Syria: oil pipelines attacked near Homs

Huge flames light up the night sky… This video was apparently filmed in the early hours of Tuesday morning after an explosion ripped through a gas pipeline near the town of Rastan in central Syria. The official news agency SANA is blaming the incident on a terrorist group, and the opposition is denying any involvement in the attack.

This is the fourth reported attack on energy infrastructure since the popular uprising began in March. Just last Thursday, an oil pipeline west of Homs was damaged by an explosion.

Activists, including the person that provided this amateur video footage, are saying security forces blew up the pipeline with a tank to justify the brutal crackdown on dissent in this opposition hotbed. Regardless of who is responsible for these attacks, they are intensifying pressure on the Syrian economy.

Oil companies are ceasing operations with Syria, in line with sanctions from the international community. These sanctions are also affecting fuel supplies. Syria produces crude oil but is unable to refine sufficient quantities so many towns and cities are now suffering fuel shortages. These videos appear to show long queues of people from the region of Deraa, waiting to buy petrol and gas which they need for cooking and heating.

Despite these increasingly difficult living conditions, the anti-government movement is as strong as ever, with rallies taking place across the country on a daily basis.

Fenton the dog is an Internet sensation

Fenton the Dog and his master have unwittingly become Internet sensations, after this video was uploaded on to sharing sites at the end of November. We see Fenton chase a herd of deer across London’s Richmond Park, while his master runs after him swearing and shouting his name, desperately trying to stop him. The video has gone viral and provided much inspiration for web users.

Dozens of spoof videos of this hilarious scene have emerged online, depicting the now famous dog and owner in a variety of well-known films. The parodies suggest that all the great stampedes in cinematic history or other moments of general panic were down to Fenton and his irresistible desire to chase anything that moves.

Others have paid tribute to the dog through song, like the people that have remixed Fenton’s owners desperate cries with this techno track.

And Fenton the dog now has a number of fan clubs on Facebook, proving just how popular he has become. One fan has even set up an actual Facebook profile for Fenton. Little is known about the dog, apart from the fact his favourite hobby is running…

Now trending on social networks

American web users have been using the hashtag ‘What 10K buys’, to take a swipe at Mitt Romney, candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2012 US Presidential Election. During a debate on Saturday night he offered one of his opponents, Rick Perry, a ten thousand dollar bet. Many American feel this is a colossal amount to play around with and have taken to social networks to explain what they would do with such a sum of money. The bet could end up costing Mitt Romney a lot more than 10K as he is now being criticized for being out of touch with reality.

WorldStarHipHop.com

College students fighting over a pair of shoes, a person assaulted on the subway … these are the kind of amateur videos being uploaded onto the site WorldStarHipHop.com. The portal was initially intended for rap videos but videos depicting violent scenes appear to have taken over. Despite the controversy surrounding the site, it now boasts over 1 million visits per day.

Video of the day

This is the video to watch on sharing sites at the moment, and since it was uploaded at the beginning of December, it has already been viewed over 2 million times. It’s a festive lipdub to the Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber duo, and it features the sailors from the British Royal Navy’s HMS Ocean. It’s really good fun to watch and a sure fire way of getting into the Christmas spirit.