And the Story Begins...

Stepping into history, Barack Hussein Obama grasped the reins of power as America's first black president on Tuesday, saying the nation must choose "hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord" to overcome the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. In frigid temperatures, an exuberant crowd of more than a million packed the National Mall and parade route to celebrate Obama's inauguration in a high-noon ceremony. They filled the National Mall, stretching from the inaugural platform at the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial in the distance. With 11 million Americans out of work and trillions of dollars lost in the stock market's tumble, Obama emphasized that his biggest challenge is to repair the tattered economy left behind by outgoing President George W. Bush. "Our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed," Obama said in an undisguised shot at Bush administration policies. "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin the work of remaking America." The dawn of the new Democratic era — with Obama allies in charge of both houses of Congress — ends eight years of Republican control of the White House by Bush, who leaves Washington as one of the nation's most unpopular and divisive presidents, the architect of two unfinished wars and the man in charge at a time of economic calamity that swept away many Americans' jobs, savings and homes. Obama's election was cheered around the world as a sign that America will be more embracing, more open to change. "To the Muslim world," Obama said, "we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." Still, he bluntly warned, "To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy." "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist." Two years after beginning his improbable quest as a little-known, first-term Illinois senator with a foreign-sounding name, Obama moved into the Oval Office as the nation's fourth youngest president, at 47, and the first African-American, a barrier-breaking achievement believed impossible by generations of minorities. He said it was a moment to recall "that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness." Obama called for a political truce in Washington to end "the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics." He said that all Americans have roles in rebuilding the nation by renewing the traditions of hard work, honesty and fair play, tolerance, loyalty and patriotism. "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility, a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task." With the economy in a long and deepening recession, Obama said it was time for swift and bold action to create new jobs and lay a foundation for growth. Congressional Democrats have readied an $825 billion stimulus plan of tax cuts and spending for roads, bridges, schools, electric grids and other projects. "The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works," the new president said. A mighty chorus of cheers erupted as Obama stepped to the inaugural platform, a midday sun warming the crowd that had waited for hours in the cold. There were some boos when Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney came onto the platform. In his remarks, Obama took stock of the nation's sobering problems. "That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood," he said. "Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age," Obama said. "Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet." It was the first change of administrations since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Crowds filled the Mall for a distant glimpse of the proceedings or just, in the words of many, simply "to be here." Washington's subway system was jammed and two downtown stations were closed when a woman was struck by a subway train. Bush — following tradition — left a note for Obama in the top drawer of his desk in the Oval Office. White House press secretary Dana Perino said the theme of the message — which Bush wrote on Monday — was similar to what he has said since election night: that Obama is about to begin a "fabulous new chapter" in the United States, and that he wishes him well. The unfinished business of the Bush administration thrusts an enormous burden onto the new administration, though polls show Americans are confident Obama is on track to succeed. He has cautioned that improvements will take time and that things will get worse before they get better. Culminating four days of celebration, the nation's 56th inauguration day began for Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden with a traditional morning worship service at St. John's Episcopal Church, across Lafayette Park from the White House. Bells pealed from the historic church's tower as Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived five minutes behind schedule. The festivities won't end until well after midnight, with dancing and partying at 10 inaugural balls. By custom, Obama and his wife, and Biden and his wife, Jill, went directly from church to the White House for coffee with Bush and his wife, Laura. Michelle Obama brought a gift for the outgoing first lady in a white box decorated with a red ribbon. Shortly before 11 a.m., Obama and Bush climbed into a heavily armored Cadillac limousine to share a ride to the Capitol for the transfer of power, an event flashed around the world in television and radio broadcasts, podcasts and Internet streaming. On Monday, Vice President Dick Cheney pulled a muscle in his back, leaving him in a wheelchair for the inauguration. Just after noon, Obama stepped forward on the West Front of the Capitol to lay his left hand on the same Bible that President Abraham Lincoln used at his first inauguration in 1861. The 35-word oath of office, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts, has been uttered by every president since George Washington. Obama was one of 22 Democratic senators to vote against Roberts' confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2005. The son of a white, Kansas-born mother and a black, Kenya-born father, Obama decided to use his full name in the swearing-in ceremony. To the dismay of liberals, Obama invited conservative evangelical pastor Rick Warren — an opponent of gay rights — to give the inaugural invocation. About a dozen members of Obama's Cabinet and top appointees were ready for Senate confirmation Tuesday, provided no objections were raised. But Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas indicated he would block a move to immediately confirm Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Still, she is expected to be approved in a roll call vote Wednesday. More than 10,000 people from all 50 states — including bands and military units — were assembled to follow Obama and Biden from the Capitol on the 1.5-mile inaugural parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue, concluding at a bulletproof reviewing stand in front of the White House. Security was unprecedented. Most bridges into Washington and about 3.5 square miles of downtown were closed. Among the VIPs at the Capitol was pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the hero of last week's US Airways crash into the Hudson River. Obama's inauguration represents a time of renewal and optimism for a nation gripped by fear and anxiety. Stark numbers tell the story of an economic debacle unrivaled since the 1930s: _Eleven million people have lost their jobs, pushing the unemployment rate to 7.2 percent, a 16-year high. _One in 10 U.S. homeowners is delinquent on mortgage payments or in arrears. _The Dow Jones industrial average fell by 33.8 percent in 2008, the worst decline since 1931, and stocks lost $10 trillion in value between October 2007 and November 2008. Obama and congressional Democrats are working on an $825 billion economic recovery bill that would provide an enormous infusion of public spending and tax cuts. Obama also will have at his disposal the remaining $350 billion in the federal financial bailout fund. His goal is to save or create 3 million jobs and put banks back in the job of lending to customers. In an appeal for bipartisanship, Obama honored defeated Republican presidential rival John McCain at a dinner Monday night. "There are few Americans who understand this need for common purpose and common effort better than John McCain," Obama said. Young and untested, Obama is a man of enormous confidence and electrifying oratorical skills. Hopes for Obama are extremely high, suggesting that Americans are willing to give him a long honeymoon to strengthen the economy and lift the financial gloom. On Wednesday, his first working day in office, Obama is expected to redeem his campaign promise to begin the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq under a 16-month timetable. Aides said he would summon the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Oval Office and order that the pullout commence. (AP/ Reuters Photo via Yahoo)

