volcanic activity was believed to have decreased.

Mount Sinabung, located around 52 kilometers (32 miles) southwest of Sumatra's main city of Medan, first erupted at 10:30 a.m. local time on Saturday when it spewed hot rocks and ash up to 2,000 meters (6,550 feet) into the air for nearly 8 minutes. It was followed immediately by a second eruption lasting more than 3.5 minutes and a short eruption lasting just over a minute at 11:27 a.m.

Saturday's eruption sent lava, searing gas and rocks down the volcano's southern slopes, reaching as far as 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) from its crater. A 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) radius had previously been ordered to evacuate, but many residents have repeatedly ignored the order and have returned to stay overnight.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), said at least 14 people were killed and 3 others were injured. "All the dead and injured were in the village of Sukameriah and were overcome by searing gases," he said, adding that search and rescue teams would look for more victims on Sunday.

Among the victims were at least three students aged 17, four students in their 20s, an elementary school teacher, and possibly a journalist.

The eruption came just a day after the country's Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) reported that it had not detected any significant volcanic activity at Mount Sinabung in recent days, allowing villagers outside the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) radius to return to their homes.

"Many things have been done such as the installation of signs and the deployment of officers to prevent citizens from entering the prohibited 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) radius, but there are still people who enter the hazardous areas," Sutopo explained. "There are now 16 villages that must be evacuated because it is too dangerous. Refugees are not allowed to go home."

Indonesia has more active volcanoes than any other country in the world and sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of intense volcanic and seismic activity. Two people were killed in August 2010 when Mount Sinabung also erupted, which marked the volcano's first known eruption since 1600.

One of Indonesia's most active volcanoes is Mount Merapi, which is located on the island of Java near Jogjakarta, the country's second-most visited area after Bali. Between October and November 2010, a series of eruptions took place at the volcano, killing at least 353 people and displacing more than 300,000 others.

February 2, 2014

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (BNO NEWS) -- Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley was hospitalized late Friday after falling ill while returning from a business trip in Arizona, a family spokesman said on Saturday. Details about his condition or the nature of his illness were not immediately disclosed.

Daley, 71, was taken by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital on late Friday after his private jet landed at Chicago Midway International Airport, returning from Arizona where he had attended a conference. He was able to walk off the plane unassisted, WBBM-TV reported.

"He is in Northwestern's ICU (intensive care unit) for monitoring and evaluation. Mayor Daley's family is with him and they are visiting between tests," according to family spokesman Rick Jasculca, who declined to provide other details about the condition of the city's longest-serving mayor.

Daley, the 54th Mayor of Chicago, served as Chicago's chief executive from April 1989 until May 2011, when he was succeeded by Rahm Emanuel. Prior to serving as mayor, Daley served in the Illinois Senate from 1972 until 1980 and then as the Cook County State's Attorney until 1989.

Chicago is the third largest city in the United States.

January 30, 2014

By Tashauna Thompson

GREENVILLE, KENTUCKY (BNO NEWS) -- A mother and eight of her children were killed Thursday when a fire ignited by an electric heater tore through a home in western Kentucky, local and state officials said. The father and one of the children were the sole survivors of the inferno.

The Muhlenberg County Dispatch Center received a 911 call at 2:01 a.m. local time, reporting a fire at a residence in the small community of Depoy, about 5.6 kilometers (3.5 miles) west of Greenville. The first fire truck arrived on the scene within 13 minutes and found the house fully engulfed in flames, and it took firefighters nearly 3 hours to completely extinguish the blaze.

The residence was home to the 11-member Watson family, but only two of them were able to escape from the burning structure. Both victims were airlifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, where 36-year-old father Chad Watson was listed in critical but stable condition and 11-year-old daughter Kylie in stable condition.

Chad confirmed to firefighters that the rest of his family was still inside the home. Once the blaze was contained, emergency responders, including Kentucky State Police officers and the investigators from the State Fire Marshall's Office, were able to begin their investigation and recovery efforts. Nine bodies were found.

The victims include the mother, Larae Watson, 36, and her children, Madison Watson, 15; Kaitlyn, 14: Morgan, 13; Emily, 9; Samuel, 8; Raegan Watson, 6; and twins Mark and Nathaniel, 4. All the deceased were removed from the scene and transported to the Medical Examiner's Office in Madisonville for autopsy and identification purposes.

Investigators with the Kentucky State Police and the State Fire Marshall's Office have ruled the blaze accidental. According to officials, an electric baseboard heater located in one of the bedrooms caused nearby combustibles to ignite. Investigators were not immediately able to confirm if the home was equipped with working smoke detectors and fire alarms.

"Today our community has experienced great tragedy and loss. Our hearts are deeply saddened and any words seem inadequate at this time," a spokesperson for the Muhlenberg County Sheriff's Department said. "Our hearts go out to the Watson family and we extend our deepest condolences."

Officials said the American Red Cross was on the scene of Thursday's fire and may have initiatives for lodging when the survivors are released from hospital, but it was not immediately clear when they may be released. The Watsons also have other family in the Greenville area.

January 30, 2014

By Tashauna Thompson

ATLANTA, GEORGIA (BNO NEWS) -- About two inches (5 centimeters) of snow has crippled parts of the Southern United States with thousands of drivers in Georgia being stuck in their cars for 24-plus hours and Atlanta school children left stranded at schools and on buses overnight, emergency officials said Wednesday,

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) has partnered with other state entities such as the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia National Guard, and the Georgia Department of Transportation to alleviate traffic issues caused by the snowstorm, that led to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declaring a state of emergency.

Authorities had no estimate for exactly how many people remained stuck in the gridlock for a second day on Wednesday. However, more than 24 hours after the snow and ice hit the Atlanta Metro area, traffic maps were still painted red, reflecting the gridlock that kept many drivers in their cars overnight. Those stranded were provided with food and water while waiting for the gridlock to clear.

As buses departed from schools on Tuesday afternoon, many quickly returned due to the severe road conditions, but thousands of students were forced to spend the night on buses after they too became stuck in the gridlock. Other students spent the night at school, but GEMA spokeswoman Lisa Janak Newman said all students were delivered home safely by Wednesday afternoon.

"Yesterday, I ordered the Guard to prioritize stranded school buses full of students. With Humvees, they were able to get the buses moving and deliver food and water to the students," said Deal. "Last night, we had at least 95 immobile buses. We had cleared them all by this morning, and that was a big task. Our next task was getting students home from school, and now we have achieved that."

The state was paralyzed by a similar winter storm in January of 2011, but that storm came on a Sunday when there were considerably less drivers on the roads. This time, numerous motorists abandoned their cars on highways to seek warm refuge, and officials are now working on a plan to remove abandoned cars that have made some places resemble scenes out of a 'zombie movie.'

The Georgia State Patrol reported at least 1,254 accidents and 130 injuries during the storm. In Mississippi, emergency officials reported one storm-related traffic fatality in Smith County, while officials in North Carolina reported two fatalities from weather-related vehicle crashes.

In Georgia, since Wednesday morning, hundreds of drivers have been assisted. "The Georgia Emergency Management Agency's number one priority is to clear the roads and get civilians home safely," said Newman. "My heart goes out to everyone still stranded at this time. We are using every available resource to get more people home."

More than a day after the storm began, the agency issued a Civil Emergency Message that urged civilians not to travel unless it is an emergency. "The ice and snow has been compacted into solid sheets of ice which continues to cause treacherous road conditions," Wednesday's alert said. "Any melting that occurs this afternoon will refreeze tonight."

It added: "Hundreds of vehicles and trucks are still stranded or abandoned on portions of the interstates and primary roads in the Atlanta Metro area. ... [GEMA] requests that travel be limited to emergencies only for your safety, and for the safety of emergency officials and Georgia Department of Transportation employees that continue to respond to the dangerous impacts of the winter storm."

January 29, 2014

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) -- Internet giant Google, Inc. on Wednesday confirmed it has signed an agreement to sell its Motorola division to China's Lenovo Group for $2.91 billion, just over two years after it bought the telecommunications company for $12.5 billion.

"We've just signed an agreement to sell Motorola to Lenovo for $2.91 billion," Google CEO Larry Page said in a statement. "The smartphone market is super competitive, and to thrive it helps to be all-in when it comes to making mobile devices. It's why we believe that Motorola will be better served by Lenovo."

Page added: "This move will enable Google to devote our energy to driving innovation across the Android ecosystem, for the benefit of smartphone users everywhere. As a side note, this does not signal a larger shift for our other hardware efforts. The dynamics and maturity of the wearable and home markets, for example, are very different from that of the mobile industry."

