Beyonce's Sister Confirms That the Singer Is Still Pregnant

Beyonce's Sister Confirms That the Singer Is Still Pregnant

The pop artist's sibling Solange Knowles set the record straight on Twitter regarding rumors to the contrary.

Rumors of Beyonce's baby birth have been greatly exaggerated.

The singer's sister, Solange, shot down Twitter-fueled chatter that she delivered a baby girl last week, and named her Tiana-May Carter.

"Shout out to my sister for being THE cutest pregnant woman ever!" wrote Solange in a coy tweet on Sunday. Further evidence: a still-pregnant Beyonce and her rap mogul-husband Jay-Z (real name: Shawn Carter) were sighted having dinner together in New York City's Brooklyn borough on Saturday and then ringing in the New Year at a Solange-hosted house party.

As for those rumors, they snowballed Friday following dubious headlines on the gossip website Media Take Out (via Gawker), claiming Beyonce was scheduled to go into labor in the Big Apple on Wednesday after reserving St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital's "luxury labor and delivery floor" for the occasion. The site claimed it had confirmation from a pair of nurses at the hospital, but they've been wrong before: In 2010, Media Take Out sparked false Beyonce pregnancy alarms and, last year, it cited a source as claiming that the singer wore a faux baby bump. (Beyonce denied the allegations.)

THR reached out to representatives for Beyonce and Jay-Z, but they didn't respond to requests for comment.

STORY: Beyonce Baby Birth Rumors Spark Internet Frenzy

The "Single Ladies" singer declared the news in August on the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards, flaunting her belly in a very public -- and genuiinely surprising -- display of confirmation. Beyonce immediately became Twitter trending topic around the world, sparking a record-breaking 8,868 tweets per second after the announcement.

Demi Moore to play Gloria Steinem in Linda Lovelace biopic

Demi Moore, Adam Brody and Eric Roberts have joined the cast of "Lovelace," a biopic about porn actress Linda Lovelace, the producers announced on Monday. 

Moore will play the iconic feminist Gloria Steinem, while Roberts will be play a lie-detector expert. Brody will play "Deep Throat" male lead Harry Reems. 

Helena Bonham Carter to be honored by Queen

Lovelace's role in the notorious 1972 hard-core porn movie made her one of the best known figures in adult entertainment. 

As previously announced, Amanda Seyfried will play the title role in the movie, which Millennium Films is making with the cooperation of Lovelace's estate. 

Peter Sarsgaard will portray Lovelace's husband, Chuck Traynor, and James Franco will play Hugh Hefner. 

Other cast members include Hank Azaria, Bobby Cannavale, Chris Noth, Robert Patrick, Wes Bentley, Sharon Stone and Juno Temple.

OSU football caps greatest season

OSU football caps greatest season in school history with epic Fiesta Bowl victory

BERRY TRAMEL COMMENTARY — The Oklahoma State football team got outstanding performances from the usual places — Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden — and a few unusual places — Colton Chelf and Alex Elkins — in the biggest and best win in Cowboys football history.

What a night for names that will be remembered for as long as football is played at Boone Pickens Stadium. What a night for jersey numbers that make you check your program.

What a night not just for Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, but for Colton Chelf and Alex Elkins and Caleb Lavey.

Oklahoma State’s Cowboys capped the greatest football season in school history with an epic Fiesta Bowl victory. OSU beat Stanford 41-38 in overtime Monday night.

Stanford had Andrew Luck, but OSU had Lady Luck. The Cowboys never led until they won. They played from behind all night. But they never lost the faith.

The Cardinal’s Jordan Williamson missed a 35-yard field goal on the final play of regulation, then a 43-yarder in overtime, which meant the Cowboys could play for Quinn Sharp’s field goal in the extra session.

They almost didn’t need it, when Weeden’s rifle pass to fellow former walk-on Chelf went for an apparent touchdown. Instead, replay review counted Chelf down at the 1-yard line, so Sharp was summoned for a 22-yard field goal that won it.

“Colton’s been doing it every day in practice,” Weeden said. “We just saw some things that they do defensively. Their linebackers are really aggressive. We just liked the way he went about his business.”

Yep, Weeden2Chelf. Just the way we drew it up. Of course, Chelf (five catches, 97 yards) had the chance to be the hero because that other receiver, Blackmon, played a game for the ages.

Blackmon had eight catches for 186 yards (all in the second and fourth quarters) and three touchdowns. Most of his damage was made on slants, catching the ball and shaking off Stanford tacklers.

