News Headlines (214) 15 April 2013

ONLINE TODAY

► HAARETZ 14 APril 2013 : New York teacher suspended over Nazi simulation writing assignment  ||  ► HAARETZ 12 APril 2013 : U.S. teacher's assignment to students: Explain why Jews are evil

► NY DAILY NEWS 11 April 2013  : Philadelphia store clerk cheats death when gunman's bullet is stopped by belt buckle. Bienvenido Reynoso, 38, narrowly avoids serious injury during shootout at crowded market. ||  ► YAHOO NEWS Apr 11, 2013 : Bullet hits Philadelphia shop worker's belt buckle

► REUTERS 13 April 2013  : Korean rapper Psy chases new megahit with "Gentleman" video

► GLOBAL POST 12 April 2013 : Venezuela votes to replace Hugo Chavez.  "In six months, Maduro is going to be in trouble because he is very different from Chavez", said Leon. "He is not Chavez."  || ► REUTERS Apr 14, 2013  : Venezuelans vote on future of "Chavista" politics. "This election is not Capriles versus Maduro," said housewife Rosa Elena Marcano, 60, at the opposition's last rally in western Lara state. "It's Capriles against Chavez's ghost."

► TODAY in HISTORY

■ Apr 15, 1912:  Titanic sinks
■ April 15, 1923 : Insulin becomes generally available for use by people with diabetes.
■ April 15, 1923 : Robert DePugh, American anti-Communist activist (d. 2009) was born 
■ April 15 on this day BBC

► NEWS 24 : Nicolas Maduro: Bus driver to president 2013-04-15.  "He's a man with a lot of experience despite his youth," Chavez said.  In October, when he made Maduro his vice president, Chavez declared: "Look where Nicolas is going... He was a bus driver, and how they mocked him."

► CNN April 15, 2013 : Maduro: From bus driver to Venezuelan leader. "My firm opinion, as clear as the full moon -- irrevocable, absolute, total -- is ... that you elect Nicolas Maduro as president," Chavez said in December, waving a copy of the Venezuelan Constitution as he spoke. "I ask this of you from my heart. He is one of the young leaders with the greatest ability to continue, if I cannot." ||  ► CNN April 15, 2013 : Chavez's political heir declared winner; opponent demands recount 

►YONHAP 14 April 2013 : Pyongyang slams Seoul for 'insulting' founder's birthday || ► YONHAP 15 April 2013 :  (LEAD) N. Korea marks founder's birthday amid high tension ||  ► YONHAP 15 April 2013 : (2nd LD) S. Korea sees China enforcing N.K. sanctions 'rather well': FM 

► PSY - GENTLEMAN M/V. Published on Apr 13, 2013 by officialpsy


► Pope Francis' first Mass as Pontiff - in full (1:24':51''). Watch the first Mass attended by Pope Francis in the Sistine Chapel since he became Pontiff. Published on Mar 14, 2013 by telegraphtv

► Watch the complete Inaugural Mass of Pope Francis (2:28":30''). Pope Francis was installed Tuesday in an inaugural Mass attended by 132 government delegations, representatives of all the major faiths of the world and thousands of other well-wishers and onlookers.  Streamed live on Mar 19, 2013 by PBSNewsHour

► Top 10 Military Machines. Discovery Channel Documentary . Top ten military machines, all American made. 1) Ballistic Missile Submarine (Trident) 2) B-2 stealth bomber 3) Aircraft carrier (Nimitz class) 4) Airborne Laser (Boeing 747) 5) F-22 Raptor fighter 6) M1-A2 Abrams tank 7) Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Global Hawk spy in the sky 9) Advanced Amphibious Attack Vehicle 10) Apache Longbow helicopter Summary video from Discovery Channel. PS Watch Mrs. Rebecca Grant, although she�s trying to suppress it, getting aroused by the B-2. Published on Feb 2, 2013 by DocumentaryRoom

