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| 'Her' and 'Captain Phillips' take top Writers Guild Awards Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 09:22 PM PST  By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The writers of "Her" and "Captain Phillips" were given top honors by their peers on Saturday at the annual Writers Guild Awards, a strong predictor of success in the screenplay categories at the Oscars in a month's time. Spike Jonze won the best original screenplay award for "Her," a tale set in the near future about a man in a romantic relationship with a lifelike computer operating system. "It's a specific pain that writers know and it's the highs and lows of sitting in there by yourself." "Captain Phillips," inspired by the events of a cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates, earned writer Billy Ray the prize for best adapted screenplay. The film was based on Richard Phillips' 2010 memoir "A Captain's Duty" about the ordeal. Full Story | Top |
| After bridge scandal, New Jersey Governor Christie booed at Super Bowl event Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 07:00 PM PST  By Victoria Cavaliere and Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was greeted with audible boos and a few loud cheers during a Super Bowl-related appearance in New York City on Saturday, a day after a former appointee said the popular Republican knew about politically motivated lane closures near a busy commuter bridge. The Super Bowl will be played on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The governor's introduction was met with a chorus of audible boos and chants of support from the thousands of people gathered in the area for a Super Bowl street fair. He did not mention the scandal during brief remarks in which he thanked the NFL and his New York counterpart and Super Bowl co-host, Governor Andrew Cuomo. Full Story | Top |
| China says Japan's 'hype' on air defence zone spreads tension Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 06:23 PM PST China does not feel threatened by countries in Southeast Asia and is optimistic about the situation in the disputed South China Sea, the Foreign Ministry said, warning Japan not to "spread rumors" it plans a new air defense identification zone. China alarmed Japan, South Korea and the United States last year when it announced an air defense identification zone for the East China Sea, covering a group of uninhabited islands at the center of a bitter ownership spat between China and Japan. Full Story | Top |
| N.J.'s Christie denies prior knowledge of bridge lane closings Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 03:53 PM PST New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Friday said that a letter from a former Port Authority official confirmed he had no prior knowledge of the bridge traffic jam that sparked a political scandal. Full Story | Top |
| Christie issues denial as 'Bridgegate' scandal flares up anew Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 03:53 PM PST By Edith Honan and Chris Francescani NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former New Jersey official on Friday claimed Governor Chris Christie knew about politically motivated traffic jams as they happened, re-igniting a political scandal that has taken a toll on the prominent Republican. The letter from a former official at the agency that oversees the busiest U.S. bridge sparked a quick response from Christie, who again denied wrongdoing, and prompted a top New Jersey newspaper to suggest the governor could face impeachment. David Wildstein, who resigned his Port Authority post late last year, said in a letter that he had proof of the "inaccuracy" of some of Christie's statements about the so-called "Bridgegate" scandal, which polls show has already started to weigh on Christie's potential 2016 White House bid. Since the scandal first came to light, Christie has denied knowing the cause of the George Washington Bridge lane closings, which occurred after the mayor of Fort Lee declined to endorse the governor in a re-election bid and caused four days of massive traffic jams in that city. Full Story | Top |
| Christie's office fires back at former appointee in email to supporters Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 03:32 PM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's office fired back on Saturday against a former appointee who has accused Christie of lying about a bridge traffic scandal involving his top aides. David Wildstein, a long-time Christie acquaintance and one of his appointees at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages the George Washington Bridge connecting New Jersey and New York City, resigned from his post after it emerged he oversaw a politically inspired closure of the bridge in September. ... Full Story | Top |
| Political paralysis looms as Thais go to polls Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 01:48 PM PST  By Martin Petty BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai voters go to the polls under heavy security on Sunday in an election that could push the divided country deeper into political turmoil and leave the winner paralyzed for months by street protests, legal challenges and legislative limbo. The risk of bloodshed at the ballot remains high, a day after seven people were wounded by gunshots and explosions during a standoff between supporters and opponents of embattled Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in a north Bangkok stronghold of her Puea Thai Party. The usual campaign billboards, glossy posters and pre-election buzz have been notably absent this time, as will be millions of voters fearful of poll violence or bent on rejecting a ballot bound to re-elect the political juggernaut controlled by Yingluck's billionaire brother, Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin, 64, is loved and loathed in Thailand, but his parties have won every poll since 2001. Full Story | Top |
