News Headlines (99) 19 December 2012

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► Two Cups of Milk a Day Ideal for Children's Health, New Research Shows - Dec. 17, 2012 — New research has answered one of the most common questions parents ask their doctors: How much milk should I be giving my children? The answer is two cups per day. 

► World's oldest person dies aged 115 just 2 weeks after getting title (now Japanese man, also 115, takes over) - By Associated Press. PUBLISHED: 17 December 2012

► 'So long, Ebb and Flow': NASA crashes probes into moon - By CNN Staff | December 18, 2012 



► Martin Scorsese will make Bill Clinton documentary for HBO - By ALEX DICKINSON - Last Updated:  December 18, 2012 | Posted:  December 18, 2012 

► Asperger's not likely to make people violent, experts emphasize 

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Even more bets you will always win (ALL NEW). Published on Dec 16, 2012 by Quirkology



► Rewind YouTube Style 2012.  Published on Dec 17, 2012 by YouTube :: We invited some YouTubers to star in a mash-up of culturally defining moments of 2012. Can you spot all the references?





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Obama 'Actively' Supports Assault Weapons Ban. Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: The White House says President Barack Obama is "actively supportive" of efforts on Capitol Hill to reinstate an assault weapons ban. Obama has long backed the ban, but has failed to push for it throughout his first term. (Dec. 18)



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AP Sources: Progress Towards Fiscal Cliff Deal. Published on Dec 17, 2012 ::  Sources tell the AP that President Obama is moving closer to a deal with House Speaker John Boehner, in talks to avoid the fiscal cliff. The President's new proposals are said to bring the sides closer together. (Dec. 18)

► Congressional backing grows for gun control debate - By LARRY MARGASAK 

► Russia sends ships for possible Syria evacuation: agency - By Thomas Grove and Timothy Heritage 

► Russia may ease Muslim Brotherhood ban to boost Egypt ties - By Gabriela Baczynska 

► Top 10 fastest production cars Motor Trend has lapped around Laguna Seca

► Award-winning photos of microscopic worlds :: The Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition recognizes outstanding images of life science specimens captured through light microscopes, using any magnification, any illumination technique and any brand of equipment.(PHOTOS)

► Style winners 2012 - Our favorite red carpet moments of 2012. (PHOTOS) 

► Nelson Mandela - Nelson Mandela, South Africa's 94-year-old former president, is "looking much better" after being treated for a lung infection and gallstones, but will remain in hospital for the time being, the government said on Dec. 18. (PHOTOS) 

► Obama discusses crisis in Congo with Kagame -By KEN THOMAS 

► Ahmadinejad Says Western Sanctions Won't Stop Iran - ABC OTUS News

► China detains 500-plus people for doomsday rumors - Associated Press

(Just use a simple thought. Is on December 21 the world coming to an end? In what ways? Simultaneously and in parallel? What about the time differences between some areas of this earth? How many days are required for all of us will be destroyed together? Surely it's not on the same date, is it?)

► Newtown overwhelmed by media 

► Report condemns Benghazi failings

Security at the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi was "grossly inadequate" when an attack killed the US ambassador, an official report finds.
* Envoy admits Benghazi error /a>
* US security in Libya 'was cut'

► Nearest Sun-like star has planets 

Astronomers trawling through a mess of stellar data discover that Tau Ceti, our nearest single Sun-like star, hosts five planets - one in its "habitable zone".
* Exoplanet found 'just next door'
* New player in 'second Earth' hunt

► 19 December 2012 - S Koreans vote for new president

South Koreans are choosing between the daughter of a military strongman and son of North Korean refugees in presidential election seen as too close to call.
* South Korea's presidential rivals 
* South Koreans cast their ballots -VIDEO 
* Chaebol debate rages 
* N Korean defectors' chance to vote - VIDEO 

► Japan's Abe says party 'must achieve results' after win. 17 December 2012 - China has said it is highly concerned about Japan's future direction after the conservative opposition Liberal Democratic Party was voted into power with a big majority. The man expected to be prime minister, Shinzo Abe, a right-wing nationalist, has restated Japan's claims to disputed islands in the East China Sea. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports from Tokyo. (VIDEO) || NEWS - 17 December 2012 Japan's Abe says party 'must achieve results' after poll win || NEWS - 19 December 2012 Japan faces up to China's long shadow By Rupert Wingfield-Hayes BBC News, Tokyo

