• Politico reports that what may be the first statue of Barack Obama is set to go up in his old hometown of Jakarta. The 2-meter high statue will depict the President as a 10-year-old, and will be placed in Obama's old neighborhood at a corner of a playground. • Arlington, Tennessee Mayor Russell Wiseman has apologized for writing on his Facebook page that President Obama is a Muslim, and timed his speech on Afghanistan to block the Peanuts Christmas Special. Wiseman called it a "poor attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor amongst friends." • A Maryland woman reportedly kidnapped a pregnant homeless woman and attempted to cut out her baby using box cutters and a razor blade. The victim was held hostage for five days, during which time her attacker cut into her abdomen, exposing her placenta and intestines. The woman has since been hospitalized, and is expected to make a full recovery. Her newborn daughter is also in good condition. • The parents of Jessica Logan, who committed suicide last year, are suing several of Logan's classmates for circulating a nude picture of their daughter. They argue that Logan suffered from severe emotional distress after her peers sent around an explicit picture she took on her cellphone for her then-boyfriend. Further evidence that nude photos are not something every boy should receive. • A Muslim woman claims she was abused by a Christian hotelier because of her Islamic clothing. She says the British hotel-owners called her husband a "warlord," argued that her outfit - consisting of a hijab and gown - was a form of "bondage." •  Newsweek delves into the possible causes for the declining birth rate in Taiwan. Apparently, selfish women are to blame (aren't we always?). Too many Taiwanese ladies are focusing on their careers, pushing back marriage, and choosing not to spend all their money on having babies. • For the second year in a row, Boise, Idaho firefighters had to rescue a child who got his tongue stuck to a metal pole. The 10-year-old boy's tongue was bleeding a little after firefighters used a glass of warm water to free him, but at least he didn't shoot his eye out with a BB gun. •

• Reese Witherspoon is "a little strict" about her kids' Christmas presents, in order to ensure that they won't grow up super-spoiled. "I think kids do best when they only have a couple of things that they really enjoy," Witherspoon says, "I try and stay away from the gluttony of things. They don't appreciate it as much. When they only get one or two things they really like it." [People]

• However, Reese's daughter Ava has asked for a horse for Christmas, and Reese is still unsure as to whether she'll actually buy her one or not. [US Magazine]

• Perhaps Ava asked her father, Ryan Phillippe, to buy her a horse over Thanksgiving weekend, which she and her brother, Deacon, spent with Phillipe and his girlfriend, Abbie Cornish. Or maybe she should ask her mom's boyfriend, Jake Gyllenhaal, who spent Thanksgiving weekend with Reese in the United Kingdom.[JustJared]

• In any case, Reese has reason to celebrate: Four Christmases beat Twilight at the box office, taking in 15 million dollars. [EW]

• You may have to put your dreams of becoming Mrs. Legolas on hold: Orlando Bloom is reportedly engaged to model Miranda Kerr. [ONTD]

• Britney Spears performed once again; this time she hit up The X Factor. But was
  she (shock!) lip-synching? [DailyMail]

• Lip-synching or no, Britney's mother, Lynne Spears, thinks "Britney’s just ready to get started again. I think this is when she’s most in her element.”[TheSun]

• But! Britney was reportedly brought to tears while waiting to perform on the French television show Star Academy as a retrospective of her career flashed across the screen. Happy tears? Sad tears? At this point, it's anyone's guess. [ONTD]

• Roselyn Sanchez of Without A Trace married fellow actor Eric Winter on Saturday. [US Magazine]

• After seeing pictures of Sienna Miller out on the town with Leonardo DiCaprio and Josh Hartnett, Balthazar Getty reportedly flew to London "in the hope of a reconciliation." However, a source says, "They are keeping it very casual; they are not back together."[DailyMail]

• Is Guy Richie's Sherlock Holmes movie cursed? Several accidents on the set are leading some people to believe so. [TheSun]

• Country music star Taylor Swift is thankful for her family and friends: "I'm thankful that, even when it's raining, I've got people to count on." [People]

• "I admire any woman who has made it in this business and hasn't lost her marbles." - Eva Mendes[PageSix]

• Looks like Benji Madden isn't crying too hard over his breakup with Paris Hilton; he was spotted at an Adam Green concert saying, "I'm back!" to scenester Cory Kennedy. [PageSix]

• Pink has released her new video, "Sober," which chronicles the end of her party girl days. [E!]

• About 4,000 fans attended the "A Christmas Story" convention in Cleveland, which was put on to celebrate the classic holiday film's 25th anniversary. So far, there have been no confirmed reports of anyone shooting their eye out. [NYTimes]