The New Your Times

Floyd Mayweather Wants To Fight Manny Pacquiao

2011-01-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

[Examiner.com | Marv Dumon] Undefeated boxer Floyd "Money" Mayweather, Jr (41-0) stated that he would fight rival Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao (52-3-2) of the Philippines in an online video apparently created over the weekend. The blockbuster bout, if and when it occurs, is expected to be the most lucrative event in the history of the sport.

Speaking to his fans over on UStream, Mayweather - in an irritated and agitated tone - addressed his followers:

"I want to talk to my fans. Okay, I got y'all . . . . I'm never gonna let my fans down. Not me. That's the reason why I'm 41 - 0."

The boxer spoke of a potential showdown with the Filipino legend:

"Don't worry we're gonna beat Poochie-iao's ass. Stop asking the same question. 'When are you gonna fight Poochie-iao?' I'm gonna fight the Pacman. Do me a favor . . . . I'm gonna fight the Pacman when he is off the power pellets."

With the statement, Mayweather seemed to continue to voice his suspicions that Pacquiao's historic winning streak against much larger opponents is aided by performance-enhancement drugs (PEDs).

Mayweather's fight with Oscar de la Hoya in 2007 is the highest-grossing bout to date at 2.4 million pay-per-view (PPV) buys, with over $120 million in generated revenue. With the match-up appealing to sports fans across a broad spectrum, some analysts anticipate Mayweather-Pacquiao to exceed three million PPV buys. [ The Filipino-American population in the U.S. is estimated at over four million. ]

Early in 2010, casinos and online bookies gave Mayweather - considered the best technical boxer in the world - a slight betting edge over Pacquiao at -150. A $100 bet for the Las Vegas-resident would yield $70 in winnings if Mayweather won. Pacquiao - considered the best offensive fighter on the planet - stood at +120, with a $100 wager yielding a hundred dollars if the eight-time champion prevailed. [ Photos: Mayweather defeats Mosley ]

Some contest that Mayweather, 34, is the best boxer in the world pound-for-pound, a mythical position the boxer occupied in the mid-2000s until his brief retirement in 2008. The Ring, ESPN, Yahoo!, among major sports outlets, currently consider Pacquiao, 32, as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, followed by Mayweather at No. 2.

The Filipino icon, currently the WBC super welterweight and WBO welterweight champion, squares off against former welterweight champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley (46-6-1) on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout will be shown on Showtime / CBS with a potential reach of 115 million households in the U.S.

Egypt On High Alert After Following Church Bombing

2011-01-03T03:45:00.000-08:00

[Samer al-Atrush | AFP] Egypt was on high alert on Monday ahead of the Coptic Christmas holiday following a New Year's Day church bombing that killed 21 people as investigators raced to identify those behind the attack.

Police cancelled leave for top officers and were tightening surveillance of airports and ports to prevent suspects from leaving the country, as new checkpoints were set up across the nation.

Security was also to be beefed up at churches for Christmas which Copts celebrate on January 7.
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The clampdown comes amid fears of new protests by Copts following overnight clashes at Cairo's St. Mark's Cathedral -- headquarters of Coptic leader Pope Shenouda III -- during which 45 policemen were wounded.

The protesters pelted with rocks a minister who had come to visit the pope and heckled other government officials while other demonstrators blocked off four main streets in Cairo before police dispersed them.

Coptic Christmas will fall on Friday -- the weekly Muslim day of prayer and rest -- and Shenouda said he intended to say mass as usual on Christmas Eve.

"Not praying would mean that terrorism has deprived us of celebrating the birth of Christ," the official Al-Ahram newspaper quoted him as saying.

Twenty-one people were killed early on New Year's Day and 79 wounded when an apparent suicide bomber detonated his payload as hundreds of worshippers were leaving midnight at Al-Qiddissin (The Saints) church in Alexandria.

A security official said on Sunday that about 20 people were detained for questioning but there was no evidence any of them was directly connected to the attack.

Al-Ahram quoted security officials as saying that the bomb was a sophisticated device packed with TNT and pieces of metal to cause the largest number of casualties possible.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, which came two months after an Al-Qaeda linked group which claimed responsibility for a deadly Baghdad church hostage-taking threatened Coptic Christians.

The group demanded the release of two women, Camelia Shehata and Wafa Constantine, both priests' wives, it said the church was holding against their will after they converted to Islam.

Egypt, the most populous Arab country, witnessed a resurgence in attacks by Islamist militants in the last decade after the government battled a spate of attacks in the 1990s that included an attempt abroad to kill the president.

President Hosni Mubarak has vowed to find those responsible for the bombing which he said targetted all Egyptians, regardless of their faith, and blamed "foreign hands."

The bombing has further underscored the vulnerability of the Copts, who make up about 10 percent of the country's 80-million population and complain of discrimination.

Last year began with a massacre of six Copts and a Muslim security guard after a Christmas Eve mass and ended on a tense note after two Coptic protesters died in clashes in a protest over a Cairo church permit.

Some Coptic activists have accused the government of not doing enough to prevent incitement against the minority, especially after Islamists began staging regular demonstrations demanding the release of Shehata.

Shehata, like Constantine in 2004, had escaped her husband last year and reportedly wanted a divorce, something that is very difficult to obtain from the Coptic church.

The church has denied that either of the women converted. Women's rights activists say Coptic women have been known to convert, either to Islam or another Christian denomination, to escape unhappy marriages.

Batangas Tradegy As Seven Perish In Vehicular Acciddent

2011-01-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

THE first Sunday of the year was bloody in Batangas as seven persons perished in a three-vehicle pile-up – all members of one clan.

The tragic accident almost wiped out the Festejo clan. Francisco, Zosimo, Joy, Elizardo, Laurence, and Jermel died on the spot while Maricris Festejo died at the Batangas Regional Hospital. Four other Festejos were injured – Frank Ace, Marilyn, Anabel and Aron.

The victims had just come from vacation in Batangas and were on their way home when tragedy struck.

Police said a Gasat passenger bus going to Batangas City tried to overtake a car along the Star tollways in Barangay Sabang at 1:15 p.m. and smashed into the Festejos’ passenger jeepney coming from the opposite direction. Another vehicle, a Nissan Exalta with plate number SFB-447, was hit by the bus.

The bus driver was arrested and detained. He will be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and serious injuries and damage to property, police said.

The names of the other victims are still being established, said Batangas police office director Senior Supt. Alberto Supapo.

It's Raining Dead Birds

2011-01-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

[CNN] Arkansas game officials hope testing scheduled to begin Monday will solve the mystery of why up to 5,000 blackbirds fell from the sky just before midnight New Year’s Eve.

The birds — most of which were dead — were found within a one-mile area of Beebe, about 40 miles northeast of Little Rock, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said. The blackbirds fell over about a one-mile area, the commission said in a statement.

As of Saturday, between 4,000 and 5,000 blackbirds had been found dead, said Keith Stephens with the commission.

Watch the unfortunate event below...

[FoxNews.com] Commission ornithologist Karen Rowe said the he birds showed physical trauma, and she speculated that "the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail."

The commission said that New Year's Eve revelers shooting off fireworks in the area could have startled the birds from their roost and caused them to die from stress.

Robby King, a wildlife officer for the agency, collected about 65 dead birds, which will be sent for testing to the state Livestock and Poultry Commission lab and the National Wildlife Health Center lab in Wisconsin.

Rowe said that similar events have occurred elsewhere and that test results "usually were inconclusive." She said she doubted the birds were poisoned.

Shane Mosley Versus Manny Pacquiao

2010-12-21T22:11:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title against Shane Mosley on May. 7 in an HBO pay-per-view fight from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Mosley told FanHouse Tuesday evening.

The 32-year-old Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) also holds the WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt, but that is not on the line, according to Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) and Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum .

"It's done. I'm fighting Many Pacquiao on May 7," said the 39-year-old Mosley.

"We came to an agreement today, in fact, just a few minutes ago. Bob Arum, James Prince and I," said Mosley. "We sat down, and we came to an agreement. The only thing that I have to do now is to sign it. Bob Arum is writing it all up right now."

Mosley was the main subject of conversation as the next opponent for the WBO welterweight champ during last week's meetings between Pacquiao, Arum and Pacquiao's adviser Michael Koncz. It produced a counter proposal that had been presented to Mosley's adviser James Princefor approval, Koncz told FanHouse on Tuesday.

Mosley was chosen over 37-year-old WBO and WBA lightweight king Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 38 KOs) and 27-year-old WBC welterweight belt-holder Andre Berto (27-0, 21 KOs), Mosley said.

Mosley also confirmed that his purse, up front, stands to be around $5 million against Pacquiao. But with incentives, Mosley could wind up earning a career-high amount, surpassing the previous career-best of $7 million that he pocketed after his unanimous decision loss to Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) back in May, who received a non-heavyweight record guarantee of $22.5 million.

