News Headlines (103) 23 December 2012

ONLINE TODAY

► Soccer Team Putting Fans' Names on Game Jerseys || YAHOO - Real Sociedad to wear names of fans in place of shirt sponsor 




► Believers vs Beliebers: Pope Benedict XVI beats Justin Bieber in Twitter war setting new record for re-tweets per follower. The Pope beat teen singer to most re-tweets in relation to number of followers. Pope Benedict XVI has only had a Twitter account for eight days - By Sara Malm | Published :  21 December 2012 

► Every inch the snow bunny! Paris Hilton gets romantic in a winter wonderland with boyfriend River Viiperi- By Daily Mail Reporter | PUBLISHED: 20 December 2012  

► Don't take it personally, grandma: When kids don't warm up to holiday visitors - Dec. 19, 2012

► Is the obesity epidemic caused by too much sugar? 18 December 2012 by Luc Tappy, contributor 

► Celebrity weddings of 2012 


► Alabama woman slept through tornado ripping off part of roof, damaging much of her home. Published December 21, 2012 - Associated Press 

► Woman Sleeps Through Tornado Ripping Off Roof Published on Dec 21, 2012 by  AssociatedPress :: An Alabama woman said Friday she fell asleep on the couch and didn't realize a tornado had ripped off part of her roof and damaged most of the home until firefighters and neighbors came to check on her. (Dec. 21)



► Best & Worst Dressed of 2012: Rihanna, Madonna & More - by Gregory DelliCarpini Jr. |  December 20, 2012 

► Last minute Christmas gift ideas for her  

► Eye-Shadow Pencils for Eye-Makeup-Lazy Women - By Christina Han 

► From Mobile Phone to Alien Plant Hunter - Dec. 17, 2012 — Mobile phone users are being urged to help fight the spread of invasive plants across the UK -- by downloading PlantTracker. The new app has already attracted 7,000 downloads and alerted ecologists to 2,500 sites where key invasive species have been spotted.

► Potentially Habitable Planet Detected Around Nearby Star- by Mike Wall, SPACE.com Senior Writer | Date: 19 December 2012






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Obamas Urge Nation to Thank Veterans.  Published on Dec 22, 2012 :: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are wishing Americans a Merry Christmas and happy holidays in the president's weekly radio and Internet address. (Dec. 22)

After the president, I see there's a woman next to the president. He puts her figure is very significant in his life. So, who's a higher degree among them? Maybe there's nothing to compare them, because they have been fused. They are complementary to each other. One thing for sure, this is a combination of tenderness of a woman and a man power.

Hmmm,...how beautiful this world when its dynamics are guided by the power based on tenderness.

► Final Day of Funerals For Newtown Shooting Victims - By Alyssa Newcomb | ABC News Blogs 

► North Korea could have U.S. within missile range, says South - By Ju-min Park | Reuters 

► Obama starts Hawaiian vacation, leaving Washington on ice - By Mark Felsenthal | Reuters  

► Russia: Syrian chemical weapons under control - Associated Press 

► Russia: Syrian chemical weapons under control - Associated Press 

► Syrian civil war at stalemate, Assad won't go: RussiaBy Dominic Evans | Reuters 

► Israel says Syria chemical weapons are secure for now

► Putin: Russia no defender of Syrian president. Putin: Russia wants democratically elected government in Syria | Associated Press –  Fri, Dec 21, 2012 

Russia Assad. Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006

President Barack Obama and Russia’n President Vladimir Putin during the G20 Summit in Los Cabos 2012, Mexico. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
► Russia's Putin denies propping up Assad - By AFP | AFP –  Thu, Dec 20, 2012 

► Photo gallery: Bad Santa Photos 

► Egyptian constitution 'approved'

Egyptians appear to have voted in favour of a deeply divisive new constitution, unofficial and preliminary referendum results suggest.
* Egypt vote 'shows Islamist power' New
* Emerging split in Egypt  - VIDEO
* Feud unsettles Egypt
* Constitutions compared

► N Koreans 'have 10,000km rocket'

North Korea's has the ability to fire a rocket more than 10,000km, theoretically putting the Western US in range, South Korean officials say.
* North Korea's missile programme
* In pictures: N Korea celebrates rocket 

► 23 December 2012 - The rise of ironic Christmas jumpers | By Jon Kelly BBC News Magazine, Washington DC

► 'I dream in Lego': How to make a giant advent calendar from building blocks. 22 December 2012 -  Duncan Titmarsh, a father of two and former builder, is the only person in the UK who can call himself a "Lego Certified Professional" - a title that he shares with just 12 other people around the world.  He heads a team of people that build structures and sculptures from the building blocks, and this year they have been tasked with creating a giant Lego advent calendar for London's Covent Garden market made from over 600,000 bricks. BBC News went to meet him and followed the process from construction to installation. Video journalist: Suraj Patel || NEWS -  4 December 2012 - How w tall can a Lego tower get? By Ruth Alexander BBC News

► North-south route for China's bullet train. 23 December 2012 - The world's longest high-speed train route will start operating in China on Wednesday after the completion of final tests. The Beijing to Guangzhou bullet train is expected to complete the trip between northern and southern China in less than eight hours, with further plans to connect to Hong Kong in the future. The BBC's Matthew Stadlen reports. (VIDEO)

