Forget Inflation, Deflation Is a Bigger Danger
Mortimer B. Zuckerman

Inflation typically results from 'too much money chasing too few goods.' Today, too much supply is chasing too little demand. That, coupled with consumers' need to save money to rebuild their finances, raises the risk of deflation, not inflation.

Beginning of a New World Economic Epoch
Paul A. Samuelson

President Barack Obama's 2008 electoral landslide victory averted a global financial meltdown. Had Republican Sen. John McCain won that election, present U.S. GDP would have been even lower than it is now, by more than 15 percent! And similar losses in global productivity would also have taken place.

United States: Single-eyed Vision
Robert C. Koehler

The promise the United States once represented to the world has spent itself, and what we have to offer in terms of opportunity, or at least hope, is overshadowed by the spreading shadow of our hubris. And it's all coming home to roost.

Human Survival The Twin Brother of Nuclear Annihilation
Robert C. Koehler

Whether the underlying premise is faulty or valid, the nuclear weapons industry is here to stay as long as people believe in sufficient numbers that our survival is 'the twin brother of annihilation.'

Nobel Peace Prize: Mixed Signals, Or 'Blessed Are The Cheesemakers'
Paul Kennedy

On hearing the surprising news of President Obama's award of the Nobel Peace Prize, I could only wonder at the Norwegian award committee's own very long track record of sending out mixed messages about its intentions and reasoning.

Brandenburg Gate - Berlin, Germany

When Freedom Was at High Tide
Paul Greenberg

The great tide had been building for years, for decades. But it would take daring and determination to release it. Walls do not come tumbling down by themselves, however much it might seem that way looking back. There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to freedom. High tide came November 9, 1989, when the Wall came down

Communism's Enablers and Excusers
Cal Thomas

On Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was pulled down to the consternation of leftists, who still had faith socialism could work with the right leaders, and to the delight of conservatives, who believed that socialism and communism guaranteed mutually-shared poverty. Two years later, the Soviet Union crumbled. Soviet communism might not have endured for 70 years had it not been for enablers in academia, religion and journalism

Americans' shrinking retirement nest egg
(c) William Brown

The Modern Retirement Plan: Cross Your Fingers
Robyn Blumner

I come in contact with the failure of America's retirement system at my local supermarket. That's where a corps of elderly gentlemen bag my groceries. After the bags are piled in the cart, they ask me with slackened faces if I need help to the car. It's always a mildly awkward question. I am far more agile, and we both know it. Without fail this thought enters my mind: What went wrong for them?

 

 

Norman Borlaug: The Man Who Changed Everything
Norman Borlaug (March 25, 1914 - September 12, 2009)

Norman Borlaug, a plainspoken Iowa farm boy who worked his way through the University of Minnesota during the Depression. His death at 95 came at the end of a life as rich as the bountiful fields he left across the world. To quote the citation that came with his Nobel Prize in 1970, "More than any other single person of this age, he has helped provide bread for a hungry world."

The Emerging Economic Order
(c) Jack Ohman

U.S., China and the Emerging Economic Order
Henry Kissinger

The assumption that the end of the recession will restore the familiar global economic system ignores the psychological and political upheaval that has taken place.

A vast tide of liquidity coupled with America's appetite for consumer goods had sent enormous amounts of dollars to China that, in turn, China lent back to us for still more buying.

 

 

The Default Power and American Declinism
Josef Joffe

The history of declinism shows that doom arrives in cycles, and what comes and goes, logically, does not a trend make. Today, as after past prophecies of imminent debility, the United States remains first on any scale of power that matters -- economic, military, diplomatic or cultural -- despite being embroiled in two wars and beset by the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

 

Big Government Medicine
(c) Dick Locher

Big Government Medicine
Victor Davis Hanson

Big new taxes. Big new spending. Big new government. This seems to be the proposed cure for the Wall Street-inspired recession. The government now runs major banks and companies, and plans to take control of the American health-care system. And it aims to tax how energy in the United States is used to monitor carbon use.

 

Frustrated Baby Boomers Alienated from the Political Debate
Mary Kate Cary

There's a big disconnect in politics right now. The older baby boomers, the ones in their 50s and 60s, are increasingly left out of the political discourse. That crowd is part of the biggest demographic segment of our population -- more than a quarter of our citizens. They're dismayed that their local newspaper -- if it still exists -- places more emphasis on obituaries and local real estate news. Any national news is buried somewhere far from the front page. They feel like they can't get issue-oriented policy news anymore and are ...

