1. SYRIAN OPPOSITION CALLS FOR OVERTHROW OF ASSAD
On Sunday, Syrian opposition figures publicly called for the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad at a rare meeting that "was tolerated by the regime in an apparent attempt to lend credibility to its claims that it remains open to political reform despite its bloody crackdown on dissent." Also in attendance: Assad allies Iran, Russia, and China. Still, the meeting will probably "be viewed as a cosmetic gesture by Syrian rebels and their many backers in the international community." [Associated Press]
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2. PAKISTANI MINISTER OFFERS BOUNTY FOR DIRECTOR
After 15 people were killed in Pakistan on Friday during protests over the anti-Muslim film Innocence of Muslims, the country's railway minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour offered a bounty of $100,000 for the death of the maker of the movie. "I invite the Taliban brothers and the al Qaeda brothers that they should join me in this sacred mission. Along with others, they should also join in the good work," he said. A spokesman for the prime minister said the government has disassociated itself from Bilour's call to action. [Telegraph]
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3. AURORA MASSACRE THEATER TO RE-OPEN IN 2013
The movie theater in Aurora, Colo., where 24-year-old James Holmes allegedly opened fire on July 20, killing 12 and wounding 58, is set to re-open in 2013. Cinemark Holdings, the company that owns the theater, plans to refurbish and reconfigure it despite three lawsuits by people wounded in the shootings. They allege that the exit door that the gunman used to enter the theater should have had an alarm. [Fox News]
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4. NEPAL AVALANCHE LEAVES NINE DEAD
An avalanche on a high Himalayan peak of Mount Manaslu in Nepal on Sunday has left nine dead and six others missing, officials say. Most of the climbers were French or German. The identities of the victims are still being confirmed. Ten other members of the group survived, but were injured. [Associated Press]
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5. DOCTORS GROUP: TEENS SHOULD BE OFFERED IUDS
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has for the first time recommended that doctors offer teens intrauterine devices, or IUDs, which are implanted in the uterus to prevent pregnancy. The group issued a paper explaining that more than 80 percent of teen pregnancies are unintended, and although most teens report having used some form of birth control, they are usually put on short-acting methods, like the birth control pill, patch, ring, or shot. IUDs, on the other hand, lasts longer and have a higher rate of success. [ABC News]
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6. STUDY: HUMANS DIDN'T ORIGINATE FROM ONE PLACE
A team of international scientists from Sweden and South Africa has concluded that modern humans may not have originated from one place in Africa, but instead descended from a diverse group of ancestors. The researchers found that Khoe and San tribes of the sub-Sahara are descendants of the earliest diversification event in the history of all humans, some 1 million years ago. The findings, involving 220 participants representing 11 populations across southern Africa, showed around 2.3 million DNA variants per individual. [Times of India]
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7. JAPAN TSUNAMI DEBRIS WASHES ASHORE IN HAWAII
More than 16 months after an earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan, a large plastic bin from Japan's debris washed ashore in Hawaii on Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed. The bin was the 12th piece of marine debris to land in the U.S. At least five local seabirds were found dead inside the tub, and barnacles had grown on the outside. [Sky News]
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8. MAD MEN AND BRYAN CRANSTON EYE EMMY RECORDS
Sunday night's Emmy Awards ceremony could make Mad Men the television drama with the most Emmy wins ever. The AMC show is vying for its fifth best drama award, which would make the series surpass record holders Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and The West Wing. Another AMC hit show, Breaking Bad, could see its star Bryan Cranston win his fourth best actor victory, which would tie Dennis Franz's record set in 1999 for NYPD Blue. [NPR]
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9. GRILLING IS MAIN SOURCE OF CALIFORNIA POLLUTION
Much of Southern California's air pollution is caused by restaurants and commercial food producers who charbroil their meats, emitting large amounts of particulate matter into the atmosphere. The emissions from the grilling more than diesel engines to the area's ongoing air pollution problem, researchers at the University of Calfornia-Riverside have found. [Eat Drink Explore]
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10. BILL: I DON'T KNOW IF HILLARY WILL RUN IN 2016
In an interview with CBS' Face the Nation, former President Bill Clinton said he isn't sure if his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will run for president in 2016. Clinton did indicate that Mrs. Clinton plans to leave her job as Secretary of State before making any decisions on a new political future. "She wants to take some time off," Clinton said. "Kind of regroup. Write a book." [USA Today]
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