And Weeden sealed his legend with a 399-yard, three-TD game. Would have been 400 yards and four touchdowns had Chelf’s touchdown stood.

No matter. The Weeden legacy is set. Greatest quarterback, greatest team, and now one of the greatest games in school history.

“I can’t say enough about the job that Brandon did,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “Every time we got down, we were resilient and came back. What a great job by our players.”

A rousing rally in overtime for the third-ranked Cowboys against fourth-ranked Stanford. A statement that this team sure would have been interesting playing down in New Orleans in the Big Bowl against LSU, no matter how Alabama does next week.

But enough of that. Let’s not think about what ifs. Let’s focus on what is.

Whale of a ballgame. Stanford’s Luck was unbelievably good. Stanford’s offense was the same — OSU’s defense got only one second-half stop, and that on an unforced fumble.

But OSU’s offense was equal to the task. Twice the Cowboys took the field in the fourth quarter. Both times, OSU trailed by seven points. Both times, Weeden and Co. produced a touchdown.

Each possession was punctuated by amazing throws.

On 3rd-and-8 from the OSU 42-yard line, Weeden zipped an arrow on a deep-out pattern to Josh Cooper, good for 18 yards. NFL throw. Upper-half-of-NFL-quarterbacks throw. Five plays later, another Weeden to Blackmon pass tied the game.

Then with 3 1/2 minutes left in the game, 4th-and-3 from the OSU 40-yard line, Mike Gundy disdained a punt. Great call. The Cowboys had shown no sign of stopping Stanford.

It was do or die. Weeden and Blackmon did. The Cowboys went to their best play, the Blackmon slant, and Blackmon speared another Weeden bullet and carried Stanford defenders to a 21-yard gain.

Three plays later, the Cowboys had another tie, and the game was in Luck’s hands. Until it was on Williamson’s foot.

Gundy said he had a feeling something good would happen, and it did, when Williamson pulled the kick.

That gave OSU life, and in overtime, the defense finally reared its head. Linebackers Elkins and Lavey nailed stud tailback Stepfan Taylor for a three-yard loss, setting up a 3rd-and-13. Then safety Markelle Martin stuffed flanker Ty Montgomery on a short pass.

When Williamson missed again, this time from 43 yards, it was all over but the shouting. Weeden, and Chelf, and finally Sharp ended a rousing Fiesta Bowl that was just as good as the bowlmakers hoped it would be.

“It’s a very special win,” Gundy said.

Very special win on a very special night.

Schools prepare ahead of winter weather

North Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- Central New York students are eagerly waiting to see how the first big snow storm of the season shapes up. It could mean an extended vacation for many of them. The decision to close schools on Tuesday will start well before most of Central New York is awake for the day.

The decision depends on two factors: Road conditions and temperatures.

The North Syracuse School District is always one of the first to make the decision. Its bus drivers have three runs each and they’re on the road by six a.m.

In order to make the proper decision, the acting superintendent starts making calls by 4:20 a.m. He’ll speak with his grounds and transportation directors to see how the school driveways and parking lots are looking.

Then he’ll call the DPW for advice. The roads must be safe.

But it also can’t be extremely cold outside. After all, kids have to stand outside waiting for the bus. In North Syracuse, when the wind chill reaches 17 degrees below zero, that’s when the district will delay or cancel school depending on how long those temperatures are expected to last.

North Syracuse will make the decision no later than 5:30 a.m. Liverpool expects to decide even earlier, around 4:45 a.m.

We’ll track any school closings tomorrow morning. You can get the latest on snow and closings anytime by CLICKING HERE.

You can also sign up for school alerts on your phone by CLICKING HERE.

And as always, tune into the Morning News beginning at 4:30 a.m. We’ll be sure to update you on air as well.

The Bachelor Premiere

The Bachelor Premiere Recap: A Horse, a Grandma, Some Bacon and of Course Tears

Let the drama, er, romance begin!


Ben Flajnik told Ashley Hebert after getting rejected last season on ABC's The Bachlorette he "didn't see this one coming"—and he definitely couldn't see what was in store for his own season 16 of The Bachelor either...grandmas, bacon, horses, and all!


The Sonoma winemaker was introduced to his 25 eligible bachelorettes in true Bachelor fashion—a dramatic, unpredictable, and tear-induced cocktail party.


For a complete recap of which ladies caught Ben's eye, made a fool of themselves and got a rose, read on...


Host Chris Harrison was again along for the ride, and in case you missed the two-hour premiere, here's all you need to know:


Rachel, a 27-year-old fashion sales rep from New York City, admitted, "I'm very excited that it's you here," adding the personal touch: "My middle name is Rose."


