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Wednesday 25 January 2012

Chinese Soldiers Appear To Play 'Hot Potato'


Folks, don't try this at home.

A video that's currently making its way around the web appears to shows six Chinese soldiers playing a game similar to "hot potato" with some sort of explosive.

According to a HuffPost translation of the video, which the Telegraph reports originally aired on state-owned Chinese Central Television, the troops are practicing "explosive package passing."

"A lit explosive package is sequentially passed among six soldiers, to test their ability for close coordination and psychological preparation," the reporter in the video says.

The soldiers count to six as they pass the explosive around the circle before throwing it into the hole.

According to the the Telegraph, this particular exercise took place in December at an exhibition in Hong Kong.

But this video begs the question: real or fake?

As YouTube commenter "ClaimChowdah" pointed out, at around 19 seconds a soldier appears to drop the "package" at his feet, while the explosion comes from the hole, which is clearly a few feet away.

Monday 23 January 2012

Kyle Williams Death Threats


San Francisco 49ers kick returner Kyle Williams laid face-down on the shredded and wet field at Candlestick Park Sunday night as the New York Giants celebrated a fumble recovery in overtime. The second glaring mistake by the 49ers' sophomore in the NFC Championship Game was followed by three runs by Ahmad Bradshaw and Eli Manning taking a knee. After that, the G-Men kicked their way into Super Bowl 46.

After Jacquian Williams knocked the ball from his grasp and the Giants recovered at the 24-yard line, Kyle Williams was the scapegoat in San Francisco. The 23-year-old's name quickly started trending on Twitter -- partly because some 49ers fans lent their support, but mostly because he was the subject of hateful messages, several openly rooting for his death.

Someone, presumably a 49ers fan based on his profile image, tweeted that he hopes Williams and his family dies. Another wished Williams died in his sleep Sunday night. And when another tweeted that he's not sure Williams deserves to be receiving death threats, someone said that notion was "debatable."

Fortunately, several San Francisco teammates and other tweeters jumped to Williams' defense.

"Keep ur head up. U r my brother n teammate N I would put u back there all over again. We all lost this game tonight not u," 49ers star linebacker Patrick Willis tweeted.

Tight end Delanie Walker told CBSSports.com's Gregg Doyel that it's not Williams' fault "so don't go over there and act like it is."

Although it comes as no surprise that some fans would immediately react in the most extreme fashion, it's comforting to see so many rush to defend someone against such classless acts.

Iran: Flotilla Of Warships Sent Through Strait of Hormuz Heightens Tensions



Britain has joined the United States and France in sending a flotilla of warships through the sensitive Strait of Hormuz in a pointed message to the Iranian regime.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, HMS Argyll, was part of the US-led carrier group to pass through the waterway, as tensions continued to escalate over Tehran's nuclear programme.

The strait, a 34-mile-wide sea passage, connects the petroleum-producing Persian Gulf states to the ocean, making it a strategic choke point on the world's economy.

The EU gave preliminary approval to new sanctions against Iranian oil on Monday. On the table is a total ban on European purchases of Iranian oil - a sanction that would not just hit Iran but key EU buyers including Greece Italy and Spain.

Sanctions are already expected against Iran's central bank.

The full implementation of the sanctions would be delayed until 1 July, due to concerns about their impact on the European economy.

The UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands had been leading calls for nothing more than a three-month delay before the sanctions bite, but Greece, which fears its economic woes will worsen if it cannot find alternative suppliers at Iran-style preferential rates - has urged a much longer phase-in to ease the pain.

The embargo is yet to be formally approved by the EU nations' foreign ministers, who are meeting in Brussels.

In response to the expected sanctions the Iranians have threatened to close the strait - through which 35% of the world's tanker-borne oil exports pass - in retaliation."I hope Iran will come to its senses on this issue and agree to negotiate."

EU governments are calculating that the loss of European oil markets will persuade Iran to reopen talks on its nuclear plans.

On Monday, a MoD spokesman confirmed that "HMS Argyll and a French vessel joined a U.S. carrier group transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, to underline the unwavering international commitment to maintaining rights of passage under international law."

The six-strong flotilla was led by the USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with up to 90 warplanes on board.

It reportedly passed through the Strait of Hormuz without incident.

The Abraham Lincoln is the first American carrier to enter the Gulf since the end of last year.

It replaced another carrier, the USS John C Stennis, in a routine ship rotation.

The departure of the USS John C Stennis had prompted the head of the Iranian armed forces, General Ataollah Salehi, to warn the Americans not to send any more carriers to the region.

"We don't have any intention of repeating our warning and we warn only once," he said.

The MoD spokesman said that Britain maintained "a constant presence in the region as part of our enduring contribution to Gulf security".

Royal Navy warships have been patrolling there continuously since the 1980s.

Sunday 22 January 2012

Steven Tyler National Anthem: Star Sings At AFC Championship Game


Steven Tyler sang the National Anthem at Sunday's AFC Championship game. It probably wasn't his best work.

The Aerosmith frontman struggled a bit throughout his pre-game rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," singing with a raspier-than-normal voice through Francis Scott Key's iconic patriotic tune. He had trouble hitting the signature high note, which is a far cry from his heralded days leading one of the biggest bands of the 70s and 80s.

As a judge on "American Idol," who decides if singers have the chops to make it big, the performance probably won't do him any favors when it comes to handing down the fate of aspiring artists.

