Main News of Dec. 22

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

WORLD

*A revolt by a group of Republican lawmakers over the so-called “fiscal cliff” budget negotiations has revealed deep fissures in a US political party renowned in recent years for its members’ discipline.

*North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for further development of space technology and the launching of more rockets following the successful launch of one earlier this month, Kyodo reported on Saturday.

*On the heels of a third and final vote by the Russian Duma Friday approving a bill prohibiting the adoption of Russian children by Americans, US officials said if it becomes law the move would hurt Russian children in state-run facilities by preventing some of them from being adopted by happy, loving families.

* Tehran warned on Saturday that the deployment of NATO’s advanced surface-to-air Patriot missiles along the Turkish border with Syria would be detrimental to Turkey.

RUSSIA

*Contrary to what Russian media tell you – about crystal skulls, the planet Nibiru and Buddhist oracles speaking to NASA – the vast majority of Russians did not believe the end of the world would come on or around December 21.

*The Syrian armed forces have effective air-defense systems that can fend off massive airstrikes against the country, a senior Russian military official said on Saturday.

* Chemical weapons are under the control of the Syrian government, which has consolidated them in one or two locations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday.

SPORTS

*One Russian football club has made a surprising breakthrough in tackling the ongoing problem of unruly fans’ use of flares.