Obama: Marijuana is not more dangerous than alcohol
President Barack Obama said he doesn't think marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol, "in terms of its impact on the individual consumer."
"As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don't think it is more dangerous than alcohol," the president said an interview with "The New Yorker" magazine.
Smoking marijuana is "not something I encourage, and I've told my daughters I think it's a bad idea, a waste of time, not very healthy," Obama said.
Obama's administration has given states permission to experiment with marijuana regulation, and laws recently passed in Colorado and Washington legalising marijuana recently went into effect. The president said it was important for the legalisation of marijuana to go forward in those states to avoid a situation in which only a few are punished while a large portion of people have broken the law at one time or another.
The president said he is troubled at the disproportionate number of arrests and imprisonments of minorities for marijuana use. "Middle-class kids don't get locked up for smoking pot, and poor kids do," he said. "And African-American kids and Latino kids are more likely to be poor and less likely to have the resources and the support to avoid unduly harsh penalties."
He said in the interview that users shouldn't be locked up for long stretches of time when people writing drug laws "have probably done the same thing."
But Obama urged a cautious approach to changing marijuana laws, saying that people who think legalizing pot will solve social problems are "probably overstating the case."
"And the experiment that's going to be taking place in Colorado and Washington is going to be, I think, a challenge," the president said.
Ethan Nadelmann, the executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance praised Obama's words, saying his use of the word "important" about the new Colorado and Washington laws "really puts the wind in the sails of the movement to end marijuana prohibition.
Critics of the new laws raise concerns about public health and law enforcement, asking whether wide availability of the drug will lead to more underage drug use, more cases of driving while high and more crime.
Source-AP
Andy Murray targets Australian Open quarter-finals in Melbourne
Andy Murray will face a surprise opponent in French "lucky loser" Stephane Robert as he attempts to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The Wimbledon champion takes on the world number 119 not before 0530 GMT on Monday in Melbourne.
Robert, 33, is the first man to reach the last 16 having lost in qualifying, only to get a place in the main draw following a withdrawal.
"It makes a story. I'm really happy to be this guy," Robert told BBC Sport.
"I waited all day on Monday and came back on Tuesday thinking it would be the same.
"I was in the player lounge and filling out some papers for the ATP and the referee called me to his office and told me I could play on Court Seven.
"He said, 'Are you ready to play?' and I said, 'I'm ready'. I think it was like five minutes. I was unbelievably happy to get in.
"It's a strange feeling. I'm playing without any pressure because I already lost but I'm still in the tournament."
Murray, 26, has yet to drop a set in three matches and said he is happy with how his back is responding in only the second tournament since he under went surgery in September.
He will play Robert for the first time when they meet on Hisense Arena, but the Scot is aware of the challenge posed by a player who has already won five matches at Melbourne Park.
"It's obviously a big achievement," said Murray. "I know him a little bit from when I was coming through the Futures and Challengers.
"Playing in Europe and in the UK. I've seen him play a little bit then, obviously quite a while ago now.
"It's good to see. He's obviously 33 years old and it could be easy to stop playing if you're not in the top 100 or necessarily making a great living.
"But it does show if you stick at it, you're professional, when your chance comes, you take it, you can do great things. It's great for him and good for tennis as well.
"He's played a lot of matches here. He's played six or seven matches already. He'll be match tight, that's for sure."
Robert, from Montargis, is relishing the chance to play the fourth seed.
Source-BBC
Serena Williams loses to Ana Ivanovic in Australian Open
Serena Williams went out of the Australian Open as a back injury hindered the five-time champion against a rampant Ana Ivanovic.
The Serb came back from a set down to win 4-6 6-3 6-3 - her first ever victory over Williams in five attempts.
There had been reports before the match that Williams had a back problem, and so it proved.
"I almost pulled out. I'm such a competitor, I probably should have," said the world number one.
"I don't want to blame anything. I feel like Ana deserves all the credit. I feel she played unbelievable today. I think she went for her shots."
Williams revealed that she did not know the exact nature of her injury but had been dealing with it for "a few days".
She added: "It's not anything that's life threatening or anything. I feel like it will get better. I just need a couple days off.
"Unfortunately I don't have that in a Grand Slam."
The reigning French and US Open champion had been tipped by some to complete the Grand Slam of all four major titles in 2014.
"I have given up on that a long time ago," said the 32-year-old. "I feel like I don't even think about winning four in a row.
"Maybe I can win four in a row, but it seems like in the one year it's kind of difficult for me for whatever reason."
Ivanovic, 26, goes on to face Canada's Eugenie Bouchard in the last eight.
Source-BBC
American Hustle cast tops SAG awards
The cast of 1970s crime caper American Hustle have taken the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild awards.
