Top Canada court upholds anti-terrorism law in unanimous ruling
Label: WorldOTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada‘s Supreme Court on Friday upheld an anti-terrorism law enacted after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, ruling unanimously that those who choose to engage in terrorism must “pay a very heavy price.”
The law’s constitutionality was challenged by Mohammad Momin Khawaja, convicted in Canada of terrorism for involvement with a British group that had plotted unsuccessfully to set off bombs in London.
It was also challenged by two men accused of terrorism by the United States for trying to buy missiles or weapons technology for the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers.
The court rejected arguments that the law’s definition of terrorism was overly broad. It upheld Khawaja’s life sentence and confirmed the orders to extradite the other two to the United States.
Khawaja, a Canadian of Pakistani descent, was the first to be convicted under the law. He was sentenced in 2008 to 10-1/2 years in prison, and his sentence was then extended to life after appeal by the government.
The trial judge noted that Khawaja referred to Osama Bin Laden as “the most beloved person to me in the … whole world, after Allah.” He was found to have participated in a terrorism training camp in Pakistan and to have designed a device dubbed the “hi fi digimonster” for detonating bombs.
“The appellant was a willing participant in a terrorist group,” Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin wrote in the 7-0 decision, adding that he was “apparently remorseless.”
“He was committed to bringing death on all those opposed to his extremist ideology and took many steps to provide support to the group. The bomb detonators he attempted to build would have killed many civilians had his plans succeeded.”
The law applies to any act committed for a political, religious or ideological purpose with the intention of intimidating the public by causing death or serious bodily harm, or substantial property damage, or causing serious interference with an essential service.
The court also ruled that Canada can proceed to extradite two men the United States has accused of involvement with the Tamil Tigers, which waged a bloody war for independence in Sri Lanka and is considered a terrorist organization by Washington and Ottawa.
The Canadian government declined to comment on when they would be extradited.
Piratheepan Nadarajah was alleged to have tried to purchase surface-to-air missiles and AK-47 assault rifles for the Tamil Tigers from an undercover officer posing as a black-market arms dealer on Long Island, New York.
The other man, Suresh Sriskandarajah, was alleged to have helped Tamil Tigers get electronic equipment, submarine and warship design software and communications equipment.
They surrendered to the government ahead of the court decision, their lawyers said.
BEYOND ‘LEGITIMATE EXPRESSION’
The court disagreed that the federal law’s terrorism provisions had put a chilling effect on Canadians’ freedom of expression and was disproportionately broad.
“Only individuals who go well beyond the legitimate expression of a political, religious or ideological thought, belief or opinion, and instead engage in one of the serious forms of violence – or threaten one of the serious forms of violence – listed (in the law) need fear liability under the terrorism provisions of the Criminal Code,” McLachlin wrote.
She quoted with approval the appeals court decision in the Khawaja case that faulted the Ottawa trial judge’s sentence for failing to send a “clear and unmistakable message that terrorism is reprehensible and those who choose to engage in it will pay a very heavy price.”
The original sentence of 10-1/2 years does “not approach an adequate sentence for such acts,” she concluded.
Khawaja’s lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, said it was a “terrible day” for his client and said too often people were investigated or prosecuted for their religious or political beliefs.
“It’s a … very unfortunate ruling for minorities in this country, and we’re extremely disappointed with the result,” he told reporters in the foyer of the Supreme Court.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said the decision was important as Canada was not immune to the threat of terrorism. “The court sent a strong message that terrorism will not be treated leniently in Canada,” he said.
The cases are Mohammad Momin Khawaja v. Her Majesty the Queen. (Ont) (34103); Suresh Sriskandarajah v. United States of America, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (34009), Piratheepan Nadarajah v. United States of America, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada (34013).
(Additional reporting by Louise Egan; Editing by Jackie Frank and Xavier Briand)
Canada News Headlines – Yahoo! News
“Bennifer” buried as Ben Affleck’s star soars
Label: LifestyleLOS ANGELES (Reuters) – It has taken 10 years of hard work and indie movies, but Ben Affleck finally has moved past his “Bennifer” nightmare.
Affleck, 40, once a tabloid staple who risked becoming a laughingstock during his romance with Jennifer Lopez and their movie flop “Gigli,” is back on top in Hollywood, winning accolades for his work both in front of and behind the camera.
