News Headlines (147) 6 February 2013

ONLINE TODAY

by VICE

► Fresh Off The Boat With Eddie Huang: Taiwan (Part 1/3)
► Fresh Off The Boat With Eddie Huang: Back in Taiwan (Part 2) 
► Fresh Off The Boat With Eddie Huang: Back in Taiwan (Part 3)


► Facebook After Death: Who Owns Your Pages When You Die?



► Husband and wife who bought TWO winning lotto tickets within hours.... and will retire on the $1.5m - By Associated Press Reporter. PUBLISHED: 5 February 2013 ||  ► Arkansas Couple Wins Lottery Twice in One Weekend ||  ► CNN



► Britain approves gay marriage bill  || PHOTOS




► N. Korea video shows US city under attack. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: North Korea, poised to conduct a nuclear test, posts a propaganda video on YouTube depicting a US city resembling New York engulfed in flames after an apparent missile attack.

► Iran's Ahmadinejad starts historic Egypt visit. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Cairo on Tuesday, marking the first visit to Egypt by an Iranian president since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, Egyptian television footage showed.

► Review of CAP subsidy leave's Europe's farmers fearful. Published on Feb 4, 2013 :: The EU's Common Agricultural Policy, which represents 40 percent of the Union's total annual spend, is up for review as member states look to thrash out their budget for 2014-2020. But cut's to the 50 billion euro pot could have profound repercussions for farmers, especially in countries such as France and Germany, who benefit most from the subsidies.

► Trio Joubran, Palestinian music ambassadors. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: The Trio Joubran are the Palestinian people's cultural ambassadors, investing as much in the Palestinian cause as in their music, which the three brothers play with the traditional Oud. AFPTV met the trio for their 10th anniversary for which celebrations include a gig in Ramallah and an upcoming one in France's most prestigious venue, the Olympia in Paris. :

► Switzerland hosts horse races on ice. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: Each February, the upmarket Swiss ski resort of St Moritz hosts a series of unique horse races on a frozen lake - the sport, known as 'skijoring', has existed for over a hundred years.

► Asteroid to fly close to earth but not collide: NASA. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: An asteroid about half the size of a football field will fly past Earth on February 15 in a record approach for a known object of its size -- closer than many man-made satellites -- but will not collide with the planet, NASA says.




► Christie Eats Donut Before Discussing Weight. Published on Feb 5, 2013::  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie described his weight as "fair game" for comedians, while appearing on Late Show with David Letterman. Christie also said he went to the Super Bowl on Sunday and gave a surprising description of the power outage. (Feb. 5)



► Raw: Ahmadinejad on Historic Visit to Cairo. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for the first visit by an Iranian leader in more than three decades, marking a historic departure from years of frigid ties between the two regional heavyweights. (Feb. 5)   ||  ► Raw: Shoe Appears to Be Thrown at Ahmadinejad. Published on Feb 5, 2013 ::  Video from Anadolu Agency appears to show a shoe being thrown at Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a mosque visit in Cairo. Ahmadinejad's three-day visit to Egypt is centered around an Islamic summit. (Feb. 5)


► Guinness Record: Largest Collection of Shoes. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: It was a 'sea of shoes' at the National Geographic Society headquarters on Tuesday. In fact, there were enough to set a Guinness world record. And some have been worn on the feet of celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Eli Manning. (Feb. 5)


► U.S. Drone Program Sparks Controversy. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: An unclassified Justice Department memo reveals the government does not need evidence that a specific attack is imminent when launching a drone attack to kill U.S. citizens working abroad with terrorists. (Feb. 5) 

► Iran's Ahmadinejad in Egypt on historic visit ||  ► Ahmadinejad visits Cairo: How sect tempers Islamist ties between Egypt, Iran -Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Egypt, the first by an Iranian leader since 1979, is historic. But it comes up against deep-seated animosity between Tehran and the Sunni Gulf states, who back Egypt. - By Kristen Chick / Christian Science Monitor  ||   ► Iran's Ahmadinejad kissed and scolded in Egypt -By Tom Perry and Yasmine Saleh

► 'Facebook vacations': Droves of users take breaks of several weeks or more, study finds - By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News 

► Like Cats, Aphids Land on Feet After Falling - By Douglas Main, OurAmazingPlanet Staff Writer | LiveScience.com 

► Ohio man recovers stolen 300-year-old family Bible - Associated Press

► French daredevil Alain Robert - Alain Robert, a French daredevil who has scaled some of the world's tallest buildings, conquered Cuba's famous Habana Libre hotel on Feb. 4 without ropes or a safety net — climbing to the top in about half an hour as hundreds of awed onlookers gasped and cheered from the streets below. (Alain Robert in my post : see on 23 September 2012)


► P H O T O S

■ Thousands of shoes break world record - National Geographic Kids magazine broke two records Feb. 5, claiming the Guinness World Records title for the most people running 100 meters in 24 hours, and the magazine staff laid out 16,407 shoes at National Geographic Society headquarters breaking the record for the largest collection of shoes to recycle. 

