Wiki-BizTravel Consults: 02/01/2011

Monday, February 28, 2011

Locker, Mallett might enter first-round conversation

The second day of workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine provided plenty of opportunities for quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs to boost their value in the eyes of evaluators.

The emphasis on the 40-yard dash appears to make the rest of the drills irrelevant, but the compilation of data gained from the battery of athletic tests and position-specific drills helps evaluators stack their respective draft boards.

Although this workout is only a small fraction of the overall evaluation process, the measurables are often the deciding factor between similarly graded players.

Given the impact of the numbers and passing the eyeball test, let's take a look at some players who will move on draft boards based on their combine performance:

Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas: Mallett was the star of the day with his sensational performance in drills. He looked like the most natural thrower in the group, and his pinpoint accuracy and touch was impressive. He showed outstanding footwork and fundamentals throwing off three-, five- and seven-step drops. He delivered the ball on time after hitting the top of his drop, and had little trouble completing passes of the intermediate and deep range. His arm strength and touch stood out on vertical tosses, and it is easy to envision him thriving in an offense that pushes the ball down the field. Mallett still must address some character and leadership concerns in team interviews in the coming weeks, but his exceptional workout has thrust him back into the conversation as a potential first-round pick.

Princes and Paupers: Carmelo Anthony & Raymond Felton

While one just carried his team to victory over the Miami Heat and is being hailed as the King of New York, along with Amar'e Stoudemire, the other is now splitting time in Denver with a man who once walked in his shadow. The trade deadline treated Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton in a very different manner, and should cause one to pause before decreeing the days of owners treating players like property is dead and gone. If we're going to claim that all players are equal, maybe we should take a page from Animal Farm and also decree that some players are more equal than others.

I don't have any problems with Carmelo Anthony–he won me a college basketball pool my freshman year at JMU–, but I do struggle to view him as some sort of zapatista freedom fighter.

Lakers' Ron Artest does an effective job guarding Kevin Durant again

Reporting from Oklahoma City —

It has become a challenge to get Ron Artest to explain anything, whether he has played well or poorly.

But after the defensive job he did on Thunder forward Kevin Durant on Sunday, Artest was surrounded by reporters looking for answers.

Artest had limited Durant to 21 points on eight-for-20 shooting.
"A lot of screens early. I was getting hit," Artest said. "His team, they did a good job getting him open early. Then later, they weren't hitting me with those screens. I'm in pretty good shape, so I can get hit all day, run all day."

OK, that explains some of it.

But Durant leads the NBA in scoring, averaging 28.6 points per game.

Artest made sure Durant didn't get close to his average — again.

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Protesters Defy Efforts to Clear Wisconsin Capitol

Boston, Mass. —

Jumping into the national Sunday morning talk circuit, Gov. Deval Patrick defended President Barack Obama's budget and tweaked his Republican predecessor, Mitt Romney, with a compliment for his role in crafting health care reform in the Bay State.

Sitting down with a panel of governors on ABC News's "This Week," Patrick said Romney "deserves a lot of credit" for helping to shape the state's 2006 health care reform law, which includes an insurance mandate, that led to an expansion of coverage to more than 98 percent of the state's population.

"One of the best things he did was to be the co-author of our health care reform which has been a model for national health care reform," said Patrick, who was joined by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Romney, who is expected soon to launch a second bid for the White House in a race that he would enter as the early Republican frontrunner for the nomination, has said he is "proud" of health reform in Massachusetts despite his contempt for the national plan modeled after Massachusetts.

Romney signed the universal health care bill during his last year in office after working with Democratic legislative leaders to craft the plan that became a model for the national reform passed last year by Congress.

Three quakes shake Arkansas within 24 hours.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, three earthquakes were recorded in Arkansas over the past 24 hours near the town of Greenbrier, north of Little Rock.

An initial 4.7 magnitude quake was recorded at 11 p.m. Sunday night, and according to reports, was felt in four other states. A 3.8 magnitude tremor followed almost 20 minutes later, and a third 3.6 magnitude quake was recorded at 2:46 a.m. Monday.

One person dead, 110,000 acres burned in Texas wildfires

(CNN) -- Firefighters in Texas continued efforts to contain fast-moving wildfires that have destroyed nearly 60 homes, burned more than 110,000 acres and caused an accident that killed a 5-year-old child, state forestry officials said Monday.

The fires broke out about noon Sunday, said Lewis Kearney, a spokesman for the forest service's Texas State Lone Star Incident Management Team. Officials believe many were started by power lines that fell from high winds.

Since that time, forestry officials, who were called in to help local fire departments, have responded to 25 fires in 15 counties across the Texas Panhandle, Kearney said.

30,000 without power in Missouri after storms

ST. LOUIS | A nasty winter took another turn late Sunday and early today with strong storms that damaged power lines, barns, homes and at least one St. Louis landmark. The National Weather Service suspects at least two tornadoes touched down in eastern Missouri — one near Gray Summit in Franklin County, the other in south St. Louis County. No serious injuries were reported in Missouri, but more than 30,000 homes and businesses were still without power by midmorning, according to the utility Ameren Corp. National Weather Service meteorologist Gary Schmocker said other tornadoes may also have touched down in eastern Missouri. The service was still trying to determine if damage at several locations was the result of tornadoes or straight-line winds.

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North Korea, South Korea standoff heats up as war games begin

US and South Korean troops opened 11 days of war games Monday in the face of North Korean threats to turn Seoul into "a sea of fire" and to start "all-out war."

Officials dismissed the rhetoric from North Korea as a sign of rising North Korean anger in a familiar cycle of threats. The US command here says the exercises, involving nearly 13,000 US troops and 200,000 Korean civilians mainly conducted on computers, had been in the planning stage for months and were entirely "defensive."

China's concern

China maintains its prime concern on the Korean peninsula is "stability," but has pointedly refused to support the results of the South Korean investigation with international participation, the Cheonan incident. Last week, it opposed a move in the United Nations to condemn North Korea for construction of a new nuclear reactor capable of enriching uranium for nuclear weapons.

"After the Cheonan incident, we have witnessed a new chapter in the war for the Korean peninsula," says Koo Kab-woo, professor at the University of North Korean Studies here. "The new situation depends on China. North Korea has to talk to China before doing anything."

China, says Professor Koo, wields power over North Korea by modulating the flow of food as the North suffers through the coldest winter in many years. "That way China can manipulate the North Korean planning," he says. With China providing the North with 80 percent of its food and fuel, he notes, Chinese officials "have leverage."

Protests in Oman Spread

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Demonstrators blocked roads and clashed with police on Monday in Oman, the normally quiet oil-rich country along the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, as three-day-old protests calling for political reforms and better living conditions spread to Muscat, the capital.