Representing his co-stars, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams and Christian Bale, actor Bradley Cooper praised film director David O Russell.
"He is an actor's director," he said. "That notion is tossed around. He is the embodiment of it."
As actors form the biggest voting bloc in the Oscars, the SAG awards are seen as a key indicator for that ceremony.
Last year, the guild chose hostage drama Argo for its top honour, with that film going on to receive the Academy Award for best picture.
However, this year's field is more competitive - with 12 Years a Slave and Gravity expected to give American Hustle's A-list cast a run for their money when the Oscars roll around on 2 March.
Newcomer Lupita Nyong'o, who plays an abused plantation worker in 12 Years a Slave, was given the best supporting actress award by SAG voters.
The Kenyan actress also thanked her director, British film-maker Steve McQueen, "for taking a flashlight and shining it underneath the floorboards of this nation and reminding us what it is we stand on".
She also recounted the story of phoning her father to tell him she had got the part.
"'Daddy, do you know who Brad Pitt is? I'm going to be in a movie with him!"' she recalled.
"And he said, 'I don't know him personally but I'm glad you got a job.'"
Both best actor and best supporting actor went to the stars of Dallas Buyers Club, a small film that cost just $4m (£2.4m) to make.
It is based on the true story of a homophobic Texan who gets Aids and smuggles unapproved anti-HIV drugs into the US in the 1980s.
Matthew McConaughey, in the lead role, and Jared Leto, as a transgender woman with Aids, both endured dramatic weight loss to play their parts.
McConaughey said of his SAG honour: "It really shines a great light on this bull ride we call acting.
"I've been able to recently find some characters that I can humble myself to their humanities and get feverishly drunk on their obsessions."
Warming to his theme, the 44-year-old started musing on the "magic place" that actors reach when "you're seeing the character from the inside out".
"That doesn't always happen but, boy, when it does, it feels like they can put a blindfold on you and put you in a spaceship and take you to Neptune," he added.
Cate Blanchett took home the best actress prize for her complex, cracked portrayal of a socialite fallen on hard times in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine.
It was her 17th best actress prize of the awards season - and she is considered a near-certainty for the trophy at both the Baftas and Oscars.
But when her acceptance speech was cut short, the actress protested: "29 seconds? Matthew McConaughey spoke about Neptune!''
The SAG Awards also recognise actors working in TV, with sitcom Modern Family winning best ensemble in a comedy series and best male actor in a comedy series for Ty Burrell's dumb-but-loveable patriarch Phil Dunphy.
In his speech, Burrell outlined his steps for becoming a successful actor, which included: "Be born into a family that never had an actor in it; Use that false sense of confidence to woo and attract a spouse who's better than you; Have no skill other than being a needy extrovert; Use that lack of skill to stumble into a job."
Accepting the show's cast award - its fourth in a row - Colombian star Sofia Vergara said the honour was "mind-blowing", adding: "I can barely speak English."
Breaking Bad, which left TV screens last year, continued its victory lap around the awards shows, winning outstanding dramatic cast and for best lead actor Bryan Cranston, for his indelible performance as teacher-turned-meth dealer, Walter White.
Looking out at his former cast-mates, Cranston remarked: "We have the nicest bunch of white supremacist Nazis I have ever worked with.
"I swear to you I would kill you all over again."
British Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Helen Mirren won best actress awards for Downton Abbey and the TV movie Phil Spector respectively.
Dame Maggie was not present to accept her award, whereas Dame Helen lingered on stage, examining the trophy she'd just received.
"I love this little guy," she said. "He's so sexy, isn't he? Sort of naked but not quite..
Michael Douglas picked up a best actor prize in the TV category for his performance as Liberace in the movie Behind The Candelabra, which was only shown on cable channel HBO in the States.
The lifetime achievement award was given to Rita Moreno, the 81-year-old actress who played Anita del Carmen in West Side Story, alongside roles in Singin' in the Rain and The King and I, and on Broadway in The Ritz and The Odd Couple.
Introduced by Morgan Freeman, the Puerto Rican star danced her way up to the podium and, upon receiving a standing ovation, let out an unscripted expletive.
"I am sorry about that word.... Actually, I am not," she said.
The star thanked the guild for honouring her "early in the third act of my life" before serenading the audience with a few lines from This Is All I Ask.
Oscar Foreign Language Nod Especially Sweet for 'Outsiders'
As Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad reflected on his second Oscar nomination for best foreign language film while hiking in the hills near Los Angeles on Thursday, he evoked the special sweetness the distinction carries for filmmakers from small, developing corners of the world.
“It means a lot to me, personally,” Abu-Assad said in a telephone interview, “because it will give you more opportunities to finance your projects and attract actors.”
