News Headlines (116) 5 January 2013

ONLINE TODAY

► Gene Variant Linked to Active Personality Traits Also Linked to Human Longevity Jan. 3, 2013  

► Video of World's Shortest Escalator Goes Viral - By Melissa Knowles | Trending Now – Thu, Jan 3, 2013

► Published on Jan 2, 2013. :: Is located in Kawasaki, Japan. You can find it within ''More's department store'' located across the street from the JR Kawasaki train station!



► Ubuntu coming to smartphones 

► Adele's '21' scores again, beating Swift for 2012's top album

► London Fireworks 2013 with Music and Sound Bites of 2012 Mix - New Year Live - BBC One. Published on Dec 31, 2012 :: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcone  | London's 2013 fireworks on New Year's Day. Track list:
01 Nero: Me and You
02 Willy Moon: Yeah Yeah
03 Dépêche Mode: Personal Jesus
04 The Clash: London Calling
05 ELO: Mr Blue Sky
06 Take That: Shine
07 Coldplay / Katy Perry: Paradise / Wide Awake Remix
08 Public Enemy: Harder Than You Think
09 NWA: Something 2 Dance 2
10 Sam & The Womp: Bom Bom Bom
11 Psy: Gangnam Style
12 Florence & The Machine: Spectrum (Say My Name) - Calvin Harris Remix
13 Queen: We Will Rock You
14 Gary Barlow & The Commonwealth Band: Sing
15 Ellie Goulding: Anything Could Happen
16 The Who: Won't Get Fooled Again
17 Dizzee Rascal: Bonkers
18 The Clash: Should I Stay Or Should I Go
19 One Direction: Live While We're Young
20 Swedish House Mafia / Tine Tempah: From Miami to Ibiza


►
Should new Congress mean new rules? Published on Jan 3, 2013 :: The latest Congress has been sworn in, and one of the most important aspects of what business actually gets done and when has to do with the rules. The House of Representatives votes on rules for Congress, but the upper chamber - the Senate - rarely ever does. Daniel Schuman of the Sunlight Foundation joins us for more. 



New Congress Ready to Fight

The fight between Democrats and Republicans are entering a new phase along with the inauguration of House of Representatives members and the U.S. Senate on Thursday (1/3) local time.

The 113th United States Congress composed of 12 senators and 84 members of new Parliament. The amount is slightly alter the power balance in the Senate and House of Representatives.

When compared with the previous generation, Democrats now have 201 members in the House or an increase of 10 members. The Republicans lost 8 seats to 234 members.

In the senate which includes 100 seats, Democrats still dominate with 55 members, an increase of 2 members when compared to the previous generation. The composition, according to Larry Sabato -- the Director of Political Studies Center, University of Virginia, USA -- will repeat the battle between the Democrats and the republic in Congress. "As fiscal cliff debate, both sides will engage in another tough fight. Each party will remain polarized. Quite clearly, the Republicans do not like President Obama personally," he said.

The condition is believed to be difficult for Obama when he files the draft law on firearms control to Congress by the end of this month. Just for the record, Obama vowed to fight the bill shortly after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut that killed 20 boys and 6 adults, last December.

Another issue that makes the Democrats and Republicans will wrestle is the debt ceiling and budget. As an illustration, the U.S. now has the biggest debt U.S. $ 16.4 trillion. The amount is equal to the limit set by the U.S. Congress. That the U.S. government may owe more, the ceiling should be raised. The problem is, Republicans -- who control the House -- insist will not raise the ceiling if Obama does not cut the budget significantly.

Senior Economist of JP Morgan Chase Bank, James Glassman estimated the debate in Congress would be held tight and focused on the need to cut government spending which burdening the budget. "The culprit is health care, government spending for federal health care. That is a matter of debate for several years, "he said.

