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Christmas 2015: Christians Across the World Begin Celebration

James J. Williams
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Christmas 2015: Christians Across the World Begin Celebration

Christians across the world have begun celebrating Christmas with services.

Pope Francis is holding midnight mass at the Vatican.

In the holy city of Bethlehem, the West Bank town where it is believed that Jesus was born, events have been overshadowed by recent violence between Palestinians and Israelis.

Indonesia was one of the first countries to mark Christmas Day.

Photo AFP/Getty Images
Photo AFP/Getty Images

Celebrations are taking place in the West Bank town where it is believed that Jesus was born.

However, this year they are overshadowed by the latest Israeli-Palestinian violence that shows no signs of abating.

Shepherds watching their flocks by night are believed by Christians to have been the first to hear about Jesus’ birth. Tradition has it that they were told the news by an angel in the Shepherds’ Field in Beit Sahur, next to Bethlehem.

According to the Bible, there was no room at the inn in Bethlehem for Mary and Joseph. With no bed available, baby Jesus was laid in a manger.

The Nativity story tells how wise men, or magi, came to pay their homage to Jesus bringing him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Beatles Music Available on Streaming Services

Sonia Pantiss
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Beatles Music Available on Streaming Services

The Beatles’ music will be available on nine streaming music services.

Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, Tidal and Amazon Prime Music are among those services that will offer the Beatles’ tracks worldwide.

The Beatles split up in April 1970. However, their songs – including Hey Jude and Yesterday – remain hugely popular and influential.

Other services that have secured the Beatles’ catalogue include Deezer, Microsoft Groove, Napster and Slacker Radio.

Photo Pinterest
Photo Pinterest

The deal involves rights to stream 224 songs from the original 13 studio albums released in the UK as well as “essential” collections including Past Masters.

The tracks will be made available from December 24.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr clocked up 17 No 1 singles in the British charts as the Beatles.

But long after the band broke up they continued to issue songs and compilations, the most recent of which was an expanded edition of Beatles 1 put on sale last month.

The Beatles announcement comes as a number of high-profile artists – including Neil Young, Prince and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke – have questioned the value of streaming services.

The most prominent example is Adele.

Adele’s new album, 25, has sold more than seven million copies without appearing on any streaming platform, although she has made her single Hello available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoZHt3HDuss

Johnny Depp Tops Hollywood’s Most Overpaid Actors List in 2015

Sonia Pantiss
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Johnny Depp Tops Hollywood’s Most Overpaid Actors List in 2015

Johnny Depp has topped Forbes magazine’s list of Hollywood’s Most Overpaid Actors of 2015.

The list, based on the last three movies in which those included starred before June, revealed Johnny Depp returned only $1.20 for every $1 he was paid.

Johnny Depp’s comedy Mortdecai only made back $47.4 million of its $60 million production budget.

The actor’s 2014 sci-fi thriller Transcendence, meanwhile, only just made back its costs.

Denzel Washington is ranked second on the list, returning $6.50 on every dollar.

Will Ferrell, who topped the list in 2009 and 2010, is third this time after only bringing in $6.80 for every $1 spent on him on Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues and The Campaign.

That was just ahead of Liam Neeson, whose fourth place is down to the success of Taken 3 cancelling out Run All Night.

According to Forbes magazine, the latter thriller cost $50 million and made $71.6 million back.

Adam Sandler, named the most overpaid actor in each of the past two years, was considered ineligible in 2015 after signing a four-film deal with streaming service Netflix.Johnny Depp most overpaid actor 2015

Chris Evans was Forbes‘ best value actor of 2015. The Captain America actor’s movies returned an average $181.80 for every $1 he was paid.

Each of an actor’s three major movies up to June 2015 are counted in the list.

The only films which are not used for the basis of the survey are animated releases, ones where the actor only appeared in a minor role, or those which were released on fewer than 2,000 screens.

Forbes then take the estimated production budget away from the global box office returns for each film to work out each one’s operating income.

That figure is then added to the estimated total fee for each star across their three films to discover the final figure for return on investment.

Four actresses fill the next four places in the best value list.

Mila Kunis comes second with an $87.30 return on every dollar, while Scarlett Johansson, whose last three major movies grossed a combined $2.58 billion, is third.

Gwyneth Paltrow, whose appearance in Iron Man 3 more than made up for her contribution to Mortdecai, is ranked fourth.

Last year’s winner, Emma Stone, comes fifth, with the disappointing performance of Aloha balanced out by 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Most overpaid actors 2015 (per $):

  1. Johnny Depp – $1.20
  2. Denzel Washington – $6.50
  3. Will Ferrell – $6.80
  4. Liam Neeson – $7.80
  5. Will Smith – $8.60
  6. Christian Bale – $9.20
  7. Channing Tatum – $10.80
  8. Brad Pitt – $12
  9. Ben Affleck – $12.30
  10. Tom Cruise – $13.60

Best value actors 2015 (per $):

  1. Chris Evans – $181.80
  2. Mila Kunis – $87.30
  3. Scarlett Johansson – $84.90
  4. Gwyneth Paltrow – $82.90
  5. Emma Stone – $54
  6. Chris Hemsworth – $42.10
  7. Vin Diesel – $40.30
  8. Jennifer Lawrence – $39.10
  9. Mark Wahlberg – $37.90
  10. Dwayne Johnson – $28.10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WErFyVydDHY

Milan Pollution: Cars and Motorcycles Banned for Three Days

Nancy Clayson
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Milan Pollution: Cars and Motorcycles Banned for Three Days

Milan authorities have decided to ban cars and motorcycles for three days next week in an attempt to curb the city’s smog problem.