Abu-Assad's film Omar about friendship and betrayal after three Palestinians murder an Israeli soldier, along with Cambodia's Rithy Panh's The Missing Picture represented the outsider countries nominated for best foreign language film, vying for the honor against dramas from established film industries in Italy, Denmark and Belgium.
“It's actually the same challenge as everywhere, financing film,” Abu-Assad said. “We don't have a real infrastructure for cinema [in Palestine] because we're still under occupation; it's not easy to move.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which will hand out the Academy Awards on March 2, winnowed down 76 competing foreign films to nine in the first phase of the nomination process before announcing the final five.
“The toughest recognition to get is from the people who know the business well,” Abu-Assad said. “When you make a movie, you want recognition that you made a good movie and such a nomination gives you that recognition.”
Each country can nominate one film each year. Last year's winner, Austrian director Michael Haneke's austere French-language drama Amour, went beyond the foreign-language category by scoring nominations for best picture, directing, original screenplay and best actress.
Source-VOA
Madonna apologises for using racial slur on Instagram
Pop star Madonna has apologised for using a racial slur to refer to her son on an Instagram post.
The singer uploaded a snapshot of 13-year-old Rocco Ritchie boxing on Friday night, with the offensive epithet used in a hashtag accompanying the photo.
"I am sorry if I offended anyone with my use of the 'n-word'," she said in a statement issued on Saturday.
"It was not meant as a racial slur. I am not a racist. There's no way to defend the use of the word."
Madonna's comment was swiftly deleted from her Instagram account after some of her 1.1 million followers berated her for using the hashtag "#disnigga"
She later re-posted the same photo on Instagram, with a defiant (and largely unprintable) new caption that began: "Ok, let me start this again."
On Saturday afternoon however, Madonna deleted the post entirely, and instead released a statement through her publicist, saying "forgive me".
"It was all about intention," she continued. "It was used as a term of endearment toward my son who is white.
"I appreciate that it's a provocative word and I apologize if it gave people the wrong impression."
Madonna and her children (L-R): David, Lourdes, Mercy and Rocco on a trip to visit the Mkoko Primary School in Malawi, funded by her Raising Malawi organisation
Besides Rocco, Madonna has three other children, including Lourdes, David and Mercy. Her two youngest were both adopted from the African nation of Malawi.
The star came under fire earlier this month for posting a separate picture of Rocco on New Year's Eve, in which he and his friends posed with bottles of alcohol.
Madonna responded: "No one was drinking, we were just having fun!
"Calm down and get a sense of humour! Don't start the year off with judgement!"
Oscar nominees attend Critics' Choice Awards
A host of Oscar nominees came together for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday, which saw Gravity win a record seven prizes.
The awards are a likely indicator of Oscar success and have predicted many of the winners in recent years.
Gravity was named best sci-fi film, while Alfonso Cuaron won best director and Sandra Bullock took best actress in an action movie.
However, 12 Years a Slave collected the coveted best picture prize.
Determined by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the best picture winner has gone on to win the best picture Oscar in six of the past seven years.
The ceremony saw Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett win the top acting awards for their performances in Dallas Buyers Club and Blue Jasmine.
The pair also both won Golden Globes for their roles at the weekend.
McConaughey thanked the late Ron Woodroof, whom he portrayed on screen, saying he had "a life that was damned well worth putting to the big screen".
12 Years a Slave star Lupita Nyong'o was named best supporting actress, while McConaughey's co-star Jared Leto picked up best supporting actor.
Leto, who plays a transsexual woman in the Aids drama, dedicated his award to "all the people around the world who are living with HIV [and] all the people who have lost their lives to this horrific disease".
American Hustle - which received 10 Oscar nods - collected four awards in total, including best comedy film, acting ensemble, hair and make-up and best actress in a comedy for Amy Adams.
Leonardo DiCaprio followed up his Golden Globe win another best actor in a comedy prize for The Wolf of Wall Street.
Mark Wahlberg picked up best actor in an action film for war film Lone Survivor, which also collected best action film.
French film Blue is the Warmest Colour, which was snubbed by the Oscars, won the best foreign language film award, with its star Adele Exarchopoulos named best young actress.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Oscar talk dominated the red carpet from the nominees.
American Hustle director David O Russell said he was "very grateful to be part of it all", while 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen said he was "happy to be amongst" the best picture shortlist.
British 12 Years a Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor - who is Oscar nominated for best actor - said the day had been "completely thrilling".
"It was excellent and I was so excited, obviously for myself, but I was excited for everybody in the film and in the project."
Bruce Dern, who is nominated for his role in Nebraska, added: "It's nice to have your fellow teammates stand up and say, 'Hey, you had a good year, congratulations'."
