Bullying study: It does get better for gay teens

CHICAGO (AP) — It really does get better for gay and bisexual teens when it comes to being bullied, although young gay men have it worse than their lesbian peers, according to the first long-term scientific evidence on how the problem changes over time.

The seven-year study involved more than 4,000 teens in England who were questioned yearly through 2010, until they were 19 and 20 years old. At the start, just over half of the 187 gay, lesbian and bisexual teens said they had been bullied; by 2010 that dropped to 9 percent of gay and bisexual boys and 6 percent of lesbian and bisexual girls.

The researchers said the same results likely would be found in the United States.

In both countries, a "sea change" in cultural acceptance of gays and growing intolerance for bullying occurred during the study years, which partly explains the results, said study co-author Ian Rivers, a psychologist and professor of human development at Brunel University in London.

That includes a government mandate in England that schools work to prevent bullying, and changes in the United States permitting same-sex marriage in several states.

In 2010, syndicated columnist Dan Savage launched the "It Gets Better" video project to encourage bullied gay teens. It was prompted by widely publicized suicides of young gays, and includes videos from politicians and celebrities.

"Bullying tends to decline with age regardless of sexual orientation and gender," and the study confirms that, said co-author Joseph Robinson, a researcher and assistant professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. "In absolute terms, this would suggest that yes, it gets better."

The study appears online Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, said the results mirror surveys by her anti-bullying advocacy group that show bullying is more common in U.S. middle schools than in high schools.

But the researchers said their results show the situation is more nuanced for young gay men.

In the first years of the study, gay boys and girls were almost twice as likely to be bullied as their straight peers. By the last year, bullying dropped overall and was at about the same level for lesbians and straight girls. But the difference between men got worse by ages 19 and 20, with gay young men almost four times more likely than their straight peers to be bullied.

The mixed results for young gay men may reflect the fact that masculine tendencies in girls and women are more culturally acceptable than femininity in boys and men, Robinson said.

Savage, who was not involved in the study, agreed.

"A lot of the disgust that people feel when you bring up homosexuality ... centers around gay male sexuality," Savage said. "There's more of a comfort level" around gay women, he said.

Kendall Johnson, 21, a junior theater major at the University of Illinois, said he was bullied for being gay in high school, mostly when he brought boyfriends to school dances or football games.

"One year at prom, I had a guy tell us that we were disgusting and he didn't want to see us dancing anymore," Johnson said. A football player and the president of the drama club intervened on his behalf, he recalled.

Johnson hasn't been bullied in college, but he said that's partly because he hangs out with the theater crowd and avoids the fraternity scene. Still, he agreed, that it generally gets better for gays as they mature.

"As you grow older, you become more accepting of yourself," Johnson said.

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Online:

Pediatrics: http://www.pediatrics.org

It Gets Better: http://www.itgetsbetter.org

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

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Sarai Sierra's 2 Young Boys Don't Know Mom's Dead

The two young sons of slain New York mom Sarai Sierra are under the impression that their father has gone to Turkey to bring their mother home - alive.

Sierra, whose battered body was found near a highway in Istanbul over the weekend, was the mother of two boys aged 9 and 11.

Steven Sierra, who went to Istanbul in search of his wife after she disappeared nearly two weeks ago, told his children that he was going to Turkey to bring their mom home.

"The father will be speaking to them and it's something that's going to be hard and he's going to be talking to them when he comes back," Betsy Jimenez, the mother of Sarai Sierra, said today during a family news conference.

State Representative Michael Grimm said Steven Sierra's biggest concern is telling his children that mom's not coming home.

"It's going to be the hardest thing he's ever going to have to do in his life," said Grimm, who added that the Staten Island family isn't sure when Steven Sierra will be able to bring home his wife's body.

An autopsy was completed Sunday on Sarai Sierra, 33, but results aren't expected for three months. Turkish officials however said she was killed by at least one fatal blow to her head.

A casket holding the Staten Island mother was carried through alleyways lined with spice and food stalls to a church, where the casket remained on Monday.

Turkish police hope DNA samples from 21 people being questioned in the case will be key to finding the perpetrators, the Associated Press reported, according to state run media.

Sarai Sierra's Body Found: Missing New York Mom Found in Turkey Watch Video

Body Found in Search for Missing Mother in Turkey Watch Video

Vanished Abroad: US Woman Missing in Turkey Watch Video

Earlier this week, it was also reported that Turkish police are speaking to a local man who was supposed to meet Sierra the day she disappeared, but he said she never showed.

After an intense search for Sierra that lasted nearly two weeks, her body was found Saturday near the ruins of some ancient city walls and a highway. Sierra was wearing the same outfit she was seen wearing on surveillance footage taken at a food court and on a street the day she vanished, Istanbul Police Chief Huseyin Capkin said.

Sierra's body was taken to a morgue, Capkin said, and was identified by her husband.

It did not appear she had been raped or was involved in any espionage or trafficking, Capkin said.

Betsy Jimenez said Monday that her family has many unanswered questions such as what happened to her daughter after she left her hotel room to go and take photographs of a famous bridge.

"They're still investigating so they might think it might be a robbery, but they're not sure," said Jimenez.

Sierra, who had traveled to Istanbul on Jan. 7 to practice her photography hobby, was last heard from on Jan. 21, the day she was due to board a flight home to New York City.

Dennis Jimenez, Sierra's father, told reporters Monday that he didn't want her to go on the trip.

"I didn't want her to go. But, she wanted to go because this was an opportunity for her to sightsee and pursue her photography hobby because Turkey was a land rich with culture and ancient history and she was fascinated with that," said Jimenez.

While in Istanbul, Sierra would Skype with her family and friends daily, telling them about how amazing the culture was.

Sierra's best friend Maggie Rodriguez told ABC News that she was forced to pull out of the trip at the last minute because she couldn't afford it. That's why Sierra traveled alone.

Her husband, Steven Sierra, and brother, David Jimenez, traveled to Istanbul last Sunday to meet with American and Turkish officials and push the search forward.