Nevertheless, Obama refused to carry out the "horse trading" at the expense of health care for raising the debt ceiling. "If the Republicans think I will finalize the budget deficit reduction only through the budget cuts, it's not the way. Republicans try to sacrifice the budget cuts that will hurt senior citizens, students, and middle-class families, "Obama said. With a budget deficit of over U.S. $ 1 trillion, Obama warned Republicans not to scuttle the efforts of government, because the failure of raising the debt ceiling would be fatal. "The consequences for global economy would be dangerous, far worse than the impact of Fiscal Cliff," he said.

Meanwhile, John Boehner was able to maintain his position as House Speaker by voting. A total of 220 people supporting him, while 192 refused him. It is the smallest difference in the House Speaker election since 1997. This fact is the deal impact in Fiscal Cliff bill agreed at January 1, 2013. John Campbell, a Republican House member from California was disappointed with his party - which is famous for its antitax - approved the bill.
***
(CZ/AZ/D-fcusa13)





► Raw: Bear Gets Cake, Toy Walrus for 1st Birthday. Published on Jan 4, 2013 :: Polar bear Anori celebrated her first birthday at the Wuppertal Zoo in western Germany on Friday. The zoo gave her a cake and a walrus made out of cardboard to play with. (Jan. 4) :



► Pakistani Girl (Malala Yousafzai) Activist Released by UK Hospital. Published on Jan 4, 2013 ::  A teenage Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban for promoting girls' education has been released from hospital. (Jan. 4)



►
Raw: Obama Takes Daughters Out for Shaved Ice. Published on Jan 4, 2013 :: President Obama took his daughters Sasha and Malia out for shaved ice on Thursday. The President rejoined his family on their vacation in Hawaii after Congress completed its deal on the fiscal cliff. (Jan. 4)  || ► Tropical Sno - How to make a perfect Shaved Ice using the Swan SI-100 Block Ice Shaver

► Detroit reports highest homicide rate in 20 years - By Ron Recinto | Yahoo! News 

► Colo. theater shooting kin reject movie invitation - Relatives of 9 killed in Colorado movie theater reject 'disgusting' invitation to reopening | By Dan Elliott and Colleen Slevin, Associated Press 

► Wounded ex-Rep. Giffords meets with Conn. families - By By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN | Associated Press 

► Photo Shows Obama Hearing of Sandy Hook Shooting - By Z. Byron Wolf | ABC OTUS News

► Obama's Second Term May Be More Blessed Than Cursed - By Akhil Reed Amar, The Atlantic | National Journal

► Israel's ex-security chief says Netanyahu wavering and weak - By Dan Williams | Reuters 

► 7 Resolutions for a Better Planet - By Douglas Main, OurAmazingPlanet Staff Writer | LiveScience.com

► NASA's Curiosity rover finds 'flower' on surface of Mars

► 'Invisible' photographer Liu Bolin - Liu Bolin has a thing for hiding in plain sight. Known as the chameleon, the photographer has made a career out of painting himself into the photos he takes. It's an amazing skill, and it's on full display in his latest collection of images. With the help of his collaborators, Bolin's body vanishes into the background. Forget about Waldo. Where's Liu? 

► 5 January 2013  - Chavez 'can rule without oath' || VIDEO 

Venezuela's vice-president says Hugo Chavez can begin his new six-year term in office, even if he is too ill to be sworn-in on Thursday.
* Chavez inauguration puzzle
* World media consider life after Chavez 

► Sandy flood aid passes Congress

The US Congress passes an aid package for victims of "superstorm" Sandy days after an outcry from politicians in hard-hit areas over a delay in approval.
* Sandy aid bill 'bare minimum' - VIDEO
* Sandy: Ortley Beach struggles 
* Sandy triggers climate blame game 

► Marriage boost for Chinese couples on 'love you forever' day. 4 January 2013  -  The date 4 January 2013 when translated into Mandarin sounds similar to the phrase 'love you forever'. As a result, there has been a huge surge in the number of couples in China getting married in the hope that the auspicious date will bless their unions forever. Weiliang Nie Reports. (VIDEO)

* China wedding boom on 'lucky day'
* Sham marriages for Shanghai's gay community 