■ Sleeping with snakes - Manila's zoo owner, Emmanuel Tangco, not only handles snakes for a living, he also sleeps with them on occasion. :: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/sleeping-with-snakes-slideshow/

■ Cotillard scores 'Woman of the Year' - French actress Marion Cotillard was awarded the Hasty Pudding Theatricals woman of the year by the student theatricals society at Harvard. Cotillard played the staring role in a film about Piaf in La Vie en Rose. 




■ Portraits of iconic designers 

►Calvin Klein Collection Men's Spring 2013 Runway Show. Published on Jun 25, 2012 by calvinklein :: Calvin Klein Collection Men's Spring 2013 Runway Show. Creative Director, Italo Zucchelli.




■ Hyperreal paintings mimic photography - Artist Antonio Castelló presents a series of oil paintings with such life-like detail, that upon first glance one would think they were photographs. His work will be on display at London's Plus One Gallery Feb. 13 - Mar. 16 as part of the gallery's Winter Show.

■ Photos of the Day - A roundup of today's best photos.

■ 2013 Sony World Photography Awards - With over 122,000 entries from 170 countries – the highest number of submissions to date - the judges of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards have selected a shortlist of photographs that stood out beyond all others for their impressive high quality, originality and modern appeal. Topics ranged from daily international life to the Obama presidential campaign to quirky and witty shots of the animal kingdom.

■ Moscow's micro hostel - Moscow's first micro hostel offers accommodation for over 100 people in self-contained prefabricated sleeping cells called sleepboxes, according to the hostel administration.

(Moscow? Geez .... what happened to me? Last night I had a dream, met with Prokhorov. He kissed me. I sat in front of an open window, sat down with the attitude of waiting for the arrival of a prince. I was totally not targeting Prokhorov as my prince. And the most amusing -- eheheh. .. that's a dream world. A dream where you can set it as what is desired by your subconscious mind -- I sat as a single woman. I did not know where my partner and my baby were. And I felt I did not have to look for them. I was just very happy with my solitude, and became happier when lseeing Prokhorov came with his typical smile (a little: for a moment), came up to me from the street outside the window just to bring his face closer to my face, closer again until there was no distance between the two pairs of our lips.

There was no special sense of taste the kiss. It was not a passionate kiss of a lover. I just felt it was a sweet surprise. Prokhorov and I were kissing? ahahahah .... surely it was only a dream! Oh really? Well, because I was too demanding the truth of the facts in a dream, then it could be turned into a nuisance. I woke up and became convinced that it was just a dream. 1,2,3, I counted before finally concluding: Yes, it's just a dream. I called out his name, once, for the first time in our bed, "Prokhorov!"

I smiled, knowing one thing: What is the meaning of happiness in a dream?

Fortunately, my fiance was still asleep. His back face to face with my back. I feel it's funny. You sleep with the A, but you are dreaming of the B. ehehehe... I turned my body and embracing his back. I love him, but he does not have to master all my dreams.)
***

►Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, ready for takeoff: Motoramic Drives.

► Tourist traps that are worth the crowds

► How I Lost 212 Pounds

► This Couple Really, Really Loves Disney. Many women dream of meeting Prince Charming and having a fairy tale wedding. O'Fallon, MO-based aspiring actress Jamie Chandler, 26, took that idea (http://blog.theknot.com/2013/01/30/seriously-the-best-disney-wedding-we-have-ever-seen/) very seriously when planning her wedding to fiancé Christopher Chandler, 28. The couple threw a Disney-themed ceremony with the bride dressed as Ariel from The Little Mermaid and the groom as her Prince Eric. Here are some of their most magical moments. - By Elise Sole

► French 'kill hundreds' in Mali
France says hundreds of Islamist militants have been killed since its offensive began in northern Mali, and suggests troops may start pulling out in March.

