Five more Ukrainian soldiers killed despite truce: Kiev military

Kiev's military said on Friday five Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and seven wounded in attacks by pro-Russian separatists in the past 24 hours, a larger than normal death toll compared with recent weeks.
A September ceasefire has been repeatedly flouted by both sides, but shelling lessened significantly in December, fuelling hopes of de-escalation of the conflict which has killed over 4,700 people since April.
"For now there's only firing from firearms, they are not using tanks or artillery. We cannot say that the situation has escalated," military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said in a televised briefing.

Women could serve in close combat roles by 2016, UK military says

Women in Britain's armed forces could be allowed to fight in front line combat roles for the first time by 2016, the Ministry of Defence said Friday, as it published a review into how this would impact troops on the ground.

According to the ministry, the review "has ended the long-held view that mixed close ground combat units would have an adverse effect on cohesion between troops."

But it calls for more research into the physiological demands placed on those in close combat roles before a final decision is made on allowing women in.

Ground close combat units are defined as those where "the primary role is to close with and kill the enemy."

The potential impact on women's health of serving in such units should be fully examined, the review said.

Researchers will also look at how training for such combat roles can be set up to ensure women are able to take part safely, without reducing combat effectiveness.

"Roles in our Armed Forces should be determined by ability not gender. I hope that, following further work on our training regimes and equipment, we can open up combat roles to women in 2016," said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.

At present, 70% of roles are open to women in the army, 79% in the navy, and 94% in the air force.

Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, said UK military operations in Afghanistan had shown that there could be "significant physiological risk to women" serving in ground close combat roles.

"I look forward to the prospect of opening ground close combat roles to women, but we have to look at this in a responsible way," said Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton.

"Our aim must be to maximise the use of talent without compromising our standards or undermining capability. The final piece of work on physiological risks is vitally important in ensuring that ground close combat roles would not be detrimental to the health of our service women."

Women currently make up 10% of the UK armed forces, according to Ministry of Defence statistics from October, with 15,740 women in total employed across all services. Their numbers have gradually increased over the past two years in the army and remain stable in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

The Royal Navy allowed women to serve on board submarines for the first time this year, more than 20 years after women were first allowed to serve on surface ships.

In another sign of increasing gender equality, two women have also reached the rank of rank of air vice-marshal in the Royal Air Force.

The Pentagon took steps early last year to open up combat roles to the roughly 200,000 women in the U.S. armed forces.

Announcing the move, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said it was a bow to reality on the battlefield, where women in what are technically non-combat units already find themselves fighting alongside their male comrades.

Single mom fought alongside combat troops in Afghanistan

Several U.S. allies, including NATO members France, Canada and Germany, also allow women to serve in combat posts.

Culled from CNN

CIA head: Torture helped find Osama bin Laden

CIA Director John Brennan on Thursday defended harsh interrogation techniques as providing "useful" information to authorities, including in the raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden. But he said it is "unknowable" what information could specifically be attributed to those techniques.

"It is our considered view that the detainees who were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques provided information that was useful and was used in the ultimate operation to go against Bin Laden," Brennan said.y

Brennan's comments, in a rare news conference, come two days after a Senate panel released a blockbuster 528-page report detailing "enhanced interrogation techniques" -- including mock executions, "rectal rehydration," sleep deprivation and beatings -- in interrogations in the mid-2000s.

He admitted that some CIA officers' actions were "not authorized, were abhorrent and rightly should be repudiated by all. And we fell short in holding some officers accountable for their mistakes."

Brennan acknowledged that the agency sometimes exceeded its legal authority during interrogations of terrorism suspects.

He said detainees who faced "enhanced interrogation techniques" did provide some information that provided useful -- as well as other information that didn't. He said whether those interrogations had anything to do with that information is "unknowable."

"Let me be clear: We have not concluded that it was the EITs within that program that allowed us to obtain useful information from the detainees subjected to them," he said.

