Saudi execution: Brutal and illegal?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSSaudi authorities beheaded Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan womanShe was convicted of killing a baby of the family employing her as a housemaidThis was despite Nafeek's claims that the baby died in a choking accidentBecker says her fate "should spotlight the precarious existence of domestic workers"Jo Becker is the Children's Rights Advocacy Director for Human Rights Watch and author of...

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Destiny’s Child releasing first new song in 8 years

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – One of the biggest girl groups of the 21st century is making a comeback. Or, at least, some new music.Destiny’s Child – a bootylicious R&B act consisting of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams – announced on Thursday that they will be releasing a compilation album later this month, which contains the first new song they’ve recorded since 2004.“We are...

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Wall Street Week Ahead: Attention turns to financial earnings

NEW YORK (Reuters) - After over a month of watching Capitol Hill and Pennsylvania Avenue, Wall Street can get back to what it knows best: Wall Street. The first full week of earnings season is dominated by the financial sector - big investment banks and commercial banks - just as retail investors, free from the "fiscal cliff" worries, have started to get back into the markets. ...

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This Man Knows Exactly How Many Friends You Should Have

A little more than 10 years ago, the evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar began a study of the Christmas-card-sending habits of the English. This was in the days before online social networks made friends and “likes” as countable as miles on an odometer, and Dunbar wanted a proxy for meaningful social connection. He was curious to see not only how many people a person knew, but also how many people...

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REPEAT-BMO Study: RRSP Deadline Causing Canadians Stress

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Jan 12, 2013) – With the March 1st deadline for contributing to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) fast approaching, a BMO Financial Group study reveals that the annual deadline causes many Canadians stress as they scramble to find the money to make a contribution. However, the study shows that the majority of Canadians say they would feel less stressed if they...

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Lance to admit doping in Oprah interview

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Lance Armstrong will make a limited confession to doping during his televised interview with Oprah Winfrey next week, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.Armstrong, who has long denied doping, will also offer an apology during the interview scheduled to be taped Monday at his homeowner Austin, Texas, according to the person spoke on condition of anonymity because...

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Why global labor reforms are vital

STORY HIGHLIGHTSSaudi authorities beheaded Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan womanShe was convicted of killing a baby of the family employing her as a housemaidThis was despite Nafeek's claims that the baby died in a choking accidentBecker says her fate "should spotlight the precarious existence of domestic workers"Jo Becker is the Children's Rights Advocacy Director for Human Rights Watch and author of...

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N. Dakota, Washington win Miss America prelims

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Miss North Dakota and Miss Washington have picked up prizes in the third day of preliminary Miss America competition in Las Vegas.Miss North Dakota Rosie Sauvageau took top honors Thursday after her piano and vocal rendition of “To Make You Feel My Love.” The 24-year-old from Fargo, N.D., will take a $ 2,000 Amway scholarship home from the competition at Planet Hollywood resort.Miss...

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Wall Street dips on Wells Fargo, Boeing; S&P up on week

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks dipped on Friday after a record profit at Wells Fargo failed to attract buyers and Boeing shares were pressured by two further problems with its new Dreamliner aircraft. The benchmark S&P 500 index fell slightly but was still up on the week and just a few points shy of a five-year high set Thursday. Wells Fargo , the first major U.S. bank to...

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9 More Crazy Ways We Probably Won’t Fix the National Debt

There are at least nine ways the U.S. can avoid crashing into the debt ceiling besides the one everybody’s talking about lately, namely minting a trillion-dollar platinum coin. Not necessarily nine better ways, to be sure. The coin gambit, rich in numismatic strangeness, deserves every bit of hype it’s getting. It could probably feature in a sequel to Nicolas Cage’s National Treasure franchise. White...

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Meredith Vieira leaving ‘Millionaire’

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Meredith Vieira is leaving “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” after 11 years as host of the syndicated game show.The former “Today” show host and two-time Emmy winner as best game show host said Thursday she’s leaving for other ventures including more work at NBC News.An executive familiar with Vieira’s plans says Vieira will be launching her own YouTube channel with stories on...

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Browns introduce Rob Chudzinski as new coach

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rob Chudzinski is back for his third tour with the Cleveland Browns, and this time he's calling the shots.Chudzinski, who spent the past two seasons as Carolina's offensive coordinator, was introduced as the club's sixth fulltime coach on Friday. He'll inherit a young roster he'll try to develop into a contender with the Browns, who have lost at least 11 games in each of the past...

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‘Lincoln’ leads Oscars with 12 nominations

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The Civil War saga “Lincoln” leads the Academy Awards with 12 nominations, including best picture, director for Steven Spielberg and acting honors for Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones.Also among the nine nominees for best picture Thursday: the old-age love story “Amour”; the Iran hostage thriller “Argo”; the independent hit “Beasts of the Southern Wild”;...

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Wall Street slightly higher on China data; S&P near resistance level

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks inched higher on Thursday, helped by stronger-than-expected exports in China, the world's second-biggest economy, but gains were capped as the S&P 500 hovered near a 5-year high. Financial and telecommunications stocks were the day's top gainers, while the material sector was the biggest drag. The S&P 500 material sector index <.gspm> was...

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RBS braced for hefty Libor fines

10 January 2013 Last updated at 07:50 ETThe Royal Bank of Scotland is in negotiations with UK and US regulators over fines to be paid for its Libor transgressions, the BBC has learned.BBC business editor Robert Peston says the talks include “other necessary remediation, including a possible senior resignation”.He says the fines will run to several hundred million pounds, more than the £290m fines...

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News Summary: 30-year mortgage rate at 3.40 pct.

RATES UP BUT STILL LOW: Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages rose this week but remained close to record lows. Cheap mortgages have made home buying more affordable and have helped drive a housing recovery.THE NUMBERS: Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average rate on the 30-year loan increased to 3.40 percent, up from 3.34 percent last week and just above the record low of 3.31 percent. The average...

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Jaguars fire Mularkey after team's worst season

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars fired coach Mike Mularkey Thursday after just one season, the worst in franchise history.New general manager David Caldwell made the announcement, giving him a clean slate heading into 2013. Caldwell said he made the move just 48 hours after he was hired because he wants to immediately explore every avenue possible to turn the Jaguars around."For...

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Karzai's U.S. visit a time for tough talk

The last time Presidents Obama and Karzai met was in May in Kabul, when they signed a pact regarding U.S. troop withdrawal.STORY HIGHLIGHTSAfghan President Karzai meeting with President Obama in Washington this weekFelbab-Brown: Afghan politics are corrupt; army not ready for 2014 troop pulloutShe says Taliban, insurgents, splintered army, corrupt officials are all jockeying for powerU.S. needs to...

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