How the media called the election

A Kenyan is reading "The standard" newspaper that headlines on the US President Barack Obama's reelection. Source: AFP

NBC News called the win for Barack Obama first, but when Fox News did the same five minutes later Karl Rove felt was too early.

ABC News was also frantically trying to repair a power outage that left much of its set inoperable precisely at the time the election was being decided.

For several hours, election coverage resembled the run-up to a Super Bowl, with plenty of talk signifying little. Then NBC News, at 11:12pm ET (3:12am AEDT), was the first to declare that Mr Obama had won by virtue of winning the battleground state of Ohio. "He remains president of the United States for a second term," said anchor Brian Williams.

Other networks followed suit. But Mr Rove, the former top political aide to President George W. Bush whose on-air presence on Fox this campaign raised some eyebrows because of his prominent role fundraising for Mitt Romney, suggested the call was premature.

"We've got to be careful about calling things when we have like 991 votes separating the candidates and a quarter of the vote left to count ... I'd be very cautious about intruding in this process," said Mr Rove, a behind-the-scenes player in the wild 2000 election between Mr Bush and Al Gore that took weeks to decide. (Mr Gore was on TV Tuesday, too, as anchor of Current TV's election coverage).

It left Mr Rove's colleagues struggling for words.

"That's awkward," said co-anchor Megyn Kelly. She then went backstage to interview on camera two men who were part of Fox's team in charge of making election calls. They had concluded that based on the precincts where votes were left to be counted, Mr Romney couldn't beat Mr Obama.

Later, Rove tried to make light of the encounter. "This is not a cage match," he said. "This is a light intellectual discussion."

As the evening had progressed for Fox and it became clear that Mr Romney, the clear favourite of most of its audience, would find it hard to win, commentators like Sarah Palin and Peggy Noonan looked stricken.

"This was the referendum that Mitt Romney wanted on Barack Obama," said Huffington Post's Howard Fineman on MSNBC. "And guess what? Barack Obama won the referendum. And that's pretty darned emphatic."

Much of ABC's New York election studio was left powerless for about 20 minutes at the height of Tuesday's coverage. The network didn't inform viewers, and tried to compensate by taking anchors Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos away from their desks, and cutting away to crowd shots at Times Square.

Sawyer's relaxed, folksy delivery in her first presidential election night as anchor drew considerable social media attention. The rock group They Might Be Giants tweeted: "and Diane Sawyer declares tonight's winner is ... chardonnay!"

Sawyer and Stephanopoulos were a new election anchor team for ABC, and Scott Pelley led the CBS coverage. Of the three anchors for the biggest broadcast networks, only NBC's Williams was a returnee from 2008.

But it was a far different media world anyway. 2012 was notable for the vast array of outlets that an interested consumer could command to create their own media experience on multiple screens. Web sites offered deep drill-downs in data and social media hosted raucous conversations.

"If you started a drinking game with the words 'exit poll' in it, please stop now. You will die!" tweeted TV critic Tim Goodman.

Mr Obama's Twitter account tweeted a picture of the president hugging first lady Michelle Obama, and it was retweeted more than 400,000 times. Twitter said it was its most retweeted message ever.

Earlier in the evening, journalists took special care not to rely too heavily on exit polls. Perhaps they remembered how misleading exit polls in 2004 led TV networks astray then or perhaps, in CBS' Bob Schieffer's words, its results this year were too contradictory.

News outlets carefully parsed information and sometimes used the same facts for contradictory conclusions.

Fox News analyst Brit Hume noted an exit poll finding that 42 per cent of voters said Superstorm Sandy was an important factor in their vote, suggesting that was a positive for Mr Obama since he was widely considered to have been effective in his response. With the same information, the web site Politico headlined: "Exit Survey: Sandy Not a Factor."

There was a certain amount of vamping time, too. Glenn Beck's online network, The Blaze, had a blackboard straight out of the 1960s as a tote board. Beck killed time on the air by asking for cookie dough ice cream from the on-set food bar.

