It's a stick up! The adorable moment San Diego panda plays with its new toys as it has medical exam

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Even good little pandas deserve new toys for the holidays - especially while triumphantly passing their latest medical exam.
Xiao Liwu, the giant panda cub at the San Diego Zoo, passed his medical exam with flying colours this week while mutually showing off his new toys and adorable poses for future zoo-goers.
Seen gnawing on a stick of bamboo while dropping himself into a doughnut-shaped ring as a chair, the nearly five-month-old panda cub planted smiles on all the vets' faces, especially after seeing his positive results.
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Busy boy: Panda Cub Xiao Liwu is seen enjoying a stick of bamboo while turning a plastic tube into a chair during his examination by San Diego zoo veterinarians'Everything looks good he's still a little on the smaller side but overall he's in good body condition, everything's growing,' said Meg Sutherland-Smith, associate director of veterinary services for the San Diego Zoo.
The 19-week-old panda who’s now teethingweighed 14 pounds when he was brought in for his weekly veterinary examon Thursday morning. They still expect him to still be nursing for another year.

After scattering a few items around the room for him, the panda cub was said to have readily recognized the plastic ring as a new addition to the vet’s toy collection, prompting him to quickly plant himself inside.
Chewing on the supplied stick of bamboo, the cub’s wide eyes stayed attentive on a swarm of adoring flash bulbs capturing his many wobbly poses inside the plastic tube.
'He really looked too cute in that, I have to say,' said Sutherland-Smith of his poses.
Roly poly: Holding onto a green ball tightly by the paws, the 19-week old cub also kept himself busy rolling around on the floor as vets did their best to take his measurementsThe vets reported the tube being a terrific way to keep him stationary while taking his measurements – opposed to his roly-poly antics also seen while wrapped around a small green ball.
Later a tree branch was placed on the floor for him to be used as not just a plaything, unbeknownst to him, but to demonstrate his climbing skills for keepers.
'He's getting past his awkward movement phase. He's walking around with much more confidence, he's not stumbling anymore. And today we also gave him a small piece of a bamboo stem which he readily held in his hand and he was mouthing like he was a big boy,’ Ms Sutherland-Smith said.
Climber: A small section of a tree branch was used here not as a toy but for the cub to demonstrate his

That was Mac's year that was: From the Bradley Wiggins effect to Abu Hamza and Leveson, The Mail's cartoonist picks his 2012 favourites

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It was the year that saw the Olympics come to Britain, doctors and surgeons strike, and Prince Andrew abseiling down Europe's tallest building, the Shard. Here, the peerless Mac revisits his choice moments from 2012...
JANUARY: Drugs offence guidelines suggest lighter sentencing for 'social dealers' who buy drugs to share with friends.


 
FEBRUARY: Former International Monetary Fund boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn is arrested and quizzed about procuring prostitutes for orgies.



 
MARCH: The Environment Agency warns of widespread drought conditions if Britain's dry weather continues.

 APRIL: London-based Muslim cleric Abu Hamza fights extradition to the U.S. to face terrorism charges.

 MAY: Surface-to-air missiles are to be situated on the roofs of private flats in East London during the Olympics.

 JUNE: A historic strike by doctors and surgeons over pension reforms could mean that thousands of operations will be postponed.

 JULY: Athletes start arriving to compete in the London 2012 Olympics as Britain suffers interminable torrential downpours.
  


AUGUST: Cycling fever grips Britain after Bradley Wiggins's triumph in the Tour de France and gold medal at the London Olympics.


 SEPTEMBER: Prince Andrew abseils down Europe's tallest building, the Shard in the City of London, to raise money for charity.


 OCTOBER: British forests face an 'unprecedented' threat from a deadly disease that affects ash trees.
 NOVEMBER: The Leveson Report into the Press is finally published, and recommends a new regulatory body.

 DECEMBER: David Cameron promises to introduce a bill legalising gay marriage next year.

'The hour for immediate action is here:' Obama scolds Congress for waiting until deadline to avert fiscal cliff ... says he's 'modestly optimistic' a deal will be reached

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President Obama said Friday that if the top two leaders of the Senate can't agree on a budget deal to avert the fiscal cliff of higher taxes and severe spending cuts, then he will send his own proposal to Congress for an up-or-down vote.
'The hour for immediate action is here - it is now,' Obama said in remarks from the White House briefing room following a meeting with congressional leaders.
'We're now at the point where in just four days, every American's tax rates are scheduled to go up by law. Every American's paycheck will get considerably smaller.'
 President Obama said that if the top two leaders of the Senate can't agree on a budget deal to avert the fiscal cliff of higher taxes and severe spending cuts, then he will send his own proposal to Congress for an up-or-down vote Describing his hour-long meeting with congressional leaders as 'constructive,' Obama said he is 'modestly optimistic' that an agreement can be reached before the December 31 deadline when the fiscal cliff is scheduled to take effect.
But he also cast doubt on Congress' ability to get anything done and scolded them for waiting this long to negotiate a compromise.