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Iran hedges on nuclear talks with six powers or U.S.

MUNICH (Reuters) - Iran said on Sunday it was open to a U.S. offer of direct talks on its nuclear program and that six world powers had suggested a new round of nuclear negotiations this month, but without committing itself to either proposal.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve a dispute over Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran says is peaceful but the West suspects is intended to give Iran the capability to build a nuclear bomb, have been all but deadlocked for years, while Iran has continued to announce advances in the program.

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said a suggestion on Saturday by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden that Washington was ready for direct talks with Iran if Tehran was serious about negotiations was a "step forward".

"We take these statements with positive consideration. I think this is a step forward but ... each time we have come and negotiated it was the other side unfortunately who did not heed ... its commitment," Salehi said at the Munich Security Conference where Biden made his overture a day earlier.

He also complained to Iran's English-language Press TV of "other contradictory signals", pointing to the rhetoric of "keeping all options on the table" used by U.S. officials to indicate they are willing to use force to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"This does not go along with this gesture (of talks) so we will have to wait a little bit longer and see if they are really faithful this time," Salehi said.

Iran is under a tightening web of sanctions. Israel has also hinted it may strike if diplomacy and international sanctions fail to curb Iran's nuclear drive.

In Washington, Army General Martin Dempsey, the top U.S. military officer, said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that the United States has the capability to stop any Iranian effort to build nuclear weapons, but Iranian "intentions have to be influenced through other means."

Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his comments on NBC's program "Meet the Press," speaking alongside outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Panetta said current U.S. intelligence indicated that Iranian leaders have not made a decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon.

"But every indication is they want to continue to increase their nuclear capability," he said. "And that's a concern. And that's what we're asking them to stop doing."

The new U.S. secretary of state, John Kerry, has said he will give diplomacy every chance of solving the Iran standoff.

THE BEST CHANCE

With six-power talks making little progress, some experts say talks between Tehran and Washington could be the best chance, perhaps after Iran has elected a new president in June.

Negotiations between Iran and the six powers - Russia, China, the United States, Britain, France and Germany - have been deadlocked since a meeting last June.

EU officials have accused Iran of dragging its feet in weeks of haggling over the date and venue for new talks.

Salehi said he had "good news", having heard that the six powers would meet in Kazakhstan on February 25.

A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who coordinates the efforts of the six powers, confirmed that she had proposed talks in the week of February 25 but noted that Iran had not yet accepted.

Kazakhstan said it was ready to host the talks in either Astana or Almaty.

Salehi said Iran had "never pulled back" from the stuttering negotiations with the six powers. "We still are very hopeful. There are two packages, one package from Iran with five steps and the other package from the (six powers) with three steps."

Iran raised international concern last week by announcing plans to install and operate advanced uranium enrichment machines. The EU said the move, potentially shortening the path to weapons-grade material, could deepen doubts about the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel's mission to stop its arch-enemy from acquiring nuclear weapons was "becoming more complex, since the Iranians are equipping themselves with cutting-edge centrifuges that shorten the time of (uranium) enrichment".

"We must not accept this process," said Netanyahu, who is trying to form a new government after winning an election last month. Israel is generally believed to be the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons.

(Additional reporting by Myra MacDonald and Stephen Brown in Munich, Dmitry Solovyov in Almaty, Yeganeh Torbati in Dubai and Jim Wolf in Washington; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Will Dunham)

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China paper rejects hacking allegations

BEIJING: The official mouthpiece of China's ruling Communist Party roundly rejected claims of hacking attacks from China of American media outlets, hinting instead at ulterior motives by the US.

The People's Daily article echoed vehement government rejections last week after The New York Times and Wall Street Journal linked Beijing to cyberattacks.

In a fresh development, The Washington Post disclosed Saturday that it had suffered an attack and suspects Chinese hackers were behind it.

"Even those with little understanding of the Internet know that hacking attacks are transnational and concealable," said the signed Chinese-language commentary, which could not be found on the paper's English website.

"IP addresses simply do not constitute sufficient evidence to confirm the origins of hackers," it added.

The People's Daily accused the United States of fanning "fear of China" out of self-interest, saying that it has invoked national security as a justification for trade protectionism and economic sanctions.

"America keeps labelling China as hackers, simply playing up the rhetoric of the 'China threat' in cyberspace, providing new justification for America's strategy of containing China," it said.

The article repeated the Beijing government's position that China is also a victim of hacking, saying that there were more attacks from US-based IP addresses on Chinese websites in December than from any other country.

Despite this, it said, "China did not draw simple inferences or hasty conclusions about the attack source".

There were attacks from 3,000 foreign IP addresses in the month, it added.

The New York Times reported last week that hackers stole corporate passwords and accessed the personal computers of 53 employees after the newspaper published a report on the family fortune of China's premier Wen Jiabao.

Some security analysts said the media attacks were probably linked to the Beijing authorities, while others argued it was difficult to ascertain whether the attacks stemmed from China or if hackers acted on government orders.

Hackers from China have previously been linked to attacks on US defence giant Lockheed Martin, Google and Coca-Cola. Other reports say Chinese hackers have tried to infiltrate the Pentagon's computers and those of US lawmakers.

-AFP/fl

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New rules aim to get rid of junk foods in schools

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most candy, high-calorie drinks and greasy meals could soon be on a food blacklist in the nation's schools.

For the first time, the government is proposing broad new standards to make sure all foods sold in schools are more healthful.

Under the new rules the Agriculture Department proposed Friday, foods like fatty chips, snack cakes, nachos and mozzarella sticks would be taken out of lunch lines and vending machines. In their place would be foods like baked chips, trail mix, diet sodas, lower-calorie sports drinks and low-fat hamburgers.

The rules, required under a child nutrition law passed by Congress in 2010, are part of the government's effort to combat childhood obesity. While many schools already have improved their lunch menus and vending machine choices, others still are selling high-fat, high-calorie foods.