Worst Inauguration Moments

Inaugurations may be full of pomp and circumstance, but they can also set the tone for where a presidency is headed. Certainly much has been said about all of the preparations for Obama's big day, but will it be a full-blown hit? We'll defer to one of the first daughters, Malia, who advised her dad while discussing his upcoming speech: "First African American president — better be good." So, until we know, here's a list of hits and misses from inaugurations past. Hit: Expanding the guest list - Many presidents have taken the whole "first" thing to heart. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln became the first to include African-Americans in his parade. Woodrow Wilson took a swipe at the glass ceiling by including women in his 1917 inaugural parade. In 1977, Jimmy Carter's parade had solar heat ... and the former peanut farmer got out of his limo and walked from the Capitol to the White House with his family. George W. Bush got in on the action with his ball honoring America troops. The Washington Post reports: For 2005, the inaugural committee put together a 'Commander in Chief Ball': Only men and women who had served or were signed up to serve could attend this ball, which was held at the National Building Museum. Miss: Inaugural brawls - With all those people, it's a surprise that more scuffles don't break out as oglers try to get a better seat or camera shot. But from what we can tell, it's the coat-check line that really raises everyone's hackles. U.S. News & World Report explains: And at President Bill Clinton's record-breaking 14 inaugural balls in 1997, boxed wine was served, ham and cheese sandwiches cost $5.50, and police had to calm guests waiting in an hour and a half-long coat-check line. And Clinton wasn't the only president who had fur flying. USA Today offers further detail: At [Clinton's] 1997 inaugural ball, irate Democrats began chanting 'We want our coats. Now.' Police had to be called in for crowd control and cloak distribution. In 1989, similarly incensed Republicans simply stormed the cloakroom in what later became known as 'The Bastille Day Coat Check' affair. In 1985, Colleen Beveridge, a former schoolteacher from Virginia, made headlines in The Washington Post when she tried, with the help of police, to locate an $8,000 mink coat loaned by her mother-in-law and lost in a blizzard of outerwear at a Ronald Reagan inaugural ball. Insurance finally covered the loss. 'Fortunately, my mother-in-law took it really well,' Beveridge says today. We hardly know what to say ... other than, we're really sorry we missed it. Hit: He said it best - There are great moments and one-liners in many presidential addresses, but there is no doubt that Lincoln's second inaugural address was one of the best. As Parade says: One inaugural address, however, still lives in the hearts of all Americans. It was given in 1865 by Lincoln, whose Bible will be used by Obama on Tuesday. Perhaps the greatest speech ever given on American soil, it ends: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.’’ Six weeks later, Lincoln was dead, but his words and hopes live on, America’s great legacy on America’s greatest day. Miss: Chilly reception - For all those presidents who think it's macho to stand in the freezing cold without a coat, we offer the sad story of Ulysses S. Grant's chilly inauguration. Cadets and midshipmen who took part in the parade collapsed after standing outside without overcoats for more than 90 minutes. The food froze at the unheated inaugural ball, and canaries that had been intended to fly gracefully among the dancing guests died in their cages. But true tragedy struck in 1841, when William Henry Harrison delivered the longest inaugural address — more than 8,000 words. It took him nearly two hours on a cold and wet day (he wore no hat, coat or gloves), and, some say, it was one of the worst inaugural addresses. Even worse, Harrison died one month later of pneumonia, a fate many believe was cemented by his lengthy inaugural ceremony. Hit: You look — and sound — marvelous - We all love finally getting a peek at inauguration outfits ... even if (or especially) we wind up trashing them. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution sums up the love/hate relationships with first ladies and their choice of ball gowns: [Nancy] Reagan took a beating for "borrowing" designer fashions, including her James Galanos inaugural gown (price tag: an estimated $10,000). Reagan gets extra style points for wearing the one-shoulder lace and silk satin beaded sheath and becoming the only first lady in the past three decades to bare a shoulder at the ball. Though his wife, Jackie, was always praised for her stylish garb, it was John F. Kennedy who stole the show in 1961, becoming the last president to don a traditional stovetop hat. The Huffington Post wants to bring it back. And let's not forget the music men. Check out photos from Pixcetera of Bill Clinton playing saxophone with the E Street Band's Clarence Clemons, and GOP chairman Lee Atwater rocking an electric guitar at George H.W. Bush's Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball. Miss: Two left feet - For those who have seen Barack and Michelle Obama's dance duel on "Ellen," let's hope they put better feet forward than past presidents. The Huffington Post offers up these photos of the most awkward dance moves our inaugurations have ever seen. Continue at your own risk. Hit: Poet's corner - Robert Frost was the first poet to participate in the ceremony when he recited a poem for John F. Kennedy's '61 inauguration. Bill Clinton became the second president to continue this practice — he asked Maya Angelou to read at his 1993 inauguration and Miller Williams in 1997. For his historic ceremony, Barack Obama has asked Elizabeth Alexander to read. But Frost really made his presence known. As the US News & World Report reports: Frost had penned a poem just for the occasion, but the sun's glare was too bright for the 86-year-old. 'The poor guy couldn't see what he had written,' Bendat says. New Vice President Lyndon Johnson's attempts to shield the poet's eyes from the glare with a top hat didn't help. Frost gave up and, instead, recited a poem that he knew by heart—but not before dedicating it to 'the president-elect, Mr. John Finley.' (Finley was a Harvard scholar.) While some might consider this a "miss," we think it shows determination and a certain charm. And not to worry: The original poem found its way home. Miss: Who invited you? - McClatchy reports an unexpected — and perhaps misreported — moment from Andrew Jackson's 1829 inauguration: Q: Which president's inauguration was so rowdy that he was chased out of the White House by the crowd and spent the night at a hotel? A: Andrew Jackson's, in 1829. Jackson threw open the executive mansion to his supporters, numbering in the thousands. They reportedly destroyed some furniture, broke china and had fistfights, though some historical sources say that his political opponents exaggerated reports of violence to discredit him. Note to the Obamas: Check the guest list. Twice. (Sarah Parsons/ Reuters Photo via Yahoo)

