Herbals: July 2012

Monday, 30 July 2012

U.S. wins two swimming golds as young stars shine

South Africa's Cameron Van der Burgh celebrates after breaking the world record in the men's 100-meter breaststroke at the London Olympics on Sunday, July 29. Check out Day 1 of competition from Saturday, July 28. The 2012 Summer Olympics run through August 12. See all the action as it unfolds here.

Argentina's Ana Gallay, right, and Maria Virginia Zonta go for the ball during the women's beach volleyball preliminary match against April Ross and Jennifer Kessy of the United States.

U.S. swimmer Thomas Nick, front, competes in the men's 100-meter backstroke semifinals.

Britain's Tom Cleverley, center, vies for the ball with United Arab Emirate's Hamdan Al-Kamali, right.

Fans of Great Britain cheer during the men's basketball game against Russia.

Lithuanian forward Linas Kleiza shoots during a preliminary basketball match against Argentina.

A general view of the Aquatics Centre on Sunday evening.

Jerry Bengtson of Honduras celebrates after scoring in the team's first-round soccer match against Spain.

France's Clement Lefert (standing, from left), Amaury Leveaux and Fabien Gilot celebrate after winning the men's 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay final.

David Ferrer of Spain plays a forehand shot during the men's singles tennis match against Vasek Pospisil of Canada.

French swimmer Camille Muffat celebrates after winning the women's 400-meter freestyle final.

Laura Svilpaite of Lithuania competes on the beam during the artistic gymnastics women's team qualification round.

Christos Tsakmakis of Greece competes during the men's canoe single slalom.

Heem Wei Lim of Singapore competes in the floor exercise of the artistic gymnastics women's qualification round.

Football fans wear masks depicting David Beckham while waiting for the match between United Arab Emirates and Great Britain to begin at Wembley Stadium.

British forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu shoots during the men's preliminary basketball match against Russia.

Britain's Sally Watson, left, is congratulated by teammates after scoring against Japan during the women's field hockey preliminary match.

Jingbiao Wu of China takes part in the men's 56-kilogram weightlifting competition.

Italian fencer Diego Occhiuzzi kisses his silver medal after the men's individual saber.

Germany's Robert Stanjek and Frithjof Kleen are in action in the first Star class race in Weymouth, England.

From right, Marianne Vos of the Netherlands, Elizabeth Armitstead of Great Britain, Kristin Armstrong of the United States and Olga Zabelinskaya of Russia cycle in a downpour during the women's road race.

American Kyla Ross competes in the floor exercise in the artistic gymnastics women's team qualification round.

Crista Cullen of Great Britain competes against Masako Sato of Japan during a women's field hockey match.

Senegalese players celebrate at the end of the football match against Uruguay in Wembley Stadium. Senegal defeated Uruguay 2-0.

Greece's Ioannis Mitakis competes in the Finn class race at Weymouth Harbour.

Italy's Diego Occhiuzzi, right, celebrates his victory over Romania's Rares Dumitrescu during the men's saber semifinal fencing bout.

Sweden's Malin Petersen on Sofarsogood acknowledges the crowd after competing in the dressage event.

U.S. swimmer Dana Vollmer, right, prepares for the women's 100-meter butterfly final. Vollmer went on to win a gold medal and set a world record in the event, becoming the first woman to go under 56 seconds.

Becchara Palmer of Australia dives for the ball during a women's beach volleyball preliminary match against Germany.

Neymar, left, of Brazil reacts during the men's football match with Belarus' Igor Kuzmenok in Manchester, England.

Fan shield themselves from the rain during the women's team archery event at Lord's Cricket Ground in London.

Chinese gymnast Yao Jinnan performs on the beam during the women's artistic gymnastics qualification round.

American Alexandra Raisman hugs coach Mihai Brestyan during the artistic gymnastics women's team qualification round.

Teammates congratulate Senegal's Moussa Konate after he scores the opening goal against Uruguay in Wembley Stadium.

Francesca Dallape and Tania Cagnotto of Italy compete in the women's synchronized 3-meter springboard final at the Aquatics Centre.

Spain's Pau Gasol dunks the ball against China at the Basketball Arena in London.

Brazil's Hulk leaps over Aleksandr Gutor of Belarus during a first-round group C football match in Manchester.

Andy Murray of Britain returns the ball against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland during their men's singles tennis match.

Marianne Vos of the Netherlands celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the women's road race.

Argentina's Luciana Aymar, center, rear, and her teammates cheer after she scored the opening goal during a women's field hockey match between Argentina and South Africa

Sharleen Stratton and Anabelle Smith of Australia compete in the women's synchronized 3-meter springboard final at the Aquatics Centre.

Ben Ainslie of Great Britain in action during the first Finn class race in Weymouth, England.

Argentina's Rodrigo Quiroga, left, spikes as Australia's team attempts to block during men's volleyball action between Australia and Argentina.

Great Britain's Jennifer Pinches shows her prowess on the beam in the artistic gymnastics women's team qualification round.

Poland's Pawel Zagrodnik, left, and Masashi Ebinuma of Japan rest on the mat after their men's under 66-kilogram judo match.

Sweden's Andreas Nilsson, No. 35 in yellow, scores past Issam Tej and goalkeeper Marouen Maggaiz of Tunisia during a men's handball preliminary match.

South Korea's Bongil Gu, left, and Max Hartung of Germany face off in the men's saber individual fencing round.

Sweden's Dalibor Doder jumps to shoot during a men's handball preliminary match between Sweden and Tunisia.

Italy's Rosalba Forciniti celebrates after winning against South Korea's Kyung-Ok Kim during the women's under 52-kilogram judo match.

Dark skies loom during the men's beach volleyball preliminary match between Brazil and Austria at the Horse Guards Parade in London.

Australia's Lauren Mitchell competes in the floor exercise in the artistic gymnastics women's team qualification round at North Greenwich Arena.

Masashi Ebinuma of Japan, in white, competes against Sergey Lim of Kazakhstan in a men's under 66-kilogram judo bout.