Under the proposal, the Agriculture Department would set fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits on almost all foods sold in schools. Current standards already regulate the nutritional content of school breakfasts and lunches that are subsidized by the federal government, but most lunchrooms also have "a la carte" lines that sell other foods. Food sold through vending machines and in other ways outside the lunchroom has never before been federally regulated.

"Parents and teachers work hard to instill healthy eating habits in our kids, and these efforts should be supported when kids walk through the schoolhouse door," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

Most snacks sold in school would have to have less than 200 calories. Elementary and middle schools could sell only water, low-fat milk or 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice. High schools could sell some sports drinks, diet sodas and iced teas, but the calories would be limited. Drinks would be limited to 12-ounce portions in middle schools and to 8-ounce portions in elementary schools.

The standards will cover vending machines, the "a la carte" lunch lines, snack bars and any other foods regularly sold around school. They would not apply to in-school fundraisers or bake sales, though states have the power to regulate them. The new guidelines also would not apply to after-school concessions at school games or theater events, goodies brought from home for classroom celebrations, or anything students bring for their own personal consumption.

The new rules are the latest in a long list of changes designed to make foods served in schools more healthful and accessible. Nutritional guidelines for the subsidized lunches were revised last year and put in place last fall. The 2010 child nutrition law also provided more money for schools to serve free and reduced-cost lunches and required more meals to be served to hungry kids.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has been working for two decades to take junk foods out of schools. He calls the availability of unhealthful foods around campus a "loophole" that undermines the taxpayer money that helps pay for the healthier subsidized lunches.

"USDA's proposed nutrition standards are a critical step in closing that loophole and in ensuring that our schools are places that nurture not just the minds of American children but their bodies as well," Harkin said.

Last year's rules faced criticism from some conservatives, including some Republicans in Congress, who said the government shouldn't be telling kids what to eat. Mindful of that backlash, the Agriculture Department exempted in-school fundraisers from federal regulation and proposed different options for some parts of the rule, including the calorie limits for drinks in high schools, which would be limited to either 60 calories or 75 calories in a 12-ounce portion.

The department also has shown a willingness to work with schools to resolve complaints that some new requirements are hard to meet. Last year, for example, the government relaxed some limits on meats and grains in subsidized lunches after school nutritionists said they weren't working.

Schools, the food industry, interest groups and other critics or supporters of the new proposal will have 60 days to comment and suggest changes. A final rule could be in place as soon as the 2014 school year.

Margo Wootan, a nutrition lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said surveys by her organization show that most parents want changes in the lunchroom.

"Parents aren't going to have to worry that kids are using their lunch money to buy candy bars and a Gatorade instead of a healthy school lunch," she said.

The food industry has been onboard with many of the changes, and several companies worked with Congress on the child nutrition law two years ago. Major beverage companies have already agreed to take the most caloric sodas out of schools. But those same companies, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, also sell many of the non-soda options, like sports drinks, and have lobbied to keep them in vending machines.

A spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association, which represents the soda companies, says they already have greatly reduced the number of calories that kids are consuming at school by pulling out the high-calorie sodas.

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Follow Mary Clare Jalonick on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcjalonick

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Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens Hang On, 34-31

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

11:11 p.m. ET: Well, that’s it for the live blog. The game is over, but there’s still a lot for football fans to talk about – lots of missed chances, maybe or maybe not blown calls or no-calls, and, in the end, an epic win for the Baltimore Ravens.

11:06 p.m. ET: First Lady Michelle Obama tweeted her congratulations to the Ravens: “Great game! Congrats to the @Ravens. See you at the White House! -mo”

11:01 p.m. ET: MVP Joe Flacco says this game is emblematic of the city of Baltimore, before handing the Lombardi trophy to Ray Lewis, who says, “when God is for you, who can be against you?”

RELATED: Almighty Referee, God on Side Lines at the Big Game

11:00 p.m. ET: John Harbaugh says facing his brother in this game was the hardest thing he’s ever done. He says he told him he loved him when they met on the field after the game, and Jim congratulated him.

Dave Martin/AP Photo

10:58 p.m. ET: The Ravens made the playoffs for the last 5 seasons – and this is the first Super Bowl win since 2000.

10:57 p.m. ET: Super Bowl XX MVP Richard Dent carries in Vince Lombardi trophy.

10:54 p.m. ET: Lots of things this game will be remembered for: Harbowl, Ray Lewis final victory, incredible performance by MVP Joe Flacco, Beyonce halftime show, and the 34 minute power outage.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

10:50 p.m. ET: Tonight’s victory means the Baltimore Ravens are the only NFL team to never lose a Super Bowl in multiple appearances. The 49ers are now 5-1 in Super Bowl appearances.

10:47 p.m. ET: Well, it was an entertaining, intense, instant-classic game, that ends with the Baltimore Ravens’ QB, Joe Flacco named MVP.

10:46 p.m. ET: Lots of audible cursing on the field. “F-bomb” trending nationally on twitter.

10:45 p.m. ET: The Harbaugh brothers meet on the field for the handshake.

10:45 p.m. ET: RAVENS WIN 34-31

10:44 p.m. ET: Another Ravens timeout – the last few seconds of this game are taking a long time. 49ers put up a huge fight, but looks like they’ll fall just short of a miraculous comeback.

10:42 p.m. ET: 4 seconds left in the game after Ravens intentionally take a safety. 34-31 Ravens.

10:40 p.m. ET: Baltimore time out with :12 seconds left.

10:38 p.m. ET: 49ers players on the sidelines looking distraught. And Jim Harbaugh still looks angry about the no -call.

10:37 p.m. ET: Niners use their final time out with 1:42 left to play.

10:36 p.m. ET: Ravens get the ball back, and call a timeout with 1:46 remaining in the game.

10:35 p.m. ET: Incomplete pass and Jim Harbaugh is having one of his patented meltdowns on the sidelines.

10:34 p.m. ET: 4th and goal from the 5-yard line after an incomplete pass.

10:33 p.m. ET: 30-second timeout for the 49ers. Good timing, almost a delay of game penalty there.