The rendition didn't hurt his hometown team, though; the New England Patriots advanced to the Super Bowl with a 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Patriots Stun Ravens To Advance To Super Bowl



FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady got all the help he needed to get the New England Patriots into the Super Bowl.

Thank you, Billy Cundiff.

The Baltimore Ravens kicker shanked a 32-yard field goal with 11 seconds left and the Patriots escaped with a 23-20 victory in the AFC championship game on Sunday.

Usually, vintage Brady doesn't need much assistance in championship settings, but the Patriots much-maligned defense came through, and Brady's 1-yard touchdown dive with 11:29 left proved to be the winning points.

"Well, I sucked pretty bad today, but our defense saved us," Brady said after throwing for 239 yards, with two interceptions and, for the first time in 36 games, no TD passes. "I'm going to try to go out and do a better job in a couple of weeks, but I'm proud of this team, my teammates."

Brady waited out the final tense minutes on the sideline, and then celebrated with the rest of his team when Cundiff's attempt went wide left. The Ravens looked on in stunned horror.

Cundiff had no excuse.

"It's a kick I've kicked probably a thousand times in my career," Cundiff said. "I went out there and didn't convert. That's the way things go."

Next up as the Patriots (15-3) chase their fourth Super Bowl trophy in Brady's and coach Bill Belichick's tenure in New England is the winner of Sunday's NFC championship game between the Giants and 49ers. The Super Bowl is Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.New England's All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski made an error at the end of a 63-yard drive, failing to keep two feet in bounds on a catch. Gostkowski's 35-yard field goal made it 13-10.

Gronkowski left for a while with a left leg problem, but soon returned.

"It doesn't even feel right, especially playing with the veterans here," Gronkowski said. "I watched them go to the Super Bowl as I was growing up and now I'm part of it? It is an unreal moment."

Notes: Brady won his 16th career postseason game to tie Joe Montana for most in NFL history. ... New England's seventh Super Bowl appearance puts it one behind Pittsburgh and Dallas. ... The Patriots are 7-1 in AFC title games, 4-0 at home. ... Brady and Belichick are the first QB-coach combination to win five conference championships in the Super Bowl era. ... Baltimore was 7-0 against playoff teams this season before Sunday's loss. ... The Ravens finished 4-5 on the road. ... In three career games against the Patriots, Rice averaged 145.7 yards, nearly double what he managed Sunday.

US beats Venezuela, 1-0: Ricardo Clark Goal In Stoppage Time Lifts Americans In Friendly (VIDEO)


GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Ricardo Clark had barely played in the last six months. His last appearance for his German second-division team came in July, and this was his first game for the U.S. national squad since August.

Finally given a chance, he provided the goal that had eluded his team all night.

Clark headed Jermaine Jones' corner kick into the net in the 7th minute of stoppage time and the United States beat Venezuela 1-0 in a friendly on Saturday night.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann inserted Clark into the game in the 86th minute.

"Ricardo came in and you could see that he was struggling because he hasn't played for many months," Klinsmann said. "He was trying hard to catch up with the group and still not there because of that long stretch. But once on the field he is a player that is technically very gifted."

The U.S. had dominated play with nothing to show for it before Clark beat goalkeeper Jose Morales from 7 yards away for his third international goal and first since September 2009.

Venezuela was livid at the finish, upset with a series of calls and non-calls by officials that led to a series of events concluding with the winning goal.



The U.S .improved to 3-4-1 since former German World Cup star Klinsmann took over from Bob Bradley as coach last year.

Jones had one of the best chances for a goal but missed from point-blank range. The U.S. had also failed miserably on set plays until the game winner.

Venezuela had a scoring shot in the 62nd minute but Carlos Salazar's header went right into the hands of goalkeeper Bill Hamid. Moments later, the U.S. squad missed another chance when Teal Bunbury's shot off a breakaway was just right of the post.

Venezuela and the United States played for the fourth time. The U.S. leads the series 2-0-1.

Clark's goal was only the sixth for the U.S. teams in Klinsmann's eight games as coach.

Clark, a former player with Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo, is with Eintracht Frankfurt but has fallen out of favor and hasn't been in a match for the team since July 25, the second game of the season.

The United States plays Panama in Panama City on Wednesday.

Hamid made his U.S. national team debut along with defender A.J. DeLaGarza, midfielder Graham Zusi and substitute Sapong.

Saturday 21 January 2012

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Bolton Vs Liverpool (3-1), English Premier League 2011/12


Welcome to the Barclays English Premier League where we bring you video highlights as they occur, all goals and live streaming commentary as the match progresses of the match between Wolves and Aston Villa at Molineux stadium.
We’ll warn you with a ‘Video coming’ when highlights are being added and it will change to ‘Video up’ when it’s ready to view. Refresh your browser occasionally so you don’t miss any of the football action.



83 mins - Bolton with no thoughts of protecting the lead, they are still pressing forward, this time through Eagles who lets rip and gets a deflection off a Liverpool defender, corner taken but nothing from it. Video up.

79 mins - Liverpool fans around the ground starting to feel the pinch, arms folded, looking skyward the order of the day.

77 mins - Bellamy makes a run up the middle, Wheater is tracking him back but Bellamy is a touch quicker, he gets a shot away but it takes a slight deflection and losses it's power.

74 mins - Just starting to get a little desperate for Liverpool now, they know they need one back soon.

70 mins - Eagles let one rip from 40 yards, one for the crowd...Awww! Agger does the same down the other end, probably from 30 yards this one, a cracking strike and he hits the crossbar, close, he had Bogdan beaten all ends up, video coming.