► 17 December 2012  - Shinzo Abe says his party must "move forward and achieve results" following its landslide election victory. The conservative Liberal Democratic Party won almost 300 seats and, with its coalition partner, looks set for a two-thirds majority in the lower house. The governing Democratic Party suffered major losses in Sunday's polls, with leader Yoshihiko Noda stepping down. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports. (VIDEO)

► 'Human error' blamed for Russian plane crash in Indonesia. 18 December 2012 - Indonesian officials investigating the crash of a Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft in May have blamed the incident on human error. All 45 people on board died when the plane - which was on its first promotional tour in Asia - hit the dormant Salak volcano in the Java mountains. Tom Santorelli reports. (VIDEO)

► 19 December 2012 - Chavez 'stable after infection'

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is stable after overcoming a respiratory infection following his cancer surgery, according to government officials.
*  Profile: Hugo Chavez
* Venezuela faces up to Chavez succession

► Thousands of turtles released into Bolivian river. 18 December 2012  - More than 120,000 baby turtles have been released in to a river in Bolivia in an attempt to boost the area's turtle population.  The turtles - which can reach up to a metre in length - have been extensively hunted for their meat and eggs. Bill Turnbull and Susannah Reid report. (VIDEO)

► 18 December 2012 - Coal to equal oil as world's top energy source within 10 years |   By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News 

The International Energy Agency says coal will catch oil as the world's leading energy source by 2022.
* Coal resurgence calls undermine clean energy commitments
* German coal power revival poses new threat

► Why we want to feast on food 

► Different Disneylands around the world 

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Missing in the Mansion: Disneyland proposal goes horribly wrong in The Haunted Mansion. Published on Oct 29, 2012 by dawsbrothers. Disneyland proposal goes horribly wrong in The Haunted Mansion. On July 6, 2012, three friends went missing. They were last seen at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. A Cast Member working in Lost & Found discovered a camera that belonged to them containing the following footage. It has not been altered in any way."

► Gift guide 2012: Experiences 

► Will we ever… have cyborg brains?

► Your Grandchildren will be Cyborgs. Published on Oct 10, 2012 TheAlexJonesChannel :: A new CNN article predicts that within 75 years people will have embedded microchips within their brain that will allow their behavior to be controlled by a third party.

The story, entitled Smartphone of the future will be in your brain, offers a semi-satirical look at transhumanism and the idea of humans becoming part cyborg by having communications devices implanted in their body. Predicting first the widespread popularity of wearable smartphones, already in production by Google, the article goes on to forecast how humans will communicate by the end of the century.

"Technology takes a huge leap in 75 years. Microchip can be installed directly in the user's brain. Apple, along with a handful of companies, makes these chips. Thoughts connect instantly when people dial to "call" each other. But there's one downside: "Advertisements" can occasionally control the user's behavior because of an impossible-to-resolve glitch. If a user encounters this glitch — a 1 in a billion probability — every piece of data that his brain delivers is uploaded to companies' servers so that they may "serve customers better."

► Animal Urges: Bestiality banned by Bundestag amid zoophilia rise. Published on Dec 16, 2012 :: Germany's lower house has passed a ban on bestiality, which has been considered technically lawful in the country since 1969. The act has split the nation, as some complain the decree would make gossip enough to land one with a hefty fine. (VIDEO)  || NEWS -Animal urges: Bestiality ban passes Bundestag. Published: 14 December, 2012 -Edited: 14 December, 2012

► Beaten & Sodomized: CIA found guilty of torture by European Court. Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: The European Court of Human Rights found the CIA guilty of torturing a terror suspect for the first time ever. A German citizen was illegally detained, tortured and sodomized by a CIA "rendition team' after being mistaken for an al-Qaeda member.  Author and historian, Doug Valentine says that this is unlikely to happen due to the CIA's clandestine culture and status. (VIDEO) ||  NEWS - Beaten and sodomized: European human rights court finds CIA guilty of torture - Published: 14 December, 2012 