10:32 p.m. ET: Now 3rd and goal for the 49ers. A stop here would be huge for the Ravens. 1:55 left in the game.

10:29 p.m. ET: Second and goal at the 5-yard line. This game is crazy. 49ers take a timeout at the 2 minute warning.

10:28 p.m. ET: And another quick first down with 2:39 left. First and goal.

10:26 p.m. ET: On 2nd and 10 Kaepernick connects with Crabtree picking up a first down.

10:24 p.m. ET: 49ers pick up seven on the first down. Less than 4 minutes left in the game.

10:22 p.m. ET: 38-yard field goal attempt good for the Ravens. Baltimore up by 5 with 4:19 left in the game. The 49ers still have two timeouts left. 34-29 Ravens.

10:20 p.m. ET: Offsides calls on the defense – five yard penalty makes it 3rd and 2 for the Ravens. Lots of penalties for the 49ers tonight.

10:18 p.m. ET: No matter – Ravens quickly pick up two first downs.

10:17 p.m. ET: Good challenge by Jim Harbaugh. Now 3rd and inches for the Ravens.

10:16 p.m. ET: Super Bowl attendance announced at 71,024. No wonder it got hot during the power outage when the AC cut out.

10:14 p.m. ET: San Francisco challenging first down. Risky move – the team only has two timeouts left with more than 7 minutes left in the game.

10:11 p.m. ET: Pass interference called on the 49ers, automatic first down for the Ravens. Rough week for Chris Culliver.

RELATED: 49ers Chris Culliver to Have Sensitivity Training After Anti-Gay Comments

10:08 p.m. ET: This game could come down to a field goal – many 49ers fans’ biggest fear after Akers’ season.

10:06 p.m. ET: Incomplete throw on the two-point conversion attempt. Kaepernick’s run was the longest rushing touchdown for a quarterback ever in the Super Bowl. 31-29 Ravens.

10:05 p.m. ET: Kaepernick rushes for a touchdown. Niners trying for two-point conversion to try to tie this game up.

Related: ‘Kaepernicking is all the craze after 49ers beat Green Bay

10:04 p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN 49ERS.

10:03 p.m. ET: And Gore picks up another one. Niners inside the Ravens 20.

10:02 p.m. ET: Randy Moss picks up a first down at the Ravens 39.

9:57 p.m. ET: Incomplete on 3rd and goal. 19-yard field goal attempt is good. 31-23 Ravens.

9:56 p.m. ET: On 1st and goal, Ravens stopped one yard short of the end zone. 2nd and goal.

9:54  p.m. ET: Bernard Pierce not expected to return to the game with a leg injury.

9:51  p.m. ET: First down for the Ravens with an 8-yard gain. Bernard Pierce looks really shaken up after that tackle. Third quarter ends with score still 28-23 Ravens.

9:46  p.m. ET: Scary looking tackle of Jones on the return. Impressive that he kept hold of the ball.

RELATED: Obama: Safety a Concern for Young Football Players

9:44  p.m. ET: Akers gets a redo, and drills it. 17 unanswered points in a 4:10 drive for the 49ers. 28-23 Ravens.

9:43  p.m. ET: Replay of fourth down on a penalty. Ravens player ran into Akers. 4th and 2 for the Niners.

9:43  p.m. ET:  Akers kick no good, but there’s a flag on the field

9:41  p.m. ET: Superdome representative releases statement apologizing for the incident, and NFL statement says authorities are “investigating the cause of the power outage.”

9:40  p.m. ET: Fumble recovered by the 49ers. Momentum definitely swinging the 49ers way.

9:36  p.m. ET: It’s a one score game as Akers drills the extra point. He’s having a surprisingly good game, considering his dismal season. 28-20 Ravens.

9:34  p.m. ET: Frank Gore gets the ball into the end zone, and there’s a player down on the field. 28-19 Ravens.

9:32  p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN 49ERS.

9:32  p.m. ET: First down by Vernon Davis – this game suddenly got much more interesting. 1st and goal for the Niners.

9:30  p.m. ET: Sack by Admad Brooks – big change of momentum as Ravens punt (badly) – with a big return by the 49ers.

9:28  p.m. ET: Now it’s up to the 49ers defense to keep San Francisco in this game. Jacoby Jones carried the ball to the Ravens 17. His previous carry, intially listed at 109 yards, has been changed to 108 yards, tying the all-time record, not breaking it.

Evan Vucci/AP Photo

9:25  p.m. ET: First touchdown for San Francisco this game, after Kaepernick connects with Crabtree, who runs it into the end zone after an 80-yard drive. 28-13 Ravens.

9:24  p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN 49ERS.

9:21  p.m. ET: Randy Moss has his first grab of the game, and San Francisco takes a timeout.

9:20  p.m. ET: Great throw by Kaepernick, dropped by Crabtree. 3rd and 8.

9:19  p.m. ET: There it is – a scramble for 15 yards – a first down and some. That’s 36 yards rushing for him now.

9:18  p.m. ET: Kaepernick scrambles for a gain of five. For somebody who has used his legs so successfully this season, he seems really hesitant to try it in this game. 2nd and 5 49ers.

9:15  p.m. ET: Touchback – 49ers will start with the ball at their 20-yard line.

9:12  p.m. ET: Game resumes largely as it played out before the delay. Flacco immediately gets a first down with a 15 yard toss.

9:11  p.m. ET: Not a great start after the delay for the 49ers. A gain of 7, but short of a first down. Andy Lee comes out for the punt.

9:10  p.m. ET: That was a 34 minute delay. No statement from the NFL yet, but that must have been really frustrating for both teams.

READ MORE: Social Media Reacts to the Super Bowl Blackout

9:10  p.m. ET: Apparently, part of the holdup was the electrical equipment on the 49ers side going out with the power. Play set to resume in the next minute or so.

9:08  p.m. ET: Luckily, so far there have been no disturbances reported in the crowd during this blackout delay.

