News Headlines (142) 1 February 2013

ONLINE TODAY

► Virtual Superpowers Encourage Real-World Empathy -  Jan. 30, 2013 — If you give people superpowers, will they use those abilities for good?

► Morrow Royal Pavilion In Henderson, Nevada Is Made Of 500,000 Beer Bottles (PHOTOS) - The Huffington Post. Posted: 01/30/2013||   ► DAILYMAIL - Welcome to the house of booze! Building is made of 500,000 recycled BEER BOTTLES discarded from casinos in Las Vegas - By Snejana Farberov.  PUBLISHED: 31 January 2013

► As firearm sales soar, Wal-Mart rations sale of ammunition - By Emily Jane Fox  | January 31, 201

► One Direction's Tearful Ghana Visit. One Direction have admitted they cried during their trip to poverty-stricken Ghana, where they filmed the music video for their Comic Relief charity single. 

► New Eric Clapton Album 'Old Sock' Due in March. Guitarist's 21st LP will feature Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood and more  ||  ► Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood + More to Guest on Eric Clapton's "Old Sock" || ► Eric Clapton Announces New Album "Old Soc" on His Own Label  || Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood + More to Guest on Eric Clapton's "Old Sock"  

►
Is Asia on cusp of space race? - By Ramy Inocencio, for CNN January 31, 2013  ||  SKorea: Satellite working normally, sending data 



► South Korean rocket launch successful. Jan. 30 - South Korea says its space rocket launch is successful, placing a scientific satellite into orbit. Sarah Sheffer reports.  South Korea says it has successfully launched a civilian rocket carrying a scientific satellite into space. The country has previously failed in two attempts in 2009 and 2010 to launch such a craft. More than 2,000 people gathered near the launch site to witness the rocket blasting off. A final judgement of the success of the launch is expected when the satellite makes the first communication with the ground on Thursday. South Korea already has satellites in space, but they were launched from other countries. The launch comes amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. After the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution to censure North Korea for a rocket launch in December, the rogue state issued a warning that it would perform nuclear tests aimed at the United States. Last week Pyongyang also declared a boycott of all dialogue aimed at ending its nuclear programme. North Korea's December launch showed it had the capacity to deliver a rocket that could potentially hit San Francisco, according to an intelligence assessment by South Korea.








► Notre-Dame de Paris. Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: Notre Dame de Paris is undergoing a make-over to mark 850 years since the first stone was laid at the famous French cathedral. On Thursday nine new replacement bells are due to arrive in Paris, where they will be on display for a month before being installed and ringing out for the first time on March 23. VIDEOGRAPHIC

► 'Stalingrad': Russian film goes 3D. Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: As the world prepares to mark the seventieth anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, some Russian film makers hope that a love story set against one of the bloodiest battles of the twentieth century, filmed in 3D, will give their film industry a welcome boost. (VIDEO) 

► Clinton gives last public speech as Secretary of State. Published on Jan 31, 2013 ::  In her last public speech as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton Thursday laid out a view of US global leadership for the 21st century. (VIDEO)






►
Parent: Ga. School Shooting 'Very Frightening'. Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: Anxious parents went to an Atlanta area middle school to check on their children after shots were fired in the courtyard. Police said a 14-year-old boy was shot in the back of the neck by another student. (Jan. 31) ||  ► Raw: Texas Police Investigate D.A.'s Shooting. Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: An assistant district attorney was shot and killed Thursday morning near the North Texas courthouse where he worked. Authorities say they are searching his cases for clues about why he may have been targeted. (Jan. 31)

► Syria protests over Israel attack, warns of "surprise" - By Dominic Evans and Khaled Yacoub Oweis 

► Syria threatens to retaliate for Israeli airstrike - By BASSEM MROUE | Associated Press 

► Whatever's Happening Between Israel and Syria, It's Not Good - By Adam Clark Estes | The Atlantic Wire   ... 

► Iran says it will speed up nuclear program - By GEORGE JAHN | Associated Press

► Police: Teen shot by fellow student at Ga. school - By KATE BRUMBACK | Associated Press

► Anti-Wal-Mart labor groups agree to stop picketing the chain - By Jessica Wohl  

► China says 14 guilty of pollution protest violence - By DIDI TANG

► How China justifies its cyber attacks - By Marc Ambinder | The Week 

► Cameron makes unexpected visit to Libya - By CASSANDRA VINOGRAD 

►
Biological Twist: How Owls Spin Heads Around - By Douglas Main, OurAmazingPlanet Staff Writer | LiveScience.com 

► How Rock Pigeons Got Their Mullets - By Jeanna Bryner | LiveScience.com 

► San Diego Zoo Panda Diagnosed With 'Acute Cuteness' - By ABC News 

► 'Penguin Highway'  Video Captured by 21-Year-Old Traveler

► Applebee's fires waitress who posted receipt from pastor complaining about auto-tip -  By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News

► Photos of the Day - A roundup of today's best photos.