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Mystery of Stalin's Death (RT Documentary).  Published on Dec 16, 2012 :: This Soviet figure was probably one of the most prolific leaders the world has ever known. He led the Soviet Union to victory during the Second World War, though many suffered greatly under his rule. His personal life was complicated, and the circumstances surrounding his death still remain a secret. He was the man with an iron heart: Joseph Stalin. || The Motherland Calls: Russia's symbol of victory (RT documentary :: http://rtd.rt.com/). Published on May 20, 2012 :: She stands 52 meters tall: six meters taller than the famous symbol of the United States. She weighs 8,000 tons. The Guinness Book of Records called her the tallest sculpture in the world at the time of construction. Two hundred steps, symbolizing the 200 days of the Battle of Stalingrad, lead from the bottom of the hill to the monument. She is Russia's symbol of victory! The Motherland calls on RT!


■ RT Documentary 
■ rtd.rt.com 
► The Hell of a Christmas: Holiday joy or another shopping addiction? Published on Dec 16, 2012 :: Is Christmas still a Christmas? RT's "The Resident" Lori Harfenist talks about that to people in New York. (VIDEO)

► 'US Mid-East blunder a lesson not to start WW3 with Iran'. Published on Dec 16, 2012 :: RT's Egor Piskunov interviews Iranian academic Seyed Hossein Mousavian about future of US Middle East policy. (VIDEO) 

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Fire, Lava & Smoke: Stunning video of erupting Russian volcano. Published on Dec 16, 2012 :: A volcano which started erupting in far east Russia late last month continued to spew lava, plumes of ash and smoke into the air on Sunday. The volcano has attracted tourists to the region despite temperatures down to minus 30 Celsius (minus 86 Fahrenheit). Local residents and tourists have been warned by authorities against visiting the area, citing the danger of hot lava and poisonous gases that come to the surface during the eruption.



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Ragged Revolution: Post-Arab Spring anger mounts 2 years on. Published on Dec 17, 2012 :: And as Egypt continues to be gripped by instability, it's just one of the countries still feeling the effects of the Arab Spring. The regional string of revolts has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, and brought down several regimes - with no sign of it stopping. Some of those who helped usher in the changes then, say they're no better off now - as RT's Irina Galushko reports.



► CrossTalk: Fat Tax. Published on Dec 17, 2012 :: Is a 'fat tax' the way to fight obesity? Would taxing fatty foods strike a balance between healthcare, government and private sector interests? Can you really eat less when you're bombarded with junk food propaganda? And what about thin people -- why should they pay more for a doughnut? CrossTalking with Meme Roth, Donnica Moore and Jeff Steir. (VIDEO) 

► US Boots in Bulgaria? 'Foreign troops threat to sovereignty, benefit elites only'. Published on Dec 17, 2012 :: It's being reported that Bulgaria has invited the US to send troops to its territory. One Bulgarian daily newspaper says Washington has already pumped around 60 million dollars into rebuilding a training range in the country's East. The government in Sofia says this will help boost regional security and assist with the training of its soldiers. Anti-war activist Brian Becker says the US is seeking to extend its influence in eastern Europe. (VIDEO) 

► Settlements Snarl: 'Israel gambles on US protection from intl law'.  Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: Israel says it will go ahead with plans to build 1500 new settler homes in East Jerusalem - the part of the city that's considered Palestinian land. The project was given an intermediate green light by Israeli officials on Monday. This comes less then a month after the UN granted Palestine non-member observer status. Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of a future Palestinian state, and are promising to raise the issue at a Security Council meeting. Author and historian Gerald Horne says that with Palestine's recent upgrade, Israel's playing a risky game. (VIDEO)

► Gun control debate reignited as US mourns Newtown school shooting victims.  Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: As the relatives of the 26 victims of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting mourn their loss, the argument over gun control laws in the US is back in the spotlight. RT's Anastasia Churkina went to Newtown, Connecticut, to find out what people there think. (VIDEO) 