9:05  p.m. ET: Obviously, how each team reacts in the first drive right after this power outage and long delay will be huge. In case you forgot, the 49ers will get the ball at the SF 40 after a Kaepernick sack. 3rd and 13 for the Niners.

9:00  p.m. ET: And there’s already a @SuperbowlLights twitter account.

8:59  p.m. ET: Law enforcement source tells ABC News the power outage is just a technical issue, nothing nefarious. Reporters at the game say they heard a boom in the stadium before the lights went out. Lights slowly coming back on, and players still on the field.

Matt Slocum/AP Photo

8:54  p.m. ET: The AC is apparently also out at the closed stadium, and people say it’s getting hot in there with such a huge crowd and the lights that are on.

8:51  p.m. ET: Considering the score, the fact that this power outage delay may last as long as 20 minutes, and the fact that the halftime show is over, I wonder how many people are tuning out right about now.

8:51  p.m. ET: Power surge to blame, apparently.

8:48  p.m. ET: “Bring Beyonce Back” trending on Twitter now.

READ MORE The Internet Love Beyonce

8:45  p.m. ET: Players trying to stay warmed up on the field, and fans sound like they’re getting really antsy.

8:44  p.m. ET: Commercials cost around $4 million for a 30-second spot, and with these extra commercial breaks, some of them might really be getting their money’s worth.

8:40  p.m. ET:  Sideline reporter says half the lights in the stadium are out, including the scoreboard.

8:40  p.m. ET: 100 million people are expected to be watching the game today…a game that is suddenly not happening as the power cut out during the third quarter.

8:38  p.m. ET: Cut to commercial as the power goes out at the stadium. The game just got even stranger.

8:38  p.m. ET: And the power is out at the Super Dome.

READ MORE: New Orleans in the Spotlight for the Super Bowl

8:37  p.m. ET: Kaepernick sacked for a loss of 6. 3rd and 13.

8:35  p.m. ET: 49ers to start their drive at the 13-yard line.

8:34  p.m. ET:  The biggest deficit ever overcome in the Super Bowl is ten points. It’s been done twice.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

8:32  p.m. ET: That was fast (11 seconds to be exact) – a 109-yard kickoff return touchdown by Jacoby Jones. An all-time NFL record. 28-6 Ravens.

8:32  p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN RAVENS.

8:31  p.m. ET: Back to football. Ravens to receive to start off.

READ MORE: Beyonce Sings Biggest Hits with Surprise Guests

8:27  p.m. ET: First Lady Michelle Obama liked the halftime show. She just tweeted “Watching the #SuperBowl with family & friends.@Beyonce was phenomenal! I am so proud of her! -mo” from her FLOTUS twitter account.

8:22  p.m. ET: And Beyonce ends an impressive and energetic halftime performance with “Halo.”

8:19  p.m. ET: Looks like the DC reunion is over – it was fun while it laster!

Gerald Herbert/AP Photo

8:16  p.m. ET: Destiny’s Child reunion for “Bootylicious!”

8:14  p.m. ET: So many Beyonces!

8:12  p.m. ET: For the halftime performance, there are 135 dancers on the field, and 2,000 fans. And really cool visuals on the stage.

8:10  p.m. ET: Beyonce kicks off the halftime show with “Love on Top” followed by “Crazy in Love.”

8:07  p.m. ET: Here’s what the President and First Lady are eating at their Super Bowl party: Chesapeake Crab Cakes and San Francisco Cioppino Stew with Sourdough Toast. There are also wings, and they’re drinking Anchor Steam and Clipper City beers.

RELATED: Obama Hoping for Close Match in Super Bowl

8:05  p.m. ET: Still, the 49ers rallied from a 17-0 deficit to make it to the Super Bowl so it’s tough to count them out just halfway through.

8:04  p.m. ET: Ravens dominating so far, and it’s not even really close. While the teams take a breather, Beyonce heads to the field for the half time show.

8:00  p.m. ET: First half ends with a Ray Lewis sack. The likely future Hall of Famer is retiring after this game. Strangely enough, his first NFL sack was of Jim Harbaugh – who is currently coaching the 49ers. Also in that game? Randy Moss, who is currently having a rough game for the 49ers.

7:59  p.m. ET: Field goal is Good. 21-6 Ravens at the half.

7:58  p.m. ET: Really looks like the big game jitters are getting to Kaepernick. Ray Lewis sack brings out Akers for a field goal attempt.

7:55  p.m. ET: Fun Fact – Kaepernick was drafted by the Chicago Cubs as a pitcher in 2009. You can see the pitcher still in him with some of these throws.

7:54  p.m. ET: 49ers back in the red zone after a few big gains. They still have two timeouts with less than one minute left in the second quarter.

7:52  p.m. ET: 15-yard penalty and automatic first down for the 49ers on a roughing the passer call.

7:50  p.m. ET: That’s Flacco’s 11th touchdown pass this postseason.

Dave Martin/AP Photo

7:49  p.m. ET: 21 – 3 Baltimore as incredible throw, catch and run lead to a touchdown for the Ravens. 49ers have A LOT of  work to do in the second half.

7:48  p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN RAVENS.

7:45  p.m. ET: No flag on what looked like offensive pass interference as Culliver breaks up a Flacco long throw, and we hit the two-minute warning.

7:44  p.m. ET: 2nd and 10 for the Ravens with 2 minutes left in the second quarter. The Ravens will be receiving the ball at the beginning of the second half.

7:41  p.m. ET: Kaepernick, who had been noted for his great decision making calls under pressure, is having a rough game so far. At 25 years old, this start is only the tenth pro start of his career.

7:39  p.m. ET: Awesome 9-year-old girl football player Sam Gordon is in the house!

Obtained by ABC News

7:37  p.m. ET: Volkswagen’s controversial ad just aired – here’s Jamaica’s reaction to it.

RELATED: Controversial Volkswagen Super Bowl Ad Gets Viewer Approval

Harry How/Getty Images

7:37  p.m. ET: Gutsy fake field goal call considering the Ravens’ rookie kicker is about as sure a thing as there is for points.