Indonesian Obama Look-Alike

Indonesian photographer Ilham Anas won't be at U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday. Instead he'll be starring as an Obama look-alike on Indonesian TV.Anas, 34, who from some angles bears a resemblance to the new U.S. president, shot to fame in Jakarta after Obama, 47, won the election in November, and is now earning income as an Obama double.Many Indonesians have a keen interest in Obama, who lived in Jakarta for four years after his American mother, Ann Dunham, married Muslim Indonesian Lolo Soetoro following the end of her marriage to Obama's Kenyan father."When Obama won, my colleagues played a practical joke on me -- they made me wear a suit, a tie, and took pictures of me posing as Obama," Anas told Reuters on Saturday."The pictures spread very quickly on the Internet. It was phenomenal. Then TV stations and an advertising agency got in touch with me."That led to an appearance in a pharmaceuticals advertisement in the Philippines where he played Obama, who is due to be sworn in as the 44th U.S. president on Tuesday.Anas, who was born and raised in Bandung, West Java, said he feels lucky to resemble Obama."I never thought I would be a star in a commercial, then this happened. It's very fortunate," Anas said."I was in the airport in Malaysia in transit and a man approached me and asked: 'Are you Obama?'. I was very surprised when he asked to take a picture together and bought me a meal," said Anas, flashing a broad smile.If he ever gets the chance to meet Obama, Anas said he would ask the U.S. president to take a firm stance in dealing with the conflict between Israel and Palestine. (Reuters via Yahoo)

