News Headlines (290) 1 July 2013

ONLINE TODAY

► KSAT 30 June 2013 : Europe 'shocked' by report of U.S. spying.  German official calls report 'reminiscent of the Cold War'

► GUARDIAN 30 June 2013 : New NSA leaks show how US is bugging its European allies

► YAHOO NEWS 30 June 2013 : Russia's Putin signs anti-gay measures into law

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a measure that stigmatizes gay people and bans giving children any information about homosexuality. The lower house of Russia's parliament unanimously passed the Kremlin-backed bill on June 11 and the upper house approved it last week. The ban on "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" is part of an effort to promote traditional Russian values over Western liberalism, which the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church see as corrupting Russian youth and contributing to the protests against Putin's rule. Hefty fines can now be imposed on those who provide information about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to minors or hold gay pride rallies. The Kremlin announced Sunday that Putin has signed the legislation into law.

Have you ever felt a soul thirst and find a glass of cool water to drink? Instead of glass, perhaps as much water in calm lake with blue water and a swan sailing majestically on the surface of the lake water?

A soul without a body is me. A swan is me. Ah nope, if a swan looks too smug in your eyes, then I'm willing to be a frog, turtle, duck or anything that seems so despicable in your eyes, it's okay, as long as I was given a story like this.

And a serene lake is this news title and a famous name. Vladimir Putin. Mentally, I felt embraced by the decision of this most handsome man of Russia. President Putin is so sane and able to soothe my parched heart of a strange phenomenon in this country. I feel appreciated, loved and protected from a distance.

I smell the fragrance of magnolia in his mind. Not only Magnolia, but also Camomile, Azalea, Orchid, Roses, Lilies, Gerbera Daisies, Chrysanthemums, Carnations and all the nameless beautiful flowers.  (Stop memorizing the names of the flowers, Cisca! Why do not you come to Russia and ask for his time and permission for you to kiss his cheek twice, right-left, mwah mwah, mwah mwah perhaps?)

What? Oh, hehehe. .. by the way, my favorite flower is the sunflower.

► FOXNEWS 30 June 2013 : Senators urge Obama to get tough on Russia, Ecuador over Snowden

► YAHOO NEWS 30 June 2013 : Ecuador's Correa says Snowden's fate in hands of Russia

► GUARDIAN 30 June 2013: Pope's 'gay lobby' remarks stir up new storm of Vatican gossip

► NPR 30 June 2013 : Top Stories: Heat Wave; NSA Spying On The EU

► YAHOO CANADA 30 June 2013 : Ecuador president tells AP: Snowden 'under care' of Russia, can't leave Moscow

► ABC NEWS 30 June 2013 : Ecuador: Snowden Can't Leave Moscow

► HOW TO & STYLE : Becoming More Patient | How to Be a Better You. Published on Jul 3, 2012 by Howcast 

► COMEDY : How To Be Patient. Research has shown that our ability to defer gratification correlates directly with our eventual success in life. This was discovered by having a bunch of men in white coats give sweets to small children; which I have to admit, sounds kinda creepy. What the researchers discovered is that the children tended to fall into one of two groups: the first would eat the sweet immediately. The second were prepared to wait before eating the first sweet, in order to be rewarded with a second sweet. They then followed the children through life; again, creepy; and discovered that the people from the second group who had been willing to defer gratification as a child tended to do better in life as an adult than those from the first group.  So in order to help out, I've made the following video to give you a direct personal experience of developing patience. It's such an important lesson so be sure to watch the entire video in full, to make certain that you don't miss it. Published on Jan 29, 2013 by Graham Stoney

► DARK SIDE OF THE LENS



The Sandpit



► A History Of The Title Sequence



► Birds on the Wires

► Obama urges Africa to follow spirit of Mandela
By Jeff Mason and Mark Felsenthal - CAPE TOWN - President Barack Obama said the United States would help propel Africa along a path of prosperity and peace, and urged the continent to follow the example of Nelson Mandela. | Related Story

* Video: Obama unveils African power initiative

► Assange says Snowden info will keep coming
By Deborah Charles - WASHINGTON - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said that Edward Snowden made sure that the information he took about U.S. surveillance programs will continue to be published regardless of what happens to the former U.S. spy agency contractor.

