News Headlines (115) 4 January 2013

ONLINE TODAY

► Language Learning Begins in Utero, Study Finds; Newborn Memories of Oohs and Ahs Heard in the Womb. Jan. 2, 2013 — Newborns are much more attuned to the sounds of their native language than first thought. In fact, these linguistic whizzes can up pick on distinctive sounds of their mother tongue while in utero, a new study has concluded.

► Babies Learn Language Basics While Still in Womb. A new study shows that children begin learning vowels in their native language while still in the womb. By Amber Moore | Jan 02, 2013

To my fiance I said that I would like to know when our baby was really crying. Indeed, every day we always hear him crying (for example, when I change his diaper, when he's thirsty, while being washed), but I always translate his cries as the language of communication, because he has not understood vocabulary yet.

Every now and then I try to catch his ​​reaction every time we hear our baby is crying (with his distinctive voice, of course, and this requires a new adaptation as we have become parents) and no hesitate to interrupt all the things we are doing together, (such as talking, eating, making love) I just always find a sweet smile of a man who no longer can I have him completely, because he now belongs to our baby as well.

Whoa! What do you mean by his sweet smile, Cisca? It depends. When we're watching TV, it can mean, "Let me handle him," (though what he means by "handle" is a look for a moment what happens to our baby, then he will be back to report to me, then in the end he thinks I am more skilled to solve all the problems related to our baby, and his assumption can mean a smooth command to me,) but after we made ​​love, there's no other meaning of his smile than "Honey, .... now it's your turn." And he looks like a giant baby in our bed.
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► Dr Richard Kent - Babies in the Womb. Uploaded on Jun 7, 2011 :: Babies in the Womb - an interview with Dr Richard Kent



► Springsteen to be honored as MusiCares person of the year. Jan. 2, 2013 (Reuters) — U.S. rocker Bruce Springsteen has been named MusiCares' 2013 Person of the Year in recognition of his artistic achievements as well as his philanthropic work, the Recording Academy said on Wednesday.  Springsteen, 63, will be honored at a February 8 gala in Los Angeles hosted by comedian Jon Stewart and held in conjunction with the annual Grammy Awards, the recording world's most prestigious honors which will be handed out on February 10. 



By journeymanpictures
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Damage Control - USA. Published on Sep 10, 2012 :: What would you do if you found yourself in the middle of a mass shooting? In the US they're spending a fortune to answer this question for people living in fear of an attack but wanting to keep their guns.

A man dressed all in black pulls a gun from his bag and shoots three people in seconds. Then the narrator's voice comes over the video: "Your survival may depend on whether you have a plan." This is a $200,000 training video that has been developed to help people survive what the US calls an 'active shooter event'. It's the city of Houston's answer to the problem in a country where gun sales are up 20 per cent on last year and there is less support than ever before for stricter gun laws. "Most of the time I carry this Springfield XD nine millimetre. It's a smaller firearm," Sharon says. She's an ordinary housewife, but she represents an increasing number of Americans who feel guns provide safety and not a threat. So as gun laws seem likely to remain the same, it falls to the police to provide instructions on how to survive attacks. "The goal is not just to nurse the problem, but to actually solve it," officer Chris Paine tells us. Though on past record it seems unlikely the number of shootings in the US is going to decrease any time soon.



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Asia's Arms Race - China. Published on Jun 11, 2012 :: Obama backs Philippines as tensions with China intensify


Towards the establishment of ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, China has intensified on gaining the number of nations in Southeast Asia.

In Cambodia, two Chinese companies have recently agreed to build high-speed rail line along the 400 kilometers, the steel mills and ports. Chinese investment for the three projects worth U.S. $ 11.2 billion. Of that amount, U.S. $ 9.6 billion is allocated for the railway construction that connects the steel mills in the province of Preah Vihear in the north and the port on the southern island of Koh Kong.

Cambodia Iron and Steel Mining Industry Group, China firm based in PhnomPenh, handing rail network development to China Railway Group. According to the Director of Cambodia Iron and Steel Mining, Zhang Chuan Li, construction is expected to be completed next four years.

The process of the first groundbreaking for the train line will be done at the end of this month and the construction of a steel plant in Preah Vihear will begin in July. The project is believed to be able to boost the economy of four provinces covered by the pathway.

"There is a huge demand for the transport of mining materials for export to China and the world," Zhang said, Wednesday (1/2) ago. The project was made ​​Peter Brimble, a senior economist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) stunned. "It's definitely the largest project ever conducted in Cambodia."

In addition to Cambodia, China to invest in the construction of a rail along the 418 kilometers from Kunming, capital of Yunnan province to the capital city of Laos, Vientiane. The project cost is quite fantastic: U.S. $ 7 billion, or approximately U.S. $ 1 billion of Laos annual economic activity value.