Israeli Airstrike Kills a Top Hamas Leader

An Israeli warplane dropped a 2,000-pound bomb on the home of one of Hamas' top five decision-makers Thursday, instantly killing him and 18 others, while the Israeli army said troops massed on the Gaza border were ready for any order to invade. The airstrike on Nizar Rayan was the first that succeeded in killing a member of Hamas' highest echelon since Israel began its offensive Saturday. The 49-year-old professor of Islamic law was known for personally participating in clashes with Israeli forces and for sending one of his sons on a 2001 suicide mission that killed two Israelis. Even as it pursued its bombing campaign, Israel kept the way open for intense efforts by leaders in the Middle East and Europe to arrange a cease-fire. Israel said it would consider a halt to fighting if international monitors were brought in to track compliance with any truce. Adding to the urgency of the diplomatic maneuvering, the Israeli military said its preparations for a possible ground assault were complete and that troops stood ready to cross the border if the air operation to stamp out Hamas rocket fire needed to be expanded. Soldiers massed along the Gaza frontier said they were eager to join the fight, and some even cheered as they heard thunderous airstrikes in the distance. The hit on Rayan's home obliterated the four-story apartment building and peeled off the walls of others around it, creating a field of rubble in the crowded town of Jebaliya in the northern Gaza Strip. Mounds of debris thrown up by the blast swallowed up cars. Eighteen other people, including all four of Rayan's wives and nine of his 12 children, also were killed, Palestinian health officials said. A man cradled the burned, limp body of a child he pulled from the rubble. The house was one of five bombed Thursday, among more than 20 targets altogether. Warplanes shredded the houses, taking off walls and roofs and leaving behind eerie, dollhouse-like views into rooms that still contained furniture. Israel's military, which has said the homes of Hamas leaders are being used to store missiles and other weapons, said the attack on Rayan's house triggered secondary explosions from the arms stockpiled there. Seven other Palestinians were killed in airstrikes Thursday and one died of earlier injuries. Israel has targeted Hamas leaders many times in the past, and the current leadership went into hiding at the start of the offensive. Rayan, however, was known for openly defying Israel and in the past had led crowds to the homes of wanted Hamas figures — as if daring Israel to strike and risk the lives of civilians. Residents said he openly went to a nearby mosque Thursday morning to pray. In his last interview, recorded with Hamas TV on Wednesday, Rayan was as defiant as ever about confronting the Israeli military. "Oh fighters, know that you will be victorious," he said. "God promises us either victory or martyrdom. God is greater than they are, God is greater than their planes, God is greater than their rockets." The military said it had information that there was a tunnel beneath Rayan's home for use as an escape route. Israel seemed determined to press ahead with airstrikes on Hamas houses. It also has been targeting buildings used by the territory's Hamas government — emptied days ago by evacuations — as well as rocket-launching sites and smuggling tunnels along the border with Egypt. "We are trying to hit everybody who is a leader of the organization, and today we hit one of their leaders," Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon said in a television interview. More than 400 Gazans had been killed and some 1,700 wounded since Israel embarked on its aerial campaign, Gaza health officials said. The United Nations has said the death toll includes more than 60 civilians, 34 of them children. One of them, 11-year-old Ismail Hamdan, was buried Thursday after dying of wounds suffered from an airstrike Tuesday that killed two of his sisters, Haya, 4, and Lama, 12. His body was wrapped in a Palestinian flag and his battered face was still bandaged as he was carried above a crowd of mourners. Since Saturday, three Israeli civilians and one