'Given how things have been working in this town, we always have to wait and see until it actually happens,' he said, adding that Americans are fed up with Washington's lack of action on the fiscal cliff.
'Already you are starting to see businesses and consumers starting to hold back because of the dysfunction they are seeing in Washington.'
 'The hour for immediate action is here - it is now,' Obama said in remarks from the White House briefing room following a meeting with congressional leaders
 President Obama said that we were now at the point where in just four days, every American's tax rates were scheduled to go up by law, which meant that every American's paycheck would get considerably smallerIn this combination of photographs, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio leave the White House separately Arrival: Speaker of the House John Boehner arrives at the West Wing of the White House to meet with Obama and other congressional leaders U.S. Senator John Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts, arrives for the meeting, which lasted 65 minutes Drop: The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. Friday as it was revealed that President Obama would not be making a new offer at the high-stakes meetingIf the Senate does not come up with a compromise that it can approve and pass to the House for a vote before Sunday, Obama has ordered Sen. Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the Senate, to propose a vote on a basic package that would preserve tax cuts for middle-class Americans while extending unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless and working toward a foundation for a broader deal.
'I believe such a proposal could pass both houses,' Obama said. 'If members of the House or the Senate want to vote no, they can, but we should let everybody vote.'
Success is far from guaranteed in an atmosphere of political mistrust, however — even on a slimmed-down deal that postponed hard decisions about spending cuts into 2013, and pessimism vied with optimism in a Capitol where lawmakers grumbled about the likelihood of spending the new year holiday in the Capitol.
'The clock is ticking,' Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in remarks on the Senate floor as Obama and congressional leaders were meeting several blocks away at the White House. 'My message to them is simple. We can do this. We can get this done, and we must,' added the Montana Democrat.
 High stakes: US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives. Lawmakers said privately that any agreement would likely include an extension of middle-class tax cuts with increased rates at upper incomes U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, departs the White House with a somber faceThe guest list at the White House Friday included two Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell; as well as Democrats Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, her party's leader in the House.
The same group last met more than a month ago and emerged expressing optimism they could strike a deal that avoided the fiscal cliff. At that point, Boehner had already said he was willing to let tax revenues rise as part of an agreement, and the president and his Democratic allies said they were ready to accept spending cuts.
Since then, though, talks between Obama and Boehner faltered, the speaker struggled to control his rebellious rank and file, and Reid and McConnell sparred almost daily in speeches on the Senate floor. Through it all, Wall Street has paid close attention, and in the moments before the meeting, stocks were trading lower for the fifth day in a row.
The core issue is the same as it has been for more than a year, Obama's demand for tax rates to rise on upper incomes while remaining at current levels for most Americans.
U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, leaves the White House meeting The President cast doubt on Congress' ability to get anything done and scolded them for waiting this long to negotiate a compromiseHe made the proposal central to his successful campaign for re-election, when he said incomes above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples should rise to 39.6 percent from the current 35 percent.
Boehner refused for weeks to accept any rate increases, and simultaneously accused Obama of skimping on the spending cuts he would support as part of a balanced deal to reduce deficits, remove the threat of spending cuts and prevent the across-the-board tax cuts.
Last week, the Ohio Republican pivoted and presented a Plan B measure that would have let rates rise on million-dollar earners. That was well above Obama's latest offer, which called for a $400,000 threshold, but more than the speaker's rank and file were willing to accept.
Facing defeat, Boehner scrapped plans for a vote, leaving the economy on track for the cliff that political leaders in both parties had said they could avoid. In the aftermath, Democrats said they doubted any compromise was possible until Boehner has been elected to a second term as speaker when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
 President Barack Obama businesses and consumers were already starting to hold back because of dysfunction in Washington
 The core issue is the same as it has been for more than a year, Obama's demand for tax rates to rise on upper incomes while remaining at current levels for most AmericansApart from income tax rates, congressional officials in both parties said a handful of other issues were the subject of private talks in the Capitol. These included the Alternative Minimum Tax, which would effectively raise taxes on millions of upper-middle-class families unless Congress acts; as well as taxes on capital gains, dividends and estates.
In addition, benefits for the long-term unemployed are due to expire in the next few days, and doctors face the prospect of a deep cut in the fees they receive for treating Medicare patients unless legislation is passed to prevent it.
Further compounding the year-end maneuvering, there are warnings that the price of milk could virtually double beginning next year.
Congressional officials said that under current law, the federal government is obligated to maintain prices so that fluid milk sells for about $20 per hundredweight. If the law lapses, the Department of Agriculture would be required to maintain a price closer to $36 of $38 per hundredweight, they said. It is unclear when price increases might be felt by consumers.