► LE 12e HOMME
► Ibiza Lights III
► Shave it

► M a r i z a

► Maduro wins Venezuela vote, opposition cries foul

By Daniel Wallis and Andrew Cawthorne - CARACAS - Nicolas Maduro, a former bus driver who became late socialist leader Hugo Chavez's protege, narrowly won Venezuela's presidential election on Sunday but his rival refused to accept the result and demanded a recount.  ||  ► FULL COVERAGE 

* Maduro, ex-bus driver, now to set his own route
* Venezuelan expatriates saddened by narrow election defeat
* Capriles refuses to accept Maduro win

► VIDEOS

■ Maduro announced as victor in Venezuela election
■ Pope Francis holds mass in Papal Basilica of St. Paul's.

► Third finger right hand that's where they place the papal band. A new pope gets a new ring, the Ring of the Fisherman also known as the Piscatory Ring. Although the conclave is still locked away in contemplation in the Sistine Chapel master goldsmith Claudio Franchi, the man who made the ring for Benedict is in a unique position to explain the symbolism:

"According to ancient ritual, described in history going back to the 13th Century, the ring is used as a seal to stamp official documents. After a serving pope dies the ring is destroyed with a silver hammer by the Camerlengo in front of the Cardinals in order to avoid forgery. For Benedict the ring was a symbol not a seal."

Tradition dictates the ring features St Peter fishing from a boat and the Latin name of the reigning pope in raised lettering. The faithful show their respect and love for the pope and God by kneeling at his feet and kissing the Fisherman's Ring.  Benedict's ring was not destroyed but marked with an X and sent to the Vatican Museum.  Published on Mar 13, 2013 by Euronews  ||  ► The installation mass of Pope Francis is being celebrated in Vatican City. The pope received a gold-plated silver fisherman's ring as part of the ceremony. Published on March 19, 2013 by AssociatedPress

► Venezuela wraps up campaigns ahead of vote || ► Chavez supporters go tattoo crazy so his memory never fades || ► Maduro elected Venezuelan President by narrowest of margins
► The ballet hopefuls of the Paris Opéra dance school

► Swan Lake (Full Version) Ballet de la Ópera de Paris. Published on Mar 30, 2013 by Theblackswanable (2:21':39'')

[When I was a teenager, I was a ballerina. Mothers sent me in ballet school and playing piano. My late father taught me to play golf, drive a car, read the history, politics and listening to his favorite song, Bonanza. My "ex-boyfriend" taught me to paint and make love, while my fiance taught me to pray and be a good mother.

So, can I classify myself as quite full and happy woman? If yes, why do I still want to be a swan, hm?]

► Angelina Jolie, beautiful stranger behind Afghan school
► Revellers celebrate Bengali New Year
► US 'committed' to defend Japan from N. Korea threats

[Have you ever observed, why does America always exist between the countries involved in the conflict and civil war? There is a strong impression that the U.S. is always meddling in the affairs of the two warring parties. Ehehee, is it true that the U.S. is the culprit of the dispute parties? Dahliiing, ... see, dahling, see! Now they move active and busy in the Asia-Pacific! ahaha .... Mr. Kerry, come on, do not get enough for frequent visits to Syria or Iran for example, ehehehe ....]

► Antarctic summer ice melting 10 times faster: study

► US, Japan Raise Chance of NKorea Nuclear Talks
► Raw: NKorea Hosts International Marathon
► Sotheby's Auctions Rare White Diamond 
► Venezueala Challenger Capriles Wants Recount

► Analysis: Gene swapping makes new China bird flu a moving target
► Gun debate revives questions about self-defense
► SHINE: 9 Sneaky Places Sugar is Hidden
► SHINE : The 7 Most Common French Toast Mistakes
► SMALL BUSINESS : The Most Successful Leaders Do 15 Things Automatically, Every Day
► SHOPPING : 8 grooming products to steal from your man
► Man shoots self in infield at NRA 500