► Tunisia's Ben Ali's riches go on sale. 23 December 2012 - Luxury goods once belonging to the ousted Tunisian leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and his family have been put up for auction. Around 40 top-of-the-range cars are being sold off, as well as gold and diamond jewellery and furnishings. The former leader was forced into exile two years ago, in the first uprising of what became known as the Arab Spring. Russell Trott reports. (VIDEO)

► 'Syria has a very dangerous stockpile of chemical weapons' - US Congressman. 22 December 2012  - Congressman Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, speaks to the BBC's Frank Gardner about US concerns over Syria's weapons. He said they had a "very dangerous stockpile of chemical weapons", and some of them had been put in the condition that they could be used "at a moment's notice". (VIDEO)

► Hugo Chavez may be 'too ill' to be sworn in. 23 December 2012  - President Hugo Chavez may not be fit enough to be sworn in for a new term in office next month, according to the leader of the Venezuelan Congress, Diosdado Cabello. President Chavez is due to be sworn on 10 January for a fourth term, but following cancer surgery in Cuba, there are doubts he will be well enough to take up the post. Sarah Grainger reports from Caracas. (VIDEO)

► 07 December 2012 - Guide guide 2012: Clothing 

► 21 December 2012 - The world’s last great wilderness 

► 21 December 2012  - Your highlights of 2012 in pictures 

► 22 December 2012 - Do American guns kill Mexicans? By Will Grant BBC News, Mexico 

► American home for Russian kids: A curse or a blessing? Published on Dec 22, 2012 :: Russia's Lower House of Parliament has passed a bill banning all adoptions of Russian children by Americans. It's part of a larger document aimed at preventing human rights abuses of Russians abroad. Gayane Chichakyan looks at the cases which raised the alarm with lawmakers. (VIDEO)  ||  NEWS - Adequate or faulty? Russian lawmakers vote for US adoption ban amid criticism

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'Neo-Nazism on the rise in EU'. Published on Dec 23, 2012 :: "More and more young people fall under the influence of right-wing and extremist ideas in Europe. Neo-Nazism is on the rise - not only in the Baltic states, but also some other European states, which is a challenge especially in the prevailing economic conditions when quite a number of people cannot find jobs and don't have access to proper education," Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian Foreign Ministry Commissioner for Human Rights told RT.  || NEWS - 'Neo-Nazism on the rise in EU' – top Russian FM official



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Sparkling Shame: Cash spent on Christmas decor could end US homelessness. Published on Dec 23, 2012 :: The spirit of Christmas isn't just a good feeling, it's a multi-billion dollar industry. Lights, tinsel, decorations all make for a pretty sight, but sometimes, they obscure those less fortunate.



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Sochi 2014: Paralympic Champions (RT Documentary). Published on Dec 23, 2012 ::  These people may be a little different from the familiar image of Olympic champions. They are disabled, but it does not stop them from winning medals, training hard and becoming the pride of their families and country. RT met with some of Russia's most famous paralympic athletes to learn their story and to find out that people with disabilities have in fact unlimited abilities.



► FBI gun control database resembles Swiss cheese

► N. Korea develops missiles capable of reaching US – Seoul

► Early results suggest Egyptian constitution approved in referendum 

► The West 'prays' Russia and China will continue blocking Syria action 

ehehhe ... I could not help giggling, ... "prays", ... prays? can only pray? ehehhee.....

► White House web petition calls for US blacklisting of Russian lawmakers

► After defeat in California, New Mexico takes on Monsanto and GMO producers

► Doomsday paranoia triggers private asteroid hunt  

► 'I don't care what the UN says!' Netanyahu vows to continue illegal settlement activity 

hahahhaa ... I could not help laughing out loud.

► Red flowers for Stalin's birthday  ....

Haa...Happy Birthday!...

►
Gun lobbying group says more guns are the answer. Published on Dec 21, 2012 :: America's powerful gun lobby, The National Rifle Association wants armed guards at every school in the US. The NRA rejected the notion that curbs on weapons would protect children. The NRA comments come a week after the Connecticut school shooting, when Adam Lanza killed 20 young children. Al Jazeera's John Terrett reports from Washington DC.



► 'Gangnam Style' gallops into internet history. Published on Dec 22, 2012 :: South Korean rapper Psy made social media history when his viral hit song, "Gangnam Style", became the first video on YouTube to reach one billion views. The song, first posted on YouTube on July 15, clocked the billion milestone on Friday, and the video-sharing website marked the occasion with a dancing Psy doodle next to their logo. Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker reports. (VIDEO)

► Apocalypse revellers flock to Mayan temples. Published on Dec 22, 2012 :: December 21 was supposed to be the end of the world as we know it. To mark the event, hundreds of people descended on Mexico's ancient Mayan monuments, predicting the apocalypse. Al Jazeera's Rachael Levin reports from Chichen Itza in Mexico. (VIDEO)