January 29, 2014

QUEZON, PHILIPPINES (BNO NEWS) -- Philippine lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a proposal that would have reinstated the death penalty, brought on by a recent series of high-profile crimes in the Southeast Asian country, nearly eight years after Congress overwhelmingly voted to abolish the practice.

"All the representatives are in agreement not to revive death penalty," said Minority Floor Leader Ronaldo Zamora of the House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress, as quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper. Representative Silvestre Bello III added that the death penalty had already shown to be ineffective at curbing crime.

But Senator Vicente C. Sotto III, who filed Senate Bill 2080 to revive the controversial practice, disagrees and said the "influx of heinous crimes" poses an "alarming situation" in the country. "The indiscriminate and horrendous brutality happening everywhere rightfully and justifiably compels the government to resort to the ultimate criminal penalty," he said, as quoted by Inquirer.

Sotto added: "Due to the alarming upsurge of such crimes, which has resulted not only in the loss of human lives and wanton destruction of property, but also affected the nation's efforts towards sustainable economic development and prosperity while at the same time has undermined the people's faith in the Government and the latter's ability to maintain peace and order in the country."

Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III showed little support for the initiative, saying the government would need to thoroughly study the proposal and expressing concern that a person sentenced to death may not always be able to prove his or her innocence due to imperfections in the justice system.

"The question is, is the convict given all the opportunities to defend himself or herself in court? Can we absolutely be sure we are not wrongly sentencing someone to death? Sad to say, this is still a work in progress," Aquino said. "We have to be absolutely sure a person is guilty because an execution cannot be undone."

The Philippine leader also noted that the Public Attorney's Office is already "swamped with work" and may not have the time or resources to review the cases of all persons who could be sentenced to death. "So I believe the proposal should be studied thoroughly," he said, adding that arrest and existing punishment will already "make people think twice" before committing a crime.

In 1987, the Philippines became the first Asian country in modern history to abolish the death penalty for all crimes, but it was reintroduced in late 1993 for 46 offenses. Executions resumed in 1999 after a period of 23 years but former President Joseph Estrada announced a moratorium on executions in 2000, leading to the world's largest commutation of death sentences by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in April 2006.

January 29, 2014

OSLO, NORWAY (BNO NEWS) -- Two Norwegian lawmakers on Wednesday disclosed they have jointly nominated American whistle-blower Edward Snowden for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, saying he has made a "critical contribution" to restoring the balance between a country's need for intelligence and people's individual freedoms.

Bård Vegar Solhjell and Snorre Valen, both politicians from Norway's Socialist Left Party, revealed their nomination on Wednesday in an open letter. And while they indicated they may not agree with all of Snowden's disclosures, they argued that the former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor has made important contributions to a more stable and peaceful world.

"Edward Snowden has revealed the nature and technological prowess of modern surveillance. The level of sophistication and depth of surveillance that citizens all over the world are subject to has stunned us, and stirred debate all over the world," the lawmakers said in their letter. "By doing this, he has contributed critical knowledge about how modern surveillance and intelligence directed towards states and citizens is carried out."

Snowden, whose release of top-secret NSA documents have revealed details about the extent of the U.S. government's surveillance on phone and internet communications, has been charged by U.S. federal prosecutors with espionage and felony theft of government property. He remains in Russia where he was granted political asylum after fleeing Hong Kong.

"The new information technologies of the past few decades bring new possibilities for democratization, transparency and freedom of expression. But it also introduces new tools of oppression, surveillance, and espionage," the lawmakers said in Wednesday's letter. "Massive surveillance of ordinary people's communication, and targeted surveillance against allied leaders, is now possible on a scale that we wouldn't be able to imagine two or three decades ago."

Solhjell and Valen added: "A peaceful world order depends on trust between nations and trust between people. Peace brokering would be impossible without a basic level of trust. International agreements on non-proliferation and disarmament would be impossible without a basic level of trust. And peaceful resolutions to emerging security threats would be impossible without a basic level of trust."

Nonetheless, the lawmakers admitted that Snowden's actions may have damaged the security interests of several nations. "We do not necessarily condone or support all of his disclosures. We are, however, convinced that the public debate and changes in policy that have followed in the wake of Snowden's whistleblowing has contributed to a more stable and peaceful world order," the said.

NSA spokeswoman Vanee Vines did not immediately return requests for comment on Wednesday's nomination.

Snowden had no chance to win last year's Nobel Peace Prize because the deadline for nominations was in February, well before Snowden fled the United States to begin his disclosures of top-secret NSA documents, which the Pentagon claims has prompted terrorists to change their methods. And while the official list of candidates is kept secret for 50 years, those who are eligible to nominate candidates are free to announce their choices.

January 29, 2014

HONG KONG (BNO NEWS) -- The daughter of a Hong Kong businessman, who last week suggested raising his controversial 'marriage bounty' to 1 billion Hong Kong dollars (128.7 million U.S. dollars), has defended her sexuality in an open letter and asked her father to treat her long-time girlfriend as a "normal, dignified human being."

Gigi Chao, 33, who is an executive director at her father's Cheuk Nang property development company and a founding member of a local gay rights group, published the letter on late Tuesday after her father, 77-year-old Cecil Chao Sze-tsung, told a Malaysian newspaper that he was considering to double his offer for any man who can successfully woo his daughter.

"I am sorry that people have been saying insensitive things about you lately," she wrote in the letter. "The truth is, they don't understand that I will always forgive you for thinking the way you do, because I know you think you are acting in my best interests. And we both don't care if anybody else understands."

Gigi Chao said she wants "nothing more" than to make her father happy, but told him that his expectations in terms of relationships are not coherent. "My regret is that you have no idea how happy I am with my life, and there are aspects of my life that you don't share," she wrote.

The daughter, who is in a long-term relationship with a woman, Sean Eav, but has in the past been in relationships with men, blamed herself for making her father believe that she was only with a woman because there was a "shortage of good, suitable men" in Hong Kong. "I've broken a few hearts, hearts of good, honest and loving men, and I'm sorry that it had to be so," she said.

Now, Gigi Chao hopes her father will finally accept her as a lesbian, saying she is "comfortable and satisfied" with the life she shares with her girlfriend. "I'm not asking you to be best of friends. However, it would mean the world to me if you could just not be so terrified of her, and treat her like a normal, dignified human being," she said, adding: "There are plenty of good men, they are just not for me."

The father and daughter made headlines around the world in 2012 when Cecil Chao Sze-tsung offered 500 million Hong Kong dollars (64 million U.S. dollars) for any man who is able to successfully woo his daughter. But after more than 20,000 unsuccessful responses, his father indicated this month that he may double his offer.

Cecil Chao Sze-tsung told the Financial Times in January 2013 that he was not so much offended by his daughter's sexuality, but that he wants grandchildren to whom he can pass on his business. The property tycoon, described as a lifelong bachelor who once claimed to have slept with more than 10,000 women, is said to be one of Hong Kong's richest men.

January 29, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- A U.S. Congressman from New York physically threatened a reporter on late Tuesday evening after being asked about an ongoing federal investigation into his campaign fundraising. He later defended his actions, calling the reporter's question "disrespectful and [a] cheap shot."

Michael Grimm, a Republican representative for New York's 11th congressional district, made the threats after walking off an interview with NY1 reporter Michael Scotto. The interview had been arranged at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. to allow Grimm to voice his views on President Barack Obama's annual 'State of the Union' address, which had concluded earlier that evening.

"And just finally before we let you go, we haven't had a chance to talk about some of the..." Scotto said before Grimm cut him off. "I'm not speaking to you about anything that is off-topic, this is only about the president's speech," the lawmaker responded, before walking off camera.

But after Scotto wrapped up his segment for NY1, Grimm suddenly walked back to the reporter and began to threaten him, with the camera still rolling. "Let me be clear to you. If you ever do that to me again, I'll throw you off this f*ing balcony," Grimm can be heard saying.

The New York lawmaker then walks off again as Scotto tries to explain he was only asking him a question, which prompts Grimm to return once again. "Why? Why? It was a valid question," the reporter said, to which Grimm responded: "No, no. You're not man enough, you're not man enough. I'll break you in half. Like a boy."

NY1 Political Director Bob Hardt described Grimm's behavior as "dumb" and called for a full apology. "It is extremely disturbing when anyone threatens one of our reporters - let alone a U.S. Congressman," he said. "The NY1 family is certainly alarmed and disappointed by the behavior of Representative Grimm and demands a full apology from him. This behavior is unacceptable."