Iraq War -- What War
Victor Davis Hanson

The war in Iraq is scarcely in the news any longer, despite the fact that 141,000 American soldiers are still protecting the fragile Iraqi democracy, and 114, as of this writing, have been lost this year in that effort. But after the success of the surge, there are far fewer American fatalities each month

An Amazon Kindle for Every Student
Zach Miners

Forget better standards, merit pay for teachers, or rebuilding the crumbling infrastructure of America's aging schools. No, if we really want to fix the U.S. education system, we must start with Kindles. Thomas Z. Freedman, the primary author of the paper, writes that having a "Kindle in every backpack" (the title of the proposal) is not just an educational gimmick but could improve education quality and save money

Government Bailout
(c) Paul Tong

Opportunity Cost of the Bank Bailout
Arianna Huffington

The lopsided 'recovery.' Banks that received billions in taxpayer handouts now reporting massive profits and setting aside record amounts for executive bonuses, and the American people continuing to face 9.5 percent unemployment, 10,000 foreclosures a day and vital services being cut.

 

Iran at Crossroads of History
Will this Regime Fall Like Shah's
Abolhassan Bani-Sadr

Within six short weeks since the recent election, the government of the Islamic Republic has been publicly divided, delegitimized, challenged and weak. As a result, we can now draw some analytical parallels between the current regime and the pre-1979 monarchy, and between the two occasions of political unrest.

Working Together, Brazil, Russia, China and India Increase Leverage
Ian Bremmer

In 2003, a report authored by Goldman Sachs economists popularized the term BRICs -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- to describe a whole new category of emerging-market powerhouse. The report argued that with sound political leadership and relative international stability, the BRIC economies would together outpace the original G6 industrialized nations in dollar terms by 2040 -- a fundamental shift in the global balance of power. Since then, these four countries have assumed ever-greater importance in the international investment community's collective imagination.

 

Obama's Great Race to Change America
(c) Matt Wuerker

Obama's Great Race to Change America
Victor Davis Hanson

Why does President Obama want to implement all at once radical changes in American foreign policy, environmental policy, education, health care and the tax code? The answer is easy: If he does not achieve these initiatives soon, he never will. Almost none of Obama's proposed policies any longer enjoy majority support among voters

Housing Crisis Conundrum:
Which America Do You Live In
Ilyce Glink

It almost feels as though there are two economies.

First, we have the so-called 'good news' from Wall Street, where the big financial companies are crowing about billion-dollar profits, paying $100 million bonuses, and repaying warrants. Then we have the Main Street economy, where people can't get lenders to call them back, where jobs continue to be lost, home values continue to fall, net worths shrink and foreclosures continue to rise.

Working to Improve the Economy
Kenneth T. Walsh Interviews Christina Romer

Christina Romer -- chairwoman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers -- recently spoke with Kenneth T. Walsh about what has gone wrong, when an economic recovery might occur, and what it's like to work with President Obama.

 

The Growing Divide in American Politics
(c) Mark Weber

Polarization is the New Political Bipartisanship
Mary Kate Cary

Gone are the days of Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan's famous friendship; George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton's joint humanitarian efforts seem like a relic from a different era.

 

Swine Flu Pandemic

How Schools and Parents Can Prepare for Swine Flu
Zach Miners

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting approximately 44,000 cases of swine flu and at least 114 pediatric deaths since April, schools across the country are considering how to deal with a mass outbreak

H1N1 and Its Descendents: Where This Pandemic Flu Came From - and Where it Might Go
Harvard Health Letters

Already, 2009 is not a typical year. We're in the midst of a flu pandemic caused by a virus that first emerged in Mexico in mid-February. Billions are being spent on preparedness plans. And millions of Americans may line up this fall to get two kinds of flu vaccines, one for the regular seasonal flu that comes around every winter and another for the pandemic strain. So far, the 2009 pandemic has been more widespread than lethal.

 

Early Economic Recovery: Fiction or Fact
Paul A. Samuelson

Ever since the global meltdown began in 2007, Wall Street pundits and government officials have proclaimed cheery optimism that meaningful global recovery will occur by the second half of 2009, or the first quarter of 2010. So, as in an earlier time, they're telling us we have nothing to fear except fear itself. Well, we have now entered 2009's second half. The question is whether the early economic recovery is fact or fiction. Paul A. Samuelson shares his findings ...