► Photo montages create mind-boggling buildings. Artist Jim Kazanjian has carefully combed through thousands of photographs to digitally resemble components into fantastical feats of architecture.

► 'Cool' photos of snow art. Here are some cool photos, literally. Simon Beck, originally an orienteering mapmaker, has turned his attention to creating gigantic artistic patterns in the snow--and photographing them. -- By Claudine Zap 

► Study says leafy greens top food poisoning source - By MIKE STOBBE | Associated Press –  Tue, Jan 29, 2013 


► Karl Lagerfeld Doesn't Care for Michelle Obama's Bangs - By Breanne L. Heldman  

► Beyoncé Knowles Sings Live at Super Bowl Press Conference; Explains Inauguration. Beyoncé admits she lips-sinched - By Taryn Ryder  

► The Most Famous (And Most Bankable) Legs of All Time 

► US warns Syria over 'arms supply' 

The US warns Syria not to transfer weapons to Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon, amid an international row over an Israeli strike in Syria.
* Analysis: Ramping up regional tension 
* Q&A: Israeli 'strike' on Syria 

► 31 January 2013 - Hijab for a day: Non-Muslim women who try the headscarf |  By Catrin Nye BBC Asian Network

► 1 February 2013 - Should people be off on Fridays?

► 1 February 2013  - Viewpoint: The 'invention illusion' means new rarely is new -  By Paul Martin Chief technology officer, Plextek

► 31 January 2013  - Is India facing a 'cultural emergency'? | by Soutik Biswas,  Delhi correspondent  


► 1 February 2013  - Mali's militants 'in disarray'

Three weeks of French targeted air strikes in northern Mali have left Islamist militants "in disarray", France's defence minister says.
* Timbuktu celebrates end of Islamist rule
* Pictures: Why Malians now love France ( What? Love? No! It is a pessimistic... ehehheee...) * 'Shadow war' looms
* Key players
*Treasure trove of African history

► 31 January 2013 - Witness describes Mali forces 'executing' students  - By Tim Whewell BBC Newsnight, Mali 

French foreign minister Laurent Fabius on Sunday January 20, 2013 announced that the Syrian opposition meeting will be held on January 28, 2013 in Paris. The meeting will be attended by representatives of the National Coalition supporters. He announced it at a time when its military forces invaded Mali and entering the war against Islam and the Muslims there, with the pretext of fighting terrorism.

French President Francois Holande has revealed "his crimes" against the Muslims there. He said, "French military intervention in Mali will continue, according to the demands of terrorism problem can be eliminated in the region."

He reveals hypocrisy by saying that France "does not strive to control Mali or add effects or seek trade or economic interests, because it's over. However, on the contrary, the French must be rushed to assist friendly countries, including the poorest countries in the world that for months or for years has been the victim of more dangerous terrorism.

Thus, Holande does not find anything that can cover the French imperialism policy --- that hate Islam and Muslims - except the false accusations of terrorism to restore control over an important part of Muslims in Mali,  which floating on a sea of ​​wealth as well as its brothers and sisters in the affected Africa.

With this intervention, then this West African country with a population of 15 million people is the eighth country bombed and people killed by the Western powers  after Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and the Philippines. And this does not include how much tyrants backed by Western powers in the region. This invasion further strengthen Western colonial war against the Islamic world.

In justifying this military offensive, France, Britain and other Western countries once again using the label to combat terrorism and protect the Mali people. To get the sympathy of Western society, the media have emphasized the aspect of "Islamists" from the opposition who want to enforce Islamic law. Terrorism becomes powerful label to justify any action from the West, even though it violates the international law of their own.

Invasion of France could also be a warning to other Islamic countries that want to establish an Islamic state, let alone the Caliphate. That the West would intervene to prevent the noble desire of Islam people. The wave of desire to establish an Islamic state applying Islamic law as a whole is indeed very alarming the West, especially seeing the current condition of Syria.

I can also smell the American and French competition in the invasion, it is very tight. Looks like France does not want to take off Mali from its grips,  after during this time it's really controlling the country. Meanwhile, the U.S. starts trying to instill its influence by supporting a military coup against President Amadou Toumani Toure, backed by France.

Mali becomes bound to America through military action.  The old political environment built by the French is difficult to master the new situations.  One possibility that can happen is ineffective participation in the new government under the American influence.