But in a statement released early on Wednesday, Grimm defended his actions, saying he was doing the New York 24-hour news channel "a favor" by allowing an interview with him. "The reporter knew that I was in a hurry and was only there to comment on the State of the Union, but insisted on taking a disrespectful and cheap shot at the end of the interview, because I did not have time to speak off-topic," he said.

Grimm added: "I verbally took the reporter to task and told him off, because I expect a certain level of professionalism and respect, especially when I go out of my way to do that reporter a favor. I doubt that I am the first Member of Congress to tell off a reporter, and I am sure I won't be the last."

Grimm, who has not been charged with any wrongdoing himself, has been at the center of a federal campaign finance investigation since early 2012. Diana Durand, a Texas woman who was a friend and fundraiser for Grimm, was charged earlier this month with illegally funneling more than $10,000 into his 2010 campaign.

January 29, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers on Tuesday delivered the official Republican response to President Barack Obama's annual 'State of the Union' address to a joint session of Congress. The following are her remarks, as prepared for delivery.

-- Begins --

What an honor it is for me to be with you after the President's State of the Union.

Tonight we honor America â a nation that has witnessed the greatest rise of freedom and opportunity our world has ever seen.

A nation where we are not defined by our limits, but by our potential.

And a nation where a girl who worked at the McDonaldâs Drive-Thru to help pay for college can be with you from the United States Capitol.

But the most important moments right now aren't happening here.

Theyâre not in the Oval Office or in the House Chamber.

Theyâre in your homes.

Kissing your kids goodnight...

Figuring out how to pay the bills...

Getting ready for tomorrowâs doctorâs visit...

Waiting to hear from those you love serving in Afghanistan, or searching for that big job interview.

After all, âWe the Peopleâ have been the foundation of America since her earliest days â people from all walks of life, and from all corners of the world â people who come to America because here, no challenge is too great and no dream too big.

Thatâs the genius of America.

Tonight the President made more promises that sound good, but wonât solve the problems actually facing Americans.

We want you to have a better life. The President wants that too.

But we part ways when it comes to how to make that happen.

So tonight Iâd like to share a more hopeful, Republican visionâ¦

One that empowers you, not the governmentâ¦

Itâs one that champions free markets â and trusts people to make their own decisions, not a government that decides for you.

It helps working families rise above the limits of poverty and protects our most vulnerable.

And itâs one where Washington plays by the same rules that you do.

Itâs a vision that is fair and offers the promise of a better future for every American.

If you had told me as a little girl that one-day I would put my hand on the Bible and be sworn in as the 200th woman to serve in the House of Representatives, I never wouldâve thought it possible.

I grew up working at my familyâs orchard and fruit stand in Kettle Falls, a small town in Eastern Washington - getting up before dawn with my brother to pick apples.

My dad drove a school bus and my mom worked as a part-time bookkeeper.

They taught me to work hard, help others, and always, always dream for more.

So, when I showed my 4H animals at the county fair, my parents used to say to me, âCathy, you need to save this money so you can go to college one day!â

So I did â I saved, I worked hard, and I became the first in my family to graduate from college.

The chance to go from my Washington to this one was unexpected.

I came to Congress to help empower people, not politicians;

To grow the working middle class, not the government;

And to ensure that everyone in this country can find a job.

Because a job is so much more than just a paycheck -

It gives us purpose, dignity, and the foundation to build a future.

I was single when I was elected â but it wasn't long before I met Brian, a retired Navy commander, and now we have three beautiful children, one who was born just eight weeks ago.

Like all parents, we have high hopes and dreams for our children, but we also know what itâs like to face challenges.

Three days after we gave birth to our son, Cole, we got news no parent expects.

Cole was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

The doctors told us he could have endless complications, heart defects, even early Alzheimerâs.

They told us all the problems.

But when we looked at our son, we saw only possibilities.

We saw a gift from God.

Today we see a 6-year old boy who dances to Bruce Springsteen; who reads above grade level; and who is the best big brother in the world.

We see all the things he can do, not those he canât.

Cole, and his sisters, Grace and Brynn, have only made me more determined to see the potential in every human life â that whether we are born with an extra twenty-first chromosome or without a dollar to our name â we are not defined by our limits, but by our potential.

Because our mission â not only as Republicans, but as Americans, is to once again to ensure that we are not bound by where we come from, but empowered by what we can become.

That is the gap Republicans are working to close.

Itâs the gap we all face: between where you are and where you want to be.

The President talks a lot about income inequality.

But the real gap we face today is one of opportunity inequalityâ¦

And with this Administrationâs policies, that gap has become far too wide.

We see this gap growing every single day.

We see it in our neighbors who are struggling to find jobsâ¦

A husband whoâs now working just part-time...

A child who drops out of college because she canât afford tuition...

Or parents who are outliving their lifeâs savings.

Last month, more Americans stopped looking for a job than found one. Too many people are falling further and further behind because right now, the Presidentâs policies are making peopleâs lives harder.

Republicans have plans to close the gapâ¦

Plans that focus on jobs first without more spending, government bailouts, and red tape...

Every day, weâre working to expand our economy, one manufacturing job, nursing degree and small business at a time.

We have plans to improve our education and training systems so you have the choice to determine where your kids go to schoolâ¦so college is affordableâ¦and skills training is modernized.

And yes, itâs time to honor our history of legal immigration. Weâre working on a step-by-step solution to immigration reform by first securing our borders and making sure America will always attract the best, brightest, and hardest working from around the world.

And with too many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, we have solutions to help you take home more of your pay â through lower taxes, cheaper energy costs, and affordable health care.

Not long ago I got a letter from Bette in Spokane, who hoped the Presidentâs health care law would save her money â but found out instead that her premiums were going up nearly $700 a month.

No, we shouldn't go back to the way things were, but this law is not working. Republicans believe health care choices should be yours, not the government's.

And that whether youâre a boy with Down syndrome or a woman with breast cancer ... you can find coverage and a doctor who will treat you.

So we hope the President will join us in a year of real action â by empowering people â not making their lives harder with unprecedented spending, higher taxes, and fewer jobs.

As Republicans, we advance these plans every day because we believe in a government that trusts people and doesn't limit where you finish because of where you started.

That is what we stand for â for an America that is every bit as compassionate as it is exceptional.

If weâre successful...

Years from now our children will say that we rebuilt the American Dream.

We built a working middle class that could take in anyone, and a workforce that could take on the world.

Whether youâre a girl in Kettle Falls or a boy from Brooklyn, our children should be able to say that we closed the gap.

Our plan is one that dreams big for everyone and turns its back on no one.

The President said many things tonight.

But now, we ask him to listen â to you â for the true state of the union lies in your heart and in your home.

Tomorrow, I'll watch my son Cole get on the school bus; others will wait in the doctorâs office or interview for that first job.

Some of us will celebrate new beginnings...

Others will face great challenges...

But all of us will wake up and do what is uniquely American...

We will look forward to the boundless potential that lies ahead.

We will give thanks to the brave men and women who have answered Americaâs call to freedom, like Sgt. Jacob Hess from Spokane, who recently gave his life to protect all of ours.

So, tonight, I simply offer a prayer...

A prayer for Sgt. Hessâs family, your family, and for our larger American family.

That, with the guidance of God, we may prove worthy of His blessings of life ... liberty ... and the pursuit of happiness.

For when we embrace these gifts, we are each doing our part to form a more perfect union.

May God guide you and our President, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

-- Ends --

January 29, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday delivered the annual State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. The following are his remarks, as prepared for delivery.

-- Begins --

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:

Today in America, a teacher spent extra time with a student who needed it, and did her part to lift Americaâs graduation rate to its highest level in more than three decades.

An entrepreneur flipped on the lights in her tech startup, and did her part to add to the more than eight million new jobs our businesses have created over the past four years.

An autoworker fine-tuned some of the best, most fuel-efficient cars in the world, and did his part to help America wean itself off foreign oil.

A farmer prepared for the spring after the strongest five-year stretch of farm exports in our history. A rural doctor gave a young child the first prescription to treat asthma that his mother could afford. A man took the bus home from the graveyard shift, bone-tired but dreaming big dreams for his son. And in tight-knit communities across America, fathers and mothers will tuck in their kids, put an arm around their spouse, remember fallen comrades, and give thanks for being home from a war that, after twelve long years, is finally coming to an end.

