'King's Speech' scores 7 Golden Globe nods

"(CNN) -- The critically acclaimed film 'The King's Speech' led the 68th Annual Golden Globe nominations Tuesday morning.
The film starring Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush scored seven nominations including best film -- drama, best performance by an actor in a motion picture -- drama for Firth, best supporting actress in a motion picture for Carter and best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture for Rush.
'I'm truly grateful to be recognized by the Hollywood Foreign Press for this film, and euphoric to be in the company of so many of my colleagues,' Firth said.
'The Social Network' and 'The Fighter' followed with six nominations each, including best film -- drama, joining 'Inception' and 'Black Swan.'
Actors Josh Duhamel, Katie Holmes and Blair Underwood joined Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk on Tuesday to announce the nominations."

'King's Speech' scores 7 Golden Globe nods - CNN.com:

Assange granted bail at London court hearing

London (CNN) -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was granted bail Tuesday after a hearing at Westminster Magistrate's Court in London.

The 39-year-old Australian handed himself over to London police last week to answer a European arrest warrant over alleged sex crimes in Sweden.

Assange is facing accusations of rape, sexual molestation and illegal use of force in separate incidents in August in Stockholm. He could be sentenced to two years in prison if convicted. His lawyers deny the allegations and have vowed to fight any attempts at extradition.

The magistrate agreed to grant bail Tuesday after Assange's team of attorneys reported that Vaughan Smith, a former British army officer who founded London's Frontline Club, had offered his mansion in Suffolk to Assange.

Smith will keep Assange "if not under house arrest, at least under mansion arrest," said defense attorney Geoffrey Robinson. At that, Assange, dressed in a white shirt and a blue jacket and sitting in a glassed-in corner of the court with three security guards, smiled wryly.

Assange granted bail at London court hearing - CNN.com

Ben Franklin’s Nation - NYT

"After you read this column, go to YouTube and search “Hans Rosling and 200 countries.” You’ll see a Swedish professor describe the growth of global wealth and well-being over the past 200 years."

He presents an animated time-lapse chart. It starts in 1810, when the nations of the world were clumped on the bottom left-hand side of the chart because they had low income and low life expectancy. Then the industrial revolution kicks in and the nations of the West surge upward and to the right as they get richer and healthier. By 1948, it’s like a race, with the United States out front and the other nations of the world stretched in a long tail behind.

Then, over the last few decades, the social structure of the world changes. The Asian and Latin American countries begin to catch up. With the exception of the African nations, living standards start to converge. Now most countries are clumped toward the top end of the chart, thanks to the incredible reductions in global poverty and improvements in health.

Ben Franklin’s Nation - NYTimes.com:

Central Provision of Health Care Law Is Ruled Unconstitutional -NYT

A federal judge in Virginia ruled on Monday that the keystone provision in the Obama health care law is unconstitutional, becoming the first judge to invalidate any part of the sprawling act and ensuring that appellate courts will receive contradictory opinions from below.

The judge, Henry E. Hudson of Federal District Court in Richmond, said the law’s requirement that most Americans obtain insurance exceeded the regulatory authority granted to Congress under the Commerce Clause.

Judge Hudson, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, declined the plaintiff’s request to suspend the act’s implementation pending appeal, meaning there should be no immediate effect on its rollout.

But the ruling seemed likely to create confusion among the public and to further destabilize political support for a law that is under fierce attack from Republicans in Congress and in many statehouses. Party leaders, including the incoming House speaker, Representative John A. Boehnerof Ohio, quickly used the opinion to reiterate their call for repealing the law.

Central Provision of Health Care Law Is Ruled Unconstitutional - NYTimes.com

Party defection threatens Pakistan government

"ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ruling coalition was severely undermined Tuesday after a key member said it was joining the opposition because one of its ministers was fired over a corruption scandal.

The announcement by the Islamist party Jamiat Ulema Islam leaves the coalition with just a small majority in the National Assembly and threatens the stability of the weak civilian government whose cooperation is critical to America’s efforts in neighboring Afghanistan.

JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman said his party was leaving because one of its ministers was fired after a scandal involving government organized pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia.

“JUI is leaving the government from today ... our decision is final,” Rehman said.

That will leave President Asif Ali Zardari’s government with less leverage to push through key legislation. The JUI, for instance, said it will oppose a plan to pass a new sales tax that the government says would bring much needed revenue to the cash-strapped nation.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani fired two members of the Cabinet on Tuesday over the pilgrimage scandal. One was the religious affairs minister and the other, a member of JUI heading the ministry for science and technology."

Party defection threatens Pakistan government - Arab News

Kingdom praises Palestine’s recognition

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday praised the recognition of Palestine by Brazil and Argentina as an important development in international support for the legitimate rights of Palestinians.

The Council of Ministers, chaired by Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, also denounced the Israeli move to Judaize Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque’s surroundings. Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay recognized Palestine recently as an independent state based on 1967 borders before the six-day war in which Israel seized Gaza and the West Bank. The Cabinet meeting at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh urged the Arab and Islamic Ummah to take a decisive stand to prevent Israel’s flagrant violations that would destabilize the region and the entire world.

The Cabinet reviewed the outcome of last week’s GCC summit in Abu Dhabi, saying the resolutions taken by the two-day conference reflected the hopes and aspirations of the GCC countries and people.

The Cabinet thanked summit leaders for the brotherly feelings they expressed about Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who is recuperating at a US hospital following back surgery.

Kingdom praises Palestine’s recognition - Arab News

10 injured, 1 seriously, in NY school bus accident

NEW YORK: Officials say an adult was seriously hurt and nine children suffered lesser injuries when a yellow school bus jumped a curb and crashed into the front of a New York City bank.

A spokesman for the fire department says the accident happened Tuesday morning in Brooklyn.

All those injured have been transferred to hospitals.

The spokesman did not know what caused the accident.

- Arab News