Supervising News Editor Maggie Leung -- 404-827-1401
UPCOMING
POL-Fiscal-Cliff (Will update)
A last-ditch Senate compromise to avert the fiscal cliff appeared to be in jeopardy with House Republicans slamming the deal negotiated with the White House and demanding more must be done to cut spending.
Alaska-Drilling-Rig (Will update)
Coast Guard aircraft have found no sign of a spill from a Royal Dutch Shell oil drilling barge that ran aground on an island off southern Alaska during a fierce winter storm, authorities reported Tuesday.
US-Meteor-Shower (Will update)
Jan. 3 will offer a limited chance to see the first meteor shower of the year. The Quadrantids will peak in the early morning hours Thursday for viewers in North America. After many years orbiting the sun, the meteors will hurtle toward earth at 90,000 mph before burning up 50 miles above earth.
Syria-Civil-War (Will update)
The new year brought Syrians the same intense carnage they'd been living through for the last 21 months -- and a reminder of just how bloody the past year was. Of all people killed in the civil war, 85% of them -- 39,520 -- died in 2012, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday.
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED STORIES
INTERNATIONAL
Iran-Missile-Claim
The Iranian military says it has successfully test-fired a number of advanced missiles and air defense systems during coastal defense exercises near the strategic oil passageway of the Strait of Hormuz. Military analyst Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based policy analysis organization, says the tests didn't dramatically advance Iran's weapons technology. But it sends a warning to other nations in the region that could one day offer assistance to any U.S. or Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Ivory-Coast-Deaths
Ivory Coast's president declared three days of national mourning and promised a speedy investigation into the New Year's Day stampede that killed 60 people, most of them women and children.
Syria-Civil-War
The new year brought Syrians the same intense carnage they'd been living through for the last 21 months -- and a reminder of just how bloody the past year was. Of all people killed in the civil war, 85% of them -- 39,520 -- died in 2012, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday.
Pakistan-Aid-Workers-Killed
Seven aid workers -- all but one of them women -- were shot to death Tuesday in a remote area of northern Pakistan, a police official said.
North-Korea-Kim-Speech
In his first New Year's address, the young North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told the nation to embark on "an all-out struggle" to overhaul its destitute economy, while striking a conciliatory tone on relations with the South.
Iran-Christmas
Gold, red and green gift boxes decorated a large Christmas tree in a popular food court in the Islamic Republic's bustling capitol of Tehran. Nativity scenes of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus added color to the windows of shops across this lively city, a small symbol of the growing number of Iranians embracing the Christian holiday. Iran has a population that is 98% Muslim, and the government is widely recognized for its repressive rulings, censorship and efforts to cut ties with the United States and the West, but more Iranians are openly celebrating Christmas and expressing their desires to be part of the global celebration.
Plastic-Surgery-Safari
Many foreigners choose South Africa as plastic surgery destination.
U.S.A.
Connecticut-Sandy-Hook-Lawsuit
Outcry over a request for permission to sue the state of Connecticut for millions of dollars in the aftermath of the Newtown shooting prompted a New Haven attorney to at least temporarily withdraw his client's petition, the attorney said Tuesday. "I was getting hundreds of (Facebook) comments" about the potential lawsuit. "So I figured I'd take (the request) off the table for now," said Irving Pinsky, who represents the parents of a 6-year-old survivor of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school. Last week, Pinsky said in his filing that the state had failed to protect his client from what he described as "foreseeable harm."
Alaska-Drilling-Rig
A Royal Dutch Shell oil drilling barge remained grounded Tuesday on an island off southern Alaska amid a fierce winter storm that hindered recovery efforts, Coast Guard and Alaskan authorities reported.
Maryland-Same-Sex-Marriage
Jim Scales and William Tasker have been a couple for 35 years, but only on Tuesday were they able to legally marry, thanks to Maryland's new same-sex marriage law, which went into effect on New Year's. Seven couples exchanged vows at Baltimore city hall past midnight.
Colorado-Marijuana-Clubs
A small group of New Year's Eve revelers here ditched the traditional champagne toast, lighting up joints instead at a newly opened marijuana club. The members-only Club 64 is the first of its kind to open in Colorado since November when voters approved Amendment 64, which legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use.
California-New-Year's-Eve-Shooting
A 22-year-old man was in custody as a suspect in a shooting during a New Year's Eve fireworks show in Sacramento, California, where two people were fatally shot and three were wounded, police said Tuesday.
US-Hannah-Storm-Returns-After-Injury
Less than a month after suffering serious burns in a propane grill accident, sports broadcasting pioneer Hannah Storm returned to TV Tuesday, hosting Southern California's historic Rose Parade.
TRAVEL-Airplane-Collision
