Georgian police clashed with opposition supporters in the capital Tbilisi, after the government decided to disperse the five-day long protests against the Saakashvili regime.Two people were reportedly killed, one of them a policeman run over by a car driven by protestors, and at least 10 injured when riot police moved in on opposition demonstrators on Freedom Square.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Arizona Has 100,000 Fewer Hispanics After Controversial Law.(Although the data comes from a survey and a margin for error must be allowed, “we estimate around 100,000 fewer Hispanics compared to how many there were at the start of 2010,” the report said)
Arizona’s Hispanic population has fallen by at least 100,000 since the SB 1070 anti-illegal immigration measure was passed in 2010, even though a federal judge blocked the law’s most controversial provisions, BBVA Bancomer said in a report.“A smaller number of Hispanics in the state of Arizona can be observed,” according to the report by Mexico’s largest financial institution, whose economic studies service frequently publishes analysis on immigration issues.
Although the data comes from a survey and a margin for error must be allowed, “we estimate around 100,000 fewer Hispanics compared to how many there were at the start of 2010,” the report said.Most of the Latinos who have left the state “are of Mexican origin” and it is possible that the decline in the number of Hispanics in Arizona “is due in large part to the potential (full) implementation of the law.”According to BBVA, if the exodus of migrants from Arizona were due to the economic recession “the decrease observed would have begun prior” to April 23, 2010, when Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law.The bank added that it is not yet possible to “know where the Hispanics who have left Arizona have gone,” although some may have moved to other U.S. states while a smaller number “returned to their home countries.”The law sparked boycotts and a legal challenge from the Justice Department, which convinced federal Judge Susan Bolton to grant an injunction on July 28, 2010, that puts some provisions of the law on hold.The Obama administration argued that the law infringed on the federal government’s authority to control illegal immigration.
For example, Bolton blocked provisions that would require police officers to try to determine people’s immigration status based on “reasonable suspicion” they are in the country illegally and allow them to make warrantless arrests if they have probable cause a person committed an offense worthy of deportation.Other provisions that were struck down include one that makes people without immigration documents guilty of trespassing and another that makes it a crime for someone unlawfully present in the United States to apply for a job.An appeals court last month upheld Bolton’s injunction and the fate of the legislation will now be decided by the Supreme Court.
The population of Arizona, which borders the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California and is a major entry point into the United States for illegal immigrants, was roughly 6.5 million in 2009, 2 million of whom were Hispanics (1.8 million of Mexican origin).
PM to deploy helicopters in Libya.
Britain is to ramp up the campaign against Muammar Gaddafi by sending in attack helicopters amid claims that the Libyan dictator is increasingly paranoid and "on the run".MI6 has told David Cameron it has discovered that Gaddafi's behaviour is becoming even more erratic as Nato strikes take their toll.He is said to be moving between hospitals in the Tripoli area nightly in an apparent bid to evade missiles - such as the ones which killed one of his sons last month. Gaddafi has now not been seen in public since May 11, and his commanders have apparently stopped using telephones for fear of being overheard.An inability to communicate is hampering their ability to fight, according to a senior UK diplomatic source, and there is also evidence of further defections from the military.The intelligence is understood to have persuaded the Prime Minister that the time is right to "turn the screw".
Mr Cameron, Defence Secretary Liam Fox and military chiefs have agreed to put four Apache attack helicopters at the disposal of the Nato operation, alongside existing warplane deployments.The deadly aircraft can carry out strikes at closer quarters, reducing the potential for collateral damage and allowing a wider range of targets to be taken on. They are expected to be used against Gaddafi's troops in built-up areas of Misrata. The Apaches could begin operating from HMS Ocean, which is in the Mediterranean, almost immediately.Earlier, Mr Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy discussed the situation at the G8 summit in France, with both leaders agreeing that the pressure on Gaddafi must be increased. Mr Sarkozy has already authorised the use of 12 French attack helicopters, flying from the amphibious assault ship Le Tonnerre.
Menard gets 20 stitches after cutting foot on dock.
Paul Menard is on crutches at Charlotte Motor Speedway because of a gash in his foot that required 20 stitches.Menard said after Thursday’s qualifying that he cut his right foot on the dock at his house. Elliott Sadler is on standby for Sunday in case Menard struggles in the Coca-Cola 600, which is NASCAR’s longest race of the season.Menard said he is not in pain, but doctors have warned him against anything that could rip the stitches. He’s so far only bothered by having to wear larger shoes that can accommodate the injured foot.He seemed embarrassed at his injury, particularly since crew chief Slugger Labbe had circled Charlotte as a track where Menard could earn his first Sprint Cup victory.
Speculation grows on Sarah Palin's 2012 plans.
Sarah Palin is back.Seen for months as an unlikely U.S. presidential contender in 2012 and overshadowed by the jockeying among other Republican candidates, Palin ignited a storm of speculation about her political plans this week with just a few moves.The former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee has authorized a feature-length film about herself that will premiere next month in Iowa, and reportedly bought a home in Arizona where she could base her campaign.
Palin, who took a trip overseas in March to bolster her foreign policy credentials, also told Fox News Channel last week she still had the ambition to make a run for the Republican nomination to challenge President Barack Obama."I do have the fire in my belly," Palin said. "I want to make sure America is put back on the right track and we will do that by defeating Obama in 2012."
The first person on the missing list from the Joplin tornado is very much alive.
The Associated Press found 75-year-old Sally Adams sitting on a wooden chair and cuddling her pet cat Thursday. When AP told Adams she was listed as missing, she laughed and said "Get me off of there!"Neighbors rescued Adams on Sunday after the storm destroyed her house and took her to a friend's home.Her relatives had called a hot line and posted Facebook messages saying Adams was missing. Adams says she lost her cell phone in the storm and had no way to reassure family.Her son Bill Adams says he told authorities his mother was alive after he learned she was safe, yet she remained on their unaccounted-for list at midday Thursday.
Spain says receives Libya ceasefire request.
Spain, one of several NATO allies involved in Libya, said on Thursday it had received a proposal from Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi for an immediate ceasefire.
"We've received the message and our position lies with the rest of Europe," a spokesman for the prime minister's office said."Everyone is anxious for there to be an agreement ... but certain steps have to be taken first and so far they haven't been taken," he said.
British newspaper The Independent reported that al-Mahmoudi had written to a number of foreign governments proposing an immediate ceasefire to be monitored by the United Nations and the African Union.It said al-Mahmoudi also requested unconditional talks with the opposition, amnesty for both sides in the conflict and the drafting of a new constitution, but made no mention of leader Muammar Gaddafi's role in the country's future.
Forty killed in Yemen fighting as civil war looms
More than 40 Yemenis were killed in pitched street battles in the capital on Thursday as fighting aimed at ending President Ali Abdullah Saleh's three-decade-long rule threatened to ignite civil war.Residents were hurriedly strapping furniture, stoves, baby cots and other possessions to the roofs of cars and trucks and streaming out of Sanaa by the thousands, hoping to escape the violence that has killed more than 80 people since Monday.The fighting, pitting the security forces of President Ali Abdullah Saleh against members of the country's most powerful Hashed tribe led by Sadiq al-Ahmar, was the bloodiest Yemen has seen since protests began in January.The defense ministry said 28 people were killed in an explosion in an arms storage area of Sanaa at dawn on Thursday.Fighters in civilian clothes roamed some districts and machinegun fire rang out sporadically.Sporadic explosions could be heard in the capital near the protest site where thousands of people demanding Saleh to leave after nearly 33 years in power are still camped.Black smoke from mortar fire mixed with a haze of pollution and dust that hangs over Sanaa like a shroud.Britain said it was reducing staffing at its embassy in Yemen because of the violence. Washington also told all non-essential diplomats and embassy family members to leave.
