News Headlines (266) 6 June 2013

ONLINE TODAY

► C NET 5 June 2013 : Senator's wife on Facebook: Keep away from my man, strippers
► GUARDIAN 6 June 2013 : Internet dating: does an innocent Facebook check make you a stalker?
► Do not forget to tag the cure on 30 May 2013 and today

► One Day in the Life of Sonya. Uploaded on Jun 8, 2009 by Dmitry Sergeyev   || ► Wooden Heart - Elvis Presley


► COMEDY

■ A Funny Montage. Published on Jun 4, 2013 by PewDiePie
■ Harry Potter Abridged. Published on Jun 4, 2013 by RayWilliamJohnson

► NEWS & POLITIC

■ Female IDF soldiers strip off, a cheap 3D printer, and missing Banksy auctioned off - Truthloader.  A group of female IDF soldiers have posted raunchy photos up on social media adding to a wide collection of provocative acts from some young members of the Israeli Defence Force. We'll also be taking a look at a cheap 3D printer, The Buccaneer, and its successful Kickstarter project, Banksy's 'Slave Labour' piece, which sold at auction after disappearing from wall in London and finally, massive, hot pink slugs in Australia. Published on Jun 3, 2013 by Truthloader 

► ENTERTAINMENT

■ VikiTelenovelas
■ Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Baby Bump into a Very Tight Dress.  Published on Jun 4, 2013 by EntertainmentWOWtv

► SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY

■ Vsauce

* Why Do We Feel Nostalgia? Published on May 27, 2013
* Why Do We Kiss? The scientific study of kissing is "philematology". Published on Apr 30, 2013 

■ World's Largest Jellyfish | North America. Published on May 31, 2013 by DiscoveryNetworks

► ACTIVISM : Uncontacted Amazon Tribe: First ever aerial footage. Uploaded on Feb 8, 2011 by survivalintl
► EDUCATION : Tribe meets white man for the first time - Original Footage (1/5). Uploaded on Jun 23, 2011

► MUSIC

■ Miles Davis - In A Silent Way [Full Album HD]
■ MELODIAS INSTRUMENTALES DEL MUNDO - 1
■ Love me - Yiruma

► BROWSE CHANNEL

► David Gandy - Vogue Italia Interview. Uploaded on Jun 20, 2011 by davidgandyvideos

► Away We Stay. Short film directed by Edoardo Ponti, starring Helena Christensen and David Gandy. Filmed with the support of W Hotels.

► WORLD : Russia's game of smoke and mirrors in Syria
By Thomas Grove -MOSCOW - More than two years after the Syrian conflict erupted as part of the "Arab Spring", President Bashar al-Assad is clinging to power thanks in large part to Russian diplomatic and military support, widening the trust deficit between Russia and the West.

* Pro-Assad forces attack villages near fallen Syrian border town

► U.S. : Six dead in Philadelphia building collapse
By Dave Warner -PHILADELPHIA - Six people were killed and 14 were injured when a four-story building under demolition collapsed in downtown Philadelphia, burying a neighboring thrift store in concrete and debris, officials said.  || Video

* U.S. soldier pleads guilty to murdering 16 Afghan civilians

► Protesters remain defiant in Istanbul's Taksim Square
► Diplomats meet to prepare Syria peace conference
► Poets slam in Paris for world cup
► Collapsed building in Philadelphia traps several people
► Czech capital starts clean-up after widespread floods || ► Hungarians brace themselves for floods in the capital
► Obama lauds Rice as 'passionate and pragmatic'. US President Barack Obama on Wednesday lauded his next national security advisor Susan Rice as an "exemplary public servant," implicitly shrugging off Republican criticism of her qualifications.

Hmmm, President Obama plagiarized my taste? Ehehehe, kidding. Well, it looks like we have the same perception in reading character this time. Susan Rice. Yes Mr Obama, what you "feel" this time is harmonious.

► New Pakistan PM is sworn in

► MoMa exhibits works by French architect Le Corbusier. Creations by French architect Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret) were on display Wednesday during a preview of "Le Corbusier: An Atlas of Modern Landscapes" exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) in New York.

► Tall ships arrive in Rouen for 'Armada'. The 'Armada 2013' festival gets underway in Rouen, northern France, one of the world's largest meetings of tall sailing ships and war vessels, with more that 50 from all over the globe on show.