67 mins - Kuyt getting into his work for Liverpool, they will be throwing men forward in an attempt to get one back...Ohh Carrol goes close with a little toe poke on loose ball, he sends it over the bar though.

64 mins - The visitors make a double change to try and breathe some life into the attack, Downing and Kuyt are on, Rodriguez and Adam take a seat.

60 mins - Bolton enjoy some time with the ball, earning a couple of corners, Petrov the man who delivers them in...Plenty of numbers but no shots that time...Liverpool work up the other end but lose possession and Jose Enrique lets out his frustration on Eagles, picking up a yellow card in the process.

58 mins - Liverpool with a corner, it's the skipper who takes it...Easy save for Dogma, confident from the goalkeeper there as the Bolton fans roar their approval.

55 mins - Adam getting more involved for Liverpool here, he and Rodriguez combine to put one on target for the visitors...Time is on their side for a comeback, do they have the strike power?

53 mins - Bolton scoring early in both halves, almost felt like they've caught Liverpool off guard both times, the visitors heads still in the changing rooms.

50 mins - Bolton committing numbers forward early in the second half...GOAL! A Bolton corner goes to the back post where Wheater gets above his man, heading back towards goal, it's Steinsson who hits it on the volley and crashes it into the bottom left hand corner, a cracking strike. Video coming.

47 mins - Back underway for the second spell, teams feeling each other out. Bolton's home fans urging them on, can they bring their team home. Adam with a half chance in front of goal, he can't get it on target though.

45+2 mins - Last action of the half and Bolton have a free kick at the top of the box...Petrov and Eagles standing over it, Petrov takes it and a quality hit from the man, he beats Reina but not the post, close, video updated. That's halftime, back soon for the second spell, can Bolton hold on?

45 mins - Two added minutes as Liverpool enjoy the last scraps of possession of the half. The have a corner, Bellamy to take it, Bogdan up to task.

43 mins - A slight bit of confusion at the back for Liverpool, Ngog making himself known in the box, no drama though, Reina cleans up.

40 mins - Liverpool have more energy in their play as we close in on the halftime whistle, Bellamy playing close to the offside line, looking to sniff out another chance. End to end, long ball action at the moment, both keepers very involved.

36 mins - GOAL LIVERPOOL, it's Carrol and Bellamy combining again and this time it's the result they want...Carrol flicked a header into Bellamy's tracking run down the middle of the pitch, he made a fairly heavy first touch but managed to get there ahead of the defence and toe it under Bogdan and into the back of the net, Liverpool fighting hard. Video coming.

34 mins - Carrol and Bellamy combine through an overhead ball to get one on target for the visitors, Bogdan up to the task however, takes it comfortably.

32 mins - Video of the goal now updated, have a look. There is litter blowing across the pitch at the moment, providing more of a hassle than the Liverpool defence.

30 mins - The home fans are on their feet, they can sense a victory over Liverpool is becoming a real prospect here.

29 mins - Just as Liverpool start to get back into it, GOAL BOLTON, they have a 2-0 lead now and it's Reo-Coker who provides the finish...He received a lovely little chip ball from Eagles who made a run down the right flank, Reo-Coker was in the middle and simply tucked it past Reina for the goal, video up soon.

27 mins - Game starting to settle into a bit of a pattern, Liverpool getting more of their share of the ball and starting to ask a few questions...

23 mins - Aww, Liverpool get one on target through Andy Carrol, he receives a pinpoint ball from Gerrard and gets the header on target, solid save from Bogdan, better play from Liverpool. Video updated.

21 mins - Liverpool's best chance is down the left hand flank it seems, they work down there now and earn a free kick but can't convert it to something more.

18 mins - Here they come, Liverpool on the charge, Henderson finds the ball at his feet just outside the box, he lets rip with the shot and forces a save from Bogdan, it was straight at him however. Video updated.

14 mins - Some better stuff from the visitors, Steven Gerrard gets involved a the top of the box and start stringing some passes together with Adam, it comes to nothing however Liverpool looking more likely.

13 mins - Bolton with the early running in this one, they are playing a smart game in midfield, Petrov central to much of their play so far, Liverpool haven't really settled yet.

9 mins - Aww! Great clearance from Pepe Reina he catches the Bolton D off guard and finds Maxi Rodriguez down the left hand flank, he can't control it however using his hand to do so, unfortunately you can't do that in football, Bolton with the free kick to clear.

7 mins - Video updated of the Bolton goal as Chris Eagles goes down the byline leaving Enrique in his wake, he needed to square that one and it could've easily been 2-0. Video updated.

5 mins - Bolton have made a bright and breezy start to this one, dominating possession and making themselves known to the Liverpool midfielders, Reo-Coker with a cutting run.

3 mins- We are underway and GOAL early on for Bolton, it's Davies who weaves his way through the Liverpool defence and flicks away a left foot shot that has Reina diving to his left, he can't get a glove on it and Bolton have the early lead here at home. Video up.

Watch Highlight Fulham Beaten Newcastle By The 5 - 2


Clint Dempsey scored a hat-trick as Fulham stunned Newcastle in an extraordinary game at Craven Cottage.

Danny Guthrie's emphatic strike put Newcastle ahead, before Danny Murphy's penalty kickstarted Fulham's comeback.

Dempsey bundled in his first and then finished off a blistering counter-attack before Bobby Zamora scored another penalty to make it 4-1.

Hatem Ben Arfa's individual effort gave Newcastle hope, but Dempsey secured the points with a fine run and finish.