"That's still accurate. We came to an agreement with everything involved, including the financial end of it," Mosley said of the numbers pertaining to his purse.

"We're looking to start a promotional campaign probably in early to mid-February, so there will be a press tour," said Mosley. "But the main thing is that I got the fight on May 7, and me and Bob and James Prince, we're all in agreement on everything. I think that I can go in and sign it in about two days or so. But the bottom line is that it's done."

Reached in the Philippines, Koncz told FanHouse that he had not yet heard from Arum, and that Pacquiao still needed to approve of the contract even though Mosley's side was in agreement.

"The contracts haven't been signed, but it's real close," said Prince. "I think that that is something that will happen some time tomorrow."

Arum had told FanHouse that Marquez's asking price for a third bout was too high, with Koncz saying that Golden Boy Promotions had "overpriced" the Mexican, three-division champion.

According to a source with knowledge of Marquez's demands, the Mexican, three-division champion has asked for a $5 million guarantee, while making $5 per pay-per-view buy above 500,000, for $8.5 million total if the fight generated 1.2 million buys.

Pacquiao is coming off of a Nov. 13 unanimous decision over Antonio Margarito that earned him the WBC's junior middleweight belt, his eighth crown in as many different weight classes, and, also, his 13th straight win with eight knockouts during that span.

Pacquiao's last loss was by a unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March of 2005. During his run, Pacquiao's eight stoppages included four consecutively. That spree comprised those againstDavid Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, respectively, in nine, eight, two rounds, and, 12 rounds.

Pacquaio's winning streak also includes having twice avenged the loss to Morales, whom he stopped in 10, and, three rounds, in January and November 2006. The run also includes 12-round triumphs over Mexican legends Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera, as well as an eighth-round knockout of Jorge Solis, who entered their matchup unbeaten at 33-0-2, with 24 knockouts.

Pacquiao-Margarito, and, Pacquiao-Cotto were contested at catch weights favoring the smaller man, meaning that neither fighter can weigh more than that. Pacquiao weighed in at 144, and, 144.5 pounds, respectively, for both Cotto and Margarito, whose catch weights were 145, and, 150.

Still, Margarito had out-weighed Pacquiao, 165-to-148, by the time the fighters entered the ring.

Prince said that the notion of a catch weight "wasn't in the conversation" during the negotiations, emphasizing that "the fight is going to be at an even 147 pounds."

A former IBF lightweight champion, Mosley has fought at welterweight or higher exclusively since relinquishing his lightweight belt in 1999, including seven bouts at junior middleweight (154 pounds), and one other at 148 pounds -- an April, 2005 decision over David Estrada.

At junior middleweight, Mosley has twice stopped former world champion, Fernando Vargas, knocked out former world titlist, Ricardo Mayorga, and earned his second win over former world champ, De La Hoya -- the latter for the WBC and WBA crowns in September of 2003.

Mosley, who also dispatched of De La Hoya by split-decision in June of 200 for the WBC welterweight crown, also twice lost to former world titlist Winky Wright at 154 pounds, and was decisioned by Cotto in November of 2007 during a failed bid to earn the WBA welterweight belt.

Mosley ended a nearly 16 month ring absence against Mayweather, whom Mosley staggered yet couldn't finish in the second round. Mayweather followed a January, 2009, ninth-round knockout victory which dethroned Margarito as WBA super world welterweight champion.

Mosley is coming off September's junior middleweight, split-decision draw with ex-world champion,Sergio Mora (21-1-1, six KOs), at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Asked if he thought that Pacquiao's selection of him had anything to do with his age or a perception of deteriorating skills, Mosley said, "Maybe."

"People will do what they do to get their advantage. People thought that I was too old and at a disadvantage and past my prime against Antonio Margarito, and look what happened there. They felt like they had the upper hand, but it was up to me to prove that they didn't," said Mosley.

"When I fought Mayorga, they thought that I was past my prime and that I was going to go in there and get destroyed. But when we got into the ring, it didn't happen. But that's what the fight game is all about," said Mosley. "Nobody really knows what's going to happen."

To that end, Mosley watched last Saturday's Showtime televised, WBC light heavyweight (175 pounds) bout with interest, as 45-year-old Bernard Hopkins (51-5-2, 32 KOs) -- who turns 46 in January and was looking to become the oldest man in the history of the sport to win a major world title -- appeared to have successfully negated knockdowns in the first and third rounds to defeat 28-year-old Jean Pascal (26-1-1, 16 KOs) before Pascal's partisan fans at the Pepsi Colesium in Quebec City, Canada.

"They thought that Bernard Hopkins was over the hill, but he got in there and did a job on Jean Pascal. Jean Pascal called him out, thinking that it was the right time to get Bernard Hopkins, but it turned out that that was not true. I'm definitely encouraged by that," said Mosley.

"I figured that Bernard would win, and, I figured that he would win by knockout because of his experience and because of the type of person that he is," said Mosley. "I knew that he would work hard to win the fight. But, you know, I'm sure that's why Pascal picked him out because he thought he was older. That may be the way that Pacquiao' feels, but that's not the way that I feel."

Does Mosley believe, as Hopkins said after the Pascal fight, that he needs to score a knockout to defeat Pacquiao?

"I can probably win a decision, but I will most likely be looking to knock Manny Pacquiao out. I know that his defense is not as good as Floyd Mayweather's, and I know that Pacquiao's mentality is going to be that he will try to knock me out," said Mosley.

"So the thing is that I think he is going to try to come in there and knock me out, and I know that I'm going to go in there trying to knock him out," said Mosley. "So that's why I think that it's going to be a great fight because we're both guys who like to get in there and fight."

Saudi Voyager Launched To Enhance Kingdom Tourism

2010-12-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

[Walaa Hawari | ArabNews.com] RIYADH: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) celebrated on Sunday the launch of its Saudi Excellence in Tourism Prize at its headquarters in Riyadh. The prize has been announced in the third issue of the SCTA’s new English-language magazine, Saudi Voyager.

Chairman of SCTA Prince Sultan bin Salman said the magazine, which took five years to prepare, is an opportunity to educate people. “My dream is for all those living in the Kingdom to see what I see in it in terms of the much undiscovered history, places of interest and culture,” he said.

Speaking about the prize, Abdullah Al-Jehani, vice president for SCTA’s marketing and media, said that incentives always lead to progress, pointing out that such prizes create honest competition between various sectors to enhance tourism services.

Al-Jehani said the magazine has been launched to bridge the existing gap in English brochures and periodicals that focus on Saudi tourism. He added that the magazine presents its foreign readers with a variety of tourist destinations in the Kingdom, and those involved in the tourist industry with cultural and historical information about the Kingdom.

“Voyager has been established to address an English-speaking audience and those interested in the tourism industry,” said the magazine’s consultant-editor Barry Gray. He added that the Kingdom holds a lot of potential with regard to tourism and hospitality, and that the magazine has been launched to highlight this.

“I myself came to the Kingdom in 1983 and visited many remote areas and interesting places, including taking the train to Dammam, which I believe many Saudis have not yet done,” said Gray, adding that tourism in the Kingdom is promising, yet the lack of awareness is what holds people back and this will be one of the magazine's missions.

“We will influence both ends of the spectrum — on one side there are English- or Arabic-speaking residents and on the other, there are those involved in the tourism industry who will find a market here,” he said.

The magazine has been published by SCTA in cooperation with Alef Publishing & Media International. The magazine will be distributed at embassies, hotels and other points of sales.

Meanwhile, 588,363 Saudi travelers left the Kingdom during the Eid Al-Adha holidays spending a total SR3.14 billion (an average SR5,339 per tourist), a 5 percent increase to last year. The number of tourists coming to the Kingdom exceeded 715,282 visitors spending a total SR1.6 billion (an average SR2,264 per tourist).

According to a report by Tourism Research and Information at SCTA, Bahrain was the top destination for Saudi tourists, followed by Kuwait, Jordan, the UAE, Yemen, Qatar, Egypt and Lebanon. The majority of tourists coming into the Kingdom were from Bahrain, followed by Kuwait, the UAE, Yemen and Qatar.

Freddie Roach Favors Manny Pacquiao Versus Shane Mosley Match in 2011

2010-12-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

Convinced Juan Manuel Marquez won’t be fighting Manny Pacquiao next, Freddie Roach is now leaning on Sugar Shane Mosley to be the Filipino boxing star’s opponent in his ring return on May 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I pick Mosley myself,” said Roach while waiting for his afternoon flight aboard the private plane of former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson that will take him back to Manila after attending the birthday celebration of Pacquiao over the weekend.

Roach has been vocal about his choice for a third fight with Marquez, whom he wants Pacquiao to shut up after claiming that he twice beat the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter in two closely-fought wars in the last six years.

For the record, the 32-year-old Pacquiao settled for a controversial draw against his long-time Mexican rival in their first fight in 2004, and then scored a highly-contentious split decision in their rematch four years later.