* Mali's perfect 'guerrilla mountains'
* Sahara is not 'new Afghanistan'

► 6 February 2013 - Neighbours at war in Lebanon's divided city of Tripoli | By Darius Bazargan BBC News, Tripoli

► Japan PM condemns China radar act

Japan's PM calls the move by a Chinese frigate to put a radar lock on a Japanese navy ship a "dangerous act", as the US warns against any escalation.
* Japan boosts defence spending
* Q&A: China-Japan islands row

► Obama urges Kenya to avoid violence as election looms. 5 February 2013  :: US President Barack Obama has urged the people of Kenya, where his father was born, to avoid violence and intimidation in next month's elections. He posted the message, which begins with a greeting in Swahili, on YouTube. He said the polls were a chance for Kenyans to come together to show they were not just members of tribes or ethnic groups, but a proud nation. || NEWS

►
President Obama's Message to the People of Kenya (Swahili Captions). Published on Feb 5, 2013 by whitehouse :: In a video message, President Barack Obama tells the people of Kenya that the upcoming elections are a historic opportunity for Kenyans to stand together, as a nation, for peace and progress, and for the rule of law.



There are three things which if one does not know, one cannot live long in the world: what is too much for one, what is too little for one, and what is just right for one. - Swahili Proverb quotes

► Elephants 'try to avoid' humans
African elephants 'know' when they are in safe areas and become stressed when they leave them, according to a study. BBC Nature

* African elephant poaching threatens wildlife future
* The secret lives of giants

►Argentina 'will control Falklands within 20 years'. 6 February 2013  - The Falkland Islands will be back under Argentine control within "20 years", the country's foreign minister Hector Timerman has said. On a visit to London, he claimed "not one" other nation supported UK sovereignty of the Falklands. The BBC's Jon Sopel asked Mr Timerman if he would meet Mr Hague, alongside representatives of the disputed islands.    ||    NEWS

► Giant snow sculpture festival melts hearts in Japan. 5 February 2013 - The 64th Sapporo Snow Festival has opened in Japan to sub-zero temperatures. This year the festival features over 200 sculptures including iconic Asian buildings carved out of snow and ice. Tom Santorelli reports.

► 64th Sapporo Snow Festival 2013. Published on Feb 4, 2013 by marutokuTV02



► Politicians' luxury banquets banned - China turns against official extravagance. 6 February 2013 :: The Chinese economy is booming, but a crackdown on the extravagant ways of high-spending government officials has hit the luxury hotel and hospitality industry hard. Promises to clean up corruption and excess have been made by China's leaders before, but this time they appear to mean it. | The BBC's John Sudworth reports. ||  NEWS - China turns on official extravagance

► 5 February 2013 - World's longest cat Stewie dies at eight in Reno, Nevada 

►
Meet The Record Breakers - 'Stewie', The World's Longest Domestic Cat. Uploaded on Sep 20, 2011 by GuinnessWorldRecords :: The longest domestic cat is Mymains Stewart Gilligan (Stewie to his furr-ends), who is 123 cm (48.5 in) long. He is owned by Robin Hendrickson and Erik Brandsness (USA) and was measured on 28 August 2010.  Mymains Stewart Gillligan is a 5 year-old Maine Coon.



► Study finds obesity can 'lead to lack of vitamin D'
► eLimu: 'T' is for tablet computer
► Should you bash a 'bible bump'?
► Nine culture-filled weekends in Europe

► Today's African Proverb :: "Give a stammerer enough time and he will pronounce his father's name" - A Yoruba proverb sent by Johnson Folorunso Ajayi, Southport, UK

(These words are very touching. I grasp the meaning until my eyes dewy, because a very deep feeling. Hello, dad. Hello, my son. Hello, my love)

► UK planning broad online domestic spying regime 

► Syrian arrested after Ahmadinejad shoe-attack in Cairo (VIDEO)

► 54 countries helped CIA to kidnap, detain and torture – report

► Native American confronts 'anti-illegal immigration' protesters (VIDEO)

► Russia braces for Japan 'propaganda' as territorial disputes flare 

► Most expensive Olympics in history: Sochi 2014 Games to cost over $50 billion 

► 'Russian Loch Ness' dive: First-ever footage from depths of one of coldest lakes on Earth. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: Russian researchers have reached the bottom of Labynkyr, one of the coldest lakes on Earth, popularly known as the Russian Loch Ness for the legend of it being inhabited by a cryptozoological monster. Guinness World Records took note of unique dive.  || NEWS 

►
Cash & Kerry: Obama's million-dollar donors land top diplomat jobs in Europe. Cash & Kerry: Obama's million-dollar donors land top diplomat jobs in Europe



►
Robot Wars? UK to test supersonic stealth drone 'Taranis'.  Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: The UK is preparing to test a new supersonic stealth drone, seen as the next generation of front line bomber. Named after the Celtic god Taranis, the unmanned aircraft can evade radar and select its own targets. But as RT's Sara Firth reports, experts are nervous about the beginning of 'robot wars'.