* Ecuador's Correa says Snowden's fate in hands of Russia

► Hong Kong filmmakers first to make Snowden movie
► Obama 'deeply humbled' by Mandela prison visit 
► China ramps up response after Xinjiang 'attacks'

► Raw: Obamas Visit Mandela's Prison. President Barack Obama and his family visited Robben Island Sunday, where anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela spent 18 years confined to a tiny cell and working in a quarry. (June 30)

Felt very touched? Really? Oh, Guantanamo Shananana. All prisons around the world will feel the same. Shananana. Hello Guantanamo, sir. Shananana, please.

► The Politics of Pot: Marijuana Goes Mainstream 

► FINANCE

■ Why Americans Are Eating Fewer Hot Dogs
■ The World's Weirdest Theme Parks

► SHINE

■ Royal Baby Memorabilia, Already!

Ouch, Actually, essentially, what are the benefits of this luxury? Nothing. Are you a Christian? Believe in what is conveyed by the history of religion? Why do not you take the example of Jesus' birth? In the sheepfold? Ok, that's not my intention. At least, we must emulate the simplicity of what we worship. Simplicity will narrow the wealth gap between the rich and the poor of the parents of innocent babies. What's the difference between a baby born on a pile of luxury (the son of a king) and a baby of a beggar who was born in the overhang of the road (son of a beggar)? Nothing. For me, they are equally holy and clean. But having a baby with very luxurious facilities and extravagant will cause the unspoken Social Jealousy. A True King should give an example of the simplicity of life, such as the simplicity of a Great King in your religion.

■ Best Summer Wines: Delicious Bottles for Under $20, $15, and $10

► Kennedy refuses to halt gay marriages in Calif.

► SCREEN : 3-INGREDIENT SPAGHETTI 



► NEWS

■ Tiny Electric Current Makes Others Look Better
■ Ecuador president: Snowden can't leave Moscow
■ Assange: 'What does the law mean if there are secret interpretations in secret courts?'
■ July 4th fireworks scrapped at a number of bases
■ Social Lemurs Have More 'Street Smarts,' Study Finds
■ Obama to announce new power initiative for Africa

There is a very imaginative thrill for me every time I see the sunlight coming through the window. In the office window, in the bedroom window, in the hospital window and in the prison window. But, an art personification with Obama's figure? Mmm, I do not see how the elements of art can go through the slit of his political vision.

Well, at least we can see the two sides of the world from a window. Are we on the outside or inside of the window, hm? Ah, it's the same. A differentiator is only in an entrance.

► MAGAZINE

■ Why has Spain fallen out of love with the European Union?
■ Why China loves to build copycat towns.

► FEATURE

■ The unending plight of Burma's unwanted Rohingyas
■ Georgia's mighty Orthodox Church
■ Web porn: Just how much is there?

► VIDEOS

■ Seaweed biofuel: How to farm marine plants
■ President Obama visits Mandela's Robben Island cell
■ Inside RoboCup 2013 in Holland
■ Global Gay Pride: Parades held in cities all over the world

► AUTOS

■ James Bond's Lotus submarine heads to auction
■ O, Canada!

► Today's African Proverb : "Since the bird has learnt to fly without perching the hunter has learnt to shoot without aiming" - An Igbo proverb sent by Chuks Okoye in Lagos, Nigeria

Oh yeah? Do you know the true hunters are those who will not waste even a bullet in vain? But you say "has learn", and to me, "has learnt" is very adorable word.

► 'No stopping' more Snowden revelations – Assange
► Ecuador's Correa: Solution for Edward Snowden's destination 'in hands of Russia
► EU demands 'full clarification' over NSA spying on European diplomats, warns of severe impact on relations
► 'Tensions don't exist': WikiLeaks refutes media reports about 'Ecuadorean disarray'
► US taps half-billion German phone and internet activities a month – report
► N. Korea deploys improved artillery on border with South – report
► New video of 'Islamist' public beheadings of 'Assad loyalists' surfaces in Syria (GRAPHIC CONTENT)

► VIDEOS

■ Violence vs Violence: Bloodshed & chaos as US push to arm Syrian rebels

■ Face of War: Plastic surgeon of Chechnya (RT Documentary). This man always loved his profession. He liked helping people. When war broke out he was forced to work under horrible conditions and even help terrorists. Surgeon Khassan Baiyev survived, and is still helping people, but his face has changed forever.



