Kim Jong Il’s Other Son Says It’s All A Front – The oldest son of North Korea’s deceased despot Kim Jong Il blasted his ruler brother as a “symbol” whose role was stage-managed by the Pyongyang elite, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Thursday. Kim Jong Nam, who fell out of favor with his father for attempting to travel to Japan on a fake passport to visit Disneyland in 2001, was passed over in the race to succeed his father by his youngest brother, the little-known Kim Jong Eun. [foxnews]

Urinating Marines Identified – At least two of four US Marines shown in a video appearing to urinate on Taliban corpses have been identified, a Marine Corps official has told the BBC. The video, which was posted online, purports to show four US Marines standing over the bodies of several Taliban fighters, at least one of whom is covered in blood. [bbc]

Sinead O’Connor Attempts Suicide – It’s been a roller-coaster month for Sinead O’Connor. The Nothing Compares To You singer first got married to her fourth husband, then filed for divorce. Then she changed her mind and they remained married. And now, sadly, she has attempted suicide, followed by a plea for help on Twitter. [stuff]

Dog Mauls Girl, 2, At Clifton Beach – A two-year-old girl has had emergency surgery after being attacked by a Rottweiler at one of Cape Town’s most popular beaches. What started as a fun day at Clifton’s First Beach for Meeka Riley and her aunt Liska October turned into a terrifying ordeal when one of three unleashed Rottweilers roaming the beach attacked the child. [iol]

Zuma Calls For AU And UN Cooperation – The relationship between the United Nations Security Council and African Union should be institutionalised, President Jacob Zuma said in New York on Thursday. [mail&guardian]

Let’s All Pretend That The UJ Acronym Is Normal – Don’t you just love how journalists have suddenly started throwing around the acronym UJ in articles about the University of Johannesburg? As though the acronym is as regular as UCT or NYU. It’s not. It’s like when we first heard the words ‘tsunami’ and ‘xenaphobia.’ Now we throw them around as though we have used them our whole lives. Throwing around headlines about “UJ” is very naughty.

All About Facebook’s New Music Feature – As promised, Facebook is finally releasing a platform feature that will let you listen to music with your friends. Announced Thursday in a post on the Facebook Blog, this new feature will let you discover and share new music with your buddies without leaving Facebook. [huffpo]

The Duchess Of York Has Been Criminally Charged In Turkey – A court in Turkey has brought charges against the Duchess of York over a controversial ITV documentary in which she went undercover to secretly film orphanages in Ankara and Istanbul. The court accused Sarah Ferguson in her absence of going “against the law in acquiring footage and violating privacy” of five children. The charges carry a maximum jail term of more than 22 years if a conviction results. [guardian]

Newsweek Journalist Gets Madonna Comments On Gaga – Senior reporter Jacob Bernstein hung out with Madonna for an upcoming piece in the January 30th issue of Newsweek, and got her thoughts on Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way.’ [beast]

Toddler Says She Knows She Is Sexy – Isabella Barrett is a little too big for her boots, but that thought is unlikely to deter this toddler and her mother in their quest for fame. As one of the stars of the reality show “Toddlers & Tiaras” , Barrett is cashing in her popularity with nightclub appearances and, according to gossip site TMZ, is singing songs about her sex appeal. [iol]

Dukan Diet: Fallacy Or Fat-Buster? – If your only reminder of Christmas is a tightened waistband, you may be considering starting the Dukan diet. Devised by the French doctor and nutritionist, it got a fresh boost last year, popularised by the news that Carole Middleton had used it to lose a few kilograms before her daughter’s wedding to Prince William in London. Gisele Bundchen, Jennifer Lopez and Penelope Cruz are all said to use Dukan’s method. [mail&guardian]

Heather Locklear In Hospital – Heather Locklear was taken to the hospital Thursday after a 911 call was placed from her home. The nature of the emergency wasn’t immediately revealed. But TMZ and RadarOnline report Locklear, 50, may have mixed alcohol and prescription medication. That’ll do it. [people]

Oscar Awards May Leave Kodak Theatre – After a decade of holding Hollywood’s biggest night of the year at the Kodak Theatre, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences is considering moving its annual Academy Awards ceremony to the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. [latimes]