Snapdragon

Snapdragon
Snapdragons are a particular favorite of children who like to pinch the tiny individual blossoms and make the "dragon mouth" open and close. Their large, blossom-laden flower heads are faintly fragrant and come in in a wide assortment of bright colors. The vertical flower spikes, opening gradually from the bottom to the top, are available in two heights: dwarf varieties grow to about 10 inches while the taller types grow to a height of 18-24 inches. A vareity that grows up to 5 feet has been developed, but it must be staked. A single snapdragon plant may produce seven or eight blossom spikes in the course of a summer.

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Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Il
Kim Jong-il, the "dear leader" still venerated by many in North Korea but reviled abroad, has died aged 69, state media announced on Monday morning.

The North Korean leader suffered a heart attack on Saturday due to physical and mental over-work, the official KCNA news agency reported. He was on his train, travelling to offer "field guidance" to workers, when he died.

KCNA urged the nation, people and military to rally behind his young son and heir apparent, telling them they must "faithfully revere" Kim Jong-un's leadership.

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Pope Joan

Pope Joan
The film has fuelled disagreements over whether Pope Joan really existed or, as the Church has always maintained, she was a mythical figure used by the early Protestant Church to discredit and embarrass Rome.

For a Church that even in the 21st century remains staunchly opposed to the idea of female priests, a female Pope was anathema.

To make matters worse, the deception is said to only have been found out when Joan gave birth during a procession through the streets of Rome.

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Baron Davis

Baron Davis
Davis, 32, was cut last week by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who used the amnesty clause to remove the final two years and $28.7 million of his contract from the salary cap. His Knicks contract will be for one year and $2.5 million, according to Sports Illustrated.

Despite his age and a history of health concerns, Davis was a coveted commodity once he cleared waivers Friday night. He chose the Knicks over the Los Angeles Lakers — his hometown team — and the Miami Heat.

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J.R. Martinez

J.R. Martinez
Actor J.R. Martinez, who has already had a few recent reasons to celebrate, after winning the last season of “Dancing with the Stars,” including a call from U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and being named 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade Grand Marshal, has a new reason to celebrate: he’s going to be a father.

J.R. Martinez, 28, told PEOPLE that he and his girlfriend Diana Gonzalez-Jones are expecting their first child next spring. Martinez said, “We found out just last week it’s a girl and we are over the moon. Diana has a little baby bump now and it’s the cutest thing ever. With the holidays coming up, this is the biggest and best gift we could get.”

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Agneepath

Agneepath
Karan Johar has released the first look of Agneepath item song Chikni Chameli starring Katrina Kaif on Twitter. While there is a lot of buzz about the item song, the look has disappointed some people who think it is reminiscent of Katrina's Sheila Ki Jawani.

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Bharat Ratna

Bharat Ratna
New Delhi: Sports heroes Sachin Tendulkar and Dhyan Chand are now eligible for the Bharat Ratna as the government has changed the eligibility criteria for the Bharat Ratna to widen its scope.

The Bharat Ratna category has been broadened and excellence in all fields of human endeavour is the new eligibility norm.

The Prime Minister's Office has accepted the Ministry of Home Affairs' recommendation of broad basing the Bharat Ratna category.

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Bradley Manning

Bradley Manning
Eighteen months after his arrest in Iraq for allegedly orchestrating the largest leak of state secrets in American history, Bradley Manning has faced his military accusers for the first time, immediately turning the guns against them.

At the start of a preliminary hearing to establish whether the US soldier should face a full court martial for allegedly passing more than 250,000 US embassy cables to WikiLeaks, Manning issued a dramatic challenge to the investigating officer – the military equivalent to a judge – implying that the proceedings were biased and effectively rigged against him.

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Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal Cancer
The esophagus is the hollow, muscular tube that moves food and liquid from the throat to the stomach. The wall of the esophagus is made up of several layers of tissue, including mucous membrane, muscle, and connective tissue. Esophageal cancer starts at the inside lining of the esophagus and spreads outward through the other layers as it grows.

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Neti Pot

Neti Pot
If you're one of the millions of Americans dealing with sinus problems, you know how miserable the headaches, facial pain, and clogged nasal passages can be. In their search for relief, many sinus sufferers have turned to nasal saline irrigation, a therapy that uses a salt and water solution to flush out the nasal passages.

Although several methods of nasal irrigation exist, one of the most popular is the Neti pot -- a ceramic pot that looks like a cross between a small teapot and Aladdin's magic lamp. Although nasal irrigation using the Neti pot has been around for centuries, its use is on the rise in the U.S., thanks to an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and a fair amount of news coverage. The Neti pot originally comes from the Ayurvedic/yoga medical tradition.

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