7:36  p.m. ET: Tricky – fake field goal by the Ravens, but short of a first down.

7:34  p.m. ET: Almost an interception by the Niners, but it’s just an incomplete pass by Flacco. 3rd and 9.

7:31  p.m. ET: Another first down for the Ravens.

7:30  p.m. ET: Personal fouls by both teams cancel each other out. Ravens first down at 49ers 38.

7:29  p.m. ET: That interception is evidently the first time a 49ers quarterback has ever been intercepted in the Super Bowl (that’s five previous games). And Reed ties the record with his 9th postseason interception.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

7:28  p.m. ET: Interception by Baltimore but flag is down and teams fighting on the field.

7:24  p.m. ET: After that commercial about sports fans’ superstitions – here’s an interesting article about when those superstitions cross the line into OCD.

7:22  p.m. ET: Penalties and that fumble killing San Francisco so far. 14-3 Ravens. Ten touchdowns and no interceptions so far this postseason for Flacco.

Harry How/Getty Images

7:22  p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN BALTIMORE.

7:21  p.m. ET: Automatic first and goal for Ravens after another penalty – a personal foul on 49ers’ Whitner.

7:20  p.m. ET: Flacco connects with Dickson, and a flag is down.

7:19  p.m. ET: While they’re on the subject of Patrick Willis, here’s an interesting story about him and his “brother for life,” the Baltimore’s Michael Oher.

7:17  p.m. ET: Another first down for the Ravens. That’s 4/5 third down conversions for the Ravens so far.

7:16  p.m. ET: Major change of momentum, as Ravens get gain of about 5 after 49ers fumble.

7:12  p.m. ET: Fumble recovered by Ravens. First down for Baltimore.

7:12  p.m. ET: Another first down for the Niners.

7:11  p.m. ET: Another first down on gain of eleven with reception by Davis. Another another small scuffle breaks out. Teams clearly (obviously) passionate.

7:10  p.m. ET: Looks like Davis is okay – gain of 29 yards on great throw from Kaepernick.

7:08  p.m. ET: First Harbaugh parent sightings of the night! They’ve said tonight will be really bittersweet for them.

READ MORE: Super Bowl Bittersweet for Harbaugh Family

7:08  p.m. ET: They may be brothers, but side-by-side comparison of the Harbaugh brothers’ reactions to last play show totally different styles.

7:05  p.m. ET: Flacco sacked with 12 seconds left in quarter.

7:04  p.m. ET: Incomplete throw by Flacco with 17 seconds left in the 1st quarter.

7:03  p.m. ET: Unbelievable throw and catch by Boldin for 31-yards.

7:02  p.m. ET: 3rd and 7 for Ravens after incomplete pass by Flacco.

7:00  p.m. ET: 9-yard gain for the Ravens. Ed Reed in locker room for evaluation.

6:57  p.m. ET: Jacoby Jones returns kick to the 22-yard line. Ravens’ Ed Reed and 49ers’ Vernon Davis both apparently being checked out after Reed hit Davis on previous drive.

Harry How/Getty Images

6:55  p.m. ET: And to the relief of 49ers fans, David Akers field goal attempt is good. 7-3 Ravens.

6:54  p.m. ET: Kaepernick sacked. 49ers going for field goal.

6:53  p.m. ET: Davis out and being worked on by trainers. Second and goal, incomplete in the end zone, off of Crabtree’s hands.

6:52  p.m. ET: Vernon Davis, a super speedy tight end, with another first down on a 24-yard reception from Kaepernick. 1st and goal.

6:51 p.m. ET: And Gore with another first down.

6:50 p.m. ET: Kaepernick scrambles for a gain of seven, 2nd and 3.

6:50 p.m. ET: Kaepernick, who shocked the league with his legs when he took over from Alex Smith, gets a 1st down and then some.

6:49 p.m. ET: Gore gains nine, after having a rough few carries early.

6:48 p.m. ET: Huge, 19-yard game for Michael Crabtree, who broke out this season once Kaepernick took over the starting QB job.

6:46 p.m. ET: Already looking to be a really physical game as scuffle between players breaks out after 49ers loss of two yards.

6:45 p.m. ET: And here’s the GoDaddy commercial everybody has already been talking about – supermodel makes out with Hollywood’s favorite extra.

6:44 p.m. ET: Penalties already hurting the 49ers – big game jitters?

McNamee/Getty Images

6:41 p.m. ET: And the extra point is good. 7-0 Ravens

6:40 p.m. ET: TOUCHDOWN BALTIMORE. Ravens take an early lead with a reception by Anquan Boldin.

6:39 p.m. ET: On 3rd and 9, same thing happens, but flag is down for defensive offsides – five yard penalty and replay of 3rd down.

6:39 p.m. ET: Given some time, Flacco throws ball beyond end zone for an incompletion on 2nd and 9.

6:38 p.m. ET: Ravens QB, Joe Flacco, known for his exceptionally strong arm, gets the ball to Torrey Jones at the SF 19.

6:37 p.m. ET: And a first down for the Ravens from SF 39.

6:36 p.m. ET: Better start for the Ravens, who pick up eight yards on their first down of the game.

6:36 p.m. ET: And the first drive of the game goes nowhere; Andy Lee punts on 4th down, and Jacoby Jones returns to near the 50-yard line.

6:34 p.m. ET: On first and 15, no gain for 49ers all-time leading rusher, Frank Gore.

6:33 p.m. ET: Five yard penalty for the 49ers for illegal formation.

6:32 p.m. ET: Kaepernick connects with Vernon Davis for a gain of 20, but a flag is down.

6:31 p.m. ET: Here we go – 49ers start the first drive at the 20-yard line.

6:28 p.m. ET: Ravens chose heads, and elected to defer their choice until the second half. 49ers to receive at kickoff.

6:27 p.m. ET: Newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame join the team captains for the coin toss.

6:22 p.m. ET: Alicia Keys performs the Star Spangled Banner, wearing a red dress and playing a white piano at the 50-yard line.

