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Jamaica's leading opposition People's National Party won a landslide election, according to preliminary results, in a vote driven by concerns about crime, corruption and poverty.The preliminary results indicated the left-leaning party had won 41 out of 63 constituencies, giving it a resounding majority and showing the door to Prime Minister Andrew Holness, 39, the youngest person to hold the top office. The results were released late Thursday, marc jacobsbut within hours of polls closing local media had called the PNP's victory, and PNP leader Portia Simpson Miller, the designated prime minister, delivered an ecstatic acceptance speech."You will know everything. We will never hide anything from you. Now you have a government you can trust," she told jubilant supporters. Miller, who became the first woman prime minister in 2006 but narrowly lost a reelection bid the next year, promised a "partnership with you, the Jamaican people, a partnership with the private sector, the media and civil society."She said Holness -- of the center-right Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) -- had called earlier to concede defeat and offer his congratulations, describing his mood as "gracious." Turnout was high in the palm-fringed former British colony of three million, where voters' chief concerns were crime, corruption and unemployment.Monitors reported long lines of voters in some districts, mainly due to technical problems with the voting machines, marc jacobs bagsbut Thursday's elections did not see the violence that had marred previous votes."We have had reports from some supervisors who say things are going smoothly while there are others who say the machines are slow. But slow is relative because some persons just don't want to wait," Director of Elections Orette Fisher was quoted as saying in the Jamaica Observer. Over 1.6 million voters -- 75 percent of registered voters -- in the 63 constituencies were projected to have cast their ballots by the time polls closed at 5:00 pm (2200 GMT). The 2007 vote saw a lower turnout, at 60 percent.Police reported a shooting in the Saint Catherine constituency in the country's southeast, but no one was hurt and the suspect was arrested in an incident officials did not believe to be politically motivated. Golding, who led the JLP to victory in 2007 and ended 17 straight years of PNP rule, resigned in the political fallout from the government's fight against the extradition to the United States of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, reportedly the former leader of the Shower Posse, a JLP-tied gang.When authorities moved on some of Kingston's poorest and most crime-ridden areas in May 2010, a massive operation left 76 Jamaicans dead. marc jacobs bags cheapThe gang's link to the JLP has hurt its sway in poor areas still traumatized by the incident. "My grandfather voted JLP, my father voted JLP, and I have always voted JLP, but I lost three children in May 2010, so for me now it's PNP or nothing," a resident of Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston told AFP.When campaigning officially ended at midnight Tuesday, gunfire rang out at a JLP event in Westmoreland. One party supporter was killed and two others were wounded, authorities said. Both candidates condemned the violence.While police have cited figures showing a decline in violent crimes, voters remain deeply concerned over street crime, as well as jobs and corruption in the public sector.

Asian stocks dropped for a third day, with the region’s benchmark index heading for its first full-year decline since 2008, after a surge in lending by the European Central Bank highlighted the magnitude of the region’s debt crisis. Canon Inc., a Japanese camera maker whose biggest market is Europe, slid 0.7 percent after the euro dropped to a 10-year low against the yen, marc jacobsclouding the earnings outlook for exporters. Elpida Memory Inc. slumped 6.5 percent after a report the chipmaker may seek to delay repayment of bailout funds. Lynas Corp., an Australian miner of rare earths, slid 5.8 percent after China said it won’t lower export quotas of the materials. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.2 percent to 112.50 as of 2:02 p.m. in Tokyo, with seven out of the gauge’s 10 industry groups falling. For the month, the index is heading for a 0.9 percent decline, and its 18 percent plunge this year is the steepest since 2008. “Europe can’t avoid an economic slowdown,” said Kazuyuki Terao, chief investment officer of RCM Japan Co. marc jacobs bags“I don’t think the market has priced that in. The ECB isn’t taking drastic action, but it’s better than doing nothing.” The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index lost 1.3 percent yesterday in New York after the ECB said its balance sheet ballooned to a record following last week’s lending to banks. Futures on the S&P 500 rose 0.4 percent today. Lynas slid 5.8 percent to A$1.06 after JPMorgan Chase & Co. said rare-earth prices may fall. The Chinese government said this week it will keep export quotas for the materials virtually unchanged next year. marc jacobs bags cheapThat, coupled with planned increases in production by Lynas and a U.S-based miner, will “will put additional downward pressure” on prices, JPMorgan said. Stocks on the Asian benchmark are valued at 12.6 times estimated earnings on average, compared with 12.6 times for the S&P 500 and 10.4 times for the Stoxx Europe 600 Index. Utilities have lost 27 percent this year, falling the most among the 10 industry groups on Asia’s benchmark index. Japanese power producers tumbled amid a nuclear crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant. Tepco, as the utility known, has lost 91 percent this year, the biggest drop on the MSCI All Country World Index, which includes both emerging and developed world markets.

