Beheading planned in Saudi sorcery case

A Lebanese man charged with sorcery and sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia is scheduled to be beheaded on Friday, the man's lawyer said Wednesday.

May El Khansa, the attorney for Ali Hussain Sibat, told CNN that she and Sibat's family were informed about the upcoming execution. She said she heard from a source in Saudi Arabia with knowledge of the case and the proceedings that Saudi authorities "will carry out the execution."

The Saudi Ministry of Justice could not immediately be reached for comment on the matter.

El Khansa said she has appealed to Lebanon's prime minister, Saad Hariri, and president, Michel Suleiman, to stop the execution. Amnesty International, the human rights group, has called on Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to block it as well.

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Haiti aid pledges reaches $10 Billion

A broad array of international donors pledged nearly $10 billion in long-term assistance to Haiti's earthquake recovery efforts during a daylong conference at United Nations headquarters.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the conference, titled "Towards a New Future for Haiti," by urging the more than 100 donors in attendance to provide $11.5 billion over the next 10 years for the reconstruction of the island nation left devastated by a 7.0-magnitude quake in January.

"What we envision, today, is wholesale national renewal -- a sweeping exercise in nation-building on a scale and scope not seen in generations," Ban said, according to the United Nations.

The January 12 earthquake killed more than 200,000 people and severely affected the lives of 3 million more. Many are homeless and in dire need of food, clothing, shelter and health care.

More than $5 billion of the $9.9 billion pledged Wednesday will be used for immediate recovery efforts over the next 18 months and will be administered by an interim reconstruction commission co-chaired by former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive.

"The rainy season is fast approaching," Ban said in appealing for immediate funding, according to the U.N. "Some camps for displaced persons are at risk of flooding. Heath and sanitation issues are growing more serious."

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Why Internet connections are fastest in South Korea

People in the United States basically invented the Internet. So U.S. connections must be the fastest and cheapest in the world, right?

Not so much.

Broadband Internet speeds in the United States are only about one-fourth as fast as those in South Korea, the world leader, according to the Internet monitoring firm Akamai.

And, as if to add insult to injury, U.S. Internet connections are more expensive than those in South Korea, too.

The slower connection here in the U.S. costs about $45.50 per month on average, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In South Korea, the much-faster hookup costs $17 per month less. An average broadband bill there runs about $28.50.

So why is U.S. Internet so much slower and pricier than broadband connections in South Korea? The question is timely, as the U.S. government pushes forward with a "broadband plan" that aims to speed up connections, reduce costs and increase access to the Internet, especially in rural areas.

Korean competition

Countries with fast, cheap Internet connections tend to have more competition.

In the U.S., competition among companies that provide broadband connections is relatively slim. Most people choose between a cable company and a telephone company when they sign up for Internet service.

In other countries, including South Korea, the choices are more varied.

While there isn't good data on how many broadband carriers the average consumer has access to, "I think we can infer that South Korea has more [competition in broadband] than the United States," Faris said. "In fact, most countries have more than the United States."

Some academics, including Yochai Benkler, co-director of the Berkman Center, have criticized the U.S. government's broadband plan as not doing enough to create the kind of competition that is present in other countries.

In a New York Times editorial, Benkler says competition will reduce costs for broadband consumers.

"Without a major policy shift to increase competition, broadband service in the United States will continue to lag far behind the rest of the developed world," he writes.


Culture and politics

There are stark cultural differences between hyper-connected Korea, where more than 94 percent of people have high-speed connections, according to the OECD, and the United States, where only about 65 percent of people are plugged into broadband, according to an FCC survey.

The South Korean government has encouraged its citizens to get computers and to hook up to high-speed Internet connections by subsidizing the price of connections for low-income and traditionally unconnected people.

One program, for example, hooked up housewives with broadband and taught them how to make use of the Web in their everyday lives.

Parents in Korea, who tend to place high value on education, see such connections as necessities for their children's educations, said Rob Atkinson, president of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation.

These cultural differences mean Korea has a more insatiable demand for fast Internet connections, he said. That demand, in turn, encourages telecommunications companies to provide those connections.

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Maradona bitten on face by his own dog

Argentina football coach Diego Maradona has undergone plastic surgery on his face after being bitten by one of his dogs.

The 49-year-old was admitted to the Sanatorio Los Arcos clinic in Buenos Aires on Monday after suffering an injury to his top lip, hospital spokesperson Izarriaga Facundo told CNN.

He is doing well after undergoing reconstructive surgery last night and will be discharged later on Tuesday, the spokesperson added.

Maradona spent several weeks in the same clinic in 2007 after developing serious health problems.

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Research Shows Chocolates Reduce Heart Problems

Latest research shows that some chocolates may help reduce the occurrence of heart attack or stroke.dark-chocolate-stress-reliever

Brian Buijsse, lead author of the research team and a nutritional epidemiologist at the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Nuthetal said that dark chocolates bring the best results.

“Dark chocolate exhibits the greatest effects, milk chocolate fewer, and white chocolate no effects,” he explained.

Consuming about an ounce of chocolate daily will already do the trick. This means the study does not advice bigger consumption, as it will help increase waistlines.

The research was done by surveying about 20,000 people for eight years. Their consumption of their chocolates and the rest of their diet were studied.

The reason behind it is probably, at least part of it, due to lower blood pressure. Previous studies have already indicated the association of lower blood pressure with eating chocolates. This latest study observed the same trend.

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Pineberries: Fruit looks like white strawberry but tastes like pineapple

A new kind of fruit that looks like a white strawberry but tastes like a pineapple is going on sale in the UK.

Called pineberry, the strange-looking-variety of the popular summer fruit originated in South America where it grew wild. It had been near to extinction until seven years ago when Dutch began growing it commercially.

Pineberries will be on sale for five weeks at selected Waitrose branches. A 125g punnet will cost £2.99 until April 13 and then sell for £3.99.

Nicki Baggott, Waitrose fruit buyer, said: ”Pineberries offer our customers the chance to add a new fruit into their diet and the berry’s bright appearance can add an unusual decoration to sweet dishes.”