"Waffle cone, please," Beck said.

When Sawyer asked David Muir for the latest news from the Romney campaign, he reported the family had pasta for dinner and the candidate indulged in his favourite peanut butter and honey sandwich.

The media personality with perhaps the most on the line was Nate Silver of The New York Times, whose FiveThirtyEight blog was sought out by 20 per cent of the people who visited the newspaper's website on Monday. He has used statistical data throughout the campaign to predict an Obama victory and by Tuesday, had forecast a 90.9 per cent chance that Mr Obama would win.

After Mr Obama's victory became clear, Gavin Purcell, producer of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, tweeted that "Nate Silver is the only white male winning tonight." CNN's Piers Morgan tweeted Silver an invitation to appear on his show Wednesday.

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Man who lost leg to crucifix sues church

A man who lost his leg when a crucifix fell on him is suing a church for about $3 million. Picture: Judith Klien Source: Supplied

A TRIAL has been scheduled for early next year in the lawsuit filed against an upstate New York church by a man whose leg had to be amputated after a 270kg crucifix fell on him.

Attorney Kevin Kitson says that the case of his client, David Jimenez, is scheduled for trial in January in an Orange County court.

Mr Kitson says Mr Jimenez prayed to the crucifix outside St Patrick's Church in Newburgh after his wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. When she recovered, he showed his thanks by volunteering to clean the cross.

In May 2010, the crucifix fell on him, crushing his right leg. It was later amputated.

He's suing the church for $US3 million ($2.9 million).

The church says it's not liable for the accident.
 

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Obama wins bet on changing America

An emotional supporter listens to the president's speech in Chicago. African-American and Latino voters overwhelmingly favoured Mr Obama, as the changing demographics of the US reshape political battles. Source: AFP

US President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney made sharply different bets about who would vote this year.

It turned out that Americans who cast ballots looked collectively much more like what Mr Obama had envisioned - a diverse tapestry that reflected a changing America - than the whiter, older electorate Mr Romney had banked on.

Younger voters and minorities came to the polls at levels not far off from the historic coalition Mr Obama assembled in 2008.

The reality caught off-guard Republicans who banked on a more monolithic voting body sending them to the White House - and who had based their polling on that assumption.

The outcome revealed a stark problem for Republicans: If they don't broaden their tent, they won't move forward.

US President Barack Obama shares a moment with daughters Sasha and Malia, right, as First Lady Michelle Obama looks on at his victory party in Chicago.

And it foreshadowed changes over the next generation that could put long-held Republican states onto the political battleground maps of the future.

"Clearly, when you look at African-American and Latino voters, they went overwhelmingly for the president," said John Stineman, a Republican strategist from Iowa.

"And that's certainly a gap that's going to require a lot of attention from Republicans."

In exit polling, voters mirrored the voting public's makeup of four years ago, when Mr Obama shattered minority voting barriers and drove young voters to the polls unlike any candidate in generations.

President Barack Obama's supporters celebrate his victory in Chicago. The voter turnout reflected a changing America, with minorities overwhelmingly voting for Mr Obama.

White voters made up 72 per cent of the electorate - less than four years ago - while black voters remained at 13 per cent and Hispanics increased from 9 per cent to 10 per cent.

That flew in the face of GOP assumptions that the fierce economic headwinds of the past three years and the passing of the novelty of the first African-American president would trim Mr Obama's support from black voters, perhaps enough to make the difference in a close election.

However, Mr Obama carried Virginia, the heart of the old South, in part by having increased his record support from black voters there in 2008, which reached 18 per cent, to more than 20 per cent, according to Obama campaign internal tracking polls.

It was also reflected in turnout that matched his 2008 totals in places like Cleveland, which helped Mr Obama carry Ohio solidly despite Mr Romney's all-out effort there in the campaign's final weeks.

Mr Obama addresses the crowd at his election night party at McCormick Place, Chicago after defeating Republican Mitt Romney.