Business was booming for flower sellers in the Chinese border city of Dandong on Wednesday as mourners gathered at the North Korean consulate to pay their respects to late leader Kim Jong-Il.Scores of stoney-faced mourners clutched bunches of yellow and white flowers as they entered the consulate, where large flat-screen televisions had been put up to show Wednesday's funeral.Another 100 people crammed into a North Korean restaurant across the street -- which along with scores of others had been closed since Kim's death on December 17 -- that reopened its doors for people to watch the ceremony. Dandong, a city of 2.5 million people in northeast China, marc jacobsis the main portal for trade with impoverished North Korea, which depends heavily on its wealthier neighbour for oil and food.The city usually has a large temporary population of North Koreans, most of them traders, but Pyongyang has reportedly ordered its nationals to return home for Kim's funeral.One Chinese national surnamed Xu, who was born in North Korea but moved to Dandong with his family as a teenager, said he had a "heavy heart" after Kim's death from a heart attack at age 69. "I am very sad because the great leader who showed kindness and mercy to my whole family has died," Xu, 25, told AFP as he left the consulate. "If I have the opportunity I will go back to North Korea."As preparations for the funeral were under way on Wednesday, an AFP reporter briefly gained access to the consulate, but was later ordered to leave, and security guards were stationed outside the building. On Tuesday, dozens of mourners entered the consulate where they were allowed to linger long enough to leave their flowers and bow deeply before a portrait of a youthful-looking Kim and record their names in a book of condolences.Flowers were still arriving at the consulate on Wednesday morning, shortly before the funeral ceremony began.marc jacobs bags A man riding a bicycle with a cart delivered a large wreathe of yellow and white flowers. A consular official said many people had visited to offer their condolences since Kim's death.Yang Minshi, a North Korean living in Dandong with her Chinese husband, cried after paying her respects."I'm very sad," Yang, 39, told AFP, her eyes filled with tears and her lips trembling. "I'm North Korean. marc jacobs bags cheapHe was our president."Her husband Gao Zhigang, 35, said he would never forget the late North Korean leader whom he described as the "son of a socialist country"."I am very sad but my heart will never forget him. Kim Jong-Il will live in our hearts forever," Gao, who owns a processing business, told AFP.

At least two rockets struck a camp in central Iraq housing Iranian dissidents Sunday evening, a senior army officer said, as Baghdad and the UN signed a pact aimed at resolving the residents' status.Sunday's deal had been welcomed by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, marc jacobsand came after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said his government would extend a year-end deadline for the removal of the camp residents from Iraq. "Two rockets landed on Camp Ashraf last night," an Iraqi army colonel said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The casualties are unknown because we are forbidden from entering the camp."It was not immediately clear who fired the rockets. The group which occupies Camp Ashraf, the People's Mujahedeen, said in a statement that four rockets struck their base at 8:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Sunday evening, and accused groups loyal to Iran of being behind the attack.Also on Sunday, marc jacobs bagsIraq and the UN signed a pact under which Baghdad will resettle members of the People's Mujehedeen and provide security while the UN determines their refugee status.The United Nations said in a statement that it and the government of Iraq had "signed today a memorandum of understanding for a humanitarian and peaceful resolution of the situation of the residents" of the camp. It did not give the location to which the residents would be moved or provide a timeline, but Maliki has said the camp will now close in April, rather than at the end of this year.Clinton in a statement said the deal marks an "important step toward a humane resolution to the ongoing situation at (Camp) Ashraf."She added that US embassy officials would visit the new site "regularly and frequently" in support of the UN plan. Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein allowed the rebel People's Mujahedeen to set up the camp during the war with Iran in the 1980s.When Saddam was overthrown in the US-led invasion of 2003, the camp came under US military protection, marc jacobs bags cheapbut American forces handed over security responsibilities for the site to the Baghdad authorities in January 2009.The camp, home to around 3,400 residents, has been back in the spotlight since a controversial April raid by Iraqi security forces left at least 34 people dead and scores injured.