Italy's Diego Occhiuzzi celebrates his victory over Italian teammate Aldo Montano at the end of the men's saber fencing bout.

The main group of riders passes by the Mall near Buckingham Palace during the women's road race cycling.

Belgium's Gaelle Valcke competes against the Kitty van Male of the Netherlands during a women's field hockey match.

Long Chen of China returns a shot against Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand during the men's singles badminton match at Wembley Arena.

French center Ronny Turiaf challenges U.S. guard Kobe Bryant during the men's preliminary round Group A match.

Germany's Sideris Tasiadis competes during the men's canoe single slalom.

French center Kevin Seraphin, No. 4 in blue, fends off a challenger during the U.S.-France preliminary round match.

Center back Ivano Balic of Croatia jumps to shoot during a men's preliminary handball against South Korea.

A gymnast performs on the floor during the women's qualification of the artistic gymnastics event.

Australian forward Joe Ingles shoots during a men's preliminary round basketball match against Brazil.

China's Biao Chai, right, and Zendong Guo return a shot against South African competitors during a men's doubles badminton match at Wembley Arena.

Brazil's Tiago Splitter, left, and teammate Anderson Varejao react after a foul against Australia during the Brazil-Australia men's basketball game.

Australia's Lauren Mitchell competes on the balance beam in the artistic gymnastics women's team qualification.

American Kimberly Rhode competes in the qualification round for women's skeet shooting. Rhodes went on to win a gold medal.

British fans cheer as Colin Oates of Great Britain defeats Tsagaanbaatar Khashbaatar of Mongolia in the men's under 66-kilogram judo match.

Nick Thoman of the United States competes in the men's 100-meter backstroke heat.

Great Britain's Rebecca Adlington, center, competes in the women's 400-meter freestyle heat at the Aquatics Centre.

China's Man Zhong celebrates after winning the men's saber individual fencing round against South Korea's Junghwan Kim.

Portuguese gymnast Zoi Mafalda Marques de Lima performs on the vault during the women's qualification of the artistic gymnastics event.

France's Camille Lacourt dives in the water before the men's 100-meter backstroke heat.

Brazil's Anderson Varejao, No. 11 in white, gets fouled by Australia's David Andersen, No. 13, as Anderson teammate Matt Nielsen goes for the rebound during the Brazil-Australia men's basketball game.

Cyclists at the start of the women's road race event.

Germany's Marcus Bohme, left, and Marcus Popp attempt to block a shot from Russia during men's volleyball competition.

France's Camille Lacourt competes in the men's 100-meter backstroke heat.

Egypt's Sara Mohamed Baraka, right, and Fatma Rashed compete in the women's lightweight double sculls heats for rowing.

Camille Muffat of France competes in the women's 400-meter freestyle heat.

Dmitry Lapkes, right, of Belarus does battle with Canada's Philippe Beaudry in a fencing bout Sunday at London's ExCeL arena.

Yamilet Pena Abreu of the Dominican Republic competes in the vault competiton in the artistic gymnastics women's team qualification.

France's David Larose, in white, and Lasha Shavdatuashvili of Georgia, in blue, face off during the men's half lightweight judo event.

The festive nail polish of Great Britain's Amy Oliver stands out during the women's team archery elimination match between Britain and Russia.

Nigeria's Quadri Aruna serves in his men's singles second-round table-tennis match against Turkey's Bora Vang.

The Netherlands' women's field hockey team celebrates a third goal against Belgium.

Vietnamese gymnast Thi Ngan Thuong Do performs on the beam during the women's qualification of the artistic gymnastics event.

Fans at Wimbledon's Centre Court take shelter from a downpour under a Union Jack umbrella during a rain delay.

Sri Lanka's Heshan Unamboowe competes in the men's 100-meter backstroke heat.

Australia's Emily Seebohm celebrates after breaking the Olympic record in the women's 100-meter backstroke heat.

Francesco Faraldo of Italy, in blue, reacts after losing against Sugoi Uriarte of Spain, in white, during their men's judo event.

Finland's Lightweight Men's Four take a break from rowing during practice.

Swimmers warm up with laps prior to competition.

An athlete's Olympic rings tattoo is seen during a swimming event.

Musa Mogushkov of Russia, in white, competes with Azerbaijan's Tarlan Karimov, in blue, during their men's 66 kilogram judo event.

Romy Tarangul of Germany, center in blue, celebrates her win against Natalia Kuziutina of Russia in the women's 52 kilogram judo event.

Aron Palmarsson of Iceland jumps to shoot during the men's preliminaries handball match against Argentina.

Anastasia Zueva of Russia competes in the women's 100 meter backstroke.

Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson of Iceland, center in red, prepares to shoot against Argentina during a men's preliminary handball match.

U.S. swimmer Missy Franklin competes in the women's 100 meter backstroke.

Gaelle Mys of Belgium performs on the beam during the women's qualification of the artistic gymnastics event.

Elsa Garcia Rodriguez Blancas of Mexico performs on the balance beam during the women's qualification of the artistic gymnastics event.

Britain's Prince Philip, right, and Princess Anne, Princess Royal, left, attend the Dressage phase of the equestrian competition.

Great Britain's Zara Phillips competes with her horse High Kingdom during the Dressage Equestrian eventon.

Leandro Cunha of Brazil, in white, competes with Pawel Zagrodnik of Poland, in blue, during their men's 66 kilogram judo event.

Nigeria's Ike Diogu, No. 6 in white, collides with Tunisia's Salah Mejri, No. 15 in red, during their men's basketball game.

U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte competes in the men's 200-meter freestyle.

Guatemalan gymnast Ana Sofia Gomez Porras competes on the balance beam during the women's artistic gymnastics qualification event.

Australia's Jade Close, left, and New Zealand's Emily Naylor, right, compete in field hockey.

Gonzalo Matias Carou, right, of Argentina attempts to shoot past Asgeir Orn Hallgrimsson, left, of Iceland during the men's preliminaries handball match.