War crimes suspect Ratko Mladic.
Gen. Ratko Mladic, the brutal Bosnian Serb general suspected of leading the bloody massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys, was arrested in an early morning raid Thursday in Serbia after years in hiding, the country's president said.The arrest 16 years after Mladic was indicted by the U.N. war crimes tribunal for genocide, could be a jolt for Serbia's lagging efforts to join the European Union. The country has been under intense pressure from the international community to catch Europe's most wanted war crimes suspect and the EU has insisted on his arrest as a condition for its membership bid.U.N. prosecutors have said they believed the suspect in the worst massacre in Europe since World War II was hiding in Serbia under the protection of hardliners who consider him a hero for his role in Bosnia's 1992-95 ethnic war.
Belgrade's media said Mladic was arrested in Lazarevo, a village some 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Belgrade, at the home of relatives. B-92 radio said Mladic was not in disguise when arrested, unlike wartime Bosnian Serb president Radovan Karadzic, who was arrested in Belgrade in 2008 posing as a New Age guru, with long white hair and a beard.Villagers told The Associated Press that the dusk action by Serbian security officers appeared to be swift and quiet.
"They didn't even wake us up," a man who identified himself only as Zoran for fear of reprisals said. "We learned about the arrest only in the morning."
The general earned a reputation as a cold and ruthless killer, personally leading his troops in the bloody Serb onslaught against the U.N.-protected Srebrenica enclave in Bosnia. Just hours before the slaughter, Mladic handed out candy to Muslim children in the town's square, assuring them everything would be fine and patting one child on the head. Then the shootings began and the bodies of the victims were bulldozed into mass graves.The town's name has become nearly synonymous with the horrible bloodshed of the Balkan conflicts.
Mladic will be extradited to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, he said. He did not specify when, but said "an extradition process is under way." Justice officials say it will take at least a week before he is handed over.
In Bosnia, the head of a group of victims' family members formed to keep the pressure on war crimes investigators, welcomed the arrest. But, added Munira Subasic, "I'm sorry for all the victims who are dead and cannot see this day."Serbia has been under intense scrutiny over Mladic, with the chief U.N. war crimes prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, complaining earlier this month that authorities were not doing enough to capture him and other war crimes fugitives.
Powerful storms pound several central US states.
In storm-weary middle America, many people counted themselves lucky Thursday after powerful storms swept through the region for the third time in four days but apparently claimed no lives.Dozens of people were injured, mobile homes were flipped and roofs were torn off houses when tornadoes and thunderstorms hit Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and other states Wednesday evening.Early Thursday, forecasters withdrew a slew of tornado watches in the South and said the heavy weather that blighted the Midwest in recent days has finally receded. Nevertheless, violent storms could not be ruled out elsewhere.In southern Indiana, neighbors used flashlights to check on each other and their homes and barns near Bloomington after powerful winds overturned two mobile homes. Crews worked overnight to clear uprooted trees and downed power lines after a tornado touched down in a mostly rural area about 25 miles south near Bedford.
The extent of the damage wouldn't be known until daybreak, but residents expressed relief that no deaths were reported in the latest round of storms even though several homes were destroyed and more than a dozen people were injured, including three or four children.Wednesday's storms followed a deadly outbreak of violent weather a day earlier in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas that killed at least 15 people. On Sunday, the nation's deadliest single tornado since the National Weather Service started keeping records in 1950 killed 125 in the southwest Missouri city of Joplin.
The weather service canceled tornado watches and warnings issued for most of Mississippi, northwestern Alabama and central Kentucky on Thursday. Jared Guyer, a forecaster at the NOAA National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, in Norman, Okla., said the situation has calmed to a "relative lull.""We don't have any existing watches," Guyer said Thursday. "There is a severe threat, but not on the magnitude of the last few days."He said the Appalachians, parts of the Southeastern U.S., and the upper Ohio Valley into the northeastern U.S. remained at "severe risk."Back in southern Indiana, tow truck driver Martin Poteat was in the parking lot of the Walmart on the south side of Bloomington when the storm struck, ripping a cart corral loose and sending it into his truck and spawning up a debris cloud."Everything came up off the ground. Everything was just flying," he said.Earlier in the day, as many as 25 people suffered minor injuries when a tornado damaged several homes and businesses in the central Missouri city of Sedalia. Officials said most were able to get themselves to the hospital for treatment."Considering the destruction that occurred in Joplin — being that we're in tornado alley and Sedalia has historically been hit by tornadoes in the past — I think people heeded that warning," Pettis County Sheriff Kevin Bond said. "And so, I think that helped tremendously."
Officials in Sedalia ended the school year several days early because of damage to buses.Sean McCabe was rushing to the basement of his mother's home in Sedalia when the tornado struck and shoved him down the final flight of steps. The 30-year-old suffered scrapes and cuts on his hands, wrists, back and feet. He said neighbors and firefighters helped him get out.Most of the roof was ripped off the house, which was among the more heavily damaged homes in the area. McCabe, who has a service dog for epilepsy, said both his family's dogs survived, including one found muddy and wet about a block away.
Elsewhere in the hard-hit neighborhood, law officers stood on corners and electrical crews worked on power lines. Numerous trees were down, and tarps were covering some houses while others were missing chunks of their roofs. People were cleaning debris and sifting through belongings.Heavy rain, hail and lightning pounded Memphis on Wednesday night as a tornado warning sounded. There were no confirmed reports of tornadoes touching down.
Elsewhere in Tennesee, strong winds from thunderstorms damage homes and wrecked a convenience store in Smithville, about 55 miles east of Nashville. The Rutherford County emergency management director reported a possible tornado southeast of Murfreesboro just before midnight.In Illinois, strong winds, rain and at least four possible tornadoes knocked down power lines and damaged at least one home and a number of farm buildings across the central and eastern parts of the state.
Edward James Olmos joins 'Dexter' cast for season six
Battlestar Galactica‘s Edward James Olmos will be making Miami his new port of call. The veteran actor has signed on for a major arc in Dexter‘s sixth season.Sources say that Olmos will be playing an enlightened religious studies professor. It’s unknown how the character will fit into the plot, but one would assume that Olmos’ character will somehow play a part in Mos Def’s storyline of an ex-con who’s had a spiritual conversion.Olmos will be most recognizable to television fans as Admiral William Adama in Syfy’s celebrated Battlestar Galactica reboot. The actor has a long history in Hollywood, appearing in Blade Runner, Stand And Deliver and all five seasons of Miami Vice. He played a brief but memorable role as a newspaper editor in The Green Hornet earlier this year.Olmos joins other notable actors such as Colin Hanks (as well as aforementioned Mos Def) in Dexter‘s latest season. It would appear than none of the three new roles revealed in the casting calls have been announced, meaning there are still plenty of actors and actresses yet to be discovered.While Olmos isn’t quite an A-lister, he’s easily the highest-profile actor yet announced for the new season. His professor character will be part of a major arc – with shooting scheduled to begin very soon (if it hasn’t started already) we can expect casting and plot details to begin emerging even faster.