►
'Globalizing Torture': 54 countries helped CIA to kidnap, detain & torture. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: At least 54 countries including Syria, Iran, Sweden, Iceland, and UK offered CIA "covert support" to detain, transport, interrogate and torture suspects in the years following the 9/11 attacks, according to a new report. || NEWS 

►
Inside Story Americas - Probing Obama's drone wars. Published on Feb 6, 2013 :: A leaked US government document sets out a legal justification for President Barack Obama's policy of extrajudicial killing, as the United Nations prepares its own investigation into drone strikes. Obama's policy of using lethal force against suspected terrorists is coming under further scrutiny after a Justice Department white paper was obtained by the US media. The document moves the goalposts in regards to when the government is authorised to carry out the killing of a US citizen. This comes as, last week, the UN announced a major investigation into drone strikes. Led by the UN's special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, the study will examine the extent of civilian casualties, and the wider consequences of an expanding global drone war.



► Inside Story - Kachin: Can there be lasting peace? Published on Feb 5, 2013 ::  Ethnic Kachin rebels have reached agreement with Myanmar's government to ease tensions that have reignited one of the country's bloodiest conflicts. Kachin rebels have been seeking greater autonomy from Myanmar's government for more than half a century. Simmering tensions have reignited with devastating consequences; an unprecedented escalation in fighting shattered a 17-year truce. Myanmar's military unleashed fighter jets and helicopter gunships on Kachin rebel positions. The heavy fighting is raising doubts about President Thein Sein's ability to control the military, at a time when the country is striding out along the road to democratic reform. The two sides have now agreed to more peace talks after a seven hour meeting in southern China. 

► Inside Story Americas - Hillary Clinton's legacy as top US diplomat.  Published on Feb 5, 2013 ::  On John Kerry's first day of work as the top US diplomat, Washington is abuzz with speculation about Hillary Clinton's political future. But what kind of secretary of state was she?

►
Iran's president begins historic Egypt visit. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in Cairo, marking the first visit to Egypt by an Iranian president since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. Ahmadinejad flew into the capital, Cairo, to attend a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC), which begins on Wednesday. Al Jazeera's Rawyah Rageh reports from Cairo.



► Pompeii: Its restoration and preservation. Published on Feb 5, 2013 :: Millions of people visit it every year but the ancient Roman city of Pompeii is threatened by neglect. And despite a major EU funding initiative, there are fears the World Heritage site could slowly disappear. Al Jazeera's Claudio Lavanga reports on the attempts being made to preserve Pompeii. 



► Inside Story - The fight to beat Tuberculosis. Published on Feb 6, 2013 :: Turberculosis (TB) is the world's deadliest infectious disease after HIV/AID but the fight against the disease is being dealt a double blow. A new study says developing countries are awash with fake and substandard drugs. That is making the disease more resistant - and in some cases, virtually impossible to treat. 

► France's Mali Mission: Has al-Qaeda Already Been Defeated?

* War in Mali: France and African Allies Take on Islamist Militants

► The Most Important Chart in American Politics 
► U.S., China Top Diplomats Discuss North Korea
► You Don't Know the Ninja: 8 New Revelations About the Shadow Warrior 
► The Big Prison By the Sea: Will Its Captives Change Turkey's History?
► Study Shows Alzheimer's Protein May Not Spread like a Virus
► Sony World Photography Awards: Stunning Images from the Awards Shortlist
► Migrant Nation: Liu Jie Documents China;s Ongoing Transformation
► The Fire Last Time: LIFE in Watts, 1966

► Obama to make his first presidential visit to Israel in spring 
► Cantor signals shift on immigration as he lays out GOP agenda
► Obama urges short-term solution to prevent steep budget cuts
► Federal deficit hits 5-year low, but cuts drag economy

► California Tales

* Anonymous artist makes Oakland his gnome town
* Unexpected beauty at Debs Park
* Fans of Princess Diana take voyage back in time
* Chula Vista says goodbye to a '50s-era power plant 

► Iran agrees to nuclear talks with 6 nations

By Paul Richter - Tehran wants relief from crushing economic sanctions, but analysts doubt the country is willing to give up much of its disputed nuclear program.

► French daredevil climbs landmark Havana hotel without a net (PHOTOS)

► Pictures in the News | Feb. 5, 2013

Youtube videos I watched today 001. This is a REAL interview with an actual alien 002. La Bayadere- 1991 003. The Sexist Revolution - China 004. Les nervures philosophiques de Michel Onfray 005. New York State Resistance 006. Breaking Gamechanger: Printable Gun Magazines 007. Al-Qaeda's New Homeland - Mali 008. Obama to Top Brass: Will you fire on American Citizens?