This remarkable match was always likely to hinge on how well Newcastle would cope without their African stars - namely Cheick Tiote and Demba Ba - both of whom have been fundamental to the Magpies' successful campaign.

And, judging by their superiority throughout the first 45 minutes, it was a test they seemed well equipped to handle.

Ben Arfa, handed a start in the absence of Ba, featured on the right side of a front three that also contained Shola Ameobi and Leon Best, and the Frenchman was central to Newcastle's numerous first-half attacks.

But Newcastle should have gone ahead when Fabricio Coloccini walzed into the box unmarked only to stab his effort straight at Stockdale from point-blank range.



With Newcastle eager to re-establish their lead, they were found outnumbered at the back as Andy Johnson led a pacy counter-attack.

With Zamora to his right, Johnson played in the England striker, whose shot was parried to Dempsey to turn in from close-range.

Fulham were in the ascendancy at this stage, exposing Newcastle with every attack and the American soon put daylight between the sides with Fulham's third.

Set free down the right by Zamora, Dempsey fired low into the bottom corner to make it 3-1.

Newcastle were shell-shocked and had no answer to Fulham's second-half onslaught - and the home side's incessant pressure meant a fourth goal was never far away - and it came courtesy of another penalty.

With Mike Williamson unable to stop Johnson driving into a shooting position, the former Crystal Palace striker was brought down by Krul who, like Santon earlier in the game, was lucky to escape with a yellow card. But the real punishment came when Zamora, watched by England coach Fabio Capello, hammered the penalty down the middle.

Ben Arfa, Newcastle's best performer on another dismal trip to London for the Magpies, closed to gap to two goals again when he cut in from the right and fired a low shot inside the near post.

But the afternoon belonged to Fulham, and particularly the sedulous Dempsey, who darted between Williamson and Coloccini to latch onto Murphy's long ball and slot in his hat-trick goal.

Kevin Love Buzzer Beater: Timberwolves Top Clippers In Final Seconds (VIDEO)


LOS ANGELES -- Kevin Love hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer after Ricky Rubio's tying 3 with 20 seconds to play, lifting the Minnesota Timberwolves to a pulsating 101-98 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

Darko Milicic had 22 points and seven rebounds for Minnesota before fouling out with 1:01 left, and Love had 17 points and 14 rebounds.

The Timberwolves, coming off consecutive home wins over Sacramento and Detroit, have won three straight for the first time since a four-game stretch from Jan. 29 to Feb. 6, 2010. After that, they lost 29 of their final 31 games.

Rubio, Minnesota's rookie point guard, missed his first 10 field goal attempts before draining a clutch 3 from in front of the Clippers' bench.

Chauncey Billups missed a driving layup against Rubio coming out of a timeout, and Love got the rebound before Minnesota called a timeout with 1.5 seconds on the clock.

Luke Ridnour inbounded the ball in front of the midcourt line to a wide-open Love, whose only option was to catch and shoot from a few feet beyond the arc. The ball hit nothing but net as the sellout crowd groaned.



The Timberwolves, whose only other lead came after Milicic's game-opening basket, opened the third quarter with a 12-1 run that sliced an 11-point deficit to 62-60. But that was as close as they got. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro tried to stall Minnesota's momentum with a timeout after Milicic's slam dunk, and Billups responded with a 16-footer and a 3-pointer.

Billups, who hit clutch 3-pointers to nail down each of the Clippers' previous two wins against New Jersey and Dallas, got off to an inauspicious start against the Timberwolves with two fouls in the first 4:38 – and a technical foul for complaining about the second one after he was called for a charge against Ridnour.

Williams replaced Billups and got a technical foul with 1:12 left in the opening quarter, after picking up his second personal on a charge against Ridnour and slamming the ball in disgust. Williams quickly regained his focus, making back-to-back 3-pointers and a driving layup in the final 51 seconds of the period to give the Clippers a 31-22 lead.

It was the second straight game in which Williams – the Clippers' starting point guard last season before the acquisitions of Paul and Billups in December – started out 7 for 7 from the field. Williams also made his first seven shots Wednesday night against the Mavericks, finishing with 26 points in a game the Clippers won on Billups' 3-pointer with 1 second on the clock.

Notes: Billups overtook Peja Stojakovic for fourth place in career 3-pointers (1,762). Ahead of him are Ray Allen, Reggie Miller and Jason Kidd. ... An MRI taken Thursday on Butler's knee revealed no structural damage. It was the same knee he had surgery on last January, which sidelined him for the rest of the season, but Del Negro said this injury was not related. ... The Clippers and Timberwolves have gone the longest of any NBA teams without a playoff berth. Los Angeles last made it during the 2006 season, and Minnesota hasn't qualified since 2004. ... The Clippers won three of four against Minnesota last season. Griffin averaged 26.5 points and 10.8 rebounds, while Love averaged 20 points and 13.3 boards. ... Minnesota coach Rick Adelman's teams are 61-20 against the Clippers, his best mark against any club.

Friday 20 January 2012

Etta James Dies



Etta James, the legendary voice behind "At Last," has died at the age of 73 from complications related to leukemia, according to the Associated Press

"This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world," Lupe De Leon, her manager, said in a statement. "She was a true original who could sing it all -- her music defied category."

James won four Grammy Awards, including a lifetime-achievement award, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

The singer had a number of hits over her more than five-decade career, but she is perhaps best known for "At Last," "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "Tell Mama."