In the northeast port city of Sohar, where the protests originated, demonstrators blocked roads to the port, Oman's second biggest, and an industrial area that includes a refinery and an aluminum factory, according to two witnesses in Sohar and news agencies. They also set a supermarket on fire and clashed with the police. Protesters have also been camped out for three days in the city's main square, called Kurra Ardiyah Roundabout, despite efforts by police and army to push them out, a resident in Sohar said by e-mail.

Television images showed a small number of protesters also gathered in Muscat; the demonstrations there appeared peaceful.

International Pressure on Qaddafi Intensifies

TRIPOLI, Libya — An international campaign to force Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi out of office gathered pace on Monday as the European Union adopted an arms embargo and other sanctions, the opposition showed increasing signs of organization in the east, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton bluntly told the Libyan leader to surrender power "now, without further violence or delay."

With the rebel and loyalist forces locked in an increasingly tense stand-off on the ground, the prime ministers of France and Britain echoed Mrs. Clinton's call for Colonel Qaddafi to go, Germany proposed a 60-day ban on financial transactions, and a spokeswoman for Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief, said that contacts were being established with the opposition.

Italy's foreign minister on Sunday suspended a nonaggression treaty with Libya on the grounds that the Libyan state "no longer exists," while Mrs. Clinton said the United States was reaching out to the rebels to "offer any kind of assistance."

Slash as many fruits as you can, but watch out not to slash the hamsters!

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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Daily Game Feb 27 - Watermelon Bomb

Shoot watermelon bombs to get the fruit down of the tree to sell at the market.

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Green just what the Celtics needed - The Boston Globe

Green just what the Celtics needed - The Boston Globe: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Raw new Rocket still learning game

When asked by the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., to describe his rookie year, Hasheem Thabeet gave an interesting response: "I was like a deer in a flashlight."

Even though Thabeet speaks five languages, that was not the English saying he was going for. Then again, the way he has played in two NBA seasons, any bright light, even the beam of a flashlight, has seemed to be too much for him.

It can be like that when you are still learning how to play the game. Thabeet grew up playing soccer in Tanzania, a country of 41 million in southeast Africa.

Thabeet, who turned 24 last week, didn't begin playing basketball until age 15, not long after his father died. For the oldest male child in one of the world's poorest countries, coming to America was a way to provide a better life for his family.

He e-mailed American universities, hoping he might earn a scholarship. An adviser spotted him at a tournament, and he ended up on a curious winding road through a couple of high schools in California and Mississippi before landing in Houston, where he moved in with a family to attend Cypress Christian High School.

When Thabeet arrived at Cypress Christian in 2005, he had difficulty performing the simplest of basketball skills. Awkward and uncoordinated, even at 7-3, he had trouble dunking a basketball.

The general consensus was Thabeet couldn't play big-time Division I basketball.

Qaddafi Threatens Libyan ‘Fire’ as Nations Draft Sanctions

Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi made a personal appeal to loyalists in Tripoli to "fight and defeat" his opponents, as the U.S. imposed sanctions and said it will join other nations in steps short of military intervention to try to stop the killing.

"When needed, all the weapons stores will be opened," Qaddafi said, portraying the opposition as foreign aggressors. Addressing a crowd in Tripoli's Green Square, where people carried posters and banners supporting him, Qaddafi declared that "Libya will become a fire."

The prospect of civil war in North Africa's biggest oil producer has pushed crude prices to a 2 1/2-year high, and led to calls for action to stop the worst violence seen in the two months of unrest across the Middle East and North Africa. At the United Nations, Libya's ambassador, who has repudiated the Qaddafi regime, pleaded for the Security Council to act.

"Please UN, save Libya," Ambassador Mohammad Shalgham said. "I tell my brother Qaddafi, leave the Libyans alone."

Shalgham spoke before the Security Council began private talks on a draft resolution that would impose an arms embargo on Libya and a travel ban and asset freeze on Qaddafi, his family, and his top aides. The text, circulated by Britain and France, would also ask the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate possible violations of international law by the regime, including attacks on civilians. The council plans to discuss the resolution today.

'Qaddafi Must Go'

France's position is clear, Mr. Qaddafi must go," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said at a news conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Ankara yesterday. Sarkozy, the first leader of a major power to call openly for Qaddafi's resignation, said intervention wasn't a good option.

President Barack Obama signed an order freezing any U.S. assets of Muammar Qaddafi, his family and members of his regime in Libya, as the first in what the administration says will be a series of sanctions.

Toddler Trapped for 4 Hours in Bank Vault

A toddler spent several hours trapped in bank vault in suburban Atlanta, MyFoxAtlanta reported Friday.

The ordeal ended when an emergency locksmith was called in to open vault and free the 2-year-old.

The girl was at a Wells Fargo bank branch in Conyers around closing time with her mother and grandmother, who worked at the bank.

Investigators said the child wandered into the bank vault, which shut behind her, and was spotted on security cameras.

Police and firefighters arrived at the scene, but were unable to open the vault because it was on a timer and had locked for the night.

Conyers Police Chief Gene Wilson told reporters it was a "very tense scene" as authorities stood by along with the relatives, and rescue workers pumped fresh air into vents leading to the vault.

Authorities said the baby could be heard crying during the rescue.

The toddler was finally reunited with her mother after four hours.

"That was one of the better moments I've ever witnessed," Wilson said, adding the girl was fine save a needed diaper change.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Daily Game Feb 26 - Butcherbugs

Play as a bunch of ladybugs blasting their way through the butcher's cerebral cortex in order to knock him down.

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Friday, February 25, 2011

Daily Game Feb 25 - Cyber Sprint

Jump above, between or slide under the walls for as long as you can.

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

China blocks LinkedIn amid protest calls

LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals, has become the first major victim of increased internet censorship in China in the wake of an online campaign for pro-democracy protests.

"We can confirm that access to LinkedIn is being blocked for some in China," said Hani Durzy, LinkedIn spokesman, in an emailed statement on Friday. "This appears to be part of a broader effort in China going on right now, involving other sites as well."

Some LinkedIn users in China started reporting on Thursday that they couldn't access the site unless they used tools such as virtual private networks to circumvent the Chinese government's internet blockages.

A LinkedIn user under the name Jasmine Z set up a discussion group on the site last week on which she called herself a "dissident" and said she hoped for democracy in China.

The disruption of the service comes as Beijing is trying to crush attempts to use online appeals to spark a "Jasmine revolution" in China inspired by the wave of protests sweeping the Middle East.