Fifteen years after Affleck shared an Oscar with Matt Damon for their first screenplay, “Good Will Hunting,” buzz is building over a likely second Academy Award nomination next month. It would be Affleck’s first since 1997.
“Finally, people now are ready to go, ‘Wow! He’s at the very top of the food chain,’” Damon told Reuters.
Affleck’s latest film “Argo,” a part-thriller, part-comedic tale of the real-life rescue of six American diplomats from Iran in 1980, this week picked up five Golden Globe nominations and a nod from the Screen Actors Guild for its top prize of best ensemble cast.
The film, which Affleck directed, produced and stars in, has also delighted critics and brought in some $ 160 million at the worldwide box office.
In “Argo,” Affleck’s clean-cut looks are hidden under a long, shaggy 1970s hair cut and beard as he plays CIA officer Tony Mendez, who devised a fake film project to spirit six hostages out of Tehran after the Islamic revolution.
The kudos Affleck is now receiving follows the embarrassing headlines he attracted over his 2002-2004 romance with Lopez.
“It was tough to watch him get kicked in the teeth for all those years because the perception of him was so not who he actually was,” Damon said.
“It was upsetting for a lot of his friends because he’s the smartest, funnest, nicest, kindest, incredibly talented guy. … So that was tough. Now I’m just thrilled. … He deserves everything that he’s going to get,” he added.
With a huge, pink diamond engagement ring for Lopez and gossip about matching Rolls Royces, the pair dubbed “Bennifer” starred in the 2003 comedy romance “Gigli,” which earned multiple Razzie awards for the worst comedy of the year.
SELLING MAGAZINES NOT MOVIES
Damon, by contrast, was seeing his career surge with “The Bourne Identity,” “Syriana” and “The Departed.” But he recalls Affleck’s pain.
“He said (to me), ‘I am in the absolute worst place you can be. I sell magazines, not movie tickets.’ I remember our agent called up the editor of Us Weekly, begging her not to put him on the cover any more. Please stop. Just stop,” Damon said.
About a year after splitting with Lopez, Affleck married actress Jennifer Garner, had the first of three children with her, and started writing and directing small but admired movies like “Gone Baby Gone” in 2007 and 2010′s gritty crime film “The Town.”
Last month, Affleck was named Entertainment Weekly’s entertainer of the year, largely on the back of “Argo.”
The actor-turned-director said that managing the various tones of the film was his hardest challenge.
“I had to synthesize comedic elements and the political stuff and this true-life drama thriller story. … It was scary and it was daunting,” Affleck told Reuters, saying he powered through by “overworking it by a multiple of ten.”
A trip to the Oscars ceremony in February is now considered a shoo-in by awards pundits, but Affleck is not convinced that success is sweeter the second time around.
“It’s harder. On the one hand, coming from obscurity, you have a neutral starting place. Because of the tabloid press and over exposure, I was starting from a deficit,” he said.
“It can be very unpleasant to be in the midst of a lot of ugliness. But I just put my head down and decided … I was going to work as hard as I could, and I never let the possibility enter my mind that I might fail – at least consciously. Subconsciously, I knew I could fail and I was really scared, so it made me work harder.”
(Additional reporting by Zorianna Kit; Editing by Will Dunham)
Celebrity News Headlines – Yahoo! News
UPDATE 3-Cricket-Hughes shines as Australia reach 299-4
Label: World* Hughes falls just short of century
* Clarke and Hussey combine for 101
* Welegedera takes 3-99 (Adds quotes)
HOBART, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Phil Hughes made a solid 86 on his return to test cricket before Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey took up the running and steered Australia to 299 for four at close of play on the first day of the first test against Sri Lanka on Friday.
Hughes was the only batsmen to fall in the final session, lasting only a couple of overs after lunch before being bowled through the gate by Chanaka Welegedera, giving the Sri Lankan seamer his third wicket of the day.
Clarke, who had made 70 not out, and Hussey, unbeaten on 37, batted through the remainder of the day and if the evidence of their prolific partnerships in the recent series against South Africa is anything to go by, will take some shifting.
“Overall, 299 for four puts the ball in our court,” said Hughes. “I thought we were outstanding today. It really gives us momentum going into tomorrow.”
