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The New Jersey mayor who added to Governor Chris Christie's woes with fresh claims that his office punishes uncooperative local officials stuck to her story on Sunday, overshadowing the governor's fundraising trip in Florida. Widely seen as a Republican contender for the White House in 2016, Christie avoided mention of his troubles at home while he raises funds on a closely watched trip to Florida this weekend. His office dismissed as false claims by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer that he sent his deputy to tell her she risked not getting requested funds for Superstorm Sandy relief unless she backed a redevelopment project in her city. But Zimmer stuck to her story on Sunday that two state officials, including Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, told her Christie would withhold funding if Zimmer did not support a bid by the New York-based Rockefeller Group to build on several blocks in the city. "She came and made a direct threat to me," Zimmer told CNN television, des

Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter, Zara Phillips, gave birth to a girl on Friday who becomes 16th in line to the British throne, Buckingham Palace said. _0"> It is Phillips' first child with her rugby-player husband Mike Tindall and the Queen's fourth great grandchild. The pair are known in Britain for their sporting success with Phillips, 32, the 15th in line to the throne, winning an equestrian silver medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012 and Tindall, 35, the former captain of the England rugby union team. The palace said in a statement: "Mrs. Michael Tindall today safely delivered a baby girl at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Mr. Tindall was present at the birth. The weight of the baby was 7lbs 12oz (3.5 kg). "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal, Captain Mark Phillips and Mike's parents, Mr. Phillip and Mrs. Linda Tindall, have been informed and are delighted with the news. The baby's name will be confirmed in due cours

Beyonce fans got a big surprise at midnight on December 13, when the pop star announced her new album from out of the blue. Just as surprising was her decision to announce the album by posting a 15-second video on Instagram, the Facebook-owned online photo-and-video sharing service. The exclusive announcement - virtually unheard of for a recording artist of that caliber - was a coup for Facebook, which has been upstaged by younger rival Twitter Inc as the go-to online forum for celebrities, sports and news. Potentially billions of dollars in television advertising are at stake as consumers increasingly turn to social networks to stay abreast of the latest news and entertainment. Twitter and Facebook both are wooing advertisers with video ad platforms and trying to hold off mobile communications startups like WhatsApp and SnapChat, which have lured many younger users. Leading the Facebook charge is Dan Rose, vice president of partnerships, acquisitions chief, and architect of some

Russell Johnson, the veteran character actor who appeared in science fiction films and Westerns before earning enduring fame as "The Professor" on the classic 1960s sitcom "Gilligan's Island," died on Thursday at the age of 89, his agent said. "He died at 5:21 a.m. of natural causes at home in Washington state," agent Michael Eisenstadt said, adding that Johnson's wife and his daughter were at his side. "Gilligan's Island," which was created by producer Sherwood Schwartz, ran for three seasons on the CBS network, from 1964 to 1967, and attracted even more popularity in syndication. "I worked with him for over 20 years. He was a gentleman, a great guy and a family man, an iconic figure," Eisenstadt said. "In the history of television ‘Gilligan's Island' was one of the most re-run shows. He'll be missed. He was old-time Hollywood." Actress Dawn Wells, who played the perky Mary Ann Summers in the sho

Rita Moreno, the 82-year-old actress who won an Oscar for her role as Anita in "West Side Story," lit up the Screen Actors Guild awards on Saturday accepting a lifetime achievement award with a wistful song and an exclamation of profanity. _0"> Moreno uttered the expletive as soon as she ascended to the stage to accept the award presented to her by actor Morgan Freeman. "I am sorry about that word. Actually, I am not," she added later, laughing. The standard TV telecast delay allowed the network to bleep out the profanity for television viewers. Moreno, who also sang Frank Sinatra's song "This Is All I Ask" while on stage, was soon after the top trending topic on Twitter. The outspoken Puerto Rico-born actress is the only Hispanic to have won the four major awards in the entertainment industry - the Emmys, the Grammys, the Oscars and the Tonys. "The difference between getting an Oscar, for instance, and having an honor like this to

More than 1,000 rhinos were poached for their horns in South Africa in 2013, a record number and an increase of over 50 percent from the previous year, the country's department of environmental affairs said on Friday. Rhino hunting is driven by soaring demand in newly affluent Asian countries such as Vietnam and China , where the animal's horns are prized as a key ingredient in traditional medicine. Rhino horn has a street value of more than $65,000 a kg in Asia, conservation groups say, making it more valuable than platinum, gold or cocaine. The data is sure to ring conservation alarm bells about a downward population spiral in a country that is home to almost all of Africa and the world's rhinos, and it may bring renewed pressure on the government to do something to halt the slayings. In 2013, 1,004 of the massive animals were illegally killed in South Africa, compared with 668 the previous year and 448 in 2011. Most of the killings are taking place in South Africa

With an oink oink here and a cluck cluck there, animals arrived at the Vatican on Friday to get a blessing. _0"> The animals, including pigs, chickens, horses, cats and dogs, were at St. Peter's Square to mark the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot, the third-century holy man who is the Catholic Church's patron of animals. Farmers, ranchers and breeders brought their animals to the square for a blessing by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica. Comastri also said a Mass inside the church for the humans - the animals waited outside. As well as the spiritual comfort, veterinarians from the Italian animal breeders association AIA offered free check-ups to pets brought to the square. (Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Janet Lawrence)