Although a clamor for a third fight has been repeatedly made, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum believes the bout isn’t saleable both in terms of gate attendance and pay-per-view sales.

Besides, Marquez is reportedly asking for a hefty $5 million fight purse and a share in the pay-per-view sales if and when he faces Pacquiao again.

“He already priced himself out of the negotiations,” revealed Roach. “That’s a polite way of saying he doesn’t want to fight us.

“And he’s too small. He wants the fight at 140, but I said no. We want it at 147.”

In a separate interview with Arum earlier, the Top Rank big boss said he’s set for a meeting with Mosley and his representative, James Prince, once he returns to his Las Vegas office this week.

The veteran promoter also said Top Rank president Todd deBoef is scheduled to sit down within the week with Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Golden Boy Promotions which represents Marquez.

But Roach claims it all boils down now between Mosley and reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Andre Berto, whom Arum, meanwhile, said is already out of the picture.

“Of course, the choice is Manny's, not mine,” said the four-time Trainer of the Year.

Although he’s favoring Mosley, Roach thinks the three-time world champion is going to be a tough opponent for his most popular ward.

“Mosley is a tough fighter. He’s got experience and a good puncher, too,” Roach, 50, stressed.

“But Manny and Bob will have to work that out and whoever they get, I’m going to get Manny ready for him.”

Desperate Moves

2010-12-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

[Kelly Dwyer| Yahoo! Sports] The Orlando Magic entered this season as championship contenders. Two months into 2010-11, however, they've been revealed as an inconsistent team with an above-average offense that often deserts them, and a defense that has stumbled in the two seasons since it helped lead them to the 2009 NBA Finals. On pace for a disappointing 53 wins, the Magic have decided to make some major, major changes.

According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Magic have agreed to two deals with the Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards. Orlando will send Rashard Lewis to the Wizards for Gilbert Arenas, while the Suns would receive Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat, Orlando's 2011 first round pick and $3 million for Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark.

This is a massive restructuring, especially for a team with championship hopes, but it's typical for Orlando GM Otis Smith. Smith has been in win-now mode since he signed Rashard Lewis in the 2007 offseason, and each of his deals has been structured around winning a championship sooner rather than later. Even if it meant bringing in significant players who were seven or eight years older than the Magic's all-world center, Dwight Howard.

Richardson is a very good scorer and rebounder, Hedo Turkoglu had success two years ago as a jack-of-all-trades type with this Magic team before leaving as a free agent, and Gilbert Arenas can still put up 20 points a game occasionally. But this is a desperate move. A last-second shot at something great, handing over every tradeable asset in the organization along the way.

Carter was a major disappointment in his one-plus year with the Magic. He fell off significantly from what was an All-Star level in his last season with the New Jersey Nets in 2008-09, and while his ball-handling and passing were actually on par with what Turkoglu (who left as a free agent a few weeks before the Magic traded for Carter) gave Orlando that year, all those passing instincts seemed to leave him in Orlando.

By trading for Turkoglu, the Magic are hoping to bring back the point forward who helped them so much with Jameer Nelson injured during Orlando's Finals run in 2009. The problem with that is Turkoglu was likely overrated in his time with the Magic because he had the ball in his hands so much, and even with that sober analysis of his contributions, he has fallen off significantly since leaving 1 1/2 years ago, looking much older than his 31 years.

He's averaged just 2.3 assists a game in Phoenix, but it should be pointed out that his assist ratio (the amount of possessions he takes up that result in assists) is right around the level established by several other able passing wing players, like Joe Johnson, Manu Ginobili, Andrei Kirilenko and Stephen Jackson.

It's Richardson, leading the Suns in scoring with 19.3 points per game, that will be the significant upgrade. He's not the penetrator Carter was, but Carter often refused to take advantage of his ball-handling gifts. And Richardson has consistently improved his 3-point stroke through the years, making 41.9 percent mark in 2010-11. The two-time dunk contest champion can also throw down with the best of them, and his contract expires at the end of this season, which could be good or bad for the Magic (if he disappoints, he can go away, but if he thrives, he could still go away for more money elsewhere).

Arenas isn't a wild card. He's an inefficient scorer and terrible defender who could follow two months of make-good play in Orlando by completely scuttling things, and he owns the league's worst contract, one that has four years and $60 million left on it including this season (a year that has seen him shoot under 40 percent). But even with Arenas' off-the-court issues, and the fact that his contract goes two years longer than that of Lewis, just about anything (at any position) would be an upgrade over Lewis.

Amongst rotation players, only converted small forwards Danilo Gallinari and Jawad Williams had worse rebounding rates (the percentage of available rebounds you pull in) than Lewis this year, and that's not a stat that can be blamed on Howard's ability to clean the glass. Lewis doesn't get to the line, doesn't post up any more, and his contributions were limited to hitting above-average (36.7 percent) amounts of 3-pointers. But after hitting just 1.8 per game this season with Orlando, something tells us they'll be able to live without him.

As stated above, this is yet another win-now move for Orlando, desperate to bring in a ring and keep Howard in Florida. Howard has an option to become a free agent in 2012, but with the way the new collective bargaining agreement could be structured, he might choose a guaranteed $19.5 million in 2012-13 (all salaries courtesy ShamSports.com) on a team he's unhappy with, rather than playing for less money somewhere else. Still, it's Orlando's hope that he extends for far longer than that.

Will it work? Well, Richardson is a clear upgrade over Carter, and Turkoglu (even in his diminished state) is probably an upgrade over Lewis. The move clears up more minutes for Brandon Bass, who can rebound and score without needing any plays called for him (assuming he knows them, anyway), and hopefully marks the return of the sweet-shooting Ryan Anderson to the Magic rotation.

The Magic will miss Gortat's sound play in limited minutes, tough. And though Mickael Pietrus isn't the defender he once was, and his shot selection tended to enervate the Magic coaching staff, they at least could pick themselves off the floor the next time he nailed a corner three or shut down a wing player. As it stands, heading into a playoff bracket with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, the Magic have very little by way of wing stoppers.

On paper, the move isn't bad, especially because we don't have to write the checks. But as a realization that the Magic have now traded away all of the assets they had to improve the team with? The bounty of merely Richardson, Turkoglu and Arenas is a little scary.

For Phoenix, this is a good deal for the organization and owner Robert Sarver, but another shot to the gut for a fan base that has seen deal after detrimental deal since the glorious summer of 2004, when the team ponied up for the right to pay Steve Nash.

As with Richardson, Carter's contract expires this summer, and he's an on-court downgrade. Gortat fills a needed role on the interior, but this move was all about cash. Gortat makes far less than Turkoglu and for fewer years, while the $3 million sent from the Magic is much needed in a town that isn't buying Hakim Warrick jerseys to replace their Amar'e Stoudemire ones. And it's possible the team will trade Orlando's lower-rung draft pick for the going rate of $3 million this June, as they have many times through the years.

Does it knock Phoenix out of the playoff bracket for good? It's no lock, not with the team's improving schedule, but it doesn't help. Trading efficient team-leading scorers midstream rarely adds to those postseason odds. And in reality, the savings from this deal aren't too blinding. All the $3 million from Orlando will do is pay a little more than the difference between Richardson's and Carter's contracts. Carter's $18 million non-guaranteed deal for 2011-12 is a nice trading chip, but the league has quite a few of those expiring deals floating around to trade, and the Suns (even if they do decide to try and move Carter for more help for Steve Nash) don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to adding more salary, as we saw last summer when they dealt for Turkoglu.

What Phoenix decides to do with Steve Nash will be the story of the winter, possibly the spring, maybe the summer, or even early fall (if the NBA lockout goes on for that long). Trading Phoenix's beloved Sun could cause riots in the high street down in Arizona, but the Suns probably do have to own up to their long series of bum moves (with a lot of bad luck thrown in) as they tried to surround Nash with a championship core through the decade. For now, they probably don't even know what they want to do.

For Washington, the motivation is simple. They don't have to pay Gilbert Arenas $20.8 in 2013 and don't have to pay Gilbert Arenas $22.3 million in 2014. Rashard Lewis makes about as much as Gilbert from here until 2012, but his cash in 2012-13 isn't fully guaranteed (if the Wizards cut him outright before the season starts, he'll make just $10 million out of a possible $22 million; though if they keep him around incentives could pump that guarantee up a few more million), and the floundering Wizards had no use for someone like Gil who shot a lot to score a lot.

This is Orlando's move, though, meant to give coach Stan Van Gundy more rotation options, payroll be damned. Despite the fact that the team plays in a smaller market, owner Rich DeVos has given Otis Smith blank check status for years, and he's gone to town with it. The problem is that the team's two cornerstones (Howard and point guard Jameer Nelson) were still drafted by former GM John Weisbrod (who, it should be pointed out, was terrible in every other regard). And Van Gundy has this team overachieving through the years only after the Magic were lucky enough to see the Smith-hired Billy Donovan chicken out after agreeing to coach the team in 2007.