Bulls knock off Heat, 93-89 - latimes.com

Bulls knock off Heat, 93-89 - latimes.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Gaddafi blames al-Qaeda for revolt

Muammar Gaddafi, Libya's leader, has said that al-Qaeda is responsible for the uprising against him, amid attacks by pro-Gaddafi forces against anti-government protesters in several cities.

In a speech made via telephone and aired on state television on Thursday, Gaddafi claimed that the protesters were young people who had been manipulated by Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda's leader, and were acting under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs.

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As he spoke, troops loyal to Gaddafi launched a counter-offensive on Thursday against anti-government protesters, striking at two cities near the capital, Tripoli.

The worst violence was seen in the town of Az Zawiyah, about 50km west of Tripoli, where troops opened fire with automatic weapons and an anti-aircraft gun on a mosque where protesters had been taking shelter.

In his speech, Gaddafi argued that he was a purely "symbolic" leader with no real political power, and that citizens had "no reason to complain whatsoever". He hinted that he would be prepared to raise salaries, but warned that protesters would be tried in the country's courts. [The entire speech is available here.]

History should come down hard on Tony Blair for embracing Gaddafi

In the light of subsequent events, Neville Chamberlain's effort to appease Adolf Hitler is usually portrayed as one of the most shameful episodes in modern British history. But surely Tony Blair's love-in with Colonel Gaddafi was worse. Chamberlain never pretended to like Hitler. He certainly never embraced him. His aim was to prevent war by reaching an accommodation with a man whose full infamy he did not appreciate. He was naive to believe he could rely on Hitler's promises, and he was culpably indifferent towards the fate of the Czechoslovaks, but the prospect of another war between Britain and Germany seemed so terrible (as, indeed, it turned out to be) that his policy of appeasement can at least be understood. As Winston Churchill, the arch-opponent of appeasement, said in his House of Commons eulogy to Chamberlain after his death in 1940: "Neville Chamberlain acted with perfect sincerity according to his lights, and strove to the utmost of his capacity and authority, which were powerful, to save the world from the awful, devastating struggle in which we are now engaged. This alone will stand him in good stead as far as what is called the verdict of history is concerned."

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Celtics come up bit short

DENVER — The last three players listed in the box score — Kendrick Perkins [stats], Nate Robinson and Luke Harangody — were no longer Celtics [team stats].

At one point Doc Rivers had a lineup of Glen Davis, Delonte West, Von Wafer, Avery Bradley and Chris Johnson on the floor,

Johnson, signed to a 10-day contract earlier in the day, was wearing the jersey of Semih Erden — also no longer a Celtic — with his name patched over that.
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USC surprises No. 10 Arizona, 65-57

Arizona star forward Derrick Williams drew a foul, his first in Thursday night's game against USC, and glared at Trojans Coach Kevin O'Neill.

"That's one with more to come," Williams told O'Neill.

Call it a saucy retort to O'Neill's comments earlier in the week that Williams was "the most protected dude I've seen since Michael Jordan," an implication that Williams was coddled by referees.

But Williams' prediction proved to be hubristic, as the national player of the year candidate played his worst game of the season, scoring a season-low eight points while his No. 10 Wildcats were upset by the Trojans, 65-57, before a rocking 6,857 at the Galen Center.

O'Neill said what he said to distract Williams, but also to make a point with officials, his main beef being that Williams averaged a nation-leading 9.2 free throws per game.

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Wis. Assembly passes bill taking away union rights

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Assembly early Friday passed a bill that would strip most public workers of their collective bargaining rights — the first significant action on the new Republican governor's plan.

The vote put an end to three straight days of punishing debate, but the political standoff over the bill is far from over.

The Assembly vote sends the bill on to the state Senate, where minority Democrats have been missing for a week. No one knows when — or if — they'll return from their hideout in Illinois. Republicans who control the Senate sent state troopers out looking for them at their homes on Thursday, but they turned up nothing.

Oil Heads for Biggest Weekly Gain Since 2009 on Libya, Economy

Oil headed for its biggest weekly gain in two years on concern the turmoil which has cut Libya's output may spread to other parts of the Middle East and speculation the U.S. economic recovery will boost fuel demand.

Futures fluctuated today after the U.S., Saudi Arabia and the International Energy Agency made assurances they can compensate for any disruption of Libyan supplies. Crude surged to a 29-month high yesterday amid estimates the country's output was cut by as much as two-thirds. The U.S. economy expanded faster than expected in the fourth quarter, according to a Bloomberg News survey.

"Supplies should be secured by other countries as long as the disruptions are limited," said Tetsu Emori, a commodity fund manager with Astmax Ltd. in Tokyo. "When oil prices reached $147 in 2008 the economy was already pushing lower, but currently the economic situation is expanding on a global basis."

Crude for April delivery gained as much as 69 cents to $97.97 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $97.67 a barrel at 2:09 p.m. Singapore time. Yesterday, it fell to $97.28 after climbing as high as $103.41. Prices earlier today dropped as much as 0.9 percent to $96.39.

Work on 'Two and a Half Men' halted after Charlie Sheen radio rant

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Charlie Sheen's latest radio rant apparently triggered a decision by producers to cancel production on his hit TV comedy "Two and a Half Men."

CBS placed the sitcom on "production hiatus" after the actor began rehab treatments in the wake of an emergency hospital visit in late January. The show was scheduled to resume taping on four more episodes next week.

"Based on the totality of Charlie Sheen's statements, conduct and condition, CBS and Warner Bros. Television have decided to discontinue production of 'Two and a Half Men' for the remainder of the season," the network and studio said in a joint statement Thursday.

Sheen appeared to challenge producers to take action earlier Thursday when he was a guest on "The Alex Jones Radio Show."

"I was told if I went on the attack, they would cancel the show and all that, so I'm just sort of seeing if they're telling the truth or not," Sheen told Jones.

Sheen said if the show was canceled, he would "go make movies with superstars instead of working with idiots."

The actor also had unkind words for show co-creator Chuck Lorre.

A short time after the cancellation was announced, Sheen sent a written statement to celebrity news website TMZ.

Boeing Wins $35 Billion Air Force Tanker Program on Third Try

After nearly four months of delay, space shuttle Discovery blasted into the heavens one final time on Thursday, marking the beginning of the end for the space shuttle program.

The launch, set against a backdrop of Florida's blue skies, was glorious.

"For those watching us today, witness the majesty and power of Discovery as she lifts off one final time," said Discovery's commander, Steve Lindsey, a few minutes before the afternoon launch.

But the day was not without some last-minute drama. Less than half an hour before the 3:50 p.m. launch time, the computer systems used by the range safety officer malfunctioned. Suddenly the launch was, in the parlance of NASA, "no go."