Erika, a 23-year-old law student from Chicago, offered extra cheese with her pick-up line: "Verdict is in and you are guilty...of being sexy."


Amber B., a 23-year-old labor and delivery nurse from Canada, put it all out there when she revealed her last name and offered her hand for a lick: "My last name is Bacon...do you want a little taste?"


Elyse, a 24-year-old personal trainer from Chicago, cut straight to the chase, telling Ben: "I want to make you sweat a li'l bit." She later made him drop and give her push-ups.


Jenna, a 27-year-old blogger from New York, had—hands down—the most awkward first impression in Bachelor history when she attempted to repeat a past line of his—and screwed it up. "I shouldve just said, 'Hi.'" Jenna later proved to be this season's troublemaking tear-dropper.


Courtney, a 28-year-old model from Santa Monica, revealed she's ready for a "two-carat diamond ring," and immediately told Ben she's got "the biggest crush on [him]." And apparently the feeling was mutual as Ben exclaimed, "That is a pretty girl."


Emily, the 27-year-old PhD student from Chapel Hill, gave Ben hand sanitizer and breath mint spray—as well as gave him the first kiss of the evening! Ben approved exclaiming,"This is good." Emily later serenaded Ben with her attempt of a rap.


Samantha, a 26-year-old advertising account manager from Los Angeles, wore her Miss Pacific Palisades sash yet admitted she's "more than just a pageant girl."


Casey, a 26-year-old trading clerk from Kansas, didn't have much to say aside from, "I'll see you inside."


Amber T., a 29-year-old critical-care nurse from Nebraska, who at first appeared not to have much to say reappeared with a witty stunt: "Just in case you don't believe in love at first sight, here is your second chance."


Up next was Holly, a 34-year-old pharmaceutical rep from Kentucky, who rocked a big Derby-ready hat and schooled him on what her hometown is known for—"beautiful women and fast horses."


Jamie, a 25-year-old from Dryden, revealed that she had had a tough past while having to raise her siblings. She kept it simple with a classy, "So nice to meet you." She clearly caught Ben's eye, as he then remarked, "Loving the brunettes."


Shira, an actress from Los Angeles, said she knew "everything about wine" yet retracted her statement labeling it as "joking" and admitted she knew nothing about wine.


Blakely, the 34-year-old cocktail waitress from Charlotte, was surprised to find there were other Southerners in the Malibu mansion and told Ben she could be the "only Southerner."
The biggest surprise impression of the night was Sheryl, a 72-year-old from Colorado, who got out of the limo on crutches and admitted she "fell madly in love" with Ben last season.


Yet, Sheryl then revealed she wasn't in the running when she introduced her granddaughter Brittney, a 26-year-old medical sales rep from Denver. Shock aside, Ben approved adding, "That's too cute. I love grandmas."


Rounding out the last bunch were Nicki, a 26-year-old divorced dental hygienist who won Ashley Hebert's approval ironically enough as Ashley tweeted during the show: "Nicki needs to come work for me!"


Dianna, a 30-year-old non-profit director from San Gabriel, Calif. was literally speechless as she gasped: "I had something I was going to say, but I can't even talk right now…I'm so nervous."


Jennifer, the 28-year-old accountant from Oklahoma City, offered Ben her number—well, kind of. Jennifer playfully admitted: "Zero is the number of times I've been arrested, 54 is the number of dresses I tried on before picking this one. One is the number of times I've been in love, and after tonight I hope to make it two."


Lyndsie, a 29-year-old from London, read Ben one of her "goofy, dorky poems" which included the line, "Won't make fun of my butt chin dimple."


Anna, the 25-year-old student from Detroit, went a different route—she said absolutely nothing and walked right by the bachelor. Ben's response? "That's a bold move. That's awesome. Gotta be some kind of first." (No, Anna did not get a rose.)


Monica, the 33-year-old dental consultant from Salt Lake City, confessed "I miss my dog more than anything." The dog lover later expressed interest in Blakely, saying, "You're beautiful. You're amazing" while snuggling up to her on the couch. Someone not so amazing to Monica? Jenna. The two spent the majority of the premiere duking it out, leaving Jenna to spend the final moments up to the rose ceremony sobbing in the bathroom.


Jacklyn, the 27-year-old advertising account manager from Massachusetts, told Ben he looked "very dapper."


