Obama: Not raising debt ceiling could be "catastrophic"

President Obama sternly warned congressional Republicans today that if they don't agree to raise the debt ceiling next month, the consequences could be "catastrophic." "If Congress refuses to give the United States the ability to pay its bills on time, the consequences for the entire global economy could be catastrophic," the president said in his weekly address. "The last time Congress threatened...

Read More..

Debt Limit Negotiating Tactic? No Negotiating

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden walk away from the podium after Obama made a statement regarding the passage of the fiscal cliff bill in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AnalysisNew for 2013: In the Washington, D.C. fiscal wars we’ve gone from everything must be on the table to politicians declaring...

Read More..

Chavez swearing-in can be delayed: Venezuelan VP

CARACAS (Reuters) - President Hugo Chavez's formal swearing-in for a new six-year term scheduled for January 10 can be postponed if he is unable to attend due to his battle to recover from cancer surgery, Venezuela's vice president said on Friday. Nicolas Maduro's comments were the clearest indication yet that the Venezuelan government is preparing to delay the swearing-in while avoiding...

Read More..

Merit is more than just academics: PM Lee

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said "merit" is not just defined by academics, but also character, leadership and a broad range of talents.He added that academic performance cannot be neglected and is still important, although it is not the only measure of success.Mr Lee was speaking at the Teck Ghee Bursary and Edusave Award Ceremony on Saturday, where 1,500 students received...

Read More..

Game on: Sony won't block used games -- analyst

Sony won't try to block used games on its PlayStation 4, despite a patent application indicating plans to the contrary, one analyst says.Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter, who has followed the industry for years and conducts research on a wide range of game companies, said in a note to investors yesterday that any claim that Sony would try to block used games on its next console fails to realize that...

Read More..

House passes $9.7B Sandy relief bill

The House today passed a bill approving more than $9 billion in aid for regions impacted by superstorm Sandy, the first of two Sandy relief measures making their way through Congress between now and the end of the month. The measure, which allows FEMA to temporarily increase the National Flood Insurance program's borrowing limit by $9.7 billion, needed two thirds support to pass through the House....

Read More..

Quadruple Amputee Gets Two New Hands on Life

It's the simplest thing, the grasp of one hand in another. But Lindsay Ess will never see it that way, because her hands once belonged to someone else.Growing up in Texas and Virginia, Lindsay, 29, was always one of the pretty girls. She went to college, did some modeling and started building a career in fashion, with an eye on producing fashion shows.Then she lost her hands...

Read More..

Damascus blames "terrorists" for petrol station blast

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria on Friday said a car bomb at a crowded petrol station in Damascus on Thursday night was set off by "terrorists", a term it uses for rebels seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad. The bomb killed 11 people and wounded 40 at a station packed with Syrians queuing for fuel, which has become scarce in the 21-month insurgency against Assad, in the second petrol...

Read More..

Cognitive science can help educators devise better learning strategies: Education Minister

SINGAPORE : Cognitive science, which is the study of the mind, could become an increasingly important area of research for the Education Ministry.Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said understanding why different students learn differently would help educators come up with better ways to help them.What makes some dyslexic children progress better in learning to read than other dyslexic...

Read More..

State opposes Google chairman's trip to North Korea

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt(Credit:Stephen Shankland/CNET)The U.S. government is opposing Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt's plans to travel to North Korea, Reuters reported today.According to the report, the U.S. State Department said the timing is not right for Schmidt's humanitarian mission. The trip, first reported by the Associated Press, was planned as a private trip, led by...

Read More..