President Obama sings Al Green at Apollo Theater fundraiser (Video)


During a fundraising appearance at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY on Thursday night, President Obama showed off his vocal talents, singing a little bit from Al Green’s 1972 hit, “Let’s Stay Together.” Adding to the fun was the fact that the Rev. Al Green was actually among the crowd of 1,400 supporters.

According to ABC News, Obama broke into the song shortly after taking the stage and thanking the hosts of the event and recognizing those who performed ahead of him, including Green. CBS News adds that India/Arie also performed.

“To know that Rev. Al Green was here!” Obama said looking off stage.

"I…I'm…soooo in love with you," Obama sang as the crowd began to applause and cheer, reports USA Today. Still, Obama admitted that he doesn’t quite have the same amount of talent as Green. "Don't worry, Rev, I cannot sing like you...but I just wanted to show my appreciation,” he joked.

He also pointed to people backstage, telling the audience that “These guys didn’t think I would do it, but I told them I was going to do it!”



President Obama had a whirlwind of fundraisers Thursday, attending four, including one at director Spike Lee’s home. Obama was also in Orlando at Disney World, reports The Miami Herald. There, he tried to promote tourism, saying that over 1 million jobs could be created in the US if the country expands its sector of the worldwide travel industry.

Thursday 19 January 2012

Sarah Burke Dead: Skier Dies After Accident During Training At Park City, Utah


SALT LAKE CITY — Sarah Burke was an X Games star with a grass-roots mentality – a daredevil superpipe skier who understood the risks inherent to her sport and the debt she owed to it.

The pioneering freestyler, who helped get superpipe accepted into the Olympics, died Thursday, nine days after crashing at a training run in Park City, Utah.

Burke, who lived near Whistler in British Columbia, was 29.

Tests revealed she sustained "irreversible damage to her brain due to lack of oxygen and blood after cardiac arrest," according to a statement released by Burke's publicist, Nicole Wool, on behalf of the family.

A four-time Winter X Games champion, Burke crashed on the same halfpipe where snowboarder Kevin Pearce sustained a traumatic brain injury during a training accident on Dec. 31, 2009.

Wool said Burke's organs and tissues were donated, as she had wanted.

"The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude for the international outpouring of support they have received from all the people Sarah touched," the statement said.



"If the sport got to the point where halfpipe riding became really dangerous, I think riders would do something about it," Burton said. "It wouldn't be cool anymore."

His opinion is shared by many.

"There are inherent risks in everything," Judge said. "Certainly, freestyle skiing has one of the greatest safety records of almost any sport. Freestyle is a very safe sport in large part because we had to build a safe sport in order to get into the Olympics."

In 2009, Burke broke a vertebra in her back after landing awkwardly while competing in slopestyle at the X Games. It was her lobbying that helped get the X Games to include women's slopestyle – where riders shoot down the mountain and over "features" including bumps and rails.

It wasn't her best event, but she felt compelled to compete because she pushed for it.. She came to terms with her injury quickly.

"I've been doing this for long time, 11 years," she said in a 2010 interview. "I've been very lucky with the injuries I've had. It's part of the game. Everybody gets hurt. Looking back on it, I'd probably do the exact same thing again."

She returned a year after that injury and kept going at the highest level, trying the toughest tricks and winning the biggest prizes.

A native of Midland, Ontario, Burke won the ESPY in 2007 as female action sports athlete of the year.

In 2010, she married another freestyle skier, Rory Bushfield, and they were headliners in a documentary film project on the Ski Channel called "Winter."

In her interview with AP two years ago, Burke reflected on the niche she'd carved out in the action-sports world.

"I think we're all doing this, first off, because we love it and want to be the best," she said. "But I also think it would've been a great opportunity, huge for myself and for skiing and for everyone, if we could've gotten into the (Vancouver) Olympics. It's sad. I mean, I'm super lucky to be where I am, but that would've been pretty awesome."

Apple Unveils IBooks 2 to Help Boost IPad Usage in Schools


Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. introduced a service to make digital versions of textbooks available on the iPad and beef up the education content for the tablet computer as it gains popularity in classrooms.

The service, called iBooks 2, will help make textbooks more interactive with videos, animations and search features, Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of product marketing, said today at an event in New York. More than 1.5 million iPads are being used for educational purposes, he said.

With students, school districts and universities snapping up iPads, Apple partnered with publishers, including McGraw-Hill Cos., to add schoolbooks. The new service, built with personal involvement from Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs before his death, is designed to kick-start the nascent electronic-textbook business so a broad range of authors can make material available to students in a digital format.



Jobs, who died in October, took a personal role in securing the publishing deals. He met with Terry McGraw, McGraw-Hill's chairman and CEO, last year to gain the publisher's cooperation in the project, according to Vineet Madan, senior vice president of new ventures and strategic services for McGraw-Hill Education in New York.

"In that meeting they agreed on a similar approach and it made sense for us to try and work with them," Madan said. "We've been trying to push digitalized learning for years now, so Apple stepping into it more directly will create more awareness about what's possible with technology and learning."

The titles announced by the publishers focus on kindergarten through 12th grade students, with most priced at $14.99 or less. Apple is collecting 30 percent from each sale, according to Genevieve Shore, London-based Pearson's chief information officer.

Publishers can sell the digital textbooks at a lower price because rather than selling a print copy that's used for four or five years, digital versions are sold on an annual basis to each new batch of students, Madan said. A print book costs $65 to $85 each, Madan said.

