Friday, July 15, 2011
Kate Hudson Finally Names Baby Boy
Kate Hudson and fiancé Matthew Bellamy have chosen a name for their newborn son — and it’s Bingham Hawn Bellamy, nicknamed Bing.
Swiss Women's Party Starts Topless Campaign
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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Somalia Humanitarian Crisis: The World's Best-Known Refugee Camps (PHOTOS)
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
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.
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
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
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.
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....
Thursday, July 14, 2011
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)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
All-Star Game 2011: National League Wins
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.
Charlie Sheen is Dead Or Not
To all the people who were wondering if Charlie Sheen is dead, then the answer is no. Charlie Sheen is still alive. This death rumor may have been mistaken for the latest news that the character of Charlie Sheen in the sitcom Two and a Half Men, who’s name is Charlie Harper, is already done, thus the statement “Charlie Harper is Dead”.Just to clarify, and to stop the Sheen fans from crying and wreaking havoc, Charlie Sheen is not dead. The only Charlie that is dead is Two and a Half Men’s Charlie Harper. I guess that clears things up.
Charlie Harper is a fictional character in the comedy sitcom from CBS, Two and a Half Men. Harper is played by actor Charlie Sheen. Sheen has garnered three Emmy Outstanding Lead Actor nominations for his role as Charlie Harper. He also atained two Golden Glob nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Kid Meets First Gay Couple (FULL VIDEO)
If only everyone had such a reasonable reaction to gay marriage. This kid meets his first gay couple, deconstructs what marriage means, is surprised but cool with it, then invites the guys to play ping pong with him.
Foreign diplomats could learn a thing or two from this boy.
Also, the idea that being married means you love someone is probably one of the more wholesome messages a child can receive. So thumbs up to the kid, his parents and his new ping pong friends.
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