Cheat Sheet - All Questions, No Answers in New Missing Plane Hunt

Read This, Skip That .... December 29, 2014 MYSTERY 1. All Questions, No Answers in Missing Plane Hunt The disappearance of AirAsia Flight 8501 on Sunday brought back horrific memories of the still-missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 earlier this year. However, the search for the AirAsia plane is dramatically different than the response to MH370, reports Lennox Samuels. And, asks Clive Irving, when we have the technology to keep these planes from vanishing, why aren't we using it? Read it at The Daily Beast GREEK DRAMA 2. Greece Forced to Hold Snap Elections Greece will have to hold early general elections after presidential candidate Stavros Dimas failed to secure enough votes from parliament to confirm him to power. The former European commissioner was backed by Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, but he could not garner the 180 out of 300 votes needed to cement his presidency in the third and final round of voting Monday. Samaras announced that general elections will now be held Jan. 25. The move for snap elections could throw Greece's international bailout into jeopardy. Dimas' main competition comes from the radical left-wing Syriza party, which has vowed to overturn recent reforms and criticized Greece's bailout. The Athens stock exchange's benchmark index also dropped more than 10 percent after the vote triggering snap elections. Read it at AP UNDERCOVER CONFLICT 3. The Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan Lost in the coverage of ISIS and other international conflicts is a war in the forgotten deserts of Baluchistan. Running along the border of Pakistan and Iran, Baluchistan is a hotbed for covert battles between Iran's Shiite regime and Sunni Baluch jihadis, reports Umar Farooq. The conflict in the region could have far-reaching consequences with militants having alleged ties to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the CIA. Read it at The Daily Beast WORK IN PROGRESS 4. Obama Is Right on Race. The Media Is Wrong. President Obama was absolutely correct when he said Americans have become less racist in their day-to-day interactions. Even in a year with such polarizing events as the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, views on interracial relationships have improved, writes Keli Goff. It's just that highlighting racial unity doesn't make for good television or clickbait. Read it at The Daily Beast CENSORSHIP 5. Google's Gmail Blocked in China Google mail service Gmail has reportedly been blocked by China's Great Firewall following months of disruption, an anti-censorship group said Monday. GreatFire.org said many Gmail users were cut off in China on Friday and services were still down Monday. "We've checked and there's nothing wrong on our end," a Google spokesman in Singapore said in an email. Google's Transparency Report, which displays Google's real-time traffic, revealed a sharp decrease in traffic in China on Friday. While Google users have experienced disruption since June, Gmail users could still access emails downloaded via protocols such as IMAP, SMTP, and POP3. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she was unaware of any block of Gmail services, noting that the government was supportive of foreign investors and businesses.  Read it at Reuters SAY WHAT? Argentina's President Adopts Jewish Boy To prevent him from becoming a werewolf. ABANDON SHIP Greek Ferry Death Toll Rises to 5 Dozens are still trapped. SO LONG Coach Jim Harbaugh Is Leaving the 49ers Expected to join University of Michigan. DEADLY BLAZE 5 Killed in Texas Elderly Home Fire Fourteen others were injured. IT GETS NUTTIER S. Korea Officials Face Nut Rage Firing Four in government will be punished. HUFFINGTON POST Charles Koch Wants To Change America's Criminal Justice System ROLLING STONE Ferguson Activists Call Out Black Celebrities for 'Saying Nothing' BUZZFEED 'The Comeback'Completes Its Perfect Comeback GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. The Cultural Crimes of Iggy Azalea by Amy Zimmerman Give Lisa Kudrow All of the Awards by Kevin Fallon Has Hollywood Eaten Brie Larson? by Marlow Stern

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