News Headlines (96) 16 December 2012

ONLINE TODAY

►
Mistletoe Kissing Prank (ORIGINAL). Published on Dec 12, 2012 by Stuart Edge :: Have you ever wondered if the tradition of the mistletoe is still alive? Watch this video to find out! Special thanks to all those who took our survey.



► Easy, At-Home Exercise Program Can Help Cancer Patients 

►
Inside Syria - Planning for the Syrian endgame. Published on Dec 16, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish :: Is President Bashar al Assad heading for a last stand as the conflict spills into its 22nd month? Setting the scene for our discussion on Inside Syria presenter Ghida Fakhry speaks to Ammar Waqqaf - a member of the Syrian Social Club, a group advocating reform in Syria; Scott Lucas - a professor of American Studies at the University of Birmingham; and Pavel Felgenhauer - a political analyst and columnist at the newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

■ As Syria's rebels close in, Assad has three options - The most likely is a retreat into the mountains controlled by his minority Alawite community. | By Nicholas Blanford, Correspondent / December 9, 2012
■ EU to consider all options to help Syrian rebels 
■ Under Siege, Damascus Gets Desperate for Food and Fuel - by Mikel Ayestaran Dec 14, 2012 

► Greta Garbo's dresses, caps fetch high prices at auction

► Nature Nurtures Creativity After Four Days of Hiking - Dec. 12, 2012 


► SCIENCE MAG

■ ScienceShot: Keeping Hammerheads Out of the Haul - by Thomas Sumner on 29 November 2012 

■ ScienceShot: Older Vega Mature Enough to Nurture Life - by Ken Croswell on 3 December 2012 

■ ScienceShot: Drunk Maggots Make Good Students - by Gretchen Cuda Kroen on 3 December 2012

■ ScienceShot: Cocoon Preserves Microbe for the Ages - by Sid Perkins on 3 December 2012 

■ Washington State Targets Pollutants that Lead to Ocean Acidification - by David Malakoff on 27 November 2012 

■ How Maggots Heal Wounds - by Paul Gabrielsen on 6 December 2012 

■ Live Chat: How Close Are We to Birth Control for Men? - by Sam Kean on 12 December 2012 

► US military unveils 'smart gun' - Page last updated  on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 | By Dan Whitworth - Newsbeat technology reporter 

■ News December 3, 2010 by Francis Scardino :: US Army Orders Some Smart Guns; Less Bad Guys Coming Soon 

►
XM25 Airburst Weapon. Uploaded on Dec 5, 2010 by theboon2010 ::  The only way to be safe from it is inside a closed, concrete bunker.  The XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System fires 25mm air-bursting shells up to 2,300 feet, making it most closely related to the grenade launcher, but with a range greater than most rifles used by the Army, AFP reports.

Let's say enemy fighter pops up from behind a wall to fire at U.S. troops and then takes cover before they can respond. An XM25 gunner can then use the laser range finder to get the distance to the wall, program the explosive to go off a few feet behind it, fire over the wall, and then watch as lethal shell fragments rain down from above.

The 12-pound, 29-inch system, which was designed by Minnesota's Alliant Techsystems, costs up to $35,000 per unit and, while highly sophisticated, is easy enough to use that soldiers become proficient within minutes, reports Fox News. "For well over a week, it's been actively on patrols, and in various combat outposts in areas that are hot," said Lieutenant Colonel Chris Lehner, program manager for the XM25, to the AFP. "This is the first time we're putting smart technology into the hands of the individual soldier.


"It's giving them the edge," he said, in the harsh Afghan landscape where Islamist extremists have vexed US troops using centuries-old techniques of popping up from behind cover to engage. "Now we're taking that away from the enemy forever." || ► New High-Tech Military Gadget 2010 ( XM-25 Rifle in Action ) Uploaded on Nov 28, 2010 by newworldkeef :: Fox News Video - Educational Purposes.

►
Hunting the Radioactive Beasts of Chernobyl. Published on Jul 19, 2012 by VICE :: We set out to hunt wild mutant boars with machine guns in Chernobyl's extremely radioactive and deadly Red Forest.