Pineberries are slightly smaller than the common strawberries. They are grown in glasshouses, turning from green to white and are ripe when the seeds turn dark red.

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James Van Der Beek to Pay Ex-Wife $7,750 a Month

Former Dawson's Creek  star James Van Der Beek  will be shelling out spousal support to his ex-wife for the next two-and-a-half years. In a divorce settlement filed Monday in Los Angeles court it was revealed that Van Der Beek, 33, will pay Heather Ann McComb $7,750 per month until Dec. 2012. The papers say Van Der Beek's monthly income is $35,000, compared with McComb's income of $1,750 a month. In the settlement, Van Der Beek will keep their North Hollywood residence, all bank accounts in his name, and all residuals from his acting work and rights to his screenplays and other projects he's created.

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Fabregas completes comeback, Arsenal claw back for draw

Cesc Fabregas kept Arsenal's European dream alive after the Gunners came from 2-0 down to draw the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona at Emirates Stadium.

The Spaniards had lived up to their billing as favourites following a blistering start and a second-half double from Zlatan Ibrahimovic looked to have all but killed off the tie.

However, Theo Walcott came off the bench to pull a goal back before Fabregas - who will miss the second leg at his old club after being booked - smashed in a late penalty after Carles Puyol was sent off for fouling the midfielder in the box.

While Barcelona will still be favourites to progress, Arsene Wenger's young side again showed great character and could yet prove their doubters wrong once more with a similarly courageous display in the Nou Camp.

Arsenal were on the backfoot straight away in a frenetic opening, with Thomas Vermaelen cutting out a low ball into the six-yard box.

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia - who had been at fault for Birmingham's stoppage-time equaliser on Saturday - was suddenly in the thick of the action as the Spaniard pulled off fine saves to deny Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi.

The hosts just could not get hold of the ball - a situation so alien here at Emirates Stadium.

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Champions League: Arsenal vs Barcelona Live Stream

Arsene Wenger will not gamble on the fitness of influential captain Cesc Fabregas for tomorrow night's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Barcelona at Emirates Stadium - but has promised his young Arsenal team can nevertheless deliver a performance to remember.

Barca boss Pep Guardiola said his side would not betray their attacking instincts and is determined to try and take a lead back to Spain for the return leg. Barca will be without influential midfielder Andres Iniesta, but his absence will not see Guardiola abandon his positive approach.

Arsenal vs Barcelona Live Stream: Click here

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'RapeLay' video game goes viral amid outrage

Tokyo, Japan -- The game begins with a teenage girl on a subway platform. She notices you are looking at her and asks, "Can I help you with something?"

That is when you, the player, can choose your method of assault.

With the click of your mouse, you can grope her and lift her skirt. Then you can follow her aboard the train, assaulting her sister and her mother.

As you continue to play, "friends" join in and in a series of graphic, interactive scenes, you can corner the women, rape them again and again.

The game allows you to even impregnate a girl and urge her to have an abortion. The reason behind your assault, explains the game, is that the teenage girl has accused you of molesting her on the train. The motive is revenge.

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Bayern Munich 2 - 1 Manchester United

Wayne Rooney limped off with what looked like an ankle injury as Manchester United suffered an agonising injury-time Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.

Rooney was lying injured in his own half as Bayern broke forward on their fateful attack.

Ivica Olic applied the cool finish for Bayern's winner after robbing Patrice Evra of possession in the box, and at that moment United medical staff instantly ran to Rooney, who appeared to land awkwardly on his right ankle after trying to avoid having his left foot trodden on by Mario Gomez.

Rooney had earlier scored his 34th goal of the season before deflecting Franck Ribery's free-kick past Edwin van der Sar 13 minutes from time.

The initial fear was that it was another of those dreaded metatarsal injuries and while that did not seem to be the problem on closer inspection, any enforced lay-off at this stage of the season will be bad news in particular for Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

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Nvidia GeForce GTX 480 Hands-On Preview

Nvidia has been noticeably absent from the video card scene over the past few months. In the meantime, ATI launched an entire DirectX11 lineup, top to bottom, and then had time to funnel some chips into the notebook scene. The Santa Clara GPU manufacturer should have combated ATI's Radeon 5000 series months ago, but delays tripped them up a bit. To make sure they weren't forgotten completely, Nvidia released details about the Fermi chip a few months back. The company now has the hardware to back up the paper. Nvidia unveiled the GeForce GTX 480 and the GeForce GTX 470, high-end cards that pack a big fiery punch in many ways. Unfortunately (also in a rather papery way) the cards won't hit retail until April 12.
Details:
GeForce GTX 480
480 Cores
700MHz Core
1536MB GDDR5 RAM
1848MHz RAM
250W

Performance:

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Shannen Doherty and partner first to be booted of Dancing with the Stars

"Dancing with the Stars" said so long on Tuesday night to Shannen Doherty and Mark Ballas, leaving ten couples to compete for the disco ball trophy.

Pamela Anderson and partner Damian Whitewood were part of the bottom three couples, along with Kate Gosselin and Tony Dovolani. The couples performed dance routines to the jive and foxtrot, but it was Shannen and Mark's jive that sent them packing.

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Champions League: Bayern Munich vs Manchester United Live Stream

Louis van Gaal insists Manchester United have more reason to be afraid of Bayern Munich than the German giants do of their 1999 Champions League final conquerors.

In the build-up to tomorrow's quarter-final first leg at the Allianz Arena, Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge suggested his team were scared about trying to keep Wayne Rooney quiet.

Bayern Munich vs Manchester United Live Stream: Click here

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Joseph and Mary in bed - obscene or illuminating?

A billboard showing a somber Mary and Joseph laying in bed together with the caption "Poor Joseph. God was a hard act to follow," is controversial, but not obscene, according to a decision by New Zealand's Advertising Standards Authorities.

The billboard, posted outside St. Matthew-in-the-city Anglican Church in Auckland, New Zealand, sparked outrage and vandalism by locals who "consider the sexually and suggestive illustration of the nativity to be degrading to individuals and Christian groups," according to a complaint filed with the ASA regarding the billboard that was posted before Christmas last year.

The debate led to a slew of complaints being filed with the ASA over the nature of the billboard, to ensure it was not put up again.