► SCREEN : Tour Guide Wrestles 10-Foot Snake In Everglades



► MUSIC : Celebrities Basking in the Coachella 2013 Sunshine

► PHOTO : Reflections of Paris

► China bird flu: Reported H7N9 cases rise to 60

► N Korea marks Kim Il-sung birthday

North Korea celebrates one of its biggest public holidays - the birth of its founding father - as efforts continue to calm tensions in the region.
* 'No artificial talks with N Korea' -VIDEO
* In pictures: N Korea celebrations 
* BBC stands by show in N Korea row
* N Korea missile test concerns

► North Korea: A test for the Obama doctrine
► Nasa Ladee mission: Solving a Moon mystery
► Italy waste campaigner wins 2013 Goldman Prize

► VIDEOS

■ Chavez heir Maduro wins Venezuela presidential election
■ North Korea marks founder Kim Il-sung's birthday
■ Boy 'lived as a robot' for two months
■ Airbus to trim plane window seat size and widen others
■ Margaret Thatcher: Russia remembers the Iron Lady

► PICTURES

■ Tweeting from space
■ In pictures: Venezuelans choose Hugo Chavez successor
■ In pictures: Salisbury Cathedral sculptures unveiled

► Today's African Proverb : "A donkey will not save his wife from a hyena" - An Ethiopian proverb sent by Andualem Assefa, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Shawel G Kassa, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Why? That's not because he can not? But he will not? Why? Because he is a donkey? Ah, it's not his fault. Being an ass is not his fault.

► Cyprus to grant citizenship to biggest foreign bailout losers
► German 'anti-euro' political party calls for 'orderly dissolution'
► North Korea ready to develop relations, ensure stability 'as a responsible nuke state'
► Maduro's Twitter account, official sites hacked by LulzSec
► Venezuela's Capriles refuses to accept Maduro victory until election audit
► Syria to be 'first to usher in Arab world's new dawn'
► Protesters celebrate Thatcher's death in London's Trafalgar Square (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
► Drones out of everywhere! Washington march against US drone warfare

► VIDEOS

■ Korean nuclear war would make Chernobyl seem like 'fairy tale'. The US Secretary of State, John Kerry is in China on the latest leg of his emergency tour to try and defuse tension around North Korea's nuclear threats. In a news conference he's suggested America could remove its newly-bolstered missile defense in the region if Pyongyang abandons its nuclear weapons program. It's believed that offer might encourage China to put pressure on North Korea - something it's been reluctant to do so far. Earlier this week a Pentagon report, released by mistake, claimed the North already had the capability to launch a nuclear missile. The White House, however, quickly dismissed those findings as 'premature'. Nevertheless, America, Japan and South Korea have continued to build up defenses, with Seoul saying it's braced for the North's missile test anytime. Russia has warned against the escalation of the crisis - as RT's Aleksey Yaroshevsky reports.



■ Battle of Blacklists: US, Russia on verge of new Cold War? Russia has released the list naming 18 Americans banned from entering the Russian Federation over their alleged human rights violations, as a direct response to the so-called Magnitsky list revealed by the US on Friday.



■ Thatcher 'death party' turns violent as revelers clash with cops

■ 'Arab-Israeli conflict at heart of Arab world & Iran matters' - Assad Aide (RT EXCLUSIVE). What one can witness in the Middle East now is the threshold of real independence for Arab countries. In 20-30 years the Arab world will be speaking up for itself with Syria the first, the Syrian presidential advisor Bouthaina Shaaban told RT.



■ Venezuela Victory: Maduro wins elex, LulzSec hacks his Twitter. The heir of Hugo Chavez has won the presidential election in Venezuela, meaning the legacy of the influential leader will continue. But the margin between him and the opposition candidate Henrique Capriles, was however, extremely narrow - with the vote split almost 50 - 50.