Drivers in the northern Italian city will have to leave their vehicles at home between 10AM and 4PM, beginning on December 28.

Authorities have introduced a special “anti-smog” all-day public transport ticket for €1.50 ($1.65).

A lack of rainfall has led pollution levels to climb in recent weeks.

Milan Mayor Giuliano Pisapia appealed to all the city’s municipalities to observe the three-day ban.

He said in a statement: “In these days of major emergency we cannot remain indifferent.”

Photo Savinodicorato
Photo Savinodicorato

The administration of the Lombardy region, of which Milan is the capital, also appealed to local officials to cancel traditional firework displays to prevent conditions worsening.

Milan was named as Europe’s most polluted city in 2008 and it remains among the worst on the continent. City officials have limited traffic on several occasions in the past, first trying out a ban in 2007.

Rome has also limited traffic on several occasions.

Two major Spanish cities have also imposed measures to reduce pollution. A 90km/h (56mph) speed limit was introduced in the Barcelona area last week and parking for most vehicles has twice been banned from the centre of Madrid since last month.

Along with the iconic Vespa scooters, another Italian staple looked under threat in parts of the country earlier this week, when the mayor of San Vitaliano, just outside Naples, banned the use of wood-fired pizza stoves.

Under the edict, the stoves need to be fitted with special pollution filters before they are allowed back into action.

China’s capital Beijing has introduced similar restrictions in recent days after some of the worst smog in the city’s history. Beijing last week declared a red pollution alert – the most severe of its kind – for the second time this month.

The restrictions in Beijing mean cars can only be driven on alternate days, depending on whether their number plates end in an odd or even number. Statistics show that about 112,800 vehicles violated the rule in just four days, according to Beijing News.

Beijing Threat: Governments Warn Westerners Visiting Sanlitun on Christmas Day

Roy Siemens
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Beijing Threat: Governments Warn Westerners Visiting Sanlitun on Christmas Day

The US and British governments have issued a warning about possible threats against Westerners in the Chinese capital Beijing on or around Christmas Day.

Officials say they have received information of possible threats in Sanlitun, which is a busy bar and shopping district.

Meanwhile, the French and Australian governments have also urged their citizens to remain vigilant.

Beijing police have issued a yellow security alert in the city.

A yellow alert is the second lowest level in China’s four-level security alert system.Sanlitun Beijing threat

The alert means there will be increased security checks in shopping areas, and rubbish bins in public areas will be checked every 30 minutes, Xinhua news agency reports.

There was an increased police presence in Sanlitun on December 24, with armed police deployed outside shopping malls.

There were no further details from US, UK, French and Australian officials.

Beijing police said in a microblog post that they had implemented the yellow alert in Beijing’s large and medium sized shopping areas to “maintain social order”.

The Sanlitun area, in Beijing’s Chaoyang district, contains many bars and restaurants popular with foreigners.

Saudi Arabia Hospital Fire Kills at Least 25 People in Jazan

Roy Siemens
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Saudi Arabia Hospital Fire Kills at Least 25 People in Jazan

At least 25 people have been killed and more than 100 others injured after a fire broke out at a hospital in Jazan, southern Saudi Arabia, officials say.

The blaze broke out in the intensive care and maternity departments of the Jazan General Hospital, the Civil Defense Agency tweeted.

The fire is now over and those injured have been transferred to other hospitals in the area, it added.

An investigation is under way to find out the cause of the blaze.Jazan hospital fire

One witness told Saudi TV an electrical fault appeared to be to blame, and that the fire had swept through the building in minutes.

“We could hear the women screaming,” the man said.

The fire badly damaged the interior, charring walls and leaving wreckage dangling from the ceiling.

Twenty-one civil defense teams helped extinguish the fire, according to the agency.

Some Saudis took to social media to complain of what they said was inadequate infrastructure in the area.

Saudi authorities also faced heavy criticism earlier this year after a stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage killed hundreds.

Jazan is near the border with Yemen, which has seen months of fighting between Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed forces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LncbRzDlPdA

South and Midwest Storms Kill At Least Six People

Nancy Clayson
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South and Midwest Storms Kill At Least Six People

At least six people have been killed and scores more injured ahead of the Christmas break after a strong storm has hit the South and Midwest of the US.

The storm has been described by forecasters as particularly dangerous.

Three people were killed as tornadoes moved through northern Mississippi, officials said, along with two in Tennessee and one in Arkansas.

There have been reports of at least 20 tornadoes of varying severity.

The high winds have also caused significant damage to homes.Mississippi tornado December 2015

Authorities in parts of Mississippi – where a seven-year-old was among those killed – are conducting a house-by-house search-and-rescue operation after the state was hit by multiple tornadoes.

Planes at a small airport in the north-west of the state were overturned and an unknown number of people were injured.

“I’m looking at some horrific damage right now,” Clarksdale Mayor Bill Luckett was quoted by the AP as saying.

“Sheet metal is wrapped around trees; there are overturned airplanes; a building is just destroyed.”

Mississippi’s I-55 was closed in both directions as the tornado approached, the state’s Highway Patrol said.

The bad weather is also due to hit – or has hit – the states of Kentucky, Alabama, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Alabama.

