News Headlines (86) 6 December 2012

► Syria has loaded chemical weapons into bombs; awaiting attack order from Assad -  By Eric Pfeiffer, Yahoo! News 

► Russia, Turkey discuss new ideas on Syria: Kremlin - By Alexei Anishchuk 

► Egypt descends into political turmoil - By Associated Press  

► Israel pushes settlement plan ahead; EU summons envoy - By Jeffrey Heller and Justyna Pawlak  

► Thai king's birthday marks time-out in Thailand's game of thrones - Though the royal institution once enjoyed a near-universal respect, recent political polarization has raised questions about the role of the monarchy and about the country's future after his reign. By Simon Roughneen | Christian Science Monitor 

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Vast crowds gather for Thai king's birthday. Published on Dec 5, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish - Ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej tells his devoted subjects he is confident they can unite the divided nation. Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay reports from Bangkok



► Christmas for Obama Bundlers - Michelle Malkin's column is released once a week. By Michelle Malkin  

 ► Mermaids: Are Mermaids real or not? - Who Knew? Videos :: It’s official: the US government has declared that mermaids aren’t real. But half-woman, half-fish creatures have been part of world mythology for centuries, inspiring storytellers -- and the Starbucks logo. (VIDEO)


► Below surface, moon is a battered, cracked heap - Associated Press

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New Stunning Nighttime Views of Earth Unveiled. Published on Dec 5, 2012 by AssociatedPress -Twinkling city lights, raging wildfires and colorful auroras are lit up in new dazzling nighttime views of the Earth. The new images released Wednesday are courtesy of a newly launched NASA-NOAA satellite. (Dec. 5) 

► Philippine storm toll passes 300 New 

ore than 300 die and hundreds are missing after Typhoon Bopha cut a swathe of devastation across the southern Philippines, officials say.
* 'Food, water, power the priority' - VIDEO
* In pictures: Typhoon Bopha
* Animated guide: Typhoons 

► Deadly Egypt constitution clashes

Three people die and 350 are injured in clashes in Egypt's capital, Cairo, as unrest grows over a controversial draft constitution.
* 'Ugly scene' in Cairo - VIDEO
* Mekki: 'Door open for dialogue' - VIDEO 

  ► 5 December 2012 - Burma camp for Rohingyas 'dire' - Valerie Amos

by PressTVGlobalNews

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'Myanmar government ignores rights of Rohingya Muslims'. Published on Nov 9, 2012 - Myanmar's government continues to ignore the basic human rights of the Rohingya Muslims, says a rights activist. Myanmar's government refuses to recognize Rohingya Muslims as citizens and labels them as "illegal" immigrants. More than 100,000 Rohingyas have been displaced since the sectarian violence broke out in June, according to the UN. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.  Press TV talks with Sarnata Reynolds, the program manager of Refugees International from Washington, regarding the issue. || ► Suu Kyi ignores Rohingyas plight: Mohamed Ibrahim. Published on Nov 5, 2012  - Myanmar Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has ignored the government's massacring of the Rohingya Muslims, an activist tells Press TV. The Myanmar government and its majority population refuse to recognize Rohingya Muslims as citizens and label the minority of about 800,000 as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh, an impoverished state that has shown no willingness to help the Rohingyas. Press TV has conducted an interview with Mohamed Ibrahim, media secretary of the European Rohingya Council, from Frankfurt, to further discuss the issue.



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World must be responsible for Rohingyas. Published on Nov 9, 2012 - A political analyst tells Press TV that the responsibility of supporting the minority Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has to be shared by the international community. The comments come after Rohingya organizations and activists around the world declared Nov. 8 a global day of action to draw attention to the ongoing plight of Muslims in Myanmar. Press TV has conducted an interview with Sarnata Reynolds, the program manager for statelessness at Refugees International, to further discuss the issue. || ► 'UK, Saudis after Myanmar sectarianism'. Published on Nov 1, 2012  - The alliance of the UK and the Saudi regime is fostering a sectarian conflict in Myanmar, says a political commentator. The comments come as earlier in the week Myanmar's President Thein Sein admitted that an extraordinary wave of ethnic and sectarian violence had targeted Rohingya Muslims in the west of the country. Press TV has conducted an interview with Mike Billington with the Executive Intelligence Review weekly magazine from Leesburg, Virginia to shed more light on the issue. He is joined by two additional guests: Randy Short with the Dignity, Human Rights and Peace Org from Washington and Adnan Rashid, historian and Islamic studies expert from London.