Tonight, this chamber speaks with one voice to the people we represent: it is you, our citizens, who make the state of our union strong.

Here are the results of your efforts: The lowest unemployment rate in over five years. A rebounding housing market. A manufacturing sector thatâs adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s. More oil produced at home than we buy from the rest of the world â the first time thatâs happened in nearly twenty years. Our deficits â cut by more than half. And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared that China is no longer the worldâs number one place to invest; America is.

Thatâs why I believe this can be a breakthrough year for America. After five years of grit and determined effort, the United States is better-positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on Earth.

The question for everyone in this chamber, running through every decision we make this year, is whether we are going to help or hinder this progress. For several years now, this town has been consumed by a rancorous argument over the proper size of the federal government. Itâs an important debate â one that dates back to our very founding. But when that debate prevents us from carrying out even the most basic functions of our democracy â when our differences shut down government or threaten the full faith and credit of the United States â then we are not doing right by the American people.

As President, Iâm committed to making Washington work better, and rebuilding the trust of the people who sent us here. I believe most of you are, too. Last month, thanks to the work of Democrats and Republicans, this Congress finally produced a budget that undoes some of last yearâs severe cuts to priorities like education. Nobody got everything they wanted, and we can still do more to invest in this countryâs future while bringing down our deficit in a balanced way. But the budget compromise should leave us freer to focus on creating new jobs, not creating new crises.

In the coming months, letâs see where else we can make progress together. Letâs make this a year of action. Thatâs what most Americans want â for all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations. And what I believe unites the people of this nation, regardless of race or region or party, young or old, rich or poor, is the simple, profound belief in opportunity for all â the notion that if you work hard and take responsibility, you can get ahead.

Letâs face it: that belief has suffered some serious blows. Over more than three decades, even before the Great Recession hit, massive shifts in technology and global competition had eliminated a lot of good, middle-class jobs, and weakened the economic foundations that families depend on.

Today, after four years of economic growth, corporate profits and stock prices have rarely been higher, and those at the top have never done better. But average wages have barely budged. Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled. The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by â let alone get ahead. And too many still arenât working at all.

Our job is to reverse these trends. It wonât happen right away, and we wonât agree on everything. But what I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class. Some require Congressional action, and Iâm eager to work with all of you. But America does not stand still â and neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, thatâs what Iâm going to do.

As usual, our First Lady sets a good example. Michelleâs Letâs Move partnership with schools, businesses, and local leaders has helped bring down childhood obesity rates for the first time in thirty years â an achievement that will improve lives and reduce health care costs for decades to come. The Joining Forces alliance that Michelle and Jill Biden launched has already encouraged employers to hire or train nearly 400,000 veterans and military spouses. Taking a page from that playbook, the White House just organized a College Opportunity Summit where already, 150 universities, businesses, and nonprofits have made concrete commitments to reduce inequality in access to higher education â and help every hardworking kid go to college and succeed when they get to campus. Across the country, weâre partnering with mayors, governors, and state legislatures on issues from homelessness to marriage equality.

The point is, there are millions of Americans outside Washington who are tired of stale political arguments, and are moving this country forward. They believe, and I believe, that here in America, our success should depend not on accident of birth, but the strength of our work ethic and the scope of our dreams. Thatâs what drew our forebears here. Itâs how the daughter of a factory worker is CEO of Americaâs largest automaker; how the son of a barkeeper is Speaker of the House; how the son of a single mom can be President of the greatest nation on Earth.

Opportunity is who we are. And the defining project of our generation is to restore that promise.

We know where to start: the best measure of opportunity is access to a good job. With the economy picking up speed, companies say they intend to hire more people this year. And over half of big manufacturers say theyâre thinking of insourcing jobs from abroad.

So letâs make that decision easier for more companies. Both Democrats and Republicans have argued that our tax code is riddled with wasteful, complicated loopholes that punish businesses investing here, and reward companies that keep profits abroad. Letâs flip that equation. Letâs work together to close those loopholes, end those incentives to ship jobs overseas, and lower tax rates for businesses that create jobs here at home.

Moreover, we can take the money we save with this transition to tax reform to create jobs rebuilding our roads, upgrading our ports, unclogging our commutes â because in todayâs global economy, first-class jobs gravitate to first-class infrastructure. Weâll need Congress to protect more than three million jobs by finishing transportation and waterways bills this summer. But I will act on my own to slash bureaucracy and streamline the permitting process for key projects, so we can get more construction workers on the job as fast as possible.

We also have the chance, right now, to beat other countries in the race for the next wave of high-tech manufacturing jobs. My administration has launched two hubs for high-tech manufacturing in Raleigh and Youngstown, where weâve connected businesses to research universities that can help America lead the world in advanced technologies. Tonight, Iâm announcing weâll launch six more this year. Bipartisan bills in both houses could double the number of these hubs and the jobs they create. So get those bills to my desk and put more Americans back to work.

Letâs do more to help the entrepreneurs and small business owners who create most new jobs in America. Over the past five years, my administration has made more loans to small business owners than any other. And when ninety-eight percent of our exporters are small businesses, new trade partnerships with Europe and the Asia-Pacific will help them create more jobs. We need to work together on tools like bipartisan trade promotion authority to protect our workers, protect our environment, and open new markets to new goods stamped âMade in the USA.â China and Europe arenât standing on the sidelines. Neither should we.

We know that the nation that goes all-in on innovation today will own the global economy tomorrow. This is an edge America cannot surrender. Federally-funded research helped lead to the ideas and inventions behind Google and smartphones. Thatâs why Congress should undo the damage done by last yearâs cuts to basic research so we can unleash the next great American discovery â whether itâs vaccines that stay ahead of drug-resistant bacteria, or paper-thin material thatâs stronger than steel. And letâs pass a patent reform bill that allows our businesses to stay focused on innovation, not costly, needless litigation.

Now, one of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment to American energy. The all-of-the-above energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today, America is closer to energy independence than weâve been in decades.

One of the reasons why is natural gas â if extracted safely, itâs the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change. Businesses plan to invest almost $100 billion in new factories that use natural gas. Iâll cut red tape to help states get those factories built, and this Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas. My administration will keep working with the industry to sustain production and job growth while strengthening protection of our air, our water, and our communities. And while weâre at it, Iâll use my authority to protect more of our pristine federal lands for future generations.

Itâs not just oil and natural gas production thatâs booming; weâre becoming a global leader in solar, too. Every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar; every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job canât be outsourced. Letâs continue that progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries that donât need it, so that we can invest more in fuels of the future that do.

And even as weâve increased energy production, weâve partnered with businesses, builders, and local communities to reduce the energy we consume. When we rescued our automakers, for example, we worked with them to set higher fuel efficiency standards for our cars. In the coming months, Iâll build on that success by setting new standards for our trucks, so we can keep driving down oil imports and what we pay at the pump.

Taken together, our energy policy is creating jobs and leading to a cleaner, safer planet. Over the past eight years, the United States has reduced our total carbon pollution more than any other nation on Earth. But we have to act with more urgency â because a changing climate is already harming western communities struggling with drought, and coastal cities dealing with floods. Thatâs why I directed my administration to work with states, utilities, and others to set new standards on the amount of carbon pollution our power plants are allowed to dump into the air. The shift to a cleaner energy economy wonât happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact. And when our childrenâs children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did.

Finally, if we are serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the call of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders, and law enforcement â and fix our broken immigration system. Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have acted. I know that members of both parties in the House want to do the same. Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades. And for good reason: when people come here to fulfill their dreams â to study, invent, and contribute to our culture â they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everyone. So letâs get immigration reform done this year.

The ideas Iâve outlined so far can speed up growth and create more jobs. But in this rapidly-changing economy, we have to make sure that every American has the skills to fill those jobs.

The good news is, we know how to do it. Two years ago, as the auto industry came roaring back, Andra Rush opened up a manufacturing firm in Detroit. She knew that Ford needed parts for the best-selling truck in America, and she knew how to make them. She just needed the workforce. So she dialed up what we call an American Job Center â places where folks can walk in to get the help or training they need to find a new job, or better job. She was flooded with new workers. And today, Detroit Manufacturing Systems has more than 700 employees.

What Andra and her employees experienced is how it should be for every employer â and every job seeker. So tonight, Iâve asked Vice President Biden to lead an across-the-board reform of Americaâs training programs to make sure they have one mission: train Americans with the skills employers need, and match them to good jobs that need to be filled right now. That means more on-the-job training, and more apprenticeships that set a young worker on an upward trajectory for life. It means connecting companies to community colleges that can help design training to fill their specific needs. And if Congress wants to help, you can concentrate funding on proven programs that connect more ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs.

