UK Recognizes Syrian Opposition Coalition

Tuesday, in Parliament, Foreign Secretary William Hague made the United Kingdom the ninth country, and second western country, to recognize the Syrian opposition coalition as the rightful representative of Syria.

Furthermore, the UK has invited the coalition to send an ambassador and will grant the coalition 1.6 million pounds, for "communications equipment".

This comes just one day after a group claiming to be part of the Syrian rebellion, rejected the coalition's leadership.

Meanwhile, fighting continues all over Syria.

Republican Guard troops are focusing on retaking parts of Damascus, from the Free Syrian Army.

Over one hundred people have been killed, on Tuesday alone.

Around thirty thousand people have been killed over the twenty month long conflict.

NATO has agreed to give Turkey Patriot missile systems, to set up along the border, to defend against Syria.

Some see this as the first step towards enforcing a no fly zone, over Syria.

IDF Corporal Yosef Fartuk

Corporal Yosef Fartuk, eighteen, was killed November 20, 2012 by a rocket from Gaza.

Fartuk, a member of Tank Battalion 7, was from Emmanuel, Israel.

Yosef had always dreamed of becoming a combat soldier.

He is one of five Israeli victims of the Gazan terror rockets, this week, the first IDF soldier.

His funeral will take place on Wednesday at 1:30pm IST at the Givat Shaul cemetery in Jerusalem.

Hamas and Israel Say Close to Cease Fire as Violence Escalates

Ayman Taha

Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha claims that Hamas and Israel have reached a cease fire agreement, that would go into effect at midnight IST, or 3pm MST. However, Israel says that no agreement has been reached, yet, but that things are close.

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi had promised that a ceasefire would be reached sometime on Tuesday. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is on here way to Jerusalem, to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Around one hundred and fifty rockets have been fired out of Gaza today, including yet another one aimed at Jerusalem. The one meant for Jerusalem missed, and hit Palestinian territory in the West Bank. Air strikes in retaliation have been carried out, by the Israeli Defense Forces, aimed at launch sites, ammunition supplies, and Hamas' bank. Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak stated that the IDF are fully set for a ground invasion, if necessary.

Hamas drags body of executed man through the streets.

Tuesday's violence saw IDF Corporal Yosef Fartuk and an Israeli civilian killed, eight Israeli soldiers and thirteen more Israeli civilians wounded, and six more Gazans killed. Six more Gazans were executed by Hamas, after they were accused of being sympathetic to Israel. Hamas then had one of the bodies drug through the streets.

The storm of rockets, coming out of Gaza, has held up Israel's supply of food to the region. Israel has kept up the supply, despite the violence, til now when Hamas has aimed some of their rockets, at the Kerem Shalom border crossing. During the violence the crossing has also been used to allow wounded Gazans to cross into Israel, for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, anti Israeli protests continued their violent trend. Once again multiple border crossings saw hundreds of Palestinians, throwing rocks and gas bombs, charge Israeli troops, protecting the border. The IDF responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

In parts of Israel, resident Palestinians have also turned violent. There have been over a dozen reports of rocks and gas bombs being thrown not just at IDF personnel and police, but at civilians as well. And in Tel Aviv a pitchfork wielding man attack guards outside of the US embassy, injuring at least one of the guards.

Judge Denies Hobby Lobby's Right to Freedom of Religion

US District Judge Joe Heaton has rejected Hobby Lobby's request for a waiver from Obamacare.

The owner's of Hobby Lobby had argued that Obamacare's contraception mandate is unConstitutional as it attacks a business' right to freedom of religion.

Heaton ruled that, "the court has not found, any case concluding that secular, for profit corporations such as Hobby Lobby have a constitutional right to the free exercise of religion."

Hobby Lobby's owners plan to appeal the decision.

The Christian company strongly believes against the use of morning after or week after pills, but accepts the right to use condoms and birth control.

Under Obamacare, they will be forced to provide their employees with all of those.

Hobby Lobby, which is self insured, says that it will face fines of $1.3 million a day, beginning January 1, if they do not obey the law.

The owners say their other choice is to drop coverage all together, as they will not go against their conscience and provide products that they see as immoral.