► Counting the Cost - 2012: A financial retrospective. Published on Dec 22, 2012 :: The year has seen new faces take on some old problems, but what has been achieved and does 2013 look any brighter? Kamahl Santamaria speaks to guests Rajiv Biswas in Zurich, he is the Asia Chief Economist at IHS - a global market information and analytics company and author of a new book called Future Asia; in London, Razia Khan, the head of research on Africa at Standard Chartered; and out of Stockholm, the CEO of Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson, Hans Vestberg with us. (VIDEO)

► Inside Story - Thailand: Tightening the screws on migrants? Published on Dec 22, 2012 :: We ask if new labour laws abuse the rights of migrant workers or are simply a bid to fight illegal immigration. Inside Story, with presenter Hazem Sika, discusses the plight of migrant workers with guests: Sean Boonpracong, an international adviser to trade representatives in the prime minister's office; Rajiv Biswas, a senior director and Asia-Pacific chief economist with IHS Global Insight, an economic and financial analysis company; and Phil Robertson, a deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch. (VIDEO)

► Inside Story Americas - Is the US coal industry in trouble? Published on Dec 22, 2012 :: We look at how changing attitudes and economics are affecting the once-staple of American energy production. Shihab Rattansi speaks to Mike Elk, a labour journalist for the independent newsmagazine, "In these Times"; Robert Gardner, the coal campaigner for Greenpeace USA; and Alli Welton, one of the organisers of the Divest Harvard campaign. (VIDEO)

► South2North - Leading in a man's world. Published on Dec 22, 2012 :: South2North meets two women who are challenging leadership stereotypes. Joining us from Washington DC, is the former French finance minister and also the first female head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, who was recently described by Forbes Magazine as the 8th most powerful woman in the world. One of the areas of life worldwide where women have struggled to be treated equally is religion of course. In October this year, the Church of England voted controversially not to allow women bishops to be ordained. There is talk now that that decision may be reviewed but in the meantime, in Southern Africa we have led the way. A few days after the Church of England's decision, the church's Southern Africa body consecrated its first female Bishop, Ellinah Wamukoya. We talk to her about the challenges facing her.  (VIDEO)

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Hollywood responds to gun violence allegations. Published on Dec 23, 2012 :: Several prominent Hollywood celebrities have participated in an online campaign with a simple message against gun violence: Enough. Several film and television production companies have also cancelled screenings of films and television shows which feature gun play and killing. This is in response to the recent school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports from Los Angeles. Hollywood responds to gun violence allegation.

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■ Deal Reached to Reopen NM Peanut Butter Plant 
■ CNN: Sandy Hook Victims Remembered
■ CNNMoney: Stocks Fall on Fiscal Cliff Fears

► The Year in Silhouettes: A Photo a Day for 2012

By Phil Bicker

* The 10 Most Surprising Photos from 2012
* TIME's Wire Photographer of the Year: Marco Longari
* The Year's Best Magazine Covers 
* The 10 Best Photos of 2012 

► Remembering Sandy Hook Victim Dylan Hockley

* NRA on Newtown: America Needs More 'Good Guys' with Guns

► Egypt's Draft Charter Gets 'Yes' Majority in Vote

* As Egypt Votes, National Unity Nowhere in Sight

► Obama Seeks Scaled-Down 'Fiscal Cliff' Agreement 
► Could Scott Brown Take John Kerry's Senate Seat?
► This Is 40 Review: This Film Is 40 Minutes Too Long    
► How Not to Spoil Your Kids over the Holidays
► Late-Night Laughs: The 6 Best Comedy Clips of the Week 
► Inside a Nazi Christmas Party, 1941

► In a hurry-up world, movies take their time
By Rebecca Keegan and John Horn - Films lasting more than 2 1/2 hours are proliferating this holiday season. These epics include "The Hobbit," "Lincoln" and "Les Miserables."

* Videos: A guide to holiday movies 

► Last minute photography Christmas gift ideas 

► Minnesota is missing its moose || PHOTOS

► Yukon Moose Hunt 2012

6 PICTURES TODAY

A demonstrator (C) throws back a tear gas canister fired by fired by police near the presidential palace during a protest rally in New Delhi Dec. 22, 2012. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood || VIDEO :: Police fire water cannon at India rape protesters

Mount Lokon spews volcanic ash during an eruption in Tomohon in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province Dec. 17, 2012. Indonesia's Mount Lokon, which has erupted 800 times since July, erupted to spew hot lava and volcanic ash as high as 3,000 metres in the north of Sulawesi island, a government official said on Monday. REUTERS/Stringer

Palestinians dressed up as Santa Claus take part in a parade ahead of Christmas near Jerusalem's Old City December 16, 2012. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

A Ferris wheel is seen as part of Christmas activities on Massena square in central Nice on December 18, 2012. (REUTERS/Eric Gaillard)

Four-time apnea diving world champion Frenchman Pierre Frolla, dressed as Santa Claus, swims with fish in an aquarium at the Oceanic Museum of Monaco on December 21, 2012. (REUTERS/Eric Gaillard)

Window cleaners dressed as Santa Claus work during an event promoting Christmas at a hotel in the business district of Tokyo on December 20, 2012. (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)