News Headlines (119) 8 January 2013

ONLINE TODAY

► Long-Term Consequences for Those Suffering Traumatic Brain Injury - Jan. 4, 2013 — Researchers from the University of South Florida and colleagues at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital studying the long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) using rat models, have found that, overtime, TBI results in progressive brain deterioration characterized by elevated inflammation and suppressed cell regeneration. However, therapeutic intervention, even in the chronic stage of TBI, may still help prevent cell death. 

► Toldo, loyal Italian cat visits owner's grave everyday with gifts

► Rare Color Photos of the Beatles Going Up for Auction - Collection documents the band's first U.S. tour

► Arnold Schwarzenegger says 'Terminator' and other violent movies shouldn't be blamed for mass shootings - 7 January 2013

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Alain Soral à Hong Kong (Complet).  Published on Dec 25, 2012 by Dieudo SoralTV :: Cadeau de Noël du meilleur sociologue français.  Conférences complètes du 28 et 30 novembre 2012. || ► Pierre Desproges. Théâtre Fontaine. Uploaded on Oct 19, 2011 by Jean-Marie Gingembre



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Krokodil: Russia's Deadliest Drug (NSFW). Published on May 17, 2012 by VICE :: A homemade drug called Krokodil is gaining popularity in Siberia and its effects on users are horrific. Krokodil is Russian for Crocodile, because of the way addicts' skin begins to get turn scaly, dry and eventually rot right off their bodies. Even most heroin users are frightened by Krokodil and want nothing to do with this terrifying drug. Hosted by Alison Severs | Originally released in 2011
 

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Monsters and Mysteries in Alaska. Uploaded on Jan 13, 2012 by speakthetruthtoday    



► By  DISCOVERY 









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Technology's Latest & Greatest on Display.  Published on Jan 7, 2013 :: Technology companies from around the world are showing off their newest developments at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (Jan. 7)



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Obama: Hagel Is 'Leader Our Troops Deserve'. Published on Jan 7, 2013 :: President Barack Obama has chosen former Republican senator Chuck Hagel as the nation's next defense chief. The president said during a news conference on Monday that Hagel is the leader U.S. troops deserve. (Jan. 7) || ► Obama Taps Homeland Security Aide to Head CIA. Published on Jan 7, 2013 :: President Barack Obama has tapped White House homeland security adviser John Brennan as his nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. Brennan is a 25-year veteran of the CIA and among Obama's closest advisers. (Jan. 7)



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Gun Sales Spike As New Laws Are Considered. Published on Jan 7, 2013 :: In Connecticut and Colorado, scenes of the most deadly U.S. mass shootings in 2012, people were less enthusiastic about buying new guns at the end of the year than in most other states, according to an Associated Press analysis of new FBI data. (Jan. 7)



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Google Executive Chairman Arrives in North Korea. Published on Jan 7, 2013 :: Google's chairman, Eric Schmidt wants a first-hand look at North Korea's economy and social media during his private visit Monday to the communist nation, his delegation said, despite misgivings in Washington over the timing of the trip. (Jan. 7)

► 2013 in Foreign Policy: Invading Syria, Containing Iran, Drone Strikes in Yemen - By Cory Bennett | National Journal 

► Who Is John Brennan, Obama's Choice to Succeed David Petraeus at the CIA? - By Brian Resnick | National Journal

► What Obama's Senate Mafia Means for America - By Michael Hirsh | National Journal

► Obama's 'in your face' cabinet picks: why he chose Chuck Hagel, John Brennan. President Obama officially nominated Chuck Hagel for Defense secretary and John Brennan for CIA chief Monday. Each brings a unique view of the organization he would lead. - By Anna Mulrine | Christian Science Monitor

► Assad speech resoundingly dismissed by opposition and allies. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made a rare public speech yesterday that, outside the regime, is seen as offering nothing more than many more months of violence. - By Arthur Bright | Christian Science Monitor


► Venezuela opposition furious over likely Chavez inauguration delay - By Brian Ellsworth

► 17 Billion Earth-Size Alien Planets Inhabit Milky Way - By SPACE.com Staff - SPACE.com || Study: Billions of Earth-size planets in Milky Way - By ALICIA CHANG  Associated Press  || Mars Flight Habitat Volunteers Lost Sleep And Fitness - Scientific American 

► 2013 CES - Highlights from this year's International Consumer Electronics Show. (PHOTOS) 

► What's For Dinner

► 8 Seasonal Salads to Help You Get Back in Shape After the Holidays. With the holidays complete, it's time to get your eating habits back on a healthier track.  There's no better way to do that than by adding a bit of greens to mealtime. And it just so happens that winter offers a ton of great, seasonal fruits and vegetables to kick your regular salad up a notch. Whether you're a sucker for clementines or love a good fennel dish, we rounded up 8 seasonal salads your palate -- and your waistband -- will thank you for. - By Elizabeth Stark and Brian Campbell