"Republicans have been saying for months" that Mr Obama's black support would slip, Democratic pollster Paul Maslin said.

"And what happens? When African-Americans had the chance to affirm him, they came out in droves."

Mr Obama won in 2008 by carrying several long-held Republican states, including North Carolina, Virginia and Indiana. And while Mr Romney easily carried Indiana and narrowly peeled back North Carolina, the fact that Mr Obama held Virginia points to a long-term demographic shift that survived the pressures of the poor economy.

Mr Obama carried each contested state except North Carolina by aggressively registering first-time voters. He matched his share of the youth vote from 2008, and nearly matched his support from seniors.

The 2012 electorate mirrored 2008 in terms of party identification and racial makeup, lifting Mr Obama to another win.

The 2012 electorate mirrored 2008 in terms of party identification and racial makeup, with self-identified Democrats topping Republicans and independents.

During his victory speech, Mr Obama nodded to the Democratic coalition he had held together.

"It doesn't matter if you're black or white, or Hispanic or Asian, or Native American, or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight," Mr Obama told his crowd of supporters gathered in Chicago.

"You can make it here in America if you're willing to try."

An Obama supporter cries as the US President addresses his victory party in Chicago. White voters made up 72 per cent of the electorate, less than four years ago.

The minority and youth turnout was not the only assumption Mr Romney made that turned out to be wrong.

While voters considered the economy the driving issue in the election, they did not hold Mr Obama wholly responsible, as Mr Romney long had assumed they would.

That realisation forced Mr Romney to pivot late in the campaign and attempt to turn the election into a choice of competing visions. Republicans argued late in the campaign that Mr Romney's performance during the first of three debates had energised a groundswell of enthusiasm seen in their polling.

But it seemed Mr Obama's support was quietly amassing with more vigor, GOP strategists said.

A man watches the election results trickled in from Times Square in New York City.

"There really wasn't an enthusiasm gap," said Republican strategist Charlie Black, an informal Romney adviser. "And independents didn't break our way."

Still, Mr Obama will have his work cut out if he hopes to heal the partisan wounds of his first term.

The voting public was more ideologically polarised than in 2008 or 2004. The share of moderates dipped slightly to 41 per cent, while 25 per cent called themselves liberal, the highest share saying so in recent exit polls. Thirty-five per cent called themselves conservative, about the same as the previous two presidential contests.

The economy was rated the top issue by about 60 per cent of voters surveyed as they left their polling places. But more said former President George W. Bush bore responsibility for current circumstances than Mr Obama did after nearly four years in office.

That boded well for the president, who had worked to turn the election into a choice between his proposals and Mr Romney's, rather than a simple referendum on the economy during his time in the White House.

Unemployment stood at 7.9 per cent on Election Day, higher than when the president took office. And despite signs of progress, the economy is still struggling after the worst recession in history.

Mr Obama is the first president to win re-election with unemployment above 7.2 per cent since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.

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Was Sawyer drunk on-air or really tired?

US ABC's Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos during election night coverage. Source: AP

Diane Sawyer's election night performance left some viewers asking if she had begun celebrating a bit early.

Co-anchoring ABC News' coverage, the veteran journalist struck a different manner from her practiced, straight-news-delivering style.

Sawyer spoke more slowly than usual while seeming to prop herself on outstretched arms at the anchor desk she shared with George Stephanopoulos.

"OK," she said at one point around 10 pm EST (2am AEDT), "I wanna - can we have our music, because this is another big one here? Minnesota, we're ready to project Minnesota, rrright now. ... Well, tonight we know that President Barack has won Minnesota," she rambled on, stumbling over the president's name.

Maybe Sawyer was just weary from the recent torrent of news.

In any case, the Twitterverse took quick notice and began cracking wise.

Her name was soon trending with unflattering posts, while a new Twitter handle, Drunk Diane Sawyer, collected hundreds of followers. An ABC spokesman did not comment.

