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PEACE TALKS CONTINUE IN MIDDLE EAST

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Egypt is at the centre of peace talks between Israel and Hamas, as the violence continues. Israel have stationed troops on the border with Gaza, but are keen to find a diplomatic solution to the fighting.

Hamas have been able to target Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with their rockets, something that has been impossible until now. Hamas’ new capabilities have come with the help of Iranian rockets.

Pictures have also emerged of a man being dragged through the streets of Gaza tied to a motorcycle. The man was said to be an Israeli sympathiser.

Pressure is mounting on Israel, as civilian casulties rise. Civilians accounted for 54 of the 113 Palestinians killed. Israel has stressed they try to minimise civilian deaths, but that Hamas position their rocket launchers and weapons beside civilian populations, sometimes beside hospitals and schools.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is making her way to Jerusalem to talk with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, before going to the West Bank to talk to Palestinian leaders, and then on to Egypt for talks with Egyptian leaders.

Read more: Fox News

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SUN ENTERING SOLAR MAXIMUM

Every 11 years the sun enters a period of increased activity. Currently, the earth is at an increased risk of being hit by solar winds. During the solar maximum there are more sun spots and solar flares emitted by the sun.

Quite often these can pass close to the earth causing disruption to telecommunications, and damage to power grids. However, if we were to be hit directly by a really big solar storm the damage could potentially be 20 times worse than Hurricane Katrina. An event on this scale would take out the global telecommunications systems, by destroying satellites. The power grids would be damaged, and entire nations could be plunged into darkness.

The last time earth was hit by such a storm was in 1859, it is known as the Carrington Event. That solar storm knocked out the telegram system (the latest technology at that time). The Aurora were so bright that they could be seen in Africa, and you could read a news paper in Cuba by their light. Unlike 1859, we now live in a digital age and the effects of a similar hit would cost trillions of dollars, and the effects could last years, modern life as we know it would come to a halt.

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FORDHAM UNIVERSITY SAYS YES TO PRO-BESTIALITY SPEAKER AND NO TO PRO-LIFER

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The Catholic Fordham University has effectively barred pro-life conservative pundit Ann Coulter. The University hosted a panel discussion at their one-day event “Conference with Peter Singer: Christians and Other Animals, Moving the Conversation Forward.”

The Republican group in the university had invited Ann Coulter, who regularly appears on Fox News, to take part in the debate. However, the president of the university Fr. Joseph McShane, objected to her coming, and wrote to the Republican group calling Coulter “hateful and needlessly provocative,” and described her work as “aimed squarely at the darker side of our nature.” Her invitation was evoked.

But Father McShane had no such qualms about Peter Singer. Singer is a bioethics professor at Princeton. He advocates euthanasia for dementia suffers, infanticide, and the forcible sterilisation of most of the human race on environmental grounds. Singer also believes that sex across the species is no longer a taboo. In an infamous essay “Heavy Petting” he wrote, “sex across the species barrier,” while not normal, “ceases to be an offence to our status and dignity as human beings.” After all, “Occasionally mutually satisfying activities may develop.”

Singer is celebrated as the father of the modern animal rights movement, he believes Christianity is discriminatory to animals, and his book “Animal Liberation” was used as the inspiration behind the hardline animal rights group PETA.

Does the university really believe Ann Coulter’s pro-life, conservative views are more offensive; than a man who believes killing infants and having sex with dolphins is acceptable?

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FRANCE HAS BEEN STRIPPED OF “AAA” CREDIT RATING BY MOODY’S

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The rating’s agency Moody’s has stripped France of it’s AAA credit rating. The agency cited France’s continued exposure to the eurozone debt crisis, but also said the inflexible labour market and low levels of innovation were seriously hindering France’s growth prospects.

In a statement Moody’s said: “Further shocks to sovereign and bank credit markets would further undermine financial and economic stability in France as well as in other euro area countries.

“The impact of such shocks would be expected to be felt disproportionately by more highly indebted governments such as France.”

The move is a serious blow to the socialist governments economic policies. Francois Hollande’s government is trying to push through labour reforms, though some believe they do not go far enough.

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COULD U.S. ECONOMY BE HEADING FOR RECESSION IN THE NEW YEAR?

Could We Be heading back into recession

Merry Christmas and a recessionary new year | FT Alphaville.