WATCH: Alicia Keys Sings ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’

6:21 p.m. ET: Joint Armed Forces Color Guard present the flags.

6:20 p.m. ET: Hudson wearing a green ribbon in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting while performing with the students.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

6:19 p.m. ET: In a touching performance, Sandy Hook Elementary School students perform “America the Beautiful,” with Jennifer Hudson.

WATCH: Jennifer Hudson, Sandy Hook Students Perform “America the Beautiful”

6:18 p.m. ET: Jason Witten wins the 2012 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

6:12 p.m. ET: And out come the 49ers.

6:11 p.m. ET: The Ravens players are introduced in the stadium to a raucous crowd.

6:09 p.m. ET: And another historic first tonight – the two head coaches are brothers, born just 15 months apart. John Harbaugh, 50, is in his fifth season as the Baltimore Ravens head coach, and has won playoff games in each of his previous seasons. Jim Harbaugh, 49, is in his second season as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, leading his team to the playoffs both seasons.

6:05 p.m. ET: The San Francisco 49ers are going for their 6th Lombardi trophy, which would tie them for the most championships ever with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Baltimore Ravens are trying for their second Super Bowl victory. Neither team has ever lost a Super Bowl game – and at the end of the night, there will only be one team left in the NFL to have never lost a Super Bowl game.

6:00 p.m. ET: It’s here – the biggest spectacle in American sports, the Super Bowl. We’ll be covering the game, performances and, of course, the commercials right here.

It’s been an incredible season so far, and everything has led up to tonight’s game in New Orleans, where the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers face the AFC Champion Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. Keep refreshing for the latest updates throughout what promises to be a great game.

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Turkey says tests confirm leftist bombed U.S. embassy

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A member of a Turkish leftist group that accuses Washington of using Turkey as its "slave" carried out a suicide bomb attack on the U.S. embassy, the Ankara governor's office cited DNA tests as showing on Saturday.

Ecevit Sanli, a member of the leftist Revolutionary People's Liberation Army-Front (DHKP-C), blew himself up in a perimeter gatehouse on Friday as he tried to enter the embassy, also killing a Turkish security guard.

The DHKP-C, virulently anti-American and listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and Turkey, claimed responsibility in a statement on the internet in which it said Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was a U.S. "puppet".

"Murderer America! You will not run away from people's rage," the statement on "The People's Cry" website said, next to a picture of Sanli wearing a black beret and military-style clothes and with an explosives belt around his waist.

It warned Erdogan that he too was a target.

Turkey is an important U.S. ally in the Middle East with common interests ranging from energy security to counter-terrorism. Leftist groups including the DHKP-C strongly oppose what they see as imperialist U.S. influence over their nation.

DNA tests confirmed that Sanli was the bomber, the Ankara governor's office said. It said he had fled Turkey a decade ago and was wanted by the authorities.

Born in 1973 in the Black Sea port city of Ordu, Sanli was jailed in 1997 for attacks on a police station and a military staff college in Istanbul, but his sentence was deferred after he fell sick during a hunger strike. He was never re-jailed.

Condemned to life in prison in 2002, he fled the country a year later, officials said. Interior Minister Muammer Guler said he had re-entered Turkey using false documents.

Erdogan, who said hours after the attack that the DHKP-C were responsible, met his interior and foreign ministers as well as the head of the army and state security service in Istanbul on Saturday to discuss the bombing.

Three people were detained in Istanbul and Ankara in connection with the attack, state broadcaster TRT said.

The White House condemned the bombing as an "act of terror", while the U.N. Security Council described it as a heinous act. U.S. officials said on Friday the DHKP-C were the main suspects but did not exclude other possibilities.

Islamist radicals, extreme left-wing groups, ultra-nationalists and Kurdish militants have all carried out attacks in Turkey in the past.

SYRIA

The DHKP-C statement called on Washington to remove Patriot missiles, due to go operational on Monday as part of a NATO defense system, from Turkish soil.

The missiles are being deployed alongside systems from Germany and the Netherlands to guard Turkey, a NATO member, against a spillover of the war in neighboring Syria.

"Our action is for the independence of our country, which has become a new slave of America," the statement said.

Turkey has been one of the leading advocates of foreign intervention to end the civil war in Syria and has become one of President Bashar al-Assad's harshest critics, a stance groups such as the DHKP-C view as submission to an imperialist agenda.

"Organizations of the sectarian sort like the DHKP-C have been gaining ground as a result of circumstances surrounding the Syrian civil war," security analyst Nihat Ali Ozcan wrote in a column in Turkey's Daily News.

The Ankara attack was the second on a U.S. mission in four months. On September 11, 2012, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three American personnel were killed in an Islamist militant attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

The DHKP-C was responsible for the assassination of two U.S. military contractors in the early 1990s in protest against the first Gulf War, and it fired rockets at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul in 1992, according to the U.S. State Department.

It has been blamed for previous suicide attacks, including one in 2001 that killed two police officers and a tourist in Istanbul's central Taksim Square. It has carried out a series of deadly attacks on police stations in the last six months.

Friday's attack may have come in retaliation for an operation against the DHKP-C last month in which Turkish police detained 85 people. A court subsequently remanded 38 of them in custody over links to the group.

(Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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Psy to perform at Malaysia ruling coalition party

KUALA LUMPUR: South Korea's Psy will perform his famous "Gangnam Style" dance at an event organised by Malaysia's ruling coalition, an official said Sunday as the bloc tries to attract young voters ahead of polls.

Psy will perform the hit, which made history as the most-watched video on YouTube, at a Chinese New Year party on the northern island of Penang on February 11, said Loh Hock Hun from the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).

The organisers hope to attract some 60,000 people including Prime Minister Najib Razak, Loh said. He could not say how much the concert, to be staged by the Barisan Nasional coalition of which the MCA is part, would cost.

Some 25 percent of Malaysia's 29 million people are ethnic Chinese and celebrate the lunar new year.