"A bit tipsy," ''hammered" or "on pain killers, muscle relaxers, benzos or some combination" were among the jeering explanations. Another likened it to an episode of HBO's drama "The Newsroom," where Will McAvoy, the fictitious anchorman, had eaten a couple of pot brownies before unexpectedly being summoned to his anchor desk to report a news story.

Some tweeters joked that a more fun-loving Sawyer was a ploy by ABC to boost viewership. Several Twitter followers said they were drawn to the network by word that Sawyer was behaving, by one description, "a bit wacky."

The rock group They Might Be Giants tweeted: "and Diane Sawyer declares tonight's winner is ... chardonnay!"

"Bad night for Romney," one tweeter summed up. "Worse night for Diane Sawyer?"

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Bangladesh boat sinks, 85 missing

Rohingya refugees, who survived after their overloaded boat heading to Malaysia sank, are pictured on a fishing boat following their rescue by Bangladeshi border guards in Teknaf. Source: AFP

About 85 people are missing after an overloaded boat carrying Rohingya refugees towards Malaysia sank off Bangladesh overnight.

In the second such tragedy in less than a fortnight Bangladesh Border Guard commander Lieutenant Colonel Zahid Hasan said the wooden vessel was carrying around 110 passengers when it went down 15 kilometres off the southern district of Cox's Bazaar.

"We have now rescued 25 survivors with the help of local fishermen and a search and rescue operation is underway," Lt. Col Hasan said.

"The boat was heading to Malaysia illegally," he added.

Lt. Col Hasan confirmed that at least two of those who had been rescued were Rohingya and that they were all being kept in custody.

The latest tragedy comes after a boat carrying some 135 passengers, mostly Muslim Rohingya refugees who had fled unrest in neighbouring Burma, sank in the Bay of Bengal on October 28. Only around half a dozen made it to safety.

Lt. Col Hasan said that the survivors of the latest accident had either managed to be picked up by passing fishing boats or were found floating in the water by the rescue teams.

He said the wooden motorboat had a capacity of 70 passengers.

"After the October 28 accident, we prevented another boat carrying nine Rohingya including women and children on November 2. And after that, this tragedy happens today," he said.

Speaking by phone, one 30-year old survivor, Zamir Hossain said there were seven or eight women on board the boat.

"I spoke with one woman who told me that she wanted to work after going to Malaysia," Mr Hossain said.

"The boat capsized after one passenger fell from the boat into the sea and the boat turned abruptly in a bid to rescue him."

Coastguards said that they were yet to find any bodies and that bad weather and heavy rain had made the rescue effort difficult.

"I have spoken with the survivors who told me that they set sail around midnight and the boat sank around four hours after," the Bangladesh government's chief administrator in the area, Shamsul Islam, said.

"This is another case of an illegal bid to reach Malaysia. The middlemen took money from these people, promising them to get to the country," he said adding that most survivors were from the Teknaf area of Cox's Bazaar.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya have fled Burma in past decades to escape persecution, often heading to neighbouring Bangladesh, and recent outbreaks of violence, in June and October, have triggered another exodus.

Since the unrest erupted, Bangladesh has been turning away boatloads of fleeing Rohingya.

The policy has been criticised by the United Nations but Bangladesh said it was already burdened with an estimated 300,000 of the minority group.

Burma's 800,000 stateless Rohingya, described by the UN as among the world's most persecuted minorities, are seen by the government and many Burmese as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

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Can Obama keep on winning?

Barack Obama waves to supporters after his victory speech. After a hard election, the real job is now before him. Picture: Win McNamee/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

RE-ELECTED US President Barack Obama and his country are headed for "fiscal cliff" negotiations and a potential double-dip recession which could have serious implications for Australia, experts say.

As Prime Minister Julia Gillard joined other prominent Australians in congratulating Mr Obama on his second term, concerns were raised at what the result would mean for this country.

There was also speculation Mr Obama could pluck a new Cabinet member from Australia, with US Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich tipped for promotion from Canberra.