Mali is a country rich in minerals such as gold, phosphate, kaolin, bauxite, iron, uranium and many others. No wonder that Europe, especially France and the United States competing for Mali's natural resources. France needs Mali as uranium-producing countries in West Africa. Two-thirds of French electricity comes from nuclear power, requiring significant uranium imports of Niger's neighbors. As the third largest gold producer in Africa, Mali is also very tempting.

Oops! Do not forget, there's also China on the African continent.  eheheheee... China initiatives on the continent is considered by the United States as a threat to their interests and attempts to reduce the influence of the United States in the global world, including in Africa. Currently, China is a major trading country in Africa. China's foreign trade with other countries on Africa continent is said to have increased more than 16 times between 2000 and 2011. In 2011, the amount of trade between China and African countries have reached almost U.S. $ 106 billions, an amount that can not be achieved by the United States and its Western allies. Moreover China is a major exporter of weapons and military equipment to African countries.

In summary, the main purpose of Western interference through France in crisis in Mali is very clear namely to preserve the interests of the world's powerful nations in Africa. Western intervention in the crisis in Mali and Jihadist attacks in Algeria is actually the beginning to a new episode of the world countries mastery on African continent.. Maybe we will be able to see once again the process of struggle for Africa as when used in the folds of world history, but in a new form and full of dramatic and manipulation.
***
(CZ-lacalifusa030113)

► 30 January 2013 - Vegetarians 'cut heart risk by 32%' | By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News 

► Formula E: Electric cars enter the fast lane || ► Mazda prepares US diesel invasion

► Why not every tune strikes a chord

► Today's African Proverb : "He who never saw his mother while she was young thinks his father wasted the dowry" - A Maragoli proverb from Western Kenya sent by H Essendi, Southampton, UK

►
'Israeli air strike opens new front in Syria war'. Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: Syria claims Israel has carried out a deadly bombing raid on its territory, destroying a military research centre near Damascus. It denies claims the attack targeted a weapons convoy near the Lebanese border. It's the first time in decades that Israel has launched an attack on another state, NOT in response to military action. Israel and most Western powers are keeping silent on the incident, which has sparked condemnation from Russia. The Arab League has described Israel's strike on Syria as flagrant aggression and a glaring violation of the country's sovereignty. Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor of Pan-African News Wire, says the attack on Syria is all part of a plan to bring down the Assad government.  ||  ► 'Iran will defend Syria, US & Israel should take that seriously'. Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: Syria has filed an official complaint to the United Nations over an Israeli airstrike on a military research center near Damascus. The move followed a threat from Iran that Israel would face "serious consequences" for the attack. RT spoke to Prof. Seyed Mohammad Marandi - Iranian academic and political analyst. He says that Israel should be concerned about Iran's possible answer to the airstrike in Syria.



► Fifteen dead, scores injured as blast rocks Mexican state oil company's HQ (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

► North Korea imposes martial law, orders troops to 'be ready for war' - report

► Israel must remove all Jewish settlers from occupied West Bank - UN inquiry


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Israel lobby attack-ad campaign targets Obama's Defense pick Hagel. Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: The U.S. Senate is expected to grill one of president Obama's most controversial choices for a key job in his team. Chuck Hagel is likely to be quizzed on everything from relations with Israel and the Arab world to his view of women in the military, during his confirmation hearing to be the new Defense Secretary. RT's Gayane Chichyakyan explains why certain political groups are so against his nomination.  ||  ► 'Courageous Chuck Hagel in wrong job as Defense Secretary'. Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: Though Washington tries to engineer Middle Eastern politics by influencing economies, Iran has never given in to such pressure, Middle East experts Hillary and Flynt Leverett told RT. Iran's concerns deserve fair consideration, they argue.



► 50 million cameras exposed to hackers due to massive security breach

► Poorest Americans could be fined under Obamacare 

► 'Stalin buses' to mark 70th anniversary of Battle of Stalingrad in Russia 

► Behind the scenes: Undercover shareholder pushes for transparency at Monsanto

► Nanny state? Moscow to monitor Russian orphans in US 

► Pakistan censors release of US drama about Osama bin Laden

by PressTVGlobalNews


► Pakistan to reveal truth about Bin Laden hunt. Published on Jan 5, 2013  :: It took Pakistan's high-level judicial commission more than one and half year to complete investigations into the alleged killing of Osama Bin Laden in May 2011. It was here where the US claimed it killed the world's most wanted man. The alleged presence of bin Laden in a town, just 60 miles from the capital Islamabad, had raised many questions at that time. The incident embarrassed Pakistani authorities for their ignorance of both bin Laden's reported presence in the country and the US raid.