Why DID Channel 4 show this obscene quiz? MP's disgust at revolting jokes about the Queen

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Channel 4 was under increased pressure last night to explain why it broadcast a quiz featuring obscene jokes about the Queen just minutes after the 9pm watershed.
The Daily Mail told yesterday how viewers were outraged by the antics of drunken comedians on the Big Fat Quiz of 2012, presented by controversial comic Jimmy Carr on Sunday.
TV watchdog Ofcom has already received complaints about the pre-recorded show and the countless vile sexual jokes told by stand-up star Jack Whitehall and actor James Corden.
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Crude: Channel 4 has been further criticised for broadcasting Big Fat Quiz of the Year, which featured guests Richard Ayoade, Russell Howard, Jonathan Ross, Jimmy Carr, Jack Whitehall, James Cordon and Gabby Logan
Anger: Comedian Jack Whitehall and actor James Corden were behind many of the offensive remarks on Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz of the year 2012. The broadcaster is under increasing pressure to explain why it aired the show
They included puerile remarks about the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Barack Obama, Usain Bolt and Susan Boyle.
Lord Burns, the chairman of Channel 4, last night refused to comment on the broadcast.

After the Mail attempted to speak to him at his home and over the telephone a member of the Channel 4 press office told us he would not be commenting and asked us to stop contacting him.
Criticism: MP Conor Burns, member of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, said he watched part of the programme and found it 'distasteful'David Abraham, the chief executive of Channel 4, was also unable to comment because he was on holiday in Vietnam, we were told.
Now Tory MP Conor Burns, a member of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, is demanding to know why the quiz was broadcast as early as 9pm.

He said: ‘I actually watched some of the broadcast because we are staying with family for the holidays and I found it quite distasteful.
'I walked into the other room. Sadly this sort of gauche, vulgar “anything goes humour” that appeals to the lowest common denominator in society is becoming more common.
‘I just wonder, given everything that has been going on in the media over the last six months, what has happened to editorial judgment and reason.
‘It was base, unfunny comedy and in some ways I thought its greater crime really was that it just wasn’t funny.
‘In my role on the committee I will be writing to Channel 4 and asking for its editorial explanation for broadcasting such unpleasant output so soon after the watershed.’
Former Gavin and Stacey star Corden, 34, and Marlborough-educated Whitehall, 24, were seen to get drunk on red wine during the quiz which was shown between 9pm and 10.30pm.
Their infantile behaviour was egged on by Jonathan Ross, 52, who lost his job with the BBC after making an abusive phone call to actor Andrew Sachs during a radio show.



Channel 4 has been accused of failing to learn the lessons from the Sachsgate scandal which was also pre-recorded and cleared before broadcast on the Russell Brand radio show.
Last night the Channel 4 quiz, which attracted an audience of 2.5million, was coming under increased criticism from viewers via the internet and social networking sites such as Twitter.
Cathie Green wrote: ‘No lessons learned from the Brand/Ross event which was on the same gutteral level ...
‘These idiot men are so grossly arrogant, have no sense of respect for others, let alone the people whom they have so sickeningly vilified.’
Patricia Martin wrote: ‘I usually like that quiz but this year we turned over because I was sickened by them being so rude about the Queen and the really bad language.’


Targets: The comics made crude jokes about gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt, left, and singer Susan Boyle, right

Bad taste: Comedian Jack Whitehall made rude comments targeted at the Queen, left, and the recent illness of her husband Prince Philip, rightHalfway through the broadcast Corden could be seen pulling a bottle of red wine from under his desk and pouring himself and Whitehall a drink while eating pizza.
Carr later joked that the pair had drunk a bottle of wine each.
After making a disgusting joke about Susan Boyle, Corden appears to realise he has gone too far saying: ‘This is where I do myself in and forget we’re recording this and it’s going to be broadcast on TV.
‘I just think we are having a great time eating pizza.’
Peter Riley tweeted: ‘Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, basically a reminder of what a sorry state Britain has become, and what a disgraceful year 2012 has been.'