March madness is coming to the Supreme Court next year. The Supreme Court justices have designated three days, March 26 to March 28 as the oral argument dates for the health care cases.LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The main event will be on Tuesday, March 27, when the Court will take up the constitutionality of the health care law's minimum coverage requirement. Called the individual mandate, marc jacobsthe stipulation requires that virtually all Americans purchase health insurance -- or pay a penalty. The court has allotted two hours for argument over whether Congress' passage of the individual mandate exceeded the legislature's powers to regulate interstate commerce or lay and collect taxes under Article I of the Constitution.The Court will hear an hour of argument On Monday, March 26, over whether a Reconstruction-era federal statute, the Anti-Injunction Act, bars the justices from making a decision on the individual mandate's constitutionality until after the provision goes into effect in 2014.The Court will consider two additional issues on Wednesday, March 28. Ninety minutes will be dedicated to whether the individual mandate is so crucial to the health care overhaul that the entire law must fall should the justices find the mandate itself unconstitutional.marc jacobs bagsAn additional hour of argument will address 26 states' claim that the law improperly expands Medicaid by coercively conditioning states' receipt of federal funds on their participation in the new health care exchange system.The days of argument will occur almost exactly two years after President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. The legislation has sparked a slew of lawsuits across the country. The four courts of appeals to consider the issues now before the Supreme Court have split on the constitutionality of the individual mandate and the application of the Anti-Injunction Act, marc jacobs bags cheapbut have all rejected the challengers' arguments about state coercion and the centrality of the individual mandate.The justices' decision in the health care cases will likely come down at the end of June.

Police said they were considering all possible scenarios in the search for a missing 20-month-old girl, whose disappearance unleashed a flood of leads from a concerned public."We are looking at everything. We don't want to miss anything along the way as we continue on in this investigation," Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey said as the search continued Monday for Ayla Reynolds. Ayla was reported missing Saturday morning by her father, marc jacobsJustin DiPietro, who called police to say she was not in her bed in Waterville.She was last seen Friday night wearing a green one-piece pajama set with polka dots and the words "Daddy's Princess" on it.Relatives of Ayla's mother, meanwhile, said they were concerned about the girl's safety while she was staying with her father, who was caring for her. Welfare agents had placed Ayla with her father weeks ago while her mother, Trista Reynolds, was in rehab for substance abuse, Reynolds' stepsister Whitney Raynor said Monday. The toddler's maternal grandmother, Becka Hanson, marc jacobs bagstold the Morning Sentinel newspaper it was the Department of Health and Human Services that took custody of the girl and turned her over to DiPietro.After moving in with her father, the toddler suffered a broken arm, said Raynor, who serves as spokeswoman for the Portland family, which has sought to regain custody of the girl. Wardens focused most of their efforts Monday on Messalonskee Stream, and the FBI and Maine State Police were helping Waterville police investigate, said Steve McCausland of the Maine Department of Public Safety.The stream meanders through Waterville, a city of about 16,000 located 20 miles north of Augusta.Many residents joined in the search. Carrie Harvey, who lives nearby, found a sippy cup lid near the neighborhood and turned it over to a warden. "It's sad. Christmas is right around the corner. My heart cries out for that lady," Harvey, a mother of five, said of Ayla's mother.Reynolds, marc jacobs bags cheapwho also has a 7-month-old baby, is now doing better after rehab, and she went to court Thursday to regain sole custody of Ayla, Raynor said.Reynolds told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday that she and the father have been unable to get along in the last few weeks.