The national Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma has released a “particularly dangerous situation” warning for the first time since June 2014, AP reports, when two massive tornadoes destroyed a rural Nebraska town, killing two people.

The possibility of bad weather just before Christmas in the US is not unusual, officials at the center say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnaN3ZtEeBg

Black Lives Matter Protests Target Christmas Shopping in Minnesota

Nancy Clayson
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Black Lives Matter Protests Target Christmas Shopping in Minnesota

The Black Lives Matter group has organized protests in Minnesota and California on one of the busiest retail days of the year.

Minnesota protesters temporarily closed the international airport and interrupted Christmas shopping at the Mall of America.

Police said a total of 15 people were arrested at both places, mostly for trespassing or obstructing justice.

The demonstrators are angry over a police shooting of a black man in Minneapolis.

Jamar Clark was shot dead last month by officers responding to an assault complaint, in one of a number of recent incidents around the US. Activists say he was shot in the head while handcuffed.

There have been daily demonstrations in Minneapolis over Jamar Clark’s killing.

Hundreds of people took part in the protest at the Mall of America, one of the largest in North America, where Black Lives Matter organizers promised to congregate in defiance of a judge’s warning that the shopping center’s owners could legally block the demonstration.

Police said it was an “unauthorized demonstration” and at one point described the situation as “very, very dangerous”.

Photo CBS News
Photo CBS News

Police and mall security staff were speedily deployed against the protesters, warning that any who did not depart immediately would be arrested. For a while the area surrounding the mall was on lockdown, but most stores were only closed for about an hour.

Separately eight protesters blocked southbound traffic on the 101 freeway near the California city’s international airport were arrested on December 23, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Photos of the demonstrators on social media showed them holding a sign demanding justice for Mario Woods, a black man shot dead by police who is suspected of a San Francisco stabbing.

Black Lives Matter is a loosely organized movement which was formed following protests over police killings of black men in Ferguson, Missouri, New York and other cities.

Police use of force against African Americans has been an ongoing issue.

Protests have been held nationwide for more than a year after a series of incidents, some of them fatal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMZGcP6oG2w

NORAD Santa Tracker 2015: Peterson Air Force Base Ready for Holiday Mission

Nancy Clayson
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NORAD Santa Tracker 2015: Peterson Air Force Base Ready for Holiday Mission

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is getting ready to tackle its annual holiday mission — tracking Santa’s storybook sleigh ride around the world.

Peterson Air Force base in Colorado Springs has been working for weeks for its one-day mission.

Miles of wire, dozens of computers and 157 telephone lines will greet hundreds of volunteers Thursday. Volunteers will be answering calls from an estimated 125,000 children around the globe looking for Santa’s whereabouts.

The call center in a training building will be staffed starting at 1 AM on December 24, for 23 hours on Christmas Eve. Volunteers will also share Santa’s location on Facebook and Twitter. Last year, Santa got 1.6 million Facebook likes.NORAD Santa Tracker 2015

NORAD’s 60th year of tracking Santa involves more than the military. The program is underwritten by contractors who pay for the phones, the computers and the website.

This year, First Lady Michelle Obama is expected to volunteer, with calls forwarded to her on Christmas Eve.

Volunteers will field a growing number of calls from curious kids from outside the US.

“We get a lot of calls from Europe, Australia and New Zealand,” said NORAD’s Stacey Knott, who has organized the Santa tracking for three years.

Bilingual volunteers handle the foreign-language inquiries.

On the bilingual front, NORAD, a partnership between the United States and Canada, has a distinct advantage.

“The great thing about having Canadian forces here is they can speak in French,” Canadian Maj. Jennifer Stadnyk said.

NORAD is responsible for defending the skies and monitoring the sea approaches for both nations.

Its control room was originally inside Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs in a shelter designed to withstand a nuclear attack.

NORAD’s control room is now at Peterson Air Force Base, also in Colorado Springs.

Trade Shows: An Invaluable Lesson In Market Research?

Dana R
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Trade Shows: An Invaluable Lesson In Market Research?

You may not believe it but the main thing that can break a company is a lack of research. It doesn’t matter what product or service you are trying to sell to people. What does matter is how well you’ve researched your target market!

Some businesses, especially startups, are guilty of selling to a market that doesn’t exist! As you can imagine, that’s the worst thing any business can do! You might not think it, but trade shows are an excellent way to conduct some market research.

So, just how is that possible? Keep reading, and I’ll share with you an insight into how trade shows can give you an invaluable lesson! Here is what you need to know:

LinuxWorldBoston2006

Source: Wikimedia Commons

You get to see what the competition is offering

Some people assume that trade shows are just filled with buyers from other companies. In other words, your potential customers. But, many competitors in your industry send “spies” out to check out people like you are up to!

It’s one of those unwritten rules in the business world. Everyone does it, and you should too. Some firms have two sets of staff in attendance. One set for their trade show booth, and the other as “walkers”.

You should consider doing the same too if you’ve got enough staff available to visit the event. That way, they can give you the highlights of what your competitors are offering. In some ways, it can give you an advantage in your industry. Why? Because you’ll learn of up and coming trends!

You get to see which stands offer the most eye-catching designs

When you exhibit at a trade show, it’s crucial that you have an eye-catching stand design. That’s because it’s one of the first things your visitors will notice. If your design looks too plain or anonymous, don’t expect many visitors!

If you’re planning on exhibiting soon, check out www.finessegroup.com for some stand design examples.