Strategist with Societe Generale, Albert Edwards, believes the US econonmy will head into recession early 2013. He argues that falling corporate profits mean the US economy is not as healthy as some may want us to believe.  He also points to the trend that for the four years first quarter growth has been disappointing. The graph shows that in each first quarter, economic growth has been slower than the fourth quarter of the previous year. If this pattern continues into Q1 of 2013 we may see the economy contracting.

With current growth in the US low, it would not take much to cause the economy to slip back into recession.

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UK SCHOOL TEACHERS COULD FACE SACK FOR NOT PROMOTING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

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The UK government is currently seeking to legalise same-sex marriage. It now appears that if the legislation is passed, school teachers who refuse to promote same-sex marriage in schools could face the sack.

The Coalition for Marriage sought legal advice on the further implications of re-defining marriage affecting schools, churches, hospitals, foster carers and public buildings.

The findings of the legal advice concluded schools would be within their rights to sack staff who refuse to use text books or teaching material that promote homosexuality.

Parents who refuse to allow their children to take part in lessons where same-sex marriage is promoted, would find they are unable to do so.

The report also found that the impact of the re-definition of marriage would have far reaching implications, even meaning official forms would need to be rewritten with the terms “husbands” and “wives” replaced with more “neutral” terms.

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KIM KARDASHIAN POSTS PRO-ISRAEL TWEET, GETS SLAMMED OVER IT, THEN DELETES IT

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On Friday morning Kim Kardashian sent out a supportive Israel tweet, declaring to her almost 17 million followers that she was “Praying for everyone in Israel.” What she probably wasn’t anticipating was the violent backlash, including death wishes.

“Die in hell,” wrote one,

another called the E! sensation a “bit*h” who “should die there,”while others went even further.

Less brutal detractors said they had “lost all respect for her,” were giving her “the middle finger,” and called her a “disgrace to her people” and outright “disgusting.”

Others told her she should be “praying for Palestine, not Israel.” So she reportedly tried that.

According to Twitchy.com, which archives all tweets even if a user deletes them, five minutes after the initial post, Kardashian attempted to appease her haters with the follow-up tweet: “praying for everyone in Palestine and across the world!”

However, both tweets soon disappeared from her account and she has returned to discussing other important things – like her two-hour Tracy Anderson workout this morning.

Yet the derision lives on.“Hahaha @KimKardashian deleted her tweets, must have had SERIOUS backlash from her idiotic uninformed tweets,” wrote one, while another called her a “dumb idiot” who “shouldn’t talk about what she doesn’t understand.”A rep for Kardashian did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

more at  Kim Kardashian slammed over pro-Israel tweet, deletes it | Fox News.

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ISRAEL SENDS TROOPS TO BORDER WITH GAZA

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After the Israeli assassination of the Hamas military leader Ahmed al-Jaabari, the Palestinians have made good on their promise of revenge. Hamas have responded firing rockets into Israel. One rocket fell into the sea off the coast of Tel Aviv. Israel have now mobilised ground troops to the border with Gaza. Until recently it was thought Tel Aviv was out of range of the Palestinian rockets.

Three Israelis have been killed in the southern town of Kiryat Malachi, after a Hamas rocket hit a four story building in a residential area. In Palestine fifteen people have been killed, mainly militants, however two children were also amongst the dead. Israel have said they do all they can to prevent civilian casualties, but blame Hamas for using human shields.

“In the past 24 hours, Israel has made it clear that it will not tolerate rocket and missile attacks on its civilians. I hope that Hamas and the other terror organisations in Gaza got the message,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “If not, Israel is prepared to take whatever action is necessary to defend our people.”

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has said, “Hamas bears principal responsibility for the current crisis”, also urging all the sides involved to “avoid any action which risks civilian casualties or escalates the crisis”. Hague’s views were echoed by President Obama, who agreed that Hamas needed to halt it’s attacks on Israel.

The latest wave of violence comes after Hamas fired rockets into Israeli territory.

The Arab world has condemned Israel for the attacks. Egypt’s Prime Minister will visit Gaza on Friday to show solidarity with Hamas. Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood have close ties.