A tax break for 160 million American workers was in doubt on Monday in the face of strong opposition from Republicans in the House of Representatives who have rejected a two-month extension overwhelmingly approved by the Senate over the weekend.House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, marc jacobsdemanded a fresh round of bargaining with the Democratic-controlled Senate to extend the payroll tax break through the 2012 election year. Angry Democrats accused him of reneging on a deal brokered by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and his Democratic counterpart Harry Reid. The two eked out a modest two-month extension on Friday after failing to break a deadlock over how to pay for the tax break for a full year.The Senate passed the measure by 89 votes to 10 on Saturday. The House is set to vote on it on Monday, but the strong opposition of House Republicans means they will most likely try to amend the Senate bill or seek the negotiations demanded by Boehner. Either way, it will be difficult to settle differences between the two parties with less than two weeks left before the tax break expires. marc jacobs bagsWithout congressional action the tax workers pay into the Social Security federal retirement program will rise to 6.2 percent on January 1, from 4.2 percent. The end-of-year fight, which many had thought had ended with the Senate deal on Friday, will further deepen widespread perceptions of dysfunction in Washington."This just adds to the level of frustration with business as usual in Washington, and the general sense around the country that Congress is playing politics with our economic fate," said Scott Anderson, a senior analyst at Wells Fargo. The Senate bill also extends an expiring jobless benefits program for the long-term unemployed and averts a pay cut in January for doctors treating patients in the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly.It includes a provision demanded by House Republicans that would force Obama to accelerate a decision on TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL oil pipeline project, marc jacobs bags cheapwhich is backed by some labor unions but opposed by environmental groups. In a conference call with House Republicans on Saturday, Boehner painted this as a victory for House Republicans because Obama had strongly opposed efforts to link Keystone with the payroll tax cut. But the "sweetener" was not enough to quell overwhelming opposition to the Senate bill. (Additional reporting by William Schomberg in New York)

A tax break for 160 million American workers was in doubt on Monday in the face of strong opposition from Republicans in the House of Representatives who have rejected a two-month extension overwhelmingly approved by the Senate over the weekend.House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, marc jacobsdemanded a fresh round of bargaining with the Democratic-controlled Senate to extend the payroll tax break through the 2012 election year. Angry Democrats accused him of reneging on a deal brokered by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and his Democratic counterpart Harry Reid. The two eked out a modest two-month extension on Friday after failing to break a deadlock over how to pay for the tax break for a full year.The Senate passed the measure by 89 votes to 10 on Saturday. The House is set to vote on it on Monday, but the strong opposition of House Republicans means they will most likely try to amend the Senate bill or seek the negotiations demanded by Boehner. Either way, it will be difficult to settle differences between the two parties with less than two weeks left before the tax break expires. marc jacobs bagsWithout congressional action the tax workers pay into the Social Security federal retirement program will rise to 6.2 percent on January 1, from 4.2 percent. The end-of-year fight, which many had thought had ended with the Senate deal on Friday, will further deepen widespread perceptions of dysfunction in Washington."This just adds to the level of frustration with business as usual in Washington, and the general sense around the country that Congress is playing politics with our economic fate," said Scott Anderson, a senior analyst at Wells Fargo. The Senate bill also extends an expiring jobless benefits program for the long-term unemployed and averts a pay cut in January for doctors treating patients in the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly.It includes a provision demanded by House Republicans that would force Obama to accelerate a decision on TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL oil pipeline project, marc jacobs bags cheapwhich is backed by some labor unions but opposed by environmental groups. In a conference call with House Republicans on Saturday, Boehner painted this as a victory for House Republicans because Obama had strongly opposed efforts to link Keystone with the payroll tax cut. But the "sweetener" was not enough to quell overwhelming opposition to the Senate bill. (Additional reporting by William Schomberg in New York)