Belgian gymnast Gaelle Mys competes on the balance beam during the women's artistic gymnastics qualification event.

HIDE CAPTION

Day 2: The best photos of the Olympics

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Day 2: The best photos of the Olympics

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: A controversy at men's gymnastics affects the medal winners
NEW: The queen's granddaughter stays on course for an equestrian medal
A 15-year-old is among the young swimmers to top the medal stand
A Saudi Arabian judo competitor is allowed to compete wearing a headscarf

How are you celebrating the Olympics? Share your excitement and moments with CNN iReport.

London (CNN) -- Young stars shone at the Olympic pool Monday as Yannick Agnel of France won his second gold medal of the London Games, American teen sensation Missy Franklin won her first and a 15-year-old Lithuanian stunned the women's 100-meter breaststroke field.

The 20-year-old Agnel, just a day after swimming an amazing anchor leg in leading France to victory in the men's 4x100 meter free style relay, routed the field in the 200-meter freestyle. He beat both silver medalists, Park Taehwan of South Korea and Yang Sun of China, by 1.79 seconds. Ryan Lochte of the United States finished fourth.

Franklin, just 17, swam an American record 58.33 in the 100-meter backstroke, ahead of Australia's Emily Seebohm and Japan's Aya Terakawa. Seebohm led at the halfway point but with the two side-by-side, the young American overpowered her down the stretch. Only 20 minutes earlier Franklin had swum in the 200-meter freestyle semifinals, qualifying for Tuesday's final.

Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte won her country's first swimming medal ever as an independent nation, winning gold in the final medal event of the night, the women's 100-meter breaststroke.

"It's too much for me," the clearly overwhelmed 15-year-old said. "I can't believe it."

Matt Grevers of the United States won the men's 100-meter backstroke.

The hearts of the host nation were broken when teen diving star Tom Daley failed to bring home a medal in the 10-meter synchronized platform event. The 18-year-old and his appropriately-named partner Pete Waterfield finished fourth, with favorites Yuan Cao and Yanquan Zhang of China taking gold.

The disappointment was tempered somewhat by the men's gymnastics team, which took bronze, its first medal in the sport in 100 years. When the results were first announced Great Britain was to get silver, but the fourth-place Japanese team protested a score for one of its gymnasts. The judges upped Kohei Uchimura's mark on the pommel horse, giving Japan 271.952 to Great Britain's 271.711 and Ukraine's 271.526. As many expected, China won the team title, as it did in two of the past three Olympics.

The United States drew level with China for the total number of medals so far, with 17 apiece, but nine of China's are gold, compared with five for Team USA.

In equestrian, Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter Zara Phillips had a good day in Greenwich, where she and Great Britain are in medal contention. As 50,000 people, including Prince William and Prince Harry, watched, Phillips cleared all 28 jumps during the cross-country portion of the team eventing contest. Germany leads the competition, which concludes Tuesday, with Great Britain second and Sweden third.

Meanwhile, a controversy was averted as the International Olympic Committee and the International Judo Federation approved allowing Saudi judo competitor Wojdan Shaherkani to wear her headscarf, Saudi National Olympic Committee spokesman Razan Baker told CNN's Nic Robertson. This year is the first time every nation has sent women athletes to the Olympics. Saudi Arabia was the last nation to agree to send women.

Her first match is on Friday.

SUNDAY'S TOP DEVELOPMENTS

GYMNASTICS:

Tears streamed down the faces of two American gymnasts during qualifications Sunday, but for two very different reasons.

Reigning world all-around champion Jordyn Wieber failed to qualify for the women's all-around final by less than half a point, erupting into tears at the news. She was edged out by teammates Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman, who broke down after learning she would compete in the prestigious all-around competition Thursday.

Wieber's miss sparked debate about a controversial rule that limits each country to sending no more than two gymnasts to the all-around final -- even if a third-place teammate has a higher score than a gymnast who qualifies from another country. Wieber placed fourth overall in qualifications for the 24-competitor event.

The top eight countries, including United States, Russia and China, will fight for the gold medal in the team competition on Tuesday.

SWIMMING:

France beat the United States in the men's 4x100-meter swimming relay on Sunday, with Michael Phelps and the United States taking a silver medal.

The medal was the 17th for Phelps, and put him one behind Larisa Latynina, a Soviet gymnast who earned nine golds, five silvers and four bronzes between 1956 and 1964.

The United States held the lead for three of the four legs, but Agnel caught Lochte just after the turn and pulled away at the end.

"We (swam) the four best guys, and we went out there and we just raced tough," Lochte said. "We came up a little short."

It was payback for the French, who lost in similar style to the United States in 2008.

South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh broke the world record in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 58.46 and dedicated his gold medal to Alexander Dale Oen, a world champion from Norway who died of heart failure this year at age 26.

BASKETBALL:

The U.S. men's basketball squad easily won its first game, beating France 98-71.

Kevin Durant led the United States, made up of NBA all-stars and the college player of the year, with 22 points.

"We still have a lot of work to do, but that's the beauty of it all," Durant said. "We're all coming together in such a short time. We're having fun playing. Guys don't worry about points, rebounds, assists; we just want to play to win."

The team will face Tunisia on Tuesday.

Many are hoping to see how this year's American squad stacks up to the legacy of the 1992 U.S. basketball team, known as the Dream Team, which trounced the competition at the Barcelona Games by an average of more than 40 points.

Money, medals and more: The Olympics by the numbers

CNN's Allysen Miller contributed to this report.

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Saturday, 28 July 2012

Abrahamson: Phelps loses his invincible aura

Michael Phelps finished with a winning time of 4 minutes, 13.33 seconds. The two-time defending Olympic champion advanced to Saturday's final, where he will start 8th.

The safe prediction all along was that Ryan Lochte would not only win the 400-meter individual medley Saturday, but dominate, and he did. He won by more than three seconds, claiming not just the first gold medal in swimming but the first gold for the entire U.S. team at these London 2012 Games.

Michael Phelps: 16 Medals And Counting

But that showdown with Michael Phelps?