Iâm also convinced we can help Americans return to the workforce faster by reforming unemployment insurance so that itâs more effective in todayâs economy. But first, this Congress needs to restore the unemployment insurance you just let expire for 1.6 million people.

Let me tell you why.

Misty DeMars is a mother of two young boys. Sheâd been steadily employed since she was a teenager. She put herself through college. Sheâd never collected unemployment benefits. In May, she and her husband used their life savings to buy their first home. A week later, budget cuts claimed the job she loved. Last month, when their unemployment insurance was cut off, she sat down and wrote me a letter â the kind I get every day. âWe are the face of the unemployment crisis,â she wrote. âI am not dependent on the governmentâ¦Our country depends on people like us who build careers, contribute to societyâ¦care about our neighborsâ¦I am confident that in time I will find a jobâ¦I will pay my taxes, and we will raise our children in their own home in the community we love. Please give us this chance.â

Congress, give these hardworking, responsible Americans that chance. They need our help, but more important, this country needs them in the game. Thatâs why Iâve been asking CEOs to give more long-term unemployed workers a fair shot at that new job and new chance to support their families; this week, many will come to the White House to make that commitment real. Tonight, I ask every business leader in America to join us and to do the same â because we are stronger when America fields a full team.

Of course, itâs not enough to train todayâs workforce. We also have to prepare tomorrowâs workforce, by guaranteeing every child access to a world-class education.

Estiven Rodriguez couldnât speak a word of English when he moved to New York City at age nine. But last month, thanks to the support of great teachers and an innovative tutoring program, he led a march of his classmates â through a crowd of cheering parents and neighbors â from their high school to the post office, where they mailed off their college applications. And this son of a factory worker just found out heâs going to college this fall.

Five years ago, we set out to change the odds for all our kids. We worked with lenders to reform student loans, and today, more young people are earning college degrees than ever before. Race to the Top, with the help of governors from both parties, has helped states raise expectations and performance. Teachers and principals in schools from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. are making big strides in preparing students with skills for the new economy â problem solving, critical thinking, science, technology, engineering, and math. Some of this change is hard. It requires everything from more challenging curriculums and more demanding parents to better support for teachers and new ways to measure how well our kids think, not how well they can fill in a bubble on a test. But itâs worth it â and itâs working.

The problem is weâre still not reaching enough kids, and weâre not reaching them in time. That has to change.

Research shows that one of the best investments we can make in a childâs life is high-quality early education. Last year, I asked this Congress to help states make high-quality pre-K available to every four year-old. As a parent as well as a President, I repeat that request tonight. But in the meantime, thirty states have raised pre-k funding on their own. They know we canât wait. So just as we worked with states to reform our schools, this year, weâll invest in new partnerships with states and communities across the country in a race to the top for our youngest children. And as Congress decides what itâs going to do, Iâm going to pull together a coalition of elected officials, business leaders, and philanthropists willing to help more kids access the high-quality pre-K they need.

Last year, I also pledged to connect 99 percent of our students to high-speed broadband over the next four years. Tonight, I can announce that with the support of the FCC and companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon, weâve got a down payment to start connecting more than 15,000 schools and twenty million students over the next two years, without adding a dime to the deficit.

Weâre working to redesign high schools and partner them with colleges and employers that offer the real-world education and hands-on training that can lead directly to a job and career. Weâre shaking up our system of higher education to give parents more information, and colleges more incentives to offer better value, so that no middle-class kid is priced out of a college education. Weâre offering millions the opportunity to cap their monthly student loan payments to ten percent of their income, and I want to work with Congress to see how we can help even more Americans who feel trapped by student loan debt. And Iâm reaching out to some of Americaâs leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men of color facing tough odds stay on track and reach their full potential.

The bottom line is, Michelle and I want every child to have the same chance this country gave us. But we know our opportunity agenda wonât be complete â and too many young people entering the workforce today will see the American Dream as an empty promise â unless we do more to make sure our economy honors the dignity of work, and hard work pays off for every single American.

Today, women make up about half our workforce. But they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, itâs an embarrassment. A woman deserves equal pay for equal work. She deserves to have a baby without sacrificing her job. A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship â and you know what, a father does, too. Itâs time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a âMad Menâ episode. This year, letâs all come together â Congress, the White House, and businesses from Wall Street to Main Street â to give every woman the opportunity she deserves. Because I firmly believe when women succeed, America succeeds.

Now, women hold a majority of lower-wage jobs â but theyâre not the only ones stifled by stagnant wages. Americans understand that some people will earn more than others, and we donât resent those who, by virtue of their efforts, achieve incredible success. But Americans overwhelmingly agree that no one who works full time should ever have to raise a family in poverty.

In the year since I asked this Congress to raise the minimum wage, five states have passed laws to raise theirs. Many businesses have done it on their own. Nick Chute is here tonight with his boss, John Soranno. Johnâs an owner of Punch Pizza in Minneapolis, and Nick helps make the dough. Only now he makes more of it: John just gave his employees a raise, to ten bucks an hour â a decision that eased their financial stress and boosted their morale.

Tonight, I ask more of Americaâs business leaders to follow Johnâs lead and do what you can to raise your employeesâ wages. To every mayor, governor, and state legislator in America, I say, you donât have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will support you if you take this on. And as a chief executive, I intend to lead by example. Profitable corporations like Costco see higher wages as the smart way to boost productivity and reduce turnover. We should too. In the coming weeks, I will issue an Executive Order requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour â because if you cook our troopsâ meals or wash their dishes, you shouldnât have to live in poverty.

Of course, to reach millions more, Congress needs to get on board. Today, the federal minimum wage is worth about twenty percent less than it was when Ronald Reagan first stood here. Tom Harkin and George Miller have a bill to fix that by lifting the minimum wage to $10.10. This will help families. It will give businesses customers with more money to spend. It doesnât involve any new bureaucratic program. So join the rest of the country. Say yes. Give America a raise.

There are other steps we can take to help families make ends meet, and few are more effective at reducing inequality and helping families pull themselves up through hard work than the Earned Income Tax Credit. Right now, it helps about half of all parents at some point. But I agree with Republicans like Senator Rubio that it doesnât do enough for single workers who donât have kids. So letâs work together to strengthen the credit, reward work, and help more Americans get ahead.

Letâs do more to help Americans save for retirement. Today, most workers donât have a pension. A Social Security check often isnât enough on its own. And while the stock market has doubled over the last five years, that doesnât help folks who donât have 401ks. Thatâs why, tomorrow, I will direct the Treasury to create a new way for working Americans to start their own retirement savings: MyRA. Itâs a new savings bond that encourages folks to build a nest egg. MyRA guarantees a decent return with no risk of losing what you put in. And if this Congress wants to help, work with me to fix an upside-down tax code that gives big tax breaks to help the wealthy save, but does little to nothing for middle-class Americans. Offer every American access to an automatic IRA on the job, so they can save at work just like everyone in this chamber can. And since the most important investment many families make is their home, send me legislation that protects taxpayers from footing the bill for a housing crisis ever again, and keeps the dream of homeownership alive for future generations of Americans.

One last point on financial security. For decades, few things exposed hard-working families to economic hardship more than a broken health care system. And in case you havenât heard, weâre in the process of fixing that.

A pre-existing condition used to mean that someone like Amanda Shelley, a physician assistant and single mom from Arizona, couldnât get health insurance. But on January 1st, she got covered. On January 3rd, she felt a sharp pain. On January 6th, she had emergency surgery. Just one week earlier, Amanda said, that surgery wouldâve meant bankruptcy.

Thatâs what health insurance reform is all about â the peace of mind that if misfortune strikes, you donât have to lose everything.

Already, because of the Affordable Care Act, more than three million Americans under age 26 have gained coverage under their parentsâ plans.

More than nine million Americans have signed up for private health insurance or Medicaid coverage.

And hereâs another number: zero. Because of this law, no American can ever again be dropped or denied coverage for a preexisting condition like asthma, back pain, or cancer. No woman can ever be charged more just because sheâs a woman. And we did all this while adding years to Medicareâs finances, keeping Medicare premiums flat, and lowering prescription costs for millions of seniors.