 

War and the Balance of Power
(Nancy Ohanian)

War By Other Means
Robert C. Koehler - International Politics & World Affairs

We live in a world where arrogance and power are concentrated to an unbelievably fine point, while responsibility is diffused into a global mist.

A few fanatics can plot and wage a war, stirring up consequences infinitely beyond what they are capable of imagining, then retire, when things go bad, into a luxury tinged with disgrace.

 

 

President Obama

 

Iraq: American Troop Withdrawal

 

The Pentagon's Wasting Assets
Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr.

Several events in recent years have demonstrated that traditional means and methods of projecting power and accessing the global commons are growing increasingly obsolete--becoming "wasting assets," in the language of defense strategists

 

Iranian Elections 2009: Iran's Crisis of Legitimacy

 

 

 

A Positively Reaganesque Start to Obama Presidency
Howard Baker Jr.

 

In the Senate, Two Is a Lonely Number
Katherine Skiba

Everyone Agrees We Need Wall Street Reforms ...
Arianna Huffington

Supreme Court: Strip Search of 13-Year-Old Unconstitutional
Zach Miners

Flipping the Taliban: How to Win in Afghanistan
Fotini Christia and Michael Semple

Political History of the Stars & Stripes
Andrew Burt

 

Asia Economy: Tamed Asian Tigers, Distressed Chinese Dragon
Brian P. Klein and Kenneth Neil Cukier

ALSO on the economy & global financial crisis:

 

International current events & world affairs:

 

What Does the Future Hold for GOP?
Future of the Republican Party by Jonah Goldberg

 

Politics

 

Andy Rooney

One Man's Trash / Treasure ...
Andy Rooney

We waste more in the United States than the people of most other countries even have. Driving through the streets of any major city on the day the trash collectors come -- or are supposed to come -- is an experience the citizens of a hundred less prosperous nations would find difficult to believe.

Wouldn't You Like to Be a Politician?
Andy Rooney

It's a good thing for all of us that there are people who want to be politicians because you couldn't pay most of us to take the job of mayor, governor or president of anything. Why are there people who want to do such difficult work? We're all glad they do, but why?

How Does Your State Rank
Andy Rooney

This column is sort of a cheat because I have a book called 'State Rankings 2009' that you probably don't have. I get to do an easy column once in a while, and this book has some fascinating numbers

The Newspaper Business Then and Now
Andy RooneyThe newspapers keep coming in my office. There's always today's paper before I've finished yesterday's and I get a lot of them. As you know, I'm an avid newspaper reader and I like all the little stories, so the paper takes me a long time to read.

How Does Your Brain Work
Andy Rooney

It may not matter to you, but I wish there was a better way for us to keep track of some of the numbers and information we gather throughout our lives. And then of course I'd like to be able to permanently forget some information. Sometimes I feel that we should be in more control of our brains.

 

Arianna Huffington

 

Chris thomas

 

MOVIES: MOVIE REVIEWS & MOVIE TRAILERS

 

Michael Jackson's This Is It
Michael Jackson in Michael Jackson's This Is It

Produced with the cooperation of the Jackson estate, "This Is It" has no interest in telling the full story of anything, or the crumbling state of anyone. Director Kenny Ortega -- Jackson's partner in staging the London concert that never came to fruition -- is simply trying to suggest in some detail what sort of overstuffed career retrospective Jackson was attempting

 

Carey Mulligan & Peter Sarsgaard

An Education
Carey Mulligan & Peter Sarsgaard in An Education

Novelist Nick Hornby's screenplay for British journalist Lynn Barber's memoir sands a few edges off the corners of its heroine's story, yet the film is awfully charming. It bops along with so much esprit and lively acting.

