News Headlines - 16 July 2012

▽Tens of thousands demonstrate against nuclear power in Japan - CNN.com

Tens of thousands of people crowded into a park in central Tokyo on Monday to protest the use of nuclear power in Japan, highlighting the growing opposition to atomic energy in the country since the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

▽Sir Richared Branson to be among first Virgin Galactic passengers | Breaking Travel News

Sir Richard Branson and his children will be among the first passengers to travel to space on Virgin Galactic next year. Branson revealed that his son Sam and daughter Holly would accompany him on a journey 60 miles into space on the SpaceShipTwo (SS2) aircraft.

▽London 2012 Olympics: Games lanes cause M4 confusion - Telegraph

Newly opened lanes for the London 2012 Olympics have created tailbacks on the motorway network as drivers queue to avoid them.

▽In surprise move, N. Korea strips military chief of all duties - The Washington Post

With a terse four-paragraph statement, North Korea on Monday announced the dismissal of its top military leader, the latest in what analysts describe as a series of increasingly bold shake-ups to strengthen support for young leader Kim Jong Eun.

▽Syrian forces head into southern Damascus - FT.com

Syrian regime armoured vehicles headed for southern Damascus on Monday, residents said, after heavy overnight clashes underscored the intensification of fighting in the capital.