■ German green revolution: Graveyard for taxpayer's money?
■ Snowden hide'n'seek media frenzy 'diverts' from real NSA story
■ Falkvinge: Internet fundamental liberty, like freedom of speech 
■ 'US economic espionage on EU, trying to destroy jobs in Germany'
■ Egypt Video: Huge blast by Muslim Brotherhood HQ during mega-protests
■ Millions against Morsi: Egyptians demand resignation in 'world's largest' protest

► Jellyfish damage Spanish fish population. Overfishing in the Mediterranean led to increase in jellyfish numbers that damages fish population. The suggestion is that they could end up on your plate, rather than the more traditional denizens of the deep. However, it is an idea that many find hard to swallow. Al Jazeera's Claudio Lavanga reports from Delta de l'Ebro, Spain.



► Empire: of Secrets. As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama promised transparency and open government yet his administration is one of the most closed governments in US history, described as being worse than even the Nixon administration.The technology and information revolution allows the government to cast its net wider than ever before; collecting data, watching, spying and analysing. As revelations of systemic snooping continue to hit the headlines, Empire asks: who is watching the watchers? Joining us as we unpack some of the known unknowns are Oscar-winning film director Oliver Stone, and war reporters Jeremy Scahill and Richard Rowley. We unravel the psychology of secrets with psychiatrist Justin Frank, the author of Obama on the Couch and Bush on the Couch. We look at the impact of state secrets brought to light with Dana Priest, a leading Washington Post investigative reporter on national security and author of two books, including her most recent Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State. We are also joined by Michael Ratner, president emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights and an attorney representing Julian Assange and Wikileaks; as well as Evgeny Morozov, an expert on internet and privacy issues, and author of two books: The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom and his most recent: To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism.



► Inside Story : Obama in Africa: Too little, too late? As the US president embarked on a visit to Africa, we discuss whether the continent should expect anything from the US. What message is Obama sending with his visit to Africa?

Inside Story, with presenter Jane Dutton, discusses with guests: Matlotleng Matlou, the non-executive director at Excelsior Afrika consulting; Alex Vines, the research director and head of Africa programme at Chatham House; and Emira Woods, the co-director of foreign policy at the Institute for Policy Studies. Emira specialises in US foreign policy in Africa.



► Inside Story - The European union and its newest member

► European Officials Infuriated by Alleged NSA Spying on Allies
By Vivienne Walt - A report in Germany's Der Spiegel magazine that the U.S. bugged EU offices set off a political firestorm over the weekend, but the truth and consequences of the allegations remain unclear

* Cover Story: Geeks Who Leak
* Snowden's Fate Lies in Putin's Hands

► Garcetti sworn in as L.A. mayor with a 'back to basics' focus



So, you think you've got a smile like a prophet smile, huh?





► Photographing fireworks on July 4th



Washington — People watch fireworks at the National Mall on July 4, 2009.

5 PICTURES TODAY



The 33rd annual Pride parade was held in Toronto on June 30, 2013. (JACK BOLAND/QMI Agency)



Participants attend the first Gay Pride march (Marche des Fiertes) since a French law permitting gay and lesbian marriage was passed, in Paris June 29, 2013. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes



A pedestrian with a cane watches a member of the "Avocadoo" club as she performs a pole dance on a street sign pole in Lodz, Poland on June 27, 2013. The event promotes new way of gymnastics in Poland. AFP PHOTO/JANEK SKARZYNSKI



Dustin poses next to an art work depicting a tiger and created in a special 3D-technique by a Chinese-Korean artist group on June 27, 2013 at the exhibition "Du bist die Kunst!" (You are the Art!) at Augustusburg Palace in Augustusburg near Chemnitz, Germany. Visitors are invited to take pictures of themselves interacting with the art and to share the results on social networks AFP PHOTO / DPA /HENDRIK SCHMIDT /



Astronauts Zhang Xiaoguang, Nie Haisheng and Wang Yaping salute after returning to earth in the re-entry capsule of China's Shenzhou-10 spacecraft at its main landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 26, 2013. Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Wednesday, touching down in north China's Inner Mongolia after a successful 15-day mission in which they docked with a manned space laboratory. REUTERS/Stringer