The range safety officer essentially serves as the Federal Aviation Administration for rocket launches off the U.S. East Coast. It determines that the coast is clear for launches.

Launch window open

As minutes drained away, it became tense in the launch control room.

"Calm down, they're working a little issue over there," launch director Mike Leinbach had to tell his team shortly after the issue cropped up.

The range safety officers continued to work the issue and they eventually determined that their computer system was in a state that was acceptable for launch. The clearance to launch came just before the launch window closed.

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Hope of finding more New Zealand quake survivors dims

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Hopes of finding more survivors of the devastating earthquake here waned yesterday as officials expressed grave concerns for more than 200 people still missing in the disaster, including many foreigners.

At least 113 people, including two infants, were killed in the 6.3-magnitude quake that struck New Zealand's second-largest city on Tuesday, toppling office buildings and raining debris on buses and cars. The police warned yesterday that scores of bodies may still be buried in the rubble.

At least 226 people were still unaccounted for, according to Superintendent Dave Cliff, the commander of the Canterbury District Police. He said officials have serious and grave concerns for the missing and urged people awaiting news of their loved ones to give the police any information that might help identify their remains.

Celtics ship Perk to Thunder

The 26-year-old center was sent to Oklahoma City with Nate Robinson for 6-foot-9 forward Jeff Green and 7-foot center Nenad Krstic. The Celts also will receive the Clippers' No. 1 pick in 2012, acquired by the Thunder in a previous deal and protected to No. 10. (Green actually was chosen by the C's in the 2007 first round, but that was part of a prearranged deal to send him to Seattle in the Ray Allen trade.)

The day also saw Luke Harangody and Semih Erden go to Cleveland for a second-round pick in 2013, and Marquis Daniels, his season done due to a bruised spine, shipped to Sacramento with cash for a second-round pick.

Apple announces new MacBook Pro line and previews Lion operating system

Apple has released a range of new MacBook Pros, offering new dual and quad core Intel processors and graphics capabilities as well as high-speed "Thunderbolt" input and output technology and a new FaceTime HD camera. The company claims that "the entire MacBook Pro line is up to twice as fast as the previous generation".

The 13" MacBook Pro will start at £999 and offer dual-core processor speeds of up to 2.7GHz. The 15" model will start at £1,549 feature quad-core Core i7 processors and up to 1GB of video memory for gaming, video editing and graphics-intensive applications. A 17" model will retail for £2,099

Moammar Gadhafi's son says Libya toll exaggerated

BENGHAZI, Libya – Moammar Gadhafi's son denies the government launched airstrikes against Libyan cities and claims reports of the number of protesters killed have been exaggerated.

Thursday's comments by Seif al-Islam Gadhafi come as the Libyan government fights to maintain control after several other major Libyan cities and towns in the east and close to the capital have fallen to the rebellion against the longtime leader.

Seif al-Islam Gadhafi insists the death toll from Libyan security forces has been limited.

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said estimates of some 1,000 people killed in the violence in Libya were "credible," although he stressed the information was incomplete. The New York-based Human Rights Watch has put the death toll at nearly 300.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — A Libyan army unit loyal to Moammar Gadhafi blasted a minaret of a mosque with anti-aircraft missiles and automatic weapons Thursday after scores of anti-government protesters refused to leave the area west of Tripoli, a witness said.

Protesters who had been camped inside and outside the mosque suffered heavy casualties in the attack on Zawiya, 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Tripoli, the witness said, but he couldn't provide an exact toll.

Pro-Gadhafi forces have fought back fiercely as the longtime leader has seen his control whittled away, with Zawiya and other major Libyan cities and towns closer to the capital falling to the rebellion against his rule. In the east, now all but broken away, the opposition vowed to "liberate" Tripoli, where the Libyan leader is holed up with a force of militiamen roaming the streets and tanks guarding the outskirts.

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Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert says he will leave office by end of the day Friday

In a speech that was more political launch pad than polite farewell, Mayor Tom Leppert told the Dallas City Council on Wednesday that he will leave office by the end of the day Friday.

He also promised "in the next several days" to announce plans for his political future, widely understood to be a run for the 2012 Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

Leppert, who leaves office four months shy of completing his first term, said he believes history will look back on the past four years as a time of great progress in Dallas, and he thanked the city's residents for electing him.

Countries scramble to get citizens out of Libya

(CNN) -- Governments around the world are making a run to get their citizens out of volatile Libya. Here is a country-by-country breakdown:

INDIA

India plans to evacuate its citizens from Libya by air and sea. Government officials said they have chartered a ferry with the capacity to seat 1,200 people. The ship will reach Benghazi by Saturday, and is expected to arrive in Egypt with the evacuees by Tuesday.

BRITAIN

Two British Hercules military transport aircraft have been dispatched to assist with the evacuation of British nationals from Libya, a defense ministry spokesman said Thursday. One aircraft is in Malta; the other in an undisclosed location, he said. The ministry did not elaborate when the evacuations will take place.

CANADA

The Canadian foreign affairs office says a flight chartered by the government will leave Tripoli for Rome on Thursday.

"All Canadian citizens wishing to leave Libya on this flight should arrive at the airport in Tripoli by 10 a.m. on Thursday and wait in the left side of the parking lot located in front of the airport," the office said in a statement.

SOUTH KOREA

The president's office is sending an EgyptAir plane to Tripoli Thursday to evacuate 260 workers and their families. South Korean officials are considering chartering more planes, as well as moving people by land and sea routes. There are nearly 1,400 South Koreans in Libya, working at almost 300 building sites.

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A Wallet Lost 40 Years Ago Now Is Found

Rudolph R. Resta, 77, walked out of a wintry rain recently, through the revolving door of a largely empty Times Square office building, and into his distant past.

He found his two sons, now in their 40s, when they were small enough to fit into the same lawn chair, side by side. He found his wife, Angela, posing before a knife-sharp Pontiac Grand Prix in Prospect Park, looking very sultry in a jaguar stole; "real jaguar," he said, "not the stuff they have today." He found a picture of his father, Nicola, that he once worried he would never see again. He found a Social Security card issued by the Federal Security Agency (the office hasn't existed since 1953) and an American Express card so old that it wasn't green, it was purple and white. (Member Since 64.)

In fact, Mr. Resta found just about everything with which a well-stocked wallet would have bulged in 1970. Except, of course, the cash he carried on the day he carelessly left the wallet in a jacket pocket in an unattended coat closet on the second floor of The New York Times headquarters at 229 West 43rd Street, where he worked as an art director in the promotion department.