Sri Lanka’s bowlers, dubbed this week as the worst pace attack ever to tour Australia by former test bowler Rodney Hogg, made life uncomfortable for the batsmen at times but struggled for any real penetration under cloudy skies at Bellerive Oval.
“I think we showed we can put Australia under pressure and hopefully the bowlers will be fresh in the morning and we can get them out for less than 100 additional runs,” said Welegedera, who finished with 3-99 on his return after nine months out injured.
Clarke, who passed 1,400 runs for the year, has now put on 731 runs in partnerships with Hussey in the last four tests and will be looking to plunder a few more on Saturday despite taking a couple of painful knocks to his legs.
Friday, however, belonged to Hughes.
The lefthander was recalled to the side on the back of good domestic form following the retirement of Ricky Ponting at the end of the series against the Proteas.
The 24-year-old reached his fourth test half century with a square drive for three runs and then initially accelerated towards a century, most notably with an ugly but effective slog for six off spinner Rangana Herath.
CALAMITOUS RUNOUT
On the ground where his second spell as a test batsman ended amid questions about his technique after two failures against New Zealand last year, Hughes scored eight fours and one six in his 166-ball knock before Welegedera struck with a superb ball.
“It was nice to get a few,” he said. “It would have been nice to get a few more and get into three figures.”
Australia had lost openers Ed Cowan (four) and David Warner in the opening session, the latter run out for 57 on the stroke of lunch after a calamitous misunderstanding with Hughes.
Shane Watson, dropping down to fourth in the batting order to allow Hughes to come in at number three, followed them to the pavilion for 30 shortly before tea, the victim of an exceptional diving catch in the slips by skipper Mahela Jayawardene.
That was a second wicket for Welegedera and a measure of redemption for the bowler after he had Hughes caught behind for 77 only for the umpire to call a no ball.
Welegedera had also made the early breakthrough for the tourists when Cowan tried to pull a short delivery only for the ball to catch him high on the bat and carry to mid-on where Shaminda Eranga took a simple catch.
It could have been even better for the Sri Lankans, who were only centimetres away from the perfect start to the morning after Clarke had won the toss and elected to bat.
Cowan edged the second delivery of the day from Nuwan Kulasekara to the slips but Angelo Mathews was just unable to get his hands to it, despite an athletic dive. (Editing by Peter Rutherford)
Australia / Antarctica News Headlines – Yahoo! News
Apple falls on lower shipment forecasts, muted China debut
Label: Technology(Reuters) – Apple Inc shares fell 3.9 percent on Friday after the iPhone 5 debuted in China to a cool reception and two analysts cut shipment forecasts.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek trimmed his iPhone shipment estimates for the Jan-March quarter, saying that the technology company had started cutting orders to suppliers to balance excess inventory.
Shares of Apple suppliers Jabil Circuit Inc, Qualcomm Inc, Skyworks Solutions Inc, TriQuint Semiconductor Inc, Avago Technologies Ltd, and Cirrus Logic Inc also fell in early trading.
Apple shares have lost a quarter of their value since they hit a life high of $ 705.07 on September 21, as it faces increasing competition from phones using Google Inc’s Android operating system.
Misek cut his first-quarter iPhone sales estimate to 48 million from 52 million and gross margin expectations for the company by 2 percentage points to 40 percent.
UBS Investment Research cut its price target on Apple stock to $ 700 from $ 780 on lower expected iPhone and iPad shipments for the March quarter.
The brokerage said it was modeling more conservative growth for the world’s biggest technology company after making supply chain checks that revealed that fewer iPhones were being built.
“Some of our Chinese sources do not expect the iPhone 5 to do as well as the iPhone 4S,” UBS analyst Steven Milunovich wrote in a note to clients.
Apple launched the iPhone 5 in China on Friday, a move widely expected to bring the Cupertino-based company some respite from a recent slide in market share in China, but early reports indicated that demand may not be as great as expected.
“The iPhone 5 China launch has been surprisingly muted but (we) are unsure how much weather (snow) or the required pre-ordering (to prevent riots) are factors,” Misek said.
Apple shares fell as low as $ 508.50 in morning trading on the Nasdaq on Friday.