"I consider it inappropriate for a child's perceptive of Christmas to be distorted in a perverse and sexual manner," the complaint said.

The billboard was put up in December, was vandalized, stolen and then put up again before being stolen yet again. The two billboards were up for a total of less than 12 hours before they were both taken, according to the complaint. Another two versions of the ad were later put up and also vandalized before being stolen, according to the complaint.

The church said while they know some people were offended by the billboard, others "found it amusing and thought-provoking but liberating as well."

"The billboard, while outraging what I believe to be a minority has managed to bring a discussion of religion and theology to kitchen tables in 177 countries if our Web site statistics can be believed," the church stated in its argument to the ASA.

Ultimately, the ASA agreed, saying because there were no naked people or sexual acts depicted on the billboard, while children could see it, they likely wouldn't understand it. The ASA ruled there were no ethical problems with the billboard which had been prepared with a "due sense of social responsibility" so offended adults were likely more angry because the billboard conflicted with their views of faith - not because of anything offensive or obscene in the billboard.

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Ernie Els wins Arnold Palmer Invitational title

Ernie Els survived some nervy moments to secure his second successive Arnold Palmer Invitational title in Orlando on Monday.

The South African's charge for the trophy was halted by bad weather on Sunday night, forcing play to be abandoned when he was leading by two shots with four holes left.

Els recorded four pars to end his round on a total of 277 (-11) but had to rely on his powers of recovery to avoid dropping shots on the sodden course.

He sank an important putt on 15 to save his par before putting his drive on the following hole into the trees. He regained control to prevent dropping a shot before chipping out of a difficult lie on 17 to make another par.

American Kevin Na cut Els' lead to just one stroke on the 16th hole but his hopes ended when he left his par putt short on 18.

"It was a tough finish for me," Els told reporters. "I've been thinking about these last four holes for 22 hours so it was nice to finally get on the golf course.

"I kind of limped home but the work I have put in has started paying off, and obviously my short game is good. I got it up and down the last two holes."

Els claimed the WGC-CA Championship in his last outing and heads into the year's first major, the Masters at Augusta in early April, in good shape.

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Formula 1 Boss Bernie Ecclestone wants New York GP by 2012

Formula One cars could be charging past iconic New York landmarks by 2012 if Bernie Ecclestone gets his way.

The sport's supremo has confirmed the Big Apple is on his radar as he attempts to secure an F1 return to the United States for the first time since 2007.

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, he said: "I'm trying for 2012, opposite Manhattan in New Jersey with skyscrapers in the background.

"Fifteen minutes from the centre of New York to the circuit. [It would be] a wonder."

Indianapolis was the last venue in the United States to host a Grand Prix back in 2007 when British driver Lewis Hamilton triumphed. It brought to an end a run of eight successive races at the track.

Ecclestone confirmed he was looking at the possibility of adding a race in the U.S. after the opening Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain.

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Ricky Martin Reveals He's Gay

After years of sidestepping questions about his sexual orientation, singer Ricky Martin reveals in a heartfelt posting online that he is gay. "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," Martin, 38, said Monday on RickyMartinMusic.com. "I am very blessed to be who I am." He said his twin sons, who turn 2 in August, inspired him to be true to himself. "To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids were born with," Martin writes.

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L.A. Cops Think Lindsay Lohan Needs Help

Despite her pronouncement that she has no health problems, Lindsay Lohan’s appearance in the recent months has a lot of people, including members of the Los Angeles Police Department, worrying about her. A report by TMZ said cops who saw Lohan in one of her latest night outs thought about taking in the actress for a 5150, which allows police officers to perform involuntary psychiatric evaluation.

However, the cops reportedly decided not to push through with the 5150, as Lohan appeared like she could still take care of herself. Earlier, some LAPD cops who frequently assist Lohan in getting away from pesky paparazzi said that the actress has been exhibiting “erratic behavior.”

People close to Lohan are also concerned about the 23-year-old actress’ state of mind, with one even saying that the “Mean Girls” star “is going to die if she doesn’t get help soon.” Lohan recently hit the headlines after she fell down while trying to leave a party.

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Moscow Subway Blasts Leave Dozens Dead

Explosions at two separate stations of Russia’s busy Moscow metro subway have left at least 34 people  dead, reports said. An official from the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said in an interview that some 22 people are confirmed dead at the Lubyanka station. Meanwhile, a spokesman from the Moscow city police said at least a dozen people were killed at the Park Kultury station.

It is unclear what caused the twin explosions, but investigators suspect the attacks may have been carried out by suicide bombers. Rebels in the disputed Chechnya region had attacked the subway in the past, but authorities have yet to name suspects in the Monday morning rush hour attacks.

Initial reports said around 40 minutes separated the explosions, with the first attack occurring at the Lubyanka station. The explosions are reminiscent of the 2004 attacks, where no less than 50 people died in separate bombings in February and September of that year.

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Severe storms, tornadoes lash Southeast

A broad band of severe thunderstorms Sunday sparked heavy rain and hail and prompted tornado warnings from Florida to Virginia, with multiple twisters reported in North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service.

At least eight unconfirmed tornadoes were spotted along North Carolina's I-85 corridor between Charlotte and Greensboro, with overturned mobile homes, toppled trees and downed power lines left by the storms, the weather service said.

"It's been a very active evening for most of central North Carolina," said Julia Jarema, spokeswoman for North Carolina Emergency Management.

The storms caused scattered power outages throughout the state, but because of the multiple bands of storms "things are changing so rapidly we haven't been able to confirm numbers," Jarema said.

Video showed a portion of metal roofing was ripped off an industrial building in Belmont, North Carolina, west of Charlotte, littering nearby trees with clumps of yellow insulation.

Multiple mobile homes were overturned in Linwood, North Carolina, outside of Lexington, and at least three people were reported injured, said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras.

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Armed robbers raid Swiss casino

About 10 men armed with pistols and small machine guns raided a casino in Switzerland and made off into France with several hundred thousand Swiss francs in the early hours of Sunday morning, police said.

The men, dressed in black clothes and black ski masks, split into two groups during the raid on the Grand Casino Basel, Chief Inspector Peter Gill said.