But he staunchly defended the agency during the 45-minute news conference, adding: "CIA officers' actions that did comport with the law and policy should neither be criticized nor conflated with the actions of the few who did not follow the guidance issued."

Brennan opened his remarks with a vivid depiction of the events of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and described the atmosphere going into fighting terrorism and collecting intelligence in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.

"There were no easy answers, and whatever your views are on [enhanced interrogation techniques], our nation and in particular this agency did a lot of things right during this difficult time to keep this country strong and secured," Brennan said.

RELATED: Who is John Brennan?

Brennan praised those who worked with him but he added the agency was "unprepared to conduct a detention and interrogation program, and our officers inadequately developed and monitored its initial activities."

Brennan never used the word "torture" to describe the CIA's tactics. And he deflected a question about whether, in the interest of transparency, he supported the Senate Intelligence Committee's decision to release its report.

"I think there's been more than enough transparency that's happened over the last couple days," he said. "I think it's over the top."

Brennan said it's "lamentable" that the Senate panel didn't conduct interviews with CIA agents -- a contrast, he said, with its handling of a report on Iraq's lack of weapons of mass destruction, which included interviews with more than 200 officers.

His strongest criticism of the report was with its contention that the CIA misled the public and government officials -- including then-President George W. Bush. That, Brennan said, is untrue -- a stance former Vice President Dick Cheney backed up in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday night.

Still, he didn't fault the report's finding that the CIA's tactics were harsh and, at times, went beyond the legal authority Bush's Justice Department said the agency had.

"Many aspects of their conclusions are sound and consistent with our own prior findings," Brennan said. "Over the years, internal agency reviews, including numerous investigations by our office of the inspector general, found fault in the CIA's running of the program. We have acknowledged these mistakes."

Brennan was the CIA's deputy executive director while the tactics were being used. He said he had "some visibility" into what was happening, but that he wasn't in the chain of command for that program, and didn't say whether he had made any effort to push for changes at the time.

He also noted that the program for using "enhanced interrogation techniques" was ended in 2007.

"In light of the fact that these techniques were banned seven years ago, however, my fervent hope is that we can put aside this debate and move on to issues that are relevant to our current national security challenges," Brennan said.

Meanwhile, one of Brennan's sharpest critics, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the committee behind the report, live-tweeted along with the press conference and sharply rebutted several points throughout his press conference.

Culled from CNN.

The 12 strategies for controlling aggression.

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.– Mark Twain, American author

All of us experience anger from time to time. It's a normal, commonly experienced emotion.

However, anger can be incredibly destructive if we don't know how to control it. Frequent or misplaced anger can hurt our reputations, destroy our relationships, limit our opportunities, and even damage our health.

In this article, we'll look at what anger is, and what its consequences can be. We'll also look at 12 strategies that we can use to control anger and aggression.

Understanding Anger

According to psychologist T.W. Smith, anger is "an unpleasant emotion ranging in intensity from irritation or annoyance to fury or rage."

Every day, we can experience things that could make us angry. Common causes include feelings of:

·         Frustration.

·         Hurt.

·         Harassment.

·         Injustice, regardless of whether real or perceived.

Other causes include:

·         Requests or criticisms that we believe are unfair.

·         Threats to people, things, or ideas that we hold dear.

People experience anger in different ways and for different reasons. Something that makes you furious may only mildly irritate someone else. This subjectivity can make anger difficult to understand and manage. It also highlights that your response to anger is up to you.

Tip:

To understand how well you currently manage your anger, take our How Good Is Your Anger Management?   self-test.

The Dangers of Anger

An appropriate level of anger energizes us to take proper actions, solve problems, and handle situations constructively.

However, uncontrolled anger leads to many negative consequences, especially in the workplace. For instance, it can damage relationships with our bosses and colleagues; and it can lead people to lose trust and respect for us, especially when we react instantly and angrily to something that we've misperceived as a threat.

Anger also clouds our ability to make good decisions and find creative solutions to problems. This can negatively affect our work performance.