► Italy prison fashion brand gives hope to inmates. "Made in Italy" leather goods also come from Italian prisons. Organized and financed by the Ministry of Justice, the "Sigillo" brand is a revolutionary concept for it is sold in high-end fashion stores, not in solidarity craft shops.

►Donut? Croissant? the Hot Pastry Is the Cronut. There's a frenzy going on in New York City. One that can only be satisfied with a combination of two bakery treats: the croissant and the donut. (June 4)



► Obama Taps Rice for National Security Adviser. President Barack Obama has named United Nations ambassador Susan Rice to take over as national security adviser in a shakeup of his foreign policy team. Obama nominated human rights expert Samantha Power to replace Rice. (June 5)   ||  ► Obama Makes Rice His National Security Chief



► Paris Jackson Hospitalized. An attorney for Katherine Jackson confirms Michael Jackson's daughter, 15-year-old Paris, was admitted to an L.A. hospital on Wednesday, but declined to offer additional details. (June 5)

► MUSIC : Boise Fry Company Shares Strategy: Five Steps for French-Frying
► HOMES : Historic home in Silicon Valley now asking $27 million
► AUTOS : Honda turns Odyssey minivan into 500-hp mountain climber
► HEALTH : Cancer isn't so scary if you're the Batman.
► NEWS

■ Venezuela frees US filmmaker jailed as alleged spy
■ Rare Persian carpet sells for $33.7 million in NYC

■ Good Samaritans save a deer in a river

► GOOD MORNING AMERICA

■ 15-Year-Old Revived After Being Under Water for 30 Minutes



■ Heather McGill, Wife of Alabama Sen. Shadrack McGill, Warns on Facebook to Keep Off Her Man

► OMG! : John Travolta and 6 More Celebrity Wedding Crashers

► The Hill of Crosses. The phenomenon of the Hill of Crosses in northern Lithuania began when people started leaving crosses there hundreds of years ago—and continues to this day. These photos of a hill covered in crosses show the amazing sight it has become.

► PHOTOS : Paris Jackson Attempts Suicide

► US artist Saul Leiter's pioneering colour photography 

► VIDEO

■ France criticises China's anti-dumping probe into EU wine
■ Primate skeleton could give clues about human origins
■ Filipino dog ready to go home after face surgery. Kabang, a mixed breed dog from the Philippines, is ready to fly back home after extensive facial surgery at a veterinary hospital in California.
■ Dutch government to pay damages to cannabis cafe owners

► ANALYSIS

■ What does Xi Jinping's China Dream mean?
■ Turkey protests: Erdogan support still strong elsewhere

► Babies practise crying in the womb, Durham researchers claim

► 10 things you might not know about India

► HEALTH

■ Nutrition 'must be a global priority', say researchers
■ Obesity problems may skip a generation, Edinburgh University study finds

► FUTURE

■ Why we have to turn electronic devices off on planes
■ Why we don’t always know the true causes of our actions

► Top-secret court order reveals NSA's daily data collection on millions of Americans
► Classified documents reveal CIA drone strikes often killed unknown people
► FSB arrests mastermind of foiled Moscow bombing who 'fought in Afghanistan' 
► Turkey protest frontline: RT's photo-report from inside #OccupyGezi
► Anonymous, Syrian Electronic Army hack Turkish govt networks, leak emails incl PM's
► Assad army retakes control of strategic Lebanon-bordering Qusayr
► OP-ED : Susan Rice and the illusion of change
► Top-secret court order reveals NSA's daily data collection on millions of Americans
► President Putin accepts Moscow mayor's resignation giving green light to early election
► VIDEOS

■ Moscow Metro Fire: Dozens injured, thousands evacuated from subway

■ Tears for Fears: US cashes in on teargas amid Turkey brutal turmoil. Protesters made fresh attempts to reach the Prime Minister's office with at least 50 being arrested. Reports also say dozens of homes were raided, and at least 25 people detained for using social media. The internet has been used to share information and vent anger against the government. Human rights groups and some foreign officials, including the US Secretary of State, have condemned the excessive use of force by Turkish police. RT's Marina Portnaya reports.



■ CrossTalk: Turkish Spring? Protesters in Turkey are raging against Prime Minister Erdogan. What is the source of their dissatisfaction? Is Turkey experiencing its own version of the Arab Spring? And is Erdogan trying to accomplish too much, too fast? CrossTalking with Alon Ben-Meir, Zayd Alisa and Michael Dickinson.