* The 25 healthiest foods for under $1 
* 16 skinny soups to warm up with this winter
* The 5 worst foods for weight loss

► 7 Ways to Use Miso. We've got lots of New Year's resolutions over at Food52 (http://food52.com/), and trying new ingredients is one of them. Enter: the soft, spoon-able, umami-rich miso paste. From salmon to roast chicken, salad dressings to caramel, we're a fan of using a dollop in just about every dish that passes through our kitchen. Pick up a jar for the new year -- we can guarantee you'll put it to good use.

► Low-Cal Cocktail Ideas - by Rachel Jacoby  | SELF magazine


► Maria Sharapova Is Dating 'Baby Federer' 

► Brad Pitt Hints He's Coming to China - By Karson Yiu

► Heat and wind fan Australia fires || VIDEO

High winds and record temperatures fan fires in south-east Australia, after the prime minister warned of a "very dangerous day".
* Gillard visits fire-hit area - VIDEO
* In pictures: Tasmania wildfires
* Tasmania fires strand thousands
* 'Perfect firestorm' of 2009

► 'What's that Skippy? You're looking for a plane?' 7 January 2013 - A kangaroo on the loose in a car park at Melbourne Airport has been captured by wildlife officers. Police and security chased the three-year-old male eastern grey before he was sedated with a tranquilizer gun by wildlife officers. Australian TV reported that the kangaroo will be kept in captivity and observed by a vet until it is ready to be released into the wild. Kirsty Lang reports (VIDEO)

► Surgery hope as 'world's fattest man' sheds 46 stone. 4 January 2013  - A Suffolk man once labelled the world's fattest said he is desperate for surgery to remove excess skin after losing 46 (292kg) of his 70 stone (444kg). Paul Mason, 52, from Ipswich in Suffolk, was fitted with a gastric band two years ago to help him lose weight. He thinks his extra skin weighs six (38kg) of his current 24 (152kg) stone. (VIDEO) || NEWS -  26 December :: 'World's fattest man' Paul Mason looks to the future


► Show of support called for Chavez

Venezuela's assembly speaker calls for a major rally on Thursday to mark Hugo Chavez's inauguration, despite the president's likely absence.
* Chavez ally elected by assembly
* Chavez inauguration puzzle
* Profile: National Assembly chief
* World media consider life after Chavez

► 8 January 2013  - Berlusconi 'won't stand for PM'

Silvio Berlusconi will not be a candidate for prime minister in next month's Italian election, according to a pact he has signed with the Northern League party.
* Stark choice for voters 
* Has Mario Monti done a good job?

► Depardieu on drink-drive charge

Actor Gerard Depardieu is due in court in Paris on a drink-driving charge, days after he took Russian citizenship in a tax row with France's government.
* Will the rich flee France?
* Depardieu's larger-than-life tax row

► Berlin's abandoned WWII bunkers

► Qatar: regional backwater to global player - By Michael Stephens Researcher, RUSI Qatar, Doha


► 8 January 2013 - Earth-size planets 'number 17bn'

An analysis of planet candidates suggests at least one in six stars in the night sky hosts an Earth-sized planet - 17 billion in total.
* Is there life out there?
* Telescope search for ET revived

► Japan protests over China ships near disputed islands

► 8 January 2013 -  Home ownership dreams in booming Beijing

► 8 January 2013 -  PG Wodehouse and his French connection | By Hugh Schofield BBC News, Paris

► Can filming one second of every day change your life? 8 January 2013  -  When Cesar Kuriyama saved up enough money to quit his advertising job at the age of 30, he planned to take a year off to travel and spend time with family. To document the year, Kuriyama filmed one second of video every day. "After just six weeks, I realised I was going to be doing that for the rest of my life," he says. After editing the clips into a single video, Kuriyama had not only a record of daily life, but a new perspective on how he lived day to day. Inspired by the experience, he developed a smartphone app, "1 Second Everyday", which will allow users to create their own videos. Everyone will probably have a different experience with their videos, he says, but he says self-reflection is never a bad thing. - Produced by the BBC's David Botti | Video material courtesy: Cesar Kuriyama (VIDEO) || more NEWS 

► America's best sushi restaurants ( are : Yutaka Sushi Bistro, Dallas, Texas |  Soto, New York City, New York | Urasawa, Los Angeles, California | Masu Sushi and Robata, Minneapolis, Minnesota | Sushi Sasabune, Honolulu, Hawaii ) 