Shawn, a 28-year-old financial analyst from Phoenix, has another man in her life aside from Ben—a son named Gavin. Shawn gave Ben a good old "I'll see you inside" with a nice slug on the arm.


Kacie, a 24-year-old administrative assistant from Tennessee, was straight with Ben saying: "I won't sugarcoat anything if you don't."


As Ben put it, the best was saved for last as Lindzi, a 26-year-old from Seattle made a Bachelor history entrance as she rode in on a horse, complete with a black riding helmet and a gown. Lindzi won the first impression rose due to their "conversations." Lindzi, of course, accepted the rose, and also went in for a kiss which makes us think she'll be around for awhile!


As for the other lucky ladies who received roses? Ben also granted a chance at love to Jamie, Rachel, Blakely, Emily, Kacie B., Casey S., Brittney, Erika, Shawn, Nicki, Jennifer, Elyse, Samantha, Courtney, Jacklyn, Monica...and of course, great for us viewers' entertainment, the sob-master Jenna.


We can hardly wait for next Monday...and that's saying something!

Stanford Vs. Oklahoma

2012 Fiesta Bowl, Stanford Vs. Oklahoma State: Cowboys Upend Andrew Luck, Cardinal In OT

 

 

Brandon Weeden threw three touchdowns to Justin Blackmon to help Okie State hold off Stanford.

Jan 3, 2012 - If last season's Fiesta Bowl was for all the Tostitos, the 2012 Fiesta Bowl was for all the touchdowns. Stanford and Oklahoma State combined for 79 points before the Cowboys prevailed in overtime, 41-38.

The scoring made for terrific entertainment, but the headlines will likely go to Stanford's freshman kicker Jordan Williamson, who missed a pair of field goals at the end of the game, including a 35-yard field goal wide left as time expired that would have won the game for Stanford. Williamson then missed again in OT.

Playing for the game-winning field goal, it was just the second time this season that Stanford failed to score once it entered the red zone. 

 
The Cardinal never trailed in regulation and had 41:47 to 18:13 time of possession advantage. Stanford had four scoring drives of more than four minutes. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State had five quick-strike TD drives that took less than two minutes.

Justin Blackmon, who said on TV after the game that he planned to enter the 2012 NFL Draft, led the Cowboys attack with a Fiesta Bowl record-tying three touchdowns and 191 yards.

Andrew Luck was brilliant in his final collegiate game, completing 87 percent of his passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns, including completing all five of his passes to get Stanford in range for the potential game-winning field goal try.

For the Cowboys, the win caps a terrific season in which Oklahoma State accomplished its first win in a BCS bowl game and first 12-win season. 

iHealth blood pressure

iHealth blood pressure iPod dock: another sort of Apple to keep the doctor away

 

Back in March 2009 at the iPhone OS 3.0 debut event, Apple's Scott Forstall pointed out medical devices specifically as one of the more interesting class of peripherals that could leverage the new custom app interface capabilities. And while it's certainly an interesting concept -- keeping tabs on your general health from the comfort of your own home -- we haven't really seen it catch on (only a couple of products come to mind). That isn't stopping iHealth; the company's blood pressure dock, available today from its online store (we're told it should be filtering through Apple's own channels later this month) ties in with a specialized iPhone / iPod touch / iPad app to monitor and track blood pressure from the comfort of your home, where theoretically there shouldn't be a stranger in a white coat making you extra nervous. In our brief time with the device, the interface seemed fairly intuitive and the whole process simple and not at all intimidating. The cost of entry is $99.95 for the hardware; the free app should be hitting iTunes today. Press release after the break.

Drew Brees sets NFL single-season passing record

His nine-yard strike to Darren Sproles in the fourth quarter of a 45-16 victory over the Falcons gives him 5,087 yards, three more than Dan Marino's previous mark set in 1984.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) celebrates a touchdown pass against the Falcons in the second quarter with backup Chase Daniel on Monday night in New Orleans. (Rusty Costanza / Associated Press / December 26, 2011)

You can see Brees mouth "I love you man" as Gleason is beaming like a joyful little kid. Seeing Gleason on the sidelines, laughing and telling jokes, was better than watching Brees make history, or anything else that happened on Monday Night Football.

I've yet to come across anyone who doesn't label Gleason as "inspirational" or "tough." Though I didn't meet Gleason while he was in Pullman, every single person that came into contact with him had the highest praise for his character and perseverance. He continues to leave a lasting impression on everyone who comes into contact with him as he lives life to its fullest while battling ALS.

