Baby Okapi Welcomed At Antwerp Zoo (VIDEO)

Get ready to do some serious awwwww-ing. A baby okapi from Antwerp Zoo in Belgium has just taken her first steps in public -- and it was caught on video.

Meet Mchawi, the newest member of the okapi family at the zoo.

Since okapis are a threatened member of the giraffe family, her birth and first steps are doubly special for her caregivers, as well as the eager observers.

Fun fact: The tongue of the okapi is long enough for it to wash its eyelids and clean its ears inside and out. It is also a blueish-grey color, much like the giraffes. But, according to the San Diego Zoo, the striped legs of an okapi make it also appear to be related to a zebra.

According to PBS Online, the okapi lives in protected rain forests in northern Zaire, but is still threatened by poaching and habitat loss from human settlement.

WATCH as the okapi takes her first steps in the open:

Canadian Bear Photographed In The Wild (PHOTOS)

Neither albino nor polar bear, the spirit bear (also known as the Kermode bear) is a white variant of the North American black bear, and it's found almost exclusively here in the Great Bear Rainforest. At 25,000 square miles—one and a half times as big as Switzerland—the region runs 250 miles down Canada's western coast and encompasses a vast network of mist-shrouded fjords, densely forested islands, and glacier-capped mountains. Grizzlies, black bears, wolves, wolverines, humpback whales, and orcas thrive along a coast that has been home to First Nations like the Gitga'at for hundreds of generations. It's a spooky, wild, mysterious place: There are wolves here that fish. Deer that swim. Western red cedar trees that have stood a thousand years or more. And a black bear that is white....

Scientists know how black bears are born white. They're just not sure why. The phenomenon, known as Kermodism, is triggered by a recessive mutation at the MC1R gene, the same gene associated with red hair and fair skin in humans. To be born white, a bear must inherit the mutation from both parents. The parents themselves don't have to be white. They just need to carry the recessive mutation. So it's not uncommon for white bears to be born to black parents.

White fur occurs in only one of every 40 to 100 black bears on the British Columbia mainland coast, but the trait is especially pronounced on certain islands in the Great Bear Rainforest.

The Wood-Powered Car That Runs On Any Organic Material

The Mercury Cougar XR7 had little measurable impact on the American automotive landscape, but the Cougar featured in TRANSLOGIC 64 is a little different--so much so that its owner even changed its name. Although "Beaver" is a strange moniker for a car, Chip Beam has a good reason for naming his ride after the trunk-chewing critter; after all, the Beaver XR7 runs on wood (or any other organic material) through a process called gasification.
The wood is pressed into pellets to increase energy density, resulting in a longer burn. The pellets are then decomposed in an onboard furnace, which controls the burn by regulating oxygen levels. The result is a sort of charcoal type material that lets off hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane gases. These gases are then sent through further high temperature chambers, cooled somewhat, then released into the Beaver's V6 engine where combustion occurs.

Because the car's factory engine is still powering the vehicle, all the car's original accessories still function. The radio, air-conditioning, power windows and safety equipment all work as they were designed

The original 1990 Mercury Cougar XR7 uses a supercharged V6 (the LS model was not supercharged), which makes it an ideal donor for gasification conversion. The supercharger forces more gas into the engine cylinders, resulting in a wood-burning car that feels more like the gasoline powered vehicles we're all used to.

The car is still using an internal combustion engine, but it's not direct combustion like a gasoline powered car. In the Beaver, the material can be burned more completely because it's burned at a higher temperature than gasoline burns inside the engine of a modern automobile. This makes the wood burning car cleaner because the fuel source has been burned almost completely, leaving no ash or particulate matter.

There's even a way you can use garbage to run the Beaver. By soaking any organic material in water, even garbage, then using a press to make bricks, those bricks can be loaded into the gasifier and will run the car.

It may come as a surprise to some that the idea of running a vehicle on gasified organic material isn't new. During World War II many buses, tractors and even personal vehicles throughout Europe were powered by wood/gas generators. The downside is that the amount of energy stored in a wood pellet isn't nearly as much as that stored in gasoline. A wood burning car might not be as quick or powerful as a gasoline powered car, but, add it to the list of intriguing alternatives to burning fossil fuels.

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World’s Fattest Man Gets Married

Manuel Uribe, 43, holds the record for the world’s fattest man in the 2007 Guinness Book of Records.

717-pound Mexican called Manual Uribe got married to his long-term girlfriend.He arrived for the ceremony on a flat bed truck.

Mr Uribe is to marry a widow named Claudia, to whom he has been engaged for two years, on Oct 26 at his hometown Monterrey, northern Mexico.

The Mexican said he had from dropped to 570lb (41 stone) from 1,300lb (93 stone) since February.

A Girl No Fingers Plays Piano

Won China’s Got Talent in 2010 by playing piano with his feet, because he has no arms.then make the effort to make it happen.I suspect this talented girl was inspired by Liu Wei.

Tim Gunn insults Snooki (Video)

"If Snooki is an icon of fashion, I'm leaving the industry," a disgusted Tim Gunn declared on Tuesday's "Lopez Tonight" where he was a guest.

Host George Lopez asked for Gunn's opinion of the "Jersey Shore" cast's style and the fashion expert saw red.

"It's all that stretch material -- the Spandex, the Lurex, the tightness, the skin. It's vulgar! I'm sorry! And what is Snooki wearing on her legs?!"

He went on to explaining why the pint-sized reality star probably dresses the way she does. He called it The Monkey House at the Zoo Theory.

I Didn't Hurt Anybody : Snooki

The cast of "Jersey Shore" while filming the fourth season of their show in Italy, and Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi revealed what really happened in the infamous car crash with the Italian police cruiser. "I tried to use the brakes and they didn't work," Snooki explained. "So to avoid the cops, I ran right into a wall so I didn't hurt anybody."


Snooki, who wore a neck brace following the fender-bender said, "I was doing a little joke, you'll see."

Reggie Bush-Matt Leinart -- Who has brighter future ?

Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland grinded into the early morning Thursday, surpassing 2 a.m. as he and agent Joel Segal hammered out details of a trade that would potentially send Bush to the Dolphins, sources told the Miami Herald.

Ireland had not yet pulled the trigger on the deal in the middle of the night, and Bush still would have the option to accept the renegotiated terms of the contract, but everyone was headed in the right direction, sources said.

Ireland eventually wanted to sleep on the possibility, meaning the trade isn’t likely to be finalized until a more reasonable hour Thursday morning. The two teams agreed on their terms for the trade, but the contract negotiations remained the outstanding issue.

The Saints were planning to eventually release Bush because of a contract that owed him $11.8 million in base salary and bonuses. Once New Orleans selected running back Mark Ingram in the first round of April’s draft, Bush’s eventual departure became all the more clear.

But before New Orleans was to part ways, the team first began testing the waters to see if it could gain some compensation from an organization wishing to avoid a competition for his services. Ireland decided to make the move.

The Herald’s sources did not disclose the exact compensation of the potential deal because the trade was not yet finalized, but it is not expected to be an early-round pick. Instead, the true challenge remains getting Bush to agree to the restructured contract.

Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, who first reported that Miami and New Orleans had agreed to terms for a trade, said the deal was contingent on Bush agreeing to a new contract with the Dolphins. He could choose to return to New Orleans at a reduced rate.