Lady Gaga's Meat Outfit

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This year, Lady Gaga received this nine MTV Video Music Awards. The 11.4 hundreds of thousands audiences history of the calendar year is definitely beyond that regarding last year or so simply just for the reason that a single woman andf the other dress. That's Lady Gaga and your ex meats dress.

There are usually numerous argumentations about the woman's dress online, like Lady Gaga's Meat Dress: Offensive or Awesome? But Lady Gaga herself admitted in which this apparel features themselves remarkable meaning. She said in which clothing isn't going to display just about any disrespect to help vegetarians. You know, I am not really afraid regarding currently being judged. But tonight, for me, if most people you should not stay up intended for our belief, in the event all of us don't stick upwards for our rights, we will quickly possibly be trampled affordable because the meat. But I am definitely not the meat.

But what is the contemplation of the meat dress? When Lady Gaga called with your girlfriend fashion consultant, they were intended a collection of bikinis that happen to be made of meat. And Lady Gaga questioned all of them to style your girlfriend dress by way of meat. And she will probably wear the amazing to go to the particular the new year MTV Video Music Awards.

Let's get additional more knowledge about the actual various meats dress. Lady Gaga's stylist Franc Fernandez clarified reporter's inquiries regarding the various meats dress. The subsequent may be a typical document of the interview.

Re: What's the next weight of your dress? Fernandez: It is usually alternatively heavy, regarding fourty pounds.

Re: Does them bleed? Fernandez: Not with all! The beef has been incredibly sparkling in addition to sturdy. It may be a type associated with meant for barbecue. It won't lose shape.

Re: Does that have just about any queer taste? Fernandez: No, them aromas quite nice, your great odor.

Re: Did people employ refrigerator to keep the dress? Fernandez: It has been frigid fresh meats while purchased in addition to placed the item less than refrigeration. The meats attire totally required some days.

Re: Does them move off? Fernandez: Yes, it will eventually dry out besides becoming putrid, exactly like dried beef. But it should never always be damaged again.

Re: How in order to block your dress? Fernandez: They just seamed the apparel along with needle plus thread.
Re: What the sensation when she worn the meat dress? Gaga: At that beginning, your woman can feel a bit cold.
Re: How does she apply to that dress? Does it ought to seam immediately after put on? Fernandez: Yes, She placed on it from your listed below part. And a number of segments need to be sewn up. I had been just simply behind the actual scenes.

Will Lady Gaga put the the protein dish clothe yourself in storeroom since various other dresses? Fernandez: I thought this isn't suitable to maintain to get long. Actually, she wants your gown quite much! She loves fresh concepts along with any changes.

During Hollywood, that animal meat costume with Lady Gaga appeared to be as well as a lot of netizenes. But there are actually still lots of people who?re alongside it, for example chairman associated with People for that Ethical Treatment associated with Animals idea this will be token with declining intended for the woman's career. But on the web take into consideration that Lady Gaga's beef dress?

'The hour for immediate action is here:' Obama scolds Congress for waiting until deadline to avert fiscal cliff ... says he's 'modestly optimistic' a deal will be reached

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President Obama said Friday that if the top two leaders of the Senate can't agree on a budget deal to avert the fiscal cliff of higher taxes and severe spending cuts, then he will send his own proposal to Congress for an up-or-down vote.
'The hour for immediate action is here - it is now,' Obama said in remarks from the White House briefing room following a meeting with congressional leaders.
'We're now at the point where in just four days, every American's tax rates are scheduled to go up by law. Every American's paycheck will get considerably smaller.'
 President Obama said that if the top two leaders of the Senate can't agree on a budget deal to avert the fiscal cliff of higher taxes and severe spending cuts, then he will send his own proposal to Congress for an up-or-down vote Describing his hour-long meeting with congressional leaders as 'constructive,' Obama said he is 'modestly optimistic' that an agreement can be reached before the December 31 deadline when the fiscal cliff is scheduled to take effect.
But he also cast doubt on Congress' ability to get anything done and scolded them for waiting this long to negotiate a compromise.