On the night after Christmas, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke an NFL record that had stood for nearly three decades, and New Orleans beat its archrival Atlanta 45-16 to clinch the fifth division crown in franchise history. The victory keeps the Saints (12-3) in the hunt for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, and its convincing nature offered further evidence no team in football is more explosive than New Orleans.

The Saints, undefeated at home this season, have now won seven in a row.

All of those heartwarming holiday milestones the team reached paled, however, to Brees breaking Dan Marino's record of 5,084 passing yards in a season. Brees threw for 307 yards in the game, but it was a 9-yard scoring pass to running back Darren Sproles with 2:51 remaining, and the Saints already holding a commanding lead, that gave him 5,087 for the season.

Brees thrust a fist into the air exultantly and then was mobbed by teammates led by guard Carl Nicks. Even referee Jeff Triplette came over and shook Brees' hand. The performance also left Brees as the only player in NFL history to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a season twice.

"It was a big win, a special night for us with all of it kind of culminating in one game," Coach Sean Payton said.

Brees' record overshadowed a more sustained assault the Saints are putting on the NFL's offensive record book, in an outing that left the already playoff-bound Falcons (9-6) completely outclassed by the divisional champ. For example, Brees also extended his streak of consecutive games throwing a touchdown pass to 42 as he chases a mark even older than Marino's -- Johnny Unitas' 47. Similarly, the Saints amassed 463 yards, leaving them with 6,857 yards for the season and 219 short of the all-time record set by the St. Louis Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf."

"There's a lot still to be written, and we look forward to that," Payton said.

The Saints now host the Carolina Panthers on New Year's Day in a game that holds significance only if the San Francisco 49ers lose at St. Louis on the same day. In that case, a Saints' victory would give them the No. 2 seed and a bye in the playoffs before hosting a home game.

From the outset Monday night, a setting in which the Saints traditionally play superb football, it was clear New Orleans was a team on a mission.

While opening a 21-10 halftime lead, the Saints converted eight of eight third-down opportunities and scored touchdowns on three of their four trips inside the Falcons' 20-yard line. Running back Pierre Thomas began what would be the most points scored against Atlanta since 2004 with a 4-yard scoring run, and Atlanta sandwiched a field goal and touchdown around that to hold a 10-7 lead.

However, Brees then marched the Saints 81 yards in 10 plays, the last of them an 8-yard scoring toss to wide receiver Marques Colston, and though 70,086 in attendance didnt yet know it, the rout was on.

"It was a huge deal," Colston said of Brees' record and the win. "To be able to do it against the Falcons and for the division and on Monday night, all those things just make it more special. It was a huge win, and to be able to achieve that is obviously a great thing for us. But we've got higher places to go."

With just 24 seconds left in the first half, Jimmy Graham collared a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brees, a catch that made Graham the first Saints tight end to have 10 touchdown catches in a season.

In the second half, Brees added a 24-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Robert Meachem and then the record-breaker to Sproles, giving Brees four scoring strikes in the game.

Brees said that, after the Meachem score, he overheard a voice on the sideline saying, "you're really close," and it struck him as an improper vibe.

"Like jinxing a no-hitter," Brees said. "I mean, we were rolling at that point. Like a pitcher -- don't talk to him, leave him alone."

Yet, from a purely statistical standpoint, it wasn't his finest effort. Brees also threw two interceptions, one of them a bizarre pass to the end zone that Falcons safety William Moore batted high in the air and back toward the goal line, where it was caught by cornerback Dominique Franks.

The first of those picks ended a streak of 233 passes by Brees without an interception, the longest such streak of his career, and the second helped hold his quarterback rating for the game to 96.8. But all of that could not blemish the uncontestable fact Brees was commanding one of the best offenses football has ever seen.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who completed 34 of 52 passes for 373 yards, managed to move the ball at times against a Saints defense that appeared to play with more and more emotion as New Orleans' lead widened and Brees closed on Marino's mark. Despite the Falcons best efforts, they managed two field goals by Matt Bryant in the second half -- the first a 51-yarder that made the score 28-13 and the second a meaningless 30-yarder that finished Atlanta's scoring.

The Saints' defensive spirit burst into flower after Bryant made that second field goal. After the Saints, playing conservatively with the big lead, went three-and-out, linebacker Scott Shanle stripped Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones of the ball. New Orleans safety Malcolm Jenkins scooped up the bouncing ball and raced 30 yards untouched for a touchdown that made the score 38-16.

That score also provided Payton the cushion he needed to give the green light to Brees push for the yardage record in the closing minutes. With the game and the divisional crown in hand, the team cast its steely gaze at Marino's venerable achievement when they took over on downs at the Atlanta 33 with 5:08 left.