Howard is mindful about all of this, and while the "can-these-deals-bring-Orlando-a-championship" question should be the first thing on everyone's lips initially, the real story here is the group's last chance at making Howard happy. Because this team is capped-out and bereft of trading chips after this deal, unless it decides to give up on Richardson this February at the trade deadline. With Gortat gone and Carter's expiring deal somewhere else, the Magic have cashed in on what they had to deal, and this is the payoff.

Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Gilbert Arenas. There's a lot of offense in that sentence, and the Magic need offense.

But it hardly guarantees them championship contender status again. And it certainly shouldn't have Dwight Howard counting the days until he can sign his next contract extension.

Sharm el Sheikh Shark Attacks

2010-12-06T01:39:00.000-08:00

The Sharm el Sheikh is high quality resort featuring hotels, restaurants, and of course a beach that has year round sunshine and goes toe-and-toe with the best in the world. It is no wonder that the Sharm el Sheikh, which is located along the Red Sea and famous for scuba diving and snorkling, is one of Egypt's top holiday destinations.

But instead of the beauty of the Red Sea, tourists are seeing a different kind of red as sharks began attacking with a German woman being the latest fatality.

Authorities had reassured tourists that they had captured two sharks – an oceanic whitetip and a mako – and the Red Sea waters were once again safe for swimming.

But their claims were proved tragically false with the fatal attack on Saturday.

The earlier shark attacks had seen three Russians and a Ukrainian injured where elderly woman had her hand ripped off and another female swimmer had her leg severed.

Environmentalists warned the attacks may have been caused by overfishing in the region, which has brought sharks closer to shore to feed.

One diving expert said the sharks could have been drawn to the coastline by dead cattle – being brought in for the Islamic feast of sacrifice, Eid al-Adha – being dumped in the water.

The shark attacks will deal a serious blow to Egypt’s tourist industry.

Buy The Bravia KDL-22PX300 Get A PlayStation 2 Free

2010-12-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

[www.expertreviews.co.uk] With Full HD 3D, Freeview HD and internet portals dominating the spec lists of TVs, Sony has decided to do something different with its Bravia KDL-22PX300: it has a built-in PlayStation 2.

Well, by built-in, we mean that the 22in TV's base is a PlayStation 2, giving this TV a rather strange look. It's also a little strange that Sony's choosing this point to try and eke a little more life out of its PS2 product. The only reason we can think of is that integrating a PlayStation 3 would put the price up to an unrealistic level.

As it stands, the KDL-22PX300 is available for £200 from Richer Sounds making it only a little more expensive than same-size TVs from other big manufacturers.

The KDL-22PX300 is well kitted out, too. Its 1,366x768 resolution is ideal for 720p footage, while four HDMI inputs mean you can plug in tons of other devices. There's Freeview built in, although not the newer Freeview HD.

Perhaps the best thing is the Bravia Internet TV portal is included, so you can connect the TV to your router via Ethernet and use the online services, including BBC iPlayer and LoveFilm. If you've been looking for a way to break out your old PS2 games, this TV could well be the model for you.

Where Is Connie Talbot Now?

2010-12-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

A couple of days back, I was browsing my wall and saw a lot of Connie Talbot videos posted which made me ask "Where's Connie Talbot now?"

In winning second place to mobile phone salesman turned opera singer Paul Potts at the Britain's Got Talent show in 2007, she was well on her way to stardom. She was so good that Simon Cowell even signed her on to his record label.

Such was the attention for the gap-toothed six-year-old girl who won over the UK with her pitch-perfect rendition of Over The Rainbow, that for the first few weeks after the competition, her parents had to hire a bodyguard to look after her when she went out in public.

But just two months later, Connie's dreams were shattered when Cowell's record label Sony BMG decided she was to young for a recording career.

Her parents signed her on to another label so they could release her album Over The Rainbow, but just a few months later the company wento into liquidation and the rainbow diminished just that like that and so did Connie Talbot's music career. Or so it seems...

Reminiscent of another young artist named Charice who is taking the world by storm, Connie Talbot seems to be following in her footsteps. Aside from more than 300 million hits on Youtube and appearing on the Oprah show, Connie has taken her talent overseas. Last month, she was in Korea for an engagement at the G20 summit and will be a guest on China's national state television--which has a viewership of more than 400 million--to sing in China's New Year celebration.

Now ten-years old, Connie is quite the superstar all over the US and Asia, being pampered like a Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston or a Madonna. Earlier this year, she was a special guest at a gala banquet for Nelson Mandela and even secured a marriage from George Clooney after performing a duet with Whitney Houston on the German equivalent of Children In Need. Connie also turned down a name-your-price offer to perform for the Saudi royal family.

Back in the UK though, Connie is a simple 10-year-old who gets the same £10-a-week allowance as her classmates. Whether her homeland can take her to its heart again remains to be seen. But the UK needs to do it quickly, because there’s a chance Connie might not be a singer for ever.

‘It’d be nice to be a singer, but maybe I’d like to be something else,’ Connie says. ‘Something like a doctor.’

Lakers Lose 4-Straight

2010-12-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

[Yahoo! Sports] Kevin Martin scored 22 points and Shane Battier added 11 of his 17 in the final three minutes to lift the Houston Rockets to a 109-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.

The loss is the fourth in a row for the Lakers, who were led by Kobe Bryant’s 27 points.

The Lakers led by three before Battier made consecutive 3-pointers to put Houston on top 100-97 with about 2 1/2 minutes remaining.

Bryant made a pair of free throws before Battier hit a jump shot that caused the Lakers’ star to slump his shoulders and shake his head. Los Angeles was then called for a shot clock violation and Bryant missed a 3-pointer on the next trip down the court.

Battier was fouled by Derek Fisher on a 3-point attempt with 41.9 seconds remaining and hit all three free throws to make it 105-99. Houston made four free throws in the last few seconds to secure the win.

Bryant approached Battier and patted him on the chest at the end of the game before Battier raised a hand to the crowd and left the court to loud cheers.

It was a big win for the undermanned Rockets, who are playing without center Yao Ming and guard Aaron Brooks, who are out indefinitely with ankle injuries.

Luis Scola had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Rockets, and Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill added 10 points apiece.

The Rockets cut the lead to 93-90 with about five minutes left thanks to Martin hitting all three free throws after being fouled by Bryant on a 3-point attempt. Kyle Lowry followed with another 3-pointer.

Houston led by two points early in the fourth quarter before an 11-2 scoring spurt capped by a 3-pointer by Steve Blake put Los Angeles ahead 89-82.

A layup by Martin tied the game at 66 midway through the third quarter and the teams tied and exchanged the lead several more times in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Lowry tied it again near the end of the period, but Shannon Brown made a pair of free throws to put the Lakers ahead 78-76 entering the fourth quarter.

Lamar Odom had a season-high 25 points with 11 rebounds and two blocks, but did not score in the fourth quarter. Matt Barnes added 14 points and eight rebounds.

Houston used a 13-2 run in the final minutes of the first half to cut the lead to one point, but Bryant hit a jump shot at the buzzer to give Los Angeles a 56-53 halftime lead.

The Rockets got within four points about six minutes before halftime but a 3-pointer by Shannon Brown followed by a pair of free throws by Bryant stretched the lead to 45-36.

Houston led by two points after a 3-pointer by Budinger with about a minute left in the first quarter. Then Los Angeles went on an 11-2 run fueled by five points from Odom to take a 32-25 lead early in the second quarter.

Naked Gun Star, Leslie Nielsen, Dies At 84

2010-11-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

[The New York Times]

Leslie Nielsen, the Canadian-born actor who in middle age tossed aside three decades of credibility in dramatic and romantic roles to make a new, far more successful career as a comic actor in films like “Airplane!” and the “Naked Gun” series, died on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.

According to The Associated Press, his agent, John S. Kelly, said Mr. Nielsen died at a hospital near his home in Fort Lauderdale where he was being treated for pneumonia.

Mr. Nielsen, a tall man with a matinee-idol profile, was often cast as an earnest hero at the beginning of his film career, in the 1950s.

His best-known roles included the stalwart spaceship captain in the science fiction classic “Forbidden Planet” (1956), the wealthy, available Southern aristocrat in “Tammy and the Bachelor” (1957) and an ocean liner captain faced with disaster in “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972).

In the 1960s and ’70s, as his hair turned white and he became an even more distinguished figure, Mr. Nielsen played serious military men, government leaders and even a mob boss, appearing in crime dramas, westerns and the occasional horror movie.

Then, in the low-budget, big-money-making 1980 disaster-movie parody “Airplane!” he was cast as a clueless doctor on board a possibly doomed jetliner. Critics and audiences alike praised his deadpan comic delivery, and his career was reborn.