You’ll learn more than you already knew about your industry

An interesting point to note about trade shows is that they give you a strong insight into your industry. Buyers, for example, will tell you about the things that interest them for their firms. And competitors will give you an idea about the latest trends and innovations.

Sure, you might gain some of that knowledge by doing online research. But, if you want to get your finger on the pulse, attending a trade show is the way to do it. In fact, it’s a popular marketing method.

You’ll discover which products will become doomed to failure

Trade shows are also useful for learning about competing products that are ill-conceived. The thing about the business world is that some companies cut corners. And that often shows in the products and services they offer.

It’s an opportunity for you to find out how you can improve your existing offerings. If people tell you what they hate about products like yours, you can use that feedback to your advantage.

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading today’s blog post. See you later!

Denmark Elvis Presley’s Graceland Forced to Change Name

Sonia Pantiss
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Denmark Elvis Presley’s Graceland Forced to Change Name

A Danish Elvis Presley museum has been forced to rebrand after a legal challenge over its use of the name of the singer’s Graceland home.

Graceland Randers, which opened in 2011 in the town of Randers, will now be known as the Memphis Mansion.

The building is a replica of Elvis Presley’s Memphis home, but is twice the size to house a shop and restaurant.Denmark Graceland Randers

Henrik Knudsen, who runs the Danish attraction, said Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc demanded a name change.

He said the company also sought 1.5 million kroner in compensation for the infringement of the Graceland name.

Henrik Knudsen opened Graceland Randers in 2011 and put almost 6,000 Elvis items, from guitars and letters to clothes, on display.

In a statement, he said: “Pending the case, we have chosen to change the name… namely to Memphis Mansion!

“It has been very difficult to find a new name, which covered the we stand for. But we believe Memphis Mansion says it all. We also hope our customers and friends of the house will welcome our new name.”

Reports that the museum would have to close because of the lawsuit were incorrect, Henrik Knudsen added. More than 130,000 people visited the museum in 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOumhHUZ4X0

Brooke McCarter Dies from Genetic Liver Condition Aged 52

Sonia Pantiss
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Brooke McCarter Dies from Genetic Liver Condition Aged 52

Actor Brooke McCarter has died at the age of 52, his family has said in a statement.

Brooke McCarter was best known for playing a vampire in 1987’s The Lost Boys.

His family said in a statement on December 22 that he died “from the genetic liver condition alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AAT)”.

The message describes Brooke McCarter as a “loving son, brother, father, uncle, cousin, nephew and friend”.

The Facebook statement added: “We appreciate your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

Photo Warner Bros
Photo Warner Bros

Born in 1963 in Philadelphia, Brooke McCarter was a high school athlete and model before landing his best-known screen role.

As blond-haired “lost boy” Paul, he met a grisly end after being knocked by a dog into a bath full of garlic-infused holy water.

Unlike some of his co-stars, who included Jason Patric, Corey Feldman and the late Corey Haim, Brooke McCarter did not go on to pursue a full-time acting career.

Instead he worked in the telecommunications industry while also making music and occasionally appearing at horror conventions.

According to People magazine, Brooke McCarter died from liver failure at his home in Tampa, Florida, after having been admitted to hospital earlier this year.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky Placed on International Wanted List

Diane A. Wade
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Mikhail Khodorkovsky Placed on International Wanted List

Exiled Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been placed on an international wanted list over the 1990s murder of a Siberian mayor.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been living in exile in Europe since he was pardoned by President Vladimir Putin in 2013 for fraud after 10 years in jail.

Russia’s once-richest man said the authorities had “gone mad”.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky is accused of ordering several of his employees to kill both the mayor and a businessman, who survived.

Investigators allege Vladimir Petukhov, the mayor of Nefteyugansk, was killed on June 26, 1998, for demanding Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s oil firm, Yukos, pay taxes that the company had been avoiding.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

Local businessman Yevgeny Rybin was allegedly targeted because his activities “clashed with Yukos’s interests”, Russia’s powerful Investigative Committee (SK) said in a statement as it announced his arrest in absentia.

Yevgeny Rybin survived a gun attack in November 1998 and a second attack on his car in March 1999, when another man in the vehicle was killed and several people were injured.

Five people have already been tried for the attacks and the arrest warrant is unlikely to make any difference unless Mikhail Khodorkovsky returns to Russia.

Armed police raided the Moscow offices of Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s Open Russia pro-democracy movement on December 22, in a move that authorities said was linked to allegations of tax evasion. The flats of at least seven activists who work for Mikhail Khodorkovsky were also searched.

The exiled oil tycoon, who now spends much of his time in London, has repeatedly criticized Vladimir Putin in recent months. He said December 22 raids were acts of intimidation and the sign of an “authoritarian regime” nearing its “inevitable” end.

In further comments on December 23, Mikhail Khodorkovsky said the authorities were acting like bandits: “They’ve gone mad. I realized that yesterday.”

After Mikhail Khodorkovsky was arrested in 2003, Yukos was broken up and taken over by a state oil firm.

In 2014, an international arbitration court in The Hague said Russian officials had manipulated the legal system to bankrupt Yukos, and jail Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

The court told Russia to pay former shareholders in Yukos $50 billion in compensation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZokWXMR9OEM

Christmas Celebration Banned in Somalia

Diane A. Wade
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Christmas Celebration Banned in Somalia

Somalia’s government has decided to ban Christmas celebration in the country, warning that such Christian festivities could threaten the nation’s Muslim faith.

