Wednesday, May 29, 2013

News Headlines (254) 25 May 2013




ONLINE TODAY

SCIENCE DAILY

■ 24 May, 2013: Hormone Levels May Provide Key to Understanding Psychological Disorders in Women

■13 May, 2013 : Early Formula Use Helps Some Mothers Breastfeed Longer   — Recent public health efforts have focused extensively on reducing the amount of formula babies are given in the hospital after birth. But in the first randomized trial of its kind, researchers at UC San Francisco have found that giving small amounts of formula in the first few days of life to infants experiencing high levels of early weight loss actually can increase the length of time their mothers end up breastfeeding.

■ 25 May 2013 : Emotional Stress Reduces Effectiveness of Prostate Cancer Therapies in Animal Model

■ 1 April 2008 : Men Are From Mars. Neuroscientists Find That Men And Women Respond Differently To Stress

LIVESCIENCE
■ 24 May 2013 : What Are Superfoods?

■ 22 May 2013 : Baby's Life Saved with 3D Printing

■ 24 May 2013 : Russian Earthquake Could Be Deepest Ever

MASHABLE
■ 24 May 2013 : How a Computer Model Could Help Fight Terrorism

■ 21 May 2013  : Teach Your Kids Tech Basics With Electronic Building Blocks

■ 24 May 2013 : 10 Things That Wish They Were Turtles




The Simpsons theme park expansion announced with Springfield street for Universal Orlando - Artwork. Universal Orlando has announced an expansion of The Simpsons Ride to include iconic locations, foods, and beverages from Springfield including Moe's Tavern, Krusty Burger, Android's Dungeon, Lard Lad, Cletus' Chicken Shack, and Duff Brewery - with real Duff Beer. Plus Universal Studios Florida is adding a twirling ride based on Treehouse of Horrors characters Konos and Kang. Published on May 23, 2013 by InsideTheMagic








Historic open-air democracy takes place in Swiss canton. Every year, thousands of people cram into the main square of Appenzell in north east Switzerland to vote for local leaders - not by casting ballots, but by raising their hands. While some applaud it as one of the most transparent forms of democracy in the world, others say it leaves voters open to intimidation and vote buying.

Cars, people in water as US bridge collapses. A bridge carrying a freeway over a river in the northwestern US state of Washington partially collapses, sending cars and people plunging into the water below, police say.

Digital reincarnation for Dunhuang's Buddhist art. Ancient Buddhist statues and frescoes in China's desert Mogao caves are under threat from the growing number of visitors and it's hoped a digitisation project could be part of the solution.

D r o n e s. President Barack Obama has laid out new guidelines for drone strikes, telling Americans their country must confront a new era of diverse global threats and homegrown radicals. Drones are unmanned, remotely-operated aircraft. The US has increasingly relied on them over the past 10 years for carrying out combat missions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. VIDEOGRAPHIC

E a r t h q u a k e s. A massive undersea earthquake Friday in Russia's Far East prompted a tsunami warning and unleashed tremors across Russia including in Moscow around 10,000 kilometres away, but caused no casualties or damage. Meanwhile, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake also struck 255 kilometres (158 miles) southwest of Tonga on Friday, according to the US Geological Survey, with no reports of damage. VIDEOGRAPHIC 

David Beckham presents underwear line in Paris. Football star David Beckham presentes a line of underwear in Paris.

CANNES 2013
'Blue is the Warmest Colour' premieres at Cannes. Abdellatif Kechiche's controversial film 'Blue is the Warmest Colour' has premiered at Cannes, featuring non-simulated sex scenes that were described by critics as "show-stopping" and "the most explosively graphic lesbian sex in recent memory". 

■ [TEASER] Live Interviews with Cannes Film Festival Winners - Sunday, May 26. AFP will interview the winners of the Cannes Film Festival

Jerry Lewis 'bothered' by female comics. American actor and comedian Jerry Lewis, 87, says he is 'bothered' by female comedians as the Cannes film festival plays a special tribute to the showbiz veteran, who stars in a new film from director Daniel Noah.

James Gray at Cannes with 'The Immigrant'. Perennial Cannes favourite James Gray is back in competition with 'The Immigrant', set in 1920s New York and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Marion Cotillard.

Mads Mikkelsen returns to Cannes in new film. A dark, brooding tale of a sixteenth-century horse-dealer, "Michael Kohlhaas", from French director Arnaud des Pallières, offers a challenging role for Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who had to learn French to play the part.  

Obama heckled during policy speech on Guantanamo. President Barack Obama on Thursday launched a new bid to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in a major counter-terrorism policy speech that was repeatedly interrupted by an anti-war heckler.

Obama says sexual assault harms trust in military. President Barack Obama says members of the military guilty of sexual assaults threaten to undermine the trust and discipline vital to the strength of the US military machine.  

Annual cultural festival lights up a vivid Sydney. Vivid Sydney, the annual festival of light, music and ideas, kicks off as landmarks around city become part of show.




Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits. President Obama is standing by the use of drone-launched missile strikes. But he's also moving to limit them as part of a refocusing of the fight against Islamist terrorists that also includes a new push to close Guantanamo Bay. (May 23)



Raw: Tightrope Walk Between Cathedral Spires. An Austrian daredevil on Friday became the first man to walk a tightrope strung between the two towers of St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna's most famous landmark. (May 24)







10 things we didn't know last week

Sea turtle rescued after swallowing discarded plastic

FUTURE : Flying cars: Radical concept design aims high

Flying Car - Terrafugia TF-X introduction. Published on May 9, 2013 by YouCarPress   ||  ► Flying car developer says he's $80 million closer to making sci-fi dream a reality. Flying car developer says he's $80 million closer to making sci-fi dream a reality. Published on Jan 25, 2013 by sravantd



TRAVEL : Africa's land of delta and desert

Today's African Proverb : "Even if the cock does not crow, the sun will rise" - Ndebele proverb sent by Clayton Moyo in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
I'm an admirer of Galileo and Copernicus, but I can understand why they deify the sun as The Sun Creator. I do not blame the beliefs of others, but I am just trying to think logically.

If we read the writings of a writer, then it does that mean the book we read is the author, right? Because a book is not a writer. That's it. So, it's easy. I do not worship the sun -- no matter how great the sun is -- because the sun is only one of the objects in the sky. Imagine the greatness of the creator of the great thing called the sun. I shed tears thinking of all that. Teardrops which representing my question, "Where are you? Do you know how much I admire you?"




Judge rules office of 'America's toughest sheriff' racially profiled Latinos
OP-ED : 'Lack of public debate on immigration caused Stockholm riots'
Challenging Monsanto: 200,000 in 40 countries expected to turn up as campaign against GMO kicks off

VIDEOS
■ 'Will you apologize to Muslims you've killed?': Obama's speech heckled. Obama's ironclad way of battling terrorists sparked heated debate during his speech in Washington. At one point the president was stopped in his tracks by an angry audience member. RT's Ivor Crotty outlined what made the woman break Obama's script.



Stockholm Smolders: Sporadic arson attacks sweep city in 5th night of riots

CrossTalk: 'Democratic Iraq' an Oxymoron? Iraq is on the verge of a sectarian civil war. Did the American-led invasion of Iraq to dislodge one dictator only see another one appear? To what degree is the Syrian civil war impacting Iraq? Is the idea of "democratic Iraq" an oxymoron? CrossTalking with Kelley Vlahos, Grant Smith and Michael O'Hanlon.

Islamist Frankenstein: 'UK wars radicalize millions'. Through support for Israeli occupations and participation in American invasions of Muslim countries, Britain has ended up spawning tens or even hundreds of millions of "radicalized Muslims" across the world, British MP George Galloway told RT. 

Drones here to stay: Obama outlines official killing program. A new face to the War on Terror was unveiled by President Obama in a major speech on America's national defense policies. For the second time in 5 years - he again promised to try and shut Guantanamo Bay. But when it came to drone warfare, the President appeared less enthusiastic about change - promising only vague guidelines.

Video: Waterspout passes close to nuclear power plant in Russia. A waterspout has passed near Obninsk nuclear power plant on Thursday, some 110 km southeast of Moscow and caused minor damage to buildings in the area. Decommissioned in the 2000s, the power plant in Obnisk was the first civilian nuclear power station in the world.

Monsanto promotes GMO abroad with US tax money?  || 'Monsanto monopoly pushes farmers to suicide'

On The Money: Eying Russia's Economy. As the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum approaches, economists are assessing Russia's prospects. Does Russia have an optimum growth strategy? What does the Russian government have to do to jump-start the economy? And is Russia a prisoner of bad external conditions?




Understanding Pakistan's stake in US drone strikes. In Pakistan alone, it is estimated that more than 3,000 people have died in drone attacks since 2003 - many of them civilians. Pakistan's Government has repeatedly condemned drone strikes and the man poised to become the next Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, has called on Washington to end strikes inside the country. Shahzad Mirza Akbar, a human rights lawyer based in Pakistan, speaks to Al Jazeera about US drone strikes. He says Sharif has to convince the US to stop the use of drones otherwise he will be facing legal consequences for not protecting his own citizens.



China Rising - Episode 4 : Made in China. China's economic role in the world is growing at a record pace, and it is also now a key player in world politics .The country has no doubt become a global manufacturing giant, but how will it deal with issues on the home front such as increase in pollution and water shortages? Although it has been confronted with tough environmental problems, efforts are being made to solve these. In the final episode of this series, through a range of interviews from Africa, the EU, the US, and China, we find out how it is positioning itself as a major global player.

101 East - Restoring Rangoon. Myanmar's former capital, Yangon, boasts one of the most spectacular early-20th century urban landscapes in Asia. A century ago the country's former capital was one of the world's great trading cities and the legacy of that cosmopolitan past remains today. But as the country opens up, this unique heritage is under threat. Decades of neglect have left once grand buildings a crumbling mess and they are at grave risk of being demolished in favour of hastily built towers and condominiums.