►
Obama Grieves: American Hearts 'Heavy With Hurt'.  Published on Dec 15, 2012 ::  Addressing a stunned nation, President Barack Obama on Saturday grieved for the children and teachers massacred in Newtown, Conn., declaring that "every parent in America has a heart heavy with hurt." (Dec. 15) || ► Raw: Gun Control Demonstration Near White House. Published on Dec 14, 2012 ::  In the wake of a shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that left 26 dead, including 20 children, gun control advocates gathered near the White House in Washington. (Dec. 14)



► Images of Grief at Conn. School Shooting.  Published on Dec 14, 2012 ::  After a man opens fire inside a Connecticut school, scores of police converged on Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. and parents rushed to the scene. Authorities say 26 people were killed, including 18 children. (Dec. 14) (VIDEO)

► Raw: White House Flag at Half-Staff.  Published on Dec 14, 2012 :: Shortly before speaking to the country about the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, President Barack Obama ordered that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff on public grounds through Tuesday. (Dec. 14) (VIDEO)

► Hillary Clinton Faints, Suffers Concussion. Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: The State Department says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who skipped an overseas trip this past week because of a stomach virus, sustained a concussion after fainting. (Dec. 15) (VIDEO) 

► NASA Video Debunks End of World Theories. Published on Dec 14, 2012 ::  A video released as part of NASA's ScienceCasts series explains why the world won't end on December 22nd when the Mayan calendar ends. (Dec. 14) (VIDEO)

► 'Always smiling': Portraits of Conn. victims -By MATT SEDENSKY | Associated Press 

► Obama to travel to Newtown, Conn., on Sunday -  By Olivier Knox, Yahoo! News

► Iran, other countries horrified by Connecticut massacre 

► U.S. Troops Are Headed to Turkey to Defend It Against Syria - By Dashiell Bennett | The Atlantic Wire – Fri, Dec 14, 2012 

► Iran warns Turkey over NATO's missile system - Associated Press   ||  Patriot missiles in Turkey threaten "world war:" Iran army chief - Reuters  

► Key events in Egypt's revolution and transition - By The Associated Press 

► With Chávez's health uncertain, Venezuela regional elections will test opposition. As questions rise about Hugo Chávez's ability to rule, opposition leadership must prove their legitimacy in state elections this weekend if they hope to be contenders in possible future contests.  By Andrew Rosati | Christian Science Monitor – Fri, Dec 14, 2012 

► Venezuela furious at Obama's comments on ailing Chavez - By Andrew Cawthorne and Daniel Wallis | Reuters – Fri, Dec 14, 2012 
► New Museum of Math Opens in New York - By Clara Moskowitz, LiveScience Senior Writer
► Holiday Gift Guide: What to give a foodie - By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News

► Daily Shot: How to Be the Perfect Woman!
► Women's Idea of the Perfect Man Changes Drastically as They Age, Survey Says
► From Brew to Brine: Coffee-Scented Chicken - By Food52 | Shine Food – Wed, Dec 12, 2012 




► Saltiest Fast Food Meals in America - Karen Pallarito | Thursday, December 13, 2012



 
►  A Washington State-themed light show to warm the downtrodden hearts of Cougar fans (VIDEO) 





► Hollywood's Four-Legged Scene Stealers  

► US school massacre victims identified

All 20 children who died in a shooting in Connecticut were aged between six and seven, and appear to have been shot several times, officials say.
* Father: 'Emilie lit up the room' -VIDEO
* Can gun laws be changed?
* Victims of the shooting
* How it happened
* Profile of suspect
* 'British boy' among dead

► 16 December 2012  - Egypt referendum count under way 

Votes are being counted in the first round of Egypt's controversial referendum on a new constitution, amid a high turnout and isolated incidents of violence.
* Relish for politics
* In pictures: Egypt votes
* Tempers fray  - VIDEO 
* Morsi casts vote  - VIDEO 

► 16 December 2012  - Venezuela set for regional polls

Venezuelans are due to vote for state governors and mayors as President Chavez recovers from cancer surgery, in a fresh test of his popularity.
* Venezuela faces up to Chavez succession
* Profile: Hugo Chavez
* Profile: Nicolas Maduro 

► 14 December 2012 - A return to Middle-earth 

► Today's African Proverb :: "One does not learn how to use the left hand in old age" - An Igbo proverb sent by Igedu Stephen, Delta State, Nigeria

► 2nd Worst Massacre in US history: Dozens killed, most victims aged 5-10. Published on Dec 14, 2012 :: It's one of the worst school shootings in US history. At least 27 people gunned down in a US primary school in Connecticut - twenty of them young children. Pupils had tried to hide from the killer in classrooms and closets, but the bloodbath ended only when he turned the gun on himself. A woman believed to be his mother was also found dead at her house. (VIDEO)

► Connecticut slaughter sparks public outcry for gun control across US. Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: The tragedy at Sandy Hook . Elementary School in Newtown, CT once again triggered a wave of criticism that getting your hands on a weapon in America is too easy.  RT's Liz Wahl went to the White House to see an anti-guns rally. (VIDEO)

►
Street battles as Egypt votes on new sharia-based constitution. Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: Egyptians are deciding the fate of a brand-new constitution which has divided the nation and turned the streets in the country's key cities into battlefields. A chorus of critics have pushed for the referendum's delay, saying that the Islamic-led document is flawed and not representative of the population.