(Editing by Supriya Kurane)
Tech News Headlines – Yahoo! News
TLC’s “Best Funeral Ever” runs Reality TV into the ground
Label: LifestyleLOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com – TLC, which brought the world “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” and “Sister Wives,” has hit new depths: The new one-hour special “Best Funeral Ever” will follow dead people’s journey to the grave.
The network announced Thursday that “Best Funeral Ever” will focus on the Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas, which prides itself on its unique theme funerals – or as Golden Gate calls them, “home-going celebrations.”
“A home-going is much different than a funeral, it’s a celebration,” Golden Gate CEO John Beckwith Jr. says of his company’s approach. “The Golden Gate experience is our version of the traditional African American home-going celebration. We do not produce generic funerals; everybody’s experience has to be different.”
In the case of “Best Funeral Ever,” that includes a Christmas-inspired funeral complete with elves, reindeer and snow and a barbecue-themed sendoff for a doo-wop singer who was well-known for a rib sauce jingle. A State Fair-themed funeral will allow a man whose disabilities prevented him from riding roller coasters to finally, um, experience the thrill rides, games and attractions he missed out on in life. (Sounds like a great sequel to “Weekend at Bernie’s.”)
“Best Funeral Ever,” which is produced by Park Slope Productions, will premiere December 26 at 8 p.m. – just in case you’re experiencing any residual Christmas cheer and need a reminder of your mortality.
TV News Headlines – Yahoo! News
FDA OKs Ariad’s drug for two rare blood cancers
Label: Health(Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it approved Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc‘s drug to treat two rare types of blood cancer, three months ahead of the review date.
Iclusig was approved to treat chronic myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The drug, generically known as ponatinib, is being granted an orphan product status, intended for drugs that aim to treat rare diseases.
The FDA said that Iclusig was approved under its accelerated approval program, which provides patients earlier access to promising new drugs while the company conducts additional studies.
Orphan drug designation is granted by the health regulator to drugs or biologics that treat a condition affecting less than 200,000 Americans.
The status grants the drugmaker a marketing exclusivity of seven years in the United States, upon approval.
Iclusig, which blocks certain proteins that stimulate the development of cancer cells, was to be reviewed by the FDA on March 27. (http://link.reuters.com/vut64t)
(Reporting By Vrinda Manocha in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel)
Medications/Drugs News Headlines – Yahoo! News
At least 27 dead, mostly children, in Conn. school shooting
Label: Business
More than two dozen people, mostly elementary school children, were shot
and killed at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school this morning, federal
and state sources tell ABC News.
The massacre involved two gunmen and prompted the town of Newtown to
lock down all of its schools and draw SWAT teams to the school,
authorities said today.
One shooter is dead and a manhunt is on for a second gunman. Police are
searching cars. One shooter was described as a 24-year-old armed with
four weapons and wearing a bullet vest, sources told ABC News.
It's unclear how many people have been shot, but 27 people, mostly
children are dead, multiple federal and state sources tell ABC News.
That number could rise, officials said.
President Obama was briefed on the shooting by FBI Director Bob Mueller.
It is the worst shooting in a U.S. elementary school in recent memory and exceeds the carnage at 1999 Coumbine High School
shooting in which 13 died and 24 were injured.
The Newtown shooting comes just three days after masked gunman Jacob
Roberts opened fire in a busy Oregon, mall killing two before turning
the gun on himself.
Today's shooting occurred at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, which
includes 450 students in grades from kindergarten through fourth grade.
The town is located about 12 miles east of Danbury.
Watch Upcoming State Police News Conference Live at ABCNews.com
State Police received the first 911 call at 9:41a.m. and immediately
began sending emergency units from the western part of the state.
Initial 911 calls stated that multiple students were trapped in a
classroom, possibly with a gunman, according to a Connecticut State
Police source.
A photo from the scene shows a line of distressed children being led out of the school.
LIVE UPDATES: Newtown, Conn., School Shooting
Three patients have been taken to Danbury Hospital, which is also on lockdown, according to the hospital's Facebook page.
"Out of abundance of caution and not because of any direct threat
Danbury Hospital is under lockdown," the statement said. "This allows us
simply to focus on the important work at hand."
CLICK HERE for more photos from the scene.
Newtown Public School District secretary of superintendent Kathy June
said in a statement that the district's school were locked down because
of the report of a shooting. "The district is taking preventive measures
by putting all schools in lockdown until we ensure the safety of all
students and staff."