If we observe, the issues raised by the opposition this time is less intelligent and less subtle. They should be more constructive and pure criticize the government shortcomings, not piggyback on other issues that are less popular. And easy to guess, the protesters burst 'angry' because only trivial affair, just a matter of hours restrictions for the purchase of alcohol. Ah, it's not sexy. Supposedly, if the opposition want to reap the sympathy of people, they can raise issues directly in contact with them. The housing theme, for example?

Supposedly, the protesters can criticize how the government can make the park planning and green areas better, not the theme of elitism and alcohol. So it is not surprising if the demo - which they claim 'massive' --- just lsurvive in 48 hours, is not brought public sympathy because only accentuates the violence and radical.

One important lesson from the demo in Turkey is, in addition to the opposition parties failed to find issues and formulate solutions in argument, they also failed to transmit emotions to the general public, while the militancy of "secular" protesters in Turkey only lasted on weekends. They were not willing to miss the college days and working to fight for their understanding.

■ Obama's drone death defence struck down by Pakistani PM
■ George Osborne at Bilderberg playing with Balls?
■ 'Obama set on toppling Assad, major war looms'

■ Verizon Treason: US seizes millions of phone records at FBI's request. Millions of Americans are reportedly having their phone records seized without their knowledge. The U.S. National Security Agency has allegedly secretly forced Verizon, one of the nation's biggest phone companies, to hand over all its call data. RT's Tom Barton reports.

► The Cure - Episode 2

■ Unsung hero: Charles Drew. Dr Charles Drew's pioneering research into long-term storage of blood plasma during World War II not only saved the lives of thousands of servicemen and civilians, but also paved the way for blood banks across the world. And as an African-American, he broke down barriers in a racially divided US to become a leading physician, and campaigned against the exclusion of black doctors from medical organisations.
■ Magnetic heart operation. Millions of people suffer from a potentially fatal irregular heartbeat, which is often caused by problems with the heart's electrical system. But now a pioneering procedure, involving two giant magnets steered by a joystick, is helping treat patients with faulty heart rhythms.
■ Parasite Paint. In the favelas and impoverished rural villages of Central and South America, the triatomine bug, known locally as vinchuca, lurks in the walls of many homes. It approaches its human victims after dark and sucks their blood, transmitting the parasite responsible for Chagas disease.The disease kills around 10,000 people a year and is incurable if not tackled in the early stages. 
■ Eliminating Dengue. Around 2.5 billion people worldwide are at risk from dengue fever - a virus spread by mosquitos which causes excruciating headaches, muscle and joint pain. It is usually associated with the tropics of South East Asia and Africa, but as recently as 2009, there was a major outbreak in the Australian city of Cairns. At the city's James Cook University, a team led by Professor Scott Ritchie is working on a new strategy for tackling dengue.

► Al-Nakba debate. The historic struggle for Palestine is characterised as the claims and counter-claims of Arabs and Jews, but one factor that is often overlooked behind the Palestinian 'Nakba' or 'catastrophe' of 1948, is the part played by an old imperial power, Britain. The history is written by the victors, who are the rewriters of history as new information, new documents, and new historians, come to light. It is time to examine how history itself is the battleground for the hearts and minds of new generations today.

► Inside Story Americas - Uncertain Future for U.S. Oil Industry. It has been more than two months since an Exxon oil pipleline ruptured in the U.S. state of Arkansas causing residents to suffer from headaches, vomiting and nausea. We ask about the future of the U.S. oil industry and the consequences it has on the American population. Inside Story Americas, with presenter Shihab Rattanssi, discusses this issue with guests: April Lane, member of the Faulkner County Citizen's Advisory Group which has been testing the air and water in Mayflower; Ruth Breech, program Director of Global Community Monitor, which helps communities monitor industrial pollution; and Jesse Coleman, a Greenpeace researcher.

► Inside Story - Third time a charm? Nawaz Sharif is sworn in as prime minister of Pakistan for a third time becoming the 27th prime minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The oath was administered by President Asif Ali Zardari following which Sharif became the first third-time prime minister in the nation's history.

► Inside Story Americas - Obama and the case of a Yemeni journalist. After the jail of Yemeni journalist, Abdulelah Haider Shaye, in 2010 after his reporting showed that the US had conducted a missile strike in the village of Al Majala that killed fourteen women and twenty-one children. we ask about the reasons behind Obama's will to keep Yemeni journalist, Abdulelah Haider Shayee in jail.