Girls Arrested Over Facebook Status

When Shahien Dhada, twenty-one, posted a complaint about her city shutting down for a day, she didn't expect it to land her in jail.

Dhada posted a Facebook status saying that the city of Mumbai should not have been completely shut down, after a controversial Indian political and religious leader died.

Her friend, Ruhi Shrinivasan, twenty-one, was also arrested, because she liked her friend's status.

They were only released after international outcry over the reason for the arrest.

 The charges against the girls were dropped.

This isn't the first time that simple freedom of speech has landed people in jail, in India.

It's actually almost common for Indians to find themselves harassed by police if they publicly say something against the government, officials, or leaders.

Political activists are especially targeted by the government and police.

Many of them hope that the case of the two girls will not just bring international notice of the struggle Indians face, but also begin a change in how the Indian government handles things.

McAfee Continues Hiding in Belize

John McAfee continues his hiding from police in Belize.

Police in Belize are looking for him as a suspect in the murder of his neighbor.

McAfee professes his innocence, claiming that he is in hiding in fear of his life.

His blog details some of the ways in which he is hiding.

In it he claims to be watching his home and the investigation of police.

He says that the police aren't even bothering to investigate the murder, but are solely seeking him.

According to McAfee his close friends and associates have been arrested, on trumped up charges, for over a week now.

Sixty-seven year old McAfee is most well known for his creation of McAfee antivirus software.

Reversing Paralysis Using Nose Cells

Jasper, who regained full use of his legs

Researchers at the University of Cambridge were able to reverse paralysis in a dog, by using cells from it's nose.

In their study they took thirty-four dogs that had suffered spinal injuries, which had caused paralysis in their hind legs.

Twenty-three of the dogs were given an injection containing cells from their noses, while the other eleven were given a neutral fluid, as a control group.

Most of the dogs given the special injection recovered their ability to walk, on a treadmill, with a harness.

One dog, Jasper, regained full control of his legs and no longer even requires the harness.

Nose cells were taken as olfactory nerves are the only ones which continue to grow, at any age.

Olfactory ensheathing cells are found in the back of the nasal cavity and are what allow for the sense of smell.

The OECs constantly replace the cells, allowing for the sense of smell to always continue.

Scientists chose them due to their regenerative nature.

In the case of the dogs, the OECs were able to regrow the nerve endings along the dog's spines, allowing for paralysis reversal.

The researchers are hopeful that this is a step towards allowing for the reversal of human paralysis.

Maryland Leaving ACC For Big 10

Well it seems the Big 10, will be expanding from twelve to thirteen.

The University of Maryland will be leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference to join the Big 10 in the 2014-15 season.

Maryland is hoping that the move will bring in more revenue for the school, which had to cut seven varsity sports programs in 2012.

Reaction from students, alumni, and fans has been extremely negative.

They feel at home in the ACC and not just for historical reasons.

The rest of the ACC has a similar mindset as Maryland and shares geography with them.

Moving to the Big 10 will take Maryland from their region and put them up against teams from the Midwest.

Either way, the deal has gone through, and only time will tell how it turns out.

Rocky Das Musical Opens in Hamburg

Monday night saw the opening of Rocky Das Musical: Fight From The Heart, in Hamburg, Germany.

The musical is based on the 1976 film and includes most of the original soundtrack, with some additions in German.

While the story line has been kept intact, translation into German was required.

Sylvester Stallone is one of the producers and was in attendance for the musical's debut.

He's hopeful it will do well enough in Germany, to allow for an American version in 2013.

2014 Ford Focus Given 3 Cylinder Engine

Ford announced, on Monday, that the 2014 Ford Fiesta won't just be it's smallest vehicle.

Fiesta's will also be the only car in the US to have only a three cylinder engine.

Last year, Ford introduced the 2013 Focus models, with a three cylinder option, only available in Europe.

About thirty percent of their European 2013 Focus sales went that direction.

The one liter engine is rated at one hundred and twenty-three horsepower with one hundred and forty-eight feet of torque.

It is currently undergoing EPA testing, but is expected to have at least thirty mpg city and forty highway.