“Airplane!” was followed by a television series, “Police Squad!” (1982), from the film’s director-writers.

It lasted only six episodes, but Mr. Nielsen, his goofy character, Lt. Frank Drebin, and the creators went on to three successful feature-film spinoffs.

The first, “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” (1988), was followed by “The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear” (1991) and “The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult” (1994), whose cast included Priscilla Presley, O. J. Simpson and Anna Nicole Smith.

Other filmmakers cast Mr. Nielsen in a variety of comedies, including “Repossessed” (1990), an “Exorcist” spoof with Linda Blair; “Dracula: Dead and Loving It” (1995); “Spy Hard” (1996); and “2001: A Space Travesty” (2000).

None were received as well as the “Naked Gun” films, but Mr. Nielsen found a new continuing role as the paranoid, out-of-control president of the United States in “Scary Movie 3” (2003) and “Scary Movie 4” (2006).

In keeping with his adopted comic persona, when Mr. Nielsen in 1993 published an autobiography, “Naked Truth,” it was one that cheerfully, blatantly fabricated events in his life.

They included two Academy Awards, an affair with Elizabeth Taylor and a stay at a rehabilitation center, battling dopey-joke addiction.

In real life he was nominated twice for Emmy Awards, in 1982 as outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for “Police Squad!” and in 1988 as outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for an episode of “Day by Day,” an NBC sitcom about yuppies and day care.

Off screen, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor, in 2002.

Leslie William Nielsen was born on Feb. 11, 1926, in Regina, Saskatchewan.

The son of a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police of Danish heritage and a Welsh mother, he grew up in the Northwest Territories and in Edmonton, Alberta, where he graduated from high school. Jean Hersholt, the Danish-born actor and humanitarian, was an uncle.

Mr. Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force before his 18th birthday and trained as an aerial gunner during World War II, but he was never sent overseas.

He began his career in radio in Calgary, Alberta, then studied at the Academy of Studio Arts in Toronto and at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. This led him to his television debut, in a 1950 episode of “Actors Studio,” an anthology series on CBS.

By the time Mr. Nielsen made his film debut, in 1956, he had made scores of appearances in series and performed in one Broadway play, “Seagulls Over Sorrento” in 1952, as a tyrannical navy petty officer.

He continued to make guest appearances in television series throughout his career, and with great regularity through the 1970s.

And he did stage work, touring North America and Britain in a one-man show about the crusading lawyer Clarence Darrow.

His final projects included “Lipshitz Saves the World” (2007), an NBC movie comedy, and “Scary Movie 5,” to be released.

Mr. Nielsen married four times. His first wife (1950-56) was Monica Boyer; his second (1958-73) was Alisande Ullman, with whom he had two daughters; and his third (1981-83) was Brooks Oliver. Those marriages ended in divorce.

In 2001 he married Barbaree Earl; a resident of Fort Lauderdale, she survives him, as do his daughters, Maura Nielsen Kaplan and Thea Nielsen Disney.

His elder brother, Erik Nielsen, who was deputy prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1986, died in 2008.

In a 1988 interview with The New York Times, Leslie Nielsen discussed his career-rejuvenating transition to comedy, a development that he had recently described as “too good to be true.”

“It’s been dawning on me slowly that for the past 35 years I have been cast against type,” he said, “and I’m finally getting to do what I really wanted to do.”

Hackers Crash WikiLeaks Site

2010-11-28T20:53:00.000-08:00

[OneIndia] Just hours after releasing 250,000 United States diplomatic cables, the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks was crashed by an unknown hacker.

Experts revealed that the WikiLeaks website was crashed by method known as distributed denial of service (DDoS). The server was jammed due to the repeatedly demand web pages from the server.

However, the Der Spiegel of Germany, The New York Times, the London newspaper The Guardian and El Pais of Madrid continued to give the edited versions of the leaked documents.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said that the secret data released by them exposes the "diplomatic history" of global affairs.

During an interview with al-Jazeera television, Julian Assange said, "No single individual has even come to harm as a result of anything that we have ever published."

Mean while, The White House condemned the release of secret documents as "reckless" and "dangerous".

"These revelations are harmful to the US and our interests. They are going to create tension in relationships between our diplomats and our friends around the world," US State Department spokesperson PJ Crowley said.

WikiLeaks Expose US Government Policies

2010-11-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

[The Globe and Mail] The publication of a quarter-million sensitive diplomatic cables Sunday exposed years of U.S. foreign-policy maneuvering that could prove embarrassing to the U.S. and its allies, especially in the Islamic world.

Among activities detailed in the documents was the extensive, and increasingly successful, push by the U.S. for an international consensus to confront Iran's nuclear program. Five newspapers obtained early access to the documents, which had been gathered by the website WikiLeaks.

The cables showed how some Arab leaders were largely in sync with Israel to support greater financial penalties, if not military operations, against Iran unless it abandons its nuclear ambitions. Regarding Iran, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah was portrayed in an April 2008 memo as having told the U.S. "to cut off the head of the snake."

The cables showed the Obama administration working to get skeptical European states to back more-biting sanctions against Tehran, and also working to forestall United Nations vetoes of the effort by China and Russia.

One cable showed that U.S. intelligence believes Iran has obtained from North Korea powerful missiles able to reach European capitals.

The leaks, which the State Department decried as illegal, will undoubtedly place domestic pressure on key American allies shown to have cooperated closely with the Barack Obama and George W. Bush administrations, despite statements to the contrary at home.

The release was the third by WikiLeaks in recent months, following caches of U.S. documents about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The New York Times, the U.K.'s Guardian, Germany's Der Spiegel, El Pais of Spain and France's Le Monde gained access to the documents well ahead of their release and wrote extensive reports about them. Some of the cables—largely from 2007 through last February, many but not all classified—were attached to those organizations' websites. Though commonly called cables in the diplomatic world, they were encrypted emails sent by special devices.

The Wall Street Journal had declined to accept a set of preconditions related to disclosure of WikiLeaks documents, said a spokeswoman for Dow Jones, the News Corp. unit that publishes the Journal.

A February 2010 cable showed U.S. intelligence believes Iran has obtained from North Korea 19 powerful missiles, BM-25 models that are a version of a Russian design called the R-27. The cable said Iran has been trying to copy the missile's propulsion system to speed development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, an effort that, if successful, could add about 800 miles to the estimated 1,200-mile range of current Iranian missiles.

The documents presented often-stinging assessments of foreign leaders involved in the effort to combat Islamic radicalism. U.S. diplomats were portrayed as referring to allegedly corrupt business practices of Ahmad Wali Karzai, a half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Saudi King Abdullah was described as saying he viewed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as a proxy for Iran.

The State Department and Pentagon have sought to limit the diplomatic fallout and possible strategic losses by calling dozens of foreign governments, according to U.S. officials.

The disclosures "place at risk ongoing cooperation between countries—partners, allies and common stakeholders—to confront common challenges from terrorism to pandemic diseases to nuclear proliferation that threaten global stability," State Department legal adviser Harold Koh wrote to a lawyer for the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, Saturday, in a last-ditch effort to forestall publication.

U.S. diplomats and defense officials have worried the disclosures could undercut the ability of foreign leaders to continue cooperating with Washington on counter-terror and counter-proliferation operations, with Yemen, Pakistan and Afghanistan among those most focused on.

Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh allowed American forces to conduct counter-terror operations against al Qaeda militants inside his country. During a January meeting with visiting U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, the Yemeni leader made clear he wanted to disguise Washington's role, according to a cable from the American ambassador in Sana'a.

"We'll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours," Mr. Saleh said, according to the cable, prompting Yemen's deputy prime minister to "joke that he had just 'lied' by telling Parliament" that Yemeni forces had carried out the strikes.

The cables also showed U.S. officials exploring ways to remove highly enriched uranium from a Pakistani nuclear site in a way that wouldn't spur a political backlash against Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari.

The leaked cables detailed a secret U.S. intelligence-gathering campaign at the U.N., blurring the line between the work of diplomats and spies. In a U.S. intelligence directive, American diplomats were asked to collect biometric information on key U.N. officials, from under secretaries to the heads of specialized agencies and peacekeeping operations. It also asked for intelligence on Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's management and decision-making style.

The secret document, titled "Reporting and Collection Needs: the United Nations," asked for both basic "biographical information" and detailed work schedules, credit-card numbers and frequent-flier accounts. Such information could be used to track the movements and activities of U.N. officials.

With respect to Iran's nuclear ambitions, one cable described Bahrain's King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa as telling Gen. Petraeus last year the U.S. and its allies must use any means possible to deny Iran's government a nuclear arsenal. "The danger of letting it go on is greater than the dangers of stopping it," the king was quoted as saying.

The leaked cables show sometimes-derogatory ways America's allies referred to diplomatic partners. Saudi King Abdullah told U.S. officials that Pakistan's President Zardari was incapable of reforming his country. "When the head is rotten it affects the whole body," the Saudi monarch said, according to a cable.