Brees insisted he didn't know the exact number he needed at that point. Leading up to the game Brees said he strove to compartmentalize the record and the game itself, and that mindset carried over into the fourth quarter.

On a third-and-9, Brees went to Colston on the left side for 12 yards, then hit Devery Henderson for 11 more. After a bullet to Henderson on the next snap went incomplete, Brees and Sproles hooked up for the memorable touchdown.

"That's when I knew I had done it," Brees said. "Just an amazing feeling."

Nicks said the pretzel he put his quarterback in when he "bum- rushed" him after the record was set was a labor of love.

"If Hollywood were to make a movie I don't know if Tom Cruise could play him," Nicks said. "This guy is out of this world. Probably one of the best guys I know, period. If I could put him on my shoulders and parade him around the whole stadium I would have done that."

Afterward, even the media broke into applause when Brees entered the postgame interview room.

"Not as tough a crowd as I thought," Brees joked, before immediately turning to the rewards the team had reaped. "It feels great to be division champs. It feels great to have done what we just did, especially on Monday night before a national audience."

But he did permit himself a personal note.

"I haven't had a whole lot of time for reflection," he said. "For now, I just feel like there's still so much to be done. I do feel life his short and you have to enjoy these things. I'm never going to take it for granted."

Cold wave: Delhiites brace for another spell of dense fog tomorrow

New Delhi: As the cold wave intensifies, there seems to be no relief in sight for Delhiites with the weather office predicting another spell of fog tomorrow morning. The minimum temperature is likely to stay in the range of about 6 degrees Celsius, the forecast said.

Today's minimum temperature was three notches below normal at 5 degrees Celsius. A thick blanket of fog in the morning threw flight and train schedules out of gear. Traffic slowed to a crawl in most parts of the city, with visibility ranging from under 50 metres at the Indira Gandhi International Airport to about 200 metres at the Safdarjung Airport.

"The thick fog is likely to clear up as the day progresses. But the cold conditions will continue in the coming days," said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 18 degrees. On Sunday, the minimum and maximum temperatures were recorded at five and 23 degrees.

The mercury has shown a downward trend in the past couple of days, with both the maximum and minimum temperatures dropping. The coldest day of the season so far was December 16, when the minimum dropped to 4.7 degrees Celsius.

At least 26 people have died across north India due to the cold wave. Most of these deaths have been reported from Uttar Pradesh, where six people lost their lives last night. Meerut was the coldest place, recording a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius.

In Delhi, at least 14 flights were reported to have been delayed as visibility fell sharply between 6.30 am and 9.30 am. Operations showed an improvement only after the fog began lifting at about 10 am. Flight delays due to fog were reported from Kolkata as well.

Northern Railway had to cancel 30 trains and reschedule six others since last night.

A Railway spokesperson said that more than 40 trains were running behind schedule by several hours. Over 30 trains had been cancelled for a month on December 1, anticipating dense fog conditions in the region.

The conditions are equally bad in Punjab and Haryana with the minimum temperature dipping to 5 degrees Celsius at several places.

The Kashmir Valley has also witnessed a severe chill and water supply lines in the capital Srinagar have frozen with the mercury plunging to minus 4.6 degrees Celsius. Leh district in Ladakh recorded a low of minus 9 degrees Celsius yesterday.

The past few days have seen cold wave conditions in Bihar as well and the authorities have ordered all government schools to close till December 25.

Food Security Bill cleared: subsidy up by Rs 27,663 crore

NEW DELHI: Aiming to provide food security to the poor, the government approved food billthat seeks to give legal entitlement of cheaper foodgrains to 63.5% of the country's population.

The Cabinet, presided by Prime MinisterManmohan Singh, gave green signal to the draft National Food Security Bill after a brief discussion, a senior minister who attended the meeting told reporters here.

Last week, the decision on the Bill was deferred due to paucity of time and because of concerns raised by agriculture minister Sharad Pawarover huge financial implications.

After the Cabinet approval, the Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament in in the ongoing Parliament session.

Once the law is implemented, the food subsidy bill is expected to rise by Rs 27,663 crore at nearly Rs 95,000 crore, while foodgrains requirement would go up to 61 million tonnes from 55 million tonnes, as per the Cabinet proposal.

Food minister K V Thomas had said yesterday that the total financial liability to implement the law would be Rs 3.5 lakh crore, as funds would be required to raise agriculture production, create storage space and publicity among others.