'Given how things have been working in this town, we always have to wait and see until it actually happens,' he said, adding that Americans are fed up with Washington's lack of action on the fiscal cliff.
'Already you are starting to see businesses and consumers starting to hold back because of the dysfunction they are seeing in Washington.'
 'The hour for immediate action is here - it is now,' Obama said in remarks from the White House briefing room following a meeting with congressional leaders
 President Obama said that we were now at the point where in just four days, every American's tax rates were scheduled to go up by law, which meant that every American's paycheck would get considerably smallerIn this combination of photographs, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio leave the White House separately Arrival: Speaker of the House John Boehner arrives at the West Wing of the White House to meet with Obama and other congressional leaders U.S. Senator John Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts, arrives for the meeting, which lasted 65 minutes Drop: The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged between 3:30 and 4:00 p.m. Friday as it was revealed that President Obama would not be making a new offer at the high-stakes meetingIf the Senate does not come up with a compromise that it can approve and pass to the House for a vote before Sunday, Obama has ordered Sen. Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the Senate, to propose a vote on a basic package that would preserve tax cuts for middle-class Americans while extending unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless and working toward a foundation for a broader deal.
'I believe such a proposal could pass both houses,' Obama said. 'If members of the House or the Senate want to vote no, they can, but we should let everybody vote.'
Success is far from guaranteed in an atmosphere of political mistrust, however — even on a slimmed-down deal that postponed hard decisions about spending cuts into 2013, and pessimism vied with optimism in a Capitol where lawmakers grumbled about the likelihood of spending the new year holiday in the Capitol.
'The clock is ticking,' Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in remarks on the Senate floor as Obama and congressional leaders were meeting several blocks away at the White House. 'My message to them is simple. We can do this. We can get this done, and we must,' added the Montana Democrat.
 High stakes: US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives. Lawmakers said privately that any agreement would likely include an extension of middle-class tax cuts with increased rates at upper incomes U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, departs the White House with a somber faceThe guest list at the White House Friday included two Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell; as well as Democrats Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, her party's leader in the House.
The same group last met more than a month ago and emerged expressing optimism they could strike a deal that avoided the fiscal cliff. At that point, Boehner had already said he was willing to let tax revenues rise as part of an agreement, and the president and his Democratic allies said they were ready to accept spending cuts.
Since then, though, talks between Obama and Boehner faltered, the speaker struggled to control his rebellious rank and file, and Reid and McConnell sparred almost daily in speeches on the Senate floor. Through it all, Wall Street has paid close attention, and in the moments before the meeting, stocks were trading lower for the fifth day in a row.
The core issue is the same as it has been for more than a year, Obama's demand for tax rates to rise on upper incomes while remaining at current levels for most Americans.
U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, leaves the White House meeting The President cast doubt on Congress' ability to get anything done and scolded them for waiting this long to negotiate a compromiseHe made the proposal central to his successful campaign for re-election, when he said incomes above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples should rise to 39.6 percent from the current 35 percent.
Boehner refused for weeks to accept any rate increases, and simultaneously accused Obama of skimping on the spending cuts he would support as part of a balanced deal to reduce deficits, remove the threat of spending cuts and prevent the across-the-board tax cuts.
Last week, the Ohio Republican pivoted and presented a Plan B measure that would have let rates rise on million-dollar earners. That was well above Obama's latest offer, which called for a $400,000 threshold, but more than the speaker's rank and file were willing to accept.
Facing defeat, Boehner scrapped plans for a vote, leaving the economy on track for the cliff that political leaders in both parties had said they could avoid. In the aftermath, Democrats said they doubted any compromise was possible until Boehner has been elected to a second term as speaker when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
 President Barack Obama businesses and consumers were already starting to hold back because of dysfunction in Washington
 The core issue is the same as it has been for more than a year, Obama's demand for tax rates to rise on upper incomes while remaining at current levels for most AmericansApart from income tax rates, congressional officials in both parties said a handful of other issues were the subject of private talks in the Capitol. These included the Alternative Minimum Tax, which would effectively raise taxes on millions of upper-middle-class families unless Congress acts; as well as taxes on capital gains, dividends and estates.
In addition, benefits for the long-term unemployed are due to expire in the next few days, and doctors face the prospect of a deep cut in the fees they receive for treating Medicare patients unless legislation is passed to prevent it.
Further compounding the year-end maneuvering, there are warnings that the price of milk could virtually double beginning next year.
Congressional officials said that under current law, the federal government is obligated to maintain prices so that fluid milk sells for about $20 per hundredweight. If the law lapses, the Department of Agriculture would be required to maintain a price closer to $36 of $38 per hundredweight, they said. It is unclear when price increases might be felt by consumers.