An official at the religious affairs ministry said: “Those celebrations are not in any way related to Islam.”

Security agencies have been directed to stay alert to stop any gatherings.Christmas banned in Somalia

Foreigners are free to mark the Christian holiday in their own homes, but hotels and other public places have been prohibited from marking the day.

Local media quote Mohamed Kheyrow, a top official at Somalia’s justice and religious affairs ministry, as saying: “Having Muslims celebrate Christmas in Somalia is not the right thing, such things are akin to the abandonment.”

Correspondents say as Somalia recovers from years of civil war, a growing number of Somalis who grew up in the diaspora are returning home, some of them bringing Western customs with them.

Christmas is not widely celebrated in Somalia, which officially adopted Sharia in 2009, but the odd event was held – especially as an excuse to hold a party.

Christmas celebrations will be allowed at UN compounds and bases for African Union peacekeepers, who are in the country to back the government’s fight against the al-Qaeda-linked militants.

OPEC: Oil Prices to Recover to $70 a Barrel by 2020

Clyde K. Valle
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OPEC: Oil Prices to Recover to $70 a Barrel by 2020

Oil prices will recover to $70 a barrel by 2020, oil producers’ group OPEC has said.

Prices have fallen from more than $110 a barrel in the summer of 2014 to less than $37 a barrel now due to oversupply and slowing demand.

However, OPEC said oil prices would begin to rise next year and, longer term, would rise due to higher exploration costs.

It expects the market share of OPEC producers to shrink by 2020 as rivals prove more resilient than expected.

OPEC currently accounts for about 30% of the world’s oil production, down from 50% in the 1970s.

Part of the reason for this decline is the emergence of vast quantities of shale oil produced in the US. This has also been factor in pushing down the price of oil to 11-year lows.

Photo Getty Images
Photo Getty Images

In its World Oil Outlook report, OPEC said it expected supply growth from US shale to slow dramatically in 2016, as producers struggled to cope with such a low prices.

OPEC’s strategy this year has been to allow prices to fall by maintaining production in the hope that, eventually, US shale producers will be forced out of business.

Another factor in low prices, OPEC said, was weaker economic growth, particularly in developing economies. It highlighted China, where the “economy seems to be maturing and growth is decelerating faster than previously expected”.

The group’s report also highlighted the “huge reductions” in spending on exploration and production by the industry as a whole due to low oil prices.

These cutbacks will ultimately see supply fall, it said, putting upward pressure on prices.

According to OPEC, another longer-term factor pushing prices up was higher exploration costs, as companies are forced to look harder for oil as traditional supply sources dwindle. Deep water drilling, for example, is considerably more expensive than drilling onshore.

Finally, OPEC said population and economic growth would see demand for energy rise by almost a half by 2040, increasing demand for oil.

OPEC was founded in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

These countries have since been joined by Qatar (1961), Indonesia (1962), Libya (1962), the United Arab Emirates (1967), Algeria (1969), Nigeria (1971), Ecuador (1973), Gabon (1975) and Angola (2007).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXhdJXStKJk

San Bernardino Attack: Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik Met at Hajj Pilgrimage

Nancy Clayson
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San Bernardino Attack: Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik Met at Hajj Pilgrimage

More details have emerged about San Bernardino attackers Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik.

They began their relationship online and then met at the 2013 Hajj pilgrimage, according to a visa application.

According to Syed Farook’s fiancée visa application, he and Tashfeen Malik made contact on a website, emailed and then decided to meet.

Their parents met in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during the annual pilgrimage.

Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik got engaged the day their parents met and planned to marry within a month of Malik arriving in the US.

Photo AP
Photo AP

The US House Judiciary Committee has released visa documents, detailing Tashfeen Malik’s processing into the US, after some lawmakers criticized the progress.

Authorities say the two opened fire at a work luncheon for Syed Farook’s colleagues in the San Bernardino public health department on December 2, killing 14 people.

Hours later, police tracked the couple to their home, and they died in a shootout. The mass shooting was the deadliest terrorist attack in the US since 9/11.

Tashfeen Malik’s file has copies of her Saudi passport stamps and visas, along with a statement from Syed Farook detailing how they met and when they planned to marry.

Her visa issuance is still the subject of investigation. She was born in Pakistan but grew up in Saudi Arabia, returning to Pakistan to pursue a pharmacy degree at Bahauddin Zakariya University.

Tashfeen Malik, 29, pledged allegiance to ISIS on the day of the shooting.

Syed Farook, 28, had worked for the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health for five years and the couple had just had a baby. They left the child with its grandmother the day of the shooting.

He prayed daily at the Islamic Center of Riverside, California, but no one seemed to think he had extremist views.

Tashfeen Malik’s admission to the US has sparked debate among US lawmakers about immigration and visa processes.

Congressman Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican, said immigration officials did not “thoroughly vet” Tashfeen Malik’s application.

He said the application did not show sufficient evidence the two had met in person, and that more evidence had been requested, but it was not provided and she still had her visa approved.

The State Department has said that “all required procedures were followed in the K-1 visa case for Ms Malik”.

Syria: At Least 200 Civilians Killed in Russian Airstrikes

Roy Siemens
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Syria: At Least 200 Civilians Killed in Russian Airstrikes

More than 200 civilians have been killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria, an Amnesty International report says, quoting witnesses and activists.