This is a major initiative by the UPA government, and considered to be pet project of Sonia Gandhi, after Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The Congress Party had promised food law in its manifesto for 2009 election and President had announced this in her address to the joint session of Parliament in June 2009.

In rural India, up to 75% of the people will be covered, with at least 46% under priority households (which is same as below poverty line families in the existing public distribution system).

Up to 50% of people will be covered in the urban centres, with at least 28 per cent under priority category.

The bill seeks to provide 7 kg of rice, wheat and coarse grains to per person per month to priority households at Rs 3, Rs 2 and Rs 1 per kg, respectively.

This is a much lower than the rate at which foodgrains are currently supplied to poor through ration shops. Under present PDS, 35 kgs of wheat and rice per month is supplied to 6.52 croreBPL families at Rs 4.15 and Rs 5.65/kg, respectively.

General category would get at least 3 kg of grains at a rate not exceeding 50 per cent of the minimum support price.

At present, about 11.5 crore APL families get at least 15 kg of wheat and rice per month at Rs 6.10 and Rs 8.30/kg, respectively. The proposed law has been under consideration of an empowered group of ministers, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, since September 2009.

Sonia Gandhi led National Advisory Council (NAC) and an expert committee headed by Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) Chairman C Rangarajan had also submitted their recommendations on the bill.

The NAC had recommended legal entitlement to subsidised foodgrains to both priority and general households, covering at least 75 per cent population.

However, the PMEAC had opined that this was not feasible. Instead, they suggested that assured delivery of grains should be restricted to the really needy households and the coverage of the rest should be through an executive order.

The draft was placed on the food ministry's website for public comment in September. Based on the comments and suggestions from all the stakeholders including the States, the draft bill was revised and then placed before Cabinet.

The objective of the proposed law is "to provide for food and nutritional security...by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices, for people to live a life with dignity".

Going by the stated objective, there is a provision of meals to special group such as destitutes, homeless, person living in starvation and disaster affected persons.

That apart, there is a great focus on nutritional support to women and children in the bill.

"Pregnant women and lactating mothers, besides being entitled to nutritious meals, will also receive maternity benefit at Rs 1,000 per month for six months," Thomas had said, adding that children up to eighth class would get meals.

Yesterday, the minister had said that the total financial liability of the proposed law would be Rs 3,50,000 crore.

The food ministry has suggested that Rs 1,10,600 crore is required to be invested to boost farm production. Another 35,000 crore is needed to strengthen the scheme of ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services).

Besides these, funds would be required to create storage space, publicity, computerisation of PDS, strengthening of department and capacity building among others.

The provision of meals to special group would cost Rs 8,920 crore per annum, while maternity benefits would be to the tune of Rs 14,512 crore per annum. These are to be shared between Centre and States. Aiming to empower women, the bill proposes that the ration card will be issued to the eldest female member of the family.

Among the other key provisions, the bill stipulates that the Centre would reimburse in cash in case of short supply of foodgrains to States because of fall in production on account of natural calamities such as drought and floods.

In case of non-supply of foodgrains or meals to entitled person, the concerned State would be required to provide 'food security allowance'.

A three-tier grievance redressal mechanism would be set up to deal with issues related to delivery of entitlements. They are -- District Grievance Redressal Officer (DGRO), State Food Commission and National Food Commission.

The bill provides for penalty up to Rs 5,000 to be imposed on public servants or authority by the National and State Food Commissions if found guilty of non-compliance with the relief recommended by DGRO.

'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol'

'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' Takes $4 Million On 425 Screens In Single Day Because It's Awesome

The newest entry in the Mission: Impossible franchise was one of the few new films to have a pretty great opening day. On just 425 screens, Tom Cruise’s fourth installment Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocolraked in more than $4 million.

While it’s probably true that the film enjoyed a little bump from the inclusion of a six-minute prologue from The Dark Knight Rises, that prologue was only attached to about 10% of the total screens for M:I‘s opening day, meaning most of that impressive limited-release box office tally was based entirely on its own merits.

And it definitely has its own merits, earning a 95% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes and an impressive 100% fresh rating from the Top Critics.

Those scores are pretty well-earned, I must say. I loved the third film in this series, ranking Mission: Impossible III as one of the best action films of the decade and one of my all-time favorites of the genre. The newest entry, Ghost Protocol, continues the strong trend with not just amazing action sequences full of jaw-dropping stunts amid eye-popping special effects, it has a steady dose of good humor and engaging characters, wrapped up in a high-stakes globe-hopping espionage spy thriller.