► Government's Got Your Number: 7 Things About the Secret Database of Phone Records
By Victor Luckerson - The National Security Agency is collecting detailed phone data from Verizon customers every day, a newly-leaked federal court order reveals

* Report: Gov't Scooping Up Americans' Phone Records

► HEALTH & SCIENCE : Study Says E-mail Increases Stress Levels

... ahahaha .. we're doing telepathy or what? TIME, I feel today you understand me.

► POLITIC : Obama names Susan Rice, Samantha Power to key positions
► BUSINESS : Most small businesses back laws to protect LGBT workers, survey says
► COLUMN ONE : Skid row's storage bins tell gritty tales
► LA AFFAIRS : 40 years later and still stuck in neutral

► FRAMEWORK

■ Inmates learn to express emotions through acting - Posted By: Marc Martin 

■ Pictures in the News | June 5, 2013 - Posted By: Marc Martin

Santa Ana, Calif. — Jacaranda trees canopy Myrtle Street in Santa Ana. PHOTOGRAPH BY: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Haiya, BBC, .. ouch, .. BBC, BBC. You inspire me but also a bit inconvenient. I'm looking for a heartbroken man and think hard how to mend his heart. I'm looking at the pile of letters in May to April, April to May, even up in March. That's not possible. March is a month filled with the spirit of Mars, spirit to stay alive with Venus. And not about a Sun in Paris which threatens to be a beautiful moon, as beautiful as its moon. He's on me.
 
Ask : What do you mean by the Sun becomes the Moon, hm?
Are you being romantic or scientific?
Doomsday sign or Gay?
 
Suggestion : My little cabbage,
You'd better go to the internist when you're broken-hearted
Do not be mad
Do not be a gay
Do not be a gigolo for all sexes
Do not play around with your genital
Do not kill yourself
Do not get drunk
Do not buy a prostitute
because
I'm also not a whore
Your mother is not a whore
So, do not ever threaten me
Also, do not ever leave me,
damn it.

What a breadth of this world
What is called a step just a quarter step
What is called the time just in my wristwatch
but ...
***
(CZ-lacalifusa060613) 

News Headlines (101) 21 December 2012

► Mayan Ceremony Marks End of Calendar Cycle. Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: A traditional Mayan ceremony at Guatemala's Temple of the Giant Jaguar marked the end of a cycle on the ancient Mayan calendar. The calendar has sparked numerous doomsday theories, although other Mayan calendars stretch far into the future. (Dec. 21)



► Boston Student Wins Miss Universe.  Published on Dec 20, 2012 ::  Boston University student Olivia Culpo was crowned Miss Universe Wednesday night in Las Vegas. She talks about almost tripping in her evening gown, the question she was asked by the judges, and comments on the Newtown tragedy. (Dec. 20)


► Biden: 'We Have to Take Action' on Gun Control.  Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: Vice President Joe Biden says the Obama administration is 'absolutely committed' to curbing gun violence in the United States and will push to tighten gun laws in response to last week's schoolhouse massacre in Connecticut. (Dec. 20) (VIDEO) 

► Boehner: Obama Not Standing Up to Democrats.  Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: House Speaker John Boehner says President Barack Obama is not standing up to his fellow Democrats as the clock ticks down on the dispute over the "fiscal cliff." (Dec. 20) (VIDEO)

► Susan Rice 'political liability for US administration'. Published on Dec 13, 2012 :: Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, has withdrawn her name for consideration for the position of US secretary of state. Rice was in the running to replace current Hillary Clinton who will step down from her post in January. The envoy, who is close to US President Barack Obama, had been the target of Republican attacks on the administration's handling of the raid on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya on September 11 this year. Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington, said Rice has become "a huge political liability for the Obama administration" since the US consulate attack in Benghazi. 


► Putin held presidential End of Year Q& A Press Conference with 1,000+ journalists in Moscow. Published on Dec 20, 2012 by WestEndNews :: Moscow, Russia | December 20, 2012 :: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday held his traditional presidential end-of-year Q&A press conference with more than 1,000 journalists in Moscow. In a wide-ranging, four-hour discussion, the Russian president touched on topics both serious and silly, from Syria to doomsday.