It takes two for a showdown, and Phelps -- this sentence seems almost improbable -- not only didn't bring his "A" game, he didn't even win a medal. He finished fourth.

Brazil's Thiago Pereira took second, Japanese teen-ager Kosuke Hagino third.

Lochte, at a news conference late Saturday night, Phelps' air of invincibility suddenly gone, noted the obvious: "A lot of people say Michael is inhuman. He's just like all of us …"

The result marked the first time Phelps had been in an Olympic final since 2000, when he was 15, and not won a medal.

Phelps has, over his career, won 16 medals, 14 gold. Coming to London, he needed two more to tie, three more to become the winningest Olympic athlete from any nation. After Saturday night -- he still needs two more to tie, three more to go ahead.

Phelps came to London as the 2004 and 2008 400 IM champion. Lochte was the 2009 and 2011 world champion. If Phelps won, he would have been the first man in history to three-peat an Olympic event. Instead, when Saturday night's race was over, he looked at the clock and seemed to barely pull himself out of the pool.

Phelps seemingly struggled Saturday morning to even make the final. He made the cut by only seven-hundredths of a second, earning a spot in Lane 8, the slowest lane in the pool.

The first leg of the 400 IM is the butterfly. Phelps is the king of the fly. But after 100 meters Saturday night, Phelps was not first but second, behind Lochte. At 200 meters, he was third; at 300, fourth. And he couldn’t rally.

Phelps has never been one for excuses, and there were none. He said, "I was lucky to get in," meaning to the final, adding, "The lane draw had nothing to do with me coming in fourth place. It was just a crappy race."

Phelps still has the 200 fly, the 200 IM and the 100 fly, as well as three relays. If his performance at the U.S. Trials in Omaha was any indication, these shorter races will be more to his liking.

"It's not the start I would have liked," he said, "but I've just got to move on."

Backstage, in the swimmers' massage area, Phelps sought Lochte out after the race and offered congratulations. "He definitely was proud of me," Lochte said. "I know at the same time he was kind of upset. It probably is more motivation for him for the rest of the meet."

Lochte, meanwhile, has been the best swimmer in the world for the past two years; the only thing left for him to do was prove it on the Olympic stage.

His winning time, 4:05.18, is the second-fastest ever, behind only the 4:03.84 that Phelps swam in Beijing in 2008.

Lochte's prior personal best had been 4.06.08. If you're going to swim your best, an Olympic final is the time to do it. Eating all those chicken breasts and broccoli and throwing all those monster truck tires around really was excellent preparation.

One more set of numbers:

Lochte's 3.68-second margin of victory over Pereira is the largest in the event's history at the Olympics. In 2004, Phelps had won by 3.55 seconds over Erik Vendt.

Lochte has these swims remaining: 200 free, 200 back, 200 IM, 800 free relay and, perhaps, the 400 free relay. Even the medley relay can't be ruled out.

"I have said this before: this is my year. I know it and I feel it," Lochte said. "I have trained my butt off for four years. I feel it inside my gut. This is my year. There is no better way to start this Olympics than to get a gold."

© 2012 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Any use, reproduction, modification, distribution, display or performance of this material without NBCUniversal's prior written consent is prohibited.

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Thursday, 26 July 2012

Olympics: Big soccer upset already

Sadio Mane of Senegal leaps over goalkeeper Jack Butland of Great Britain during the first-round men's soccer match between Great Britain and Senegal at Old Trafford on Thursday, July 26, in Manchester, England.The 2012 Olympics officially kick off with the opening ceremony on Friday in London, and the Games run through August 12.

Marvin Sordell of Great Britain battles with Moussa Konate of Senegal during the first-round match between Great Britain and Senegal.

Japanese fans show support for their team during the men's first-round match between Spain and Japan at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland on Thursday.

Great Britain's Craig Bellamy celebrates a goal during the first round Group A Match between Great Britain and Senegal on Thursday, July 26, in Manchester, England.

Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani, right, slips a pass under United Arab Emirates defender Abdelaziz Sanqour, left, in Manchester on Thursday. Uruguay defeated the UAE, 2-1.

Great Britain fans attend the Group A Match between Great Britain and Senegal on Thursday in Manchester.

Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, right, celebrates after scoring a goal during the men's soccer match against Switzerland on Thursday in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.

An open double-deck bus carries the Olympic torch down Oxford Street on Thursday in London. The grand finale will see the torch enter the Olympic Stadium, the last stage in a 70-day relay around the United Kingdom, and set the Olympic cauldron aflame Friday, symbolizing the beginning of the Games.

Morocco's Houssine Kharja, right, controls the ball against Honduras' Roger Espinoza during a first-round Group D match Thursday in Glasgow, Scotland.

Ismail Matar, center, of the United Arab Emirates celebrates with his teammates after scoring in a first-round Group A match against Uruguay on Thursday in Manchester, England.

Spain's Juan Mata, left, challenges Hotaru Yamaguchi of Japan during a group D soccer match Thursday in Glasgow.

The ExCeL exhibition center, one of the Olympic venues, is gearing up Thursday on the eve of the Games' opening ceremony.

Yuki Otsu of Japan is tackled by Inigo Martinez of Spain during a first-round Group D soccer match Thursday in Glasgow.

A Mexican fan watches the men's soccer match Thursday between Mexico and South Korea in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Spain's Inigo Martinez, left, fouls Kensuke Nagai of Japan during the match Thursday.

Spain's Martinez gets a red card and is ejected during Thursday's match against Japan.

Spectators take pictures Thursday at the Olympic Village in London.

Abdelaziz Barrada of Morocco celebrates after scoring during a Group D soccer match against Honduras on Thursday in Glasgow.

Security personnel patrol in front of Olympic Park in London on Thursday, a day ahead of the opening ceremony. Security concerns surfaced when a private contractor failed to provide enough staff. As a result, the government is deploying 18,200 troops to remedy the shortfall.

The Honduras men's soccer team celebrates after scoring a goal against Morocco during a first-round match Thursday.

Honduras' Jose Velasquez, left, gets challenged by Zakaria Labyad of Morocco during Thursday's match.

Police patrol Westfield Stratford City shopping mall near London Olympic Park on Thursday.

Spectators gather as the Olympic torch is carried from Islington Town Hall on Thursday. London cheered on the torch as it made its way past the city's historic landmarks.

Amanda Clark of the U.S. sailing team chats with reporters Thursday during a press conference in Weymouth, England.

Kim Song Hui of North Korea executes a bicycle kick while challenged by Natalia Ariza of Colombia during the first-round women's football competition at Hampden Park on Wednesday, July 25, in Glasgow, Scotland.

Tower Bridge, adorned with the Olympic rings, is seen late Wednesday, two days before the official start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Hazleydi Rincon of Colombia and Kim Song Hui of North Korea chase the ball in a first-round women's football match.

Brazil's Marta is in action with Cameroon's goalkeeper Annette Ngo Ndom during the first-round women's football competition at Millennium Stadium on Wednesday.

North Korea's Kim Song Hui, in white, vies with Colombia's Natalia Ariza on July 25.

North Korea's Jon Myong Hwa, in white, vies with Colombia's Sandra Sepulveda, in green, and Orianica Velasquez , in yellow, during first-round women's soccer play at Hampden Park on July 25.

South African footballers hold a pennant as they line up before their first-round women's soccer match against Sweden on July 25 at The City of Coventry Stadium in Coventry, England.

North Korean soccer coach Gun Sin Ui, at center in red shirt, waits for his team's match to begin at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday, July 25. The first-round match against Colombia was delayed.

North Korean official Son Kwang-ho waits for the match against Colombia to begin.

Brazil's Marta, No. 10, is tackled by Christine Manie of Cameroon during the first-round women's soccer match on July 25.

U.S. player Megan Rapinoe jumps on teammate Alex Morgan, No. 13, after Morgan scored during their Group G Olympic women's soccer match against France at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday, July 25.

American Carli Lloyd celebrates with teammate Amy Le Peilbet after scoring her team's third goal.

Katie Hoyle, left, of New Zealand and teammate Betsy Hassett challenge Karen Carney of Great Britain during their match in the first round of women's soccer in the London 2012 Olympic Games at Millennium Stadium on Wednesday, July 25, in Cardiff, Wales.

Sarah Gregorius of New Zealand reacts after Karen Bardsley of Great Britain saves the ball, barring her from scoring a goal.

Britain's Stephanie Houghton celebrates a goal, adding the first point to the scoreboard, with teammate Ifeoma Diek.

An Olympic lane at the Embankment in London.

France's Louisa Necib, left, is challenged by American Carli Lloyd.

Amber Hearn of New Zealand shoots for a goal.

Casey Stoney of Great Britain goes up against Katie Hoyle of New Zealand.

Britain's Anita Asante kicks off the match with Kelly Smith between Great Britain and New Zealand.

A fan shows his support during the soccer match between Great Britain and New Zealand on Wednesday.

Fans have their choice of Great Britain merchandise before the soccer games begin.

The London Olympics logo in the equestrian arena in Greenwich, London, is seen behind a worker on a lift.

A South Korean news crew reports from in front of the Tower Bridge where Olympics Rings hang.

Badminton player Nathan Robertson poses during the handover of the Olympic Torch at Wembley Stadium two days before the Opening Ceremony.

HIDE CAPTION

Olympics get under way

The Olympic competition begins

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: London has sunny, warm weather
NEW: The torch goes past Big Ben and other London landmarks
NEW: U.S. lawmakers hold a moment of silence for the slain Israeli athletes
Spain suffers a shock defeat as men's football kicks off

London (CNN) -- Sunny, warm weather embraced London on Thursday amid last-minute preparations for the Summer Olympic Games, now less than 24 hours away.

Crowds cheered on the Olympic torch as it wound its way past some of the capital's most famous landmarks.

Former Olympian dies in plane crash

The torch began its journey in Britain on May 19 at Land's End, the most southwest point of England, and trekked through more than 1,000 cities, towns and villages in the United Kingdom. By the time it reaches the Olympic Stadium, 8,000 torchbearers -- both celebrities and residents alike -- will have carried it.

Early Olympic football matches continued Thursday, with men's teams playing a day after the women's teams.

Torch goes past palace, Big Ben

Runners carried the golden-colored Olympic torch past iconic London landmarks Thursday as the torch relay got ever closer to the Olympic Stadium for Friday's opening ceremony.

Video: Secrets leaking about Olympic Games

After the torch passed by the 300-year-old St. Paul's Cathedral, wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan carried the flame across the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames.

Crowds joined British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife as the torch reached the doorstep of their Downing Street home. Next, the torch went past the Big Ben clock tower, carried by 81-year-old native Londoner Florence Rowe, who says she fondly remembers the excitement of the 1948 London Olympics.

The last major stop was Buckingham Palace, where Prince William, his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry greeted the torchbearers.

U.S. lawmakers remember Munich killings

Sixteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives held a moment of silence Thursday to honor the 11 Israeli athletes killed at the 1972 Munich Olympics and urged Olympic leaders to hold a similar moment of silence at Friday's opening ceremony.

American Jewish leaders and the widow of one of the Israeli athletes have made a similar plea.

The International Olympic Committee says it will honor the slain athletes at a ceremony in September for the 40th anniversary, but so far there are no plans for an official remembrance Friday.

The Israeli athletes were killed after eight Palestinian terrorists disguised in track suits broke into the Olympic Village in Munich, demanding the release of 200 Arab inmates from Israeli prisons.

Men's football kicks off

While the Games will officially begin with the cauldron lighting at ceremony Friday at Olympic Stadium, some events have already begun.

Thursday saw the start of the men's football competition, with global favorites Spain and Brazil playing, though not against each other.

Spain, which won the European Championship this year and the last World Cup, suffered a surprising 1-0 defeat to Japan in one of eight games scheduled Thursday.

Spain suffer shock defeat to Japan

Brazil -- which, like Spain, is considered a likely contender to win Olympic gold -- beat Egypt 3-2. Great Britain, playing football in the Olympics for the first time since 1960, scored a 1-1 draw in its match against Senegal.

Two notable absences are Argentina and the United States, neither of which qualified.

WEDNESDAY RECAP:

Border guards call off strike

British border guards called off a planned strike. A strike would have been disastrous at a time when more than 100,000 people a day are arriving at London's Heathrow Airport for the Games, and adequate security continues to be a concern.

Read more: Is the Olympics worth more than Google?

The union representing the guards said it backed off after the government agreed to create more than 1,000 jobs in response to its demands. The Home Office, which employs border staff, said it made no concessions.

North Korea walks off

Wednesday was also a day of women's football matches. North Korea's team walked off the pitch before its clash with Colombia after the flag of neighboring country -- and archrival -- South Korea was mistakenly shown on Hampden Park's big screen as it displayed player profiles.

Organizers issued a hasty apology, and the team returned to start the game an hour later. It won 2-0.

"Clearly this is a mistake, we will apologize to the team and the national Olympic committee and steps will be taken to ensure this does not happen again," organizers said in a statement.

Read more: The 10 strangest Olympic sports

In other women's football matches, Team Great Britain gave the host nation a rousing start to the festivities with a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in front of 25,000 fans -- the biggest attendance for a women's international match in Britain.

Defending champion Team USA beat France 4-2. Current FIFA Women's World Cup holder Japan won its opening match against Canada 2-1, while Brazil thumped Cameroon 5-0 and Sweden beat South Africa 4-1.

Greek athlete sent off

In the day's other controversy, Greek athlete Paraskevi Papachristou was expelled from the country's Olympic team for posting an offensive comment about African immigrants on Twitter.

"With so many Africans in Greece, the mosquitoes from the West Nile will at least be eating some homemade food," she said on Twitter.

The Hellenic Olympic Committee ruled Papachristou, a triple jumper, would be barred, saying, "She made a mistake but it was serious. It was unforgivable."

Papachristou apologized, calling the comment an "unfortunate and tasteless joke."

Read more: How to avoid London's Olympic rush

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Sunday, 22 July 2012

Chris Harrison Promises Most 'Unpredictable' Bachelorette Finale Ever

From left: Arie, Emily and Jef

ABC

All The Bachelorette finales are emotional and dramatic, but host Chris Harrison promises that Sunday's Emily Maynard season closer is the only one he'd describe as "unpredictable and combustible."

"We've never had a horse race like this where any of the final three could have ended up with her and the decision was so down to the wire. It made her an emotional wreck," Harrison tells PEOPLE exclusively. "Emily was more conflicted about the final two than any bachelor or bachelorette we've ever had. The guys were head over heels for her and she felt so strongly for both of them and that combination made for a very intense final week that could go either way."

Including ending without a proposal? "I'll be honest, she came into the finale dead set on not letting anybody meet Ricki and probably not accepting a proposal because she was so unsure about what to do. She didn't know how to pick one and that was almost too much for her to handle."

Part of the issue was "there were positives and negatives to both and holes in each relationship. Arie [Luyendyk] and Jef [Holm] have gotten to the same place but from completely different routes. "At first, Harrison says she was intrigued by Jef's aloofness toward her. "She was curious why the guy was playing hard to get. They had a very slow burn, but it was deep and grew leaps and bounds every week eventually passing others. He makes her laugh and she's at ease around him, but he's also young and playful and she is looking for a man and a father for Ricki."

Ari, on the other hand, had the immediate physical connection. "They couldn't keep their hands off each other. I know women across America are saying he needs to get kissing lessons, but it apparently worked for her. Then they started to get to know each other, realized they liked each other and it grew on the emotional plain. They've had this great romance, but is there more to them than making out? Can he offer the deep soulful love that Jef does? And are either of them truly ready to step into her daily life with Ricki and be a dad?"

Harrison explained this was a unique situation for him and the crew. "Usually by this point, we pretty much know what's going to happen. Even the audience has a pretty good feeling by the finale but when she let Chris go was the last rose ceremony where I could see the writing on the wall. I thought, ‘We've done our job too well, found three great good-looking successful guys who fell in love with her and would be a good fit and now she might not settle on either.' I thought it could be a disaster."

And while he won't say whether she eventually came to a decision or let someone put a ring on it, he does claim that she's happy and doesn't regret doing the show a second time. (Which, for the record, she confirmed herself backstage at the Men Tell All taping.) He also teased that yesterday he found out some juicy things that occurred since he last saw the sexy single mom and assured that he'll bring them up on After the Final Rose, which airs live for the first time Sunday. "I've been begging them to do it live for years to give it that Superbowl feel and because they finally gave in, I'll get to give the fans the most up-to-date information on what's happening with her and the guys. Things will happen that I have no idea how they will turn out. It's an emotional and combustible finale that will lead into an unpredictable, emotional and shocking Final Rose special."

Source - http://feeds.people.com/~r/people/headlines/~3/54jN19Mq0Hs/0,,20613924,00.html

Saturday, 21 July 2012

'Play dead'

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The audience at first thought the gunman was part of the show
Some dove to the floor or tried to flee after he began shooting
They say he walked slowly up the aisle, randomly shooting at people
Police received dozens, perhaps hundreds of 911 calls

(CNN) -- Jennifer Seeger stared at the gun pointed at her face in a darkened movie theater.

The 22-year-old had two choices: Stand there and die, or make a run for it.

She made a split-second decision and dived into a row at the Century Aurora 16 multiplex, tucking herself under the seats.

The gunman shot into the row, and then into the row behind Seeger. Bullet casings, burning hot, dropped around her.

Play dead, she told people as the shooting continued. He won't shoot people he thinks are already dead.

After day of agony, families in Colorado get tragic confirmation

The movies

In the movies, violence is coordinated. Explosions are perfectly timed. Gunshots ring out clearly. Bodies fall slowly.

But when violence strikes in real life, it is chaotic and often muffled.

That's the scene that unfolded early Friday morning, shortly after midnight, when a gunman opened fire at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a screening of the new Batman sequel.

In the few of minutes it took the gunman to unload hundreds of rounds, according to police estimates, nearly everyone inside Theater No. 9 would make a life-or-death decision -- sometimes with terrifying results.

The theaters of the Century 16 multiplex were filled with hard-core fans, many of whom bought tickets weeks earlier for the 12:05 a.m. premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises." Many wore costumes that emulated their favorite characters in the DC Comics franchise.

In the front of the theater, Seeger and a friend took seats in the second row, close to the screen. Emma Goose, 19, and her friends arrived late and were forced to take separate seats close to the front, also near the screen.

The gunman was there, too. He bought a ticket at the door and took a seat near the emergency exit door, according to police.

Aurora works to emerge from chaos, carnage

'Oh my God'

The movie was in its first minutes and most of the moviegoers didn't appear to notice the exit door open and then only partially close.

Authorities believe it was then that the gunman sneaked out to his car parked in the rear of the theater to pick up weapons and don a gas mask and tactical gear, including a ballistic helmet and protective gear for his legs, throat and groin.

It was shortly after 12:35 a.m. when Seeger first saw the man wearing a gas mask and toting weapons enter the theater through the emergency exit door.

He looked like "a SWAT man," decked out head-to-toe in black, Seeger thought.

It must be part of the show, she reasoned, an added attraction on the opening night of one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year.

Goose thought the same thing.

In one hand, the man held a hissing canister, they said. In the other, a rifle.

Seeger watched him as he lobbed the canister into the audience. It made a loud popping sound, witnesses say.

He then pointed the rifle toward the ceiling, firing several rounds.

In that moment, Seeger knew it was not an act. So, too, did Goose.

"Oh my God, this is really happening," Goose thought, as she went to the floor.

Then the man lowered what is now believed to be a semi-automatic rifle, pointing it at Seeger as she stood up.

Timeline of Colorado theater shooting

'Crawling over each other'

Panic was setting in as a realization swept through the theater that the gunman was real -- and he was planning on killing people.

Whatever was in the canister that landed in the middle of the theater was beginning to burn the eyes of the patrons.

Some in the theater thought it was a smoke bomb, while others believed it was tear gas.

At first, Seeger didn't know what to do. The gunman was three feet away, pointing a gun at her face.

There wasn't time to make a reasoned decision. You either live or die, she told herself.

iReporter showed up late, had to go in another theater

Seeger dived into the row, pushing her body underneath the seats next to her friend as she heard gunshots around her.

She quietly tried to calm her friend and those around her as hot shell casings bounced on the floor and hit her in the face, burning her forehead.

In a nearby row, Goose was on the floor, using the seats for cover, when she realized she had to move if she was going to survive.

"We started pushing each other and crawling over each other," she said.

The first 911 calls came into the Aurora Police Department at about 12:39 a.m. They were followed by dozens, perhaps hundreds more.

The voice of a dispatcher crackled over the radio to police units: "They're saying someone is shooting in the auditorium." Moments later, she added: "There is at least one person shot, but they're saying there's hundreds of people just running around."

Security stepped up nationwide in wake of shooting

'Shot in the face'

People were pushing and shoving one another to try to get out of the tight rows of seats and down the aisles to safety.

Goose peered over the row of seats toward the gunman, who was now making his way toward the steps in the stadium-seating theater.

The gunman, witnesses would say later, walked slowly as he randomly fired at people. He shot at those who stood up and tried to flee, some said. He shot at people as they sat in their seat, said others.

Suspect had 'obvious intellectual capacity'

She pulled out her phone to call 911 but then hid it after it lit up, fearing the gunman might see it and open fire in her direction.

Goose saw people, including a friend, run toward the hallway that served as one of the main entrances and exits for the theater. Some were wounded.

It was 12:40 a.m. when police first arrived at the theater, with one officer radioing: "I've got people running out of the theater who were shot."

Another said: "Got a victim who was shot in the face."

Then the dispatcher orders "all available units to respond to the theater."

With song and prayer, victims are remembered

'Play dead'

Seeger pulled herself out from under the seats and peered over the seats to see the gunman walking up the steps toward the back of theater.

For a moment, the shooting stops. Seeger said it appeared he ran out of ammunition and was either reloading or getting another gun.

It was then she told people around her to "make a run for it."

But as the people began crawling and, in some cases, running toward the exit, the gunman turned and began firing on them.

"Lay down, be very still. Play dead," she told people as the crawled back toward her. "He won't shoot people he already thinks are dead."

Remembering victims through photos

Outside, by 12:42 a.m., police officers were surrounding the multiplex and other officers were making their way toward the theater where one smelled what he described over the radio as pepper spray.

"Get us some damn gas masks for Theater 9, we can't get in," one of the officers said.

Inside the theater, Seeger lay on the floor and played dead.

In a nearby row, Goose was trying to figure out how to get out. People were still trying to flee, and the gunman was still shooting.

In the dark, with the gunman moving toward the back of the theater, Goose crawled across the aisle -- to another row of seats near the exit. It was the same place a friend of hers was forced to sit when they couldn't find seats together.

But as soon as she cleared the aisle, she stumbled onto a man in the row who had been shot in the head. "He was grazed but bleeding a lot," she said.

U.S. troops among victims of shooting

Bodies in aisles

As suddenly as the shooting started, it stopped. The gunman was gone.

People, some soaked in blood, began running for the main exit.

Goose helped the wounded man out of the theater, while Seeger picked herself up off the floor and surveyed the carnage. There were bodies in the aisle, and people slumped over in seats who at first glance appeared to be dead.

Nearby, she thought heard a man "mumbling, still alive." She checked his pulse, her training as an emergency medical technician kicking in.

He was alive, but barely.

Her friend begged her, even screamed at her to leave the theater. But Seeger couldn't. Not yet.

Seeger grabbed the man under his arms and tried to drag him out of the row of seats, toward the exit.