Now, I donât expect to convince my Republican friends on the merits of this law. But I know that the American people arenât interested in refighting old battles. So again, if you have specific plans to cut costs, cover more people, and increase choice â tell America what youâd do differently. Letâs see if the numbers add up. But letâs not have another forty-something votes to repeal a law thatâs already helping millions of Americans like Amanda. The first forty were plenty. We got it. We all owe it to the American people to say what weâre for, not just what weâre against.

And if you want to know the real impact this law is having, just talk to Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky, whoâs here tonight. Kentuckyâs not the most liberal part of the country, but heâs like a man possessed when it comes to covering his commonwealthâs families. âThey are our friends and neighbors,â he said. âThey are people we shop and go to church withâ¦farmers out on the tractorsâ¦grocery clerksâ¦they are people who go to work every morning praying they donât get sick. No one deserves to live that way.â

Steveâs right. Thatâs why, tonight, I ask every American who knows someone without health insurance to help them get covered by March 31st. Moms, get on your kids to sign up. Kids, call your mom and walk her through the application. It will give her some peace of mind â plus, sheâll appreciate hearing from you.

After all, thatâs the spirit that has always moved this nation forward. Itâs the spirit of citizenship â the recognition that through hard work and responsibility, we can pursue our individual dreams, but still come together as one American family to make sure the next generation can pursue its dreams as well.

Citizenship means standing up for everyoneâs right to vote. Last year, part of the Voting Rights Act was weakened. But conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are working together to strengthen it; and the bipartisan commission I appointed last year has offered reforms so that no one has to wait more than a half hour to vote. Letâs support these efforts. It should be the power of our vote, not the size of our bank account, that drives our democracy.

Citizenship means standing up for the lives that gun violence steals from us each day. I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all over this country who say âwe are not afraid,â and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook.

Citizenship demands a sense of common cause; participation in the hard work of self-government; an obligation to serve to our communities. And I know this chamber agrees that few Americans give more to their country than our diplomats and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

Tonight, because of the extraordinary troops and civilians who risk and lay down their lives to keep us free, the United States is more secure. When I took office, nearly 180,000 Americans were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, all our troops are out of Iraq. More than 60,000 of our troops have already come home from Afghanistan. With Afghan forces now in the lead for their own security, our troops have moved to a support role. Together with our allies, we will complete our mission there by the end of this year, and Americaâs longest war will finally be over.

After 2014, we will support a unified Afghanistan as it takes responsibility for its own future. If the Afghan government signs a security agreement that we have negotiated, a small force of Americans could remain in Afghanistan with NATO allies to carry out two narrow missions: training and assisting Afghan forces, and counterterrorism operations to pursue any remnants of al Qaeda. For while our relationship with Afghanistan will change, one thing will not: our resolve that terrorists do not launch attacks against our country.

The fact is, that danger remains. While we have put al Qaedaâs core leadership on a path to defeat, the threat has evolved, as al Qaeda affiliates and other extremists take root in different parts of the world. In Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, and Mali, we have to keep working with partners to disrupt and disable these networks. In Syria, weâll support the opposition that rejects the agenda of terrorist networks. Here at home, weâll keep strengthening our defenses, and combat new threats like cyberattacks. And as we reform our defense budget, we have to keep faith with our men and women in uniform, and invest in the capabilities they need to succeed in future missions.

We have to remain vigilant. But I strongly believe our leadership and our security cannot depend on our military alone. As Commander-in-Chief, I have used force when needed to protect the American people, and I will never hesitate to do so as long as I hold this office. But I will not send our troops into harmâs way unless itâs truly necessary; nor will I allow our sons and daughters to be mired in open-ended conflicts. We must fight the battles that need to be fought, not those that terrorists prefer from us â large-scale deployments that drain our strength and may ultimately feed extremism.

So, even as we aggressively pursue terrorist networks â through more targeted efforts and by building the capacity of our foreign partners â America must move off a permanent war footing. Thatâs why Iâve imposed prudent limits on the use of drones â for we will not be safer if people abroad believe we strike within their countries without regard for the consequence. Thatâs why, working with this Congress, I will reform our surveillance programs â because the vital work of our intelligence community depends on public confidence, here and abroad, that the privacy of ordinary people is not being violated. And with the Afghan war ending, this needs to be the year Congress lifts the remaining restrictions on detainee transfers and we close the prison at Guantanamo Bay â because we counter terrorism not just through intelligence and military action, but by remaining true to our Constitutional ideals, and setting an example for the rest of the world.

You see, in a world of complex threats, our security and leadership depends on all elements of our power â including strong and principled diplomacy. American diplomacy has rallied more than fifty countries to prevent nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands, and allowed us to reduce our own reliance on Cold War stockpiles. American diplomacy, backed by the threat of force, is why Syriaâs chemical weapons are being eliminated, and we will continue to work with the international community to usher in the future the Syrian people deserve â a future free of dictatorship, terror and fear. As we speak, American diplomacy is supporting Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the State of Israel â a Jewish state that knows America will always be at their side.

And it is American diplomacy, backed by pressure, that has halted the progress of Iranâs nuclear program â and rolled parts of that program back â for the very first time in a decade. As we gather here tonight, Iran has begun to eliminate its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium. It is not installing advanced centrifuges. Unprecedented inspections help the world verify, every day, that Iran is not building a bomb. And with our allies and partners, weâre engaged in negotiations to see if we can peacefully achieve a goal we all share: preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

These negotiations will be difficult. They may not succeed. We are clear-eyed about Iranâs support for terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, which threaten our allies; and the mistrust between our nations cannot be wished away. But these negotiations do not rely on trust; any long-term deal we agree to must be based on verifiable action that convinces us and the international community that Iran is not building a nuclear bomb. If John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan could negotiate with the Soviet Union, then surely a strong and confident America can negotiate with less powerful adversaries today.

The sanctions that we put in place helped make this opportunity possible. But let me be clear: if this Congress sends me a new sanctions bill now that threatens to derail these talks, I will veto it. For the sake of our national security, we must give diplomacy a chance to succeed. If Iranâs leaders do not seize this opportunity, then I will be the first to call for more sanctions, and stand ready to exercise all options to make sure Iran does not build a nuclear weapon. But if Iranâs leaders do seize the chance, then Iran could take an important step to rejoin the community of nations, and we will have resolved one of the leading security challenges of our time without the risks of war.

Finally, letâs remember that our leadership is defined not just by our defense against threats, but by the enormous opportunities to do good and promote understanding around the globe â to forge greater cooperation, to expand new markets, to free people from fear and want. And no one is better positioned to take advantage of those opportunities than America.

Our alliance with Europe remains the strongest the world has ever known. From Tunisia to Burma, weâre supporting those who are willing to do the hard work of building democracy. In Ukraine, we stand for the principle that all people have the right to express themselves freely and peacefully, and have a say in their countryâs future. Across Africa, weâre bringing together businesses and governments to double access to electricity and help end extreme poverty. In the Americas, we are building new ties of commerce, but weâre also expanding cultural and educational exchanges among young people. And we will continue to focus on the Asia-Pacific, where we support our allies, shape a future of greater security and prosperity, and extend a hand to those devastated by disaster â as we did in the Philippines, when our Marines and civilians rushed to aid those battered by a typhoon, and were greeted with words like, âWe will never forget your kindnessâ and âGod bless America!â

We do these things because they help promote our long-term security. And we do them because we believe in the inherent dignity and equality of every human being, regardless of race or religion, creed or sexual orientation. And next week, the world will see one expression of that commitment â when Team USA marches the red, white, and blue into the Olympic Stadium â and brings home the gold.

My fellow Americans, no other country in the world does what we do. On every issue, the world turns to us, not simply because of the size of our economy or our military might â but because of the ideals we stand for, and the burdens we bear to advance them.

No one knows this better than those who serve in uniform. As this time of war draws to a close, a new generation of heroes returns to civilian life. Weâll keep slashing that backlog so our veterans receive the benefits theyâve earned, and our wounded warriors receive the health care â including the mental health care â that they need. Weâll keep working to help all our veterans translate their skills and leadership into jobs here at home. And we all continue to join forces to honor and support our remarkable military families.

Let me tell you about one of those families Iâve come to know.

I first met Cory Remsburg, a proud Army Ranger, at Omaha Beach on the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Along with some of his fellow Rangers, he walked me through the program â a strong, impressive young man, with an easy manner, sharp as a tack. We joked around, and took pictures, and I told him to stay in touch.

A few months later, on his tenth deployment, Cory was nearly killed by a massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan. His comrades found him in a canal, face down, underwater, shrapnel in his brain.