Showtime President David Nevins has hinted that Season 6 would bring Dexter back to his roots and be more like earlier seasons. While he failed to reveal any plot details (the guy’s a professional, more’s the pity) we can assume that the cat-and-mouse game between Dexter and Miami Homicide will be a returning theme, and that Dexter will continue to struggle with his humanity — or lack thereof.
With last season’s high-profile guest Julia Stiles and her character Lumen unlikely to return for any significant arc, there would seem to be a gap open for a character that drives the emotions of Dexter and the audience forward. Although, it’s possible that Sister Deb(Jennifer Carpenter) will continue to press into the niche of Dexter’s psyche – but will she press too hard?
Elizabeth Smart in court for kidnapper sentencing
Elizabeth Smart has told her kidnapper that she will have a good life despite what he did to her.At a sentencing hearing Wednesday, she told former street preacher Brian David Mitchell that she knows that he is aware that what he did was wrong, and that he took away nine months of her life that can never be returned.Smart spoke for less than a minute with Mitchell in court. He has not yet been sentenced.The hearing in federal court will close a major legal chapter in the heartbreaking ordeal that stalled for years after Mitchell was declared mentally ill and unfit to stand trial in state court.Smart previously testified at Mitchell's trial, but never addressed him directly because he was routinely removed for disrupting the proceedings by singing.AP's earlier story is below.Nearly nine years after she was taken at knifepoint, raped and held captive, Elizabeth Smart arrived Wednesday at a federal courthouse for the sentencing of the former street preacher who kidnapped her.The sentencing of Brian David Mitchell will close a major legal chapter in the heartbreaking ordeal that stalled for years after Mitchell was declared mentally ill and unfit to stand trial in state court.Smart, wearing a gray, striped skirt and yellow blouse, arrived at the back of the courthouse about an hour before the hearing began and was escorted inside by several U.S. marshals. She was accompanied by her parents and was expected to speak at the hearing in U.S. District Court.A federal jury convicted Mitchell, 57, a former street preacher, in December of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines for the purpose of having illegal sex. He faces a possible life sentence for each charge.Smart testified at Mitchell's trial, but never addressed him directly because he was routinely removed for disrupting the proceedings by singing.Smart was 14 when she was snatched from the bedroom of her family home in Salt Lake City.Now 23, she testified in excruciating detail about waking up in the early hours of June 5, 2002, to the feel of a cold, jagged knife at her throat and being whisked away by Mitchell to his camp in the foothills near the Smart family home.Within hours of the kidnapping, she testified, she was stripped of her favorite red pajamas, draped in white, religious robes and forced into a polygamous marriage with Mitchell. She was tethered to a metal cable strung between two trees and subjected to near-daily rapes while being forced to use alcohol and drugs.Smart was a steady, clear-voiced witness who never wavered with emotion, even as she described the horrific events of what she called her "nine months of hell."She recalled being forced to live homeless, dress in disguises and stay quiet or lie about her identity if ever approached by strangers or police. Daily, her life and those of her family members were threatened by Mitchell, she has said.
Smart recently returned from a Mormon church mission to France.In interviews with Utah media last week, she said she did not yet know what she would say at the sentencing. Her father, Ed Smart, is also expected to address Mitchell, said Chris Thomas, a spokesman for the family.The facts of the case have never been in dispute, but defense attorneys have said Mitchell's actions were tainted by mental illness and long-held delusional beliefs that he had been commanded by God to fulfill important prophecies.Smart, who described her captor as vulgar and self-serving, testified that she believed Mitchell was driven by his desire for sex, drugs and alcohol, not by any sincere religious beliefs.Defense attorneys maintain Mitchell needs psychiatric attention and have asked the judge to recommend incarceration in a federal prison hospital rather than a standard prison.
Wanda Barzee, Mitchell's estranged wife and a co-defendant in the case, is already serving a 15-year sentence in a federal prison hospital in Texas for her role in the kidnapping.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Federer routs rookie in 2nd round of French Open
Roger Federer has been in nearly the exact same position as Maxime Teixeira found himself at the French Open, staring across the net at one of the game’s greats.More than a decade ago, long before the 16 Grand Slam titles and the millions of dollars in earnings, a green-as-could-be Federer stood opposite Andre Agassi at a tournament in his hometown of Basel, Switzerland.
“You know, on the one hand, that you can’t win,” Federer said shortly after beating Teixeira 6-3, 6-0, 6-2 Wednesday in the second round. “And if you win, it’s like a miracle. A crazy miracle.”Novak Djokovic also reached the third round at Roland Garros, advancing after Romanian opponent Victor Hanescu retired with an injury while trailing 6-4, 6-1, 2-3. The win extended his perfect start in 2011 to 39-0 and stretched his overall winning streak to 41.For the women, 2010 French Open finalists Francesca Schiavone and Sam Stosur both advanced easily, while top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki and third-seeded Vera Zvonareva had more difficult routes to the third round.On Thursday, five-time champion Rafael Nadal is scheduled to be back on court—two days after being stretched to five sets for the first time in his French Open career. Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova are also set to play.Federer came into Wednesday’s match with a plan against a player with a career record of 1-0—his first-round victory. And despite an early break in the first set, it worked just fine as the third-seeded Swiss won 13 straight games from 3-3 in the opener.Up next for Federer is a more familiar opponent, 29th-seeded Janko Tipsarevic. The Serb took Federer to five sets in the third round of the 2008 Australian Open, eventually losing 10-8.Zvonareva came within one point of being the highest-seeded player to lose so far. The Wimbledon and U.S. Open runner-up had to save a match point while trailing 5-2 before eventually beating an ailing Sabine Lisicki of Germany 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.Lisicki took two medical breaks because of cramping and dizziness.When the match ended, Lisicki was overcome with emotion. She lay on the court and sobbed until a medical crew carried her off on a stretcher.
Beckham wrangles young pitch invader at Neville testimonial.
Davey Becks skipped an L.A. Galaxy league match to play in best friend Gary Neville's testimonial against Juventus at Old Trafford on Tuesday. The mere fact that he was back at his former home and wearing a Manchester United shirt for the first time since 2003 was, of course, more than enough to gobble up the spotlight that was supposed to be on the retiring Neville (but was actually going to be on scandal subject Ryan Giggs). And as if putting in a fine performance and playing the full 90 minutes while prompting giddy chants of "Fergie sign him up" wasn't enough, Davey even played the part of security enforcer by catching a young pitch invader late in the second half.Becks was preparing to take a corner kick when a couple of kids attempted their invasion. One was caught right away while the other fulfilled his desire to waste everyone's time by scampering around the pitch and evading a trio of stewards. Beckham, meanwhile, just stood with his hands on his hips, waiting for his superior gravitational pull to attract the kid to him and when it did, he wrapped him up with a bear hug.
From there, the herd of stewards took over and moved to expel the two kids from the stadium as Beckham made a point to argue that they should be let go and showed his displeasure when they weren't. He then struck his corner kick and carried on being the one and only Davey Becks.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Chelsea sack Ancelotti
Chelsea fired manager Carlo Ancelotti on Sunday, after a 1-0 loss at Everton completed a season which had "fallen short of expectations", the club said in a statement."Chelsea Football Club can confirm that Carlo Ancelotti parted company with the club today," a statement on Chelsea's website read."The owner and board would like to thank Carlo for his contribution and achievements since taking over as manager in July 2009, which included winning the Double for the first time in the club's history."However, this season's performances have fallen short of expectations and the club feels the time is right to make this change ahead of next season's preparations."Chelsea's long-term football objectives and ambitions remain unchanged and we will now be concentrating all our efforts on identifying a new manager."