When Mr. Resta went to fetch his jacket at lunchtime on that long-ago day, the wallet was gone. He wasn't to see it again for 40 years. The reunion was made possible by José Cisneros, 46, a security guard who works in the former Times building, now called the Times Square Building. He came across the wallet last fall when he was investigating a void between an old unused window on the second floor and the masonry seal behind it. The wallet had apparently been stashed there after a thief found it in the coat closet and pulled out the cash.

Chauncey Billups shined Wednesday night against the Bucks in his debut with the Knicks. (Christopher Pasatieri, Newsday )

Ten minutes after he left the Pepsi Center on Monday night, Chauncey Billups got the phone call he dreaded for weeks, telling him that he no longer was a member of the Nuggets.

Soon after he arrived home and broke the news to his family, the man whose plan had swept up Billups and taken him away from Denver — Carmelo Anthony — called.

"Melo, honestly, after the trade went down, his first question to me was, 'How was your family taking it? How was everybody doing?' " Billups said Wednesday by phone before he and Anthony played their first games as New York Knicks. "So I know that he pretty much feels bad about it, that I got intertwined in his deal, in his situation."

Because Anthony is a new Knick,

Obama condemns Gaddafi's crackdown, sends Clinton for talks on Libya

President Obama on Wednesday condemned Libya's violent crackdown against a widening anti-government movement, saying the "suffering and bloodshed is outrageous, and it is unacceptable."

But Obama did not call for a change in Libya's autocratic government or announce specific sanctions that the United States would support to punish the country for actions that he said "violate international norms and every standard of common decency."

"Like all governments, the Libyan government has a responsibility to refrain from violence, to allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need and to respect the rights of its people," the president said in his first public comments about the Libyan revolt. "It must be held accountable for its failure to meet those responsibilities and face the cost of continued violations of human rights."

Obama delivered his statement amid criticism of his muted response to the violence and a growing sense that, as the Arab Middle East and North Africa churn through a period of abrupt change, the White House remains behind on the events and overly cautious in responding to them.

Libyans Flee As Gadhafi's Hold Over Country Weakens

The scope of Moammar Gadhafi's control in Libya was whittled away Wednesday as major cities and towns closer to the capital fell to the rebellion against his rule. In Libya's east, now all but broken away, the opposition vowed to "liberate" Tripoli, where the Libyan leader is holed up with a force of militiamen roaming the streets. And in Washington, President Obama said the U.S. was looking at "a full range of options" to deal with the crisis.

In a further sign of Gadhafi's faltering hold, two air force pilots — one from the leader's own tribe — parachuted out of their warplane and let it crash into the deserts of eastern Libya, rather than follow orders to bomb a opposition-held city.

The opposition reportedly seized control of Misurata, 125 miles east of the capital Tripoli, after days of fighting. Witnesses said people were honking their horns and raising flags representing the monarchy overthrown by Gadhafi more than 40 years ago.

Misurata would be the first major city in western Libya to fall to anti-government forces, which claim — with the help of defecting security forces — to have taken control of nearly the entire eastern half of Libya's 1,000-mile Mediterranean coast, including several oil-producing areas.

Faraj al-Misrati, a local doctor in Misurata, said six residents had been killed and 200 wounded since Jan. 18, when protesters attacked offices and buildings affiliated with Gadhafi's regime

Libya opposition defiant after Col Gaddafi speech

The United Nations Security Council has issued a strongly worded condemnation of violence used against protesters in Libya but opponents of Colonel Gaddafi have said it is not enough.

Read more and take a listen

Cricket World Cup: Ricky Ponting faces ICC charge

Australia captain Ricky Ponting will be charged for allegedly damaging a television set in the dressing room after being dismissed against Zimbabwe.

Ponting, 36, was run out for 28 runs as Australia began the World Cup with a 91-run win over Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad.

The International Cricket Council acted after receiving a report from the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI).

An ICC spokesman said: "We received a report about the incident and have taken the decision to charge him."

Officials at the World Cup venue in Gujarat accused Ponting of causing the damage after the Tasmanian was run out at the non-striker's end by a direct throw from Chris Mpofu as he attempted a second run.

Xinhua launches search engine with China Mobile

BEIJING, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Xinhua News Agency launched an Internet search engine jointly with China Mobile on Tuesday.

The search engine, www.panguso.com, will combine the strengths of Xinhua, a leading news agency and content provider, and China Mobile which has the latest network technologies, said Panguso, a joint venture of Xinhua and China Mobile, in a press release.

Panguso has designed an accurate search service for news, websites, images, videos and audio data, it said.

It will also expand the search service to cell phones. Users can send search results from computers to cell phones by SMS.

"The operation of Panguso is an important move by Xinhua and China Mobile to extend our cooperation in cyberspace," said Li Congjun, president of Xinhua News Agency, at the opening ceremony.

Emanuel beats rivals to become next Chicago mayor

CHICAGO – Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor of Chicago on Tuesday, easily overwhelming five rivals to take the helm of the nation's third-largest city as it prepares to chart a new course without the retiring Richard M. Daley.

Emanuel trounced all opponents with 55 percent of the vote — a margin that allowed him to avoid an April runoff. He needed more than 50 percent to win outright.

It was the city's first mayoral race in more than 60 years without an incumbent on the ballot and the first in more than two decades without Daley among the candidates. Daley and his father have led Chicago for more than 43 out of the last 56 years.

Emanuel called the victory "humbling" and said the outgoing mayor had "earned a special place in our hearts and our history."

But he added: "We have not won anything until a kid can go to school thinking of their studies and not their safety. Until the parent of that child is thinking about their work and not where they are going to find work, we have not won anything."

Forde given death in slaying of girl, father

When juror Angie Thomas woke up on the second day of the Shawna Forde capital murder trial, she didn't want to go back to court.

Thomas forced herself to return. And yesterday she talked to the news media about how difficult it was to both convict Forde for the murders of Brisenia Flores, 9, and Raul Junior Flores, 29, and yesterday's jury decision Forde should be executed for what she did.

Thomas said Gina Gonzalez's testimony on the first day of trial had been heartbreaking and the mother of two wasn't sure she could handle anymore.

Still, she returned to court telling herself things couldn't possibly get any worse. She was wrong. That was the day prosecutors showed the autopsy and crime scene photos of the girl and her father.

Nearly a month later Thomas still can't get the images of Brisenia out of her mind - the pictures showing the devastation wrought when a gun is pressed to someone's flesh and fired.

The Floreses died May 30, 2009, after Junior Flores let a couple pretending to be law enforcement officers into his home in Arivaca. Gonzalez testified she and Junior, her husband of 13 years, were shot after he expressed doubts about their identity.

The gunman assured Brisenia he wasn't going to shoot her, but then shot her twice while she pleaded for her life, Gonzalez testified.