Liverpool close to signing Sporting Lisbon's Teixeira


Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Carlos Teixeira.

Talks are continuing between the two parties, with the latest bid understood to be £850,000 for a player who is yet to start a game for his current club.

The 19-year-old is out of contract in the summer and Sporting Lisbon are suffering financial problems.

When asked about a potential deal, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said: "There might be something about that."

Teixeira, who has been compared to former Chelsea midfielder Deco, impressed while playing for Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon against Liverpool in a NextGen series game - a tournament for a selection of youth teams from across Europe - in August 2010.

He has been interesting the Anfield club since scoring an impressive goal against them.



Liverpool are understood to be ahead of several top European clubs in the queue for Teixeira's signature. But Dalglish stressed the youngster would not initially be a contender for a first-team squad place, saying: "He's only a kid."

Daliglish also played down links with Ghana Under-20 midfielder Mumuni Abubakar.

After a recent trial with the club, Abubakar told Joy Sports in Ghana: "They were impressed by my performances during training and the match that I played. Liverpool is talking with my agent [Oliver Arthur] now."

But Dalglish denied any knowledge of a deal.

"It must be the academy," he said. "We are expecting a quiet [transfer] window. Obviously the academy aren't but we are."

Rajon Rondo Injured On Flagrant Foul: Celtics Star Leveled By Linas Kleiza Of Raptors (VIDEO)


BOSTON (AP) -- Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo injured his right wrist when he was leveled on a flagrant foul by Toronto's Linas Kleiza on Wednesday night.

Rondo was driving for a layup with 2:12 left in the third quarter when he was hit hard by Kleiza, who came down hard with his left arm and knocked Rondo to the floor. Rondo landed awkwardly on his back with his right hand and wrist getting crunched in between his body and the court.

Rondo remained in the game long enough to make one of his two foul shots, then walked slowly toward the locker room. The Celtics announced he had a sore right wrist and his return was questionable.



Kleiza was initially called for a flagrant 2 foul, but officials reduced it to a flagrant 1 after reviewing the play.

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Marcos Baghdatis breaks tennis racquets



You may get mad sometimes, but have you ever been senselessly-break-four-tennis-racquets-in-a-row mad?

That was the point that professional tennis player Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus reached during his Australian Open match against Stanislas Wawrinka on Wednesday.

After losing the second set against, Baghdatis decided to take out his frustration on his racquet.

But one apparently wasn't enough. Baghdatis felt the need to also smash the innocent racquets that weren't even involved in his struggles, two of which hadn't even been removed from their plastic yet.

Baghdatis smashed four racquets total and would ultimately go on to lose in four sets. The loss knocked the world's 44th ranked men's tennis player out of the Australian Open and likely out of the running for quite a few tennis equipment endorsements for the forseeable future.

Tim Tebow played through painful injuries during loss to Patriots


Tim Tebow is one tough guy. With so much focus on his religious beliefs and scrutiny of his abilities as a passer, maybe we needed a reminder of that.

The Denver Broncos quarterback provided just that Saturday during a 45-10 playoff loss to the New England Patriots, playing through rib, lung and chest injuries even after the outcome had been decided.

“It's just the physicality of playing football," Tebow said. "Sometimes you get hit and it can hurt a little bit. But, I wanted to play a lot of the game."

Tebow got hurt while being tackled in the third quarter, ESPN first reported Wednesday, and then had trouble sleeping because of the pain. He underwent an MRI on his chest Monday, but team spokesman Patrick Smyth said he couldn't confirm the exact extent or nature of the injuries due to team policy.

But Smyth did acknowledge that Tebow finished the game -- which the Broncos trailed, 35-7, at halftime -- in considerable pain.

“I just wanted to show character," Tebow said. "You just continue to fight and it doesn't change who you are, how you play, how you go out there, you should be the same at all times,” Tebow said. “That's what I wanted to show, it didn't matter if it was the first play or the last play or you were down by 42. I was going to be the same player and I was still going to give everything I have. Because that's all I have to give.”Tebow is not expected to need surgery and should make a full recovery without affecting his off-season training. Which is good news, especially considering team vice president of football operations John Elway plans on working hard with the quarterback who already has been named the Broncos' 2012 starter.

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Helpless Student Attacked on Camera


This past weekend a disturbing YouTube video circulated around the Internet. It shows a young, defenseless Asian man being assaulted by seven teens in a painful two and a half minute clip. The victim is seen being repeatedly punched and kicked, witch racial epithets being yelled to him throughout the sequence on a snowy Chicago sidewalk.

It is not known who filmed the video, the original poster took the video off of YouTube. And, the faces of the attackers are mostly concealed with their hoodies, but their yells are distinct. The victim's face is bloody, and he is constantly trying to crawl away from his hoard of attackers, pleading back to them to stop in broken English.



The racism towards this young man is heartbreaking, and what is more disturbing is the fact that the original owner of this video felt justified in posting it for the world to see. You can hear the victim pleading saying "Please no more, don't hit me anymore please."

No one is in custody yet for beating this young man, and the many on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook are boosting the awareness in the hopes than someone can identify the young robbers in this YouTube video. Please help find justice for this young man.

Sunday 8 January 2012

Man City 2 - 3 Man Utd


Manchester United survived a stirring fightback from Manchester City to win a thrilling FA Cup third-round derby at the Etihad Stadium.

The drama started before kick-off when United announced Paul Scholes was coming out of retirement to play until the end of the season and was named on the bench.