For months, he lay in a coma. The next time I met him, in the hospital, he couldnât speak; he could barely move. Over the years, heâs endured dozens of surgeries and procedures, and hours of grueling rehab every day.

Even now, Cory is still blind in one eye. He still struggles on his left side. But slowly, steadily, with the support of caregivers like his dad Craig, and the community around him, Cory has grown stronger. Day by day, heâs learned to speak again and stand again and walk again â and heâs working toward the day when he can serve his country again.

âMy recovery has not been easy,â he says. âNothing in life thatâs worth anything is easy.â

Cory is here tonight. And like the Army he loves, like the America he serves, Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg never gives up, and he does not quit.

My fellow Americans, men and women like Cory remind us that America has never come easy. Our freedom, our democracy, has never been easy. Sometimes we stumble; we make mistakes; we get frustrated or discouraged. But for more than two hundred years, we have put those things aside and placed our collective shoulder to the wheel of progress â to create and build and expand the possibilities of individual achievement; to free other nations from tyranny and fear; to promote justice, and fairness, and equality under the law, so that the words set to paper by our founders are made real for every citizen. The America we want for our kids â a rising America where honest work is plentiful and communities are strong; where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for all lets us go as far as our dreams and toil will take us â none of it is easy. But if we work together; if we summon what is best in us, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards tomorrow â I know itâs within our reach.

Believe it.

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

-- Ends --

January 28, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- A record one billion smartphones were shipped worldwide last year, with Samsung extending its lead over Apple as the world's biggest vendor, according to a report published on Tuesday. The overall global smartphone market increased by nearly 40 percent.

Market intelligence provider International Data Corporation (IDC) said vendors shipped a total of 1,004,200,000 smartphones worldwide last year, up 38.4 percent from the 725,300,000 units in 2012. The numbers for 2013 were slightly below IDC's forecast of 1,010,400,000 units.

"The sheer volume and strong growth attest to the smartphones continued popularity in 2013," said Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC's Mobile Phone team. "Total smartphone shipments reached 494.4 million units worldwide in 2011, and doubling that volume in just two years demonstrates strong end-user demand and vendor strategies to highlight smartphones."

Overall, vendors shipped 1,821,800,000 mobile phones last year, up 4.8 percent from the 1,738,100,000 mobile phone units shipped in 2012. Smartphones accounted for 55.1 percent of all mobile phone shipments last year, up from the 41.7 percent of all mobile phone shipments in 2012.

"Among the top trends driving smartphone growth are large screen devices and low cost," said Ryan Reith, Program Director with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. "Of the two, I have to say that low cost is the key difference maker. Cheap devices are not the attractive segment that normally grabs headlines, but IDC data shows this is the portion of the market that is driving volume."

Reith said mobile phone markets in China and India, which have a combined population of more than 2.5 billion, are moving toward a point where below-$150 smartphones are the majority of shipments, bringing a solid computing experience to the hands of many in poorer parts of the world.

Despite Apple reaching a new iPhone sales record last year, Samsung was able to widen its lead as the world's biggest vendor of smartphones. IDC data showed Samsung shipped 313,900,000 smartphones last year, up 42.9 percent from the 219,700,000 smartphones shipped in 2012.

In comparison, Apple shipped 153,400,000 smartphones last year, up 12.9 percent from 135,900,000 smartphones shipped in 2012. This puts Apple's market share for smartphones at 15.3 percent, significantly lower than Samsung's 31.3 percent, but well ahead of Huawei's 3.9 percent.

January 28, 2014

JABIRU, AUSTRALIA (BNO NEWS) -- A young boy who went missing late last week while swimming with a group of friends in a remote pond in northern Australia is believed to have been killed by a crocodile, emergency services said on Tuesday after recovering unspecified evidence.

The 12-year-old boy went missing at approximately 2:15 p.m. local time on Sunday while swimming with four other young boys in Mudginberri Billabong, an isolated pond in Kakadu National Park, approximately 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) west of Jabiru, a town in the northern part of Northern Territory.

Ground, boat and air searches continued on Tuesday morning, when police recovered unspecified evidence that confirmed their worst fears. "Search teams have now located evidence within the search area which strongly indicates the boy has died from the crocodile attack," said Acting Commander Michael White of Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services.

White added: "Further DNA testing will be conducted to confirm the identification. No specifics will be given in relation to the trauma or type of evidence located out of respect for the family. This is now an investigation for the Northern Territory Coroner and a brief will be prepared."

Another 12-year-old boy was bitten by the crocodile but managed to fight it off, after which the reptile grabbed the other boy and swam off with him. Based on the injured boy's bite marks, experts believe a saltwater crocodile measuring between 2 and 2.5 meters (between 6.5 and 8.2 feet) was responsible for Sunday's attack.

In late August, a 26-year-old man was killed by a large saltwater crocodile while swimming in the Mary River near a camping ground in Australia's Northern Territory. The man, who was celebrating a birthday party, was swimming in a river that is known for having the world's largest population of saltwater crocodiles.

January 28, 2014

By James Valles

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday settled a lawsuit with major U.S. technology companies that will allow them to release more information about government spying requests for customer data, the latest fallout from Edward Snowden's leaks regarding NSA surveillance programs.

Last summer, social networking website Facebook, Internet giant Google, technology giant Microsoft, and professional networking website LinkedIn sued the U.S. government in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, asking for permission to disclose the number of spying requests they receive and how many of them they were required to honor.

The four companies withdrew their legal motions last Friday under the new deal disclosed on Monday that will not only allow them to publish details regarding government requests for general costumer data and communications, but also allows them to reveal how many accounts were affected.

"We filed our lawsuits because we believe that the public has a right to know about the volume and types of national security requests we receive," the companies said in a joint statement. "We're pleased the Department of Justice has agreed that we and other providers can disclose this information. While this is a very positive step, we'll continue to encourage Congress to take additional steps to address all of the reforms we believe are needed."

The Justice Department's filing allows more detailed disclosures about the number of national security orders and requests issued to communications providers, the number of customer accounts targeted under those orders and requests, and the underlying legal authorities.

Through these new reporting methods, communications providers will be permitted to disclose more information than ever before to their customers. The deal, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said, emphasizes the government's commitment to making intelligence activities more transparent.

"This action was directed by the President earlier this month in his speech on intelligence reforms," they said in a joint statement. "While this aggregate data was properly classified until today, the office of the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with other departments and agencies, has determined that the public interest in disclosing this information now outweighs the national security concerns that required its classification."

January 28, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Monday to warn the government not to declare a state of emergency, saying harsh security measures would further escalate the situation and make a peaceful resolution unlikely.

The White House said Biden spoke by telephone with Yanukovych and expressed the U.S. government's support for the ongoing negotiations between the Ukrainian government and the opposition, which earlier led to opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk rejecting Yanukovych's offer to become prime minister.

"[biden] underscored that the U.S. condemns the use of violence by any side, and warned that declaring a State of Emergency or enacting other harsh security measures would further inflame the situation and close the space for a peaceful resolution," the White House said in a statement.

The statement added: "Underscoring that no time should be lost, the Vice President urged President Yanukovych to pull back riot police and work with the opposition on immediate measures to de-escalate tensions between protesters and the government. He also urged the government to take concrete steps during [Tuesday's] parliamentary session to respond to the full and legitimate concerns of the Ukrainian people, including by repealing the anti-democratic laws passed on January 16."

The vice president also reaffirmed the U.S. government's "unwavering support" for a democratic Ukraine. "[biden] reaffirmed the unwavering support of the United States for a Ukraine that rejects violence and that respects the human rights and dignity of its citizens in accordance with their European aspirations and their desire to restore their country back to economic health," the White House said.

Earlier on Monday evening, after Yanukovych wrapped up a 4-hour meeting with opposition leaders, Justice Minister Olena Lukash said the president had agreed to scrap his harsh anti-protest laws that set off week-long clashes between protesters and police. But it remained unclear whether the move was sufficient to satisfy protesters.

"A political decision has been made to abolish the laws adopted on January 16 that caused multiple discussions," Lukash said in a statement issued by the presidency. "Provisions of the laws that will be invalidated tomorrow will be jointly elaborated by the parties and will meet the European standards."

Lukash also hinted at an amnesty for protesters who have been arrested over the past week, but said it would only be possible if all protesters stopped occupying buildings as well as Kiev's central Independence Square. "The amnesty will enter into force only in case of vacation of all seized premises and roads. Otherwise, the offenses committed will not be amnestied," said Lukash, who had earlier threatened with a state of emergency.