Jurors were told Forde, 43, needed money for her border protection group, Minutemen American Defense, and recruited some men to rob drug smugglers near the border. All the invaders got was a handful of inexpensive jewelry that was later found in Forde's possession, prosecutors said.

Father who lost custody of Nubia and Victor wants to see his injured son

MIAMI — Victor Bustillo hadn't seen or heard from his children Nubia and Victor in close to eight years, since the state took custody of the twins, then toddlers, after he was convicted of abusing a minor.

It wasn't until last week, when Bustillo saw news reports detailing how his daughter's dead body was stuffed in a plastic bag in the back of her adoptive father's pick-up truck, and his son was severely burned with hazardous chemicals, that Bustillo realized what had become of his children.

"This is hard," Bustillo said Tuesday outside his Miami apartment. "Imagine what I could be feeling right now."

The twins' adoptive father, Jorge Barahona, 53, now faces an attempted murder charge in connection with Victor's injuries. The boy was found in the front seat of Barahona's truck in West Palm Beach, seizing and covered in an unknown toxic chemical, and is now being treated at Holtz Children's Hospital in Miami.

Police and the state Department of Children and Families are still investigating Nubia's death. Meanwhile, two other children adopted by Barahona and his wife Carmen, 60, have been placed in a foster home.

Bustillo, 56, from El Salvador, said he did everything he could back in 2004 to keep custody of the twins, who had been under his care after the state terminated their mother's parental rights because of abuse, drug use and alleged prostitution.

"I never wanted to give up my parental rights, but they took my kids away," he added. "I did everything they asked me to do, but they took them away anyway."

Bustillo's criminal past and alleged neglect of his children, however, prevented him from keeping them. The state moved to terminate his parental rights in 2005.

According to the state's petition, Bustillo was an unfit father because of domestic violence, abandonment and medical neglect. Nubia was born with an unknown medical condition that required her to take medication, according to state officials.

In 2004, Bustillo was arrested and accused of pulling a 10-year-old girl into an apartment and touching her crotch in the presence of a 2-year-old child. The petition says that Bustillo admitted to molesting the girl in a taped confession.

Young and wreck-less, Trevor Bayne wins Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Daytona 500 is a race that can complete a racing career.

Trevor Bayne's is just beginning.

In only his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start, Bayne won a wild Daytona 500 on Sunday to take the fabled Wood Brothers Racing team back to victory lane at Daytona International Speedway.

The 20-year-old led the final six laps and held off fellow Ford driver Carl Edwards by .118 seconds to become the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500.

Federal agencies preparing for shutdown, White House says

Federal agencies are preparing to operate at reduced levels if a government shutdown occurs, but the Obama administration hopes to strike a deal with congressional Republicans to avoid one, the White House said Tuesday.

By March 4, lawmakers must pass a short-term resolution to continue funding the government, or President Obama and congressional leaders can strike a deal on how to fund government operations for the final seven months of fiscal 2011. Failing to do so would prompt at least a partial shutdown affecting various agencies and functions.

"There have been contingency plans for government shutdowns since 1980, and those plans are obviously updated accordingly, but they've been around for a long time," White House press secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday. The White House hopes to reach an agreement with lawmakers soon, he said.

New Facebook "Breakup Notifier" App Takes the Fun Out of Friend-Stalking

Thanks to developer Dan Loewenherz, Facebook just got a little bit creepier—or more loving, depending on your point of view. That's all thanks to the new application Loewenherz recently released: Breakup Notifier.

So what, exactly, does Breakup Notifier do?

"You like someone. They're in a relationship. Be the first to know when they're out of it," reads the description posted to Breakup Notifier's main page.

As described, the exact particulars of how the service works are fairly simple. You just have to log into Breakup Notifier using your Facebook account, and then select the various people on your friends list whose relationships are of critical interest to your daily life. Should said relationships change—for better or for worse—you'll get an email referencing the friend and the specific change made.

"A few days ago, my fiancee and her mom were talking about setting up a nice guy with my fiancee's sister. Unfortunately, said guy is in a relationship. My mother-in-law to be suggested it would be nice to know when the relationship was over (jokingly)," said Loewenherz in a post to Hacker News.

Man Refuses To Give Facebook Password For Background Check | WUSA9.com | Washington, DC |

BALTIMORE, Md. (WUSA) -- Robert Collins tells 9NEWS NOW he had to give up his Facebook account password and information for a background check to return to work as a corrections officer in Maryland. Now, he and the ACLU have managed to get the Maryland Department of Public Safety to suspend that practice, at least for now. That policy has been pulled for the next 45 days as it goes under review.

Robert Collins began his work as a corrections officer at the Patuxent Institution in 2007. He took a leave of absence in April 2010 and then decided he wanted his old job back later that year.
According to Collins, the re-certification process included a 2010 November interview where an investigator asked for among other things some private information regarding his use of social media.

"He began to ask me which social networks I had accounts and logins, and passwords. Personal information for this stuff," stated Collins.

According to Collins, applicants applying for corrections officers jobs in the state of Maryland already go through an in-depth background check to screen for, among other things, possible gang affiliations within applicants.

The information he was asked to give, he says, was bothersome because he felt his privacy and that of his Facebook friends was being invaded.

"To go this distance, it's too much and then it's illegal," stated Collins.

Man Refuses To Give Facebook Password For Background Check | WUSA9.com | Washington, DC |

Houston 108, Detroit 100: Pistons can't hold early lead

WHAT HAPPENED: The Pistons

shot 52% in the first quarter and scored 28 points to take an eight-point lead with Greg Monroe scoring six points and pulling down six rebounds.

SEE THE BOX SCORE

With the second unit playing well and sharing the ball the Pistons opened up an 11-point lead, 39-28. A 9-2 spurt by the Rockets closed the deficit to 43-39. As the Pistons shooting percentage fell so did their lead. Shane Battier drained a three to put the Rockets up 50-49. Rodney Stuckey tied the game going into halftime, 51-51, on two free throws.

Houston used a 14-3 run to start the third quarter against the cold-shooting Pistons to grab a 65-54 lead. Chuck Hayes scored six during the rally. Taking advantage of the small Rockets point guards, Stuckey got the Pistons to within 65-60.