Putin spoke about the Russian bill banning US citizens from adopting Russian children, which comes in response to the US Magnitsky Act that targets Russians accused of human rights violations. Vladimir Putin said, "I understand that this response from the State Duma is an emotionally-charged one, but I believe it is an adequate response."

He added,"The problem is that [the US] replaced one anti-Soviet law [the Jackson--Vanik amendment] with another one. They can't live without it... This certainly poisons our relationship."

Commenting on retiring and his future successor, Putin said it is the job of the citizens to choose the right person to lead. "I want future leaders of the country, including the president, to be even more successful. I believe though that if we compare this period with other periods of Russia's development, this period has been far from the worst. Perhaps it has been one of the best. I want though for future leaders of the country to be even more successful, luckier, because I love Russia."

On being asked to comment on the reduction of former tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky's prison term, he said that there were certain amendments to the law, and probably grounds for taking the decision. He also added that the attempts to present it as a political case have nothing to do with the truth.

Commenting on Russia's entrance to the WTO, he said: "Are there challenges? Yes, there are. Are there advantages? There certainly are, particularly the systemic benefits related to the task of providing an investment-friendly environment, which we keep addressing today. It is very important for a prospective investor whether a host country is a member of the WTO or not. We have been the world's 157th nation to join the organization. Practically every fairly-developed market in the world is already there."

During his four-hour press conference, Putin also spoke on the Syrian crisis, corruption in the defense ministry, on his daughters' futures, as well as on doomsday and the French actor Gerard Depardieu's possible Russian citizenship.


► Keeping Traditional Russian Crafts Alive. Published on Dec 2, 2012 :: The Kursk Woodcrafts company was founded in the 1970s and its artists are preserving the Russian folk art of hand-painted wares. This video shows the processes that each decorated souvenir undergoes.

► Maya "end of days" fever reaches climax in Mexico - By Alexandra Alper

► Mass Hysteria? Strange Mayan Apocalypse Freakouts 

► Mayan Apocalypse Prep: Inside Extreme Bunkers 

► Hollywood spent 2012 proving the Mayans right - By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY | Associated Press 

► Apocalypse How: Plausible Ways the World Could End - By Jason Koebler | U.S.News & World Report LP

► Russia's Putin warns of endless conflict in Syria - By Alexei Anishchuk and Gabriela Baczynska 

► 10 Things to Know for Friday - By The Associated Pres 

► Miss USA Olivia Culpo is crowned Miss Universe - Rhode Island's Olivia Culpo crowned Miss Universe, marking Miss USA's 1st win since 1997. By Hannah Dreier and Michelle Rindels, Associated Press 

► 7 awful Christmas movies that flopped 

► The happiest and saddest countries in the world 

► Judge: La. woman can flip finger in holiday lights 

► Believers ready for 'apocalypse'

Thousands of people have gathered at ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico and Central America in anticipation of what they believe will be the end of the world. 111
* Crowds gather for 'end of world' - VIDEO
* World's end, or new beginning?

► Tsunami survivor's impossible story hits the big screen. 21 December 2012  - Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor star in The Impossible, a film based on the true story of one family who were caught in the deadly Boxing Day tsunami eight years ago. On December 26 2004 a powerful earthquake off the Indonesian coast triggered a tsunami that devastated countries around the Indian Ocean, killing more than 230,000 people. The film - directed by Juan Antonio Bayona - is based on a story from one of the survivors, Maria Belon, a Spanish tourist who was lounging by a pool in Thailand along with her husband and three young sons when the tsunami hit. (VIDEO)

► A novel twist on space launches

► X-47B stealth drone targets new frontiers

  ► Driving from the top to the tip of Baja California

► Pocket-sized guides to flyer's rights

►
Putin: I know when world will end, not afraid of apocalypse. Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: As frenzied doomsayers around the world prepare for the apocalypse on December, 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin put his trust in science, saying at a yearly Q&A that the earth won't end for another 4.5 billion years, when the sun goes out  || NEWS


►
Pressing President: Putin grilled by journalists in Q&A marathon.  Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: Vladimir Putin has slammed America's human rights record, citing indefinite detention and sanctioned torture in overseas prisons. While speaking to journalists, the President also defended Moscow's response to Washington's decision to sanction Russian officials || NEWS 


► War or prosperity? UK announces higher price tag for Afghan war while cutting vital social services  || VIDEO

► House Republicans cancel 'fiscal cliff' vote, leaving decision to Obama and Senate 

► Google starts watching what you do off the Internet too 

► 'End of the road' for ACTA in Europe as EC withdraws court appeal over treaty 

► Greece abuses refugees, violates their human rights and EU law - Amnesty International 

► Citizen drone warfare coming to the streets?

