Six In The Morning

Bashar al-Assad defiant that nothing will oust him from power in Syria


BASSEM MROUE BEIRUT SATURDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2012
The Syrian President said in remarks published yesterday that he is adamant his regime will not fall, and he lashed out at Gulf countries he accused of using their oil wealth to try to drive him from power. In an interview with the Egyptian weekly Al-Ahram Al-Arabi, President Bashar al-Assad said the rebels "will not succeed" and that foreign military intervention such as helped topple Muammar Gaddafi in Libya will "not be repeated" in Syria. Mr Assad also hit out at Saudi Arabia and Qatar, two of his strongest critics and backers of the opposition, saying they are trying to influence the region with their money.

Is the Internet Really Making Us Dumber?
Many scholars and critics warn that TV and the Internet are dumbing us down. But, if that's true, why are children around the world performing better on IQ tests? Are we actually getting smarter, or are we merely thinking in different ways?

By Hilmar Schmundt
Vincent is sitting on the couch and watching a vacation video when he suddenly poses two questions to his parents: "Why is space endless? And what was there before the Big Bang?" Without waiting for an answer, Vincent jumps up to turn his attention to a different topic: his new red rubber boots with pictures from the animated film series "Cars." "I want a puddle!" Vincent shrieks, dancing around the room in excitement. "Then I can jump in it and splash you!" Vincent T. is 4 years old. Two years ago, he was having problems at his day care center, where he was throwing sand and hitting other children.

Le Pen call for religious headwear ban criticised
The Irish Times - Saturday, September 22, 2012

RUADHÁN Mac CORMAIC in Paris
FRENCH FAR-RIGHT leader Marine Le Pen has been rebuked by political opponents after she called for a ban on the wearing in public of Muslim veils and Jewish skullcaps. Insisting secularism was “non-negotiable”, Ms Le Pen said religious headwear, including the Jewish kippa, should be banned “in shops, on public transport and on the streets”. Tensions have been running high this week since the publication by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo of cartoons ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad. French embassies and schools in 20 countries were closed yesterday as a precaution against possible violent protests.

Police suspect bodies moved from possible Kenya mass grave
Bodies may have been moved from mass graves in Kenya to prevent an investigation into a suspected slaughter of villagers during inter-tribal unrest in the Tana River region.

Reuters | 21 9月, 2012 13:04
The suspected graves were found on Monday in Kilelengwani village, the focus of fighting in the coastal area that has killed more than 100 people in the past three weeks, including nine police officers. The scale of the unrest has left many Kenyans convinced it was politically instigated and has raised fears of serious tribal fighting before elections due in March. The Kenya Red Cross said at least 20 people believed to have been killed were still unaccounted for, and they suspected their bodies had been buried in the graves.

New war footing on Thai-Cambodian border
Southeast Asia

By John Cole and Steve Sciacchitano
Since early January, Royal Thai Army (RTA) planners have prepared new plans to defend Thailand against potential attacks from Cambodia, a move that threatens to rekindle tensions along the two countries' contested border. The plan, drawn up by the RTA's 2nd Army Region and formally approved in April, represents a significant departure from previous Thai strategic footings vis-a-vis Cambodia and involves the immediate commitment of large regular army combat units along the border. The new plan is highly unusual for the RTA and could be perceived as provocative given the lack of any immediate and realistic military threat from Cambodia. It would also seem to contradict the policy of the Yingluck Shinawatra administration, which has worked to ease tensions with Cambodia over a disputed land claim at the Preah Vihear temple that spiked during the previous Abhisit Vejjajiva-led government.

Ancient land of 'Beringia' gets protection from US, Russia


By Miguel Llanos, NBC News
You might have missed it, but the ancient land of Beringia has become the protectorate of superpowers Russia and the United States. That's right, Beringia -- 2,800 miles stretching from Siberia, across the Bering and Chukchi seas, through Alaska and into Canada's British Columbia. For thousands of years, Beringia even had a 1,000-mile-long land bridge that emerged when sea level dropped. OK, so it's not an actual nation, but Beringia does have its own heritage of people divided by borders but united culturally -- and a natural kingdom of whales, polar bears, walruses and seals. "From the diversity of its Arctic wildlife, both on land and within its waters, to the bounty it provides that sustains cultures on both sides of the U.S.-Russian border, Beringia is home to a kingdom of wildlife and cultural riches, deserving of protection in perpetuity," Cristian Samper, president of the New York-based World Conservation Society, told NBC News.