Election Day: Blow by blow

Yesterday, Democrats regained control of the Senate, with Republicans maintaining their power in the House of Representatives as the country prepares to enter a tense period of debate over the future of Bush-era tax cuts.

Americans face a tax hike in January and severe spending cuts that could prompt another recession, with resolution of the economic "fiscal cliff" drama problematic with a divided Congress.

Americans hand Obama a second term, challenges await. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

"This victory will not dispel the deep divisions. The tough decisions on the economic front to restructure the economy to relieve the deficit aren't going to get done," Professor Bates Gill from Sydney University's US Studies Centre said.

"That will have some negative implications for Australia."

Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove said the US system "was becoming almost ungovernable".

"The fiscal cliff is directly relevant to us because we are a US ally," he said.

Ms Gillard offered the re-elected president "warm congratulations" and wished him "every success for his second term".

Supporters of U.S. President Barack Obama cheer after networks project Obama as reelected. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said that "Australia can look forward to a continuation of the best possible relations with the United States."

Mr Obama will face the same divided Congress in 2013 that has bedeviled efforts to enact his major legislation.

Republicans were dealt a bitter blow in the Senate races by the Democrats, who were seen as vulnerable to losing control of the chamber since they had more seats to defend. Democrats were assured of retaining or even increasing their 53-47 advantage in the Senate.

But Republican candidates in Missouri and Indiana - both states won by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney - were defeated after making damaging comments about rape and abortion. An incumbent Republican fell in liberal Massachusetts. Republicans also lost a seat in Maine, where an independent who is expected to caucus with the Democrats won.

Only a dozen or so Senate races out of the 33 on the ballot Tuesday were seen as competitive, and almost all of those that were called Tuesday - in Wisconsin, Virginia, Connecticut, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Florida - went the Democrats' way. Republicans did pick up a Democratic-held seat in Nebraska.

President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks at the election night party at McCormick Place, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Chicago. Obama defeated Republican challenger former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

More than $2 billion was spent on the nasty fight for Congress. All 435 House seats were on the ballot, and Republicans retained control there, though Democrats made a few gains.

With almost 90 percent of the 435 House races called by The Associated Press, Republicans had won 227 seats and were leading in nine more. For a majority in the chamber, a party must control 218 seats. Democrats had won 178 seats and were leading in 19 others. That means the party mix in the new House will resemble the current one, which Republicans control by 240-190, with five vacancies.

House Speaker John Boehner, who gets to keep his job, offered to work with any willing partner, Republican or Democrat, to get things done. "The American people want solutions - and tonight, they've responded by renewing our majority," he told a gathering of Republicans.

But he also said that by keeping Republicans in control of the House, voters made clear there is no mandate for raising taxes. Obama has proposed imposing higher taxes on households earning over $250,000 a year.

Control of the Senate at the very least gives Democrats a firewall against Republican attempts to overturn Obama's signature legislative achievement, his health care reform law, before it is fully implemented in 2014. Republicans had promised to repeal it.

A supporter cries as President Barack Obama speaks during an election night party. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Man cleared of murder after 15yrs in jail

Govinda Prasad Mainali, who spent 15 years in a Japanese jail for a murder he did not commit, has been found not guilty at his retrial. Source: AP

A NEPALESE who spent 15 "horrible and torturous" years in a Japanese jail for a murder he did not commit was formally acquitted on Wednesday after a retrial.

Govinda Prasad Mainali, 46, was declared not guilty by the Tokyo High Court at a short hearing, even though he had been deported to Nepal weeks ago after his conviction was quashed.

The same court had in 2000 found him guilty of killing a 39-year-old woman and sentenced him to life in prison, overturning a lower court's not-guilty verdict.

The Supreme Court upheld Mr Mainali's life sentence in 2003.

Mr Mainali told reporters in Kathmandu that the pronouncement was something for which he had been waiting a long time.

"To see this day, I have spent 15 years of my life inside the four walls, resorting to quiet communication with myself," he said.

"I have prayed to God and asked: what mistake have I committed? God was the only witness of my pleas."