► Colombia Farc peace talks resume 

Negotiations aimed at ending five decades of conflict resume in Havana after a week's break, with rebels saying positions are still far apart.
* Q and A: Colombia peace talks
* Profiles: Colombia's armed groups

► 5 December 2012 - Grail satellites show Moon's violent history|  By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News, San Francisco 

The scale of the battering the Moon received early in its history is revealed in remarkable new data from two Nasa satellites.
* Nasa's gravity twins now circling Moon -  By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News 
* 6 September 2011- Probe pictures Moon landing sites By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News 

► Driving school for dogs in New Zealand. 5 December 2012  - A charity in New Zealand is teaching rescued dogs how to drive a car. The canine driving school is aimed at proving how intelligent the animals can be. Monty the giant schnauzer is among the novice drivers who have learned to control the brakes, gears and steering wheel. Bill Hayton reports. (VIDEO)

► Ekso exoskeleton: Helping the paralysed walk 
► Gamification: Is it game over?
► Gourmet goods on demand in LA 

► Nuclear Israel: The secret that is not. Published on Dec 5, 2012 by RussiaToday -The United Nations General Assembly is pressing Israel to reveal its nuclear arsenal. Israel has lashed out against the overwhelming approval of the resolution, which calls for international inspectors to be allowed to examine its atomic programme. Its foreign minister said the vote was meaningless. The country also rejected a UN-backed conference on a nuke-free Middle East. Israel denies it has nuclear weapons - but refuses to provide proof that it doesn't. RT's Paula Slier tried to lift the veil surrounding Israel's atomic programme. (VIDEO)

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US fails to force Iraq to proxy-police Iran flights to Syria. Published on Dec 5, 2012 by RussiaToday - Supporting the rebels is one thing though, but putting spokes in Assad's wheels is another. America's been demanding Iraq search Syria-bound planes for weapons, going so far as to call on it to ground all passing jets. But, to Washington's dismay, Baghdad hasn't been all that enthusiastic.



► 'Syria is not Libya' - Lavrov

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CrossTalk: Kurd State Soon? Published on Dec 5, 2012 by RussiaToday - ­Will the Kurdish people have a state of their own in the near future? With the Middle East in turmoil, can they exploit this instability? What are the chances of a positive outcome for Syria's Kurds? And will Turkey be forced to compromise on the Kurdish issue? CrossTalking with Edward Joseph, Ibrahim Dogus and Fevzi Bilgin.



► Egypt protest: Morsi advisors resign amidst reports of killings in Cairo violence
► Iran to take US to international court over intercepted spy drone
► Thousands of US troops arrive near Syrian shore on USS Eisenhower 
► NDAA 2013 still allows for military detention within the US
► Wings of a scandal: Saudi princes stopped trying to take rare falcons out of Russia
► Putin pledges further support for Russia's CIS allies 

► The Stream - Is Malaysia risking it all for rare earths?  Published on Dec 5, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish - Why environmental activists in Malaysia are fighting against the world's largest rare earths refinery.  (VIDEO)

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Obama invites US tribes to White House. Published on Dec 5, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish - Some of the 566 federally recognised tribes, such as the Navajo Nation in the southwestern US, are well-known, but others like the Si-letz tribe are much smaller.  Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports from Oregon.