 

Hilary Swank & Richard Gere

Amelia
Hilary Swank & Richard Gere in Amelia

This Amelia Earhart biopic isn't a bad movie, but it's distressingly ordinary for such an extraordinary subject. Played by an aptly cast and game Hilary Swank, Earhart becomes a checklist of Historical Legend accomplishments

 

Astro Boy Anime Movie Feature

Astro Boy
Freddie Highmore & Kristen Bell in Astro Boy

Astro Boy first appeared in a Japanese comic in 1951. His adventures led to a '60s Japanese TV series, then to the first of the American spin-offs, and now "Astro Boy" hits the big screen. I wish the film version of "Astro Boy" provided a stronger antidote to mediocrity. With the voices of Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell and Nicolas Cage

 

John C. Reilly & Patrick Fugit

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
John C. Reilly & Patrick Fugit in Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

In this campy vampire flick, the truce between vampires who sip, leaving humans a little weaker but none the wiser, and those who gorge, leaving death and destruction behind, comes to an end. This is an adaptation of the frothy kids book series by Darren Shan.

 

 

RECIPES

Dessert Recipes

Vanilla Ice Cream with Wild Turkey Walnuts and Caramel
Bev Bennett

With all the premium ice cream on the market, you may wonder why you'd want to make your own. The answer is simple and luscious: because ice cream is easy to make and you can add even more indulgent ingredients than the name brands do.

Red Berry Clafoutis Batter Pudding Recipe
Anne Willan

Clafoutis, a batter pudding made in little dishes with seasonal fruits such as cherries, apricots or plums, with apples in winter. My favorite is juicy red berries, both sweet and tart. I aim for a mixture of raspberries and strawberries, with a few blackberries or blueberries added for contrast of color. Best served hot from the oven, clafoutis can be prepared ahead and baked at the last minute.

Chocolate at a Glance Dessert Recipes
Faye Levy

Chocolate isn't what it used to be in America. Not long ago supermarkets stocked three kinds of chocolate: semisweet, unsweetened, and milk. Now there's an impressive array not only of fine European imports but also of American chocolates that give them a run for their money. If you need to make a dessert in a hurry, it's easy to put together a chocolate sundae pie in a simple nut crust topped with a luxurious chocolate sauce made of two ingredients -- chocolate and cream. For an even quicker option, dress up ice cream with chopped fine chocolate, toasted nuts and tender fruit.

Lemon Ripple Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Betty Rosbottom

Just when I thought I'd seen every variation possible on cheesecake, I came across Elinor Klivans' recipe for Lemon Ripple Cheesecake Bars. A talented pastry chef, Elinor uses a square rather than a round pan and cuts squares instead of wedges from this particular cheesecake dessert. But these delectable bars are truly inventive because of the unusual way the filling is prepared

Dietitian Approved Sweet Treats
Betsy Klein RD, LD

Does eating dessert have to make you feel guilty? Of course not. Contrary to popular belief, dietitians like myself don't skip dessert and we don't restrict ourselves to sugar-free Jello to sate our sweet tooth. We do, however, follow some rules.

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Syrup Recipe
Cupcake Recipe by Wolfgang Puck

One of my favorite ways to give my kids lovingly homemade treats that meet their need for instant gratification is to make cupcakes. From start to finish, most cupcake recipes take little more than half an hour as does this Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Syrup Recipe.

 

Vacation Travel

Sunset through the palms
Waikiki Beach, Oahu

In Search of the Aloha Smile on Oahu
Anne Z. Cooke - Travel Muse

As a frequent visitor to Hawaii, it's the islands' physical beauty that captures my attention: the impossibly steep green peaks, brilliant sunsets and roving trade winds. Intoxicating, yes, they are. But my lasting memories are of people, of the strangers who greet you with a smile and friendly families who offer hospitality.

 

 

More Vacation & Travel Articles ... (click here)

 

health & fitness

Swimming: Take the Plunge for Your Heart
Health, Fitness & Exercise

Any kind of exercise is better for your heart than no exercise at all. Walking isn't necessarily the best exercise for the heart and general good health, but it's the best option for the greatest number of people. More vigorous activities do even more for the heart than walking. The lion's share of research has focused on running. Two new studies from the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas, highlight the health benefits of swimming.

 

JUKARI Fit to Fly Workout
Reebok & Cirque du Soleil Partnership Creates Innovative Gym Workout

In 1989, Reebok revolutionized women's fitness with the creation of Step Reebok.

Today, the company revealed its new launch of an innovative gym workout - JUKARI Fit to Fly.

JUKARI Fit to Fly makes fitness fun again by introducing a new way to move in a gym workout and is accessible to all women, regardless of fitness levels.