As of early Thursday morning, that did not appear to be a major obstacle, and Bush seemed willing to make the move, sources said.

Should the trade be consummated, the Dolphins would acquire a dynamic player they hope will provide the lightning to rookie Daniel Thomas’ thunder. Bush would also provide a much-needed threat in the return game.

In five years, Bush rushed 524 times for 2,090 yards. He caught 294 passes for 2,142 yards and scored 29 touchdowns combined on offense.

Bush, though, has struggled at times to stay healthy. Only once – his rookie season in 2006 – was he able to complete a full 16-game season. Last year, he played in just eight games and rushed for 150 yards because of a broken right fibula.

In 2007, he tore his posterior cruciate ligament. In 2008, he tore his meniscus. And in 2009, he suffered a bruised knee. All three injuries required him to miss two or more weeks.

But Bush’s ability to provide a big-play threat are also well documented. Bush was a favorite of Saints coach Sean Payton, who is very close friends with Dolphins coach Tony Sparano.



The decision to make a trade for Bush would very likely end any potential interest in Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw. It also would likely draw an end to the careers of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in Miami.

Nintendo 3DS price dreassed from $249 to $169 in US

The price of the Nintendo 3DS in the US is dropping precipitously August 12th from $249 to $169, with other regions getting a similar price break in their respective currency. Are you one of the 830,000~ US gamers that have already shelled out? Don't be too disappointed, the thank you gift for gamers that have logged into the eShop at least once before the price cut will be 10 free NES virtual console games September 1st, plus 10 more Game Boy Advance virtual console games that Nintendo is not planning on releasing to the general public before the end of the year.


The Japanese videogame giant recorded a net loss for the April-June quarter of ¥25.5 billion ($328.1 million), marginally wider than the year-earlier ¥25.2 billion, and with a very different cause. Last year's loss was largely an effect of the stronger yen, as the company realized ¥70.5 billion in appraisal losses on massive cash deposits and other assets it holds in foreign currencies, while this year's reflected a slump in sales of the aging basic DS and Wii games systems and the much-touted 3DS, which the company said suffers from a lack of hit games.

As a result revenue was down by more than half, to ¥93.9 billion from ¥188.7 billion a year earlier. That led to an operating loss of ¥37.7 billion, compared with an year-earlier operating profit of ¥23.34 billion. Nintendo said it now expects a net profit for the fiscal year ending next March of just ¥20 billion, a cut of more than 80% from its previous forecast of ¥110 billion.

The price of the flagging 3DS, launched amid fanfare earlier this year, will be cut by nearly half in Japan as of Aug. 11, to ¥15,000 from ¥25,000 ($193 from $322), in a move to kickstart sales. The company said in a statement that it hopes the cut will "create momentum...and accelerate penetration" ahead of the year-end sales season, by which time the line-up of games for the platform will feature new titles that include the company's familiar Super Mario character.

Kim Kardashian diagnosed with psoriasis

New Delhi: Socialite Kim Kardashian has been diagnosed with psoriasis, say media reports.

Being a socialite and in perpetual media glare, the red marks on her skin sent gossips flying. The Life and Style Weekly called it the skin condition called psoriasis.

The skin condition is marked by red or white patches on the skin which are often flaky. The condition is not contagious.
According to the report, Kim’s mother Kris Jenner also suffers from the condition, which is characterized by dry skin. Kardashian said to the media that she has heard of the skin condition because her mother has always had it, but she did not have red flaky dots all over.

The disease has a largely genetic component involved in it. The condition, as doctors say – is manageable with a variety of treatments available. If properly taken care of doctors say that psoriasis patients have a perfectly normal life.

Kim’s thoughts on the condition will be featured in an upcoming episode of her reality show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians’. With her wedding around the corner, it would be interesting to know how she deals with the diagnosis.

‘American Idol’ Judge Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez is closing in on a deal that would see her back on the American Idol judging panel for at least one more season, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.

Cécile Frot-Coutaz, CEO at FremantleMedia North America, which produces the Fox singing competition, declined to comment on the negotiations when reached by the WSJ.

But she did say: “We’re in good shape. No worries. No dark clouds on the horizon.”

China Train Collision: 35 Dead, 190 Injured

At last 35 people have died after two high-speed trains crashed into each other in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang on Saturday causing two carriages to fall off a bridge, state news agency Xinhua reported.Another 89 people have been sent to hospital, it added.
The accident occurred after the first train was hit by lightning and lost power, and was then rear-ended by another bullet train.
The government has spent billions of dollars boosting the railway network of the world’s most populous country and has said it plans to spend $120 billion a year.State television’s main news channel showed one carriage on the ground under the bridge.

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Steven Spielberg Confirms: 'Jurassic Park 4' Is Happening!

The wait is a mere flicker of an instant in time compared to how long it took the dinosaurs to come back to earth, but then, when you've got a beloved franchise like "Jurassic Park," fans tend to get antsy.

This may or may not help.

Steven Spielberg, the director who needs no introduction, made his first ever appearance at Comic-Con on Friday, to promote his upcoming motion capture adventure, "The Adventures of Tin Tin." It makes great use of technology, and footage wowed attendees at the hallowed Hall H, but it was Jurassic Park, one of his ultimate technological breakthroughs, that garnered the most buzz.

It's long been speculated and teased that a fourth film in the series -- the last hit theaters in 2001 -- would some day get made, but there's been no solid story or timeline for its production. Spielberg was albe to, kinda sorta, give an answer to that latter question of time.

According to Movieline, Spielberg said, "We have a writer who is writing a treatment and hopefully we will make 'Jurassic Park 4' in the next two to three years."

He didn't give any plot details away, but Joe Johnston, the "Captain America" director who worked on the first three, spilled a few beans last week.

"We are in discussions about 'Jurassic Park 4,'" he told ScreenRant (amongst other things). "The most important thing I can tell you is that it starts a new trilogy that will go off in a different direction -- a completely different direction that is very exciting."

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Oslo Blast Hits Completed Footage (Video)

At least seven people were killed and 15 injured in the bomb blast, the nation’s worst attack since World War II.

Police Inspector Bjoern Erik Sem-Jacobsen said a suspect in the shooting has been arrested. He said the gunman, who was dressed as a police officer, pulled out a gun and started firing into the crowd of youths. There were unconfirmed reports that five people were wounded in that shooting.

Helicopter Crash in Dense Bushland (Sydney) Video

Two people are dead after a helicopter crashed in dense bushland in Sydney's north, leaving a trail of wreckage scattered over a wide area.
Emergency workers described the crash site in the Lane Cove National Park, at the western end of Canoon Road, in South Turramurra, as horrific.
The Bell 206 went down about 9.15am on Friday, startling nearby residents who reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing smoke.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau(ATSB) said, the helicopter was a Bell 206, which can seat between five and seven people, including the pilot.
The wreckage was found about 100 metres into the bush, at the bottom of a 10-15m cliff face that emergency services workers could only reach on foot and by abseiling down.
NSW Fire and Rescue Inspector Chris Bishop said,"The scene's quite horrific, the chopper has been destroyed, it's an horrific scene for all crews working there,"
Acting Superintendent Michael Banfield of Ku-Ring-Gai Local Area Command said two bodies were found and police were trying to find the helicopter owner so they could identify those on board.
The dead include the pilot and a single passenger, and they are both believed to be male.
ATSB is sending a team to investigate the crash and would look at whether bad weather was a factor.
Police are expected to retrieve the bodies later in the day.

Space Shuttle Atlantis: Last Landing For NASA's Historic Program Video

International Space Station in triumph Thursday, bringing an end to NASA’s 30-year shuttle journey with one last, rousing touchdown that drew cheers and tears.

A record crowd of 2,000 gathered near the landing strip, thousands more packed the space center and countless others watched history unfold from afar as NASA’s longest-running spaceflight program came to a close.

“After serving the world for over 30 years, the space shuttle’s earned its place in history. And it’s come to a final stop,” radioed commander Christopher Ferguson.

“Job well done, America,” replied Mission Control.

The twilight landing, just before dawn, came 30 years and three months after the very first shuttle flight in 1981. It will be another three to five years at best before Americans are launched again from U.S. soil, with private companies gearing up to seize the Earth-to-orbit-and-back baton from NASA.
he applause and emotion came from the flight controllers' families. The controllers themselves didn't show any reaction immediately, busy working the final landing of the 30-year shuttle program in Florida.

But nine minutes later, the emotions started to come to the surface. That's when controllers stood up, shook hands, laughed a bit, patted each on their backs and signed memorabilia.

Even though some of them will lose their jobs and the shuttle era ended, tears were absent.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Hat Trick Lifts Real Madrid To 3-0 Win (VIDEO)

SAN DIEGO -- Cristiano Ronaldo scored three goals within a 9-minute span in the second half to lift Real Madrid to a 3-0 win over Chivas of Guadalajara in an exhibition soccer match Wednesday night.

Ronaldo, a former world Player of the Year, had been stymied by Chivas goalie Luis Michel in the first half. Michel stopped Ronaldo on a couple of free kicks and a clear opportunity which he hit into the right side of the net in the 39th minute.

However, in the 73rd minute Ronaldo split two Chivas defenders took a pass from Karim Benzema brought it down with his left foot and kicked it with his right past goalie Michel breaking the scoreless tie.

Three minutes later Ronaldo converted a penalty kick when teammate Pepe was taken down by Chivas Omar Arliano.

Ronaldo finished off his hat trick with a blast to the lower right hand corner of the net in the 82nd minute.

Google+ approached 20 million users in just three weeks, google show Analysis

Google+, the social networking product from the search engine giant, is heading for 20 million users within the next few days just three weeks after its launch.

Paul Allen, the founder of Ancestry.com, said on Wednesday that his model which calculates its growth by the prevalence of surnames, indicates that by last Monday the site had hit 18m users and was growing at 750,000 per day.

The Google+ app for the iPhone, which was released earlier in the week, was the top free app on Apple's iTunes Store.

Allen said that the rate of growth has slowed slightly since last week, when there were a million people joining per day.

Google+, which is built as a social network that uses the idea of "Circles" - user-generated groups of people with whom to communicate. The idea is, like Twitter, to allow a wider social group than can be created on Facebook, without the need for reciprocity that its "friends" system requires, while letting people post at length rather than Twitter's 140-character limit.

Allen says that the potential for growth is enormous: "Google hasn't started marketing Google+ through any of its other channels yet. More than a billion people worldwide use Google products, including its top rated search engine, YouTube, and Blogger. Chairman Eric Schmidt says the vision is to integrate Circles and sharing with all the other Google properties. When that happens, you will likely see millions of people joining Google+ every day for some period of time."

Larry Page, the chief executive of Google, expressed delight with the growth of the service following the company's record profits and revenues last week. At the time he said that Google+ had passed 10m users. Allen says that his own model at the time showed 13m users, indicating that it is probably broadly accurate.

Allen explains his methods: "I don't have access to log files or to a massive consumer panel. I'm simply measuring how many Google+ users there are of various randomly selected surnames every day. Last week I increased the sample of surnames that I query from 100 to 1,000.

"Over a four-day period, the 100-surname sample showed a Google+ growth rate of 28.4%. The 1,000 surname sample showed a growth rate of 28.5%. [That's] statistically insignificant. So I'm not sure whether to keep running 1,000 surname queries per day or just stick with 100. Yesterday, the number of users with the 1,000 surnames jumped from 23,922 (all counted by hand) to 24,990, for an increase of 4.47%. I tried to get the count a full day after the original count, but there is no way to make sure that my data entry team can time it exactly right. The counts could be off by several hours, cutting into the accuracy."

• Meanwhile, Google is killing off Google Labs, its experimental area where it released potential products to see how users liked them.

Google sacrifices of Google Labs to Product Focus

Google announced the news on its official blog, stating, "We're prioritizing our product efforts. As part of that process, we've decided to wind down Google Labs. While we've learned a huge amount by launching very early prototypes in Labs, we believe that greater focus is crucial if we're to make the most of the extraordinary opportunities ahead."

The post goes on: "In many cases, this will mean ending Labs experiments -- in others we'll incorporate Labs products and technologies into different product areas. And many of the Labs products that are Android apps today will continue to be available on Android Market."

A Google rep, Jason Friedenfelds, did emphasize that not all manner of Google labs are going away. "We don't have any plans to change in-product experimentation channels like Gmail Labs or Maps Labs. We'll continue to experiment with new features in each of our products," he told me.

The news inevitably raises questions as to how this shift will affect future innovation from Google. One the one hand, the announcement does signal potentially greater business maturity at Google. A little more focus and discipline with its R&D dollars, channeled toward specific products and divisions, could mean that the company will roll out even better-polished products with broader appeal more quickly. That's certainly how Google is spinning it.

Google's investment in R&D is by no means trivial, either. Last year, the company spent $3.7 billion on R&D, compared to $29.3 billion in operating revenue. That represents a 12.6 percent investment in R&D. For the sake of comparison, Oracle spent $4.5 billion on R&D while taking in $35.6 billion, a 12.6 percent investment; Microsoft spent $8.7 billion on R&D against $62.5 billion in revenue, a 13.9 percent investment; IBM reported spending $6.0 billion on research and development against $99.9 billion in revenue, meaning it put just 6 percent of operating revenue into R&D; HP raked in $126 billion while spending $3 billion on research and development (2.4 percent), and Apple spent $1.8 billion, compared to its operating revenue of $65.2 billion. That works out to 2.8 percent.

So yes, Google has said it will keep pouring resources into innovation, sans the technology incubator that was Google Labs. One must wonder, though, if the closure will result in hampering the type of creation and innovation for which Google is known. After all, plenty of well-known, well-liked, commercially successful products have emerged from Google Labs, such as Gmail and Google Calendar. (So, too, have less popular products like Google Wave and the App Inventor for Android.) Will Google employees still have the opportunity, resources, and incentive to experiment and innovate as they did in Google Labs? Or will they be required to formulate business plans with earnings projections before they can hammer out a single line of code?

One also wonders whether the closure of Google Labs and the associated focus on products will have an adverse impact on employee morale. Would-be job applicants have been lured to Google in the past by the prospect on working on side projects, on company time, for the sake of technological creativity as opposed to cold, hard profitability. Eliminating Google Labs and the freedom it allowed could give some Googlers pause to re-evaluate their job satisfaction.

Notably, employees who have left Google, including Dhanji Prasanna and Douwe Osinga, have cited the company's shift to "product focus" as a reason for departing. The general impression: Google has become a less fun place to work because of the narrow product focus, which also has resulted in internal battles for position and over how employees are rewarded for particular efforts.

Ideally, Google will be able to strike a balance between keeping shortsighted shareholders happy on a quarterly basis, while continuing to invest in developing Google Labs-type products and features under an umbrella other than the Google Labs moniker. Those sorts of experiments arguably amount to good old-fashioned research and development. Further, they're evidently a way to keep engineers and developers engaged and excited about their jobs, traits any good CEO wants from his or her employees.

SWTOR - Star War's Special Edition with Bonus Outed

The Old Republic.
It mentions the following goodies:

• Exclusive Gentle Giant Darth Malgus statue
• Star Wars: The Old Republic game discs in collectable metal case
• The Journal of Master Gnost-Dural annotated by Satele Shan
• Old Republic galaxy map
• Custom security authentication key
• Exclusive music of Star Wars: The Old Republic CD
• High quality Collector’s Edition box

The following digital content is also mentioned:

• Flare gun: Fire flares into the air
• Training droid: Hovers at your side for combat assistance
• HoloDancer: Project your own holographic dancer
• HoloCam: Keep visual records of in-game adventures
• STAP: Sleek and unique in-game vehicle
• Exclusive Mouse Droid: Spunky droid to join your adventures
• Exclusive Collector’s Edition store: Unique in-game vendor with a dynamic assortment of items

Vanessa Hudgens Feels "Like a Soccer Mom" With New Haircut

Who's got the keys to the minivan?

On the set of her new flick Gimme Shelter, Vanessa Hudgens is practically unrecognizable in her pregnant-teen role. Besides being clad in baggy jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, the actress opted to skip the wig and instead chopped her brunette locks into a radically shorter 'do.

"Oh man, it's really intense -- I'm still getting used to it," the actress, 22, told Access Hollywood on Monday. "Honestly, I kind of feel like a soccer mom, but we're going to let that go. There's nothing wrong with soccer moms, but I'm only 22! I miss [my hair,] believe me, I do, but there's nothing I can do about it."

But unlike many A-list stars who went to the chopping block before her, Hudgens didn't hit up a pricey salon or enlist a celebrity hairstylist to cut her hair.

"I grabbed the scissors and started cutting my actual hair," the High School Musical alum said. "Then my director decided that he was going to grab the scissors, and he grabs a chunk of my hair and just chops it"

In the upcoming drama film (due out in 2012), Hudgens plays a pregnant teenager who is forced to live on a city's downtrodden streets. She'll star opposite Brendan Fraser and Rosario Dawson.

See Kate Hudson's Post-Baby Bod

Baby Bingham's mom is still a babe!

Kate Hudson gave birth to her second son, Bingham "Bing" Hawn Bellamy, just two weekends ago -- and she's ready for the great outdoors again!

Hudson, 32, wasn't afraid to offer a glimpse of her post-baby figure during a Monday outing in Malibu with fiance Matt Bellamy and Ryder, her 7-year-old son with ex Chris Robinson. Shopping for supplies (including a new kite for Ryder!), the Something Borrowed actress beamed in shades, jacket, shorts and flip-flops.

It was actually the second post-baby outing for Hudson, who wore a super-flowy dress during a lunch date with Bellamy, 33, and Ryder on Friday.

Little Bingham (who weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. when he was born July 9) hasn't yet made his public debut. He takes his unusual first name from his maternal grandmother (it's the maiden name of Bellamy's mom), plus Kurt Russell's late father, Bing Russell. (As longtime partner to Hudson's mom Goldie Hawn, Russell, 60, is Hudson's de-facto stepfather.)

Snag Selena Gomez's Edgy Wedges for Under $75!

When it comes to running errands around town, Hollywood's most stylish stars have traded high heels for wedge sandals. And while most A-listers like Kim Kardashian and Reese Witherspoon are opting for the casual raffia platform style, Selena Gomez mixed things up in L.A. on Tuesday with an edgier pair.

Logging some serious down time before celebrating her 19th birthday on Friday and kicking off her three-month U.S. tour on Sunday, Gomez stepped out for a mid-afternoon lunch wearing a pair of dv by dolce vita Women's "Persimmon" wedge sandals that feature a black leather upper and a tan cork-wrapped heel.

The 18-year-old "Who Says" singer paired the 3 3/4-inch-high shoes with dark skinny jeans and a billowy top.

Love her shoes? The good news is they won’t cost you an arm and a leg like most celeb-coveted footwear. You can get them now for just $74 at shoes.com!

Four 'Captain America' Clips Before Friday's Premiere

"Captain America: The First Avenger" hits theaters July 22nd and we've got four new clips from the film, showing the evolution of a frail Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) into a beefy, Nazi-ass-kicking force for good.

The videos show us how Captain America got his famous shield, how he earned the chance to become a super-soldier and how Captain America fares in a fight.

In case you haven't seen the trailer (American or international) or earlier previews, here's the official synopsis:

"'Captain America: The First Avenger' will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving.)"

Watch clips from "Captain America: The First Avenger" here:

FBI Arrests 14 Alleged Hackers For PayPal Cyberattack

WASHINGTON — Fourteen people were arrested Tuesday for allegedly mounting a cyberattack on the website of PayPal in retaliation for its suspending the accounts of WikiLeaks.

Separately, FBI agents executed more than 35 search warrants around the country in an ongoing investigation into coordinated cyberattacks against major companies and organizations.

As part of the effort, there were two arrests in the United States unrelated to the attack on the PayPal payment service. Overseas, one person was arrested by Scotland Yard in Britain, and there were four arrests by the Dutch National Police Agency, all for alleged cybercrimes.

In one case unrelated to PayPal and filed in New Jersey, a customer support contractor was charged with stealing confidential business information on AT&T's servers. The data was posted on a public file sharing site, and defendant Lance Moore, 21, of Las Cruces, N.M., was accused of exceeding his authorized access to AT&T's servers in downloading thousands of documents and applications.

According to court papers, the documents the contractor uploaded were the same ones publicized last month by the computer hacking group Lulz Security, or LulzSec, which said it had obtained confidential AT&T documents and made them publicly available on the Internet.

The 16-year-old detained in England is thought to be connected to LulzSec, according to a U.K. official familiar with the investigation. The official spoke on condition that his position not be disclosed because he wasn't authorized to officially release the information.

A hacker with LulzSec did not immediately return a message seeking comment early Wednesday. The group's Twitter feed made no mention of any arrests, although "Sabu," a reputed member of the six-person collective, posted a message to the micro-blogging site saying the hackers couldn't confirm a report that one their own had been detained.

The cyberattacks on PayPal's website by the group called Anonymous followed the release by WikiLeaks in November of thousands of classified State Department cables.

Anonymous is a loosely organized group of hackers sympathetic to WikiLeaks. It has claimed responsibility for attacks against corporate and government websites worldwide.
The group also claims credit for disrupting the websites of Visa and MasterCard in December when the credit card companies stopped processing donations to WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange.

A federal indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., says that Anonymous referred to the cyberattacks on PayPal as "Operation Avenge Assange."

The 14 charged in the PayPal attack were arrested in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico and Ohio. They ranged in age from 20 to 42. The name and age of one of the 14 was withheld by the court.

The 20-year-old, Mercedes Renee Haefer, is a university student, and her lawyer, Stanley L. Cohen of New York, compared the case to the federal prosecution of former U.S. defense analyst Daniel Ellsberg following his release in 1971 to The New York Times and other newspapers a Pentagon study of government decision-making about the Vietnam War. The government said Haefer is also known as "No" and "MMMM."

"In the 18th century, people stood on street corners handing out pamphlets saying, `Beware the all-powerful military and big government,'" Cohen told The Associated Press. "Some people listened. Some people walked away. Today, pamphleteers use the Internet."

Cohen compared the acts allegedly committed by his client and the others to civil disobedience. "The people being arrested are not being accused of acts of violence," Cohen said.

In addition to Haefer, the government said those indicted in San Jose were: Christopher Wayne Cooper, 23, also known as "Anthrophobic"; Joshua John Covelli, 26, aka "Absolem" and "Toxic"; Keith Wilson Downey, 26; Donald Husband, 29, aka "Ananon"; Vincent Charles Kershaw, 27, aka "Trivette," "Triv" and "Reaper"; Ethan Miles, 33; James C. Murphy, 36; Drew Alan Phillips, 26, aka "Drew010"; Jeffrey Puglisi, 28, aka "Jeffer," "Jefferp" and "Ji"; Daniel Sullivan, 22; Tracy Ann Valenzuela, 42; and Christopher Quang Vo, 22.

In the other non-PayPal case, Scott Matthew Arciszewski, 21, was arrested on charges of intentional damage to a protected computer. Arciszewski made his initial appearance Tuesday in federal court in Orlando, Fla.

According to the complaint, on June 21, 2011, Arciszewski allegedly accessed without authorization the Tampa Bay InfraGard website and uploaded three files, then tweeted about the intrusion and directed visitors to a separate website containing links with instructions on how to exploit the Tampa InfraGard website.

InfraGard is a public-private partnership for critical infrastructure protection sponsored by the FBI, with chapters in all 50 states.

LulzSec, a spin-off group of Anonymous, has taken responsibility for attacks on Fox News and PBS, entertainment companies, including Sony and Nintendo, as well as local chapters of InfraGard and Arizona law enforcement.

The hackers earlier this week broke into The Sun newspaper's website and posted a bogus story claiming that media tycoon Rupert Murdoch had been found dead.

The group still says it's sitting on a cache of emails stolen from a server belonging to Murdoch's British newspaper arm.

Japan Edges USA In Shootout To Win 2011 Women's World Cup (VIDEO)

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Japan has won the Women's World Cup, stunning the United States 3-1 in a penalty shootout Sunday night after coming from behind twice in a 2-2 tie.

Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath all failed to convert for the Americans, who squandered dozens of chances throughout the game and blew a lead just six minutes from winning their third World Cup title.

"This is obviously going to hurt for a while," said Abby Wambach, whose only hole in her glittering career is the World Cup title.

Japan had not beaten the Americans in their first 25 meetings, including a pair of 2-0 losses in warm-up games a month before the World Cup. But the Nadeshiko played inspired throughout the tournament, hoping their success could provide an emotional lift to their nation, still reeling from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

After being presented with the gold trophy, Japan's players jumped up and down on the podium, then gathered behind a sign reading "Champions. World Champions."

"Not one of the players gave up," said coach Norio Sasaki, who inspired his players before a quarterfinal by showing them pictures of the devastation. "The penalty kicks are always a 50-50 percent chance."

It's been 12 years since the United States has won the World Cup, and this team was certain they were the ones to break the drought. They'd needed to beat Italy in a two-game playoff just to get into the World Cup, then lost two games in a three-month span, an uncharacteristic "bad streak" for the U.S.

After easy wins in their first two games in Germany, the Americans lost to Sweden – their first loss ever in World Cup group play.

But they rallied with one of the most riveting finishes ever in a World Cup game – men's or women's – against Brazil in the quarterfinals. Down a player for almost an hour and on the verge of making their earliest exit ever from a major tournament, Abby Wambach's magnificent, leaping header in the 122nd minute tied the game.

The Americans beat Brazil on penalty kicks and, just like that, a nation was hooked.

Hollywood celebrities, pro athletes, even folks who don't know a bicycle kick from a Schwinn were captivated by the U.S. women and charmed by their grit and can-do attitude that is uniquely – proudly – American. Even President Barack Obama was a fan, taking to Twitter himself on Sunday morning to wish the team well.

"Sorry I can't be there to see you play, but I'll be cheering you on from here. Let's go. – BO."

The White House later released a photo of Obama and his family watching the game.

But the Americans lost this game as much as Japan won it.

"Evidently, it wasn't meant to be," Wambach said.

They'd taken the lead in the 104th minute off a header by Wambach. Alex Morgan, who scored the first American goal, came up with a blocked cross and sent it to Wambach, who was camped in front of the goal on the 6-yard line. Standing a head taller – and then some – from defenders on either side of her, she needed only to nod the ball into the net.

But Homare Sawa flicked in a corner kick in the 117th minute – earned after 36-year-old captain Christie Rampone raced to clear Yukari Kinga's chip over Hope Solo off the line. It was the fifth goal of the tournament for Sawa, playing in her fifth World Cup.

Japan had already scored late in regulation to force extra time.

"We ran and ran," Sawa said. "We were exhausted, but we kept running."

The Americans got one last chance when Morgan was floored by Azusa Iwashimizu just outside the area in the 121st minute. Lloyd, Boxx and Heather O'Reilly huddled behind the ball before O'Reilly tipped it to Lloyd. But Lloyd's shot was well wide, and Heath couldn't make anything happen with the rebound.

After beating Brazil on penalty kicks in a quarterfinal, the Americans just didn't have the same touch Sunday.

"You don't; you can't," U.S. coach Pia Sundhage said when asked to explain it. "Sometimes in, sometimes out."

Boxx went first, and her shot banged off Ayumi Kaihori's right leg. After Aya Miyama made hers, wrong-footing Solo, Lloyd stepped up and sent her shot soaring over the crossbar. As the crowd gasped, Lloyd covered her mouth in dismay. Solo saved Japan's next shot, but Kaihori made an impressive two-handed save on Heath's shot.

Solo came up with a save, and Wambach buried hers. But Japan need to make just one more, and Saki Kumagai did.

"It's tough to do two rounds of penalties," Wambach said. "The keeper knows in a lot of ways where we're going to go. She made some great saves."

It never should have gotten that far. The Americans finished the first half with a 12-5 shot advantage but had just one attempt on target. Lauren Cheney came up short three times, Wambach shook the crossbar and Megan Rapinoe banged one off the near post.

The Americans finally broke through in the second half, with Morgan scoring her second goal of the tournament in the 69th. Rapinoe booted a pass that traveled almost half the length of the field and Morgan, who replaced the injured Lauren Cheney at halftime, beat three defenders to catch up to it. She shook Kumagai, touched the ball once with her right foot, stutter-stepped and then delivered a left-footed blast from 17 yards that Kaihori had no chance at stopping.

The Americans raced over to Morgan for a group bearhug while chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" echoed through the stadium.

But with just nine minutes or so before they could claim the title, the Americans gifted Japan a goal. Rachel Buehler tied to clear the ball right in front of the goal and knocked it to Ali Krieger, who botched her clearance, too. The ball fell to Miyama, who poked it in from five yards to tie it.

Lady Gaga Rolls Out In Wheelchair For Sydney Performance, Gets Egged (PHOTOS)

Forget the "Edge of Glory," this time Lady Gaga has gone way over the edge. At a concert in Sydney on Wednesday, Lady Gaga rolled out (literally) for a jaw-dropping performance. But fans weren't wide-eyed because of Mother Monster's epic lyrics or awkwardly awesome dance moves. No, fans were scraping their chins off the floor for quite a different reason -- Gaga took the stage in a wheelchair.
Sure, Lady Gaga hasn't risen to global superstar status for playing it safe, but did Gaga's latest stunt go a little too far? According to fans, it did. After her performance, while leaving a Sydney club, Gaga and her entourage were egged by fans who thought her disability bit was offensive rather than outrageous, according to the UK's Metro Online. Although Gaga wasn't directly hit with any of the eggs, her posse wasn't so lucky.
But this isn't the first time the "Born This Way" singer has referenced wheelchair disabilities in her concerts or music videos. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Gaga hired an able-bodied dancer to join her "Paparazzi" routine -- only catch, the dancer would be performing in a decked-out wheelchair. Gaga once again rolled out in a wheelchair in her "Paparazzi" video after being pushed over a railing by video boyfriend, Alexander Skarsgard.
Leave it to Gaga to make things come full circle for us. First she hatched from an egg at the 2011 VMAs and now she's the target of the same food group.

Kate Hudson Finally Names Baby Boy

Kate Hudson, Matthew Bellamy Name Son Bingham Hawn

Kate Hudson and fiancé Matthew Bellamy have chosen a name for their newborn son — and it’s Bingham Hawn Bellamy, nicknamed Bing.

“So happy! Just had a baby boy, Bingham ‘Bing’ Hawn Bellamy. Born 7lb 12oz, on 9th July,” Muse frontman Bellamy, 33, Tweeted Thursday.

“Mum and baby are strong and healthy. Mum was a warrior, Bing popped out after 4.5 hours of intense pushing!”

He adds, “For those wondering, Bingham is my mum’s maiden name and Bing Russell was Kurt’s dad. Family connections all round!”

Bing joins big brother Ryder Russell, 7½, from Hudson’s marriage to rocker Chris Robinson.

Swiss Women's Party Starts Topless Campaign

The FDP-Frauen, the Swiss women’s liberal party, has gotten its national election campaign off to a high profile start with a revealing image of its 30-something general secretary, Claudine Esseiva. In the photo the party head appears topless -- albeit shielded by a modesty-preserving slogan that reads ‘’No More Toplessness.’’
The reference is to one of the party’s major campaign platforms: more women in the higher echelons of both the private and public sectors.
Swiss women, in person-on-the-street interviews, found the ad "not immediately obvious – you had to think about it” or “more about sex than supporting the cause of women,’’ although a male student said he thought it got its intended message across.
Zurich-based communications consultant Klaus J. Stöhlker disagrees. Stöhlker called the slogan ‘’too intellectual, convoluted,’’ and said the message lacks substance. It was not, however, completely surprising, according to the consultant.
"In Switzerland today, erotic capital is being used with a lot more awareness than it was 20 years ago,” he said. “Society is getting more and more sexualized, with middle-class values disappearing largely because of tough economic and political competition. People want to get noticed.”

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Young male politicians for both the Green and conservative SVP parties have also experimented with this kind of “bare it all” approach -- Xavier Schwitzguébel of the SVP quite dramatically so, his privates shielded only by an assault rifle, to mark his stance against a weapons initiative

Somalia Humanitarian Crisis: The World's Best-Known Refugee Camps (PHOTOS)

Built to house an estimated 90,000 people, the world's largest refugee camp is currently swamped with an estimated 380,000 people -- and with 1,400 more people arriving daily, there appears to be no end in sight.

As the Associated Press is reporting, the Kenyan camp, Dabaab, is overflowing with tens of thousands of newly arrived refugees, many of whom hail from drought-ridden Somalia. Despite this, however, the Kenyan government has so far refused to allow the use of Ifo II, another camp built last year that is said to be able to accommodate 40,000 refugees, the AFP reports.

While the Kenyan plight is currently dominating the headlines, it's been a tough year for refugees from many countries, with Syrian citizens fleeing to camps across the Turkish border and the tiny south Italian island recently overrun by Tunisian and Libyan migrants who left their respective countries earlier this year.

Take a look at the situations in some of the world's best-known refugee camps here:

Sri Lanka Elephant Census Aims To Help Conservation Efforts

 

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka is preparing for its first census of elephants in the island's forests to help protect the endangered species against the loss of its habitat.
The head of the Wildlife Department, Chandrawansa Pathiraja, said the census will run over two days starting on the full moon of next month, which falls on Aug. 13.
Elephants will be counted as they come to drink from water holes, reservoirs and tanks.
With the survey, Pathiraja said he hopes to find out the minimum number of elephants, distribution of the population and the composition of herds, including males, females, babies and tuskers.
It will also help the government determine whether it needs legislation to regulate the elephant population
"The census we do can be used for many years for the policymakers and government authorities in order to prepare policies and projects aimed at conservation of elephants," Pathiraja said.
Elephants are considered sacred animals in Sri Lanka. Costumed and decorated pachyderms are used in Buddhist ceremonies as they parade through streets carrying the sacred relics of the Lord Buddha.
In the past, elephants were the country's trucks, taxis and even battle tanks.
But human encroachment and development have eaten into their habitats, and wild elephants are increasingly entering villages in search of food, rampaging through houses and destroying crops and killing people.

Around 250 elephants are killed every year, mostly by farmers. About 50 people are killed in elephant attacks each year too.
The only count available now dates back a century when an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 elephants roamed wild in Sri Lanka. But habitat loss and poaching are believed to have roughly halved their numbers.
Wildlife officials estimate Sri Lanka's elephant population at between 5,000 to 6,000.
Previous head counts by the Wildlife Department were confined only to certain regions and in 1993, one such census found 1,967 elephants but it excluded the island's north and east where a civil war was raging at the time.
With the war's end in 2009, wildlife officials have gained access to the former war zones. The Wildlife Department has already opened up some parks that were closed down during the quarter-century strife.

Mumbai Explosions: Intelligence Agencies Received No Warnings Or Clues In Market Attacks

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian intelligence agencies received no warnings before the three bomb blasts that killed 18 people in Mumbai, the biggest attack since Pakistani-based militants rampaged through the financial hub in 2008, a top official said on Thursday.

Suspicion however fell on the Indian Mujahideen, a shadowy home-grown militant group known for its city-to-city bombing campaigns using small explosive devices planted in restaurants, at bus stops and on busy streets.

"There was no intelligence regarding a militant attack in Mumbai. That is not a failure of intelligence agencies," Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram told a news conference.

"Know that perpetrators have attacked and have worked in a very very clandestine manner. Maybe it's a very small group, maybe they did not communicate with each other."

He said it was too early to point the finger at a particular group, but said the "coordinated terror attacks" could be in retaliation to a number of plots recently stopped by police or the arrests, including from the Indian Mujahideen.

The Indian Mujahideen have been accused of having ties with Pakistani militant groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir.

Honduras Narco-Sub Caught Smuggling Cocaine

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- A Honduran patrol boat has located a semi-submersible craft used by drug traffickers to carry cocaine. Five crew members have been detained.
Officials say the submarine-like vessel is floating about 15 meters (50 feet) under the surface of the Caribbean off the Honduran coast after the crew tried to sink it.
They say divers have recovered part of the cocaine aboard the craft. They estimate it was carrying as much as five tons.
Defense Minister Marlon Pascua said Thursday it was the first time Honduran authorities have seized such a craft in their waters.
A coast guard patrol detected the craft Wednesday off the coast of the sparsely populated province of Gracias a Dios, near the Nicaraguan border.

Indonesia's Mount Lokon Erupts, Panicking Residents

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- An Indonesian volcano spit lava and smoke thousands of feet into the air early Friday, sending panicked residents fleeing down its slopes. There were no immediate reports of causalities.

The first eruption at Mount Lokon occurred at 10:46 p.m., said Brian Rulrone, a disaster management agency official. It was followed by a second powerful blast just after midnight and a third at 1:10 a.m.

Darwis Sitinjak, another disaster official, told El Shinta radio from the scene that soldiers and police were helping rescuers evacuate about 500 people who live along the mountain's fertile slopes.

They join 2,000 others who fled Wednesday after being warned to stay far from the 5,741-foot (1,750-meter) volcano, which has been on high alert for nearly a week, with small eruptions daily.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 235 million people, is prone to earthquakes and volcanoes because it sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a horseshoe-shaped string of faults that lines the Pacific Ocean.

Mount Lokon, in north Sulawesi province, is one of the country's 129 active volcanos.

Its last major eruption in 1991 killed a Swiss hiker and forced thousands of people to flee their homes.

New Ford Fiesta Sedan is Ready to run on Indian Roadlines

New Ford Fiesta sedan priced up to Rs 10.51 lakh.

The car was exposure earlier to the press and public at a Ford cafe in Delhi aimed at bringing the car closer to the buyers.

The car will be available in both options like diesel and petrol at a price range of Rs 8.31 lakh to Rs 10.51 lakh (ex -showroom Mumbai).

"

Ford is not backing away from its commitment to the Indian market. We are here for the long haul and launch this vehicle and reiterate our 'One Ford' vision by bringing the first of the eight new global vehicles to be launched here by 2015," Ford India President and MD Michael Boneham said.

"This month we will be assessing the response. I think the way we have priced the Fiesta, it will be very attractive to our customers," he said when asked about sales target. "Given the global response to the car, we will be capacity constrained," he added.

The car is built to comply with FIA regional rally regulations and the versatility of the car allows it to compete in national championships in its RRC guise but also in the World Rally Championship in its WRC variant.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Movie Review

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Movie has got good reviews, and being a Zoya Aktar creation one it can be rest assured that it would not be a total disappointment/time waste movie. The direction, acting, music and dialogues together make it a good movie.

Rating: 3.2/5

How do they land in Spain? Well, the boys had made a certain pact that each would suggest an adventure sport and the other two would have to follow. Screenplay writers Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar (also director) bring to the table a very beautifully captured Spain, by cinematographer Carlos Catalan. No no, that's not all. Along with Spain, they bring relationships of their protagonists with themselves and each other. Undercurrents unleashed by emotional turmoil, friendship, and finally the unloading of mental baggage, so as to emerge victorious in the truest sense.

Finally your heart is likely to be set upon the beats of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, from the free-spirited Ik Junnon to the mellow Khwabon Ke Parindey, not to forget the unforgettable Senorita. And Farhan's poetry infused in the narrative needs special mention.

So dear Fans Go to theater and See the nice movie Zindgi Na Milegi Dobara....

MUMBAI BLASTS: Terror Returns To Mumbai 21 Killed And 140 Injured

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian intelligence agencies received no warnings before the three bomb blasts that killed 18 people in Mumbai, the biggest attack since Pakistani-based militants rampaged through the financial hub in 2008, a top official said on Thursday.

Suspicion however fell on the Indian Mujahideen, a shadowy home-grown militant group known for its city-to-city bombing campaigns using small explosive devices planted in restaurants, at bus stops and on busy streets.

"There was no intelligence regarding a militant attack in Mumbai. That is not a failure of intelligence agencies," Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram told a news conference.

"Know that perpetrators have attacked and have worked in a very very clandestine manner. Maybe it's a very small group, maybe they did not communicate with each other."

He said it was too early to point the finger at a particular group, but said the "coordinated terror attacks" could be in retaliation to a number of plots recently stopped by police or the arrests, including from the Indian Mujahideen.

The Indian Mujahideen have been accused of having ties with Pakistani militant groups fighting Indian rule in Kashmir.

The bombings were the biggest militant attack on Mumbai since the 2008 assaults killed 166 people, raised tensions with neighbor and nuclear rival Pakistan, and left a city on edge.

The blasts come as India and Pakistan seek to normalize ties. Pakistani leaders were swift in condemning the bombings, as was President Barack Obama. Top U.S. diplomat Hillary Clinton is due in India for scheduled talks next week.

There was no immediate indication any Pakistani group was involved. But any suggestion of attributing blame to Islamabad would complicate a fraught relationship with India -- with whom it has a long-running dispute over Kashmir -- and further unravel ties with the United States.

"We live in the most troubled neighborhood in the world. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the epicenter of terrorism," said Chidambaram, adding that Pakistan had still not given India support in going after those behind the 2008 attacks in Mumbai.

HOME GROWN GROUPS?

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombs, which were mixed with ammonium nitrate, a chemical compound often used in improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

"It's very likely coordinated by Indian Mujahideen looking at the severity and scale of the attacks -- in the past they've used tiffin carrier bombs and IEDs," said Dr Rohan Gunaratna, a Singapore-based al Qaeda expert.

"Certainly there can be links between those who have done these attacks and overseas sources but the attacks themselves have been conducted by local groups, home grown Indian groups."

Chidambaram said 18 people had died in the attacks, lowering an earlier figure of 21. He said 23 out of the 131 injured and admitted to hospitals were in a critical state.

Newspaper headlines voiced a mix of resignation and outrage over the latest attacks on a coastal city of more than 10 million that is home to India's main stock exchanges.

"Attacked. Again," said the Hindustan Times. "We're All Sitting Ducks," said the Economic Times.

The blasts came as beleaguered Prime Minister Manmohan Singh struggles to get past a series of corruption scandals and a resurgent opposition that has led to policy paralysis in Asia's third largest economy. A cabinet reshuffle this week was criticized as too little, too late.

Mumbai has a long history of deadly bombings and Wednesday's attacks did not rattle financial markets. The home minister said the attacks were not aimed at markets.

JEWELRY MARKETS TARGETED

The bombings were centered mainly on south Mumbai's jewelry market area, crowded with diamond and precious metals traders and artisans. It was not the first time it was attacked.

The blasts occurred at about 6.45 pm (1315 GMT) on Wednesday within minutes of each other. One bomb was placed at the side of the road, another on a motorbike and a third on the roof of a bus stop.

The home minister said the bombs were detonated with timers, a clock or other triggers, but not done remotely.

The biggest blast was in the Opera House area, a crowded hub for diamond traders. Pakistani-based militants carried out the bloody rampage in 2008 near the same popular area.

Another blast, also in south Mumbai, was at the Zaveri Bazaar, India's largest bullion market which was hit twice in the past. The third blast was at Dadar, in a street housing Muslim and Hindu shops in the center of the coastal city.

(Writing by Paul de Bendern, additional reporting by James Pomfret in New Delhi, Rosemary Arackambil and Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; Editing by Krittivas Mukherjee and Daniel Magnowski)

All-Star Game 2011: National League Wins

PHOENIX — Pitching, speed and a little bit of power. The National League is back on top in the All-Star game, using the same formula that worked during its dominating run in the 1970s and '80s.

Prince Fielder hit a three-run homer and Roy Halladay and his relief combined on a six-hitter to lead the NL over the AL 5-1 Tuesday night, giving the senior circuit its first two-game winning streak since the mid-1990s.

The NL claimed home-field advantage in the World Series, its only blemish being a home run by Adrian Gonzalez off Cliff Lee.

"It was great to have the pitching set up the way it was," NL manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's hard to beat great pitching and a three-run homer."

With several big names as no-shows at Chase Field, the AL lost more than the game.

Boston right-hander Josh Beckett warmed up, then bowed out with a sore knee. Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera left after hurting a muscle in his side while swinging.

"We are not going to use not having Josh as an excuse," AL manager Ron Washington said. "I think when you look at the ballgame, the bottom line is the National League pitching was outstanding. You know, we ended up giving up one big inning and they didn't give up any."

Even before they were hurt, many stars were missing. Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez and many other aces started Sunday and were ineligible, Chipper Jones and Alex Rodriguez were among those on the disabled list and Derek Jeter wanted a break. In all, 16 of 84 All-Stars were dropped.

Tyler Clippard got the win despite allowing a single to his only batter, Adrian Beltre. Clayton Kershaw, Jair Jurrjens, Craig Kimbrel, Jonny Venters, Heath Bell, Joel Hanrahan and Brian Wilson combined to keep the NL ahead.

Fielder won the MVP award after becoming the first Brewers player to homer in an All-Star game. The World Series edge could help him later, with Milwaukee and St. Louis tied for the Central lead at the break.

"That was part of the message, how important it was for us, and how important the game was: Do it again for the National League champion," Bochy said.

Fielder, son of former All-Star Cecil Fielder, was booed during the Home Run Derby a day earlier by fans angry he didn't select Arizona's Justin Upton.

"I didn't take it personal at all," Fielder said. "I understood it. no hard feelings."

The NL dashed around the bases and stole three bags, all in one inning. Bell showed some speed, too – the reliever provided the image of the night, sprinting in from the bullpen in the eighth inning and tearing up the turf with a slide just short of the mound.

"I think he nailed it," Brian Wilson said. "I don't know if I'd make it. I think I'd slip, ankle, flip, next thing you know I can't pitch."

In all, the Nationals have enjoyed their best run since taking three in a row from 1994-96 – they had lost 12 straight games played to a decision before a 3-1 victory at Anaheim last year.

Andre Ethier and Pablo Sandoval also drove in runs for the NL.

Before a crowd of 47,994 that included Muhammad Ali, this was no desert classic – except for fans of pitching, which has become resurgent as the Steroids Era has receded. Scoring in the first half of this season dropped to its lowest level in 19 years and the major league batting average shrunk to its smallest midseason figure since 1985.

The home runs were the first in the All-Star game since J.D. Drew connected at Yankee Stadium three years ago. The AL finished with six hits for the second straight year.

Given the temperature outside, the theme song for this game could have been the Buster Poindexter song "Hot Hot Hot." And except for Lee, that's what the NL pitching was.

Bochy of the Giants became a winner in his second All-Star try, following a defeat in 1999, and his closer Wilson, the 10th NL pitcher, got two outs for the save.

Texas' C.J. Wilson, the fourth AL pitcher, took the loss for the team run by his manager, Washington.

Despite the weather outside – 99 degrees at gametime – two separate groups opposed to Arizona's controversial immigration law protested outside of Chase Field before the game. One quietly passed out white ribbons that symbolized peace and unity and the other loudly chanting in bullhorns and marching in circles with signs that read "Boycott hate" and "Stand with us."

However, there was little sign of the ribbons in the stands.

While it was hot outside in the Sonoran Desert, it was a comfy 72 thanks to an 8,000-ton cooling system in the ballpark, where the roof has remained closed for games since June 17. It was the first game here in the national spotlight since the famous Game 7 comeback by the Diamondbacks over the Yankees in the 2001 World Series, a factoid referenced at the start of the pregame introductions.

In a modern stadium with an old-fashioned keyhole dirt path between the mound and the plate, there were flickers of sunlight shining through glass panels in the roof when Halladay started Curtis Granderson off with a 91 mph pitch.

Once again, pitchers dominated early.

"I figured a lot of those guys were going to be swinging early," Halladay said.

Showing the strength that has given Philadelphia the best record in the majors, Halladay retired six straight batters – the first to do that in an All-Star game since Roger Clemens in 2001.

Lee, his Phillies teammate, followed and set down his first five hitters. Halladay, who started for the AL in 2009, joined Vida Blue, Clemens and Randy Johnson as the only pitchers to open for both leagues.

"It was nice to have Cliff come in right behind me," Halladay said. "I know Cole (Hamels) wanted to be there too."
Gonzalez, who switched leagues in the offseason by going from San Diego to Boston, stepped up in the fourth and lined an 86 mph cutter just to the right-field side of the swimming pool, where women in bikinis and a man in a Santa Claus outfit were watching. There's some history here – Gonzalez is 7 for 13 with four extra-base hits against Lee in games that count.
Jose Bautista singled on a popup behind first that Fielder dropped and advanced on Josh Hamilton's broken-bat single before Beltre singled sharply to left. Hunter Pence, who entered at the start of the inning, threw a strike to catcher Brian McCann well in time for the tag. With baseball still smarting from the season-ending injury to Buster Posey when Scott Cousins crashed into him in May, Bautista slid late to avoid a collision that would have brought up memories of Pete Rose's takeout of Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game.

Carlos Beltran singled to shortstop leading off the bottom of the fourth and Matt Kemp singled before Fielder gave the NL a 3-1 lead against Wilson, hitting an 88 mph cutter the opposite way to left-center. The drive gave every major league team except the Diamondbacks at least one All-Star home run.

Rookie reliever Jordan Walden made a nifty, barehanded pickup of Rickie Weeks' two-hopper to the third-base side of the mound in the fifth and threw out Starlin Castro trying to score from third. Castro came in as a pinch runner and swiped second and third. Weeks then stole second and came around on a pinch-single by Ethier.

Sandoval doubled in a run off Brandon League in the seventh.