GN Midday Sunday Jan 20 2013

Daily headlines from the UAE and around the world brought to you by Gulf News. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv

Transcript

00:00Good day, welcome to the Gulf News update for Sunday, January the 20th.

00:14Here are the top stories at this hour.

00:16US President Barack Obama has said that the blame for the deaths from a hostage crisis

00:21in Algeria lay with the terrorists who had earlier taken foreigners captive at a remote

00:25gas plant.

00:27The four-day crisis left at least 23 hostages dead and killed all 32 militants involved.

00:34Algerian Special Forces managed to free 685 Algerians and 107 foreigners, the Interior

00:40Ministry said.

00:42The money keeps rolling in for the UAE's Gulf Cup-winning football heroes, with gifts to

00:46date from various dignitaries totalling more than 80 million dirhams.

00:51In Abu Dhabi, the Food Control Authority is expected to announce today an extended deadline

00:56for groceries to meet new regulations.

00:58Many small stores in the city were supposed to close down permanently for want of space

01:03to meet the new standards, but were reopened earlier this month.

01:07Syria's foreign minister has invited the nationalistic opposition to lay down its weapons and join

01:13talks to form a new government.

01:15Waleed Mualim said any opposition group could join a new cabinet as long as they reject

01:19foreign intervention.

01:21For its part, Syria's leading rebel movement rejects anything short of Bashar al-Assad's

01:26removal.

01:27President Barack Obama will take the official oath of office in a small, private ceremony

01:32at the White House today, setting a more subdued tone for his second inauguration.

01:37He will still be sworn in publicly outside the US Capitol Monday with all the traditional

01:41pomp.

01:42And Beyoncé and Katy Perry better watch out.

01:45There's another diva set to perform during the inauguration festivities, Lady Gaga.

01:50The pop star will perform at Tuesday's ball for Obama's staffers.

01:54On Saturday, Usher and Katy Perry performed for Sasha and Malia Obama at the Kids' Inaugural

01:59Concert.

02:00Sport!

02:01And it's the last day of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship today, with Englishman Justin

02:05Rose taking a two-shot lead into the final round in what is his debut at the tournament.

02:10Weather and today's high across the UAE will be 25 degrees Celsius, dropping to 5 degrees

02:15at night.

02:16That's all for now.

02:17Thanks for watching.

02:18And as always, you can get the latest news at gulfnews.com.