soldier have also died in rocket attacks that have reached deeper into Israel than ever before, bringing more than a tenth of Israel's population of 7 million within rocket range. The bombing campaign has worsened an already hard life for Gaza's mostly poor population of 1.5 million. On Thursday, hundreds of people stood in long, snaking lines across the territory waiting to buy bread. Israel launched the offensive Saturday after more than a week of intense Palestinian rocket fire that followed the expiration of a six-month truce, which Hamas refused to extend because Israel kept up its blockade of Gaza. So far, the campaign has been conducted largely from the air. But a military spokeswoman, Maj. Avital Leibovich, said preparations for a ground operation were complete. "The infantry, the artillery and other forces are ready. They're around the Gaza Strip, waiting for any calls to go inside," Leibovich said. Thousands of soldiers waited along the border, resting among tanks, armored personnel carriers and howitzers. The troops watched warplanes and attack helicopters flying into Gaza, cheering each time they heard the explosion of an airstrike. One soldier, who can be identified under military rules only as Sgt. Yaniv, said he was eager to go in. "I am going crazy here watching all this. I want to do my part as well," he said. Hamas promised to put up a fight if Israeli land forces invaded. "We are waiting for you to enter Gaza to kill you or make you into Schalits," the group said, referring to Israeli Sgt. Gilad Schalit, who was captured in a cross-border raid by Hamas-affiliated militants 2 1/2 years ago and remains in captivity in Gaza. Israel's bruising campaign has not deterred Hamas from assaulting Israel. According to the military, militants fired more than 30 rockets into southern Israel during the day. No injuries were reported, but an eight-story apartment building in Ashdod, 23 miles from Gaza, was hit. Panicked residents ran through a debris-strewn street. Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rebuffed a French proposal for a two-day suspension of hostilities to allow for the delivery of humanitarian supplies. Israel has been allowing trucked relief supplies to enter Gaza. Ninety aid trucks crossed the border Thursday. Still, Olmert seemed to be looking for a diplomatic way out, telling Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other world leaders that Israel would accept a truce only if international monitors took responsibility for enforcing it, government officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were confidential. A Turkish truce proposal included a call for such monitors. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, speaking to reporters during a visit to Paris for meetings with French officials, expressed skepticism about the benefits of a cease-fire. She said Hamas used the lull during the six-month truce that expired last month to build up its arsenal of weapons. "Our experience from the past is that even when we accept something in order to have a peaceful period of time, they abuse it in order to get stronger and to attack Israel later on," Livni said. Egypt's foreign minister said Hamas must ensure that rocket fire stops in any truce deal, and he criticized the Palestinian militants for giving Israel an "opportunity on a golden platter" to launch the offensive. Gaza has been under Hamas rule since the group's fighters overran it in June 2007. The West Bank has remained under the control of moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been negotiating peace with Israel for more than a year but has no influence over Hamas. Bringing in truce monitors would require cooperation between the fiercely antagonistic Palestinian factions. An Abbas confidant said the Palestinian president supported the notion of international involvement. "We are asking for a cease-fire and an international presence to monitor Israel's commitment to it," Nabil Abu Rdeneh said. World leaders have not been deterred by the initial rejections by Israel and Hamas of truce efforts, and next week French President Nicolas Sarkozy plans a whirlwind trip around the region. (AP/ Reuters Photo via Yahoo)