Yolanda Fernandez Lommen, an economist for the ABD in Beijing assessing the smooth transportation in Cambodia and Laos are very crucial for China since China relies heavily on the natural resources of Southeast Asia in order to boost its exports.

She explained that until now European countries, U.S., and Japan has become the biggest trading partner for China. "But the Southeast Asia in geo-economic context plays an important role for China, an important partner both in trade and investment perspective, "she added.

So it's not surprising that in the China plan, rapid rail will be built through dozens of tunnels and bridges to connect the south of China to Bangkok and then to the Gulf of Bengal, Myanmar. If that is achieved, it will significantly further expedite China's trade with ASEAN (which in 2011 reached U.S. $ 370 billion) and it is projected to reach U.S. $ 500 billion in 2015.

About the big plan, former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo predicted that China's main goal was to Bangkok, because Bangkok is a huge market with lots of opportunities.

Not only that. Yeo also assessed China deliberately wanted to cut its dependence on the Strait of Malacca. "From Bangkok continues to Dawei in Myanmar that will allow China to bypass the Strait of Malacca," he said.
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(CZ-lacalifusa010412)



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Zoo Animals Dine on Used Christmas Trees. Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: Animals in a northern German animal park in Neumuenster on Thursday were given a New Year gift on Thursday - Christmas trees donated by people and companies in the region. (Jan. 3) || ► Raw: Zoo Takes Census of Meerkats, Owls and More. Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: It's inventory time at the London Zoo as zoo managers began an annual census of its residents. From owls to otters, penguins to pythons, there are more than 17,500 creatures to count, and the final results could take weeks to compile. (Jan. 3)



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Giant Yellow Duck Floats Into Sydney Harbour.  Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: A giant yellow duck floated around Sydney Harbour on Thursday in a rehearsal for a Sydney Festival event which organizers say will turn the harbor into a "giant bathtub". (Jan. 3)

► Putin makes French film star Depardieu a Russian - By Alexei Anishchuk and Megan Davies

► Cuban group says political detentions rose dramatically in 2012 - Reuters

► This Is Anderson Cooper with Bird Poop on His Face - By Alexander Abad-Santos | The Atlantic Wire

► Al Jazeera's new channel struggles for U.S. distribution - By Liana B. Baker and Peter Lauria

► Hillary Clinton Returning to the Office Next Week and Will Testify on Benghazi - By J.K. Trotter

► Chris Christie's Superstorm Hypocrisy - By Matthew Cooper | National Journal 

► Child support claim rankles sperm donor to lesbian couple - By Kevin Murphy | Reuters – Wed, Jan 2, 2013

► Hugh Hefner Marries Crystal Harris: New Details and Pictures!




► Depardieu, in tax fight, gets Russian citizenship. Putin grants Russian citizenship to Gerard Depardieu, heightening fight over super-tax - By Jim Heintz and Lori Hinnant, Associated Press | Associated Press 

► Chavez 'problems after surgery'

Venezuela's President, Hugo Chavez, is suffering from "complications" brought on by a "severe lung infection" which developed after surgery, officials say.
* What happens on 10 January?
* Facing up to Chavez succession
* Profile: Hugo Chavez
* Profile: Nicolas Maduro
* Economic challenges

► 4 January 2013 - Calls to re-open Libya plane 'crash' investigation | By Glenn Campbell BBC News

► Delhi women 'carry knives' on board buses (VIDEO)

► 4 January 2013  -  In pictures: White House images of 2012 

► Quantified self: The tech-based route to a better life?

► 4 January 2013 - Alcohol message 'is confused' | Dr Michael Mosley BBC Radio 4, You and Yours

► Yellowknife's northern light village 

► Must-eat foods from around the globe

► Arctic foxes suffer while reds thrive in northern Canada

► Tourism threat to Bangladesh island (VIDEO) 

► Asia needs more 'animated films' (VIDEO) 

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Super cute video: London zoo creature count kicks off. Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: It was tally time at London Zoo on Thursday as zoo managers began an annual cataloguing of its residents. From owls to otters, penguins to pythons, it's no easy task when there are more than 17,500 creatures to count, and the final results could take weeks to compile.



► Obama signs NDAA 2013 without objecting to indefinite detention of Americans

► Israel's new barrier with Syria: Another brick in the 'apartheid' wall?

► Welcome to Russia: Putin grants citizenship to Depardieu

► India gang-rape shock: Accounts emerge of brutal abuse by underager 

► 2013: Lucky or unlucky for the world economy? 