However, he paid the ultimate price for a mid-season slump which witnessed Chelsea's worst run of league form in nearly 15 years that ultimately wrecked their chances of defending the title.Ancelotti was the sixth manager of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's eight-year reign.The respected Italian had been hired with the brief of turning Chelsea into European champions but under Ancelotti the Blues exited against Inter Milan in the last 16 last year before being beaten by Manchester United in this year's quarterfinals.Ancelotti's authority had been undermined by the abrupt dismissal of his assistant Ray Wilkins in November, a dismissal which was followed by a disastrous form slump.British media reported that Ancelotti, who had a year left to run on his contract, was notified of his dismissal by chief executive Ron Gourlay at Goodison Park following Sunday's defeat.In his post-match press conference, Ancelotti had said he expected to meet Chelsea bosses next week to discuss his future."I am now on holiday - but I am not sure how long my holiday will be!" he said. "We haven't arranged any meeting but I think in the next week, now the season is finished, the club can address my job and they will take a decision."I have to wait and see what happens."I don't have to say anything to the club - they can judge me on my job for two years."British bookmakers William Hill immediately installed Andre Villas Boas -- who on Sunday clinched a League, Cup, and Europa League treble with Porto -- as favourite to replace Ancelotti.Former Chelsea managers Guus Hiddink and Jose Mourinho were quoted at 7/2 followed by Harry Redknapp, Pep Guardiola and Marco Van Basten.Hiddink, who guided Chelsea to the FA Cup in 2009 during a short stint as caretaker following the dismissal of Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, is currently coaching Turkey.
The 64-year-old Dutchman said in a newspaper column on Sunday he had continued to advise Chelsea since his departure."It works well with Chelsea," Hiddink wrote in De Telegraaf. "Since I left two years ago I've been advising the club on things concerning the squad."Sometimes I become a sounding board. It costs me very little time and I can combine it well with my position with Turkey.
"There is no conflict at all".
Monday, May 23, 2011
Former tennis star Anna Kournikova has put up her Miami Beach, Florida mansion for sale with an asking price of $9.4 million, according to real estate listings.
The ivy-covered home features seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms and is right on the waterfront. The home also has a coral rock pool deck, a two-story guest house and a sauna all within its 6,600 square feet. Photos of the home can be seen here.The property was built in 2000 and is located on gated Sunset Island with a style described as Mediterranean. The guest house is one bedroom, one bathroom with a kitchen and living room. The home, however, does not have a tennis court.Kournikova is best known for her tennis career which included two Grand Slam titles for doubles with partner Martina Hingis. Kournikova's professional career has slowed down as a result of injuries and back problems. She recently came in at No. 19 on Maxim's Hot 100 list.
The athlete is also known for her relationship with pop star Enrique Iglesias that began in 2001. During an interview with Graham Norton on BBC in 2010, she confirmed that the two are still dating but have no interest in getting married.
Dark energy is a real and mysterious force that is pulling the universe apart, according to a census of 200,000 galaxies.
The five-year galactic survey looked at galaxies that were up to 7 billion years old and used NASA’s space-based Galaxy Evolution Explorer and the Anglo-Australian Telescope on Siding Spring Mountain in Australia. The survey’s results support the theory that dark energy is a constant working force, continuously driving away the universe’s runaway expansion. This also contradicts the theory that gravity is what pushes space apart and causes it to expand, challenging Albert Einstein’s concept of gravity.
"The action of dark energy is as if you threw a ball up in the air, and it kept speeding upward into the sky faster and faster,” said a statement written by Chris Blake of the Swinburne University of Technology. "The results tell us that dark energy is a cosmological constant, as Einstein proposed… If gravity were the culprit, then we wouldn't be seeing these constant effects of dark energy throughout time."
Dark energy’s existence has not yet been proven, but these new study results may provide independent confirmation that it may be the force behind the mysterious way that galaxies are being pulled away from each other. Dark energy is thought to make up about 74 percent of the universe.
Maria Sharapova Gunning for French Open Title in Resurgence
The last time Maria Sharapova won a Grand Slam was at the 2008 Australian Open, which just so happened to be the last year she was ranked No. 1 in the world.After two years of battling shoulder problems and inconsistent play, Sharapova has stormed back into the top 10 in 2011, a remarkable turnaround that has some pegging her as the favorite at this year's French Open.As Sharapova gets set to face Mirjana Lucic of Croatia in the women's first round at Roland Garros tomorrow, the question is, will Sharapova win the French Open?
This year didn't exactly start off that grand for Sharapova, but in the Sony Ericsson Open and Internazionali BNL d'Italia, Sharapova played spectacularly. Her problems hitting unforced errors post-2008 seemed to evaporate, at one point hitting 21 winners and 23 unforced errors against Victoria Azarenka before Azarenka retired due to injury in the third set.It's not a reach that she's been playing at the same level as her peak years.
In fact, if she doesn't make it to the final, it would actually be a disappointment.If Sharapova wants to show us all and herself that she's back, she'll do it in the French Open.
Former RNC chair Michael Steele heads to MSNBC
After becoming famous (and infamous) for spouting off about politics, former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele is going to make a career out of it at MSNBC.The network announced Monday via Politico that it's hired Steele as a political analyst and he will soon "regularly appear on the full lineup of MSNBC programming.""It's an honor to contribute and engage in the dialogue on MSNBC," Steele said in a statement.
Republicans voted Steele out in January as head of their party committee. The move came in the wake of a number of scandals under Steele's watch, financial mismanagement at the committee and multiple clashes between the party and Steele.Since leaving the RNC, Steele has been shopping himself around as a political analyst. In the process, Steele has revealed he's even less willing to toe the party line now that he's no longer a party official.
In March, Steele openly advocated a government shutdown at a time when party leaders were depicting a shutdown as an option no one supported, and last month, Steele openly criticized the growing 2012 field for failing to gain traction amid Donald Trump's rise.
Republicans voted Steele out in January as head of their party committee. The move came in the wake of a number of scandals under Steele's watch, financial mismanagement at the committee and multiple clashes between the party and Steele.Since leaving the RNC, Steele has been shopping himself around as a political analyst. In the process, Steele has revealed he's even less willing to toe the party line now that he's no longer a party official.
In March, Steele openly advocated a government shutdown at a time when party leaders were depicting a shutdown as an option no one supported, and last month, Steele openly criticized the growing 2012 field for failing to gain traction amid Donald Trump's rise.
Supreme Court upholds California prison release order
California's 33 adult prisons were designed to hold about 80,000 inmates but currently have about 145,000 and was ordered to release some 40,000 to get down to what court officials feel will be a reasonable level. It was the largest prisoner release order ever from a federal court.Improving conditions in California's prisons has become a major legal, political and budget issue in view of the worsening budget crisis in the nation's most populous state.The ruling involved two class-action lawsuits filed in 1990 and 2001 by inmates who challenged the inadequate medical and mental health care conditions in the state's sprawling prison system.In the 48-page opinion, Kennedy said the lower court must remain open to possible appropriate modifications of its order, but emphasized that he found valid the basic premise behind the order to sharply cut the inmate population.