The complete list of winners:
Picture - 12 Years a Slave
Actor - Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Actress - Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Supporting actor - Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Supporting actress - Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Young actor/actress - Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue Is The Warmest Colour
Acting Ensemble - American Hustle
Director - Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Original screenplay - Spike Jonze, Her
Adapted screenplay - John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity
Art direction - Catherine Martin (production designer), Beverley Dunn (set decorator), The Great Gatsby
Editing - Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger, Gravity
Costume design - Catherine Martin, The Great Gatsby
Hair and make-up - American Hustle
Visual effects - Gravity
Animated feature - Frozen
Action movie - Lone Survivor
Actor in an action movie - Mark Wahlberg, Lone Survivor
Actress in an action movie - Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Comedy - American Hustle
Actor in a comedy - Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Actress in a comedy - Amy Adams, American Hustle
Sci-fi/horror movie - Gravity
Foreign language film - Blue Is the Warmest Colour
Documentary feature - 20 Feet From Stardom
Song - Let It Go, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Frozen
Score - Steven Price, Gravity
Source-BBC
Superman v Batman delayed to 2016
Superman and Batman's big screen team-up has been delayed by almost a year, film studio Warner Bros has confirmed.
Originally scheduled for July 2015, the superhero set-to will now appear on 6 May, 2016.
A sequel to 2013's Man of Steel, the as-yet-untitled film sees Ben Affleck stepping into the Batman role, next to British actor Henry Cavill's Superman.
It was reported the delay was triggered by Affleck sustaining a leg injury, but that has been dismissed by the studio.
Instead, the release date has been pushed back to "allow the filmmakers time to realise fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story," it said.
The film has recently gained a third superhero - with Fast and Furious star Gal Gadot signed up to play Wonder Woman.
Filming had already started before the announcement, with some incidental footage of an American Football game shot before Christmas.
However, director Zack Snyder was not due to call "action" on the main scenes until spring.
The move away from 2015 means the Superman vs Batman blockbuster avoids a crowded marketplace, with new instalments of The Avengers, Terminator, Jurassic Park and Fast and Furious all scheduled to hit cinemas over the summer.
Warner Bros says it will still make use of the 17 July date, scheduling a new Peter Pan film by British director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) for that weekend.
Meanwhile, Superman's release date had already been earmarked for an as-yet-unannounced film from comic book rivals Marvel - which could mean a superhero stand-off at the box office, as well as on the silver screen.
"We know that there is already great anticipation building for the next superhero film from Zack Snyder, and we are equally eager to see what he has in store for Superman and Batman as they share the big screen for the first time ever," said Warner Bros president Kwan Vandenberg in a statement.
Source-BBC
China economic growth at 14-year low
China's economy, the world's second-largest, grew at its slowest pace in 14 years in 2013, latest figures show.
Its gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 7.7% from a year ago, the slowest pace of growth since 1999.
The growth rate was better than the government's target of 7.5%. The pace of expansion was also the same as 2012.
The data highlights the challenge policymakers face in sustaining China's high growth rate as they look to rebalance the economy.
Many analysts expect the country's growth rate to slow as it takes steps to move away from an investment-led growth model to one driven by domestic consumption.
"We expect China's GDP to be around 7.6% in 2014," said Shen Jianguang, chief China economist at Mizuho Securities in Hong Kong.
"The government moves to curb shadow banking and local government debt will cap the growth of investment."
Source-BBC.Business
Deutsche Bank reports surprise loss as legal costs mount
Deutsche Bank has reported a surprise loss for the fourth quarter of 2013, after releasing its latest results before they were expected.
Overall Deutsche said it posted a pre-tax loss of 1.153bn euros for the final quarter of 2013.
The bank said that litigation costs and restructuring had weighed heavily on its financial performance.
Litigation costs mounted up to 528m euros (£435.3m) for the period, while revenue fell 16%.
At the end of last week the company's shares closed down 3% in New York after reports of a profit warning rattled already anxious investors.
Deutsche Bank - Germany's largest lender - has faced some large problems in the past 12 months. In December 2013 it agreed to pay 1.4bn euros to settle a lawsuit with the US Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).
The lawsuit accused Deutsche Bank of breaking state and federal laws when it sold financial products backed by mortgage loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac between 2005 and 2007.
Also in December it was among six banks fined $2.3bn (£1.4bn) by the European Commission after been found guilty of colluding to rig two global interest rate benchmarks.
Deutsche Bank suffered the largest fine of the six - 725.36m euros - over rate fixing.
For the year, it has set aside 2.5bn euros for various lawsuits.
In Sunday's results statement, the bank's joint chief executives Juergen Fitschen and Anshu Jain said that they are confident of reaching their targets for 2015. Though they said that they "expect 2014 to be a year of further challenges".
The bank will post a profit for 2013 overall, they added.
Deutsche Bank had originally planned to release its results on 29 January.
Source-BBC