American viewers have chosen the three singers who will compete in the finals of "The X Factor" after a first season that underwhelmed critics and raised questions about audience fatigue ahead of returning TV contests "American Idol" and "The Voice." Power ballad singer Melanie Amaro, 19, bluesy Josh Krajcik, 30, and troubled rapper Chris Rene, 28, will sing for a $5 million recording contract in next week's two-part finale of the Fox show.marc jacobsBut after major hype from creator and judge Simon Cowell -- who had initially predicted "X Factor" would replace "American Idol" as the most-watched show on U.S. television -- the program's bickering mentor-judges, big production numbers and flashing lights has left many critics scratching their heads. "As a viewer, it is agonizing to watch and just so fake that none of it is compelling, " said Annie Barrett, who covers "X Factor" for Entertainment Weekly.None of the instantly downloadable songs from this week's semi-final were in the Top 50 iTunes singles charts on Friday. "I don't see anyone here who is going to be the next Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood, which is what the show claimed it was going to do," said Dehnart.Barrett said that four months of "X Factor" twice a week had made her appreciate "American Idol". But with NBC's surprise hit marc jacobs bags"The Voice" returning in February and "Idol's" 11th season beginning in mid-January on Fox, Americans may soon lose their appetite for lengthy singing contests. "I do think there will be some fatigue going into next season with both 'American Idol' and 'The Voice.' Two nights a week is a huge commitment," Barrett said. But Dehnart was more optimistic. "If we are going to see any kind of fatigue with this kind of show, it is going to show up now. But I wouldn't be surprised if they all work on their own level.""Everything is a gimmick. It is a glossy, shiny version of a reality show that might give you a seizure because of all the lasers and lights," Barrett told Reuters. Thursday's semi-final, in which 20-year-old hopeful Marcus Canty was eliminated, drew 9.6 million viewers -- below the audience for a repeat of CBS comedy "The Big Bang Theory" and less than half the regular audience for "American Idol" earlier this year.marc jacobs bags cheapFox executives say they are happy with the viewer numbers, especially among teens, and the show has helped the network reverse its historically patchy fall ratings in the 18-49 viewer group most coveted by advertisers.

Dan Wheldon was killed when his head hit a post in the fencing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- contact that created a "non-survivable injury" to the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.The cause of death was revealed Thursday when IndyCar presented its findings of the Oct. 16 accident in the season finale. The crash collected 15 cars, including Wheldon,marc jacobs who came from behind the initial contact, launched over spinning cars and sailed about 325 feet into the catchfence.Although the contact with the post killed Wheldon, the investigation determined several factors contributed to what became a "perfect storm." "The accident was significant due to the number of race cars damaged, but more importantly due to the non-survivable injuries to Dan Wheldon," the report said. "While several factors coincided to produce a "perfect storm," none of them can be singled out as the sole cause of the accident."For this reason, it is impossible to determine with certainty that the result would have been any different if one or more of the factors did not exist." The race had a season-high 34 cars, but IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard said Thursday the field could have had as many as 37 drivers based on the size of both the track and the pit lane.marc jacobs bags The season finale was held on Vegas' high-banked 1.5-mile oval with multiple racing grooves, which IndyCar president Brian Barnhart said created "nearly unlimited movement on the track surface under race conditions." Wheldon was making just his third start of the season and chasing the incentive offered by Bernard to any non-IndyCar regular who could drive from the back of the field to win the race. Wheldon would have split the money with a fan selected in a random drawing.Allowing Wheldon to take the challenge was a stretch -- he won 14 races on ovals, including the Indy 500 earlier last season -- but because he sat out the season, he technically qualified for the bonus. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think that I could win," he said from his car. "Certainly I am not underestimating the talent of the other drivers in the field. I think IndyCar has got a phenomenal field right now."Wheldon was killed minutes later when the crash began ahead of him at the start of the 12th lap. He had picked his way through the field and gained at least 10 spots when he came upon the accident and had nowhere to go to avoid the spinning cars and flying debris. The report found that although Wheldon stayed low on the race track and appeared to be attempting to avoid the cluster of cars spinning toward the top -- he had slowed from 224 mph to 165 -- his path was blocked by other cars. His first contact with another car sent him airborne and into the catchfence.Las Vegas is owned by Speedway Motor Sports Inc., and the organization has spent considerable money on research into fencing.marc jacobs bags cheap SMI owner Bruton Smith is adamant his fences are the strongest and safest in the business, and he makes no apologies for constructing them with the posts inside the wiring. "I think Las Vegas is a great city, a resort destination, and our fans and sponsors -- everyone loves the city," Bernard said. "But I don't want to go back there if the conditions aren't right, it isn't safe, for our race cars."IndyCar plans on judging all high-banked ovals individually going forward and said the Wheldon accident could not be blamed on the banking. That leaves room for a deal to be worked out with Texas Motor Speedway, one of the most popular venues on the IndyCar schedule.No sanctioning agreement between Texas and IndyCar has been worked out, but Bernard indicated he'd like to have the 2012 schedule announced by Friday.