State police sent SWAT team units to Newtown.
All public and private schools in the town are on lockdown.
"We have increased our police presence at all Danbury Public Schools due
to the events in Newtown. Pray for the victims," Newtown Mayor Boughton
tweeted.
State emergency management officials said ambulances and other units were also en route and staging near the school.
A message on the school district website says that all afternoon
kindergarten is cancelled today and there will be no mid-day bus runs.
Report: Children shot, killed at Conn. elementary school
Label: Business(Reuters) - A shooter opened fire at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday, killing several people including children, the Hartford Courant newspaper reported.
The shooter was also killed, the Courant said.
Sandy Hook Elementary School teaches children from kindergarten through fourth grade - roughly ages 5 to 10.
Television images showed police and ambulances at the scene, and parents rushing toward the school. Parents were seen reuniting with their children and taking them home.
All Newtown schools were placed in lockdown after the shooting, the Newtown Public School District said.
The shooter, an adult, was dead and two handguns were recovered from the scene, NBC News reported without citing a source.
Danbury Hospital, about 11 miles west of the school, had received three patients from the scene, a hospital spokeswoman told NBC Connecticut. The mayor of Danbury, Mark Boughton, told MSNBC: "They are very serious injuries."
A girl interviewed by NBC Connecticut described hearing seven loud "booms" as she was in gym class. Other children began crying and teachers moved the students to a nearby office, she said.
"A police officer came in and told us to run outside and so we did," the unidentified girl said on camera.
One child was carried from Sandy Hook Elementary School by a police officer, and the child appeared to have been wounded, the town's weekly newspaper, the Newtown Bee, said on its website.
Connecticut State Police said its officers were at the scene with local police but provided no additional details. The emergency call to police occurred at 9:41 a.m., state police said.
An individual answering the phone at the Newtown Police Department declined to comment.
Newtown, with a population about 27,000, is in northern Fairfield County, about 45 miles southwest of Hartford and 80 miles northeast of New York City.
Sandy Hook is one of four elementary schools in the district.
The United States has experienced a number of mass shooting rampages this year, most recently in Oregon, where a gunman opened fire at a shopping mall on Tuesday, killing two people and then himself.
The deadliest attack came in July at a midnight screening of a Batman film in Colorado that killed 12 people and wounded 58.
(Reporting By Dan Burns and Paul Thomasch; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Xavier Briand)
Apple falls on lower shipment forecasts, muted China debut
Label: Technology(Reuters) – Apple Inc shares fell 3.9 percent on Friday after the iPhone 5 debuted in China to a cool reception and two analysts cut shipment forecasts.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek trimmed his iPhone shipment estimates for the Jan-March quarter, saying that the technology company had started cutting orders to suppliers to balance excess inventory.
Shares of Apple suppliers Jabil Circuit Inc, Qualcomm Inc, Skyworks Solutions Inc, TriQuint Semiconductor Inc, Avago Technologies Ltd, and Cirrus Logic Inc also fell in early trading.
Apple shares have lost a quarter of their value since they hit a life high of $ 705.07 on September 21, as it faces increasing competition from phones using Google Inc’s Android operating system.
Misek cut his first-quarter iPhone sales estimate to 48 million from 52 million and gross margin expectations for the company by 2 percentage points to 40 percent.
UBS Investment Research cut its price target on Apple stock to $ 700 from $ 780 on lower expected iPhone and iPad shipments for the March quarter.
The brokerage said it was modeling more conservative growth for the world’s biggest technology company after making supply chain checks that revealed that fewer iPhones were being built.
“Some of our Chinese sources do not expect the iPhone 5 to do as well as the iPhone 4S,” UBS analyst Steven Milunovich wrote in a note to clients.
Apple launched the iPhone 5 in China on Friday, a move widely expected to bring the Cupertino-based company some respite from a recent slide in market share in China, but early reports indicated that demand may not be as great as expected.
“The iPhone 5 China launch has been surprisingly muted but (we) are unsure how much weather (snow) or the required pre-ordering (to prevent riots) are factors,” Misek said.
Apple shares fell as low as $ 508.50 in morning trading on the Nasdaq on Friday.
(Editing by Supriya Kurane)
Tech News Headlines – Yahoo! News
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