► Air Force asks sports network to help analyze drone intelligence

► Yes, Ma'am? United Russia deputy supports military draft for women

► L a v r o v  to RT: "We are not in the business of regime change"

►
The G20, Russia and Syria, Nuclear Talks, Arms Sales, Missile Defense, Job Growth (2012). Published on Jul 20, 2012 by thefilmarchived



► Ban on US adoptions is 'adequate reaction' - Putin 

► New era in Russia-US trade relations : Obama scraps Jackson-Vanik amendment ( = The Jackson-Vanik amendment (Section 401, Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974, P.L. 93-618) affects U.S. trade relations with communist or former communist countries that restrict freedom of emigration and other human rights. It was a response to the Soviet Union's "diploma taxes" levied on Jews attempting to emigrate. It was signed into law on January 3, 1975 by President Gerald Ford following a unanimous Congressional vote and continues to influence trade relations with a number of states. || english.ruvr.ru 

► 'If Depardieu wants Russian passport - it’s settled' - P u t i n

► Facebook makes you fat

► Merry Christmas from Nazi soldiers: Holiday letters reach their destinations 71 years late

► Inside Story Americas - The mental health versus gun control debate. Published on Dec 19, 2012 :: In the wake of the Newtown shooting, is the discourse on gun control being sidelined by a focus on mental healthcare? Shihab Rattansi on Inside Story Americas discusses with Ari Ne'eman, president and co-founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network; David Hemenway, and professor of Health Policy at Harvard University; Richard Friedman, professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. (VIDEO)

►
Inside Story - South Korea: Which way forward? Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: It was a hard-fought contest between the conservative daughter of a former military ruler and the liberal son of North Korean refugees. What are the challenges ahead for South Korea? Guests: Kwang Ho-chun, John Swenson-Wright, Doug Bandow.


► The Stream : America after Newtown. Published on Dec 20, 2012 ::  Could Newtown unite a country deeply divided over gun control and mental health care? We look at reactions to the shooting at Sandy Hook. (VIDEO) 

► US gun control contends with state laws. Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: As more victims of the Newtown school shooting are laid to rest, there's been an increase in gun sales in some parts of the United States. President Barack Obama is promising stricter gun laws by early next year, but any federal effort could be at odds with laws in each state. Al Jazeera's John Hendren reports from Chicago. (VIDEO)

►
Fighters arriving in Syria from abroad. Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: The Syrian crisis may have begun simply as a battle to push President Assad out - but the two sides are increasingly split along sectarian lines. That is the assessment from UN investigators, who say fighters from around the world are arriving in Syria to take up arms for both sides. Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports.



► The Stream : Apocalypse No? Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: Will December 21st bring an end to the world? We look at why some insist on believing in apocalyptic scenarios. (VIDEO)

►
Russia's Putin backs US adoption ban. Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that a draft bill banning US adoptions of Russian children is a legitimate response to a new US law that calls for sanctions on Russians deemed to be human rights violators. But he has not committed to signing it. At his annual marathon news conference on Thursday he said that the measure, which has received preliminary approval in parliament, is also a response to an alleged US failure to protect the rights of adopted Russian children. Many Russians have been angered by cases of adopted children who have died or suffered abuse at the hands of their adopted parents. They also complain that US courts have been lax about punishing abusers. Robin Forestier Walker reports from Moscow.

Putin's character have a class, that's all. The Americans intended by Putin's definitely the white people, right? Well, it means, his basic emotions is not racist. He is just - in my opinion --- the type that if you slap somebody one time, then be prepared to be slapped once from somebody.