The murder attracted lurid headlines, particularly in the tabloid press, which said the victim was leading a double life as an elite businesswoman by day and a prostitute by night.

Police in 1997 arrested Mr Mainali, who knew the victim and lived near the Tokyo apartment where her strangled body was found.

Mr Mainali, who had always maintained his innocence, officially asked Japan's slow-moving justice system for a retrial in 2005. It was granted only this year.

Fresh DNA evidence, also tested only this year, proved the original probe had overlooked the fact that semen found inside the woman was not Mr Mainali's.

DNA samples collected from her nails as well as body hair found in the room were a match with the semen, further supporting Mr Mainali's claim that he was not the killer, according to local media.

"I was forced to undergo 15 years of horrible and torturous time in jail despite being innocent," he said.

"Had the DNA test not been conducted, I would have been languishing in jail and probably would have died there."

The case has led to media questioning of Japan's justice system and particularly the work of prosecutors, who take a leading role in criminal investigations.

Japan has a very high rate of convictions and relies heavily on confessions. Suspects can be held for many weeks while police make their case.

Critics say this leads to abuses where those arrested are ground down until they give investigators what they want.

Mr Mainali was released from jail in June when his conviction was overturned. He was sent back to Nepal by immigration authorities because he had - during his time in prison - overstayed his visa.

But the court still went ahead with the retrial, which opened at the start of last week with the prosecution saying it now believed he was innocent.

After going into recess to consider the verdict, presiding judge Shoji Ogawa said there was "a reasonable doubt" that Mr Mainali was the guilty party.

Mr Mainali said he had not yet decided whether to seek compensation from Japanese authorities and was discusing his options with his lawyers.

No one else has been arrested in connection with the murder.

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Sandy-hit states brace for new storm

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, left, has ordered evacuations even though the approaching storm is not expected to be as bad as Sandy. Source: AP

RESIDENTS of New York and New Jersey who were flooded out by Superstorm Sandy waited with dread as another, weaker storm spun toward them.

In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered police to use their patrol car loudspeakers to warn vulnerable residents about evacuating, one of a number of measures that the beleaguered city was taking even as weather experts said the approaching nor'easter could be weaker than expected.

"Even though it's not anywhere near as strong as Sandy - nor strong enough, in normal times, for us to evacuate anybody - out of precaution and because of the changing physical circumstances, we are going to go to some small areas and ask those people to go to higher ground," Mr Bloomberg said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency put a number to the storm's homeless in New York and New Jersey, saying 95,000 people were eligible for emergency housing assistance. In New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, more than 277,000 people have registered for general assistance, the agency said.

In New Jersey, winds were kicking up overnight and some battered shore communities were ordering mandatory evacuations for later in the day.

Atlantic County, in the southern part of New Jersey, activated its emergency operations centre and told residents to restock their emergency supplies.

Officials were waiting for the first high tide to see if flooding would occur and also hoping the winds would not lead to more power outages.

"We have almost everyone who possibly can be reconnected back on. The idea we could now be facing power outages again does not come at a good time," county spokeswoman Linda Gilmore said.

Major airlines were scrapping flights in and out of the New York area ahead of the storm.

Most airlines asked passengers to reschedule their Northeast flights for a later date.

While New York City officials strongly encouraged storm-ravaged communities to seek higher ground, some refused, choosing to stick close to the belongings they have left.

And weather experts had some relatively good news. As the storm moves up the Atlantic coast from Florida, it now is expected to veer farther offshore than earlier projections had indicated.

Storm surges along the coasts of New Jersey and New York are expected to reach perhaps 1 metre, only half to a third of what Hurricane Sandy caused last week. While that should produce only minor flooding, it will still likely cause some erosion problems along the Jersey coast and the shores of Long Island, where Sandy destroyed some protective dunes.

And it still carried the threat of wind gusts that could bring down tree limbs weakened by Sandy. High winds, which could reach 104 kilometres per hour, could extend inland throughout the day, potentially stalling power restoration efforts or causing further outages.