San Jose 4, Detroit 3: Notes and quotes from Tuesday's game

IN THE FIRST: The Wings owned the puck the first stretch of the game, pounding Antti Niemi with pucks while Jimmy Howard grew cold. That changed at 11:28, when Nicklas Lidstrom's stick caught Logan Couture in the face, sending Lidstrom to the penalty box for high-sticking. He joined Jonathan Ericsson, who began serving 4 minutes for cutting Couture at 9:46. Thus the Sharks had 2 minutes with a two-man advantage, and the Wings had one of their best penalty killers, Lidstrom, in the box. A combination of Brad Stuart, Niklas Kronwall, Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and Ruslan Salei did an outstanding job blocking lanes and frustrating the Sharks. And when a shot did get through, Howard made big saves, like when he snatched Ryane Clowe's shot out of the air. The Wings got a sound round of applause after that deed, but they couldn't follow up when the Sharks got another power play

in the last 20 seconds of the period, allowing Joe Thornton to score his 300th career goal. After the Wings outshot the Sharks, 9-1, to start the game, the Sharks held an 18-10 advantage after 20 minutes.
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Rutgers' Rice apologizes following team's poor effort against Louisville

Rutgers men's basketball coach Mike Rice may have been sorry, but nothing was sorrier than his team's abysmal offensive performance in a 55-37 rout at the hands of No. 16 Louisville on Tuesday night at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.

"I should be out in the parking lot apologizing," Rice said after his team established season-lows in both points scored and field goal percentage (29.5). "It's as simple as that. "I want to apologize to the students, the alumni, the people who came out. It's a shame. Our fans have pride in Rutgers and it's sad their guys and their coaching staff couldn't pull off a better performance."

The Scarlet Knights (13-14, 4-11 Big East), who lost their third straight and eighth in their last nine games, scored their fewest points since also notching 37 in a 60-37 loss to Depaul on Jan. 13, 2007. And you'd have to go all the way back to Feb. 18, 1959 for their previous worst, a 36-point effort in a 38-36 defeat against Lehigh.

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Christchurch earthquake death toll rises with hundreds still missing

Hopes of pulling more survivors from the rubble are fading in Christchurch as the city beds down for the second night since being rocked by a calamitous earthquake on Tuesday. Police declared a downtown curfew as aftershocks tested the spirit of a city that had not yet recovered from a quake in September last year.

The death toll from Tuesday's 6.3-magnitude quake has reached 75 and is expected to rise. Three hundred people are missing. Reports of Britons among the dead have not been confirmed. The British high commission, which is providing consular assistance in Christchurch, said it had received no information as yet of any British casualties.

Officials have urged Christchurch people to stay at home unless travel is essential. Locals venturing into the city to view the damage would hamper the rescue operation, said police superintendent Dave Cliff. He warned of the danger of "criminal elements" and announced a strict exclusion zone around the city's "four avenues" from 6.30pm. Six arrests for burglary have been made.

In the afternoon emergency workers were hurriedly evacuated from two blocks around the Hotel Grand Chancellor amid fears that the 27-storey building, which has slumped at one of its corners, could fall.

Up to 100 people are feared dead in the Canterbury TV building. Despite reports that authorities thought the building "not survivable", Ross Dittmer of the fire service said rescuers' pullout from the site was to do with the proximity to the Chancellor hotel rather than any abandonment of hope. Just after 8pm on Wednesday evening television images suggested the rescue effort at the CTV building was being relaunched.

There was rare a ray of hope on a gloomy day when rescuers pulled Ann Bodkin from the remains of the Pyne Gould Guinness building. She had spent a day trapped under her desk. The sun broke out as she emerged. According to the Christchurch mayor, Bob Parker, one emergency worker near the site said: "They got Ann out of the building and God turned on the lights."

Mobile phones 'affect the brain'

A study by the National Institutes of Health in the US suggests that mobile phones could have an effect on the brain.

They reported higher sugar use in the brain, a sign of increased activity, after 50 minutes on the phone.

The research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association said the clinical significance was unknown.

Experts in the UK said there was no suggestion of a health risk.

Since the boom in mobile phone use, there has been considerable interest in the effect on the body.

The largest study on 420,000 mobile phone users in Denmark, has not shown a link between phone use and cancer.

This small study on 47 people investigated the effect of magnetic fields (RF-EMFs) coming from a phone's antenna.

It suggests that brain activity is affected, but cannot draw any conclusions about possible health implications.

Mobile phones were attached to both ears of each participant. One phone was off, the another was on but muted so the person could not tell the difference.

Their brains were then scanned to detect changes in glucose use, which increased by 7% in parts of the brain close to the antenna.

The researchers conclude that "the human brain is sensitive to the effects of RF-EMFs from acute cell phone exposures.

Friends: Americans killed by pirates were careful

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — They were four adventure seekers who loved the sea and wanted to see the world. Friends said they were meticulous and planned for any dangers, but even that couldn't prepare them for the Somali pirates who stormed their yacht and took their lives.

The boat's owners, Jean and Scott Adam of Marina del Rey, along with Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay of Seattle, were shot to death early Tuesday, after pirates took them hostage on Friday about several hundred miles south of Oman.

Macay's niece, Nina Crossland, told reporters Tuesday that her aunt was "a very smart and avid sailor."

"I think she was smart enough and planned ahead and prepared to not be in this type of situation," she said, visibly shaken and holding back tears.

The Adams had been sailing full-time on their 58-foot yacht, the Quest, since December 2004 after retiring. They often travelled with friends, and on this trip were joined by Riggle and Macay.

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Qaddafi’s Grip on the Capital Tightens as Revolt Grows

A bloody crackdown drove protesters from the streets of Tripoli, where residents described a state of terror. After a televised speech by Colonel Qaddafi, thousands of his supporters converged in the city's central Green Square, wearing green bandannas and brandishing large machetes.

Many loaded into trucks headed for the outlying areas of the city, where they occupied traffic intersections and appeared to be massing for neighborhood-to-neighborhood searches.

"It looks like they have been given a green light to kill these people," one witness said.

Human Rights Watch said it had confirmed 62 deaths in two hospitals after a rampage on Monday night, when witnesses said groups of heavily armed militiamen and mercenaries from other African countries cruised the streets in pickup trucks, spraying crowds with machine-gun fire.

At least 13 boxes packed with pre-ticked ballot papers meant for today's national local government council elections have been intercepted in different parts of Kampala as the voting exercise in some areas turned messy.

Five boxes were found at Bat Valley and three at Public Library polling station on Buganda Road. Another two boxes were found at Railway polling station and a further four were found at National Theatre, where two Electoral Commission poling officials were arrested and taken to police for allegedly aiding rigging.

In one of the boxes counted at around 7:30am in the presence of our reporter at Bat Valley, there were 399 pre-ticked ballot papers – all in favour of the ruling National Resistance Movement's (NRM's) Kampala mayoral candidate, Peter Ssematimba.

In the second box, there were 424 ballot papers pre-ticked in favour of NRM councillors while the remaining three boxes were confiscated before they were pre-ticked. The intercepted pre-ticked ballot papers at Buganda Road polling station had not yet been counted by 9:50 am as officials waited for instructions from the Electoral Commission.