► 3 January 2013 - India bananas seek bigger share of global market By Parameswaran Sivaramakrishnan Producer, Tamil Service, BBC World Service

► Bardot threatens Russia move over elephants. 4 January 2013  - Former French film star Brigitte Bardot could be come a Russian citizen in a row over two sick zoo elephants. Ms Bardot has threatened to move abroad unless France stops the elephants, which suffer from tuberculosis, being put down. On Thursday, the actor Gerard Depardieu obtained a Russian passport following a tax row with the French government. The BBC's Samantha Barry reports (VIDEO)

* Bardot 'to seek Russia passport'
* Depardieu becomes Russian citizen

► Bid to restore Old Jakarta to former glory. 4 January 2013  - The Indonesian government is attempting to make its capital Jakarta more attractive by revitalising the city's old town, once the heart of Dutch colonial rule. It's hoped public-private finance deals can be struck to fund improvements in the area which has become dilapidated and dirty. Karishma Vaswani reports.(VIDEO)

► CrossTalk: Ciao CIA? Published on Jan 4, 2013 :: Is it time to disband the CIA and start from scratch? What accounts for so many failures surrounding the agency? Is it possible to have intelligence agencies more accountable to the public? And shouldn't the CIA be forced to justify the use of drones to Congress and the public? CrossTalking with Jacob Hornberger, Paul Schulte, and Lawrence Davidson. (VIDEO)

► Israel-Syria wall: Safeguard or 'apartheid'? Published on Jan 4, 2013 :: The walls around Israel are growing as the country's army builds a new physical barrier, this time on its border with Syria. The wall will reportedly begin in the southern part of the occupied Golan Heights, extending north from there. (VIDEO) 

► GRAPHIC VIDEO: Protester stabs himself in stomach in South Korea. Published on Jan 4, 2013 :: WARNING: Graphic video - A Japanese special envoy arrived in South Korea on Friday to continue talks aimed at improving diplomatic relations between the two countries. Shortly before the envoy's arrival at Gimpo International Airport a demonstration was held in which one man, Lim Chang-geun, mimicked hari-kiri by stabbing himself in the stomach. Relations between South Korea and Japan have been strained by a territorial dispute over rocky outcroppings that Korea calls Dokdo and Japan calls Takeshima and which both claim. "Before sending us an envoy, Japan should have apologized before the international community and South Korean people," said protester Oh Chun-do. "Without an apology the envoy means nothing." Japan's envoy, Fukushiro Nukaga, will meet with South Korea's incoming President Park Geun Hye.  (VIDEO) 


► S.Korea scared of Japan? Published on Aug 17, 2012 by YujiroTaniyama



►
Putin second to 'Nobody' on world's most powerful list. Published on Jan 4, 2013 :: International political thinktank Eurasia Group has ranked Russian President Vladimir Putin second on its list of the world's most powerful people. The first position is held by 'Nobody,' reflecting the perception of a world without a clear leader. The list, published by Foreign Policy magazine, ranks individuals' ability to singlehandedly "bring about change that significantly affects the lives and fortunes of large numbers of people."



► Putin second to 'Nobody' on world's most powerful list - thinktank

► Obama to pay US debt with trillion-dollar coins?

► Sandy victims mad as hell at Congress

► Pentagon bans gay sites

► Indian woman jumps from train to escape rape

►
Inside Story - Why do HIV cases keep rising in Russia? Published on Jan 4, 2013 :: he number of HIV cases in Russia is soaring and more people are dying from HIV/AIDS, with more than one million people living with HIV. So how does Russia plan to stem the rise in HIV? Guests: Tony Barnett, Dr Jens Lundgren.


►
Inside Story Americas - Has Bolivia's coca-growing scheme worked? Published on Jan 4, 2013 :: Bolivia's own regulations show promising signs of progress in controlling coca-leaf production. Was President Evo Morales right to kick out the US Drug Enforcement Administration? Guests: John Walsh, Eric Farnsworth, Sanho Tree.