Head of the commission has now submitted a 400 page report to the country's Prime Minister. However, the government has not yet decided to make the report public. Irrespective of the commission's findings, majority of the people in Pakistan still believe that the US raid was nothing but a cover up. Local media reports indicate that that commission's findings have cleared both civil and military authorities of any wrongdoing. Pakistan's Judicial Commission says it has made the report to answer questions regarding 2011 killing of former al-Qaeda leader by American commandos in Abbottabad. But many Pakistanis are skeptical of the report. || ► Real Story of Bin laden hunt with George Galloway. Published on Sep 10, 2012 :: Pentagon has threatened to sue a former Special Forces soldier who has written a book in which he dismisses the official account of Osama Bin Laden's killing. The book, No Easy Day, written by a Navy SEAL under the pen name Mark Owen, claims that Bin Laden was shot as he looked out of his door and as the soldiers ran up the stairs and not after he ducked back inside to grab a weapon as pentagon had claimed.

"The truth of course could be easily established but probably won't be. These soldiers were wearing head cams which of course captured all the action. Certainly President Obama and Hillary Clinton were able to watch it all live in the White House," said George Galloway. Meanwhile, Pakistan has expelled the foreign staff of the charity organization Save the Children, claiming that they had given cover in the CIA operation to kill Osama Bin Laden. On Thursday, a ceremony was held in an airbase in Germany to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of an attack on the Israeli team at the Munich Olympics, which killed 11 of their athletes.


► With no way to process it, US will bury 70,000 tons of nuclear waste  

► Rand Paul to bring new fight against TSA

► Russia temporarily bans US meat imports

► UNESCO concerned by theft risk to Mali's cultural heritage

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Destroying Malian Cultural Heritage in name of 'Pure Islam'. Published on Aug 23, 2012 by PBSNewsHour :: Many Malians harmoniously practice Islam alongside cultural traditions such as animism. But these Malians fear that they will be the first targeted as infidels by Islamic militants, who have already destroyed traditional Malian shrines. Lindsey Hilsum of Independent Television News reports.



► Mali: Cultural crimes uncovered as Timbuktu is secured . Published on Jan 29, 2013 by Euronews :: Malians may be celebrating the liberation of Timbuktu, however some could be mourning the loss of artefacts destroyed by the Islamist rebels as they fled the city.  Two hundred Malian soldiers alongside 1,000 French troops entered the city, named as an endangered world heritage site by UNESCO.

The fleeing militants destroyed the tomb of Saint Sidi Mahmoudou and set fire to mosques and the Ahmed Baba Institute, a library containing many historical documents. A librarian at the Ahmed Baba Institute described being told about the destruction:" 'We destroyed everything. We destroyed the mosque. We destroyed things that are more than 300, 400 years old,' they said, because their religion doesn't accept that (the artefacts)."

Timbuktu is home to some 20,000 manuscripts, some dating back as far as the 12th century. Militants destroyed some which had not been hidden away.  For now, the focus is on securing Timbuktu. British troops could form part of an EU military training mission in Mali or assist in training soldiers in the west African regional bloc ECOWAS. British Prime Minister David Cameron has sent a security advisor to meet with French President François Hollande to discuss a deployment.


► Mali 'bloody atrocities': Exclusive footage shows army's war crimes. Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: RT has managed to get exclusive footage of what's believed to be the atrocities committed by the Malian army in a town liberated from the Islamist rebels with the help of French forces. Information on civilian casualties in Mali has been notably scarce. We spoke to local journalist Gonzalo Wancha, who told us of the origins of the unsettling tape.

►
Inside Story Americas - What fuels the love for guns in the US? Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: There are nearly 300 million firearms in the US which is almost as many guns as there are people. It is in fact the most heavily armed country per capita in the world. In this first episode of our Inside Story Americas special series: Guns, culture and crime in the US, we look at why the debate over gun control is so polarised and travel to West Virginia - a place where shooting guns is a sport that has been passed down over generations - to find out what fuels the love for guns in this country.



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Inside Story - US drones in Africa: Surveillance or strikes? Published on Jan 31, 2013 :: The US is opening up a new front against armed groups linked to al-Qaeda in Africa. And Niger is reported to have given permission for US drones to be based in its territory. Hillary Clinton, the outgoing US secretary of state, has said the US faces a serious threat from armed groups in the region.



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► Lulled into a fog-induced limbo aboard an Indian train. Winter means vast shrouds of fog that slow rail travel to a crawl, making for hours-long delays. Instead of teeth-gnashing, there's tea and nattering. 

(I find her voice personified in her ballet. Both are equally beautiful. How are you today? Wonderful callous?)