 

► PICTURES : Boeing 737 crashes into ocean in Bali

► VENEZUELA ELECTION 2013

■ Voting under way in Venezuela
■ Al Jazeera correspondent reports from Caracas
■ Venezuela's voting process 
■ Venezuelans line up to vote
■ Al Jazeera correspondents on Venezuela elections
■ Maduro wins Venezuela election
■ Venezuela's Capriles refuses to accept Maduro win
■ Chavez heir Maduro wins presidential vote in Venezuela&

► GUANTANAMO

■ Al Jazeera talks to Reprieve about Guantanamo hunger strike
■ Guantanamo guards try to break hunger strike

► EU anti-smoking laws threaten African trade. The European Union is proposing tough new anti-smoking laws to discourage people from taking up the habit. But tobacco producing countries like Malawi in Southern Africa say the move will hurt their already struggling economies. Haru Mutasa reports from the capital Lilongwe.



► S Korean island residents unfazed by N Korean threats
► Inside Story - Palestinian power plays and the peace process. The Palestinian prime minister has resigned after a simmering feud with the President Mahmoud Abbas. Salam Fayyad leaves an economy in crisis and the government in disarray, just as the US was making a new push for peace in the Middle East.

► Party in Pyongyang: North Korea Celebrates Kim Il Sung's Birthday
By Emily Rauhala / Seoul

* As U.S. Talks Up Diplomacy, North Korea Takes Hard Line
* BBC Accused of Endangering Students in North Korea Trip
* Why the North Korean Crisis Demands a New Diplomatic Approach

► 'Ding Dong! the Witch is Dead': BBC Responds as Anti-Thatcher Campaign Pushes Song Up the Charts
► Game of Thrones Watch: That's What the Money's For! (My older post : 24 February 2013 / YOUTUBE)
► Why Mark Zuckerberg Is Pushing for Immigration Reform
► PHOTOS

■ Wire Photographer Spotlight: Daily Life by Muhammed Muheisen 
■ At the Gates of Hell: The Liberation of Bergen-Belsen, April 1945 
■ Crazy and Colorful Coachella

► Pope Francis appoints panel to study overhaul of the Vatican
► Manchin's plan for explaining gun proposal: 'The longer the better'
► Sen. Rubio defends immigration bill emerging from bipartisan group
► Sandy Hook and grief: Gun control advocates plead their case
► GOP rejects gay marriage, asks Supreme Court to uphold Prop. 8
► Faces of Coachella 2013
► The Week in Pictures | April 8-14, 2013

News Headlines (100) 20 December 2012

► A Three-Mile-Long Asteroid Buzzes the Earth 

► Beyond 2012: Why the World Won't End - NASA

► Q: Is NASA predicting a "total blackout" of Earth on Dec. 23 to Dec. 25? A: Absolutely not. Neither NASA nor any other scientific organization is predicting such a blackout. The false reports on this issue claim that some sort of "alignment of the Universe" will cause a blackout. There is no such alignment (see next question). Some versions of this rumor cite an emergency preparedness message from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. This is simply a message encouraging people to be prepared for emergencies, recorded as part of a wider government preparedness campaign. It never mentions a blackout. (VIDEO)




► Bullying leaves its mark on mood gene, study finds - By karen seidman, GAZETTE universities reporter December 18, 2012
► 18 December 2012  - King Ramesses III's throat was slit, analysis reveals By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online
► Politicians Breaking Ranks, Meaningful Gun Control Gaining Momentum - Major Defections Stun Lawmakers; Sources: President Soliciting Proposals | December 18, 2012 
► For Immediate Release - December 19, 2012 | Remarks by the President in a Press Conference - James S. Brady | Press Briefing Room
►The Politics Of Gun Control On Capitol Hill - December 19, 2012 | NPR
► Gun control movement tries to shed election losing reputation 
► Democrats vow to push for gun control measures in Congress
► After shooting, some Republicans more open to gun controls