► 'Turkey looks through US eyes, sacrifices own interests'. Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: The U.S., Germany and the Netherlands are deploying Patriot missiles along with around 12 hundred troops on Turkey's border with Syria. NATO claims the move will protect Ankara from a potential strike by its neighbour, although critics say conflict-torn Syria is unlikely to attack an alliance member. RT's Irina Galushko looks at why Turkey is so eager to defend itself from its former friend.



► Connecticut elementary school shooting: LIVE UPDATES (PHOTOS)
► Bereaved families speak out as America mourns Newtown school shooting
► EU to consider 'all options' to aid rebels as Syria asks for humanitarian help
► North Korea's Socialist Winter: Engagement or isolation? (Photo Perspectives)

► Iran hysteria a cover for Israeli bomb - ex-Iranian diplomat 

► British comic Frankie Boyle aids Guantanamo inmate's lawsuit against MI6

► Here's looking at you, kid! Casablanca piano auctioned for $600,000   ||  Related Topics :: my older post on 8 December and 30 November 2012

►
The Frost Interview - Carlos Acosta: From pauper to prince. Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: Sir David Frost travels to Havana, Cuba, to meet the world's most celebrated male ballet dancer in his homeland. Carlos Acosta's family was desperately poor. Pedro, his father, had fallen in love with ballet when as a young man, he had sneaked into a cinema that was reserved for whites to watch grainy pictures of ballet dancers. When Pedro heard that Cuba's ballet schools offered free food, he sent his son Carlos off to ballet school. "I wanted to become a footballer ... but obviously my father had different plans," Acosta tells Sir David. || ► Tamara Rojo, Carlos Acosta - Swan Lake. Uploaded on Aug 1, 2008 



► Listening Post - Abandoning Private Manning. Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: On the Listening Post this week: Wikileaks suspect Bradley Manning versus the US government - but where was the media? Plus, a look at Thailand's controversial lese majeste law. It was one of the biggest stories of 2010. Millions of classified US government documents leaked onto the internet through the Wikileaks website. Although it made the name of the site founder Julian Assange, the man accused of actually giving him the material is rather less well known. That man, US soldier Bradley Manning, is currently in a US prison awaiting trial over the case. Of the 22 charges against Bradley Manning, the most serious include revealing classified information to unauthorised persons, violating orders and aiding the enemy. That last charge could lead to life imprisonment for the 25 year-old. Two weeks ago, he spoke publicly for the first time in over two years in a pre-trial hearing where he claimed he was treated unlawfully whilst being held in military custody. This should have been an easy story for the media - an American whistleblower allegedly the source of many of the most important stories of the past two years speaking for the first time. But the coverage, especially in the US, has been surprisingly sparse; it is conspicuous by its absence not least in the New York Times. Despite partnering Wikileaks on the story, they did not send anyone to cover the event preferring to use agency copy. Listening Post examines Manning's treatment by the media. (VIDEO)


►
Talk to Al Jazeera - Marine Le Pen: The threat of radical Islam. Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: The leader of the far-right National Front party explains why she sees Muslim immigration as a grave threat to France. Le Pen, who is serving a second term as a member of the European Parliament, also talks about the EU, Syria, as well as Libya where she says it was wrong to get rid of the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.





►
Inside Story Americas - Has torture become acceptable? Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: The European Court of Human Rights condemns CIA torture and members of the US Senate intelligence committee calls it "a terrible mistake". But will such criticism be overshadowed by a film that falsely suggests that the use of torture led to the killing of Osama bin Laden? 



►
Inside Story - Will a new constitution divide or unite Egypt? Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: As Egypt votes on a new constitution, we ask if the referendum will help resolve the country's political crisis. Inside Story with presenter Ghida Fakhry speaks to guests: Sondos Asem of the Freedom and Justice party. She is a member of the party's foreign relations committee; Ahmed Naguib. He is a member of the Egyptian Current Party, and of the "No to the militarisation of the constitution" campaign; and Mohamed Elewa Badar. He is a senior lecturer in International and Islamic Law at Brunel University. Previously he served as a Chief Judge for the Egyptian Ministry of Justice.



► Al Jazeera News Special - Cycling: Pedaling A Lie? Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: The doctor who denies doping Lance Armstrong speaks for the first time since the world's most famous cyclist was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. (VIDEO)


► South2North - Africa 'in a time of chaos'.  Published on Dec 15, 2012 :: With China's influence on the continent growing, what are the challenges facing Africa in the next few decades? A South African of Chinese descent, Dion Chang, a writer and one of Africa's leading trend analysts, grew up looking different from his African peers and he said he often felt sidelined.

But with China's influence on the continent growing, South2North wants to find out whether in his experience old perceptions are changing. He believes that "there's massive change coming and I think if you are scared of change it is a terrifying time. People say that we're essentially in a time of chaos, but I think if you are one that embraces change and new opportunities, it is one of the most exciting times to live."