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RT correspondent injured in Syria: 'Firing was intense'. Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: A group of international journalists -- including members of RT's Arabic team -- have been caught in crossfire in Syria while covering the army's operations outside the capital. RT's correspondent suffered light injuries while trying to escape.  ||  NEWS

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Justice still eluding India's rape survivors. Published on Jan 2, 2013 :: The court hearing for the men accused of the gang rape of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi, the Indian capital, last month is set to begin on Thursday. The government has introduced a fast-track court to ensure a speedy trial after mass demonstrations over the attack from which the victim later died. Meanwhile, there are thousands of pending rape cases still to be cleared in the country's courts. - Al Jazeera's Divya Gopalan met one of the women still waiting for justice.



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Inside Story - Pakistan: Battling measles and mistrust. Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: A major immunisation programme is underway in Pakistan to combat a big rise in the number of people with measles. The immediate challenge is to vaccinate almost three million people in the worst affected areas. But it is an enormous task - and a dangerous one.



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Inside Story - Does spying on Americans protect the US? Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: The US president has extended a law that allows the government to continue spying without a warrant on Americans and others. But does this really protect the country? Guests: Sebastian Gorka, Michelle Richardson, Shahid Buttar.



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Venezuela opposition wants answers on Chavez. Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: Venezuela's opposition says it wants the truth about the President's cancer. There have been few specific details about the condition of Hugo Chavez since his latest surgergy in Cuba. He hasn't been seen in public for three weeks, and Venezuelans still don't know what type of cancer he has. | Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo reports from Caracas.



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People & Power - Ndiyindoda: I am a man. Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: Circumcision rituals in South Africa - the ceremonial transition to manhood in the Xhosa society - are resulting in the mutilation and death of hundreds of young men each year. People & Power investigates the tragic consequences.



► The Stream - Embracing 'antifragility'. Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: Essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb on how we can benefit from disorder. (VIDEO)


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101 East - The Big Dig. Published on Jan 3, 2013 ::  Mongolia is opening one of the world's biggest copper mines, the Oyu Tolgoi. But the deal with Australian mining giant Rio Tinto is highly controversial. 101 East examines if mining will change Mongolia for the better, or worse.

Latest Headlines

■ Israeli Ex-Spy Chief Criticizes Prime Minister on Iran
■ Disputes Brewing over Hugo Chavez's Inauguration 
■ John Boehner Re-elected as Speaker of the House 
■ U.S. Drones Kill Senior Taliban Figure in Pakistan
■ Man with Gun Prompts Lockdown at Suburban NY School District
■ School Starts at New Building for Sandy Hook Kids 
■ Car Bomb in Iraq Kills 20 Shiite Pilgrims
■ Weekly U.S. Jobless Aid Applications Rise to 372K
■ Congress Ushering in New Members, with Old Divide
■ New Law Points to Philippine Church's Waning Sway
■ Video Fuels Rumor N Korean Leader's Wife Gave Birth
■ Putin Grants Depardieu Russian Citizenship 
■ Shooter Kills 3 People, Injures 2 in Swiss Village
■ CNN: Fiscal Cliff Winners and Losers
■ CNN: Airport Screeners Find 1,500 Guns in 2012 

► Is Marrakech's Westernized Female Mayor a Real Figure for Change?

By Vivienne Walt / Marrakech, Morocco
* The Winter of Morocco's Discontent: Will the Arab Spring Arrive?
* Photos: Exploring Morocco's Changing Culture

  ► If Hugo Chávez Dies, What Happens in Venezuela? 

■ Venezuelan nationalisations - What do they mean for socialists? Written by Alan Woods in Mexico Friday, 18 May 2007
■ Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Venezuela - Posted on April 19, 2010 | Written by Alan Woods and Ted Grant Sunday, 14 April 2002 
■ Venezuela: capitalists want to use Chávez's health problems to strangle the revolution 

► Japan's Not-So-Nationalist Leader: Shinzo Abe

► Syria's Rising Death Toll: Sign of Stalemate?

* Syria's Agony: Photographers Reflect

► Fiscal Cliff Deal Patches Up a Dreaded Tax

* CNN: Why the Fiscal Cliff Was Bound to Collapse

► In France, Nothing Says 'Happy New Year' like a Burning Car ||  France's New Year's Tradition: Car-Burning

► Opinion: Pro-Life and Feminism Can Coexist

* TIME Explains: The Weakening Pro-Choice Movement

Featured

■ English Premier League Hots Up On and Off the Field
■ How to Find Success in 2013
■ A Proper Chat with Downton's Butler
■ Avengers Lifts 2012 Box Office 

► Endgame for an Enduring Disease? Pakistan's Fight Against Polio (PHOTOS)

► Delay in vote on Superstorm Sandy aid angers many in GOP

► A primer for the 113th Congress 

► Parties' role reversal complicates spending debates 

► John Boehner reelected as speaker of the House 

► White House approves final group of state-run insurance exchanges 

► Cliffhanger no more: Obama signs bill to avoid 'fiscal cliff'

► Pictures in the News | Jan. 3, 2013