Another cable has an Israeli official, Amos Gilad, speculating in 2009 about the life span of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, 82, and questioning whether his son, Gamal, was "ready to assume command."

Denunciations of WikiLeaks and Mr. Assange intensified Sunday, from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Rep. Peter King of New York, the ranking Republican on the House Committee on Homeland Security, called for Mr. Assange's arrest for violating the U.S. Espionage Act. Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, described the release as "a reckless action which jeopardizes lives by exposing raw, contemporaneous intelligence."

A former low-level U.S. Army intelligence analyst stationed in Baghdad, Pfc. Bradley Manning, was charged earlier this year with improperly accessing a State Department cable on Iceland and providing it to WikiLeaks, and is being held in Virginia in pretrial detention. He hasn't been charged in connection with the three recent WikiLeaks leaks. In an electronic communication with a former hacker, since posted on the Internet, Pfc. Manning said he had taken 260,000 State Department cables. A lawyer for Mr. Manning declined to comment.

By Jay Solomon, Adam Entous and Julian E. Barnes
—Matthew Rosenberg and Tom Wright contributed to this article.

Miami Heat Big Three Lose Three Straight

2010-11-24T21:23:00.000-08:00

[ANTONIO GONZALEZ, Associated Press] ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)—First came “The Decision.” Then the expectations. Now the pressure is on the Miami Heat more than ever.

Even from the White House.

Dwight Howard had 24 points and 18 rebounds, J.J. Redick scored 20 points and the Orlando Magic beat Miami 104-95 on Wednesday night to hand the Heat’s All-Star trio its first three-game losing streak.

The slower-than-expected start for the Heat has resonated all the way to Washington, where President Barack Obama said before the game in an interview with ABC that it “takes some time for the team to come together.”

Nobody could have imagined it would take this long.

“If we had the answer right now, we wouldn’t be sitting at one game over .500,” LeBron James said of his Heat’s 8-7 start. “We’re a few games out of first. We’re a few games out of eighth.”

And they just hit a new low.

Jameer Nelson had 17 points and a career-high 14 assists, coming up with some big shots late to help Orlando pull away and avenge a 26-point loss at Miami earlier this season.

James had 25 points, Chris Bosh finished with 21 and Dwyane Wade scored 18 for Miami in the latest blow to the collection of stars who came together this summer hoping for a championship. Miami also lost to Memphis and Indiana in the last week, but the loss to its Sunshine State rival might sting most.

Even Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, told of Obama’s comments, joined in the fun.

“I know there’s a lot of time in the day, but I’d be more confident if he didn’t know what was going on in the NBA,” Van Gundy said, chuckling about Obama’s remarks. “We got to get some people back to work. I don’t think he needs to be worried about turning the Heat around. Let (Heat coach) Erik (Spoelstra) worry about that, because Erik certainly isn’t turning the economy around.”

At this rate, Spoelstra might contribute to the job losses.

The Heat’s disappointing start has fueled fodder for the Heat’s critics. Even Lakers coach Phil Jackson intimated that Spoelstra’s job could be in jeopardy if the Heat don’t start winning more—and fast.

Miami’s struggles certainly delight its neighbor to the north.

After the Heat acquired James this summer, Magic president of basketball operations Otis Smith questioned the two-time MVP’s competitiveness for leaving Cleveland. Heat President Pat Riley then took a shot at Smith’s personnel decisions, and Van Gundy—the former Heat coach—fired back at Riley.

This time, Orlando finally responded with its play.

On one stretch late in the fourth quarter, Nelson made back-to-back shots and then came up with one of his best defensive plays of the year. With James and Wade on a 2-on-1 break, Nelson jumped up and swatted James’ alley-oop pass to Wade, Nelson drove back down and found Redick for a jumper that put Orlando ahead 95-89.

Nelson also made some big free throws in the final minutes to put away the game. But he was ejected with 39 seconds remaining after receiving his second technical foul of the game, the last for taunting Eddie House.

Not that it mattered.

The Magic had already put their stamp on this one.

“We talked in the huddle that we had worked so hard to win this game and to not let that lead we had built completely slip away,” said Redick, who started in place of an injured Vince Carter. “It was a big win.”

The Heat, hardly resembling a championship contender, went down 12 points in the first half but managed to keep it close. James was showered with boos— reaching a decibel usually reserved only for Shaquille O’Neal in Orlando—every time he touched the ball, but he and Wade came on strong late to push the Heat ahead 88-87 midway through the fourth quarter.

Then it all fell apart—again.

“We’re going through a tough time right now,” Spoelstra said. “There’s no question about it. The guys want to do it. They want to make it right. Guys are competing, and we just have to go through the process.”

The win was huge in more ways than one for the Magic.

They’ve put the Heat in an early hole deeper than they could’ve ever imagined, and Miami also has several other concerns—most notably injuries.

Bosh left the game briefly in the first quarter with back spasms and never looked the same; Udonis Haslem’s season may be over after surgery this week to repair a torn ligament in his left foot; Mike Miller isn’t expected back until after Christmas because of a broken thumb and ligament damage; Wade has been playing through a sprained left wrist; James has been dealing with a shin problem for a couple weeks; and Juwan Howard is playing with a broken nose.

“It will eventually” turn around, Wade said. “Right now it’s not. I wish I had the answer to it.”

Pinoy Fighters Fight For Gold At 16th Asian Games

2010-11-24T15:23:00.000-08:00

[sports.inquirer.net] GUANGZHOU, CHINA—Power punchers Annie Albania and Rey Saludar assured themselves of at least a silver medal and a cash windfall with a pair of blistering performances Wednesday in the boxing semifinals of the 16th Asian Games at the Foshan Gymnasium.

The unforgiving Albania viciously pummeled Japanese foe Aya Shinmoto, 16-1, in the women’s under-51 kg class to set up a clash with the favored hometown bet Ren Cancan, who plodded to a workmanlike 11-7 conquest of Indian world champion Mary Kom Hmangte.

Saludar, working behind cracking jabs, kept Katsuaki Susa of Japan at bay with a steady stream of left leads in the second round to highlight a 13-4 drubbing that catapulted the 23-year-old Filipino into the final of the under-52 kg division.

Saludar’s hurdle to the gold medal— and the lucrative P3-million bonus attached to it—is hometown bet Chang Yong, who needed a late punch in the third round to squeeze past Indian Suranjoy Mayengbam, 6-5, in the other flyweight semifinal bout.

Later in the evening, though, Vic Saludar, Rey’s younger brother, settled for the bronze after dropping a lopsided 1-12 decision to counterpunching Kazakh Birzhan Zhakpov in the under-49 kg (light flyweight) class.

In chess, Grandmasters Wesley So and John Paul Gomez hurdled their untitled rivals to power the Philippines past Kyrgyzstan, 2.5-1.5, and keep the country in second place after seven rounds at the Gunagzhou Chess Institute.

So whipped Alqis Shuturaliev in the top board while Gomez dumped Nurdin Samakov in board two, giving the Philippines 12 points behind unbeaten China (14 points) with two rounds to go in the 25-nation event.

GM Eugene Torre secured the Filipinos’ fourth straight triumph by drawing with Fide Master Semetey Tologontegin in their board four encounter. GM Darwin Laylo got waylaid by Nasyr Akylbekov in board three.

The two automatic silver medals, which assured Albania and Rey Saludar P1 million each under the incentive scheme hatched by telecommunications tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan for the boxing squad, eased the pain of defeat that stung the most among the country’s losses on several fronts Wednesday.

South Korea pounded Smart Gilas Pilipinas on the boards and flaunted a sharper game en route to a 74-66 victory at the Huangpu Gymnasium that eliminated the Filipinos in the quarterfinals of the men’s basketball event.

Oh Sek-eun knocked in 19 points while skipper Kim Sul-chung added 13 as Korea advanced to the semifinals while relegating the Philippines to the classification phase.

The Koreans outrebounded the cold-shooting Filipinos, 36-25, and had more assists, 16-5.

Henry Dagmil and Sheila Mae Perez, the leading figures in their respective sports, also failed in their medal chances.
And Biboy Rivera, the gold medalist in the men’s bowling singles, tripped out of the stepladder format for the men’s masters event. His female counterparts were likewise shown the door.

In karate, Mae Soriano lost her second-round match to Korean Jang So-young in the women’s under-50 kg kumite while men’s kata standout Noel Espinosa lost to Yousef Alharbi of Kuwait, 5-0, to also surrender their medal bids at the Guangdong Gymnasium.

Marna Pabillore, the veteran karateka from Cagayan de Oro City, will now shoulder the brunt of the country’s medal hopes in the sport when she competes in the under-55 kg women’s kumite while Rolando Lagman will also gun for a medal when he competes in the men’s under-67 kg class Thursday.

