Monthly Archives: December 2011
Riding Israel: A tragicomedy
The film “Mission Impossible 4″ opened in US theatres in recent weeks, starring BMW, Apple and Tom Cruise. A two-hour-long commercial on steroids. “I think that we’ve had invented Palestinian people who
Iran to test-fire long range missiles in Gulf
Iran plans to test-fire long range missiles during a naval exercise in the Gulf, following a threat by Tehran to close shipping lanes if the West imposes sanctions on its oil exports.
Gamblers say Romney to win Republican race
Opinion polls go up and down, but for those with money on the line, Mitt Romney is now a heavy favourite to win the 2012 Republican presidential nomination and go on to
World rings in 2012 and bids adieu to a tough year
PARIS (AP) — Fireworks glittered and boomed Sunday as revelers in Australia and Asia welcomed 2012 and others around the world looked forward to bidding adieu to a year marred by hurricanes,
Crucial Advances in ‘Brain Reading’ Demonstrated
At UCLA’s Laboratory of Integrative Neuroimaging Technology, researchers use functional MRI brain scans to observe brain signal changes that take place during mental activity. They then employ computerized machine learning (ML) methods
Chinese Fossils Shed Light On Evolutionary Origin of Animals from Single-Cell Ancestors
Evidence of the single-celled ancestors of animals, dating from the interval in Earth’s history just before multicellular animals appeared, has been discovered in 570 million-year-old rocks from South China by researchers from
Chemists Solve an 84-Year-Old Theory On How Molecules Move Energy After Light Absorption
Conservation of angular momentum is a fundamental property of nature, one that astronomers use to detect the presence of satellites circling distant planets. In 1927, it was proposed that this principle should
Link Between Earthquakes and Tropical Cyclones: New Study May Help Scientists Identify Regions at High Risk for Earthquakes
A groundbreaking study led by University of Miami (UM) scientist Shimon Wdowinski shows that earthquakes, including the recent 2010 temblors in Haiti and Taiwan, may be triggered by tropical cyclones (hurricanes and
Over 65 Million Years, North American Mammal Evolution Has Tracked With Climate Change
Climate changes profoundly influenced the rise and fall of six distinct, successive waves of mammal species diversity in North America over the last 65 million years, shows a novel statistical analysis led
Christmas Day in United States
Many people in the United States celebrate Christmas Day on December 25. The day celebrates Jesus Christ’s birth. It is often combined with customs from pre-Christian winter celebrations. Many people erect Christmas
Enshrining the lies of the US’ 1%
San Pedro, California – Last week, in an act of profound deception, the American “fact-checking” organisation, PolitiFact, chose a true statement as its “Lie of the Year”. The pseudo-lie? “[House] Republicans voted
Egypt security forces storm NGO offices
Egyptian security forces and police have stormed non-governmental organisation (NGO) offices throughout the country, temporarily detaining employees and searching computer files, an activist and security official have said. The official MENA news
US warns Iran against closing oil route
The US has strongly warned Iran against closing a vital Gulf waterway, after Iran threatened to choke off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz if the US imposes sanctions targeting the country’s
Bosnian parties end political impasse
Bosnia’s Muslim, Serb and Croat leaders have made a major breakthrough by agreeing to form a government and pass a budget for 2011 to avoid financial collapse, ending a political impasse dating
Spanish royal charged in fraud case
The Spanish king’s son-in-law was charged in a fraud and embezzlement case that has damaged the royal family, which this week took the uprecedented step of disclosing its income. The Palma de
Will Asma al-Assad take a stand or stand by her man?
(CNN) — In her Vogue photograph she is beautiful, wrapped in a luxurious fuchsia pashmina. She’s very rich, as the story repeatedly conveys, a stern mother of three, a woman who tries
Homs: Bloody winter in Syria’s revolution capital
(CNN) — The Arab Spring has turned to bloody winter in Homs, the city that has suffered the most from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s deadly nationwide crackdown on anti-government protesters. Known as
Analysis: Bombings expose Iraq’s deepening sectarian divisions
(CNN) — Nature abhors a vacuum but terrorism relishes one. And Iraq appears to be offering new space for al Qaeda and other militant groups, as political rivalries and sectarian animosities deepen.
South Korean civilian delegation enters North to pay respects to Kim
Seoul (CNN) — A delegation of South Korean citizens arrived in Pyongyang on Monday to express condolences over the death of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the North’s state-run news
Pakistani politician Khan gains momentum
(CNN) — Thousands of supporters rallied Sunday behind cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan, who said he wanted to root out corruption and ensure rich and poor alike prosper in Pakistan. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Eco-industry park promotes shared vision
London (CNN) — On a brownfield site in east London, not far from the site of the 2012 Olympic Park, a new green vision is emerging from the ashes of the UK
Flaws ‘known before’ BP oil spill
Tests carried out before the catastrophic blowout of a BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico showed that the cement that was to be used to seal the well was unstable,
Newt Gingrich fails to qualify in Virginia
Leading US Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has failed to meet the requirements to be in the presidential primary election in Virginia, where he resides, the state’s Republican Party said. Gingrich had
Pope calls for peace in Middle East
Pope Benedict XVI has called for an end to violence in Syria and for resumption of peace talks in the Middle East in his Christmas Day message. “May the Lord come to
Suicide attack strikes Afghanistan funeral
At least 20 people, including a member of parliament, were killed in a suicide attack on a funeral procession in northeast Afghanistan. Fifty others were injured in Sunday’s attack in the city
Sudan army kills Darfur rebel leader
Sudan’s army has killed a key rebel leader from the western Darfur region along with 30 of his troops, officials said, three days after the Justice and Equality Movement said it had
Nigeria churches hit by blasts
At least 25 people have been killed by an explosion outside a church near the Nigerian capital during Christmas celebrations, according to a relief worker. Witnesses also reported a string of other
Hydrocephalus
Background Hydrocephalus can be defined broadly as a disturbance of formation, flow, or absorption of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that leads to an increase in volume occupied by this fluid in the CNS.[1]