And it did not let up for a pulsating 90 minutes which threatened a United rout as they established a three-goal lead by half-time, but ended with Sir Alex Ferguson's side hanging on as City tried to complete the most unlikely comeback.When the rumoured return of Scholes became a reality he was afforded a rapturous reception from United's supporters as he came out to warm up.

And, after the visitors survived early pressure from City, their fans were celebrating again when Rooney soared to meet Antonio Valencia's cross and direct a fine header beyond Pantilimon via the underside of the bar.

Matters were made considerably worse for City two minutes later when Kompany was sent off for his challenge on Nani, which referee Foy deemed worthy of a red card despite the Belgian appearing to get the ball.

This twin setback left City unsettled and United took advantage to add two further goals and assume total control by the interval.

Welbeck's second on the half hour was a triumph of athleticism and technique for the young England striker. He reacted superbly when Patrice Evra's cross deflected off Samir Nasri to hook his finish beyond the stretching Pantilimon.This was the signal for Ferguson to reintroduce Scholes in place of Nani - but he was to quickly play an undistinguished part as City further cut the arrears.

The veteran lost possession and when Lindegaard failed to hold Aguero's shot, the Argentine followed up to score with ease.

The momentum was with City and as the game entered its closing stages another ex-England player hit the comeback trail once more as Owen Hargreaves replaced the disappointing Nasri.

City had a penalty appeal turned down when Phil Jones handled, but United should also have been awarded a second spot-kick earlier when Kolarov fouled Valencia.

There was still time for Kolarov to sting Lindegaard's palms with a free-kick in the dying seconds, but the parried effort was cleared by some frantic United defending.

The final whistle brought a standing ovation from both sets of supporters - United's for the victory and a measure of revenge and City's for a show of strength from their side.

Rick Ross Ft. Drake & French Montana



Damn I can’t believe he dissed Kobe’s wife like that! “Bitch you wasn’t with me shooting in the gym, bitch you wasn’t with me shooting in the gym”…..That is still the mother of his kids guys,

Saturday 7 January 2012

Stricken New Zealand cargo ship breaks up


WELLINGTON — A cargo ship which caused New Zealand's worst maritime pollution disaster when it ran aground three months ago broke in two in a storm on Sunday, raising fears of a fresh environmental crisis.
A team of oil-spill and wildlife specialists has been mobilised as oil again began flowing from the Rena, which has been stuck on Astrolabe Reef off the North Island resort area of Tauranga since October 5.
The Rena is now in two pieces which have been forced 20-30 metres (yards) apart after being pounded by waves up to seven metres high.
Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) on-scene commander Alex van Wijngaarden said the National Response Team, which included oil spill response and wildlife experts was preparing for the likelihood of more oil coming ashore.
"While it is unknown at this stage exactly how much oil may be released, teams have been mobilised and will be ready to respond to anything that may come ashore," he said.
"The wildlife response had also been increased to help deal with any affected wildlife.""We don't yet know what amount of oil may have been released, but we are gearing up for an expected release of oil and container debris on shore, and have response teams ready to go once that starts happening."

Salvage crews have removed more than 1,100 tons of oil from the stricken vessel, but 385 tonnes remain onboard.

Hundreds of tonnes of fuel have already spilled into the sea, killing more than 20,000 seabirds in the area.

The captain and other senior officers face up to 16 charges relating to the wreck.

Liverpool investigate abuse aimed at Oldham's Tom Adeyemi


Liverpool and Merseyside Police are investigating an incident of alleged abuse from fans towards Oldham Athletic defender Tom Adeyemi.

The 20-year-old was visibly upset late in his side's 5-1 FA Cup third round defeat at Anfield on Friday.

The game was stopped briefly while Adeyemi alerted referee Neil Swarbrick to the incident.

However, Merseyside Police confirmed that no arrests were made for "racially aggravated behaviour".

BBC Radio 5 live's senior football reporter, Ian Dennis, said Liverpool were taking the matter extremely seriously.

"Immediately after the final whistle chief executive Ian Ayre, director of football Damian Comolli, press officer Ian Cotton and manager Kenny Dalglish were in the tunnel talking to the police, Oldham directors, and the match officials.

"During that process the welfare of the player was of paramount importance," he said.



Our players went and calmed him down and the Liverpool players did as well, which was fantastic and is why they are top professionals."

The incident involving Adeyemi compounds a difficult few weeks for Liverpool, who were without Luis Suarez for the match against the Latics as the striker serves an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra at Anfield in October.

Oldham gave their Premier League opponents a scare when Robbie Simpson fired in from 30 yards, but goals from Craig Bellamy, Steven Gerrard, from the penalty spot, Jonjo Shelvey, Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing sealed Liverpool's passage to the fourth round.

"The scoreline is a bit flattering really," said Liverpool boss Dalglish, who made eight changes to the side that lost to Manchester City on Tuesday.

"Oldham did their club and their manager proud. They created one or two threatening situations for themselves, especially in the first half, so getting back as quickly as we did with the equaliser helped us.

"But the scoreline does not reflect the distance between the two teams on that performance.

US Navy Iran Fishing Boat Rescued From Suspected Pirates


WASHINGTON — The political tensions between the U.S. and Iran over transit in and around the Persian Gulf gave way Friday to photos of rescued Iranian fisherman happily wearing American Navy ball caps.

The fishermen were rescued by a U.S. Navy destroyer Thursday, more than 40 days after their boat was commandeered by suspected Somali pirates in the northern Arabian Sea. The rescue came just days after Tehran warned the U.S. to keep its warships out of the Persian Gulf – an irony not lost on U.S. officials who trumpeted the news on Friday.