► American adoption in Russia: To ban or not to ban? Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: Russia's Foreign minister believes it's wrong to ban Americans from adopting Russian children, but said the U.S. should take responsibility for any that are sent there. The freeze could be part of Moscow's response to Washington's travel and financial restrictions on Russian officials, implicated in the death of lawyer Sergey Magnitsky in 2009. RT's Yegor Piskunov reports. (VIDEO) 

► Next door 'democracies' more dangerous for Israel than deposed dictatorships? Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: With Israel increasingly isolated by the international community over its expansion policy - the Arab Spring means the country is becoming surrounded by potentially hostile governments. Which makes some Israelis say the deposed dictatorships were a safer bet for the country than the new democracies near its borders. RT's Paula Slier reports. (VIDEO)

► Obama to support ban on assault weapon sales
► After the massacre: Major firm sells stake in rifle makers Bushmaster while gun sales surge
► Russian warships set sail to Mediterranean amid possible Syria evacuation
► FBI won't charge Petraeus mistress
► Instagram's 'suicide note': Company to sell users' photos
► Parts for Patriot missile batteries arrive in Turkey
► One in six worldwide has no religion - study
► Beijing bans Mao created by Warhol
► US drastically expanding military presence in the Philippines 
► US seeks 'world supremacy' through advanced weapons - Security Chief

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Afghan refugees at risk in cold winter. Published on Dec 18, 2012 ::  More than two million Afghans are at risk from cold and malnutrition this winter. The worst off are those who have fled violence and poverty and are living in temporary camps across the country. Last year thirty refugees, mainly children, froze to death in makeshift camps scattered around Kabul. The UN has appealed for help but has only managed to raise less than half of the $448m it asked for. Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reports from Kabul, Afghanistan.



► Economy key issue in South Korea elections. Published on Dec 17, 2012 :: South Koreans will vote in a new president on Wednesday. It will be the economy that takes centre stage as polls show growing opposition to the business elite. The presidential candidates - both liberal and conservative - are talking about explanding South Korea's comparatively small welfare system. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul, South Korea. (VIDEO) 

► S Koreans vote in tight presidential election. Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: South Koreans have started casting their votes in a potentially historic presidential election that could result in Asia's fourth-largest economy getting its first female leader. Polling stations opened on Tuesday, with polls showing a tight race between ruling conservative party candidate Park Geun-Hye and her liberal rival from the main opposition party, Moon Jae-In. Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul. (VIDEO)

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Colombia peace talks focus on land issues. Published on Dec 17, 2012 :: The unequal distribution of land has been a major factor in the Colombian conflict for five decades. In the last twenty years alone, an area bigger than Switzerland has been stolen or abandoned as a result of it. Land reform is the first point of the ongoing peace talks between the government and the biggest rebel group, FARC. Each side differs on models for rural development. But both agree this the issue that needs to be resolved before the country can advance towards peace. Al Jazeera's Alessandro Rampietti reports from Mampujan in Colombia.



► California sees signs of economic rebound. Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: There are better economic signs in California following a five year long downturn. The US's largest state has had some of the country's worst employment and housing figures.  Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports from Los Angeles. (VIDEO)

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Inside Story - Where will Abe be leading Japan? Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: We look at the national and regional implications of the electoral win of Japan's opposition Liberal Democratic Party. In this episode Inside Story with presenter Dareen Abughaida will be discussing the implications of Abe's return to power on an already-volatile region, with guests: Okubo Takuji, the chief economist at Japan Macro Advisors; Andrew Leung, the CEO of Andrew Leung International Consultants; and Arthur Stockwin, a fellow and professor, and former director of the Nissan Institute for Japanese Studies at University of Oxford.



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Banana more resistant to climate change: Scientists. Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: The banana could soon replace many crops as a staple food source. Scientists say the fruit is more resistant to climate change than others. Bananas thrive in southern India's tropical climate - the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka produce more than 27 million tonnes of the fruit a year. Farmers in India are already recognising it as the most reliable source of income. Al Jazeera's Sohail Rahman reports from Hoseharrli in Karnataka, India.