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ANTI-AUSTERITY RALLIES ACROSS EUROPE END IN VIOLENCE

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There were strikes and anti-austerity rallies across Europe on Wednesday. General Strikes were called in Spain and Italy. Rallies were also held in France and Greece. The protests in Spain ended as police fired rubber bullets, in violent clashes between protesters and police. In Italy at least 17 police officers were injured as protests in Rome, Milan and Turin turned violent.

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ISRAEL KILLS HAMAS LEADER IN AIR STRIKE

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An Israeli airstrike has killed the head of the military wing of Hamas, Ahmed Jabari. Hamas have said the strike has “opened the gates of hell”, and vow revenge for the killing.

Jabari was killed after his car was struck in Gaza. Israel have said the attack was an act of self-defence, that Jabari had caused the death of many Israelis. The assassination of Jabari marks a return to the Israeli strategy of targeting high ranking Palestinian officials.

Israel acted after a recent wave of rocket attacks on Israel from the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip. Hamas have said that after Jabari was killed another 20 sites were targeted. These sites have been used to launch rocket attacks on Israel.

As Hamas pledge revenge, Israel and the Palestinians are teetering close to war.

For more see The Telegraph

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CHILD SEX ABUSE SCANDAL ROCKS BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)  has been rocked by scandal, which has seen heads roll at the highest level. The flagship news program ‘Newsnight’ had produced a program about the late Jimmy Saville, which exposed allegations that Saville was a pedophile.

Jimmy Saville was a DJ and broadcaster in the 1960’s-80’s. He headlined prime time BBC programs like ‘Top of Pops’ and ‘Jim’ll Fix It’. At the height of his fame he was one of the most powerful broadcasters in the corporation.

‘Newsnight’ decided to shelve the program, in which victims were interviewed, telling of the abuse they suffered at the hands of Saville. The program was then broadcast by rival channel ITV.

Since the program was broadcast, hundreds more victims have come forward and police now believe that Saville could be the UKs most prolific pedophile.

In the light of the investigation, more celebrities have been named and it has been discovered that for years people within the BBC knew of the gossip surrounding Saville and did nothing.

The BBC has been a bastion for the liberal left for years, yet they believed Saville was too big a name to challenge. ‘Newsnight’ editor Peter Rippon said in emails, the investigation was not important because the allegations were surrounding “teenagers, not too young”. Another big name at the BBC, Esther Rantzen, who started the charity ‘Childline’ to help children report abuse, has spoken of the gossip at the BBC in the 80’s, yet she did nothing. ‘Childline’ has since dropped Rantzen as their patron.

Now the media is on a witch hunt, for the names of those pedophiles still to be exposed. This witch hunt led the BBC Newsnight program to name a Conservative Peer, Lord MacAlpine, as a pedophile. The man who the abuse concerns has publically said this is not the man who abused him. This blunder has caused the Director General of the BBC, George Entwistle, to step down.

As the scandal and the fall out continues, there are serious questions regarding the culture at the BBC, and the journalistic standards of their programs.

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So How Much Will This Fiscal Cliff (tax increase) Really Cost You?

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That depends, of course, on how much you make. The more you make, the more it hurts.

The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center (TPC) says the average household would have to fork over an extra $3,400 more to Washington next year.

Here’s the average taxpayers will have to pay in addition to last years taxes, broken down by income group, according to the TPC:

–Lowest fifth of households (average income: $11,239): $412

–Second-lowest fifth (average income: $29,204): $1,231

–Middle fifth (average income: $49,842): $1,984

–Second-highest fifth (average income: $80,080): $3,540

–Highest fifth (average income: $178,020): $14,173

–Top 1 percent (average income: about $1.3 million): $120,537

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Palestinian UN bid set for November 29, Abbas says – PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES – FRANCE 24

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Palestinian UN bid set for November 29, Abbas says – PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES – FRANCE 24.

It is believed that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will submit an application of non-member observer status to the UN on November 29th.

If the Palestinians were given non-member observer status they would gain access to UN bodies, like the International Criminal Court, where they may try to prosecute Israel.

The Palestinians may also hope that non-member status will add weight to their claim for the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and east Jerusalem.

Israel have warned that if the Palestinians go ahead with the application, they will take punitive action against them.

The US have already made it clear they are opposed to the Palestinians making such an application.

Random Events, Free Will, Pre-destiny or Something Darker ?