One group tried to break into the casino's vault on the lower level but could not get in, but they did rob the cashier of the money that was not secured, he said.

The second group of armed robbers entered the upper level where the roulette and blackjack tables are located and robbed the cashier there, he said.

As the thieves were leaving the casino, a woman driving by and unaware of what was occurring unknowingly blocked the armed robbers' vehicles. A gunman pulled the woman from her vehicle, beat her, and took off for the French border.

The other gunmen followed into France, which is only about 100 meters (yards) from the casino, Gill said.

There were about 600 people in the casino at the time of the robbery. There were no serious injuries, although one guest on the Casino floor was kicked in the head by one of the robbers when he moved, the police officer said.

Swiss authorities are working closely with French authorities, Gill said. The robbers spoke French and drove vehicles with French license plates.

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Real defeat Atletico in Madrid derby

Real Madrid recovered from going a goal behind to beat rivals Atletico Madrid 3-2 on Sunday to return to the top of the Spanish Primera Liga ahead of Barcelona.

But they did not have things their own way at the Bernabeu and went into the interval trailing after a flowing Atletico move saw the ball reach former Real striker Jose Antonio Reyes, who curled home a delightful shot to give the visitors the lead.

But Real were a different side after the break and levelled in the 49th minute when Xabi Alonso netted from close range.

And six minutes later, the home side were ahead when defender Alvaro Arbeloa -- who like Alonso moved to Madrid from Liverpool last pre-season -- superbly cut inside his marker before stroking the ball home.

Madrid made it 3-1 in the 62nd minute when top scorer Gonzalo Higuain took advantage of a defensive mix-up to fire home.

However, the scoring was still not over and Alonso turned from hero to villain when handling the ball in the area, with Diego Forlan slotting home the resulting penalty.

Forlan missed a golden chance to level in the final minute when firing into the side-netting, but Real Madrid held on to move ahead of Barcelona, who scraped a narrow 1-0 victory at Mallorca on Saturday, on goal difference.

The victory was Real's 11th in succession and continued their recent domination over their city rivals, with Atletico not winning a derby match since 1999.

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Celeb Tease Matt Damon at The 24th American Cinematheque Award

Matt Damon took some serious ribbing Saturday night when he was honored in Beverly Hills with the 24th American Cinematheque Award.

"He doesn't deserve this award," Damon's pal Jimmy Kimmel teasingly told PEOPLE. "I don't know who they weren't able to get, but I'd go with Tom Selleck before I'd go with Matt Damon."

Sarah Silverman, who joked that she gave Damon, 39, "his first really big break" with their crudely funny 2008 viral video hit (Vid is Below), said she was going to have a hard time roasting him.

Damon also took some barbs from his best friend Ben Affleck – and Affleck's wife, Jennifer Garner.

"Ben is half of one of the greatest love stories ever told. Not with me," Garner said. "The actual prototype for the great Hollywood Bromance . . . Here's proof that love is alive and well in Hollywood. At least for my darling husband and my husband's darling husband."

Cracked Affleck: "Matt always said to me, 'Ben, there are two things that are more important to me than anything else in this world.' Folks: fame, money. You did it, Matty! You got there!"

A good-natured Damon took it all in stride.

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Apple Delays Shipment of iPad to April 12

Apple announced that any new pre-order for its latest product iPad will be scheduled for shipment on April 12 instead of April 3.iPad kickstand

Last March 12, the company started taking pre-orders for the slate-shaped gadget promising to make the delivery on April 3. But sales seem to be very high that the company was forced to delay the shipping for the latest advance orders by more than a week.

Pre-orders made early this month will still get their iPads on April 3.

The iPad, with screen size of 9.7 inches, is the company’s biggest launch since the iPhone in 2007. The lowest price is tagged at $499 while the top of the line version is pegged at $829.

Meanwhile, program developers are in a hype to finish their software products before April 3 as the iPad, from the looks of its sales orders, will bring in customers and lots of purchases.

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Jenson Button Wins F1 Australian Grand Prix

Defending champion Jenson Button of McLaren has put his title-retention bid back on track after winning Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, the F1 season’s second race. Button, who finished seventh in Bahrain two weeks ago, is now third in the rankings with 31 points.

Renault’s Robert Kubica came 12 seconds behind in seconds place followed by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, who is second in the rankings with 33 points. Accidents marred the Australian Grand Prix with only 14 of the 24 cars that started completing the race. Among the casualties was pole-setter Sebastian Vettel, who led the race for 25 laps before experiencing what he thought was brake trouble.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who leads the Drivers’ Title race with 37 points, came in fourth followed by Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg. Button’s McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton, who was flagged down by Australian traffic police earlier this weekend, came in sixth, with Force India-Mercedes’ Vitantonio Liuzzi, Ruben Barrichello of Williams-Cosworth, and RBR-Renault’s Mark Webber occupying the next three spots in that order. Michael Schumacher continued to struggle as he finished the race more than a minute behind Button for tenth place.

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Formula 1: Australian Grand Prix 2010 Live Stream

Red Bull annexed the front row of the starting grid for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, courtesy of poleman Sebastian Vettel and local hero Mark Webber. The German set the fastest time of the weekend on his first runs in Q3, with 1m 23.919s. Webber’s best was 1m 24.035s. Neither improved on their second runs.

Fernando Alonso put Ferrari a lot closer than they had been in Bahrain with third fastest time of 1m 24.111s, then there was a gap to Jenson Button’s second-run best of 1m 24.675s for McLaren. Felipe Massa challenged that for Ferrari on his second run, but came up short with 1m 24.837s for fifth.

Nico Rosberg once again outqualified Mercedes partner Michael Schumacher, with 1m 24.884s, but the multiple champion was a lot closer than of late with 1m 24.927s. Rubens Barrichello put Williams eighth in the line-up with 1m 25.217s ahead of Robert Kubica for Renault with 1m 25.372s, while the faster Force India of Adrian Sutil completed the top 10 with 1m 26.036s.

Australian Grand Prix 2010 Live Stream: Click here

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Thai military seeks to avoid confrontation with protesters

Bangkok, Thailand - The Thai military is withdrawing its forces from parts of the country's capital to avoid potential confrontations with red-shirted anti-government protesters backing the ousted prime minister.

The announcement came as an estimated 80,000 protesters held a demonstration in Bangkok Saturday, the latest mass rally staged by supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. They demand incumbent Abhisit Vejjajiva's government holds new elections.

"In order to avoid undesirable incidents and confrontation with the demonstrators, the military commanders have therefore ordered the withdrawal of all military and police forces being previously stationed in the risk zones to be moved out and, instead, regrouped in the nearby vicinities," military spokesman Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Saturday.

"Military commanders have expressed their appreciation to all military and police personnel for their vigorous work and emphasized personnel to treat demonstrators with politeness, which will help reduce conditions that lead to clashes among the Thai people."

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Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Live Action Trailer

The ultranationalists have violently seized power, and it's your job to take them down.

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Manchester United 4 Bolton 0, Berbatov Magic

Sir Alex Ferguson's calculated gamble paid off as Manchester United remained on top of the Premier League even without the services of Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand with a 4-0 win at Bolton.

Ferguson admitted the England duo would both have been risked at Bolton had United's need been dire.

Instead, with Saturday's crunch clash with Chelsea splitting a Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, the Red Devils chief took the decision to let the pair nurse a bruised foot and groin injury respectively.

In their absence, Jlloyd Samuel came to United's aid, breaking the deadlock in bizarre fashion seven minutes before the break with their 11th own goal of the season.

Dimitar Berbatov bagged a double before Darron Gibson lashed his first touch beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen to emphasise United are not quite the one-man team many pundits believe.

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Lampard scores 4; Chelsea obliterates Vilal 7-1

Frank Lampard grabbed four as Chelsea demolished Aston Villa to soar back to the top of the Premier League table.

Lampard's quartet made him third-highest scorer in the club's history - eclipsing legends Roy Bentley and Peter Osgood with 151 goals.

Lampard was assisted by a double from Florent Malouda and another from substitute Salomon Kalou as Carlo Ancelotti's side smashed in 12 goals in four days.

Chelsea have now scored 82 goals so far this season and apart from John Carew's first-half equaliser, the Blues were in cruise control for long periods.

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Fox Created 18 Different Versions of Avatar for the U.S., Over 100 Versions Worldwide

Cameron’s technical standards were so high that he wanted as many different versions of the film as possible, so that the film could be optimized for different types of settings. Add to that the already taxing process of producing the film in differing formats (i.e. 2D film, 2D digital, 3D, IMAX, etc.), plus the burden of an international day-and-date release, and you have a logistical nightmare. Fortunately, the folks at Fox were apparently able to pull it off without a hitch. Hit the jump for some interesting statistics and details about how Avatar got into your local multiplex.

• Eighteen different versions of Avatar were created for the domestic market, plus an additional 92 for international markets in 47 languages. “The international versions included more than 52 subtitled and 18 dubbed versions on film, 58 subtitled and 36 dubbed versions in digital 3D, nine subtitled and eight dubbed versions in digital 2D, and 23 subtitled and 15 dubbed versions for Imax.”

• As Avatar repeat viewers may already know, Cameron made the film using three different aspect ratios: Scope (2:39:1), flat (1:85:1), and IMAX (1:43:1). The film was released on over 17,000 35mm screens, 7,382 digital 3D screens, 553 digital 2D screens, and 272 IMAX 3D screens.

• Because the 3D glasses take down the amount of light that the viewer sees, Avatar had to be optimized for different light levels. Said one Fox postproduction executive, “If we had just sent out one version of the movie, it would have been very dark (in the larger theaters)…We had a very big flow chart with all of the different steps, so we could send the right media to the right theater.”

• Sometimes, a single theater required multiple versions of the film for its different screens.

• Towards the end, the film was finalized reel by reel. The regular film was finished in 10 parts, while the IMAX film version of Avatar was worked on in 82 different reels.

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Earth Hour 2010

Cities and landmarks took turns in switching off lights for 1 hour as the planet celebrated Earth Hour 2010.Earth-Hour-Logo

A total of 126 countries and territories pledged to join this year’s event. That’s a significant increase from the 88 countries and territories that participated in 2009. It is an event calling for climate change action. It began in 2007 in the city of Sydney. It was organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Lights were turned off at 8:30 PM local time. Landmarks that plunged or are to be plunged into darkness include:

    * Acropolis of Athens, Athens
    * Abu Simbel temples, Aswan
    * Alamo, San Antonio
    * Al-toot Palace, Riyadh
    * Amsterdam Arena
    * Arc de Triomphe, Paris
    * Artis Zoo, Amsterdam
    * Atomic Bomb Dome, Hiroshima
    * Atomium, Brussels
    * Baiyoke Tower II, Bangkok
    * Bank of America Tower, Miami
    * Belém Tower, Lisbon
    * Big Banana, Coffs Harbour, Australia
    * Big Ben, London
    * Brandenburg Gate, Berlin
    * Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul
    * BT Tower, London
    * Buckingham Palace
    * Burj Al Arab, Dubai
    * Burj Khalifa, Dubai
    * Botanical Garden of Curitiba, Southern Brazil
    * Cairo Tower, Cairo
    * Capitol Records Building, Los Angeles
    * Chengdu Panda Breeding Station
    * Chichén Itzá, Mexico
    * Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro
    * Chrysles Building, New York
    * Çiçek Pasajı, Istanbul
    * CN Tower, Toronto
    * Cologne Cathedral
    * Colosseum, Rome
    * Coca Cola Billboard, Kings Cross, Sydney
    * Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
    * Donauturm, Vienna
    * Downing Street
    * Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
    * Eiffel Tower, Paris
    * El Ángel, Mexico City
    * Empire State Building, New York City
    * Forbidden City, Beijing
    * Four Seasons Hotel, Miami
    * Freedom Tower, Miami
    * Gateway Arch, St. Louis
    * Grand Mosque, Mecca
    * Grand Palace, Bangkok
    * Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
    * Hagia Sofia, Istanbul
    * Hanoi Opera House, Hanoi
    * Helsinki Cathedral, Helsinki
    * Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles
    * Tallest Fountain In The World, Jeddah
    * Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery, Bandar Seri Begawan
    * KL Tower, Kuala Lumpur
    * Kuwait Towers, Kuwait City
    * Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa
    * London Eye, London
    * Malacanang Palace, Manila
    * Manila City Hall, Manila
    * Millenium Stadium, London
    * Mount Rushmore, Keystone
    * Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
    * Nhà Rồng Harbour, Ho Chi Minh City
    * Niagara Falls
    * Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai
    * Obelisk of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
    * Ostankino Tower, Moscow
    * Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur
    * Piccadilly Circus, London
    * Pyramids of Giza, Cairo
    * Red Fort, New Delhi
    * Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City
    * Rialto Tower, Melbourne, Australia
    * Q1 Tower, The Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
    * Saigon Opera House, Ho Chi Minh City
    * Sagrada Família, Barcelona
    * Schipol Airport, Amsterdam
    * Sky Tower, Auckland, New Zealand
    * SM Mall of Asia, Manila
    * Smithsonian Castle
    * Space Needle, Seattle
    * Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney
    * Sydney Opera House, Sydney
    * Taipei 101, Taipei
    * Taj Mahal, Agra
    * Times Square, New York City
    * Tokyo Tower, Tokyo
    * Torre dos Clérigos, Porto
    * Tower Bridge, London
    * Trevi Fountain, Italy
    * Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
    * Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign, Las Vegas
    * Willis Tower, Chicago
    * Windsor Castle