"We think it's very doubtful that the Iranians or the pirates were aware of recent events of the last couple days," Rear Adm. Craig S. Faller, commander of the U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group involved in the rescue, told reporters by phone Friday. "Once we released them (the fishermen) today they went on their way very happily, I might add, waving to us wearing USS Kidd Navy ball caps."



Schminsky said the Iranian boat's captain thanked the U.S. for assistance. "He was afraid that without our help, they could have been there for months," Schminsky said in a prepared release.

The U.S. team gave the crew food, water and medical care, and on Friday morning they moved the captured pirates to the Stennis. They will remain there while the U.S. considers options for prosecution and consults with other nations that have joined forces against piracy.

"Sadly, this is not a new thing," Nuland told reporters, citing more than 1,000 pirates picked up at sea who are under prosecution in some 20 countries. "So this is always a question of where to send them and who will do the prosecution."

Asked if the rescue mission could provide a chance for a thaw in relations with Iran, Nuland declined to comment. She said the Navy had made a "humanitarian gesture" to take the Iranians onboard, feed them and ensure they were in good health before setting them off. She said the U.S. and Iranian governments have had no direct contact over the incident.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called Faller on Friday to congratulate him on the rescue, adding that, "When we get a distress signal, we're going to respond. That's the nature of what our country is all about."

Friday 6 January 2012

11 dead in New Zealand hot air balloon crash



WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A hot air balloon crashed and killed all 11 people aboard near a rural New Zealand town some 94 miles (150 kilometers) north of the capital, Wellington, officials said Saturday.

Police confirmed "multiple deaths" when the balloon crashed, with two people leaping from the burning basket. Neither survived the fall, near show grounds north of the township of Carterton.

A Wellington police district commander, Superintendent Mike Rusbatch, said it appeared the balloon struck power lines that set a fire on board, causing the balloon to crash in farmland in clear, bright early morning conditions with minimal wind. The region is well known for its hot air ballooning.

There were five couples on board from the Wellington region, and the pilot.

Rusbatch said two people jumped from the basket before it hit the ground, but they did not survive. A number of the bodies had been badly burned.

"We believe we know who the victims were," he told the news Web site "Stuff," adding, "this is a significant event. A tragedy for those involved and their families."

Witnesses told local media of seeing 32-foot (10-meter) high flames rising from the balloon's basket before it plummeted to the ground.New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission manager Peter Northcote said the commission had opened an inquiry into the crash, with investigators already on the scene.

The Commission conducts safety-focused investigations to explain the causes of an accident and help reduce the likelihood of similar events.

Local media reported the fatal balloon crash as the worst aviation crash in New Zealand since the Nov. 28, 1979 Erebus disaster, when an Air New Zealand DC-8 airliner on a scenic flight slammed into Mount Erebus in Antarctica, killing all 257 on board.

Flyers, Rangers Fans Fight Philadelphia Supporters Beat Up New Jersey Cop, Son (VIDEO)


Following the New York Rangers' thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2012 Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, a group of Philadelphia fans took their anger out by attacking a couple of New York supporters outside of a famous cheesesteak shop, Geno's, just a few miles from the ballpark.

The video above, released by the Philadelphia Police Department, shows three men in Flyers jerseys brutally beating two men. According to the New York Daily News, one of the victims is a police officer from Woodbridge, N.J. and the other is his son.

NBCNewYork.com identified one of the victim as Neal Auricchio, a former Marine a current cop. He was hospitalized and received stitches.



Woodbridge Township spokesman John Hagerty told ESPNNewYork.com that Auricchio has been released and is "doing well."

On Wednesday, the police department issued a statement on the assault and said they're seeking help in finding the suspects:According to Broad Street Hockey, police in Philadelphia may have actually happened upon a major lead in the case on Wednesday when one of the alleged attackers revealed on Facebook that he took part in the beating, even bragging about it.

"It was me and my friends, do something about it," Edward Neary bragged, per the Daily News. "How dumb do I look knocking someone out pretty sure they look dumb eatin concrete." According to the News report, Neary later backed off his comments.

Casey Anthony Video Diary




Casey Anthony has finally surfaced in the form of a grainy black-and-white video posted to Facebook. It is the first time Anthony has spoken since she was acquitted in the murder of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee.

"It's just a little surreal how much things have changed since July and how many things haven't changed," Anthony says in the webcam video. "But the good thing is that things are starting to look up and things are starting to change in a good way. I just hope that things stay good and that they only get better."

The video, which has been dubbed a "video diary," surfaced Wednesday night, on both YouTube and the Facebook page, "People Against 'We Support Casey Anthony.' According to the person who posted the video, it was filmed on Oct. 13, 2011.

"This video is for one purpose. To expose the fact that she is extorting supporters for money ... I didn't pay for this video. It was given to me. I would never pay Casey for anything. Not one red cent," the Facebook group administrator wrote on the website.Anthony does not discuss her six-week murder trial or Caylee. Instead, she keeps the video focused on herself and her current situation in hiding.

"Now I in some ways have someone to talk to even when I am by myself so I am not bothering the poor dog who I have adopted and I love," she says.

At the end of the video Anthony jokes that she hates being on camera, but promises more video diaries will be forthcoming.

"This is the first of many, and I'm looking forward to this," Anthony says. "I''s a little scary, because I hate being on camera. But I need to conquer that fear at some point and this is a good start."