 

 

NEWS, TOP STORIES, BREAKING NEWS & HEADLINES

Senate Democrats Rounding Up Votes for Crucial Healthcare Test - Baltimore Sun

The Chosun Ilbo

Senate Democrats Rounding Up Votes for Crucial Healthcare Test Baltimore Sun Senate Democratic leaders, having negotiated critical last-minute commitments, Friday stood on the verge of achieving the 60 votes they need to begin consideration of the most expansive healthcare legislation to go before the Senate in nearly half a ... Reid, Democrats Face First Big Senate Test on Health-Care BillBloomberg us Senate leader at risk in healthcare battleReuters Sen. Nelson to Vote to Advance Health BillWall Street Journal CNN International -FOXNews -The Associated Press all 5,103 news articles »

Hymn to Belgium's EU president - guardian.co.uk

Times Online

Hymn to Belgium's EU president guardian.co.uk As a Belgian, I am shocked by the disinformation around the candidacy and person of Mr Van Rompuy, especially by the British tabloids (The great EU stitch-up, 20 November). Their comments are an insult. Van Rompuy is not to be an executive president ... Belgian King Starts Premier Search After Van Rompuy EU ChoiceBloomberg New EU president raises fears in aspirant TurkeyReuters The new EU chiefs: Rompuy-pumpy and Cathy Who?The Associated Press New York Times -Telegraph.co.uk -Xinhua all 2,595 news articles »

Dems Seek Fundraising Boost in War With Palin - FOXNews

ABC News

Dems Seek Fundraising Boost in War With Palin FOXNews President Obama's political arm, Organizing for America, has sent a fundraising e-mail seeking to raise $500000 in the next week to stop a "dangerous" Palin from derailing the Democrats' effort to overhaul health care. Sarah Palin signs her autograph ... What has Sarah Palin set her sights on now?CNN Obama now pleading for money to fight Sarah PalinLos Angeles Times Sarah Palin in Cincinnati to sign copies of her best-selling bookCincinnati.com INDYchannel.com -Boston Globe -Washington Post all 5,301 news articles »

UNICEF chief calls for end of "unspeakable violations" against children - Xinhua

New Zealand Herald

UNICEF chief calls for end of "unspeakable violations" against children Xinhua UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The "unspeakable violations" that happen almost everyday to children all across the globe need to be a thing of the past, chief of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ann Veneman said here on Friday. ... Children's Rights Still Violated 20 Years After ConventionVoice of America UN marks 20 years of Convention on Rights of the ChildBBC News UN says more children in school and fewer dyingThe Associated Press Bloomberg -guardian.co.uk -Aljazeera.net all 798 news articles »

Levin: Fort Hood probe may reveal more e-mails - The Associated Press

New York Daily News

Levin: Fort Hood probe may reveal more e-mails The Associated Press WASHINGTON β€” There may be additional e-mails that could have tipped off law enforcement or military officials to the Fort Hood shooter before he went on his deadly rampage, the chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee said Friday. ... Levin: Fort Hood Probe May Reveal More E-MailsNPR Hospital hearing requested for suspect in Fort Hood shootingsCNN Senate Panels to Probe Failure to Share Hasan E-MailsBloomberg U.S. News & World Report -KHQ Right Now -AFP all 1,478 news articles »

Obama job approval rating drops under 50 percent - Reuters

Reuters

Obama job approval rating drops under 50 percent Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's job approval rating has dropped below 50 percent in a second major poll in an indication he is suffering from the long healthcare debate and weakness in the economy, Gallup said on Friday. ... Obama's approval rating falls below 50%Washington Times Obama approval drops below 50%msnbc.com Obama approval dips below 50Politico United Press International -Examiner.com -USA Today all 123 news articles »

Major World Powers Dislike Nuclear Response From Iran - Voice of America

Aljazeera.net

Major World Powers Dislike Nuclear Response From Iran Voice of America Photo: AP The United States and five leading world powers meeting in Brussels expressed disappointment Friday that Iran had not accepted a uranium enrichment offer, even as the outgoing head of the International Atomic Energy Agency urged Tehran to ... As Iran Stalls on Nuclear Deal, New Sanctions WeighedNew York Times US demands Iran give positive response to UN draft dealXinhua Iran nuclear deal: six world powers mull sanctionsChristian Science Monitor CNN International -BBC News -Aljazeera.net all 1,265 news articles »