I’m admittedly a big fan not just of this series, but of the spy genre in general.James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Ethan Hunt are characters I’ll come back to watch time after time. That’s partly due to consistently strong filmmakers at the helm, partly due to built-in high concept storytelling that lends itself to lots of action and fun gadgetry, but mostly due to each series having leads who always deliver the goods.

Image via Wikipedia

Tom Cruise is in top form this time around, looking more than 10 years younger than his age and demonstrating yet again how easily he can hold our attention and keep us engaged not only to the action on screen but to the characters within that action. This is a role that needs a strong personality, someone who has instant credibility as the character everyone immediately looks to for answers and whom they all naturally follow as a leader.

The camera loves Cruise, and he knows how to use this fact without giving off the air of vanity that’s often apparent in other stars who project too much self-awareness of their star quality in front of the camera. It makes Cruise feel relatable and like an “everyman” simultaneous to performing impossible stunts and super-feats, which is what it takes to really pull us into such films.  Helping drive the strength of this entry is the supporting cast, includingJeremy Renner as a former field agent forced back into exactly the kinds of situations he fears he’s no longer psychologically equipped to handle. His sparring with Cruise, and the revelation of his dark secret (it’s a doozy, and related to the previous film in a way), are great elements, but it’s his dry wit and delivery of incredulity that is the best part of his performance.

Image via Wikipedia

Great stuff, and I hope he returns for the next installment (rumor has it that Renner is being groomed to take over as the series lead, but I have a hard time imagining there’s any reason for Cruise to pass the torch when he’s still obviously more than capable of helming the series into the foreseeable future).

Image by AFP/Getty Images via @daylife

Paula Patton was simply superb as the female lead here, given an arc and motivation typically reserved for the lead male action stars — revenge for the death of the man she loved, another agent to whom she’d never professed her love.

Her intensity and raw physicality in the action sequences was top notch, and the film consistently gave her lots of screen time and some of the most important parts of the mission to handle on her own. You could easily imagine how this film could’ve in fact been made entirely from her perspective, with her character in the lead role, which is a testament to how well written the female lead is in this movie, which is sadly rare in action films. (She joinsRosario Dawson and Olivia Wilde on my shortlist of the best choices to portray Wonder Woman in a feature film, too.)

Rounding out the great ensemble cast is Simon Pegg, who proves he can still deliver comedy but also knows exactly how much and when to turn it up a notch or when to reel it in. I wondered if we’d see him in full-comedic mode, and worried that such a turn might detract from the film.

Image by AFP/Getty Images via @daylife

But no worries, when he has to be serious and dependable as an agent, he eases right into it without missing a beat, so that he works to bring levity just when he should without coming off as a incompetent or bumbling. There’s a wonderful scene where he’s posing as a bell boy at a hotel, and his sleight of hand gimmick is simple yet ingenious.

I saw Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocolat IMAX, and I highly recommend that as the best venue in which to experience this film. The action scenes seen in IMAX are really spectacular, and well worth the extra admission fee. And yes, obviously, as a Batman fan there’s the great added bonus of getting to see the opening six minutes of The Dark Knight Rises, too!

Oh, and if you’ve not seen it yet, check out Roger Ebert’s recent blog postabout how Tom Cruise shot that incredible skyscraper sequence. Short answer: by actually climbing it! WOW!

Here’s the trailer for Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol…

Ryan Gosling Named 'Coolest Person Of 2011'

Ryan Gosling may have recieved 2 Golden Globe nominations but we are pretty sure the highlight of his week will be winning 'The Coolest Person of 2011' title from Time Magazine.

The actor, who lost his 'Sexiest Man Alive' title to Bradley Cooper earlier this year, will be relieved that he is still considered 'cool'.

Time Magazine writer Joel Stein described the 'Blue Valentine' actor as "a man who is tough but emotional," and surely his refusal to be interviewed about the honour pushes him even further up the cool-scale.

The 31 year-old, who is currently dating Eva Mendes, recieved his Golden Globe nominations for romantic comedy 'Crazy, Stupid Love' and political thriller 'Ides Of March', directed by George Clooney.

We wonder if George, another former winner of the 'Sexiest Man Alive' discussed the title with Ryan during filming?

The accolade should not be mistaken for Time's other award 'Person Of The Year' which was won by 'the protester', referring generically to the people who have been protesting around the world in 2011.

Despite taking the title off Ryan, Bradley Cooper has admitted that he finds the actors looks intimidating.

Are Ryan Gosling And Eva Mendes Hollywood's New Hottest Couple...