Latest Headlines

■ Former U.S. Rep. Giffords Visits Newtown, Conn.
■ Saudi's Top Cleric Warns Against Mixing of Genders
■ Ex-Rep. Frank Asks Mass. Gov. to Name Him Senator
■ New Search Engine Tailors Its Results for Tablets
■ Syrian Warplanes Bomb Suburbs of the Capital
■ Congress to Vote on Superstorm Sandy Flood Aid
■ Venezuela's Chávez Fighting Severe Lung Infection 
■ Indian Court to Rule on Generic Drug Industry
■ Poll: Obesity's a Crisis but We Want Our Junk Food
■ School Offers Fresh Start for Sandy Hook Kids
■ Richardson: N Korea Trip is Private, Humanitarian
■ Fatah Party Stages First Rally in Gaza Since 2007
■ Afghan Militants Freed by Government
■ CNN: Blizzard Shuts Down Part of Texas Highway
■ CNN: U.S. Debt Rating at Risk

► Antitrust Deal: FTC's Restraint Is Google's Win

By Sam Gustin
* How the Best Tech Companies Treat Their Employees

► Should the Indian Gang Rape Victim Remain Anonymous?

* Viewpoint: Rape in India — A Result of Sex Selection? 

► Joe Klein: Why Barney Frank Shouldn't Be a Senator
► Mississippi River Could Close to Barge Traffic Within Days
► Our Personalities Are in Constant Flux, Even If We Think They're Not
► Obama's 'Alice in Wonderland' Veil of Secrecy 
► CNN: Defense Battles Social Media in Ohio Rape Case

Featured

■ All-Wet Meteorite Arrives from Mars
■ Beyond the Mouse and Keyboard
■ The Week's Best Political Cartoons 
■ Decoding Downton Abbey's DNA

► Pictures of the Week: December 28 – January 4 

► Photographer Spotlight: Michael Rougier

► After Newtown, School-Shooter Training for Teachers

► Obama expected to nominate Chuck Hagel as secretary of Defense

► It's official: Obama, Biden win second term

► Boehner promises Republicans he'll fight Obama over debt ceiling

► In his San Francisco digs, 'Sutro Sam' is living just as he otter

►
"Sutro Sam" Wild River Otter at Sutro Baths - San Francisco. Published on Oct 10, 2012 by AlchemicalNature  || ► Rare river OTTER spotted in San Francisco. Published on Jan 4, 2013 by sravantd


► Saving thousands of adoptable animals, one at a time

► Sahara rock appears to be first meteorite from Mars' crust

► Construction is complete on behemoth airship; first flight planned

► Dwarf galaxies around Andromeda pose questions for astronomers

► Awesome images from space

► B o n o b o s  may prefer sharing food with strangers over groupmates 

► Waola, Baby Bonobo. Published on Aug 2, 2012 by Bonobo DotOrg :: Michael Hurley, of Bonobo Conservation Initiative, discusses baby Waola. Waola, like many bonobos, was injured by a snare in the rainforest.



► Connecticut gun shows canceled after Newtown school shooting 

► At the Consumer Electronics Show, more glitz than gee whiz

► Gray wolf takes to California but is unlikely to find a mate here

► Growing mizuna, the new year greens

► Your New Year's resolutions, as demonstrated by cats [VIDEO]

► Pictures in the News - Jan. 4, 2013 

2 PICTURES TODAY

A zoo keeper holds a Bull frog during the annual stocktake at ZSL London Zoo in central London on January 3, 2013. ZSL London Zoo embarked on January 3 on their annual complete head-count of every animal at the zoo, which houses over 17,000 animals. AFP PHOTO / BEN STANSALL

US Marine Corps former minesweeper Mark Zambon, member of the team Race 2 Recovery, consisting of British and US soldiers who have suffered serious injuries in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years, enters a car in Lima on January 3, 2013, ahead of the 2013 Dakar Rally which this year will thunder through Peru, Argentina and Chile from January 5 to 20. AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFE