Maxim hot list...

Bar Refaeli tops Maxim hot list; her secrets to sexiness helped

By Amy Hubbard

May 21, 2012

Bar Refaeli, Israeli model and former beloved of Leonardo DiCaprio, may have just topped Maxim's Hot 100 list of 2012, but she's thought about what makes her sexy long before this new honor.

In 2010, she pondered her secrets to sexy success in an interview with V magazine and came up with anot-profound realization:

"Why do people think I’m sexy? Maybe it’s the fact that I have boobs." 

The Maxim list this year is a unique one -- perhaps because readers were allowed to chime in for the first time.  It includes, at No. 92, Amanda Knox.  Knox is the young woman who was convicted of murdering the woman who shared an apartment with her in Italy.  The conviction was overturned in October of last year.

At No. 87 is Paulina Gretzky, but the daughter of hockey great Wayne Gretzky is beaten by Lois Griffin at No. 85.  Yes, Lois Griffin, the animated character on "Family Guy."  Perhaps more surprising: Stephen Colbert made it in, at No. 69, no less.  Colbert should be honored. It's reportedly the first time a man has made the list.

Catholic groups take fight against Obama...

atholic groups take fight against Obama birth-control rules to court

May 21, 2012

Some 43 Catholic groups including Notre Dame are attempting to block rules in the new health-care law that require health insurance to provide access to birth-control services.


By Warren Richey, Staff writer
In a coordinated pushback against the Obama administration, 43 Catholic institutions filed a dozen lawsuits in federal courts across the country on Monday, charging that new federal rules requiring most religious employers to provide health insurance that includes birth-control services violates their fundamental right to religious freedom.

The lawsuits are asking federal judges to declare that new rules enacted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in January violate First Amendment protections of the free exercise of religion and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

sees EU consensus

Obama sketches four-pronged strategy for Europe, sees EU consensus

CHICAGO | Mon May 21, 2012 

(Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama urged Europe on Monday to strengthen its defenses against financial market turmoil and recapitalize its banks as part of a four-pronged strategy for tackling the euro zone crisis.

European leaders have shown an increased resolve to address these issues, and there is a "consensus

Introducing the Leap

How Can Leap's New Motion Controller Top Kinect PCs?

• By Mark Hachman
• May 21, 2012

On Monday, motion recognition company Leap Motion emerged from stealth mode, prepared to offer a cheap motion-sensing peripheral into a market that should, by rights, be dominated by Microsoft's Kinect peripheral.

Coincidentally, Microsoft on Monday also released the Kinect for Windows 1.5, designed to woo developers with improved skeletal tracking as well as Kinect Studio, a tool that will let

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks, oil rise as G8 leaders pledge growth

May 21, 2012 

* Stocks rebound after biggest weekly drop in 2012

* China's growth comments lift oil, risk assets

* Euro flat as investors still fear Greek euro exit

* Facebook shares fall 10 pct after Friday's debut

By Richard Leong

NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) - Global stocks on Monday rebounded from lows for the year and oil prices rose for the first time in four sessions as world leaders emphasized support for growth in the euro zone, and Chinasaid priority should be given to maintaining its economic expansion.

Still, most investors and analysts see the pause in selling of stocks, oil and other commodities as temporary, given the uncertainties ahead for Greece, which holds national elections on June 17.

Risk that Greece might leave the euro zone curbed a recovery for the euro, which stabilized above its lowest level in about four months.

On Saturday, leaders of the Group of Eight nations stressed that their "imperative is to promote growth

Was Columbus...

Was Columbus secretly a Jew?

By Charles Garcia, Special to CNN

, Sun May 21, 2012

Editor's note: Charles Garcia is the CEO of Garcia Trujillo, a business focused on the Hispanic market, and the author of "Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows." A native of Panama, he now lives in Florida. Follow him on Twitter:@charlespgarcia. Lea este artículo en español/Read this article in Spanish.

(CNN) -- Today marks the 508th anniversary of the death of Christopher Columbus.

Everybody knows the story of Columbus, right? He was an Italian explorer from Genoa who set sail in 1492 to enrich the Spanish monarchs with gold and spices from the orient. Not quite.

For too long, scholars have ignored Columbus's grand passion: the quest to liberate Jerusalem from the Muslims.

Not so fast

Not so fast: Coyotes avoid sweep as Shane Doan scores 2 goals, Mike Smith beats LA Kings 2-0

By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, May 21, 2:46 AM

LOS ANGELES — Shane Doan has played 16 NHL seasons without ever getting this close to lifting the Stanley Cup. Although his ultimate goal is still a good distance away, Captain Coyote’s inspiring performance in the face of elimination got Phoenix’s backs off the glass in the Western Conference finals.

Doan scored two goals, Mike Smith made 36 saves in his third playoff shutout, and the Coyotes emphatically avoided playoff elimination with a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4 on Sunday.

Ray Whitney and Antoine Vermette set up Doan’s goals for the Coyotes, who avoided the sweep by snapping the eighth-seeded

70 in Heat win

Heat Wave: James, Wade combine for 70 in Heat win

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer

Monday, May 21, 2012

 

As the clock ticked down to a precious few seconds, LeBron James threw his right arm around Dwyane Wade's neck and pulled his teammate close.

This was their moment. Together. The MVP and his superstar sidekick.

They silenced 18,000 frenzied fans, quieted armies of critics and tied a series just as it appeared to be slipping away from Miami.

The Heat's season has been saved. James and Wade came to the rescue.

Showing why he's world's best all-around player, James scored 40 points and Wade bounced back from an atrocious performance to add 30 as Miami, playing with desperation and without All-Star forward Chris Bosh, rallied for a 101-93 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"They understand with one of our big components out, they have to step up big." Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the James-Wade tag team. "They were tremendous with their force and their will."

James was beyond a force.

We Have a Winner!

The Celebrity Apprentice 2012 Finale Recap: We Have a Winner!

Posted by Ellen Burke on May 21, 2012

he whole Celebrity Apprentice 2012 season has led up to tonight, the crowning (although no actual crownwas bestowed) of the Celebrity Apprentice 2012 winner. This season’s cast couldn’t have been more polarizing or entertaining, seeing as how it was populated with, to quote Donald Trump (the master of hyperbole), “18 of the biggest names in the business” (What business is that, Donald? The “Who used to sort of maybe but not quite was kinda famous for a while” business?) But I digress.

We started off watching Mario Andretti pulling up in front of Trump Tower in a race car, there to escort Donald Trump to the Celebrity Apprentice 2012 finale at the American Museum of Natural History. Two things stood out watching this car ride. The first is that no matter how much product Trump puts in his hair to achieve his unique look, it’s no match for the wind whipping through it while Andretti raced through the streets of Manhattan. And speaking of that, watching the overhead view (and I’m sure it wasn’t doctored or edited in any way, right?) of Andretti zipping along reminded me of the Frogger game. Maybe not the image they were trying to evoke but it’s kind of how it looked to me.

We started off with Arsenio Hall, one of the 2 Celebrity Apprentice 2012 finalists, reminded us that “I’m gonna kick Clay’s butt”. Shades of his famous – or infamous – interview in April 1992 where he threatened that his new talk show would “kick Leno’s ass”. Sadly, for us, Jay Leno is still around on the Tonight Showbut Arsenio’s promise tonight about kicking Clay’s butt had me immediately nervous on Arsenio’s behalf. Hadn’t he been down that road before and it didn’t turn out so well the

euro area bonds as crisis salve

France presses for euro area bonds as crisis salve

By Luke Baker

BRUSSELS | Mon May 21, 2012

(Reuters) - France's Francois Hollande will push a proposal for mutualizing European debt at an informal summit of EU leaders in Brussels this week, increasing pressure on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to drop her opposition to the idea.

Senior EU and U.S. officials said the new French president raised the idea of bonds jointly underwritten by all euro zone member states during G8 talks at the weekend and would again raise it when EU leaders

in Lebanon

Syrian Unrest Sparks Gun Battles in Lebanon

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

Published: May 21, 2012

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Gun battles between Lebanese factions supporting and opposing the government of President Bashar al-Assad spread to Beirut on Monday in the most serious outbreak of violence in Lebanon since the Syrian uprising began, leaving several people dead and the country more tense than ever in its effort to avoid the fray next door.

The fighting overnight in Beirut resulted in the expulsion of a small pro-Syrian faction, the Arab Movement Party, from a largely Sunni Muslim neighborhood in the southern part of the city. The quarter’s streets were littered with burned cars and trash containers, but mostly calm after the military intervened.

The potential for Syria’s violence infecting Lebanon has always been considered dangerous

Bee Gees' Robin Gibb dies

Bee Gees' Robin Gibb dies after long cancer battle

GREGORY KATZ, Associated Press

 Monday, May 21, 2012

LONDON (AP) — With his carefully tended hair, tight trousers and perfect harmonies, Robin Gibb, along with his brothers Maurice and Barry, defined the disco era. As part of the Bee Gees — short for the Brothers Gibb — they created dance floor classics like "Stayin Alive," ''Jive Talkin'," and "Night Fever" that can still get crowds onto a dance floor.

The catchy songs, with their falsetto vocals and relentless beat, are familiar pop culture

Alibaba buy back a 20 percent stake in itself from Yahoo

Alibaba Said to Near Buying Stake From Yahoo for $7 Billion

May 21 (Bloomberg) -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is near an agreement to buy back a 20 percent stake in itself from Yahoo! Inc. for about $7 billion and may announce a deal as soon as today, said a person with knowledge of the matter.

The purchase may pave the way for Alibaba, China's largest e-commerce provider, to pursue an initial public offering in the next 18 months, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private. Alibaba, helped by shareholders Temasek Holdings Pte., Digital Sky Technologies, Silver Lake, plans to finance the deal with cash and debt, the person said.

Tropical Storm...

Tropical Storm Watch Lifted For South Carolina

Posted: May 20, 2012 8:34 PM

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Tropical storm watches have been lifted for the South Carolina coast as the first storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season spins offshore.

The National Hurricane Center said that as of 5 p.m. EDT Sunday, Tropical Storm Alberto was about 130 miles (210 km) south of Charleston. It has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph).

It's currently moving southwest, but forecasters expect it to turn northeast sometime Monday. It's not expected to make landfall in the Carolinas.

A tropical storm was is in effect for the South Carolina coast from the Savannah River to the South Santee River, but all watches have been dropped as forecasters expect the storm to stay away from the coast.

Americans in Afghanistan to fight through 2014

Americans in Afghanistan to fight through 2014, top commander says

By Olivier Knox
May 21, 2012
The commander of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan bluntly warned Sunday that American soldiers will face combat in that war-torn country right up to the time they leave, December 31, 2014. General John Allen told reporters not to buy into a "narrative" that the handover of security responsibilities to Afghan forces next year means US troops will be out of harm's way.

"Combat operations will continue in the country throughout the period of the remainder of the ISAF mission, which will conclude on the 31 st of December, 2014," Allen, who leads NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said at a briefing on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Chicago.

The diplomatic gathering aims to flesh out the alliance's plan to train and equip Afghan national security forces (ANSF) and given them the lead on combat efforts by mid-way through 2013. But that doesn't mean Americans won't be in the line of fire.

Lockerbie bomber...

Lockerbie bomber dies in Libya

May 20, 2012 from http://news.smh.com.au

The death of the only person convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing which killed 270 people should not prevent a public inquiry into his trial, Britain's press says.

Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi died on Sunday, almost three years after the Scottish government freed him from jail on compassionate grounds following his prostate cancer diagnosis.

Megrahi was found guilty of blowing up Pan Am flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, which killed all 259 people on board along with 11 people on the ground.

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'Ring of Fire'

Solar Eclipse: Millions Look Up for 'Ring of Fire'

Published May 20, 2012

Fox News Latino

TOKYO –  For one night, millions of eyes look up to the 'Ring of Fire.'
Millions around the world are set to watch the annular solar eclipse, in which the moon passes in front of the sun leaving only a golden ring around its edges, which will be visible to wide areas across Asia Monday morning, parts of the western United States and even some parts of Mexico will catch a glimpse.
Parts of eastern Asia were being treated to a solar spectacle as the moon slid across the sun, creating a

Anti-NATO protesters clash with Chicago police

Anti-NATO protesters clash with Chicago police; arrests reported

5/20/2012By Matt Pearce

Anti-NATO protestors clashed with riot police in Chicago on Sunday afternoon when some demonstrators refused to leave an intersection they had occupied.

It’s not immediately clear how the clashes around Michigan Avenue and Cermak Road began. After some military veterans threw away their medals in a protest before 5 p.m., demonstrators were told they could leave on buses parked to the west. A WGN-TV reporter said black-clad anarchists chanted, “Don’t move west” and “Shut down NATO.”

The foreign dignitaries were meeting at McCormick Place, a few blocks away and out of sight of the disturbance.

Iraq buys U.S. drones ...

Iraq buys U.S. drones to protect oil

5/20/2012 By Jim Michaels, USA TODAY

BAGHDAD - The United States has agreed to sell unarmed surveillance drones to Iraq's navy as part of an effort to help protect that nation's oil exports amid growing tensions in the Persian Gulf and to strengthen U.S.-Iraqi ties.

"They understand the importance of the mission to protect its oil platforms," said Army Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen, who heads the U.S. Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq.
The office, which operates out of the U.S. Embassy and manages U.S. military sales programs in Iraq, confirmed the sale of drones but declined to say the model or number of drones that are part of the contract.

Romney: Obama is...

Romney: Obama is undermining NATO

May 20, 2012 By Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY

CHICAGO--As leaders from the 28 NATO member countries descend this morning on the city's lakefront for the most-widely anticipated meeting of the alliance in years, Mitt Romney is accusing President Obama of undermining NATO.

Both Democratic and Republican administration have long been concerned that NATO could be heading toward military irrelevance as only three of the members meeting their pledge spend at 2% of gross domestic product on defense. But Romney argued in op-ed in the Chicago Tribune that Obama deserves particular blame.

parent star.

New-found exoplanet is evaporating away

5/20/2012 by Emma Woollacott 

MIT and NASA scientists believe they've found a planet, 1,500 light years away, that appears to be disintegrating from the heat of its parent star.

The planet circles its parent star every 15 hours — one of the shortest planetary orbits ever observed, implying it orbits very close to its star.

This would heat it to about 3,600 degreesFahrenheit, and cause rocky material at the surface of the planet to melt and evaporate, forming a wind that carries both gas and dust into space.

Dense clouds of the dust trail the planet as it speeds around its star - explaining why the star dims every 15

"Good" Cholesterol

Some "Good" Cholesterol May Be Bad For Heart

Featured Article
Academic Journal
Main Category: Cholesterol
Also Included In: Heart Disease;  Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 20 May 2012 

It appears that in some cases, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol, does not protect againstheart disease, and may even be harmful. A new study suggests a subclass of HDL that carries a particular protein is bad for the heart.

Sabathia, Yankees ...

Sabathia, Yankees go for series win over Reds

5/20/2012
(Sports Network) - After suffering his first loss of the season, CC Sabathia aims to continue his success in interleague play as the powerful left-hander takes the mound this afternoon for the New York Yankees in the conclusion of a three-game series vs. Cincinnati.
Sabathia, who was dealt a loss at Baltimore on Tuesday, is 20-7 with a 3.42 ERA in 41 career interleague starts, owning the most such wins on the Yankees staff. He has won six of his last seven interleague starts since 2010, going 6-1 over the stretch. Additionally, he's 4-1 with a 2.33 ERA in 11 career games against the Reds.
Also coming off his first defeat of the year, Johnny Cueto gets the ball for Cincinnati. The righty, who gave up five earned runs in a 6-2 loss at Atlanta Tuesday, has faced the Yankees twice, going 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA.

Johnson wins All...

Johnson wins All-Star race

Keselowski takes 2d at Charlotte

By Jenna Fryer

Associated Press / May 20, 2012

CONCORD, N.C. - It’s not often a race car driver intentionally cruises slowly at the back of the field.

Jimmie Johnson did it for roughly 60 laps Saturday night, and it earned him a cool $1 million payday.

Johnson used a calculated strategy - he drove hard for the first and last segments, and coasted for the three in between - to join Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon as the only three-

Mark Zuckerberg Marries

Mark Zuckerberg Marries Priscilla Chan in Surprise Ceremony

By ALYSSA NEWCOMB (@alyssanewcomb) and DEAN SCHABNER

May 20, 2012

Newly minted billionaire Mark Zuckerberg had an important status update Saturday evening: Married.

The 28-year-old tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, the recently graduated Dr. Priscilla Chen in a private ceremony at the couple's home in

Northeast Italy biggest quake

Northeast Italy shaken by biggest quake there since the 1300s

The 6.0-magnitude temblor left at least four dead and cracked bell towers, crumbled church facades, and caved in roofs in the region around Bologna early Sunday.

By Luca Bruno, Associated Press / May 20, 2012

SANT'AGOSTINO DI FERRARA, ITALY

One of the worst quakes to hit northeast Italy in hundreds of years rattled the region around Bologna early Sunday, killing at least four people, collapsing factories and sending residents running out into the streets, emergency services said.