In Rubaga Division, Kakeeka polling station, there were ugly scenes after Mr Ssematimba's supporters turned rowdy and clashed with Mr Lukwago's supporters who had intercepted a rigging plan. It took the intervention of the military police to calm the situation. Voters who had gathered to cast their ballots scampered to safety.

Journalists beaten

According to our reporters, Mr Nicholas Bbaale, a journalist working with Channel 44 was reportedly badly injured in a fracas where other journalists were beaten.

Mr Robert Musoke, a polling agent for the Kampala mayoral candidate Erias Lukwago said they received reports at 3am that Mr Ssematimba's group had hatched a rigging plan. "We gathered our people from Makerere, Kivulu and other neighbouring areas and caught these people with five ballot boxes with pre-ticked ballots," Musoke said.

Police on the spot

A scuffle ensued after police attempted to take the stuffed boxes to Kampala Central Police Station. After a standoff, EC officials intervened and ordered that all the stuffed boxes be kept at the polling station until the end of the exercise.

According to Mr Musoke and eye witnesses, those who stuffed ballot boxes with pre-ticked papers were being protected by police officers led by Andrew Sorowen, the Commander of Kampala Metropolitan. Police were at the scene from 3am to 7am.

At National Theatre polling station, reports indicate that people started voting at 5:30am and by 6am 58 out of 666 registered voters had finished through unclear circumstances. By the time Joseph Biribonwa, a commissioner with the Electoral Commission came to the area, 99 people had voted before the official time for the start of voting. The voting was supposed to begin at 7am.

With the Electoral Commission convinced that there was glaring rigging, the electoral body was forced to suspend the exercise at Bat Valley and Public Library, located on Buganda Road. There were reports that in other areas, polling agents for some candidates connived with returning officers to open the exercise ahead of the official voting time.

The two stuffed ballot boxes seized at Railway Poling station were taken to CPS under the command of Mr Pius Otto, the officer in charge, amid protests from Mr Lukwago supporters. At National Theatre, after the arrest of the poling officials, leaked ballot papers and boxes were replaced by others and the exercise later resumed at 10:30 am.

Source

We had no intention of killing US hostages, says Somali pirate

A MEMBER of the Somali pirate group involved in the capture and murder of four Americans off the coast of Somalia said Wednesday that they only killed the hostages because the US military started firing at them.

"We had no intention of killing the hostages until the Americans began shooting at us," Liban Muse told the Los Angeles Times.

"Our preference is only to take ships and ransom money, not to kill. But governments are targeting and killing our people."

Jean Adam, 66, and 70-year-old Scott Adam, the yacht's Californian owners, and two others, Phyllis Macay, 59, and Bob Riggle, 67, from Seattle, were on board the S/V Quest, reportedly heading for the coast of Somalia, when it was seized Friday afternoon 240 nautical miles off the coast of Oman.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday that the four were killed by their captors.

US forces aboard four navy warships had been monitoring the captured vessel for approximately three days and had been taking part in negotiations to secure the release of the four Americans.

Two pirates boarded the USS Sterett to participate in negotiations. It was unclear if any ransom was offered to the pirates.

As the talks continued Tuesday, the pirates aboard the yacht fired a rocket-propelled grenade toward the USS Sterett "with absolutely no warning," Vice Adm. Mark Fox, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, said in a telephone briefing.

Gunfire then erupted inside the yacht's cabin, after which pirates appeared on the deck of the yacht and moved toward the bow with their hands in the air to surrender.

US Special Operations Forces boarded the yacht by small boat and discovered the four American hostages had been shot.

"Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds," CENTCOM said in a statement.

The US forces killed one pirate with a firearm and another with a knife as they cleared the yacht. The remains of two other pirates were discovered aboard the Quest.

Eminem Reaches One Billion Views on YouTube | TheCelebrityCafe.com

"Despite not winning the Grammy for Album of the Year, Eminem is still making major advances among music artists. Eminem has reached one billion video views on YouTube.

Idolator reports that Eminem is the third artist to reach one billion views, behind Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga in the one billion views count among musicians. Eminem is the first rapper to reach this milestone.

Famecount.com displays Eminem's total count of YouTube views. The number of his Facebook fans and Twitter followers is also displayed.

Eminem Reaches One Billion Views on YouTube | TheCelebrityCafe.com:

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Ratings up for NBA All-Star game, Daytona 500

Freed from competition against the Winter Olympics, ratings improved from a year ago Sunday for the Daytona 500 on Fox and the NBA All-Star Game on TNT.

Trevor Bayne's overtime win at Daytona registered an 8.7 Nielsen rating and 20 share with an average audience of 15.6 million viewers, up from 7.7/16 with 13.3 million viewers in 2010. Nielsen estimated that 30.1 million viewers watched at least a portion of the race, up from 29.8 million last year, when Daytona and the All-Star Game competed on successive weekends against the Winter Games from Vancouver.

The NBA All-Star Game had a 5.2 Nielsen rating, up from 3.8 in 2010, with an average audience of 9.1 million viewers, up from 6.8 million last year.

Here are some of the main issues… Players' cut of revenue

Under terms of the 2006 labor deal, players currently receive approximately 59.6 percent of most of the revenue — a pot that was roughly $9 billion this season — minus $1 billion set aside to the owners off the top for costs. The owners are asking for another $1 billion ($1.5 billion according to some reports) in credits off the top and then give the players close to 60 percent of what's left. It would essentially be a pay cut of 15-18 percent for the players. The owners argue that the extra 1-1.5 billion would be used to grow the game and make the revenue pot larger in the long run.

Expanding the season to 18 games

The owners want to expand the regular season from 16 to 18 games with the elimination of two preseason games. Their argument is that the extra TV money the two games would generate would expand the overall revenue pot available to the players — to as much as $12 billion in 2011, according to league estimates. The union is opposed because of the greater risk of injury from two extra games and playing a longer season for less money.

"Any change in the season that increases the risk of injury, increases the risk of concussion, increases the risk of a long-term consequence from playing football has the potential to shorten careers and jeopardize the 3.4 average that players have right now without a guaranteed contract, anything that does that is something that is not in the interest or best interest of the players of the National Football League," Smith said. "And that is going to be our position."

Violence rages in Libya protests

Anti-government protesters say they have taken control of several towns [Reuters]

Libyan forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi are fighting a bloody battle to keep him in power, with residents reporting gunfire in parts of the capital Tripoli and other cities, while other citizens, including the country's former ambassador to India, are saying that warplanes were used to "bomb" protesters.

Nearly 300 people are reported to have been killed in continuing violence in the capital and across the north African country as demonstrations enter their second week.

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