January 28, 2014

SILT, COLORADO (BNO NEWS) -- A helicopter carrying out inspections on power lines in northwestern Colorado snagged a line and crashed on late Monday morning, killing all three people on board the aircraft, sheriff's officials said. The cause was not immediately known.

The accident occurred at around 11:18 a.m. local time on Monday when a DBS Helicopters aircraft was carrying out power line inspections just south of Silt, a town in Garfield County, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) west of Denver. Experienced local pilot Doug Sheffer was on board along with two other people, whose identities have not yet been released.

"Witnesses in the area called Central Dispatch. Garfield County Sheriff deputies and Colorado River Fire Rescue were dispatched to the scene as well as Search and Rescue," said Walt Stowe, a spokesman for the Garfield County Sheriff's Office. "Three people were on board, including the pilot. There were no survivors."

Stowe said witnesses reported seeing the helicopter "hook a power line" at a location where the line crosses County Road 331, causing the aircraft to crash. "The helicopter crash site at mile point 1.6 has been secured," he said, adding that County Road 331 was reopened several hours later.

Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the cause of Monday's accident. "This is all of the information we have at this time. The NTSB is the lead investigative agency," said Allen Kenitzer, an FAA spokesman.

January 27, 2014

By Tashauna Thompson

MIAMI, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. health officials will board a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship on Sunday to investigate fast-spreading norovirus that has infected nearly 300 passengers and crew members, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

The Explorer of the Seas cruise ship set sail January 21 on a 10-day voyage from Cape Liberty, New Jersey to the Caribbean island of St. Maarten. The ship stopped part way through the expedition after the highly contagious norovirus sickened some 281 of the 3,050 passengers and 22 of the 1,165 crew members. The virus yields predominant symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.

In response to the outbreak, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and the crew aboard the ship have increased cleaning and disinfection procedures according to their outbreak prevention and response plan. Over-the-counter medication has also been administered to those affected and stool specimens were collected for submission to a CDC lab for testing.

"We sincerely apologize for this disruption to our guests' cruise vacation," Royal Caribbean officials said on Sunday.

To prevent additional infections, the ship bypassed its port call to Labadee, Haiti, that was scheduled for Friday, in order to sail directly to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the ship underwent extensive and thorough sanitizing, according to the vessel's owner. The company issued a statement Sunday that said:

"At Royal Caribbean International we have high health standards for all our guests and crew. Throughout the sailing, we have taken a number of steps to prevent the transmission of the illness, including implementing enhanced cleaning procedures and protocols, and using special cleaning products and disinfectants that are proven to kill norovirus to clean throughout the ship. These activities will continue as the sailing proceeds."

A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program officer and an epidemiologist planned to board the ship Sunday in St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands to conduct an epidemiological investigation, environmental health assessment, and evaluate the cause of the outbreak and response activities. The cruise line is consulting with the CDC on the possibility to delay Friday's return to New Jersey.

Norovirus is a fast-moving gut bug typically spread by infected people or contaminated food or water. Norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the U.S., resulting in about 21 million illnesses, between 56,000 and 71,000 hospitalizations and as many as 800 deaths each year, the CDC says.

The virus lingers on surfaces and spreads very easily. Thorough hand-washing with hot water and soap and meticulous environmental cleaning can help stop the spread.

Itâs not yet clear whether the outbreak on Explorer of the Seas has been linked to a nasty new type of norovirus known as the GII 4 Sydney strain. That was the bug blamed for an outbreak last year on the Queen Mary 2. During a voyage from December 22, 2012, to January 3, 2013, 204 passengers and 16 crew members developed norovirus.

January 26, 2014

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (BNO NEWS) -- A pregnant, brain-dead U.S. woman was allowed to die Sunday after a Texas hospital agreed to turn off the machines that were keeping her alive, complying with a judge's ruling that ordered the hospital to do so within three days, officials said.

33-year-old Marlise Munoz was disconnected from her ventilator and all other machines at 11:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, according to attorneys for her family. "May Marlise Munoz finally rest in peace, and her family find the strength to complete what has been an unbearably long and arduous journey," they said in a statement.

The machines were disconnected at the same time John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth publicly announced that it would not appeal the judge's ruling. "JPS Health Network has followed what we believed were the demands of a state statute. From the onset, JPS has said its role was not to make nor contest law but to follow it. ... The hospital will follow the court order," said hospital spokeswoman Jill J.R. Labbe.

The woman's body will soon be buried by her husband Erick and parents. "The Munoz and Machado families will now proceed with the somber task of laying Marlise Munoz's body to rest, and grieving over the great loss that has been suffered," the attorneys added in Sunday's statement.

Tarrant County District Judge R. H. Wallace, Jr. had ordered John Peter Smith Hospital to disconnect Munoz from her ventilator and cease all other life-sustaining treatment by 5 p.m. local time on Monday. Friday's ruling came after a January 14 lawsuit filed by Erick, who had demanded Marlise to be allowed to die since late November.

The hospital, represented by the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, had argued that, even though Marlise has been brain dead since November 28, withdrawing life support would "cause the death of the unborn baby." They also referred to a state law that prevents withdrawing life support from a pregnant woman to "protect the unborn child," causing national controversy.

But just hours before Friday's ruling, John Peter Smith Hospital acknowledged in court documents that "the fetus gestating inside Mrs. Munoz is not viable." Nonetheless, the document added that John Peter Smith Hospital was still refusing to withdraw life support because of state law that makes it illegal to withhold life-sustaining treatment from a pregnant patient.

But the judge ruled that the law does not apply because, when applying standards used in determining death, Marlise was legally deceased. "It is therefore ordered that [Plaintiff's Motion] is granted and that the Defendants are ordered to pronounce Mrs. Munoz dead and remove the ventilator and all other 'life-sustaining' treatment from the body of Marlise Munoz no later than 5:00 p.m., Monday, January 27th," Wallace said in his ruling.

Marlise collapsed at her home on November 26 and was found not breathing by her husband, who resuscitated her and called 911. The woman was alive upon arrival at John Peter Smith Hospital but in cardiac arrest with respiratory failure, causing doctors to put her on a ventilator.

Although Marlise would now have been 23 weeks pregnant, she was only 14 weeks into her pregnancy when she was declared brain dead on November 28. A fetus less than 20 weeks old generally has no chance of survival, and Marlise would still have had the option of an abortion in November if she had wished to do so.

January 26, 2014

By Tashauna Thompson

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (BNO NEWS) -- Nine people were killed Saturday and 30 others were injured when a man believed to be in love with the bride-to-be threw a hand grenade at a wedding reception in central Cambodia, military officials said on Sunday. The attacker fled the scene.

The incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday when a man threw a grenade at dancing guests at a wedding ceremony in Prasat Sambo, a district in central Kampong Thom province, approximately 170 kilometers (105.6 miles) north of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

Provincial military police chief General Horm Thul told the Xinhua news agency that nine people were killed and 30 others were injured, some of them critically. "It was not a terrorism act. We preliminarily concluded that a love triangle motivated the attack," he was quoted as saying, adding that the victims were rushed to Kampong Thom Provincial Hospital

Two young girls aged 7 and 14 were among those killed, Thul added.

January 26, 2014

JABIRU, AUSTRALIA (BNO NEWS) -- A young boy went missing Sunday afternoon while swimming with a group of friends in a remote pond in northern Australia, emergency services said. It is believed the boy was taken by a crocodile that also bit and injured one of the other children.

The incident happened at approximately 2:15 p.m. local time on Sunday when a group of young boys was swimming in Mudginberri Billabong, an isolated pond in Kakadu National Park, approximately 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) west of Jabiru, a town in the northern part of Northern Territory.

"It is believed the 12-year-old boy was taken by a crocodile as he and a number of other young boys were swimming in the billabong," said Acting Commander Michael White of Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services. "Police and Park Rangers are currently conducting searches by boat and land and will continue into the night."

White said another boy, also aged 12, was bitten on the arm by the crocodile and was receiving medical treatment from St. John Ambulance paramedics. Details about the boy's injuries or his condition were not immediately known, and it was not clear if he had been taken to hospital.

In late August, a 26-year-old man was killed by a large saltwater crocodile while swimming in the Mary River near a camping ground in Australia's Northern Territory. The man, who was celebrating a birthday party, was swimming in a river that is known for having the world's largest population of saltwater crocodiles.

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Ukraine's president ends sick leave, to return to work on Monday

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