Frequent anger poses health risks too. One study found that people who get angry regularly are more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease, eating disorders, and obesity. Research has also found a correlation between anger and premature death.Further studies have found that there is a link between anger and conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Managing Anger

We manage anger when we learn to defuse it before it becomes destructive.

Below, we've outlined 12 strategies that you can use to control anger when you experience it. These reflect an abridged version of 17 strategies that Drs Redford Williams and Virginia Williams described in their best-selling book, "Anger Kills."

1. Acknowledge That you Have a Problem

If you find it difficult to manage your anger, the first thing you need to do is to be honest with yourself and acknowledge that you have a problem.

You can then make a plan to deal with it.

2. Keep a Hostility Log

Do you know what causes your anger? Chances are, you don't understand why you react angrily to some people or events.

Download our hostility log worksheet to monitor the triggers and the frequency of your anger. When you know what makes you angry, you can develop strategies to channel it effectively.

3. Use Your Support Network

Let the important people in your life know about the changes that you're trying to make. They can motivate and support you if you lapse into old behaviors.

These should be give-and-take relationships. Put some time aside every day to invest in these relationships, especially with close friends and family. You need to be there for them, just as they're willing to be there for you.

You can alleviate stress when you spend time with people you care about. This also helps you control your anger.

4. Interrupt the Anger Cycle

When you start to feel angry, try the following techniques:

·         Yell "Stop!" loudly in your thoughts. This can interrupt the anger cycle.

·         Use physical relaxation techniques like deep breathing   or centering  .

·         Count to 20 before you respond.

·         Manage your negative thoughts with imagery   and positive thinking  .

·         Close your office door or find a quiet space, and meditate   for five minutes.

·         Distract yourself from your anger – visit your favorite website, play a song that you like, daydream about a hobby that you enjoy, or take a walk.

Another approach is to consider the facts of the situation, so that you can talk yourself out of being angry.

To use this strategy, look at what you can observe about the person or situation, not what you're inferring about someone's motivations or intentions. Does this situation deserve your attention? And is your anger justified here?

When you look only at the facts, you'll likely determine that it's unproductive to respond with anger.

5. Use Empathy

If another person is the source of your anger, use empathy   to see the situation from his or her perspective.

Be objective here. Everyone makes mistakes, and it is through mistakes that people learn how to improve.

6. See the Humor in Your Anger

Learn to laugh at yourself and do not take everything seriously. The next time you feel tempted to lash out, try to see the humor in your expressions of anger.

One way to do this is to "catastrophize" the situation. This is when you exaggerate a petty situation that you feel angry about, and then laugh at your self-importance.

For example, imagine that you're angry because a sick team member missed a day of work. As a result, a report you were depending on is now late.

To catastrophize the situation, you think, "Wow, she must have been waiting months for the opportunity to mess up my schedule like this. She and everyone on the team probably planned this, and they're probably sending her updates about how angry I'm getting."

Obviously, this grossly exaggerates the situation. When you imagine a ridiculous and overblown version of the story, you'll likely find yourself smiling by the end of it.

7. Relax

Angry people let little things bother them. If you learn to calm down, you'll realize that there is no real need to get upset, and you'll have fewer angry episodes.

Regular exercise   can help you relax in tense situations. When possible, go for a walk, or stretch and breathe deeply whenever you start to feel upset.

You will also feel more relaxed when you get enough sleep   and eat a healthy diet.

Dehydration can often lead to irritability too, so keep hydrated throughout the day by drinking plenty of water.

8. Build Trust

Angry people can be cynical. They can believe that others do things on purpose to annoy or frustrate them, even before anything happens. However, people often focus less on you than you might think!

Build trust   with friends and colleagues. That way, you'll be less likely to get angry with them when something goes wrong. You'll also be less likely to attribute the problem to malicious intent on their part.