► Inside Story - Election time in the land of the rising sun.  Published on Dec 5, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish - We look at the political struggles of an economic giant facing an uncertain future as elections draw near. Inside Story, with presenter , Kamahl Santamaria, is joined by guests: Michael Penn, president of the independent Shingetsu News Agency; Seijiro Takeshita, director of Mizuho International, the investment banking arm of Japan's Mizuho Financial Group; and Gerhard Fasol, CEO of Eurotechnology Japan, dealing with business in the country's technology sector. (VIDEO) 

Latest Headlines

■ Death Toll from Philippine Typhoon Rises to 325 
■ Guatemalan Police Arrest Software Guru McAfee
■ Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian Architect, Dies at 104 

■ Gregoire Sign Wash. Gay Marriage Law 

(I also have a few friends. Sissy. Generally, they are fun. Very entertaining. While I'm glad they can make me more happy. When I'm sad, they can console my sadness (even momentarily) with their characters ... Well, you know how it is. For example, in this video.... eh, what did you say? Sexy, you say? Sexy? Are you sure? Yaahhh...that's according to you. To me, you are very funny.)

■ Rupert Murdoch's Mother Elisabeth Dies at Age 103
■ School Records May Relate to Alleged Colo. Gunman
■ 18th-Century French Chateau Razed 'By Mistake' 
■ Democrats: Obama to Ask for $50 Billion Sandy Aid 
■ 48 Nations Join Forces to Fight Online Child Abuse
■ IOC Strips 4 Medals from 2004 Athens Olympics 
■ NYC Police Make Arrest in Fatal Subway Push 
■ Citigroup to Cut More Than 11,000 Jobs 
■ CNN: Western Sanctions Hamper Iran's Economy
■ CNNMoney: Weak November Jobs Report Possible 
■ CNN: The Year in Pictures 

► Don't Let Them Eat Cake: How Ethnic Tensions in China Explode on Streets

By Austin Ramzy
* Photos: The Shifting Sands of Xinjiang 
* After Xinjiang Riots, Ethnic Tensions Remain

► Capturing a 'U.S. Drone': What's Behind Iran's Claim

* Navy: No U.S. Drones Missing after Iran Allegation

► Viewpoint: Who's Afraid of the Egyptian Constitution?

* Military Unlikely to Intervene in Egypt's Power Struggle

► New York Subway Death: Why We Reach for Cameras in Disasters    
► Voyager 1 Reaches the Edge of the Solar System  
► Could Theme Parks Adopt Airline-Style Pricing?    
► How Much Should You Save for Retirement?
► Military Photos: A Month Inside the Armed Forces, November - By Tanner CurtisDec. 05, 2012
► Little Richard: Rare Photos of Rock and Roll’s Original Wild Man 
► David Goldblatt Revisits "On the Mines" 

► House GOP leadership very white and male, but why? 
► House to remain in session until 'fiscal cliff' resolved
► Coburn prefers rate hikes to capped deductions
► House extends Secret Service protection for former presidents

► Grammys 2013: Nominations have younger vibe with Frank Ocean, Fun. 

* Live coverage: Grammy nominations

By Todd Martens - Without Taylor Swift's "Red" in contention, and no 2012 album as successful as Adele's "21," which took home the album of the year prize in February, there is no obvious Grammy front-runner. So who will that clear the way for?

* Timeline: Grammy winners through the years

► C o m p a n i e s

* Netflix's Ted Sarandos: Disney deal a 'game changer'
* Fresh & Easy markets may be sold off
* 3,000 new Starbucks to open by 2017
* Starbucks offers $450 steel gift card
* More: Major worker walkouts of 2012 

► Apple iPhone 5S rumors already swirling 

► California: All of Mammoth Mountain set to open Friday

► Jazz legend Dave Brubeck dies at 91 - Pianist and composer Dave Brubeck won legions of fans over a six-decade career with his complex rhythms and harmonies. His quartet's 'Take Five' was the first million-selling jazz recording. 

► F R A M E W O R K

■ Pictures in the News | December 5, 2012 - Posted By: Marc Martin
■ Typhoon Bopha hammers Philippines  |  December 5, 2012 - Posted By: Marc Martin