► Utah sixth grader placed .22-caliber handgun to classmate’s head after 'encouraged by his PARENTS to carry a gun after Sandy Hook' || LATIMES - Utah sixth-grader brings gun to school, fearing another Newtown
► Gunman released hours before murder suicide in Longmont, Colorado 
► Grimm brothers' celebration awakens saga of fairy tale link to German culture -Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and roots of Nazism on agenda at Kassel congress for 200th anniversary of brothers' classic tales | Kate Connolly in Berlin - Wednesday 19 December 2012

►
A Decade of Injustice - UK. Published on Sep 10, 2012 by journeymanpictures :: Shaker Aamer has been held in Guantanamo Bay since 2002. He's a legal UK resident, married to a British national, with four children. He's also yet to face trial or be charged. So why is he still behind bars? Through conversations with activists and former detainees, this film paints a picture of Aamer and his extraordinary situation; from the injustices he has endured to what his life has involved for the last decade. From Bagram to Guantanamo Bay, his story illustrates the "unlawful" measures that the US and UK governments continue to use to justify their War on Terror, "ignoring international law, Geneva conventions, and their own Constitution." - Spectacle


►
Entretien Islam&Info - Alexandre Douguine (Géopolitique, Islam, Tradition, Occident. Published on Dec 6, 2012 by IslametInfo. Islam&Info est heureux de vous présenter son entretien avec Alexandre Douguine, penseur et géostratège russe de renommée. Partisan d'un monde multipolaire respectueux de leurs différences, Alexandre Douguine nous donne ici sa vision de son monde, l'Eurasia. Il s'entretient également de sa vision des autres grands espaces, de l'Islam, de l'Occident et des partis dissidents européens ... Et évidemment du NWO américain.

Face à un nouvel ordre mondial global porté par le libéralisme, le messianisme, la finance cosmopolite et l'armée américaine, seul un réveil des anciennes civilisations paraît à la hauteur de cette menace ultime. Le stratège esquisse ici, avec nous, les contours de ce futur front commun des mondes qui viendra à bout de l'anticivilisation US. Ces paroles et cette échange pourraient paraître déconnectés et désuets si Alexandre Douguine n'était pas écouté jusqu'aux plus hautes sphères du pouvoir russe. Alors entrez vous aussi dans l'ère de la jihadocroisade multidimensionnelle.



► by VICE
Suicide Forest in Japan. Published on May 9, 2012 :: The Aokigahara Forest is the most popular site for suicides in Japan. After the novel Kuroi Jukai was published, in which a young lover commits suicide in the forest, people started taking their own lives there at a rate of 50 to 100 deaths a year. The site holds so many bodies that the Yakuza pays homeless people to sneak into the forest and rob the corpses. The authorities sweep for bodies only on an annual basis, as the forest sits at the base of Mt. Fuji and is too dense to patrol more frequently.



► Interview with a Cannibal. Published on Jun 29, 2012 :: Issei Sagawa murdered an innocent woman and spent three days eating her flesh. Due to loopholes in the law, Issei is a free man to this day.

On the afternoon of June 13, 1981, a Japanese man named Issei Sagawa walked to the Bois de Boulogne, a park on the outskirts of Paris, carrying two suitcases. The contents of those suitcases, to the lament of a nearby jogger, was the dismembered body of a fellow student -- a Dutch woman named Renée Hartevelt, whom Sagawa had shot three days prior and had spent the days since eating various parts of her body. He was soon arrested. According to reports, Issei uttered, "I killed her to eat her flesh," when they raided his home, whereupon they found bits of Renne still in his fridge.

Sagawa was declared insane and unfit for trial and was institutionalized in Paris. His incarceration was to be short, however, as the French public soon grew weary of their hard-earned francs going to support this evil woman-eater, and Issei was promptly deported. Herein followed a bizarre and seemingly too convenient set of legal loopholes and psychiatric reports that led doctors in Japan declaring him "sane, but evil."

On August 12, 1986, Sagawa checked himself out of Tokyo's Matsuzawa Psychiatric hospital, and has been a free man ever since.