Inside Story Americas - Obama's speech: The question of drones. US President Barack Obama gave a speech that was meant to contextualise the global drone war that has escalated under his presidency, outline the framework for future targeted killing, and address concerns about the continued operation of Guantanamo Bay. But did he succeed? To discuss this, Inside Story Americas, with presenter Shihab Rattansi, is joined by guests: Carlos Warner, a lawyer for Guantanamo detainees; and Hina Shamsi, the director of the ACLU's National Security Project.



Counting the Cost - Bangladesh: The cost of fashion. A building collapsed killing more than 1,000 garment workers in Bangladesh last month. The disaster showed the terrible working conditions, and lack of safety, for millions of workers there. Both Bangladesh and the global community are coming to terms with their roles in the disaster, because whether consumers shop at Walmart or at Giorgio Armani, the clothes they buy are probably produced in Bangladesh, which is ranks number two in the world for garment production. And that is because garment workers in Bangladesh are the lowest earners in the world. Workers expect to earn 24 cents an hour, with some wages as low as $38 a month - a lot lower than the rate in the world's other big apparel producing markets. So, can Bangladesh make a change to a properly regulated garments industry? And what would this change mean for the industry? We discuss the options on Counting the Cost.

Listening Post - Syria's media war. "Every picture tells a story" is a lesson the media learned a long time ago. Now, in the age of new media, amateur video footage comes with a string of narratives loaded with political intent. Nowhere has that been more true than in Syria where forces fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad have wielded video cameras wherever their comrades have aimed their guns. But judging by footage filmed by the rebels themselves showing their own acts of torture, executions and now cannibalism, it seems that the power of the media may have gone to their heads. The News Divide this week takes a fresh look Syria through the increasingly complex war of images and representations. We speak to Jillian C York of the Electronic Frontier Foundation; Dina Matar, senior lecturer in Arab Media and Political Communication at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London; Syrian journalist Malek Al-Abdeh and the Syrian political consultant and commentator, George Ajjan.

Inside Story - African Union, a legacy questioned. As African governments celebrate a golden anniversary of unity, has it really served its people? Inside Story, with presenter Stephen Cole, discusses with guests: Shadrack Gutto, professor of African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa; Adama Gaye, the CEO and founder of Newforce Africa - an Africa China Consulting Group; and Alex Vines, the head of Africa programme at Chatham House.

Talk to Al Jazeera - Jaime Blasco: 'This is the new Cold War'. In South Korea in March, more than 30,000 computers and servers at the country's two largest broadcasters, one cable channel and three banks out of commission. For hours, customers could not take out money from their accounts. After first pointing fingers at North Korea, and then China...the confused South Korean Communications Commission said it was difficult, maybe impossible to identify the perpetrators. But one man, Jaime Blasco, says he was able to identify the hackers as originating in China. And his words carry weight. He is one of the world's most experienced private investigators of cyber attacks. Born in Spain and now working in the United States, his clients include several governmentsin Europe as well as corporations in banking, energy, defense and telecommunications who turn to him in emergencies.





Mayors Against Illegal Guns targets first Democrat
At Naval Academy commencement, Obama condemns military sexual assaults 
Immigrant healthcare bills stump House group
IRS replaces head of division that targeted conservative groups

Ripley's Believe It or Not museum gets family-friendly makeover



L.A. AFFAIRS : After all those guys, at last, there's this guy

The Week in Pictures | May 20 – 26, 2013 - Posted By: Marc Martin



Tel Aviv — An Israeli boy looks at "wounds" inflicted on dolls arranged in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv. The installation, which was on display for two days, consisted of almost 1,000 dolls, all of which showed signs of "abuse" and was presented by ELI, the Israeli Assn. for the Protection of the Child, in order to raise awareness of child abuse. PHOTOGRAPH BY: JIM HOLLANDER / EPA



3 PICTURES TODAY




Austrian tightrope walker Christian Waldner passes the roof of St. Stephen's cathedral on a high line in Vienna May 24, 2013. The line was fixed between St. Stephen's cathedral's two south towers 60 meters above ground. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger



Bineta Ndiaye, 22, looks at herself in the mirror as her friend Coumba Faye, 19, fixes her hair in Faye's house in the village of Ndande, May 19, 2013. Every year, inhabitants of the village take part in a Sufi Muslim ceremony called Gamou-Ndande. The ceremony combines nights of praying and chanting as well as traditionally animist ceremonies. REUTERS/Joe Penney



A house built on a rock on the river Drina is seen near the western Serbian town of Bajina Basta, about 160km (99 miles) from the capital Belgrade on May 22, 2013. The house was built in 1968 by a group of young men who decided that the rock on the river was an ideal place for a tiny shelter, according to the house's co-owner, who was among those involved in its construction. (REUTERS/Marko Djurica)



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