Najib, who must face tough elections by June at the latest, hopes to improve on his coalition's worst ever poll performance in 2008. Those aged below 40 make up 40 percent of the electorate.

In 2008, the coalition lost its traditional two-thirds parliament majority and control over five states including Penang, to a resurgent opposition amid voter complaints that Barisan Nasional leaders seemed too aloof and corrupt.

South Korean pop music is popular in Malaysia with a recent show, the annual Golden Disk Awards featuring performances by Super Junior and other acts, drawing thousands of fans.

Psy, who is slated to perform in Brazil's carnival celebrations next week, is also expected to take the stage in Malaysia in March for a music show at the Sepang International Circuit racetrack.

Psy made Internet history last December when "Gangnam Style" -- featuring his signature horse-riding dance -- clocked more than one billion views on YouTube.

-AFP/ac

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Haryana pineline scam: Deputy commissioner orders FIR against 5 govt officials, many others

CHANDIGARH: Jhajjar deputy commissioner, AjitBalajiJoshi, has ordered registration of an FIR against around a dozen persons, including five agriculture department officials, in the subsidy scam related to laying of underground pipelines.

Joshi told The Times of India on Saturday that they have also sought comments from the agriculture department in the matter. FIR has been sought against former assistant soil conservation officer Neena Sehwag, agriculture inspector Jagbir Singh, agriculture development officer Jain Singh Mann, accountant Satya Prakash, another employee Dharmpal, some farmers and officials of a Charkhi Dadri-based private firm for alleged involvement in the scam, he said.

The action follows an inquiry conducted by Jhajjar city magistrate, who detected that over Rs 1 lakh subsidy was claimed by five farmers in connivance with officers of agriculture department and the private firm. "There is possibility of more such cases coming to light," the inquiry report maintained.

According to official records, over Rs 25 crore was disbursed to 444 farmers as subsidy through the firm, for installing underground pipelines for irrigation purposes in Godhi village of Jhajjar district. The agriculture department has ordered physical verification in all these cases.

A retired agriculture economist, Ram Kanwar, had recently alleged a Rs 200 crore scam in subsidy to farmers by the agriculture department, for installation of sprinkler sets and laying underground pipelines. However, the department has been denying the scam.

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New rules aim to get rid of junk foods in schools

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most candy, high-calorie drinks and greasy meals could soon be on a food blacklist in the nation's schools.

For the first time, the government is proposing broad new standards to make sure all foods sold in schools are more healthful.

Under the new rules the Agriculture Department proposed Friday, foods like fatty chips, snack cakes, nachos and mozzarella sticks would be taken out of lunch lines and vending machines. In their place would be foods like baked chips, trail mix, diet sodas, lower-calorie sports drinks and low-fat hamburgers.

The rules, required under a child nutrition law passed by Congress in 2010, are part of the government's effort to combat childhood obesity. While many schools already have improved their lunch menus and vending machine choices, others still are selling high-fat, high-calorie foods.

Under the proposal, the Agriculture Department would set fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits on almost all foods sold in schools. Current standards already regulate the nutritional content of school breakfasts and lunches that are subsidized by the federal government, but most lunchrooms also have "a la carte" lines that sell other foods. Food sold through vending machines and in other ways outside the lunchroom has never before been federally regulated.

"Parents and teachers work hard to instill healthy eating habits in our kids, and these efforts should be supported when kids walk through the schoolhouse door," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

Most snacks sold in school would have to have less than 200 calories. Elementary and middle schools could sell only water, low-fat milk or 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice. High schools could sell some sports drinks, diet sodas and iced teas, but the calories would be limited. Drinks would be limited to 12-ounce portions in middle schools and to 8-ounce portions in elementary schools.

The standards will cover vending machines, the "a la carte" lunch lines, snack bars and any other foods regularly sold around school. They would not apply to in-school fundraisers or bake sales, though states have the power to regulate them. The new guidelines also would not apply to after-school concessions at school games or theater events, goodies brought from home for classroom celebrations, or anything students bring for their own personal consumption.

The new rules are the latest in a long list of changes designed to make foods served in schools more healthful and accessible. Nutritional guidelines for the subsidized lunches were revised last year and put in place last fall. The 2010 child nutrition law also provided more money for schools to serve free and reduced-cost lunches and required more meals to be served to hungry kids.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has been working for two decades to take junk foods out of schools. He calls the availability of unhealthful foods around campus a "loophole" that undermines the taxpayer money that helps pay for the healthier subsidized lunches.

"USDA's proposed nutrition standards are a critical step in closing that loophole and in ensuring that our schools are places that nurture not just the minds of American children but their bodies as well," Harkin said.

Last year's rules faced criticism from some conservatives, including some Republicans in Congress, who said the government shouldn't be telling kids what to eat. Mindful of that backlash, the Agriculture Department exempted in-school fundraisers from federal regulation and proposed different options for some parts of the rule, including the calorie limits for drinks in high schools, which would be limited to either 60 calories or 75 calories in a 12-ounce portion.

The department also has shown a willingness to work with schools to resolve complaints that some new requirements are hard to meet. Last year, for example, the government relaxed some limits on meats and grains in subsidized lunches after school nutritionists said they weren't working.

Schools, the food industry, interest groups and other critics or supporters of the new proposal will have 60 days to comment and suggest changes. A final rule could be in place as soon as the 2014 school year.

Margo Wootan, a nutrition lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said surveys by her organization show that most parents want changes in the lunchroom.

"Parents aren't going to have to worry that kids are using their lunch money to buy candy bars and a Gatorade instead of a healthy school lunch," she said.

The food industry has been onboard with many of the changes, and several companies worked with Congress on the child nutrition law two years ago. Major beverage companies have already agreed to take the most caloric sodas out of schools. But those same companies, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, also sell many of the non-soda options, like sports drinks, and have lobbied to keep them in vending machines.

A spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association, which represents the soda companies, says they already have greatly reduced the number of calories that kids are consuming at school by pulling out the high-calorie sodas.

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Follow Mary Clare Jalonick on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcjalonick

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