To build trust, be honest with people. Explain your actions or decisions when you need to, and always keep your word. If you do this consistently, people will learn that they can trust you. They'll also follow your lead, and you'll learn that you can trust them in return.

9. Listen Effectively

Miscommunication contributes to frustrating situations. The better you listen to what someone says, the easier it is to find a resolution that doesn't involve an angry response.

So, improve your active listening skills  . When others are speaking, focus on what they're saying, and don't get distracted by formulating your response before they've finished. When they're done speaking, show that you listened by reflecting back what they have just said.

10. Be Assertive

Remember, the word is "assertive," not "aggressive." When you're aggressive, you focus on winning. You care little for others' feelings, rights, and needs. When you're assertive, you focus on balance. You're honest about what you want, and you respect the needs of others.

If you're angry, it's often difficult to express yourself clearly. Learn to assert yourself   and let other people know your expectations, boundaries, and issues. When you do, you'll find that you develop self-confidence, gain respect, and improve your relationships.

11. Live Each Day as if it's Your Last

Life is short. If you spend all of your time getting angry, you're going to miss the many joys and surprises that life offers.

Think about how many times your anger has destroyed a relationship, or caused you to miss a happy day with friends and family. That's time that you'll never get back.

However, you can prevent this from happening again – the choice is yours.

12. Forgive and Forget

To ensure that you make long-term changes, you need to forgive people who have angered you.

It's not easy to forget past resentments, but the only way to move on is to let go of these feelings. (Depending on what or who is at the root of your anger, you may have to seek a professional's help to achieve this.)

So, start today. Make amends   with one person that you've hurt through your anger. It might be difficult, but you'll feel better afterwards. Plus, you'll be one step closer to healing the relationship.

Tip:

These strategies are only a general guide. If anger continues to be a problem, you might need to seek the help of a suitably qualified health professional, especially if your anger hurts others, or if it causes you physical pain or emotional distress.

Key Points

Anger is a powerful force that can jeopardize your relationships, your work, and your health, if you don't learn to manage it effectively.

To manage anger, acknowledge that you have a problem, keep a hostility log, and build a support network based on trust.

Also, use techniques to interrupt your anger, listen, empathize, be assertive with others, and learn to relax, as well as laugh at yourself.

Finally, don't let anger get in the way of the joys in life, and learn to forgive people that who make you angry.

Burned Mississippi Teen's Murder 'A Mystery'

Mississippi police reviewing surveillance video taken two hours before a teenage girl was set on fire and left to die admit they have no leads.

Authorities are also reviewing Jessica Chambers' mobile phone records, testing samples taken from her vehicle and talking to possible witnesses.

Stumped investigators said on Thursday they have made no arrests and do not expect any in the near future, but are following up on every tip.

"For lack of a better word, this is just a really great mystery right now," district attorney John Champion told a news conference.

The 19-year-old was barely alive when she was found with severe burns on a road in the town of Courtland, rural Mississippi, at the weekend.

She died at hospital shortly afterwards.

Her assailant doused her in flammable liquid, even pouring it down her throat and nose, investigators say.

The video shows Ms Chambers walking toward the front door of a convenience store in Courtland, which is about an hour south of Memphis, Tennessee.

She then stopped, turned to her left, and walked out of the picture.

Convenience store manager Ali Fadhel said that on her way out Ms Chambers received a call on her phone. After she pumped gas, she re-entered the store, bought cigarettes, and drove away, he said.

Ms Chambers bought $14 worth of gas, more than the $5 or so she usually purchased, said Mr Fadhel.

"I asked her, 'Why are you putting so much gas?' She said, 'I'm going somewhere,'" he said.

Ms Chambers spoke with firefighters at the scene before she was taken to hospital, but assistant district attorney Jay Hale said he could not discuss what she said.

"She was able to communicate. It was difficult," he said.

A 31-year-old man, Derrick Turner, was questioned before being released on Wednesday.

He reportedly said he had not seen Ms Chambers in months.

Culled from Skynews