► 101 East - Indonesia's Killing Fields.  Published on Dec 20, 2012 :: Executioners from Indonesia's dark past speak out for the first time to reveal a chilling and bloody truth the country now has to face. 101 East speaks exclusively to some of those who participated in the systematic murder of millions. (VIDEO)

Latest Headlines

■ Malala Asks Pakistan Not to Rename College for Her
■ Japan's Next Leader Wants Freer Rein for Military
■ Palestinians Aim to Isolate Israel
■ House Approves $633 Billion Defense Bill
■ NYC Marathon Runners Can Get Refund of Entry Fee
■ Bernard Madoff's Brother Gets 10-Year Sentence
■ Benefactor Buys Wright-Designed Home in Phoenix
■ U.N. OKs Military Action to Oust al-Qaeda in Mali
■ Iraq Finance Minister Says Staff Members Kidnapped
■ Cory Booker to Explore 2014 U.S. Senate Run
■ Pakistani Polio Workers Get Police Protection
■ South African President Says Mandela Improving
■ New Tensions in Egypt over Top Prosecutor
■ CNN: Blizzard Blasts Midwest, Plains States
■ CNN: Ex-Rwanda Minister Jailed for Genocide

► Egypt: As Second Vote Nears, National Unity Nowhere in Sight

By Ashraf Khalil
* Women's Rights at Odds in Egypt's Constitution Wars
* Egypt Divided: The Brotherhood Fails to Find Common Ground
* Exclusive: Egypt's Morsi Tells TIME, 'We're Learning How to Be Free'

► House GOP Puts Off Vote on Tax Bill

* Opinion: Where Republicans Went Wrong on the Fiscal Cliff 

► Is Narendra Modi a Step Closer to Being India's Next Prime Minister?

* Can India's Fight Against Corruption Be Won at the Ballot Box?

► Tenacity Trumps Merriment in English Soccer's Holiday Season

► The New Louvre Brings Hope to an Ailing Region

► What's Behind Those Stealthy Afghan Talks in Paris?

► Moscow Moves to Ban American Adoption of Russian Orphans

► Unbreathable: Air Pollution Becomes a Major Global Killer

► The Story Behind the Iconic Photograph from Sandy Hook

► Marco Longari: TIME Picks 2012′s Best Photographer on the Wires 

► Let It Snow: Photos From the Set of 'It's a Wonderful Life'


► 48 Hours with Obama: TIME's Person of the Year 2012 by Callie Shell

► Gun Control 

* Homicides drop with gun laws abroad
* Opinion: A conservative case for an assault weapons ban 
* Obama makes gun control top priority
* Gun lobby's grip on Congress threatened
* More: Full coverage of the Newtown shooting

► More or fewer guns? The experts are divided

► Forget the 'fiscal cliff' - We don't need across-the-board tax increases or spending cuts. We need policies that will create more jobs.

► Boehner cancels House vote as 'Plan B' falls short of GOP support

► House Republicans call off vote on 'Plan B' fiscal cliff plan

► Boehner rejects Democrats' push for immediate vote on gun bill

► White House defends possible Defense nominee Chuck Hagel

► Movie review: 'This Is 40' finds truth amid midlife crisis, laughs

► Video: Meet the L.A. Times Holiday Cookie Bake-Off winners 

► Pictures in the News | Dec. 20, 2012

► Fans turn out en masse for Jenni Rivera memorial - Posted By: Marc Martin

There is no harm if we try to understand a quite behaviour from Susan Rice. A few days ago, Rice had shot her conscience about how dignity was upheld. She was unwilling to be nominated by Barack Obama to be the United States Secretary of State because it would threaten her dignity. Whereas, in fact, Rice is the strongest candidate to replace Hillary Clinton who will retire.

Rice might have imagined if she held the post, then it would be a bad precedent on her. She would be attacked by her political opponents, the Republican politician in the senate. Actually, it's just a normal thing in politics world. But, well, that is, Rice has behaved.

Republican resistance to Rice started from the statement which was considered problematic. Her comments about the armed attack to the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya -- which has killed Ambassador Chris Stevens as an action spontaneity after the release of anti-Muslim video -- was rated wrong.

Thus, rather than raise tensions about her candidacy, she asked Obama to cancel his intention. Rice did not want Obama to waste the energy to argue in implementing his agenda.

In terms of personality, Rice apparently trying to find a solution to the herself problem based on the truth of her belief. And, what she has decided was perceived as a reassuring resolution.

I can see her decision is truly sublime. Whereas in the U.S., the foreign minister is the most prestigious position, after the president/vice president. Rice puts her prestige on the most valuable position in her life.

She did not want her dignity was pawned and torn apart, just because the office or position. She chose --- if she was still trusted by Obama --- to remain in her old post, as the U.S. ambassador to the UN.

She upheld the dignity and resolved her problems with the approach of conscience. Solution with a conscience would be more transparent and closer to the truth than the settlement by logic and power of words or arguments.

Salute to you, ma'am.
***