The city was closing all parks, playgrounds and beaches, as well as ordering all construction sites to be secured. On Tuesday evening, the mayor ordered three nursing homes and an adult care facility evacuated from Queens' vulnerable Rockaway Peninsula because of fears the weather might knock out electricity already being provided by generators. About 620 residents were being moved.

Since the superstorm made landfall more than a week ago, killing many of its more than 100 victims in New York City and New Jersey and leaving millions without power, police said overall crime has actually gone down. There are few reports storm-damaged homes being looted.

But Alex Ocasio wasn't convinced. The nursing home worker planned to ride out the latest storm in his first-floor Rockaway apartment - even after seeing cars float by his front door during Sandy.

As the water receded, men dressed in dark clothes broke down the door and were surprised to find him and other residents inside, he said.

"They tried to say they were rescue workers, then took off," he said.

He put up a handmade sign - "Have gun. Will shoot U" - outside his apartment and started using a bed frame to barricade the door. He has gas, so he keeps the oven on and boils water to stay warm at night.

"It gets a little humid, but it's not bad," he said. "I'm staying. Nothing can be worse than what happened last week."

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said it wasn't wise to stay put. "I think your life is more important than property," he said.

Police have arrested 123 people citywide since the storm blew in last week, 54 burglary arrests and 41 others stemming from gas line disputes, Commissioner Kelly said. Most were in areas suffering from the storm.

"You would think, under the circumstances, you would see much more," Commissioner Kelly said. "We haven't seen that."

Burglaries were up 6 per cent citywide compared to the same period last year, but overall crime was down 27 per cent, police said.

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Flights axed as new storm approaches NY

After the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy, the US Northeast is bracing for another batch of bad weather. Source: AP

MAJOR airlines are scrapping flights in and out of the New York area ahead of the second significant storm in little more than a week.

United and American plan to suspend operations in the region today. Other airlines are encouraging passengers to reschedule - without a fee.

Airlines are quick to cancel flights ahead of major storms to avoid stranding aircraft and crews. Doing so also lessens storm-related financial losses. As of 12.45am AEDT, about 360 flights had been cancelled at the three New York airports, according to flight tracker FlightAware. About half of those are at Newark Liberty International.

Superstorm Sandy last week led to more than 20,000 flight cancellations. The latest storm is weaker than Sandy, but still brings high winds, a mix of rain and snow and the potential for more flooding. Sandy flooded some airport runways when it hit last week.

United, the world's largest airline, is suspending most service in New York starting at 4am AEDT. It warns that the bad weather will likely cause more delays and cancellations throughout the Northeast US.

American Airlines is shutting down in New York at 7am AEDT. It's also stopping flights to and from Philadelphia at 4am AEDT.

Most other airlines, including Delta Air Lines Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp., are asking passengers to reschedule their Northeast flights for a later date. They're waiving the usual change fees of up to $US150 ($144).

JetBlue, which is the biggest domestic airline at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, said its operations had just gotten back to normal on Monday.

There's a dollars and cents reason that airlines cancel big swaths of their schedules well ahead of bad weather. Cancellations aren't as expensive for airlines as one might think.

Most passengers eventually reschedule, so the airline still collects the fare. And if flights are cancelled, the airline doesn't have to pay the crew or the cost of burning fuel. Many passengers on cancelled flights are also often squeezed onto another flight, which improves the airline's efficiency.

Airlines also are not required to pay for hotel rooms, food or other expenses for passengers stuck overnight due to the weather, as many stranded by Sandy learned the hard way.

As the current storm moves up the Atlantic coast from Florida, it now is expected to veer farther offshore than earlier projections had indicated.

Storm surges along the coasts of New Jersey and New York are expected to reach perhaps 3 feet (about 90cm), only half to a third of what Sandy caused last week. High winds, which could reach 105km/h, could extend inland throughout the day, potentially stalling power restoration efforts or causing further outages.
 

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