Communist Cuba Celebrates 50 Years of Revolution

Communist Cuba marked the 50th anniversary of its Revolution Thursday faced with an uncertain future, its iconic, ailing leader Fidel Castro withdrawn from power and the economy in dire straits. President Raul Castro led official ceremonies in Santiago de Cuba, the city from where his brother Fidel proclaimed victory over US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959 after 25 months of fighting in the Sierra Maestra mountains. In an olive green army uniform, Raul, 77, -- who officially took over from 82-year-old Fidel last February -- received an ovation, along with other party leaders, from 3,000 guests at the start of Thursday evening's festivities. Fidel, who has not appeared in public since undergoing major surgery almost two and a half years ago, sent a brief, signed greeting to the Cuban people in Granma, the communist party newspaper. But his image dominated giant banners and billboards amid the somber celebrations, with the island hard hit by the economic crisis and the aftermath of three hurricanes this year that left some 10 billion dollars in damage. "Let's not kid ourselves by believing that from here on, it's all going to be easy. Maybe from here on, it's going to be more difficult," Raul Castro cautioned late Wednesday. Despite hardships he blamed on 46-year-old US sanctions, the president stressed: "this hasn't been a failure, not even under these conditions. It has been a constant fight." The celebrations coincide with recent moves by Cuba to broaden its international ties, and the presidents of China and Russia, Hu Jintao and Dmitry Medvedev respectively, sent congratulatory messages Thursday. Leftist Latin American leaders heaped praise on Cuba's past half-century. Oil-rich Venezuela, Cuba's main business partner, held a special ceremony to commemorate the anniversary. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called the Cuban Revolution "the mother of all the revolutions going on in Latin America and the Caribbean." Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega called the 50th anniversary a "landmark" in Latin American history and Bolivian President Evo Morales lauded the island and its people. "Fifty years ago the Cuban people freed themselves from US rule. For that, Cuba, its people and its commanders are symbols of the liberation of the people of the world," Morales said. After years of economic embargo and hardline US efforts to isolate the island, Havana now faces rare potential for change with US president-elect Barack Obama, who has voiced willingness to communicate unconditionally with world leaders. Cuba's Revolution -- led by a 32-year-old Fidel Castro and legendary Argentine guerilla Ernesto "Che" Guevara -- took on Marxist overtones in May 1961, one month after the attempted invasion of the Bay of Pigs by CIA-backed Cuban exiles. Former US president John F. Kennedy declared the embargo in February 1962, before the Soviet missile crisis, which took the world to the brink of nuclear war. The two nations, separated by just 90 miles (145 kilometers) of water, have remained bitter political foes. A White House spokesman in Texas Wednesday said Washington "will continue to seek freedom" for the people of Cuba. But Obama, who takes power January 20, has promised to ease some rules limiting travel by and remittances from Cuban-Americans; Raul Castro repeatedly has said he is ready for talks without "carrot or stick" with Obama. The Cuban president has also promised "structural reforms" -- a departure from his older brother and leading members of the communist old guard. But the global economic crisis may impact the pledged changes, as the president signaled in July when he announced greater government control of revenues and tighter management of agriculture. The Caribbean island is still officially in the Special Period in Peacetime, an extended period of economic crisis that began in 1991 after the collapse of its former main benefactor, the Soviet Union. And life is tough for most of Cuba's 11.2 million people, who earn an average of 20 dollars per month and survive tangled in a parallel economy. "The Revolution has given us a lot. I'm communist but I wish there were changes in the economy, that's where the problem is," said 65-year-old Pedro at Thursday's celebrations. "The situation is really bad. Salaries are not enough to live off. They've made a lot of mistakes," said Joel Romero, a 41-year-old who gave up his job as a health worker to rear pigs. Branded US puppets by Havana, Cuban dissidents say there are 219 "political prisoners" on the island. During his decades in power, Fidel Castro expropriated foreign companies, jailed political enemies and drove well over a million Cubans into exile. But he also introduced historic reforms, including major education and health care access advances. (AFP via MSN)

