Six In The Morning

Huntsman to drop out of presidential race, endorse Romney



By NBC's Jo Ling Kent and Domenico Montanaro
Jon Huntsman will drop his presidential bid and endorse Mitt Romney, according to campaign sources. "He doesn't want to stand in the way of the person who is going to be the nominee," a campaign source said. Huntsman will make the announcement during a speech in Myrtle Beach, S.C., tomorrow at 11 a.m. ET, spokesman Tim Miller said. Huntsman, who earlier today was endorsed by The State (the largest newspaper in South Carolina), had vowed to stay in the race despite his third-place showing in New Hampshire. He boasted in a speech on primary night Tuesday that he had a "ticket to ride" and that it was "on to South Carolina."

Nigeria restores fuel subsidy to quell nationwide protests
President Goodluck Jonathan says government will lower oil cost to about $2.75 a gallon after series of strikes paralyses country

Associated Press in Lagos guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 January 2012
Nigeria's president has announced the government will subsidise fuel prices to immediately reduce the price to about $2.75 (£1.80) a gallon amid a crippling nationwide strike over the removal of the oil subsidy. President Goodluck Jonathan also claimed provocateurs have hijacked the protests and demonstrations, which have seen tens of thousands march in cities across the country. Jonathan offered no other details on his claim, but his address on the state-run Nigerian Television Authority showed how worried his government had become by the demonstrations.

Captain 'made serious errors'


irishtimes.com - Last Updated: Monday, January 16, 2012, 07:05
A sixth body has reportedly been found as Italian rescue workers searched the half-submerged hulk of a stricken cruise ship for 15 people still missing today, more than 48 hours after it capsized, killing at least five and injuring more than 60. The captain of the 114,500-tonne Costa Concordia was arrested on Saturday, accused of manslaughter and abandoning his ship before all of the more than 4,200 passengers and crew had been evacuated off the west coast of Italy.

Army brass knew WikiLeaks accused had serious issues
A court martial recommendation for the US soldier accused of giving documents to WikiLeaks has raised questions about the accountability of his superiors

Paul McGeough January 16, 2012
A FORMAL recommendation that Bradley Manning face a court martial has sharpened demands that others also be held accountable for a mountain of classified diplomatic cables being dumped to WikiLeaks almost two years ago. Apart from a refusal by two junior officers to give evidence at Manning's recent pretrial hearing on the grounds they might incriminate themselves, the Pentagon's investigation appears almost entirely centred on what Manning, 24, might have done.

Alien hunters: What if ET ever phones our home?
For decades we've been sending signals - both deliberate and accidental - into space, and listening out for alien civilisations' broadcasts. But what is the plan if one day we were to hear something?

By Jason Palmer Science and technology reporter, BBC News
If we ever detect signs of intelligent alien life, the people likely to be on the receiving end of a cosmic signal are the scientists of Seti, aka Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. This loose band of a couple of dozen researchers around the world doggedly listens to the cosmos in the hopes of catching alien communications. It's often in the face of scant funding and even ridicule. They watch signals coming from the world's largest radio telescopes, looking for anything unusual, or even the flashes of laser "lighthouses" designed to catch our attention.

Pakistan PM faces contempt of court notice
Supreme court issues notice over inaction in graft case, as government faces legal and political challenges.

Last Modified: 16 Jan 2012 08:21
Pakistan's Supreme Court has issued a contempt of court notice against Yousuf Raza Gilani, the country's prime minister, for not complying with orders related to reopening corruption cases. Gilani has been summoned to appear before the court on January 19. Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haque, the country's attorney general, told a seven-member larger bench of the country's apex court on Monday that he had received no direction from the government in regard to a demand that information be provided on whether the government was intending to act on pursuing a corruption case in Swiss courts. The case in the Swiss courts alleges that Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's current president, among others, was involved in graft. Monday marked the court’s deadline to Gilani’s government for reopening the stalled graft probe against President Zardari. Gilani's government has contended that the president has immunity under the constitution.