Lagman drew a first-round bye while Pabillore goes up against tough Malaysian Vathana Gopalasamy.

The Philippines continued to lag behind Southeast Asian nations in the overall medal tally with two gold medals along with two silvers and eight bronzes.

Thailand has nine golds, seven silvers and 28 bronzes to lead the Asean nations. Malaysia (8-14-10), Indonesia (4-9-11) and Singapore (4-6-6) remained ahead of the country.

China continued to rule the medal race with 171 gold medals, 91 silvers and 86 bronzes. South Korea practically sewed up second place with 70 golds, with Japan a far third with 36 victories.

Perez finished with 232.35 points after five dives at the Aoti Aquatics Center to rank eighth in the 1-meter women’s springboard final behind China’s Wu Minxia (326.15). Two Malaysians finished ahead of Perez at third and fourth.
A stone’s throw away at the Aoti Main Stadium, Dagmil also struggled against quality opposition.

Dagmil completed a best leap of 7.52m in the men’s long jump and finished sixth in the event won by South Korean Kim Deokhyeon (8.11).

At the Tianhe bowling center, Rivera stumbled with a 1694 in the second block of the men’s masters and finished out of the stepladder finals after placing seventh with a 3546 aggregate.

Daisy Posadas finished with a 3390 as the best female bowler, landing seventh ahead of Liza del Rosario, who rolled a 3267 total to wind up 14th.

Jennifer Grey Wins It All In Dancing With The Stars

2010-11-24T12:08:00.000-08:00

She defied all expectations to make it through to the Dancing With The Stars final, but last night Bristol Palin's luck finally ran out.

The 20-year-old was beaten by rival Jennifer Grey, a cancer survivor, and partner Derek Hough, who had consistently topped the judges' leader-board throughout the season.

Shedding tears of joy, she said: 'It's such a sweet thing at the end of such a tricky tumultuous journey and it was worth every second of it It was the chance of a lifetime and I'm so grateful that I didn't miss it.'

Asked what she would miss most about the show, Grey replied simply: 'Dancing.'

The pair's win has made Derek Hough the first and only three-time champion of Dancing With The Stars, after previously winning the competition with Nicole Scherzinger earlier this year and with Brooke Burke in 2008.

Sarah Palin's daughter came in third place behind runner-up, Disney star Kyle Massey, 19.

North And South Korea Exchange Gun Fire

2010-11-24T00:23:00.000-08:00

North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island on Tuesday, killing two people, setting homes ablaze and triggering an exchange of fire as the South’s military went on top alert.

In what appeared to be one of the most serious border incidents since the 1950-53 war, South Korean troops fired back with cannon, the government convened in an underground war room and “multiple” air force jets scrambled.

North Korea’s official media, however, accused South Korea of firing first.

The firing came after North Korea’s disclosure of an apparently operational uranium enrichment plant — a second potential way of building a nuclear bomb — which is causing serious alarm for the United States and its allies.

It also comes as North Korea prepares for an eventual dynastic succession from Kim Jong-Il to his youngest son, Kim Jong-Un.

The White House said it “strongly condemns” the artillery attack on the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong, and said it was “firmly committed to the defense” of its staunch military ally Seoul.

Some 50 shells landed on Yeonpyeong near the tense Yellow Sea border, damaging dozens of houses and sending plumes of thick smoke into the air, YTN television reported.

Two South Korean marines — part of a contingent based permanently on the frontline island — were killed, the military said.

Five marines were seriously hurt in the artillery barrage and 10 suffered minor injuries, while three civilians were also hurt.

“A Class-A military alert issued for battle situations was imposed immediately after shelling began,” a military spokesman told AFP.

Sporadic firing by each side continued for over an hour before dying out, the military said.

The shelling began at 2:34 p.m. (0534 GMT) after the North sent several messages protesting about South Korean naval, air force and army training exercises being staged close to the border, a presidential spokesman said.

“Flashes along with a thunderous sound were seen here and there across our villages and up to 10 houses were engulfed in flames,” said Woo Soo-Woo, 62, a guesthouse owner on the island.

The shooting started bushfires at several places in the hills, he told AFP by phone after fleeing the island by ferry for the mainland port of Incheon.

Yeonpyeong lies just south of the border declared by UN forces after the war, but north of the sea border declared by Pyongyang. The Yellow Sea border was the scene of deadly naval clashes in 1999, 2002 and last November.

South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak convened an emergency meeting of ministers and national security advisers in an underground war room, a presidential spokesman said.

Lee urged the officials “to prevent further escalation”, but his office also warned that South Korea would “sternly retaliate” for any further provocations.

“This is an intentional provocation to heighten cross-border tensions,” Dongguk University professor Kim Yong-Hyun told AFP.

“The North made a series of gestures but there has been no response from South Korea and the United States. It is now using its brinkmanship aimed at forcing Seoul and Washington to take action and agree to dialogue.”

US special envoy Stephen Bosworth was headed to China Tuesday to seek its help in curbing North Korea’s new nuclear project, revealed to US experts who described a sophisticated programme to enrich uranium.

China, North Korea’s sole major ally and economic prop, expressed concern over the cross-border firing, and appealed for stalled six-party nuclear talks to resume.

Russia also warned against an escalation of tensions on the divided peninsula, while Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered his ministers to prepare for “any unexpected event”.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Tuesday he has ordered his ministers to prepare for any eventuality.

Kan said he planned to attend a scheduled event at the imperial palace on Tuesday evening, but said he will remain updated on the situation.

All Pike River Coal Miners Feared Dead In New Blast

2010-11-23T21:06:00.000-08:00

[The Sunday Morning Herald] A second explosion has rocked the NZ mine where 29 men are trapped and authorities have told their families that none of them would have survived.

The man in charge of the rescue operation, Superintendent Gary Knowles, said that he was at the mine when the blast occurred, and it was horrific.

"Unfortunately I have to inform the public of New Zealand that at 2.37pm [12.37pm AEDT] today there was another massive explosion underground and, based on that explosion, no one survived," Superintendent Knowles said.

Superintendent Knowles has broken the news to the families, who were "distraught".

"It is our belief that no one has survived," Superintendent Knowles said.

He said the men had "perished".

"We are now going into recovery mode."

Distraught family members left a scheduled briefing at Grey District Council a short time ago, only about 10 minutes after it had started and many of them in tears.

Lawrie Drew, the father of trapped miner Zen Drew, said officials had told the families that there had been a second explosion.

Superintendent Knowles said it was one of the most horrific things he has had to deal with as a policeman.

"We had to break the news to the family and they are extremely distraught.

"I was at the mine myself when the explosion occurred. The blast was horrific. Just as severe as the first blast - and we are now moving into a recovery mode."

"I was at the mine myself when this actually occurred and the blast was horrific, just as severe as the first blast."

Superintendent Knowles would not speculate on what caused the blast nor would he say whether anyone else had been injured.

Grieving families left the afternoon briefing and did not want to talk to the waiting media.

An ambulance arrived to offer assistance to the family members.

A formal media briefing will be given at 5.30pm (3.30pm AEDT) at Greymouth police station.

Grey District mayor Tony Kokshoorn broke down as he left the briefing.

"We thought we were going to get some good news," he said outside.

"They told us there was a massive explosion and there was no way there were any survivors."

He said family members dropped to the floor after hearing the news, with many angry at how police had handled the operation.

He said the irony was that police were now sending in a team into the mine.

"It's just gut-wrenching. This is the west coast's darkest hour," he said. "It doesn't get any worse than this."

He said the second explosion was "far bigger than the first".

"What we've got is a very angry group of families."

He said it appeared a lethal mixture of gasses had ignited the mine.

Earlier today

Earlier today, Police Commissioner Howard Broad had issued his most bleak outlook yet on the trapped miners.

Hot air and gas had rushed up a bore shaft from the mine as robots captured new footage, including a miner's helmet with a light still on.

A fire continued to burn inside the mine, and abandoned mines on the West Coast can burn decades after closing to mining.

Commissioner Broad had suggested it could take "quite a long time" before the environment down the mine was safe to enter.

"And that, of course, makes the outlook for those who were down in the mine a very bleak one," he said.

Anger growing

Before the second explosion this afternoon, the brother of the oldest miner trapped at Pike River had said it was time to send a rescue team into the mine, no matter the risks.

Geoff Valli, brother of Keith Valli, 62, told Radio New Zealand this morning he'd had a "gutsful" of hearing the same excuses from police day after day. Police had been warning of the volatile environment in the mine.

Speaking quietly and with his voice breaking, he said he did not feel they could wait any longer.

Philippine Top Cops Promoted

2010-11-22T10:44:00.000-08:00

PRESIDENT Benigno C. Aquino III approved the promotion of 58 senior Philippine National Police officials led by deputy chief for operations Deputy Director General Benjamin A. Belarmino, Jr.

The three-star general was credited for his role in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections as head of Task Force HOPE.

Apart from Belarmino, the President promoted to the rank of Director (equivalent to a 2-star general in the Armed Forces) Danilo Q. Abarzosa, Director for Human Resources and Doctrines Development; Rolando R. Anonuevo, head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Southern Luzon; Arturo G. Cacdac, Jr. of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management; Jaime D. Calungsud, Jr. of the Directorate for Plans; and Lani-o R. Nerez of the Directorate for Research and Development.

Promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent (a one-star general in the AFP) are Danilo S. Constantino, Francisco R. Cristobal, Jr., Agrimero A. Cruz, Jr., Pepito U. Domantay, Gil J. Hitosis, Edgardo T. Ladao, Angelito N Pacia, Arnulfo R. Perez and Jose Erwin T. Vilacorte.

The newly-promoted Senior Superintendents are Rey Baltazar G. Aguiling, Emmanuel L. Aranas, Arthur Felix E. Asis, Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr., Renee P. Balagot, Ramiro M. Balisa, Jesus D. Cambay Jr., Edwin M. Capanzana, Inocentes J. Capuno, Ulysses C. Caton, Tomasito T. Clet, Fernando P. Cristobal, Jr., Ramon G. de Guzman,

Eric Vahn F. de la Rama, Rustom C. Duran Sr., Sofronio P. Ecaldre, Peter D. Guibong, Reynaldo B. Jagmis, Rodelio B. Jocson, Gregorio N. Lim, John D. Lopez, Domingo R. Lucas, Ronald C. Macapagal, Jaime S. Macarilay, Loreto L. Malaybalay, Job F. Marasigan, Dante B. Narag, Crisaldo O. Nieves, Abad H. Osit, Rene P. Pamuspusan,

Verlito G. Paredes, Maria Asuncion P. Placino, Celso G. Regencia, Abraham C. Rojas, Dennis S. Sabido, Pendatun D. Salilama, Nestor A. Sator, Rhodel O. Sermonia, Jesse J. Sto. Domingo, Dominador L. Tubon, Mamerto V. Valenza and Mariano Luis M. Verzosa, Jr.

PNP chief Director General Raul M. Bacalzo called on the newly-promoted officials to help the PNP transformation program to have an effective and credible police force.

Pinoys Stun Indians in 16th Asian Games

2010-11-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

GUANGZHOU, China -- On another bleak day for the Philippines in nearly all fronts, GMs Wesley So and Eugene Torre put the smile back on the Filipinos’ faces in the 16th Asian Games here Monday.

So, undoubtedly the brightest Filipino chess player to emerge in recent years, outwitted GM Pentala Harikrishna in their keenly-watched board one showdown to lead the Filipinos to a morale-boosting 2.5-1.5 upset win over second seed India in the fifth round of the chess competitions at the Guangzhou Chess Institute.

Torre, the most recognizable figure in local chess since becoming Asia’s first-ever GM in 1974, capped the Filipinos’ big day when he defeated GM B. Adhiban on board four.

GM Rogelio Antonio, Jr. also did his part by drawing with GM Krishnan Sasikiran in board two.

Only GM John Paul Gomez, the hero in the Philippines’ 2.5-1.5 triumph over Kazakhstan last Sunday, did not count as he lost to GM Surya Shekhar Ganguly in board three.

The smashing win propelled the sixth-seeded Filipinos to solo second place behind top seed China with eight points on four wins and one loss in the tough, nine-round competition which attracted 25 countries.

China trounced Iran, 3-1, behind the victories of GMs Bu Xiangzhi and Zhou Jianchao over GM Homayoon Toufighi and IM Ashgar Golizadeh in the lower boards

The Chinese, who are widely favored to sweep the gold medals in both the men’s and women’s divisions, have now beaten all their five opponents, including the Filipinos in the third round.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president/chairman Prospero “Butch” Pichay had kind words for the Filipino chessers.

“They (Filipinos) are really making all of us proud right now,” said Pichay, who congratulated the team through delegation head/coach Willie Abalos.

“The players are performing to expectations even against our traditionally-strong Asian rivals. I like our chances now even with still four rounds left,” added Pichay.

NCFP secretary-general and Tagaytay City Mayor Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino also congratulated the team, and urged them to continue to do well and bring honors to the country.

The Filipinos’ sixth-round opponent is former Russian republic Uzbekistan, which drew with Kazakhstan, 2.-2.

The Uzbeks are bannered by GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Anton Filippov.

Kasimdzhanov bagged the individual gold medal in the rapid chess competitions with six wins and three draws.

Overall, So, Antonio and Torre have three points apiece, while Gomez had two.

So and Torre had two wins and two draws apiece, while Antonio had one win and four draws.

Gomez, the only other player to see action in all five rounds so far, had one win, two draws and two losses.

GM Darwin Laylo had 1-1 win-loss record.

No.10 seed Kyrgyzstan shocked fourth seed Vietnam, 3.5-.5 to grab solo third place with seven points.

Unheralded Algis Shukuraliev shocked GM Le Quang Liem, Nurdin Samakov stunned GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son and Nasyr Akylbelkov toppled GM Cao Sang for Kyrgyzstan’s three victories.

IM Nguyen Huyn Minh Huy averted a shutout when he escaped with a draw against FM Semetey Tologontegin in board four.

In other fifth-round results, Qatar edged Bangladesh, 2.5-1.5; Iraq stopped Mongolia, 2.5-1.5; Korea nipped Maldives, 2.5-1.5; and Yemen outclassed Jordan, 3.5-.5.

India, Qatar and Uzbekistan now share fourth to sixth places with six points.

Standings after five rounds:

10 points -- China
8 -- Philippines
7 -- Kyrgyzstan
6 -- India, Qatar, Uzbekistan
5 -- Iran, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Iraq
4 -- Bangladesh, Mongolia, Korea
3 -- Maldives
2 -- Yemen
1 -- Jordan, Lebanon

Top Gear US Pilot Verdict: FAIL

2010-11-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

The US version of Top Gear finally kicked off in high hear on America's History Channel, complete with an identical looking Stig, three presenters with a background in cards, speed and comedy, but viewers seemed to think it lacked the latter.

The US show, hosted by racing/stunt driver Tanner Foust, Speed Channel reporter Rutledge Wood and comedian/actor Adam Ferrera, took a harsh beating on Twitter with tweets like ‘Top Gear US verdict: FAIL. Too scripted, no chemistry, not remotely funny, lacks flow.’ [sic]

Another tweeted: ‘Wasted an hour watching Top Gear US. Sucks compared to Top Gear UK.’

One fan wrote an online review saying: ‘I kept trying to figure out who the ‘Clarkson’ was – but I gave up. What’s the point? This is NOT Top Gear as Anglophiles know it.’

While the US Stig was described as lacking mystique and one tweeted: ‘Their Stig should have had a different name and the hosts suck.’

Buzz Aldrin was the first celebrity guest to star in the feature 'Big Star In A Small' car, and there was no expense spared with the stunts either in the debut episode.

The three presenters did time trials in Lamborghinis as well as being followed around the streets of a small town by a Cobra helicopter as they drove a Dodge Viper.

The History channel’s series is not the first time the US has tried to re-create Top Gear. In 2005 Discovery made a pilot and in 2008 NBC made another, but neither were broadcast as a series.

The British version of Top Gear is already a huge hit in America--even winning an Emmy Award in 2005. So why even create a US version?

Incredible High-Definition Photorealism By Alex Roman

2010-11-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

Did you think that stuff used on that short promotional video was real? It isn't. It is, in fact, entirely computer-generated from start to finish.

Even I had to to do a double take on the video. Only when the fruit appeared to shatter like glass on the kitchen worktop did I realize that there was more at work here than mere photography.

Even close analysis of each frame, it is almost impossible to tell that the lemons and tomatoes that tumble past the screen are not actually the real thing.

Created by artist Alex Roman using 3dsmax, Vray, AE and edited on Premiere, this 60sec TV commercial for Silestone has been a hit after posting it on a CGI website. Truly an ultimate in CGI trickery.

Mr. Roman, who has also had a similar worldwide hit with an architecture video called The Third and Seventh, says that the new short video took two and half months to complete from concept to final editing.

Woman Driver and Four Others Killed In Accident In Saudi Arabia

2010-11-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

Saudi Arabia forbids women to obtain driving licenses thereby effectively taking away their right to drive.

Although there is no specific law forbidding women to drive in Saudi Arabia, traditionalists believe allowing women to drive would break modesty laws because they would have to remove their abaya robe to have a clear view of the road.

This hasn't stopped some women from trying though.

10 women in their 20's defied the kingdom-wide ban on driving and it cost the lives of the lady-driver and three of her friends when their car crashed into a barrier then overturned in Thumamah, Riyadh Sunday. The remaining six women were taken to a nearby hospital in northeastern Riyadh to treat their injures.

The accident took place in an area frequented by young men to race cars.