"The medical and mental health care provided by California's prisons falls below the standard of decency" required by the U.S. Constitution, Kennedy concluded.The court's four most conservative justices dissented. In his dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia said the Supreme Court had upheld "what is perhaps the most radical injunction issued by a court in our nation's history
Missouri officials say tornado killed at least 89
A massive tornado that tore a 6-mile path across southwestern Missouri killed at least 89 people as it slammed into the city of Joplin, ripping into a hospital, crushing cars like soda cans and leaving a forest of splintered tree trunks behind where entire neighborhoods once stood.Authorities warned that the death toll could climb as search and rescuers continued their work Monday. Their task was likely to be made more miserable as a fresh storm moved into the area. It was not expected to produce new tornadoes, but lightning, high winds and heavy rains were likely to hamper an already delicate door-to-door search.City manager Mark Rohr announced the number of known dead at a pre-dawn news conference outside the wreckage of a hospital that took a direct hit from Sunday's storm. Rohr said the twister cut a path nearly 6 miles long and more than a half-mile wide through the center of town, adding that tornado sirens gave residents about a 20-minute warning before the tornado touched down on the city's west side.Much of the city's south side was leveled, with churches, schools, businesses and homes reduced to ruins. Fire chief Mitch Randles estimated 25 percent to 30 percent of the city was damaged, and said his own home was among the buildings destroyed as the twister swept through this city of about 50,000 people some 160 miles south of Kansas City.An unknown number of people were injured in the storm, and officials said patients were scattered to any nearby hospitals that could take them.Authorities conducted a door-to-door search of the damaged area Monday morning, moving gingerly around downed power lines, jagged debris and a series of gas leaks that caused fires around the city overnight.Early Monday, Gov. Jay Nixon said fires from gas leaks still burned across the city."It's a very, very precarious situation," Nixon told CNN. "It's going to be a stark view as people see dawn rise in Joplin, Missouri."Residents said the damage was breathtaking in scope.The Joplin twister was one of 68 reported tornadoes across seven Midwest states over the weekend, from Oklahoma to Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. One person was killed in Minneapolis. But the devastation in Missouri was the worst of the day, eerily reminiscent of the tornadoes that killed more than 300 people across the South last month.Sunday's storm in Joplin hit a hospital packed with patients and a commercial area including a Home Depot construction store, numerous smaller businesses and restaurants and a grocery store. Jasper County emergency management director Keith Stammer said an estimated 2,000 buildings were damaged.Among the worst-hit locations in Joplin was St. John's Regional Medical Center. The staff had just a few moments' notice to hustle patients into hallways before the storm struck the nine-story building, blowing out hundreds of windows and leaving the facility useless.In the parking lot, a helicopter lay crushed on its side, its rotors torn apart and windows smashed. Nearby, a pile of cars lay crumpled into a single mass of twisted metal. Matt Sheffer dodged downed power lines, trees and closed streets to make it to his dental office across from the hospital. Rubble littered a flattened lot where a pharmacy, gas station and some doctors' offices once stood.St. John's patients were evacuated to other hospitals in the region, said Cora Scott, a spokeswoman for the medical center's sister hospital in Springfield.Early Monday morning, floodlights from a temporary triage facility lit what remained of the hospital that once held as many 367 patients. Police officers could be seen combing the surrounding area for bodies.
Miranda Lewis, a spokeswoman for St. John's, was at home when the tornado sirens began going off. Early Monday, she had no details on any deaths or injuries suffered at the hospital in the tornado strike, although she had seen the damaged building."It's like what you see someplace else, honestly," Lewis said. "That's a terrible way to say it, but you don't recognize what's across the street.
Volcano eruption in Iceland sends up ash plume, shuts airport _ but Europe is spared, for now
An Icelandic volcano was flinging ash, smoke and steam miles (kilometers) into the air Sunday, dropping a thick layer of gray soot in an eruption far more forceful — but likely far less impactful — than the one that grounded planes across Europe last year.The country’s main airport was closed and pilots were warned to steer clear of Iceland as areas close to the Grimsvotn (GREEMSH-votn) volcano were plunged into darkness. But scientists said another widespread aviation shutdown is unlikely, in part because the ash from this eruption is coarser and falling to Earth more quickly.Iceland closed its main international airport and canceled all domestic flights Sunday as a powerful volcanic eruption sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam high into the sky. (May 22)
The volcano, which lies beneath the ice of the uninhabited Vatnajokull glacier in southeast Iceland, began erupting Saturday for the first time since 2004. It was the volcano’s largest eruption in 100 years.The ash from Grimsvotn — about 120 miles (200 kilometers) east of the capital, Reykjavik — turned the sky black Sunday and rained down on nearby buildings, cars and fields. Civil protection workers helped farmers get their animals into shelter and urged residents to wear masks and stay indoors. No ash fell on the capital.
Scientists said the eruption was unlikely to have the same global impact as last year’s eruption 80 miles (130 kilometers) away at the Eyjafjallajokull (pronounced ay-yah-FYAH-lah-yer-kuhl) volcano, which left 10 million travelers stranded around the world.Still, Icelandic air traffic control operator ISAVIA established a 120 nautical mile (220 kilometer) no-fly zone around the volcano, closed Keflavik airport, the country’s main hub, and canceled all domestic flights. It said Keflavik would stay shut until at least noon Monday, canceling about 40 international flights.
Trans-Atlantic planes — including Air Force One, due to carry President Barack Obama to Ireland later Sunday — were told to stay away from Iceland.The European air traffic control agency in Brussels, Eurocontrol, however, said there was no impact on European or trans-Atlantic flights further south and said it did not anticipate any impact through Monday.Britain’s Meteorological Office, which runs Europe’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Center, said the plume from the volcano would spread largely northeast until Monday, but some ash would creep south and east, toward the crowded skies over northern Europe.Where it goes after that depends on the intensity of the eruption and weather patterns.
A Met Office spokeswoman said if the eruption continues at its current rate, “the U.K. could be at risk of seeing some volcanic ash later this week.” She spoke on condition of anonymity because she wasn’t authorized to be quoted by name.
University of Iceland geophysicist Magnus Tumi Gudmundsson said the Grimsvotn eruption was “much bigger and more intensive” than last year’s eruption and 10 times as powerful as Grimsvotn’s last explosion in 2004.
Patricia Heaton Says Her Politics Have Cost Her Possible Roles
In the interview with PopEater though – during which she said she is not opposed to gay marriage – Heaton said she gets lumped together with other conservatives and it has cost her possible work.“We know for a fact there are some people who have said they wouldn’t want to work with us because of our politics,” she said, with her husband Hunt adding, “We get lumped in with lunatics.”When they say lunatics, it’s not a slam against Christians in general. In a 2006 interview with Christianity Today, Heaton spoke more in depth about the issue.
“There’s a need for Christians to stop being portrayed in our industry as crazies,” she said. “Christians – whether as a priest, a nun, a minister, whatever – have just been stereotyped to death. You try to be a model of kindness and love and forgiveness to all those around you, because you have received kindness and love and forgiveness from God through Christ. That’s what Christianity is.”
2-time major champion Hewitt out of French Open
Hewitt hasn’t played on tour since March because of foot surge
Novak Djokovic extended his perfect season right into the French Open, beating Thiemo de Bakker 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 Monday in the first round.