► CrossTalk: West End. Published on Jan 7, 2013 :: What do we mean when we use the term 'West'? Is the 'West' a value system? Or a mere geographical term? Is it behind all the crises in the world? How strong is its presence in the Middle East? And should it perhaps be replaced with another term? CrossTalking with Stephen Lendman, Michael Coren and David Merkel. (VIDEO)

► Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas around the world. Published on Jan 7, 2013 :: As Christmas celebrations in western countries are now over, for followers of the Orthodox church around the world, the 7th of January marks the biggest day of celebration. That includes many millions in Russia - and the country's main cathedral has been packed out to mark the occasion. (VIDEO) ||  NEWS - Merry Christmas! RT’s special coverage of midnight mass in Christ the Savior Cathedral

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China & Japan: War Inevitable? Published on Jan 7, 2013 :: Watch the full Keiser Report E390 on Tuesday! In this episode, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss the butch welfare Queens in Virginia, Maryland and DC who rely on the 'untouchable' Pentagon budget. They also discuss the US deploying both its FMDs -- "financial extortion", "monetisation" and "devaluation" -- to finance its debt and deficit requirements and its troops to 35 African nations. In the second half of the show, Max Keiser talks to Dan Collins of  TheChinaMoneyReport.com (http://www.thechinamoneyreport.com/)  about the petro-yuan, China's gold and the problem with the fact that nobody in Africa wants to buy America's opium - credit default swaps.



► Obama nominates Hagel for Secretary of Defense, Brennan for CIA head

► Could Obama be the first three-term president since FDR? 

► US conservatives ring in Gun Appreciation Day

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Manatees under threat from Peruvian hunters. Published on Jan 6, 2013 :: Biologists say manatees in Peru's Amazon rainforest are in danger of extinction.  A wildlife organisation is trying to save the animals, but one of the biggest threats to their existence is a part of Peruvian culture. Even though legislation forbids it, people continue to capture the manatees for human consumption. Al Jazeera's Mariana Sanchez reports from Lima.



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Venezuela confirms would-be caretaker president. Published on Jan 6, 2013 :: As concerns grow over the Venezuelan president's health, the National Assembly has elected its leader.  Diosdado Cabello could be in line to step in as the caretaker president, if Hugo Chavez does not recover from his cancer surgery. The government says for now it has no plans for that to happen. The vote comes just days before Chavez's inauguration, although the vice president says he can be sworn in for another term at a later date. Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo has more from Caracas.



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Scores missing after Tasmania bushfires now accounted for. Published on Jan 6, 2013 :: Australian police is now reporting that most of the 100 people feared missing in Tasmania bushfire are now accounted for. So far, no injuries or deaths have been reported, and police teams are conducting a search to try and account for all the residents. Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas reports from Tasmania.

Latest Headlines

■ NATO Service Member Killed by Uniformed Afghan
■ British Explorer Embarks on Antarctica Adventure
■ Officials: Wild Dogs Kill 4 in Mexico City Park
■ Hearings, Trial Closed in Indian Rape Case
■ Pakistan: Officials Say U.S. Drones Kill 8 Militants
■ State of Palestine Name Change Shows Limitations
■ Bomb Threat Prompts Evacuation of Calif. School
■ Fighting in Syria as World Slams Assad Speech
■ Wildfires Rage Across Australia Amid Searing Heat
■ Judge: Release Unredacted Calif. Priest Files 
■ Supreme Ct. to Hear 2 Days of Gay Marriage Arguments
■ Hillary Clinton Back at Work After Hospitalization
■ 10 Banks Agree to Pay $8.5B for Foreclosure Abuse
■ CNN: Morsi: Syrians 'Have the Will to Win'
■ CNN: Google's Eric Schmidt on North Korea Trip

► China: Media Censorship Sparks Protests

By Austin Ramzy
* China's Nobel Laureate Mo Yan Defends Censorship 
* No Laughing Matter: Parody Tweet Leads to a Detention in China

► Chuck Hagel Faces a Fight as Obama's Defense Pick

* John Brennan: Obama's (Holy) Ghost Warrior Gets CIA Nod

► India's Gang-Rape Case: The Accused Go to Court

► Lionel Messi Is Player of the Year for the Fourth Time

► Israel Pushes Washington to Give Iran an Ultimatum

► How Keeping Psych Records Too Private Can Hurt Patients 

► College Football's Night: How the SEC Got Rich

* Alabama Bashes Notre Dame 42-14 in BCS Title Game

Featured

■ Downton Abbey: Unexpected News
■ The USS Enterprise's Last Voyage
■ Do Athletes Control Their Own Bodies?
■ Fast Food: Spreading Like the Blob

► Real Photographer, Fake War: Jonathan Olley and Zero Dark Thirty (PHOTOS)