Amnesty International accused Russia of using cluster munitions and unguided bombs on civilian areas, and said such attacks could constitute war crimes.

Moscow insists it is targeting only the positions of “terrorist” groups.

The human rights said in its report it is also researching concerns about the US-led coalition air strikes in Syria.

The US has rarely acknowledged civilian deaths in its aerial bombardment of ISIS, which began in September 2014.

Russia began air strikes in September this year, saying it was acting at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It is targeting ISIS and other groups it has designated to be terrorists, some of which are backed by the West.

In the report, Amnesty said it had “researched remotely” more than 25 Russian attacks that took place in Homs, Hama, Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo between September 30 and November 29.

It had interviewed “by phone or over the internet” witnesses to the attacks, and had audio and video evidence, as well as “advice from weapons experts”, Amnesty said.Russian airstrikes Syria

It said there was evidence that Russia’s military “unlawfully used unguided bombs in densely populated areas and inherently indiscriminate cluster munitions”.

Amnesty set out its findings into six attacks – each of which, it said, caused dozens of civilian casualties, but had no obvious military target nearby.

On November 29, for example, it said at least one suspected Russian warplane fired three missiles into a busy public market in Ariha, in Idlib province.

A local activist group said a total of 49 civilians were either killed or missing and feared dead.

“It was a normal Sunday; there was nothing unusual. People were buying goods; children were eating,” the activist, Mohammed Qurabi al-Ghazal, told Amnesty.

“First there was a loud explosion – dirt flying in the air – followed immediately by shock. In just a few moments, people were screaming, the smell of burning was in the air and there was just chaos.”

Mohammed Qurabi al-Ghazal said the armed group Jaysh al-Fateh controlled the area, but did not have any presence inside Ariha itself.

“Some Russian air strikes appear to have directly attacked civilians or civilian objects by striking residential areas with no evident military target and even medical facilities, resulting in deaths and injuries to civilians,” Amnesty’s Philip Luther said.

Russian officials have so far made no public comments on the report’s accusations.

However, Russia’s presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked on Monday if Russia was using cluster bombs, said Moscow was “conducting its operation in strict conformity with principles and norms of the international law”.

The Kremlin has previously described similar reports as attempts to discredit its operations in Syria, describing such claims as part of “information warfare”.

President Vladimir Putin said in October that reports of alleged civilian casualties had emerged before the first air strikes were even carried out.

More than 250,000 people are believed to have been killed and millions of people have been forced to flee their homes since the conflict began in Syria in March 2011.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp-n3JGBBiQ

Kim Dotcom Can Be Extradited to US, New Zealand Court Rules

Nancy Clayson
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Kim Dotcom Can Be Extradited to US, New Zealand Court Rules

Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom is eligible to be extradited to the US to face multiple charges, a New Zealand court has ruled.

Kim Dotcom, who is accused of copyright infringement, racketeering and money laundering, said he will appeal.

The 39-year-old, born Kim Schmitz, founded the now-defunct file-sharing site MegaUpload where millions of people downloaded movies and songs.

US authorities say Kim Dotcom and others cost film studios and record companies more than $500 million.

Kim Dotcom, a German national who has been living in Auckland and describes himself as an “internet freedom fighter” on his Twitter page, has fought the case arguing that he was not responsible for the copyright infringement.

He told reporters outside the courtroom he would fight the ruling, adding: “I’m disappointed.”Kim Dotcom extradition to US

Three other men, who co-founded the site with Kim Dotcom and face similar charges, have also been ruled as eligible for extradition.

The hearing which began in September was not to determine Kim Dotcom’s guilt, but whether he should be sent to the US to be tried.

Judge Nevin Dawson told the court in Auckland that the US has a “large body of evidence” supporting the case and that the defendants “fall well short of undermining the case”, reported news outlet Stuff.

After the ruling, Kim Dotcom tweeted: “Thank you for your support. The fight goes on. Enjoy the holidays. I’m happy to be with my kids. There are bigger things than copyright.”

A member of Kim Dotcom’s legal team, Ira Rothken, also tweeted: “The @KimDotcom team looks forward to having the US request for extradition reviewed in the High Court.”

“We believe the (district court) was wrong… Justice was not served today.”

In an interview with New Zealand Herald earlier this week, Kim Dotcom said he plans to take separate legal action in Hong Kong, where he founded MegaUpload.

He said he plans to sue the Hong Kong justice department and seek more than $2 billion in damages for taking down his site. Earlier this month a Hong Kong court allowed him to access some of his frozen assets held there.

“I now have the opportunity to fight back in Hong Kong and take legal action against those who have destroyed what I have built there and that means I can sue, indirectly the US government by suing the Hong Kong Department of Justice,” Kim Dotcom was quoted as saying.

Quentin Tarantino Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Sonia Pantiss
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Quentin Tarantino Receives Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Quentin Tarantino has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre.

The Hollywood director was joined at the December 21 ceremony by the cast of his latest movie Hateful Eight including Samuel L. Jackson.

“Wow, I guess I must have become a big shot,” he told the crowd, recalling the first few times he had walked the stretch of sidewalk that would bear his star.

Samuel L. Jackson, who was celebrating his 67th birthday, introduced Quentin Tarantino, recalling how they both used to walk the boulevard and marvel at the immortal stars honored there.

Quentin Tarantino said he was only 7-year-old when he was taken to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid at the famous Chinese Theatre.