| Oscar winner Maximilian Schell dies aged 83 Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 01:20 PM PST  Austrian actor Maximilian Schell, who won an Academy Award for his role as a German defense attorney in the acclaimed 1961 courtroom drama "Judgment at Nuremberg", has died at age 83. The Vienna-born actor died overnight at a clinic in Innsbruck as the result of a "sudden and serious illness", his agent, Patricia Baumbauer, told the Austria Press Agency on Saturday. The brother of actress Maria Schell, he also won a Golden Globe and New York Film Critics Circle award for his role in "Judgment at Nuremberg", which followed a television drama version of the play. "Judgment at Nuremberg," directed by Stanley Kramer, was a dramatization of the war crimes trials in Germany that followed World War Two. Full Story | Top |
| Super Bowl has it covered when it comes to weather Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 01:09 PM PST  By Steve Keating NEW YORK (Reuters) - You might not be able to beat Mother Nature but you can try to protect yourself from her and the NFL made sure all bets were covered when it came to Sunday's Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. But the threat of a monster blizzard or a teeth-chattering Arctic vortex disrupting the Super Bowl party was enough for the NFL to take out what experts estimate to be a multi-million insurance policy. The league confirmed to Reuters only that it has interruption insurance for all games but according to Steven Perlini, a vice president for HCC Specialty Underwriters, Inc. which has insured most of the world's major sporting events, coverage is far more extensive and took in every possibility. "I am familiar with it to some degree," Perlini told Reuters. Full Story | Top |
| NFL-Super Bowl has it covered when it comes to weather Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 01:05 PM PST By Steve Keating NEW YORK, Feb 1 (Reuters) - You might not be able to beat Mother Nature but you can try to protect yourself from her and the NFL made sure all bets were covered when it came to Sunday's Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. But the threat of a monster blizzard or a teeth-chattering Arctic vortex disrupting the Super Bowl party was enough for the NFL to take out what experts estimate to be a multi-million insurance policy. The league confirmed to Reuters only that it has interruption insurance for all games but according to Steven Perlini, a vice president for HCC Specialty Underwriters, Inc. which has insured most of the world's major sporting events, coverage is far more extensive and took in every possibility. "I am familiar with it to some degree," Perlini told Reuters. Full Story | Top |
| UK says close to placing order for F-35 jets Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 12:36 PM PST  By Adrian Croft MUNICH (Reuters) - Britain is close to placing its first order for Lockheed Martin-built F-35 super-stealth jets, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said on Saturday. Reuters cited sources last week as saying that Britain was likely to announce an order soon for 14 of the advanced jets, marking Britain's first firm F-35 purchase since it committed to buying 48 planes in 2012. "We will have to place a firm order very soon in order to have the first squadron ready to start flying training off the 'Queen Elizabeth' in 2018, which is our current plan," he said in an interview with Reuters Television during the Munich Security Conference. The Queen Elizabeth is one of two British aircraft carriers currently under construction. Full Story | Top |
| AT&T cuts prices for wireless data plan customers Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 12:11 PM PST  AT&T Inc, the No. 2 U.S. mobile provider, on Saturday announced a price cut for customers who share large data plans in its latest attempt to regain ground lost to market leader Verizon Wireless and No. 4 U.S. operator T-Mobile US. In what the company called its "best-ever prices," AT&T said a family of four can get unlimited talk and text with 10GB of shared data for $160 a month. The discounts are available to any customer, including small businesses with up to 10 lines, and customers of other carriers who switch to AT&T. The cuts follow recent price adjustments at all four U.S. wireless providers as they attempt to sustain growth in a mature market built on stealing growth from competitors. AT&T and T-Mobile U.S. have been competing fiercely. Full Story | Top |
| Arthur Rankin, animator of 'Rudolph,' dies in Bermuda Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 11:19 AM PST (Reuters) - Arthur Rankin, Jr., a prolific animator, producer and director behind holiday TV classics, including "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," has died at his home in Bermuda at the age of 89, a close friend and associate said on Saturday. Rankin passed away this week after a brief illness, Tom Butterfield, head of the Masterworks Foundation in Bermuda, told Reuters. Born in New York in 1924, Rankin teamed with Jules Bass to form a company known as Rankin/Bass that made its mark in the industry for its stop-motion animation and use of celebrity voices in its productions. Arthur Rankin never lost that creativity that came from the child that was in him. Full Story | Top |
| Diver dies during Costa Concordia salvage works Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 10:44 AM PST  A Spanish diver died on Saturday during work to salvage the Costa Concordia cruise liner, which capsized off the Italian island of Giglio two years ago, the company in charge of the salvage work said. The diver worked for the Spanish company UCS (Underwater Contractors Spain) and was involved in an underwater operation when the incident occurred, an official at Titan Micoperi said. Full Story | Top |
| Cargo ship sinks off Yemen killing 12 Indian crew Saturday, Feb 01, 2014 08:55 AM PST A cargo ship sank off the coast of Yemen killing all 12 crew, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday. The ship, which was carrying car tyres and car parts, ran aground on Thursday night but the incident did not come to the attention of Yemeni security until 10 hours later, its statement said. The ship was owned by a Yemeni and was on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Al Mukalla port in Yemen. It sank off the coast of Al Shehar town in Yemen's southeastern Hadramout province, the ministry said. Full Story | Top |
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