New Year's Horror

Scores die in crowded Bangkok nightclub fire, kills 59

- A fierce fire ripped through a popular nightclub in the Thai capital Bangkok early Thursday as people were celebrating New Year, killing at least 59 people and injuring 184, police said. The blaze broke out after a pyrotechnic display at the Santika club in the city's Ekkamai district, a thronging entertainment area frequented by locals and tourists. It was not clear if any foreigners were among the dead.

The two-storey club was completely gutted by the fire, with the front of the building blackened and partially collapsed, an AFP correspondent said. Around 30 charred bodies were still inside the structure hours after the inferno. "It appears that the fire started from the area of the stage where a band was playing. There were some pyrotechnics and it appears that they started the blaze," Police Lieutenant Colonel Prawit Kantwol told AFP. "Most of the victims died from suffocation but some were also killed in a stampede when people were trying to get out," he said.

Almost all the dead were on the ground floor, where the stage was located. Local police commander Colonel Suphin Sapphuang told AFP 59 people had been confirmed dead so far -- 53 at the scene and six succumbed later in hospital. At least 184 people were injured, emergency services at the scene told AFP, and had been rushed to 14 hospitals around the capital suffering burns and smoke inhalation.

The club, which is popular with Bangkok's elite, has a capacity of 1,000 people but it was not clear how many were in there at the time of the blaze. Fire brigade officials said the death toll was made worse because there were few exits from the building and because windows on the upper floors had iron bars across them.

"There was only one main way to get out from the front. People who worked there were able to escape from the back because they knew the exits but the others had no chance," senior fireman Wacharatpong Sri-Saard said at the scene. Some victims were trapped in the basement of the club, which was accessed via a narrow stairwell, he said. The roof of the building had also collapsed during the blaze.

Police said the fire broke out between midnight and 1:00am, shortly after revellers had celebrated the passing of the New Year, but had now been extinguished. Several dozen relatives, friends and bystanders remained outside what was left of the venue, trying to get information about loved ones from the emergency services.

Fire brigade officials and forensic police could be seen entering the club in an effort to establish exactly what had caused the fire, as the remains of charred furniture and equipment littered the ground outside. A billboard advertising the club's New Year party with the logo "Goodbye Santika" and the names of DJs playing at the event was still displayed on the street outside hours after the blaze. (AFP via MSN)

When to buy? When to sell? When to divorce?

Fears of a prolonged recession in China have triggered a sharp increase in divorce inquiries addressed to lawyers and financial advisers, state media reported on Monday, with timing a key issue. Wealthy spouses were keen to strike a deal while asset values were low, the China Daily quoted the director of the China Divorce Service Center, Shu Xin, as saying. "While facing tough financial times is not usually the main reason couples split, it can serve as the last straw for already strained marriages or add new concerns to divorces under way," the newspaper said, quoting "marriage advisers." Ming Li, who works for China's first marriage and finance firm, Shanghai Weiqing, said: "Many questions are about how to avoid paying off debts after the divorce and the number of such telephone inquiries has increased from 200 to 300 in recent months." But China University of Political Science and Law professor Wu Changzhen said it may be too early to know the impact of the financial crisis on divorce rates. "It seems the rates may have dropped since the downturn, because divorces are expensive," he was quoted as saying. "It has become extremely difficult for couples wanting to divorce to sell their homes at a reasonable price and to maintain two separate households." According to a separate story carried on the China News Service website (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/nm/od_nm/storytext/us_china_divorce/30395581/SIG=10qcadk6t/*http://www.chinanews.com), the number of people seeking divorce advice increased by 30 percent in the second half of this year. Most of the inquiries were about how to protect property, it said. There were 2.1 million divorces in China in 2007, nearly seven times the figure of 1980 when nationwide economic reforms were launched, the China Daily quoted the Ministry of Civil Affairs as saying. (Reuters/ AP Photo via Yahoo)