The second-seeded Serb improved his 2011 record to 38-0—and stretched his winning streak to 40—on the second day of the tournament at Roland Garros. And he barely broke a sweat doing it, breaking his Dutch opponent six times.
Djokovic walked out onto center court as the co-favorite after beating Rafael Nadal in two clay-court finals leading up to the French Open. He can meet Nadal only in the final at Roland Garros, and if he does he will be assured of taking over the No. 1 ranking from the Spaniard regardless of that result.
Hackers Infiltrate Sony So-net Subsidiary
When it rains for Sony, it pours for Sony. According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, hackers have managed to infiltrate Sony's subsidiary ISP, So-net Entertainment Corp., and make off with around $1,225 in redeemable gift points.According to So-net, the company discovered the breach after receiving customer complaints on May 18. A subsequent investigation concluded that hackers were able to tap into approximately 128 different accounts across May 16 and May 17, stealing around 100,000 yen (or $1,225) worth of points from the account holders. An additional 73 accounts were also accessed, their points left unredeemed, and around 90 So-net email accounts were compromised in the attack."Although we can't completely rule out the possibility that there is a connection with the PSN issue, the likelihood is low," So-net Entertainment spokesperson Keisuke Watabe said.To So-net's credit, whatever security system the company employs for its point system did manage to hold for quite a bit of time. That, or the hackers really had no other strategies other than what appears to be a brute-force attack on accounts. It allegedly took the attackers more than 10,000 different attempts before they were finally successful in accessing So-net's system.Following the attack, So-net has alerted its customers and asked them to change their passwords on their accounts. The company has also stopped point exchanges across its network for the time being."At this point in our investigations, we have not confirmed any data leakage," said Watabe, offering up a bit of a silver lining for the attack. "We have not found any sign of a possibility that a third party has obtained members' names, address, birth dates and phone numbers."The timing of the So-net attack couldn't be worst for Sony. An unrelated Sony attack was also discovered earlier this week, in which hackers managed to penetrate Sony's Thailand site and publish a phishing page on the company's servers. The page was dolled up to look as if it was for the Italian CartaSi credit card, and it asked users to submit all of their specific credit card information before redirecting them over to the official CartaSi site.
Once contacted by F-Secure's Mikko Hypponen, who discovered the phishing attempt, Sony removed the offending page.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Cubs CF Byrd placed on 15-day DL after beaning
Stosur, Jankovic ease into French Open round two
Schiavone begins her title defence against American 19-year-old Melanie Oudin on Monday, with Danish top seed Caroline Wozniacki kicking off her campaign against 40-year-old Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm
Spaniards sweep up on starless Paris Sunday
Battle with militants reaches climax at Pakistan base
An overnight battle with militants at Pakistan's naval aviation base erupted again after dawn on Monday, with blasts ringing out and choppers hovering overhead as security forces launched a counter-offensive.The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the brazen attack on the base by 15-20 gunmen, saying it was to avenge the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on May 2.More than 30 troops entered the PNS Mehran base in the southern city of Karachi as the battle resumed in the morning and eight blasts were heard in the space of 30 minutes."The operation still continues. It is not over yet," said one security official, eight hours after the militants stormed the installation with guns and grenades, killing at least five people and blowing up a military aircraft.
Eleven people were wounded in the attack on one of the country's most heavily guarded military installations, where jet fuel tanks appeared to have caught fire and exploded.Those killed in the assault, which started at around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, included a sailor, three firefighters and an Army ranger."They were carrying guns, rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and hand grenades. They hit the aircraft with an RPG," Navy spokesman Commander Salman Ali said.The Karachi attack evoked memories of an assault on Pakistan's army headquarters in the town of Rawalpindi in 2009, and revived concerns that even the most well-guarded installations in the country remain vulnerable to militants.Interior Minister Rehman Malik said earlier that the militants had attacked from the rear of the base.Media reports said the attackers had made their way in through a sewer line, but that was not confirmed. The military's goal was to capture as many of the attackers alive as possible, Pakistan television reported.Pakistani military and paramilitary reinforcements poured in after the attack began, with four vehicles carrying about 10 troops each moving into the base.
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack."Such a cowardly act of terror could not deter the commitment of the government and people of Pakistan to fight terrorism," Gilani said in statement.
Edwards rolls to easy win in All-Star Race
Edwards had a sheepish grin as he climbed out his window for his customary celebratory backflip, and he apologized to crew chief Bob Osborne for wrecking the car.He won three of the four segments in the 100-lap race, but still had one last pit stop and a 10-lap sprint to the finish before he could claim his first All-Star victory. NASCAR brought the field in for a 10-minute break following the third segment, then sent the cars back to the track for parade laps before they were required to return to pit road for a four-tire stop.The stop is where the pit crews have their chance to shine in this event, and Edwards’ team delivered. He came in as the leader and left as the leader, beating Busch back onto the track.Edwards then got a terrific jump on the restart and easily pulled away.“The restart was good, and man, that thing, it really runs,” Edwards said
Carl Edwards enjoyed the All-Star Race, even if you didn’t
Kim Clijsters returns to French Open 5 years later
Mel Gibson
Lady Gaga
Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen who are co-stars in Woody Allen's new film, "Midnight in Paris," have confirmed they are dating, following months of speculation.
Last November, Sheen was photographed holding hands with McAdams in Toronto, fueling rumors that the two were dating. They were also spotted together at an after party at the Toronto International Film Festival.Sheen comes across as being quite smitten by the actress, who sparked engagement rumors recently when McAdams was spotted wearing what looked like an engagement ring, but Sheen's rep denied to E! News.Meanwhile, McAdams told Elle magazine recently that her parent's happy marriage made her disillusioned with what love is."You grow up and you assume that everyone is like that, and you quickly realize that they're not," McAdams told Elle magazine recently. "And then you have those days when you wonder if you're going to find it for yourself. It's such a hard thing to find. I think it was more that realization that rocked me."McAdams is known for her roles in films such as "Mean Girls" and "Sherlock Holmes." A 2011 sequel to the hit film that starred Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as the British sleuth is in the works, although McAdams' return as Irene Adler has not been confirmed officially. McAdams has famously dated "The Notebook" co-star Ryan Gosling and actor Josh Lucas.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson(notes) has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.
Track Palin marries longtime girlfriend Britta Hanson
Hollywood actress Uma Thurman, a Cannes juror, excused herself from the film festival on Friday to attend
The festival ends on Sunday
Friday, May 20, 2011
Judgment Day is coming today, beginning at 6 p.m., according to Harold Camping, the president of the Christian broadcaster Family Radio. Could he be wrong? He wouldn't be the first. Here are five failed Judgment Day predictions:
OCT. 22, 1844
Who: Samuel S. Snow, a preacher in the Millerite movement, led by the Baptist preacher William MillerHow he came by this date: A prophesy in the Book of Daniel states "Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed" (Dan. 8:14). If you convert the days into years, and if you start in the year 457 B.C. -- the year that Artaxerxes I of Persia decreed that that the city government of Jerusalem shall be re-established -- then this takes you to 1844. Using the Karaite Jewish calendar, Snow pinned the date down to Oct. 22What actually happened: Thousands of people gave away all their posessions, only to be surprised when the world did not come to end, and the day came to be known as "The Great Disappointment." The Millerites splintered into several religious groups, the largest and most mainstream being the Seventh-day Adventists, and the smallest and most unconventional probably being the Branch Davidians. Millerism has also influenced the Baha'i Faith.