► Emperor of Ruins: Hirohito in Post-War Japan (PHOTOS)

► Military Photos: A Month Inside the Armed Forces, December (PHOTOS)

► Banks, regulators reach mortgage settlements

By E. Scott Reckard and Jim Puzzanghera  - In one case, 10 banks settle with regulators for $8.5 billion. In the other case, Bank of America agrees to pay almost $10.4 billion to Fannie Mae.
* Lazarus: Banks shortchange consumers in settlement

► Crime in L.A. down for 10th straight year in 2012, city says - January 7, 2013 (VIDEO)

► NASA seeks to lease or sell space shuttle facilities

► Kepler data point to more planets in habitable zone

► M U S I C

* Music in Vegas 2013: Zedd, Def Leppard, Diplo, Boys II Men, more
* M.I.A.'s 'too positive' album 'Matangi' set for April 
* Nile Rodgers hints at 2013 release for Daft Punk collaboration
* LAPD radio signals + ambient music = a haunting collage

► CES 2013 - Full coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

* CES 2013: World's first big-screen OLED TV coming to U.S. in March 
* CES 2013: Canopy case adds touch-screen function to back of iPhone
* Lenovo debuts IdeaCentre table-top PC at CES 2013: Feels intimate :: http://www.latimes.com/business

► F R A M E W O R K

■ Inside the 'perversion files' - January 2, 2013 |  Posted By: Marc Martin :: The Los Angeles Times has reviewed nearly 1,900 confidential files kept by the Boy Scouts of America on employees and volunteers accused of sexual abuse. The review revealed many instances in which problems were not promptly recognized and abuse suspects were not held to account — and scouts were harmed as a result.

Two former members of Berkeley's Troop 22 talk about their troop leader, who served time in prison for child molestation. (VIDEO)

■ T.H.E. Clinic: Battling diabetes  - January 6, 2013 | Posted By: Marc Martin 

■ Pictures in the News | January 7, 2013 - Posted By: Marc Martin


Duisburg, Germany — A giraffe eyes an unfamiliar species at the zoo || A child is entertained at a carnival


■ 29th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival - January 7, 2013 Posted |  By: Marc Martin :: Hundreds of massive sculptures and buildings constructed from ice blocks are on display at the 29th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival being held in China's Heilongjiang province. This year's "Ice and Snow World" features majestic ice castles and sculptures of fairy tale characters equipped with LED lights, bringing a colorful and warm aura to the icy wonderland.

Related Photo & News :: My Older Post on 28 December 2012 || 6 January 2013

► Harbin Ice and Snow World 2013 welcomes first visitors.  Published on Dec 27, 2012 by telegraphtv ::The Chinese city of Harbin opens its famous snow sculpture park to visitors two weeks early for a special preview event. Despite freezing temperatures, visitors flocked to the trial opening of Harbin Ice and Snow World, the best-known winter theme park in China. The park covers nearly 600,000 square metres and is the mainstay of Harbin's month long Ice and Snow Festival, now in its 29th year.

The wintry theme park draws crowds from across China as well as from overseas each year with its unique sculptures, which are illuminated with multicoloured electric lights encased in translucent ice. "The park is putting on an even grander show than past years," said Qian Yuzhao, a tourist. "Apart from the landscape, there are also more ice slides. They've incorporated interactive activities into this year's exhibition, which is really great." For this year's event, artists created over 2,000 ice and snow sculptures within two weeks, including a 48-metre-tall "Crystal Castle".

"This year, we've added new features like S-shaped sleds and a challenging zip-line. We've also prepared a mini-train for children in the woods. Everyone will be able to find an activity they like," said Wang Zengjue, manager of the theme park. After its official opening on January 5, the park will charge an entrance fee of 150 yuan (£15) during the daytime and 300 yuan (£30) after dark.

Harbin, China's northern most provincial capital city widely known as an "Ice City", is directly affected by cold winter winds from Siberia. The city's temperatures in January averages 18 degrees Celsius below zero.

3 PICTURES TODAY

A tourist offers a sweet to a boy dressed up as Santa Claus at the Church of the Nativity, the site revered as the birthplace of Jesus, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Jan. 6, 2013, during the Eastern Orthodox Christmas. (REUTERS/Ammar Awad)

A tourist offers a sweet to a boy dressed up as Santa Claus at the Church of the Nativity, the site revered as the birthplace of Jesus, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Jan. 6, 2013, during the Eastern Orthodox Christmas. (REUTERS/Ammar Awad)

Artists perform during Cirque du Soleil's Kooza show in London's Royal Albert Hall, Jan. 4, 2013. (REUTERS/Paul Hackett)