■ Goodbye to one moment in time : Whitney Houston, pop titan, dies at 48
Whitney Houston, pop titan, dies at 48
www.latimes.com
Whitney Houston , a willowy church singer with a towering voice who became a titan of the pop charts in the 1980s and 1990s but then saw much of her success crumble away amid the fumes of addiction and reckless ego, has died. She was 48.
■ Whitney Houston: A Life In Photos
If Houston's death was due to drugs, it adds a long list of celebrities who died of similar causes. Previously was Amy Winehouse, 27, who died in July 2011.
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■ NJ gov strongly defends lowering flags for Houston
■ Whitney Houston Family Plans Private Funeral for Late Singer
BBC ODD BOX
T I B E T
TRIBE AMAZON
World Press Photo 2012 : SAMUEL ARANDA
"The press should be not only a collective propagandist and a collective agitator, but also a collective organizer of the masses" – Vladimir Lenin
A veiled woman holding a wounded relative in her arms after a demonstration in Yemen.
Spanish photographer Samuel Aranda has won the 2011 World Press Photo of the Year award for the New York Times. Jurors said the photo captured multiple facets of the "Arab Spring" uprisings across the Middle East.► SAMUEL ARANDA
► World Press Photo winner 2011
I'm guessing, what is the greatest news in 2012? It will fill the contestation of 2013. In 2010: Iran's election in 2009. In 2011: Bibi Aisha Afghanistan Taliban in 2010. In 2012: Arab Spring with Tunisia as its trigger in 2011.
The press will remember you, people! Your blood, your sweat and your tears which did not have time to drip will be the words which may still be in the pen of an author, just like new teeth which are still waiting on the gums of a human baby.
World Press Photo of the Year 2011 (15 October 2011) : Samuel Aranda, A woman holds her wounded son in her arms, inside a mosque used as a field hospital by demonstrators against the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, during clashes in Sanaa, Yemen on 15 October 2011.
The U.S. planned to disburse the economic aid more than U.S. $ 800 million for the Middle Eastern countries that affected by the Arab Spring. In particular, the aid highlighted the U.S. military ties with Egypt. Obama called for the aid to Egypt remained at the level of U.S. $ 1.3 billion. Some members of parliament questioned Obama's decision. Actually, I'm also not sure with whom they will negotiate and where this money will flow.
■■ http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/02/14/inside_the_us_china_valentine_s_day_lunch
Inside the U.S.-China Valentine's Day lunch
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden hosted a star-studded lunch at the State Department Tuesday in honor of Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, with a Valentine's Day theme to boot.
AFGHANISTAN : Cartoon Animation
SYRIA : Who really calls the shots in Damascus?
■ China envoy meets Assad, backs Syria election plan
■ Syrians rally against Assad - Thousands of Syrians rallied Feb. 17 for Bashar al-Assad's ouster, as the embattled president's forces unleashed their heaviest pounding yet of Homs in a brutal bid to crush dissent, monitors said.
PAKISTAN : Yusuf Raza Gilani
The prime minister of Pakistan discusses contempt charges, relations with the US and the country's powerful military.
SOMALIA : Al-Qaeda and al-Shabab: Double the trouble?
We ask what the formal merger of the two groups means for the conflict in Somalia.
The Winter War : In the frozen peaks of Afghanistan's Kunar province, a ferocious clash for supremacy rages amid the mountaintops.
USA : Poor America - 'Some kids are making ketchup soup'
■ Obama's slogan: looking to replace Hope and Change
IRAN
MOVIE : A Separation
► IMDB
► NYTimes
► LATimes
► Article LATimes
► LATimes Movies
► Journeymart
► On GUARDIAN
Early 2012 is the beginning of luck for Asghar Farhadi, director of the film A Separation or in Persian Jodai-e Nader Az Zimin. The film received much praise from the international film festival which quite prestigious. Starting from the Berlin Film festival up to 69 Golden Globe which just ended a week ago.
A Separation bagged the title for best foreign language film in the Berlin film festival. Both the main players, Lelia Moaadi Hatami and Peyman, Sliver Bear Award wer given the gifts as an actress and best actor. Not only that. In the middle of the U.S. conflict with Iran, this film even was flying in the U.S.
The film was a winner for best foreign language film at the Golden Globe awards to 69 and the best film criticism. In the history of Iranian film, this was the first Iranian film won the Golden Globe trophy. Asghar Farhadi also won praise as the best foreign film director in the U.S..