.
1806
Who: The Prophet Hen of Leeds, a domesticated fowl in Leeds, England, who in 1806 began laying eggs that bore the message "Christ is coming."How she came by that date: As you will see in the next paragraph, the answer is "the hard way."What actually happened: Charles Mackay's 1841 book, "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds," describes it thus:"Great numbers visited the spot, and examined these wondrous eggs, convinced that the day of judgment was near at hand. Like sailors in a storm, expecting every instant to go to the bottom, the believers suddenly became religious, prayed violently, and flattered themselves that they repented them of their evil courses. But a plain tale soon put them down, and quenched their religion entirely. Some gentlemen, hearing of the matter, went one fine morning, and caught the poor hen in the act of laying one of her miraculous eggs. They soon ascertained beyond doubt that the egg had been inscribed with some corrosive ink, and cruelly forced up again into the bird's body. At this explanation, those who had prayed, now laughed, and the world wagged as merrily as of yore."
DEC. 21, 1954
Who: Dorothy Martin, a Chicago housewife and student of Dianetics, a set of practices developed by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard.How she came by this date: Through automatic writing, Martin came in contact with beings from the planet Clarion, who told her that the world would be destroyed by flood and that the faithful would be rescued at midnight by flying saucers.What actually happened: Martin's followers, many of whom quit their jobs and gave away their possessions, gathered in her home to await the aliens. (Martin's husband, a nonbeliever, slept upstairs through the whole thing.) To avoid being burned by the flying saucer, her followers removed all metal from their persons, including zippers and bra straps. Midnight came and went, and the group became increasingly agitated. Finally, at 4:45 a.m., Martin said that she received another message from Clarions informing her that God was so impressed by her group's actions that he changed His mind and decided to spare the earth.The group was infiltrated by a psychologist named Leon Festinger, who used his observations to develop the theory of cognitive dissonance.
2000
Who: Hal Lindsey, who continually has been predicting the end of the world since his 1970 book "The Late, Great Planet Earth," and who, in his 1996 book "Planet Earth 2000 A.D.: Will Mankind Survive?" wrote that Christians should not make any plans after the year 2000.How he came by this date: Probably the same method he used to calculate the date of the end of the world in his book "The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon," which is now out of print.What actually happened: Despite his less-than-stellar track record, Lindsey is still at it. In 2008, he wrote a column for the conservative news site WorldNetDaily suggesting that Barack Obama is the Antichrist.
OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER 1982
Who: Pat Robertson, who in a 1980 broadcast of "The 700 Club" said, "I guarantee you, by the end of 1982, there is going to be a judgment on the world."How he came by that date: Robertson has said that God told him about pending disasters on numerous occasions (including a West Coast tsunami in 2006, and a terrorist attack in 2007 -- neither occurred). "I have a relatively good track record," he has said. "Sometimes I miss."What actually happened: The world didn't end in 1982, but "WKRP in Cincinnati," did.
United Airlines temporarily revived the flight numbers of two hijacked planes used in the Sept. 11 attacks but said Wednesday the move was inadvertent and they would not be used.
Call numbers 93 and 175 were mistakenly assigned to two flights by Continental Airlines, which has merged with United. United declined to explain how the numbers found their way back onto flights. Unionized flight attendants urged the company to permanently retire them, while pilots said the move was insensitive.
Flight 175, a Boeing 767, took off from Boston and was one of two planes flown into New York's World Trade Center. Flight 93, a Boeing 757, took off from New Jersey's Newark International Airport and crashed into aPennsylvania field. Investigators believed the hijackers of that plane wanted to hit the U.S. Capitol or the White House. Two other planes used in the attack were flown by American Airlines. Flight 11, a 767 from Boston, hit the World Trade Center, and Flight 77 from Washington Dulles, crashed into the Pentagon.
Kate Gosselin, the television personality famous for birthing eight children, has been ordered to pay about $10,000 to a Pennsylvania marriage therapist, the Associated Press reports.
Sylvia Lafair said she traveled to Los Angeles in March 2009 to counsel Gosselin and her then-husband, Jon Gosselin. The couple finalized their nasty divorce in late 2009. Lafair, who heads the company Creative Energy Options in White Haven, Pa., sued Gosselin after she didn’t receive payment for her services or travel expenses. The “Kate Plus 8” star testified she never had a contract with the Lafair’s company, but Magisterial District Judge Gerald Feissner ruled otherwise May 13.A lawyer for the average mom turned tabloid subject turned “Dancing With the Stars”contestant said an appeal was filed Tuesday.A 5.9-magnitude earthquake partly collapsed some buildings and one mosque in western Turkey, killing at least three people and injuring nearly 100 people.
The quake that struck at 11:15pm (2015 GMT) on Thursday, sent terrified residents running from their homes before midnight. It was centered in the town of Simav, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said.Two people, including one who jumped out of a window in panic, were killed in Simav. An elderly woman died of a heart attack in another town, Inegol, authorities said.Fifteen others were treated at hospitals in the neighboring province of Usak, said Seracettin Com, a senior health official.
Bilgin Turkmentepe, a member of the search and rescue group Akut, said some elderly people did not notice the cracks at one mosque at dawn and only left morning prayers after their warnings.
Many residents spent the rest of the night in their cars or in the streets as authorities cautioned them against re-entering their homes. The Red Crescent set up soup kitchens and dispatched tents to the area.The quake was followed by about 50 aftershocks, the strongest with a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 that shook Kutahya.Most of the town of Simav was without electricity and telephone lines were down.
In March 2010, a 6.0-magnitude quake knocked down houses in five villages in eastern Turkey, killing 51 people. In 2003, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed 177 people in the southeastern city of Bingol, including 84 children whose school dormitory collapsed.
Nancy Kerrigan in minor car accident
Top three best boxers in the world
1. Giovani Segura : Segura is coming off two straight wins over longtime Puerto Rican great Ivan Calderon. The two stoppage wins vaulted him into the top 10 pound for pound, and finally made many take notice of his prodigious power, effective aggression and all-around skills.He has 23 knockouts in 27 wins, he avenged his only loss, a decision to Cesar Canchila, with a 4th round TKO in his next fight, and also holds a number of other notable wins. It's likely that he will be venturing up to Flyweight or maybe even Super Flyweight, which means he may land a few major TV dates against names we are familiar with before long.
2. Omar Andres Narvaez : The Argentinean has been a champion going back about nine years. In that time he has racked up a 19-0-1 record in title fights spanning two weight classes, and is still undefeated as a professional, with a 34 (19) - 0 - 2 ledger. The problem is that he fights almost exclusively from his home country, and the majority of those title wins come against overmatched competition.There have been good wins mixed in though, wins over Brahim Asloum, Carlos Tamara, and most recently, Cesar Seda, for instance. But he's not on TV and he hasn't fought in the U.S., which means you're not the only boxing fan who knows little if anything about El Huracan. At 35-years-old and with limited time left in the game, perhaps he gets the itch to venture stateside - or at least to Mexico - for a major title bout or unification match
.
3. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam : The Thai battler has been a pro for well over 15 years, and over that time has built up a 80 (44) - 3 - 1 record, including a ridiculous 71-1-1 stretch after losing twice in his first 11 bouts. Yes, most of those are meaningless, stay-busy fights. For example, in his past 13 contests, three of his opponents were making professional debuts, three others had losing records with less than five fights, and two others were against overmatched local journeymen.Still, there's a 20-1-1 record in title fights to be found, with two wins over Daisuke Naito (the man who came back to give him those two title fight blemishes), and other wins over Julio Cesar Miranda, Gilberto Keb Baas, Luis Lazarte, an undefeated Hussein Hussein, and perhaps most impressively of all, his recent effort to regain the WBC flyweight title by earning a decision over the previously undefeated Japanese star Koki Kameda.
Barcelona Team Report
Barcelona has already won the Primera Division title and coach Pep Guardiola can afford to rest players once again ahead of the Champions League final on May 28. Exactly a week before that date against Manchester United, Barca travels to Malaga on Saturday in the last round of league matches. Captain Carles Puyol has stepped up his recovery and could feature to get some valuable playing time ahead of the trip to London, but it is likely to be an otherwise experimental side from Guardiola. Gabi Milito is out injured, but is expected to be ready for the Champions League final, meaning Guardiola will have the luxury of a full-strength squad available for the game at Wembley.
Blatter not ruling out 2022 World Cup revote
FIFA president Sepp Blatter is having a hard time brushing away allegations that Qatar bribed two FIFA voters with $1.5 million each to back its successful bid for the 2022 World Cup that arose from evidence given to a Parliamentary hearing by the Sunday Times. The allegations sparked calls for a revote on the 2022 World Cup hosting duties that Qatar initially won by a considerable margin. At first, those calls seemed futile, but according to Blatter, it might not be an impossibility after all.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Reclusive North Korea is preparing for a third generation of Kim family rule, with the young and inexperienced Kim Jong-un poised to take over from his father to run the autocratic state born out of the Cold War.
The 27 or 28-year-old Kim is taking the next big step to succeeding leader Kim Jong-il by visiting China, introducing himself to the destitute North's main benefactor, possibly one of the most crucial diplomatic moves he will ever make, with South Korean media reporting he had crossed the border.The youngest of the leader's three sons, little is known about Kim, not even his age. He was most likely born in 1984.His name in Chinese characters translates as "righteous cloud," while the media refers to him as the "the young general." Educated in Switzerland, he is thought to speak English and German, and bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather, the North's founder, Kim Il-sung.Analysts say the two attacks on the peninsula last year, which killed 50 South Koreans, were aimed at winning the army's support for a continuation of dynastic rule and underscored an intent to maintain the state's military-first policy.Experts say the young Kim will likely follow the same militaristic path, maintaining a strong grip over one of the world's largest armies and pressing on with a nuclear weapons programme in the face of international outrage
Last year, the young dauphin was officially anointed as leader-in-waiting when his father made him a 4-star general and gave him a prominent political post. But for added security, Kim promoted his sister and her husband to top positions to create a powerful triumvirate to run the family dynasty.John Delury and Chung-in Moon of Yonsei University say that it is wishful thinking on the part of Seoul to think regime change is imminent as reports from foreign visitors over the past year reveal no overt signs of crisis or instability.Moreover, the two scholars say China is actively engaged on diplomatic and economic levels in supporting North Korea's survival, stability, and development.
China prefers the status quo on the peninsula, worried that if the South takes over the North, the South would bring its U.S. military ally to the Chinese border
Zsa Zsa Gabor is unresponsive, hospitalized
Zsa Zsa Gabor suffered another health setback Wednesday morning, the latest in a series of medical stuggles for the 94-year-old actress, her husband said."She got into a little coma," Prince Frederic von Anhalt said.Gabor was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Tuesday afternoon because the feeding tube inserted into her stomach was "bleeding ... like a fountain," her spokesman said.She had been released from the same hospital a day earlier after being treated for pneumonia.Doctors were working hard on her Wednesday afternoon, von Anhalt said."She doesn't respond," Prince Frederic von Anhalt said.He said she is suffering from a stomach infection.
Gabor, 94, has been in and out of the hospital many times in the past year. She underwent hip replacement surgery last summer and a leg amputation several months later. She has been unable to walk since a 2002 car accident.The Hungarian-born actress, the second of the three celebrated Gabor sisters, is famous for her many marriages and strong personality.Her more prominent films include John Huston's Toulouse-Lautrec biopic "Moulin Rouge" in 1952, "The Story of Three Loves" in 1953, "The Girl in the Kremlin" in 1957 and Orson Welles' 1958 cult classic, "Touch of Evil."
Gabor, 94, has been in and out of the hospital many times in the past year. She underwent hip replacement surgery last summer and a leg amputation several months later. She has been unable to walk since a 2002 car accident.The Hungarian-born actress, the second of the three celebrated Gabor sisters, is famous for her many marriages and strong personality.Her more prominent films include John Huston's Toulouse-Lautrec biopic "Moulin Rouge" in 1952, "The Story of Three Loves" in 1953, "The Girl in the Kremlin" in 1957 and Orson Welles' 1958 cult classic, "Touch of Evil."
Coffee May Protect Against Prostate Cancer.
Six Cups of Coffee a Day Cuts Lethal Prostate Cancer Risk 60 Percent
Pour another cup, coffee enthusiasts, because new research suggests java helps curb the risk of prostate cancer. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data from nearly 48,000 American men who reported their coffee consumption every four years between 1986 and 2008. They found that those who consumed the most coffee--at least six cups a day--were 60 percent less likely to develop lethal prostate cancer than nondrinkers, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Men who drank one to three cups a day, meanwhile, had a 30 percent lower risk of lethal prostate cancer. The results were similar between men who drank decaf and regular coffee, suggesting caffeine isn't the driving force behind the trend. Rather, coffee could reduce inflammation and affect key hormones that play a role in the disease, the researchers speculate. "If our findings are validated, coffee could represent one modifiable factor that may lower the risk of developing the most harmful form of prostate cancer," study author Kathryn Wilson told CBS News. "I don't recommend that men change their diets based on the results of any single study. We need to see if this finding is confirmed in other populations."
Men who drank one to three cups a day, meanwhile, had a 30 percent lower risk of lethal prostate cancer. The results were similar between men who drank decaf and regular coffee, suggesting caffeine isn't the driving force behind the trend. Rather, coffee could reduce inflammation and affect key hormones that play a role in the disease, the researchers speculate. "If our findings are validated, coffee could represent one modifiable factor that may lower the risk of developing the most harmful form of prostate cancer," study author Kathryn Wilson told CBS News. "I don't recommend that men change their diets based on the results of any single study. We need to see if this finding is confirmed in other populations."
Tai Chi improves mental health in elderly
Many studies were flawed because they had a poor design or were at high risk of bias. For instance, they enrolled only small numbers of volunteers or lacked an adequate "control" group to ensure a fair comparison.The overview was conducted by Myeong Soo Lee of the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine in Daejeon, and Edzard Ernst of the University of Exeter, southwestern England.It appears in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, published by the British Medical Association (BMA).Tai Chi entails regular practice of deep breathing and relaxation techniques, combined with slow and gentle movements.It is based on tenets in Confucian and Buddhist philosophies that there are two opposing life forces, yin and yang, which govern health.Health results from an imbalance in these forces, but it can be corrected by Tai Chi, according to these beliefs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)