► Funerals become a routine in shattered Newtown -By DAVID KLEPPER | Associated Press 
► Shooting renews argument over video-game violence  By LOU KESTEN | Associated Press 
► Obama to send Congress gun proposals in January - By JULIE PACE | Associated Press
  ► Obama: Give Me Gun Proposals by January. Published on Dec 19, 2012 by AssociatedPress :: President Barack Obama is asking a team led by Vice President Joe Biden to offer "concrete proposals" to curb gun violence no later than January, in the aftermath of the horrific massacre at a Connecticut elementary school. (Dec. 19)



► Latin Americans rank as happiest people on planet - By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN 
► Fear slows Libyan probe into attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi - By Marie-Louise Gumuchian, Hadeel Al Shalchi and Ghaith Shennib
► US hits Israel hard on settlement plans - By MATTHEW LEE | Associated Press –  Tue, Dec 18, 2012 
► 10 Scientists Who Mattered in 2012 - By Tia Ghose and Jeanna Bryner, LiveScience 
► Alan Alda: Scientists Should Learn to Talk to KidsBy Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer 
► Venezuela VP hopes Chavez can be sworn in Jan. 10 -By VIVIAN SEQUERA | Associated Press 

► Miss USA Olivia Culpo is crowned Miss Universe - By HANNAH DREIER and MICHELLE RINDELS 

► Official quits over Libya attack

A senior US official quits and others are suspended following a damning report into their handling of September's killing of the US envoy to Libya.
* Envoy admits Benghazi error 
* US security in Libya 'was cut'
* 'No warning' of attack
* Timeline: Benghazi attack 

► Obama calls for 'action' on guns 

US President Barack Obama calls for "concrete proposals" on gun control by the end of January, saying "words need to lead to action". || VIDEO - Newtown shootings: Obama 'backs assault weapons ban'
* 'Words need to lead to action' - VIDEO
* Mardell: Obama's gun control fight 

► 20 December 2012 - S Korea faces 'grave' North test New

South Korea's President-elect Park Geun-hye highlights a "grave" security challenge from the North, a day after her election win.
* Park wins election - VIDEO
    * Profile: Park Geun-hye
* Chaebol debate rages

► 20 December 2012  - Military satellite heads skyward :: 19 December 2012 - UK's Skynet military satellite launched | By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

A powerful new telecommunications satellite for the UK military is launched on an Ariane rocket from the Kourou base in French Guiana.

* MoD satellite's classified tech - 19 December 2012 - A powerful new telecommunications satellite is being launched on Wednesday for the British military. The Skynet-5D spacecraft is the final piece in a multi-billion-pound system that enables UK forces to stay connected wherever they are deployed in the world. Because it is a military system, Skynet has been designed to evade enemy jamming and eavesdropping, and as such contains a number of classified technologies. BBC science correspondent Jonathan Amos was granted special access to the spacecraft before its launch. (VIDEO)

* Ariane rocket ready to do battle - 23 November 2012 by Jonatahan Amos

► Crocodile's flying leap at swimmer in Australia. 9 December 2012  - Three Swedish tourists had a surprise while swimming in a national park in Australia when a crocodile leapt from rocks landing on one of them. Felix Andersson, Jakob Hellberg and Ulrik Bergsland were testing new underwater camera kit when they spotted the creature and moved in for a closer look. The crocodile suddenly launched itself from rocks in the Litchfield National Park, landing on Felix Andersson's shoulder.  Speaking to the BBC News Website, Mr Andersson said he was surprised but unhurt by the crocodile. (VIDEO) 

► A flying crocodile jumps at Felix!  Published on Dec 12, 2012 by Ulrik Bergsland :: Ulrik Bergsland (me) Jakob Hellberg (holdin the camera) and Felix Andersson (the one getting faceslapped by the crocodile) were going for a swim in Litchfield national park in northern Australia when suddenly supercrocdile appeared!