The magnitude-6.0 temblor struck at 4:04 a.m., with its epicenter about 22 miles north of Bologna at a relatively shallow depth of 3.2 miles, the US Geological Survey said.

Civil defense agency official Adriano Gumina said the quake was the worst in the region since the 1300s. It left bell towers cracked, chunks of church facades lying in the streets, and roofs caved in.

Agency chief Franco Gabrielli put the death toll from quake damage at four — all overnight-shift factory workers who died as buildings collapsed in three separate locations. In addition, he said, two women died — apparently of heart attacks possibly sparked by fear, shortly after the quake rocked the area.

Homestead Act offering free land

U.S. marks 150th anniversary of Homestead Act offering free land

OMAHA, Nebraska | Sat May 19, 2012 7:45pm EDT
(Reuters) - The United States on Sunday marks the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln signing the Homestead Act, the law that gave away 270 million acres of land and transformed the vast American interior.

Representatives from 30 states will take part in a ceremony at the National Monument of America in the Nebraska town of Beatrice, representing the states where nearly 2 million people each received 160 acres of free land under the program.

The monument is the site of what is considered the nation's first claim under the act by Daniel Freeman, a Union Army scout, on January 1, 1863.

First tropical storm

First tropical storm of the season forms off S.C

5/19/2012 By Donna Leinwand Leger, USA TODAY

RALEIGH, N.C. —The first tropical storm of hurricane season formed off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said.

A ship near the center of the storm reported pressure data that indicates the storm's wind speed is 60 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in a 7 p.m. advisory. That speed is about 15 mph stronger than originally reported.
On Saturday evening, Tropical Storm Alberto was 130 miles east of Charleston and 120 miles south of Cape Fear, N.C. It was moving at about 3 mph to the southwest.
National Weather Service meteorologist Sandy LaCorte in Wilmington said the system will continue moving to the southwest before reversing course and heading northeast over the next several days. She said the center of the storm is not expected to get close to the Carolinas' coast.
LaCorte said Alberto will produce increased waves at beaches in the Carolinas. There is a high risk of

Chelsea beats Bayern Munich

Chelsea beats Bayern Munich for Champions League title

5/19/2012

Didier Drogba scores in the 88th minute to draw the English club even, 1-1, and later scores the winner in a penalty-kick shootout.

Associated Press
May 20, 2012
MUNICH -- Didier Drogba tied the match with a header in the 88th minute, and then scored the decisive goal in the shootout as Chelsea beat Bayern Munich to win the Champions League final, 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw Saturday.

Will Smith is latest star to slap someone on red carpet

Posted at 04:07 PM ET, 05/19/2012

In other news. . .: Will Smith is latest star to slap someone on red carpet (video)

By The Reliable Source
Red carpets — so stressful! Last fall it was Omar Sharif slapping a pesky fan at a film festival in Qatar. Now it’s Will Smith, who was caught on video swatting at a reporter who, he said later, had tried to kiss him on the lips at a “Men in Black 3” premiere in Moscow. “What the hell is your problem, buddy?” Smith says in the instantly-viral clip as he pushes him away and then cuffs the man lightly on the cheek with the back of his hand. What kind of reporter would try to kiss an A-lister on the red carpet? Turns out it was Ukrainian TV journalist Vitalii Sediuk, reports the AP — the same guy who caused a botanical incident last fall when he foisted a bouquet upon Madonna at the Venice Film Festival; her eye-rolling whisper, “I absolutely loathe hydrangeas,” was caught on a live mic and also went viral. So, Vitalii Sediuk — watch out for that guy, stars. See video. . . 

China Approves Google ...

China Approves Google Acquisition of Motorola Mobility

By Marc Ferranti, IDG News    May 19, 2012 6:50 pm

Chinese regulatory authorities have approved Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility, paving the way for the deal to close within the week, company officials confirmed Saturday.

The companies announced last August that they had entered into an agreement for Google to acquire mobile phone and tablet maker Motorola Mobility for about US$12.5 billion.

"We are pleased that the deal has received approval in all jurisdictions," Motorola spokeswoman Jennifer Erickson said Saturday. "We expect to close early next week."

A Google spokeswoman confirmed the deal was approved early Saturday and that it should close within the week.