His 9th theatrical release, The Hateful Eight, has already collected a Golden Globe nomination ahead of its Christmas release and December 31 expansion.

Quentin Tarantino appeared jubilant as he posed for photos and signed autographs, saying: “I take it seriously that I am a member of this community, I am a member of this town.

“I’m happy to have my star on the Walk of Fame with all the other people who have done a wonderful job in this town.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyckG5_xdo4

Jayme Gordon Accused of Fraud and Perjury over Kung Fu Panda Copyright

Sonia Pantiss
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Jayme Gordon Accused of Fraud and Perjury over Kung Fu Panda Copyright

Jayme Gordon has been accused of fraud and perjury by prosecutors for allegedly back-dating drawings that he used as evidence to sue DreamWorks over Kung Fu Panda copyright infringement.

Jayme Gordon, 51, took out a lawsuit in 2011 against the company behind the Kung Fu Panda movies, claiming he had invented the title character.

Prosecutors say Jayme Gordon created his scheme after seeing a trailer for the first movie in the series in 2008.

His lawyer, Robert Griffin, said his client “maintains his innocence”.

Authorities allege Jayme Gordon’s idea was to make it look like the movie was based on sketches he had made for a story he had already written, entitled Panda Power.

The Massachusetts man filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against DreamWorks and suggested a settlement of $12 million, which the company rejected.Jayme Gordon Kung Fu Panda copyright

Authorities said Jayme Gordon had deleted evidence on his computer that he would have been required to hand over under court rules.

It is alleged Jayme Gordon had traced some of his panda drawings from a Lion King coloring book published in 1996, dating his own drawings from 1993 and 1994.

When DreamWorks produced this evidence to Jayme Gordon, he agreed to dismiss the legal action that had already cost the company $3 million to defend.

Boston FBI agent Harold Shaw said: “Mr. Gordon went to great lengths to orchestrate and maintain this fraudulent scheme, trying to take credit for ideas he did not come up with.

“This case demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to root out individuals who try to steal ideas and information from hard-working American companies.”

Jayme Gordon is charged with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of perjury. If convicted of the most serious charges, he could face up to 20 years in jail.

The original Kung Fu Panda movie was released in 2008, with a sequel coming out three years later.

The third movie in the computer animated series will be released in January 2016.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Breaks Global Box Office Record

Sonia Pantiss
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens Breaks Global Box Office Record

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has broken the record for the biggest box office debut weekend globally, with ticket sales of $529 million.

The previous record, $525 million, was set by Jurassic World in June.

Star Wars Episode VII opened with a record-breaking $248 million in the US and Canada.Star Wars The Force Awakens box office record

The new Star Wars movie also set a new opening night record in the US and Canada.

The Force Awakens made $57 million on December 17, beating the previous record of $43.5 million held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Analysts say the space saga could become the biggest-selling movie of all time.

The Force Awakens returns to “a galaxy far, far away” some 30 years on from the action of 1983’s Return of the Jedi.

Ricardo Martinelli: Panama Supreme Court Orders Arrest of Ex-President for Spying

Nancy Clayson
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Ricardo Martinelli: Panama Supreme Court Orders Arrest of Ex-President for Spying

Panama’s Supreme Court on December 21 has ordered the provisional detention of former President Ricardo Martinelli, who governed the country from 2009 to 2014.

Ricardo Martinelli, 63, is accused of using public funds to illegally spy on more than 150 prominent people.

The fugitive ex-president faces up to 21 years in prison on charges of running an illegal spy ring.

Among those he allegedly spied on are trade union activists, politicians, lawyers, doctors and business people.

Ricardo Martinelli denied the allegations, saying they were part of a vendetta by current President Juan Carlos Varela.

The Supreme Court ordered the arrest because Ricardo Martinelli failed to appear at a hearing earlier this month.

The former president left Panama in January days before the Supreme Court voted in favor of having him investigated over separate corruption allegations.Ricardo Martinelli arrest

Ricardo Martinelli is believed to be living in Miami, Florida.

The court did not give any details about how Ricardo Martinelli’s detention would be sought.

On December 21, Ricardo Martinelli tweeted: “First round of the political trial: without having been properly documented, without charges, without proper notification and without sentence, my provisional arrest has been ordered.”

The Supreme Court launched an investigation into the alleged spying ordered by Ricardo Martinelli in June.

It came after dozens of people alleged they had their phones tapped and that the administration of Ricardo Martinelli prepared dossiers against them containing intimate information.

Among the alleged victims are high-ranking members of the opposition Revolutionary Democratic Party, as well as lawmaker Jose Luis Varela, who is the brother of current President Juan Carlos Varela.

Investigators said the wiretaps were carried out by members of Panama’s National Security Council.

IOM Report: One Million Refugees Enter Europe in 2015

Diane A. Wade
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IOM Report: One Million Refugees Enter Europe in 2015

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of refugees crossing into Europe by land and sea this year illegally has passed one million.

This represents a fourfold rise on the total last year.

Most of the refugees crossed by sea – with more than 800,000 traveling from Turkey to Greece. Half are refugees from Syria.

Eleven more migrants drowned on December 22, adding to the IOM toll of 3,695 dying or missing at sea.

Seven people were rescued by Turkish coast guards after the craft went down, apparently en route from Kusadasi in Turkey to the Greek island of Samos. One report said the dead were Syrians.