► 19 December 2012 - X-47B stealth drone targets new frontiers

► Sao Paulo's police turn hi-tech to fight crime 

► Los Angeles's icy surprise

► Episode 8 - Barcelona

► 19 December 2012  - Day in pictures: 19 December 2012 

► Going After Guns: 'You can't have police state & armed population'. Published on Dec 19, 2012 :: President Barack Obama has made a move towards stronger gun control in the U.S. The proposal comes after the mass shooting at the Sandy Hook elementary school that took the lives of 26 people, including 20 children (VIDEO) || NEWS

► Video: Huge volcano erupts, shoots giant ash column in Ecuador. Published on Dec 19, 2012 :: (NOTE VIDEO IS MUTE) Residents living near Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano have been advised to voluntarily evacuate after an increase in activity created at least three moderate explosions and ash fall on nearby villages. The first explosion generated a column of ash that reached two kilometers (1.24 miles) in height and fell over various communities, among them the tourist city of Banos. A third explosion generated a column of ash nearly five kilometres (3.1 miles) tall.



► Crazy Russian Winter: What happens to boiling water at -41C? Published on Dec 19, 2012 :: An illusionist has made surviving the cruel Russian winter much more entertaining through science and a little bit of magic, by showing the world what happens when boiling water meets -40 degrees Celsius winter temperatures || COURTESY || NEWS



► Time names US President Obama Person of the Year, again. Published on Dec 19, 2012 :: Time magazine has once again chosen US President Barack Obama as 'person of the year.' He beat seven other shortlisted contenders, including his Egyptian counterpart Mohammed Morsi and Pakistani activist for women's education Malala Yousafzai. (VIDEO)  ||  NEWS

► CrossTalk: Charity Cliff. Published on Dec 19, 2012 :: ­Can government welfare be replaced by private charity? How much of an impact do rich people in America make on the lives of the less fortunate? To what degree does the tax code stimulate individuals and companies into making more charitable contributions? And should it? Does charity attempt to replace poor public policy? CrossTalking with Richard Land, Stephen Pimpare and Leslie Lenkowsky. (VIDEO) 

► NDAA 2013 - Indefinite detention without trial is back  
► Adequate or faulty? Russian lawmakers vote for US adoption ban amid criticism 
► US Army to seek death penalty for soldier charged with Kandahar massacre
► Clinton's 'Sovietization' comment attracts Kremlin's ire
► A New Earth? Potentially habitable planet discovered orbiting nearby star similar to our sun
► Down to -50C: Russians freeze to death as strongest-in-decades winter hits (PHOTOS)
► Russians in Syria are 'legitimate targets' - key opposition group member 
► Newtown massacre motives: likely factors behind school-shooting emerge 
► Historical images of lost Russian royal jewels rediscovered
► LGBT begin kissing protest as Duma readies to vote on gay propaganda bill 
► 'Swan Lake' in 3D: 'Avatar' director to work on blockbuster ballet in Russia

► Life goes on despite 'Mayan Apocalypse'. Published on Dec 19, 2012 ::Thousands of tourists are flocking to Mexico's Yucatan peninsula to be part of the so-called "Mayan Apocalypse". Many of them believe the world is coming to an end this Friday, when a major cycle of the Mayan calendar ends. Some say the 5000-year-old Mayan civilization is entering a new era. So what do the Mayan people think themselves? Al Jazeera's David Mercer visited a Guatemalan highland village to find out. (VIDEO)

► People & Power - The Organ Traders Published on Dec 19, 2012 :: An investigation into the loose but interconnected multi-million dollar international criminal enterprise of human organ trading. People & Power tries to find out how this trade continues to flourish and the challenges law enforcers are faced with. (VIDEO) 


►
Obama says stricter gun laws necessary. Published on Dec 19, 2012 :: In the wake of a shooting at a primary school in Connecticut that resulted in the deaths of 20 children and six adults, President Obama has been working on ways to prevent another mass killing. Obama has put Vice-President Joe Biden in charge of coming up with plans - which focus mainly on tightening up gun laws. He says there is already a growing consensus that a ban on automatic, military-style weapons must be put into place. Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports from Washington, DC. || ► Obama calls for gun law reform. Published on Dec 19, 2012 :: President Barack Obama has urged US politicians to "have the courage" to seek compromise and reform the nation's gun laws. He's appointed Vice-President Joe Biden to head a task force charged with seeking policy solutions. Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane has more details.