South Africa has the largest Chinese community on the continent, but how do Chinese feel about China's position in the world? And what will Africa in the world look like in the next few decades? Dion Chang talks about Chinese communities in Africa, global consumer trends and social media.  Also joining us is one of Africa's top musicians, Lira, to talk about African role models, music and activism as she works to make Africa a better place for future generations. (VIDEO)

Latest Headlines

■ Boehner Offers Millionaire Tax Hike
■ Conservative Party Favored as Japan Voting Begins
■ Nigeria Governor, 5 Others Die in Helicopter Crash
■ Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Faints, Sustains Concussion
■ Rockets Fired at Airport in Pakistan, 2 Killed
■ Emu Joins Man on Jog, Is Reunited With Owner
■ President's Pot Comments Prompt Call for Policy
■ 18 Migrants Found Dead, 9 Reportedly Missing
■ Mandela Undergoes Successful Gallstone Surgery 
■ Egyptians Vote on Islamist-Backed Constitution
■ Oregon Approves Tax Deal for Nike Expansion
■ Police Say 1 Officer Fatally Shot, 1 Hurt in Tenn. 
■ CNN: Other Factors at Play in Rice Saga
■ CNNMoney: How Far Will Your Salary Go in Another City?

► In the Shadow of Sandy Hook, a Pro-Gun Organization Keeps Silent

By Nate Rawlings / Newtown, Connecticut
► The Names of the Dead

Death is a sad thing, anywhere, anytime, anyone. But this is not the first time we see children die because they were shot. In the war, for example, gaza war in 2008, many children died from bullets. Read a lot of names (whether known or unknown person at all) is just a  normal thing for me. But when I read the numbers as a marker of their age, I do not deny one thing: they are still children. 6, 7, 29 (old enough), 6, 7, 6, 6, 47 (haa... this is older). etc, etc, eh .. there are 52, 56, then back to 6 more, 6, etc. Source : Connecticut State Police

► Shooter's Father Releases Statement
► Funerals at Christmas Time: The Tragedy of Sandy Hook
► Sandy Hook Shooting: Why Did Lanza Target a School?
► Twenty Brighter Stars: Town Mourns Slain Children 
► A Town of Broken Hearts: How Residents Cope 
► Chilling Details About the Gunman
► Gun-Control Activists Make Subdued Call to Action
► Talking to Your Kids About the Sandy Hook Shooting  

 

► Newtown teachers rushed to hide kids

Sandy Hook students didn't realize the bangs were gunfire
By Los Angeles Times Staff  - Summoned by an alert, parents waited outside. One father saw his 2nd-grade daughter running to him. But where was his son?
* The victims: Hopes and dreams behind the names 
* A Newtown mother coped silently with a troubled son 
* Father of 6-year-old victim speaks about daughter
* Children, teachers who were killed are identified 
* Editorial: Strict laws could work, if Congress would act
* Newtown's 'wound is deep' after shooting

► Three lessons from the near-final popular vote
► Obama dedicates weekly radio address to Connecticut shootings 
► Fix the Debt hits the airwaves to influence 'fiscal cliff' 
► EPA tightens standards for soot pollution 


► D o w n t o w n   L o s   A n g e l e s 

* Last call for skid row era at King Eddy 
* Downtown property owners fight MTA subway tunnel plans
* Some chafe at downtown L.A.'s business improvement districts 
* Jonathan Gold: Ari Taymor's Alma stands apart in L.A. 

► H i g h w a y   1

■ Numerous million-dollar classic cars headed to Arizona auction  || PHOTOS
■ U.S. expands probe of Ford floor mats
■ GM aims to reverse market share slide with overhauled pickups
■ Pope Benedict XVI gets new Popemobile from Mercedes-Benz

► FRAMEWORK :: The Week in Pictures - December 10 – 16, 2012 | Posted By: Marc Martin 

4 PICTURES TODAY

A person swims as people walk on the partially frozen Houhai Lake during winter in central Beijing on December 14, 2012. (REUTERS/Jason Lee)

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama reads "The Night Before Christmas" to children at the Children's National Medical Center, with First Dog Bo, in Washington on December 14, 2012. At right is Jordan Akuoko, who is five years old. (REUTERS/Gary Cameron)

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama reads "The Night Before Christmas" to children at the Children's National Medical Center, with First Dog Bo, in Washington on December 14, 2012. At right is Jordan Akuoko, who is five years old. (REUTERS/Gary Cameron)

A diver wearing a Santa Claus costume feeds a school of fish in a large fish tank during a Christmas show at the Aqua stadium aquarium in Tokyo on December 13, 2012. AFP/Rie Ishii