In the race for the Academy Awards to be held on February 26 next, A Separation film was bagging a nomination for best foreign language film and best original story. Asghar Farhadi's debut is indeed remarkable. It's been long enough known that Iranian films have the binding characteristics, unlike Hollywood, Bollywood, let alone Mandarin. Moreover, as an Islamic state, Iran is also known has the quite tight signs. However, their films would prevail in the international world. When viewed from the title, the story is about the separation between Nader and Simin who have one child Termeh, 11.
The story begins with the marriage between Nader and Simin which already past 11 years. As a middle-class families, Simin still uncomfortable with her tradition of restraint, especially for her child development, Termeh. She wanted the whole family moved from Iran. However, her wish was not accepted by Nader. Instead he was more focused care for his father who suffered from Alzheimer's.
Finally, the word "divorce" was spoken by Simin. They also agreed to split up. Letter of divorce was eventually filed in court. Nader did not question the divorce. He just wanted to save his father's life. Then he hired Razieh, a poor and young pregnant woman to care for his father. Moreover Razieh was more religious.
Razieh took the job to help Houjat --her husband-- in order to work at the company where Nader worked. The effort was not wasted. Houjat was accepted. Unfortunately, he hurried to prison by a debt collector because of his debt. Razieh had to work hard to get her husband freed from jail.
One time Nader's father fled. Razieh found him in the crowd. Nader's father survived the crash, but Razieh was hit by a car.
The next day, Nader accused Razieh stealing his money. Razieh was evicted from the apartment. The next day, Razieh's sister said her womb. Nader could be charged with three years imprisonment or high enough fines.
At the end of the story, Nader and Simin were sitting in the court waiting room. Simin wore black clothes, a Persian tradition that symbolizes the mourning. Then the judge called Termeh to be consulted about her parents' divorce. Farhadi ended the story by showing Nader and Simin at the court waiting room. The atmosphere was pretty quiet.
The concept of a story that is built in A Separation is quite simple. Family conflict may occur around us. The film did not receive financial support from the Iranian government. Farhadi received a loan from the APSA Academy Film Fund of U.S. $ 25 thousand.
Iran Ministry of culture and Islamic guidance had banned Farhadi to make films in Iran. Event that occurred from September 2010 began with a speech that expressed his desire to see the movies of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, an Iranian filmmaker who is now exiled. However, the ban was lifted a month later after the judge had misinterpreted his words. On the other hand, he is proud of the many people know Iran through his film.
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POLITIC
■ Hague fears Iran could start 'new Cold War'
MIDDLE EAST
■ Bahrain restricts protests on uprising anniversary
LIBYA
■ 15 February 2012 Libya: "Out of control" militias commit widespread abuses, a year on from uprising
■ 16 February 2012, Libya militias threatening stability, says Amnesty
ARGENTINA
■ Falklands tension: Argentina condemns UK MPs visit
In a Flight
S N O W
SNOW LEOPARD
GREEK
The Euro collapse and the pseudo-solidarity in Europe
The academics, journalists and even government officials had rolled out various schemes to save the euro from destruction, among others was to establish new financial institutions in Europe, Eurobonds. This scheme had the full backing of all EU members, even the U.S., but it was less political support. Thus, it would result in a more painful for the European economy. As an integrated financial system has been made, unification is the only real long term solution, allowing the euro zone to exist. But that means, countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain should be willing to take orders in the financial aspects of Germany. And in the end, countries such as France will submerge their national identity in a "big country" that is called Europe. Germany was willing to pay almost no limit to East Germany after reunification. Ehhhee, it's Local loyalties in Europe, but it's not a loyalty associated with the identity on the European continent in general. Thus, unification is impossible.
Possible scenario is, Greece and other countries whose economies are considered to have been very weak, will be excluded from the euro zone. Rich European countries would not be financially burdened to help a fellow eurozone members. You see? In financial matters, the solidarity is a very relative thing. Portugal will also leave the European Union. But I think Portugal will leave the European Union for longer than Greece. There is a possibility of 50% of the European Union will split in three to five years ahead.
■ Hiyaaa...hiphophiphop Kanellos Loukanikos! This spirited dog has been participating in Greek riots since 2008. Everything you see is real and unaltered.
■ Mascot for the Greek economic protesters
■ Is capitalism bankrupt? - With a worldwide financial crisis and an outraged 99 per cent, we ask if the free market is free enough.
Argentina glacier collapse
Israel warns time short to stop Iranian nuclear plans
A song from a lover in Paris. He said he loved me, but occasionally he affirmed his stance by saying that he would never fall in love again. Ah, I do not believe in the words of all those who are in love. Perhaps what he meant was that he would not fall in love with the same person, for example : with me.
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