Rudy Giuliani for Senate? He'd make a big race bigger. - Christian Science Monitor

The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Rudy Giuliani for Senate? He'd make a big race bigger. Christian Science Monitor Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor and a Republican, is said to be weighing a Senate bid. Will his mayoral credentials help or hurt him? By Ron Scherer | Staff writer/ November 20, 2009 edition The US Senate is full of mavericks: John McCain, ... Giuliani back in spotlight _ but what's the show?The Associated Press Daily Mayor of New York Higher Office DebunkingNewsweek Run, Rudy, Run?The Am Law Daily Wall Street Journal -Salon -New York Daily News all 579 news articles »

UPADATE 1-Miami man gets 13-year sentence for Sears Tower plot - Reuters

BBC News

UPADATE 1-Miami man gets 13-year sentence for Sears Tower plot Reuters MIAMI, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The ringleader of a group of Miami men convicted of plotting to blow up Chicago's Sears Tower and government offices was sentenced to 13-1/2 years in prison on Friday. The sentence for Narseal Batiste was handed down by a ... Sears Tower plot leader gets 13-year prison termThe Associated Press Leader of Sears Tower plot sentenced to 13 yearsAFP Sears Tower bomb plot leader Narseal Batiste jailedBBC News ABC7Chicago.com -RTT News -New York Times all 956 news articles »

Ethics Panel Admonishes Obama Senate Replacement - New York Times

Boston Globe

Ethics Panel Admonishes Obama Senate Replacement New York Times By REUTERS The latest on President Obama, his administration and other news from Washington and around the nation. Join the discussion. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US Senate ethics committee on Friday admonished Roland Burris, saying he had been less ... Panel raps Burris over Blagojevich testimonyWashington Times Roland Burris is a lying snakeChicago Tribune Senate Ethics Committtee: Roland Burris Is Not A CriminalAir America The Associated Press -USA Today -Central Illinois Proud all 415 news articles »

Top Stories - Google News
Google News

 

Body found in flood is missing Pc
A body found after a bridge collapse in what the Environment Agency says is "unprecedented" flooding is that of missing Pc Bill Barker.

Yacht pair plead for ransom talks
A British couple kidnapped by Somali pirates say via video footage that they fear they may be killed within a week.

Restart for 'Big Bang' experiment
The Large Hadron Collider experiment, designed to shed light on the cosmos, restarts after 14 months of repairs.

Police urged to visit all victims
Police should visit each victim of crime no matter how minor the offence, the home secretary says.

Tories ponder army's German role
UK troop levels in Germany could be scaled back if the Tories win power, the shadow defence secretary has said.

Blackwater guard charges to drop
US prosecutors ask for charges against one of five Blackwater guards accused of killing up to 17 Iraqi civilians to be dropped.

Bogus callers in council tax scam
Bogus callers posing as council staff are luring homeowners into a council tax scam, say council leaders.

Match-fix probe targets 200 games
About 200 football ties are under investigation in what one Uefa official calls Europe's biggest match-fixing scandal.

Hershey 'mulls $17bn Cadbury bid'
US chocolate maker Hershey considers launching a solo bid of at least $17bn (£10bn) for UK firm Cadbury, reports say.

Stars join Children in Need fun
Top names from the worlds of TV, music and theatre are taking part in this year's Children In Need show.

Football fans encouraged to kick smoking habit into touch
Chelsea fans might be celebrating being top of the Premier League but they are struggling to give smoking the red card.

France reject Irish replay hopes
The French Football Federation turns down the Republic of Ireland's request for a replay of their controversial World Cup play-off game.

Mercedes want Schumacher - Jordan
Michael Schumacher will race in Formula 1 for Mercedes' new team in 2010, BBC Sport's Eddie Jordan believes.

Cudicini 'to miss rest of season'
Tottenham goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini leaves hospital after undergoing wrist and pelvic surgery, but is unlikely to play again this season.

Would you elect a commissioner?
Police chiefs may quit if the Tories introduced elected commissioners, claims Sir Hugh Orde. What do you think?

Magic moments
Some of Oprah's most memorable shows

Puzzling choices
What EU appointments mean for bloc's future

7 days quiz
Spot Nick Cave's entry in the Bad Sex in Fiction award

Secret networks
Parents do not know what goes on says Tanya Byron

Coaxing Karzai
Will Clinton's approach to Afghan leader pay off?

