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15 Nov 2011 22:19

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World: Lebanese politicians get physically violent on live TV

  • Getting touchy:  Remember when Mitt Romney touched Rick Perry’s shoulder during a GOP debate a while back, and everybody freaked out? Yeah, that was nothing. During a televised debate about Syria yesterday, two Lebanese politicians became enraged and started throwing things at each other. After one guy chucks what looks like a glass of water across the table, the other guy stands up, grabs his chair, and almost hits his foe with it before the host intervenes. The topic of debate was Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a very polarizing figure in Lebanon. American debates can get heated, but we’d be awfully shocked to see Newt Gingrich chuck his podium at Jon Huntsman while discussing Chinese economic policy. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2011 14:18

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World: Jordan’s King Abdullah would step down were he Assad

  • An “expiration date”: Here’s a look at an interview recently conducted with Jordan’s King Abdullah, who speaks in understandably pessimistic terms about the nature of the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria. While predicting that the use of violence against his own citizens meant that Assad could not maintain power unchallenged, he also expressed concern as to who would lead Syria afterwards — a member of the same regime doing little good. This comes at a time of great violence in Syria; just yesterday between fifty and seventy-one people were killed. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2011 00:06

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World: Two words you don’t normally hear together: “Whale cemetery.”

  • 15 whales found in a “graveyard”: Over the span of 15 days, paleontologists have found the remains of 15 whales, in just one area of Chile. Some of the fossils date back seven million years. Not only that, but the scientists have also discovered new species, too. “The whale discovery is a discovery of global importance,” said Sol Squire, one of the paleontologists on the project. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Nov 2011 23:21

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World: Just in case we needed another reminder to exercise once in a while

  • 552 million people could have diabetes by the year 2030 source
  • » That’s 1 in 10 people worldwide. The World Health Organization says that the rise in diabetic adults will most likely be due to an aging world population, not the increasing rate of obesity. Most cases are Type 2 and come from “weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle.” Count this number as inspiration for 2012’s resolutions.
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Nov 2011 10:49

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World: Judge: Norway mass-shooting suspect not insane, fit for trial

  • Anders Behring Breivik wasn’t allowed to speak at a hearing Monday, the first public hearing since the July bombing and mass shooting that killed 77 people. The hearing drew more than 500 people. The judge, Torkjel Nesheim, was quick to decide on his sanity (and also noted that he most assuredly acted alone), but would not let him recite a prepared statement for the hearing. “This was not the main trial where he gets to explain himself,” the judge said. “I did not want to give him the opportunity to use this hearing as a platform for him to express his views.” (Check our Tumbl-Zine for more background on this story.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Nov 2011 11:26

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World: Brazil raids notorious Rio de Janeiro slum ahead of World Cup, Olympics

  • An attempt to clean up a big problem: Tanks rolled through Rio’s Rocinha neighborhood early Sunday morning, in an effort to show some authority in the region, which is a hotbed for the country’s drug trade. “We’re taking back this territory for the 100,000 citizens of Rocinha, people who have needed peace,” said Sergio Cabral, the governor of the Rio de Janeiro state. But there’s also a bigger goal happening — officials want to clean up the region ahead of two major events heading to the city in the next few years — 2014’s World Cup and 2016’s Olympics. Roughly a third of the city’s six million residents live in slums — of which Rocinha is the largest one. (Photo by Silvia Izquierdo/AP) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Nov 2011 16:37

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World: More on Silvio Berlusconi’s exit as Italian Prime Minister

The long-controversial Italian PM exits as the two chambers of Parliament passed a tough austerity plan. The Senate passed it Friday; the lower house passed it today with a resounding 380-26 vote. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

12 Nov 2011 13:12

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World: Ten days after peace agreement, Arab League boots Syria out

  • Nov. 2 Syria, facing mounting criticism over its conduct in the wake of the Arab Spring protests, agrees to an Arab League plan to end the violence against protesters in the region. Despite this, little actually changes in the country.
  • Nov. 12 The Arab League suspends Syria from the organization after the violence against protesters continues despite the agreement. The country will remain out of the Arab League until it makes changes that respect the opposition. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Nov 2011 11:13

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World: The world’s youngest island: Born kinda like a wittle baby!

  • More island for your buck: Due to recent underwater volcano activity, another Canary Island has been added to the chain. Islanders are already trying to think up names for the new piece of land, built from magma that spewed over 65 feet high. On Saturday, the area was hit by a 4.3-magnitude earthquake, which is when the underwater volcano started erupting. What would you name the new island? Does it have to be a bird? Tweety Island would be too obvious, right? source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2011 23:25

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World: Who will protect the rhinoceros, much less harness its power?

  • Some rhinos aren’t long for this world: “A lack of political support and willpower for conservation efforts in many rhino habitats, international organized crime groups targeting rhinos and increasing illegal demand for rhino horns and commercial poaching are the main threats faced by rhinos,” said the International Union for Conservation of Nature in their latest update to their list of endangered species with the Western Black Rhino of Africa. It is possible for endangered species to bounce back but not without effort and rehabilitation programs. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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