Latest Headlines

■ Russia Gives Initial OK to American Adoption Ban 
■ YPF, Chevron Sign Argentina Shale Pact 
■ Fear Keeps Egypt's Christians Away from Polls 
■ Mikulski to Head Appropriations, Senator Says
■ Senators Write Sony, Criticize 'Zero Dark Thirty'
■ FBI Offers $50k Reward in Chicago Jail Escape
■ Obama Pressing for Policy Changes After Shooting
■ State Dept. Security Chief Resigns After Benghazi
■ Snowstorm Hits Rockies, Heads to Midwest 
■ General Motors to Buy Back 200 Million Government Shares 
■ In Cold Blood Killers Exhumed in Second Murder Investigation
■ Dictator's Daughter Becomes South Korea's First Female President
■ Benghazi Review Finds Systematic Security Faults
■ CNN: Obama Pledges Action on Guns By January
■ CNNMoney: Dumbest Moments of 2012 

► Person of the Year: Barack Obama, Architect of the New America 

'The American people have rightly been frustrated at the pace of change, and the economy is still struggling, and this President we elected is imperfect,' Obama says. 'And yet despite all that, this is who we want to be.'
By Michael Scherer

* Exclusive: The Person of the Year Interview
* Inside the White House: Never-Before-Seen Photos
* Re-Election: The Data Miners Who Helped Obama Win
* Obama Photo Diary: 48 Hours with the President 
* Runner-Up: Malala's Journey — A Timeline 
* Runner-Up: Tim Cook and Apple's Greatest Moments
* Runner-Up: TIME Sits Down with Morsi
* Runner-Up: What Is the 'God Particle'? 
* 2012 In Brief: The People Who Mattered Most - BASHAR ASSAD
* Those We Lost: TIME's 2012 Tributes
* President Obama, Driller-in-Chief
* Joe Klein: The 2012 Awards for Political Courage
* Joel Stein: 2012's Coolest Person Is...
* Live Reactions: What You're Saying About #POY2012
* Take the TIME Person of the Year Quiz 


Short List

* Malala Yousafzai
* Tim Cook 
* Mohamed Morsi 
* Fabiola Gianotti 

Featured

* South Korea Elects First Female President 
* Autism Backlash: Guilt by Association?
* A New Financial Bubble—or Three?
* This Is 40 Minutes Too Long 

► Connecticut Community Copes After School Shooting
► TIME Picks the Most Surprising Photos of 2012
► Inside a Nazi Christmas Party, 1941

► L.A. mayoral election a wide-open contest

► China cracking down on doomsday group 

► Waiting for 'Doomsday' - Dec. 21, 2012: Fearful 'end of world' callers flood NASA December 19, 2012

* Merida Mexico, says: Hope to see you after Dec. 21
* China cracking down on doomsday group
* TV shows, movies tap into fear of the big fall
* More: Are you equipped for end of the world?

► Raw: Rocket With 3 Astronauts Takes Off for ISS. Published on Dec 19, 2012 by AssociatedPress :: A Soyuz spacecraft carrying three astronauts, NASA's Tom Marshburn, Russia's Roman Romanenko, and Canada's Chris Hadfield, took off atop a towering Russian rocket on Wednesday, headed for the International Space Station. (Dec. 19)

► Sen. Feinstein will not become Judiciary Committee chair
► Clinton accused of faking illness to avoid Benghazi testimony
► House Democrats push on gun control 
► Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearing on voter suppression
► Pictures in the News | December 19, 2012 - Posted By: Marc Martin 

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