In pictures
Winning images in Darwin photo competition

Flood waters force 500 from homes
Hundreds of people in Cumbria are forced to spend the night away from their homes after the county's devastating floods.

Flood alert over threatened rains
The south west of Scotland remains on flood alert with more rain forecast to hit the area over the weekend.

Drug-resistant swine flu hits UK
Health officials in Cardiff say a Tamiflu-resistant strain of swine flu has spread between hospital patients.

Tributes paid to quad crash teen
Tributes are paid to a 14-year-old boy who died in a quad bike accident in Maghera on Thursday night.

Riot over Egypt football defeat
Police are injured as Egypt fans' anger over reported violence after a World Cup game erupts in Cairo.

Sears Tower plot leader is jailed
The leader of a plot to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago is sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in prison.

Iran criticised over nuclear deal
The six major powers say they are disappointed with Iran's apparent rejection of a deal over its nuclear programme.

Vietnam denies blocking Facebook
Vietnamese officials deny blocking access to Facebook for the site's million users, instead blaming a technical fault.

Italian sex scandal woman 'dead'
A transsexual prostitute linked to a sex row involving an Italian politician is believed to have been burned to death, media report.

Afghan ex-warlord escapes attack
MP and former Afghan warlord Abdul Rasul Sayyaf narrowly escapes an assassination attempt in which five bodyguards die.

Banks 'are charging sneaky fees'
Banks are still finding "sneaky ways" to make money out of people, says the consumers' association Which?.

I am best for new EU job - Ashton
Labour peer Baroness Ashton - the surprise choice as EU foreign minister - rejects claims she lacks experience for the role.

Childhood abuse 'quickens ageing'
Physical or emotional abuse during childhood could speed up the body's ageing process, US research suggests.

Universities 'face tougher times'
England's university funding chief says a golden age may be over as funding falls behind overseas competitors.

UK climate unit's e-mails hacked
The e-mail system of one of the world's leading climate research units has been breached by hackers.

Lady Gaga joins royal gala show
Eccentric chart-topper Lady Gaga is to sing for the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance at Blackpool's Opera House.

YouTube gets automatic subtitles
Automatic captions for YouTube videos are to roll out across its channels, says parent company Google.

BBC News | News Front Page | UK Edition
Visit BBC News for up-to-the-minute news, breaking news, video, audio and feature stories. BBC News provides trusted World and UK news as well as local and regional perspectives. Also entertainment, business, science, technology and health news.

 

 

 

Senator Kennedy
(c) Paul Tong

Senator Kennedy's Legacy of Legislative Success
Amanda Ruggeri

Senator Ted Kennedy left behind a career as one of the most effective leaders in Congress. During his 46 years as a senator, the third longest of any senator in history, he helped craft legislation that profoundly reformed everything from the country's racial makeup to the federal government's role in education. That's not to say that he should be given all the credit, as much of his legislation was undertaken with Republicans in power. Some of his most important legislative accomplishments ...

81st Academy Awards - 2009 Oscar Winners & Nominations

2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

From the beach on Canouan Island in the Grenadines, supermodel Bar Refaeli graces the cover of the highly anticipated 2009 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT ISSUE.

Refaeli, a three-year veteran of the SI SWIMSUIT ISSUE, is the first Israeli model to land the cover of the coveted magazine. Photographer Raphael Mazzucco, who also photographed the 2008 cover of Marisa Miller, captured the cover photo during a two-day shoot with Refaeli on Canouan Island in the Grenadines.

The 2009 SWIMSUIT ISSUE takes a journey to four countries with ancient cultures and pillars of modern beauty and makes stops in Naples, Italy; Cappadocia, Turkey; Riviera Maya, Mexico; and Tenerife, Canary Islands.

 

SUPER BOWL XLIII

Steelers Defeat Cardinals 27-23, Holmes MVP
Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers 27 Cardinals 23

Santonio Holmes extended his arms, kept his feet on the ground and held on to Ben Roethlisberger's perfectly placed pass deep in the right corner of the end zone.

The amazing touchdown catch -- against three Cardinal defenders -- capped an 8-play 78 yard drive with 35 seconds remaining.

Thus, giving the Pittsburgh Steelers a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.

 

POLITICS