The huge influx of refugees has caused significant political rifts within the EU, with some states inside the border-free Schengen area putting up fences and reimposing frontier controls.EU refugee report 2015

Hungary and Slovakia are taking legal action at the European Court of Justice to challenge EU plans to share asylum seekers across EU states.

Meanwhile, many refugees are pressing to be allowed to settle in richer northern countries like Germany and Sweden.

According to the IOM, migration passed the symbolic milestone on December 21, with the total for land and sea reaching more than 1,006,000.

Entries via six EU nations – Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, Malta and Cyprus – are covered in the report.

The IOM report found among other things that:

  • Half of the refugees crossing the Mediterranean were from Syria, 20% were from Afghanistan and 7% from Iraq;
  • Most of the refugees who died – 2,889 – were making the sea crossing between North Africa and Italy, while more than 700 died in the Aegean crossing to Greece from Turkey;
  • Only 3.5% of migrants made a land journey to Greece or Bulgaria via Turkey.

The IOM gathers its statistics from registrations, law enforcement agencies and its own monitors.

IOM Director General William Lacy Swing said it was not enough to just count the figures.

“We must also act,” he said.

“Migration must be legal, safe and secure for all – both for the migrants themselves and the countries that will become their new home.”

A joint IOM and UNHCR statement said found a “more co-ordinated European response” was beginning to take shape.

However, it said more needed to be done to improve reception facilities, accommodation and registration, and to identify those who do and do not qualify for refugee protection.

Save the Children campaigns director Kirsty McNeill said: “This is the test of our European ideal. When children are dying on our doorstep we need to take bolder action. There can be no bigger priority.”

The EU last week agreed to increase the numbers of Frontex border agency staff in Greece, a key arrival point.

Germany alone has received a million refugees and migrants this year, although many were already within Europe, particularly in the Balkans.

Macedonia is now refusing to allow anyone through its Greek border who does not come from a war zone.

A UN report also last week warned that the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide would “far surpass” 60 million this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmv57hwnJkw

EU Refugee Crisis: Sweden Trains to and from Denmark Canceled over ID Checks

Diane A. Wade
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EU Refugee Crisis: Sweden Trains to and from Denmark Canceled over ID Checks

Sweden’s trains to and from Denmark will be canceled starting with January 4, 2016, over ID checks.

The state-owned train operator SJ will stop services because it cannot carry out ID checks demanded by the government to stem the influx of refugees.

Under a new Swedish law, transport companies will be fined if travelers to Sweden do not have valid photo ID.

SJ said it would not have time to check people traveling between Copenhagen and Malmo over the Oresund bridge.

Sweden has already received about 150,000 asylum applications in 2015.

The government has secured a temporary exemption from the EU’s open-border Schengen agreement, in order to impose border controls.Sweden trains Oresund bridge

About 18,000 people commute to work daily across the Oresund bridge, Radio Sweden reports.

SJ said all services between Denmark and Sweden would be suspended from January 4 when the new law comes into force.

“Our planning of the introduction of ID border checks in Copenhagen before the departure of SJ trains bound for Sweden has shown that we are currently unable to carry out ID checks in accordance with the requirements of the new law in the amount of time allowed,” the company said on its website.

SJ added it had chosen to “cancel its departures until there is a working solution in place”.

Oresundstag, another train operator which runs a Sweden-Denmark commuter service, said it would remain in operation after January 4, but scale back rush-hour traffic to allow time for the checks, according to reports.

One million migrants have arrived in Europe by land or sea in 2015, the International Organization for Migration says.

Along with Germany, Sweden is one of the main destinations of choice – with some 150,000 applying for asylum in 2015.

In contrast, Denmark expects to receive about 20,000 asylum seekers in 2015.

Last week a Danish government proposal to seize asylum seekers’ valuables to make them pay for their stay drew sharp criticism in international media.

Donald Trump Mocks Hillary Clinton for Taking Toilet Break during Democratic Debate

Nancy Clayson
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Donald Trump Mocks Hillary Clinton for Taking Toilet Break during Democratic Debate

Donald Trump has mocked former secretary of state Hillary Clinton for apparently taking a toilet break during a televised Democratic debate.

The Republican presidential hopeful told supporters at a rally in Michigan: “I know where she went. It’s disgusting.”

Hillary Clinton returned to the stage late after an advert break during December 19 debate with her party rivals for the presidential nomination.

Donald Trump also said Hillary Clinton had been “schlonged” by Barack Obama in 2008.

Using a vulgar Yiddish term, the Republican frontrunner was referring to Hillary Clinton’s defeat to the then senator in the primary contests that year.

Photo CBS News
Photo CBS News

“Even her race to Obama. She was going to beat Obama. I don’t know who’d be worse. I don’t know. How does it get worse?

“She was favored to win and she got schlonged, she lost.”

It is not the first time Donald Trump has referred to women in a controversial way.

In August, the property tycoon implied that he received tough questions from Fox News debate host Megyn Kelly because she was menstruating.

He has previously described comedian Rosie O’Donnell as a “fat pig”.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have been feuding in recent days over claims she made that ISIS was using Donald Trump’s videos as a recruiting tool.

The billionaire has called for Muslims to be banned from entering the United States, in light of the San Bernardino deadly terror attack carried out by a radicalized Muslim couple.

Donald Trump, who has no political experience, leads the polls nationally among Republican voters, and is also ahead in some key states.

The primary contests begin at the start of February and the presidential election is in November 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=084w-xazRvI

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