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Fault Lines - The battle for the Sinai. Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: Fault Lines looks at the changing US-Egyptian relationship through the lens of the Sinai peninsula, a crucible for geopolitical tensions in the region.



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Obama backs assault weapons ban. Published on Dec 18, 2012 :: The White House has said that President Barack Obama is "actively supportive" of efforts in the US Congress to reinstate an assault weapons ban. White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Tuesday that Obama would also support legislation to close the gun show "loophole", which allows people to buy guns from private dealers without background checks. The president has pledged to address gun violence in the coming weeks following Friday's deadly shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that killed 26 people, including 20 children and six adults.  Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports.

Latest Headlines

■ UBS to Pay $1.5 Billion to Settle Interest Rate Case 
■ French Court Reviews Strauss-Kahn Pimping Charges
■ Israeli Arabs Unenthusiastic About Jan. 22 Vote
■ Benghazi Review Finds Systematic Security Faults
■ Syria Rebels Fear Chemical Weapons
■ Chavez Has Respiratory Infection, Now 'Controlled'
■ Israel to Face New Condemnation for Settlements
■ Mexico Says Some 80 Cartels at Work in Country 
■ Irish Government to Legalize Life-Saving Abortion
■ NRA Promises to Help Prevent School Shootings
■ Lawmakers Await Review on Benghazi Attacks 
■ Judge Denies Apple Request to Ban Samsung Phones
■ Leahy Sworn in as President Pro Tempore of Senate
■ CNN: Instagram Users Revolt over New Rules
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► The Burden of History: A Divided South Korea Heads to the Polls

By Emily Rauhala
* History's Child: Park Geun-hye
* South Korea: One of the World's Great Success Stories Heads to the Polls

► Zenit's Nadir: Russian Team's Fans Call for Whites-Only Policy

* Italian Soccer Player Balotelli Opens Up to TIME

► Mali's Crisis: Is the Plan for Western Intervention 'Crap'? 

* Mali's Militiamen: A Country Split in Two Readies for War

► Unfiltered: Photographers React to New Instagram Terms
► How NBC's Richard Engel Emerged from Syrian Captivity 
► Zuma Re-elected: More of the Same in South Africa

► Person of the Year 2012: TIME's Short List 

* TIME's Person of the Year, from 1927 to 2011
* Everything You Wanted to Know about TIME's Person of the Year

► 2012: A Year of Deja Vu (PHOTOS)

► TIME Picks the Top Photographic Magazine Covers of 2012 

► LIFE With Hubert Alyea: The Science Teacher You Wish You Had

► Hubert N. Alyea: "Atomic energy, weapon for peace," 1955. Uploaded on Jul 9, 2010 :: From the Princeton University Archives: Television program in which chemistry professor Hubert N. Alyea explains the atomic bomb using chemistry demonstrations. The program was part of the series "Princeton '55, an Exploration into Education through Television," broadcast by NBC in cooperation with Princeton University.

► On somber anniversary, Biden copes with a new loss 
► Reid: No 'Plan B' on 'fiscal cliff,' even as a last-ditch effort   

■ What is a "fiscal cliff" of the U.S.? Dmitry Demidenko 

► Obama backs Feinstein gun control initiative, aides say
► Sen. Feinstein expected to head Judiciary Committee
► Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg gives $500 million in stock to charity 

► Year in review: Animal stories -Pandas, dogs, seals, horses and more -- 2012 has had its share of animal tales. We've assembled 10 this year's most memorable.(PHOTOS)

► 2012 endings (PHOTOS) : What we'll miss most - It's so hard to recall in December things that happened in January. Don't believe me? Look at the Oscars; filmmakers and distributors try to cram their new releases into the last two months of the year, fearful that January is as distant as 1776 in the minds of Oscar voters. So here's a little trolling through spotty memory lane to note and lament some matters of heft and moment that we will say goodbye to along with 2012 itself. -- Patt Morrison 

► Photos: Your top cookies, your winning bakers 
► In a world of change, dancing puppets still delight
► Last minute photography Christmas gift ideas 
► Pictures in the News | Dec. 18, 2012