Even Davis Research Center in Antarctica participated. Meanwhile, thousands of Filipinos wearing black Earth Hour t-shirts participated from the SM Mall of Asia.In Singapore, many buildings and offices participated in the celebration.

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EPL: Bolton Wanderers vs. Manchester United Live Stream

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists Wayne Rooney has no injury problems ahead of the match.

Rooney had a knee injury earlier this month and looked to be limping heavily as he left Old Trafford following Sunday's win over Liverpool.

But Ferguson said: "He's okay, there's no problem. He had some bad bruising for a couple of weeks but he's played [since then] and there's no problems with the knee.''

Ferguson may start with Ryan Giggs, who came on as a substitute against Liverpool after five weeks out with a broken arm. John O'Shea is back in training and should be available from the beginning of April.

Ferguson believes the Premier League title race will go right to the wire and insists there are no favourites in this closest of races.


Bolton Wanderers vs. Manchester United Live Stream : Click here

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South Korean navy ship sinks near North Korea

A South Korean navy ship sank in the Yellow Sea near North Korea late Friday, and the navy shot at an unidentified ship toward the north, according to reports quoting South Korean government officials.

Yon-hap News Agency quoted Navy officials saying Friday that a ship carrying 104 crew members sank off the Seoul-controlled island of Baengnyeong in a flashpoint maritime border area between the Koreas.

The 1,500-ton Cheonan went down at 9:45 p.m. near the island, but the cause of the incident was not immediately known, the officials said.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ordered a "quick and thorough" investigation Saturday into what caused the ship to sink, keeping in mind "all possibilities," his office said, according to Yonhap.

A rescue operation was under way, with the Navy telling Yonhap it had rescued 58 crew members but it feared others may be dead.

The South Korean government issued a statement saying the reason for the incident remains unclear, but it wasn't ruling out some sort of military engagement. An explosion had occurred in the rear of the ship, leaving a large hole in the ship's underwater hull, officials told Yonhap.

A U.S. State Department spokesman said Friday that there was no evidence North Korea was behind the incident.

"Let's not jump to conclusions here," said the spokesman, Philip J. Crowley, when asked about possible North Korean involvement. "I'm not aware of any evidence to that effect, but I think the authoritative source here would be the South Korean government."

Yonhap quoted South Korean naval officials as saying a South Korean vessel fired at a ship toward the north later.

However, South Korean government officials said it isn't certain whether North Korea was involved in the incident. Yonhap said local residents reported hearing gunfire for about 10 minutes.

As a result of the incident, South Korean government officials held an emergency meeting of ministers handling security-related matters, officials told Yonhap.

South Korea's Korean Broadcasting System said Navy vessels and helicopters were rescuing crew members, some of whom reportedly jumped into the sea after the blast, the KBS report said.

The official said the Sockcho, another South Korean navy vessel patrolling nearby, fired at unidentified ships north of the area.

U.S. military officials told CNN a South Korean vessel sank.

North Korea has said recently it is bulking up its defenses in response to recent joint South Korean-U.S. military drills, Yonhap reported. The news agency also quoted South Korean military officials saying North Korea conducted dozens of artillery firing drills Friday.

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Abu Dhabi investment fund manager missing in crash

The managing director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Fund is missing after the sailplane in which he was traveling crashed into a lake in Morocco, the state news agency of the United Arab Emirates reported Friday.

Authorities were searching for Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is a brother of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sheikh Ahmed is also chairman of the board of trustees of the Zayed Foundation for Charity and Humanitarian Works, said WAM, the news agency.

Forbes' 2009 rankings of "The World's Most Powerful People" rated the missing sheikh at No. 27.
The pilot was rescued in good condition, WAM said.

A spokesman for the fund did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The sovereign-wealth fund, which was established in 1976, is owned by the government of Abu Dhabi.

In an interview in January with Germany's business daily newspaper Handelsblatt, Sheikh Ahmed said he preferred not to use the sovereign-wealth fund label to describe the investment fund.

"We prefer to be seen simply as a globally diversified investment institution, with the difference being that our owner is the government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi," he said. "ADIA's sole mission, which has not changed in over 30 years, is to secure and maintain the current and future welfare of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi."

Asked about news reports that ADIA's global assets range between $300 billion and $800 billion, Sheikh Ahmed hewed to the secretive style that has marked the fund.

"As a matter of policy ADIA does not disclose its assets under management," he said. But he noted that his brother, the president, who is also ADIA's chairman, "has stated publicly that some of the highest estimates seen in the media have been exaggerated."

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Electronic Arts may start charging Gamers for pre-game content

In an effort to expand its video-gaming business, Electronic Arts may start charging for certain pre-game content – a possible move that is already drawing fire from gamers.

In an interview with Wedbush Morgan Securities' industry analyst Michael Pachter, EA Group GM Nick Earl said the company plans to start charging for “premium downloadable content” before releasing the entire game at full price. Earl said the strategy would "serve as a low-cost marketing tool” and limit the risk of promoting a full game that may not do well.

Reaction from gamers was swift. Some denounced the move as a blatant attempt at money-grabbing while other urged patience to see what the final plan would be.

A user named Fimmel wrote on GameSpot’s message board, “Do they really think we'll pay to DL the beginning of the game before we've even gathered enough information to decide if we want to buy the game at all?”

Another commenter, Lord Thayer, wrote on Kotaku, “So, is it safe to assume that, if you buy the demo, then upgrade to the full game digitally, that they would take the price of the demo out? If so, I actually think that would be rad. “

Facing a possible backlash, Electronic Arts has tried to clarify its position on demos. A statement from the company said there were no set pricing strategies for the entire EA portfolio and included a curious line:
“None of the proposals call for charging consumers for traditionally free game demos."

The statement also said EA was working on delivering “premium content” to gamers before, during and after the launch of a final game package. It said each division of EA was experimenting with downloadables in an effort to provide “fresh game content in formats players want to experience.”

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Twitter Hacker: 'I'm a nice hacker'

The man accused of cracking a Twitter database and peeking at the Twitter accounts of Barack Obama and Britney Spears said this week that he didn't mean harm, according to a French TV station.

He aimed to prove Twitter is vulnerable to attack.

"I'm not a hacker, or rather, I'm a nice hacker," he said, according to the France 3 station.

The man, who is known by the nickname "Hacker Croll," is accused of stealing confidential documents from Twitter employees, and of looking in on the Twitter accounts of the U.S. president and celebrities, according to news reports. He was arrested on Tuesday by French police in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. If convicted of hacking into a database, he could face up to two years in jail, according to the Agence-France Presse news agency.

The ordeal caught the public's attention in July, when a man calling himself Hacker Croll sent confidential documents from Twitter employees to the technology blog TechCrunch, which decided to publish some of the stolen documents.

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Red Knights delay Manchester United takeover bid

The group of wealthy businessmen planning to buy English Premier League champions Manchester United has ruled out making a bid until the end of the season.

The "Red Knights" consortium signaled their intention to buy out the American Glazer family on March 2 and have been recruiting new investors and working on a proposal.

In a press statement, however, they announced that they would not be making an offer until at least June to avoid providing a distraction from the club's pursuit of the Premier League and Champions League trophies

"In the next few weeks we will continue to work on our proposal," the statement said. "We do not expect this to be finalized before the end of the current football season.

"This will have the advantage of minimizing external distractions as the team enters the decisive period of the season."

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Chloë Sevigny says sorry for Big Love outburst

2010 Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress Chloe Sevigny apologized for calling the fourth season of Big Love “awful.”Big-love-chloe-sevigny

It is the show that gave her the award.

During an interview with The A.V. Club, the actress said, “It was awful this season, as far as I’m concerned…” She went on to say that she was not allowed to say that, she thinks it was very telenovela and that things are being pushed in too much.

The apology came during an interview in Entertainment Weekly. “I feel pretty terrible,” she told Michael Ausiello. “I feel like what I said was taken out of context.” She said that she was exhausted during the interview and does not know what she was saying. She said that the show’s creators Will Scheffer and Mark V. Olsen has already accepted her apology.

According to Ausiello, there were many people who were indeed disappointed with season 4. He then asked Sevigny if maybe there was some grain of truth on her remarks in which she replied that maybe it did come out too harsh.

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'24' to end this season; Movie version next

Fox confirmed today that after eight seasons, 24 will air its series finale on May 24. Star Kiefer Sutherland told EW.com that producing a ninth season for another network like NBC was not an option because he and executive producer Howard Gordon were ready to call it quits.

“The writers are producing the equivalent of 12 films a year, which is unheard of, and Howard felt to do a ninth would be potentially damaging,” said Sutherland. “We both felt strongly that there has been a demand and an interest in a 24 film, which would be a two-hour representation of a 24-hour day, so we felt it was time to move in that direction.”

Sutherland promised the series finale would tee up the 24 movie that’s in the works at 20th Century Fox. Billy Ray (State of Play) is writing the screenplay. “We wanted to create a definitive end for Jack Bauer,” explains Sutherland. “Since we do have the intention to make the feature film, it would lead into that and certainly set that up.

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Bush caught wiping his hand on Clinton’s shirt Video

Ex-US President George W. Bush is a subject of a new viral video on YouTube. He was caught “wiping” his right hand on Bill Clinton’s shirt after a hand shake during a recent trip to Haiti. Watch the video below:

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Osama Bin Laden Warns U.S. Against Executing 9/11 Mastermind

Al-Qaeda chieftain Osama bin Laden has warned the U.S. government that the terror ring would retaliate in a big way if Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-confessed mastermind of the September 11 attacks, is meted the death penalty. In a 74-second audio recording obtained by Al Jazeera, bin Laden threatens to kill every American captured by al-Qaeda if Mohammed is executed.

“The day America will take such decision…it would have taken a decision to execute whoever we capture,” the elusive bin Laden said. The U.S. government has yet to decide whether to try Mohammed and several other suspects in a military tribunal. President Barack Obama’s administration is expected to come up with a final decision in the near future.

Bin Laden also took issue of Obama’s decision to go after the Taliban in Afghanistan, saying that the U.S. president is no different from his predecessor George W. Bush. The U.S. government has yet to give its reaction to bin Laden’s message.

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Actor Dennis Hopper's health failing

If Dennis Hopper attends the dedication of his star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame Friday, it may be the last time his fans see the actor alive.

Hopper is dying of prostate cancer, according to documents filed in his divorce case this week.

Hopper's acting career has spanned almost six decades. In the '50s he had roles in several TV shows and films, including "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) and "Giant" (1956). He became a Hollywood sensation for "Easy Rider," the 1969 film he directed and co-wrote in which he played a dissolute, countercultural biker. He was twice nominated for Oscars.

Hopper, 73, is undergoing radical chemotherapy for advanced, metastasized prostate cancer, his doctor said.

He is too weak and ill to be questioned by lawyers in the divorce, but attending Friday's ceremony "is a positive experience in every way," his doctor's sworn statement said.

Hopper's lawyer has not confirmed if the actor will attend the ceremony in front of the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, but his doctor is recommending it.

"I believe the ceremony honoring his career may be something which he will actually enjoy in the company of his daughter, who he hopes will attend with him," Dr. David Argus said.

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Google denies YouTube outage speculation

Google Inc., owner of YouTube, said an outage of the popular video-sharing site Thursday was technical and not caused by outside tampering.

"YouTube is up again following a technical issue which has now been resolved," a spokeswoman for Google said in a written statement. "We know how important YouTube is for people and apologize for any inconvenience the downtime may have caused."

The outage apparently lasted for just over an hour, from roughly 7 to 8 a.m. ET.

A YouTube source said the outage was not the result of any kind of attack or related in any way to Google's recent move to stop censoring results in China.

The timing of the outage, just days after Google's announcement, had spurred speculation online.

During the time YouTube was down, Internet users were still able to access individual videos, but YouTube's main page returned a "Http/1.1 Service Unavailable" message.

The source said it's Google's default policy to not discuss the details on the cause of outages.

The search-engine giant has been embroiled in a public feud with the communist nation since January, when Google said it was the target of a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack" originating in China.

"I think many people are, understandably, looking for China to take some unique and extraordinary technical measures to 'punish' Google," said Ron Deibert, director of the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto's Munk Centre for International Studies.

But he said that nothing along those lines has been made public.

"So far, what I have seen is business as usual, and this includes the filtering that is happening at the backbone/gateway levels that have been more or less consistent for a long period of time.

"As for the source of the YouTube problems, I am sure they are investigating, and it could be a billion problems, just as it was for Wikipedia, which turned out to be a server cooling problem, according to reports."

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Lady Gaga first artist with one billion online video views

Video analytics company Visible Measures - the one we work with to put out our monthly top 10 webisodes chart - curates a list of video called the "100 Million Club."

It includes all the web videos that have exceeded 100 million views. Lady Gaga has long been a staple of the chart, but now she's essentially in a club all her own: She's the first franchise to reach one billion views.

Gaga's music videos hold three spots in the 65-video 100 Million Club - one for "Poker Face" (374,606,128), one for "Just Dance" (272,941,674) and one for "Bad Romance" (360,020,327). Add them up and you get just over one billion views. She won't occupy the club alone for long, though; the Twilight saga is close behind with 980 million and Soulja Boy is at 860 million.

Gaga is primarily a hit on Vevo and YouTube; 25% of Vevo's visitors only have eyes for her. The pop star has attracted Internet attention elsewhere, too. A Facebook group of more than 100,000 people initiated National Lady Gaga Day about a month ago, and her latest Internet hit is her "Telephone" music video with Beyoncé.

The point is, you can't escape Gaga on the Internet. She's everywhere right now. We welcome speculation as to exactly why the web loves her so, so let us know in the comments if you have any ideas.

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People still want Tiger to win the Masters

Tiger Woods' popularity has plummeted -- but most Americans will still be rooting for him to win when he tees up at the Masters tournament in April, a new national poll suggests.

Nearly 60 percent of those who answered a Poll survey said they wanted the embattled golfer to win the event at Georgia's Augusta National course, which would be his fifth victory there.

Twenty percent said they did not want him to win and another 20 percent said they did not care.

The Masters will be Woods' first time back in professional golf since his November car crash outside his home and the media frenzy about his extramarital affairs.

And even though Woods has taken a hiatus from playing, 52 percent of those polled said they think Woods will win the Masters, the first of the golf season's four major tournaments which runs from April 5-11.

An overwhelming majority of those polled, 75 percent, thought it was appropriate for Woods to return at the Masters and that he did not have to wait longer.

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BlizzCon 2010 rolls in October 22-23

Blizzard Entertainment fifth community-focused confab returning to the Anaheim Convention Center this fall; ticket sales, pricing TBA.

With Starcraft II, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and Diablo III, Blizzard's had a lot to talk about for the past couple of years. Much of that work culminates soon, as the Irvine, California-based shop gears up to release two games in a single year: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Barring any delays, sandwiched in between those two releases should be BlizzCon 2010, which Blizzard officially announced today.

Expect to catch a glimpse of Deathwing at this year's show.

This year's event will return to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, from October 22-23. Blizzard expects to release additional information on ticket sales and pricing closer to the show. However, that's information fans of the studio will want to keep an eye out for, as Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime noted as part of his keynote address last year that BlizzCon 2009 sold out in less than 60 seconds.

As in years past, BlizzCon will feature a variety of activities catering to the tastes of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo fans. Those in attendance will be able to play prerelease builds of Blizzard's upcoming games, presumably World of Warcraft: Cataclysm and Diablo III. The show will also include a variety of panels form Blizzard developers, casual and competitive tournaments, contests, a silent auction, and a merchandise store.

Some 20,000 tickets were sold at $125 a pop to BlizzCon 2009, though Blizzard has said that the event remains unprofitable. Highlights included the announcement of WOW's third expansion, Cataclysm, as well as a live performance by metal maestro Ozzy Osbourne, whom GameSpot spoke with after the show.

Blizzard plans to announce additional details for the event through the BlizzCon 2010 official Web site.

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Real Madrid back up top

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain both struck braces as Real Madrid moved back to the top of the Primera Division table with a 4-2 victory over local rivals Getafe.

The game was as good as over inside the opening 37 minutes as Madrid raced into a 4-0 lead thanks to their two leading scorers, and although Dani Parejo and Pedro Leon pulled goals back for Getafe, it was not enough to deny Manuel Pellegrini's side.

The victory was Madrid's 10th on the trot in La Liga and saw them return to the summit at the expense of Barcelona, who moved three points clear with Wednesday night's 2-0 win over Osasuna.

It also gave Madrid a further boost ahead of Sunday's derby against Atletico and helped put behind them their dismal record at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

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