Suddenly, there was screaming. Moviegoers were saying the gunman had returned.

Seeger was forced to flee, forced to leave the man behind.

Police chief: Suspect bought over 6,000 rounds of ammunition through Internet

'The Joker'

The gunman, though, was gone.

Goose, Seeger and others aren't sure how the shooter got out of the theater, whether he went through the emergency exit or some other door.

Outside, in the rear parking lot of the theater, officers radio at 12:46 a.m. that they had spotted a man who matched the description given by people who had fled the theater.

"We've got rifles, gas mask. He is detained," one officer radioed. "I've got an open door going into the theater."

The gunman identified himself to arresting officers as "the Joker," a law enforcement official later said.

Opinion: Can we feel safe in a crowd anymore?

From inside the theater, at about the same time, another radio dispatch: "I need someone to shut this movie off. Have them shut the movie off in 9."

Were you there or do you have thoughts about the shooting? Share your story on CNN iReport.

CNN's Tom Foreman, Phil Gast, Don Lemon, Ed Lavandera, Susan Candiotti and Mariano Castillo contributed to this report.

Via - http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/BxFRUB1fER8/index.html

Thursday, 12 July 2012

Syrian opposition report 'massacre'

Syria's ambassador to Iraq, Nawaf al-Fares, left, met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in November 2010.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: Witnesses say Tremseh was shelled for seven hours, then tanks entered the village
NEW: Many residents were shot when they fled their homes into the streets, activists say
Opposition group says at least 287 people died Thursday in violence in the country
Syria's ambassador to Iraq is the latest high-profile official to break with the regime

(CNN) -- An opposition group reported Thursday that government forces have carried out a "massacre" in Hama province, killing 220 people there. Most of the killings occurred in the village of Tremseh, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria said.

The day's death toll nationwide reached 287, the opposition group added.

As it has done consistently, Syrian state television blamed "armed terrorist groups" for the killings, accusing them of having shot "indiscriminately at the people of Al-Tremseh village in Hama suburbs. And after calls from the people of the village, the security forces clashed with the terrorist groups, arresting a number of them and confiscated their weapons."

Activists in the city of Hama told CNN that witnesses inside Tremseh told them by telephone that Syrian military forces had launched a full-scale attack against the opposition Free Syrian Army inside the town, which was surrounded by government tanks and artillery.

The forces had shelled the town continuously from 5 a.m. until noon, when their tanks entered the village, three activists told CNN separately. None of them was willing to be identified publicly.

Syrian army forces, whose numbers were bolstered by the pro-regime militias called "shabeha," accompanied the tanks into Tremseh, they said. As the government forces rained artillery rounds into the town, a number of village residents fled their houses into the streets, where many of them were shot dead by the government militias, the activists told CNN in separate telephone interviews.

CNN is not able to confirm their accounts because Western journalists have limited access to the country.

The violence was also occurring farther south, in the capital, where 12 people were killed, the LCC said. The Damascus neighborhood of Shaghour was under siege by government forces, whose snipers were occupying the roofs of buildings, the LCC said.

The carnage came as a top Syrian diplomat who defected Wednesday said in an interview broadcast Thursday that he has sympathized with the opposition movement since it began in March 2011, but had held out hope that President Bashar al-Assad would change course.

"I am from Day One with the revolution," Nawaf al-Fares, the former Syrian ambassador to Iraq, told Al Jazaeera Arabic. "Due to the political and personal circumstances, just a few people knew about that."

Al-Fares added, "I had hope, and I was in direct contact with President Bashar. He is now the former Syrian president, because he is a criminal and he is killing the Syrian people."

Syrian government authorities said al-Fares has been "relieved of his duties."

Al-Fares is the second high-profile Sunni official to break with the regime in a week. Manaf Tlas, a Republican Guard brigadier general and the son of a former defense minister, defected last week to protest the killing of civilians by government forces.

The moves might be a sign that Sunni allies of the Alawite-dominated regime are displeased with the government's fierce crackdown on an opposition dominated by Sunnis.

According to the official Syrian Arab News Agency, al-Fares was sworn in as Syrian ambassador to Iraq in 2002.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said al-Fares went to the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Iraqi state TV reported. The Qatari government has been sharply critical of al-Assad's regime.

Al-Fares "made statements contrary to his job duty to defend the positions of the country and its issues, which requires legal accountability and discipline," the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement said he "no longer has anything to do" with the Syrian Embassy in Baghdad or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Syria's detached and deluded elite?

Al-Fares also announced his defection from the ruling Baath party, becoming the most senior member to leave. He is from Deir Ezzor, the eastern province that has been hammered lately by Syrian forces, and hails from a tribe along the Syrian-Iraqi border.

"To my brothers in the military, your military doctrine is to defend the homeland against external aggression and protect its borders," al-Fares said in a video statement given to the TV network Al Jazeera Arabic. It was unclear when the video was shot.

"So did your fathers, sons and sisters become the enemies now? And are they the ones who you should fight? Is that what you have learned in your military schools?"

Al-Fares said he was joining the revolution and called the government "malicious" and "the killer of the people."

The conflict in Syria has raged for 16 months, defying international peace efforts and leaving world leaders scrambling to find a solution.

Venezuelan diesel shipments to Syria fuel controversy

So did your fathers, sons and sisters become the enemies now? And are they the ones who you should fight?
Nawaf al-Fares

Al-Assad's bloody crackdown on the opposition has sparked international outrage, but he still enjoys the support of allies such as Russia, Iran and China.

Russia and China, which are permanent U.N. Security Council members, have vetoed council draft resolutions that would have condemned the Syrian regime. Many other nations said such resolutions could have pushed al-Assad to stop the crackdown on dissidents seeking his ouster.

Kofi Annan, the former U.N. secretary-general who is now an international U.N. and Arab League envoy to Syria, briefed the council on the crisis Wednesday.

"The council is now discussing what the next step should be and what action they should take," Annan said. "We should hear something from them in the next few days."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday she is hopeful that Russia will back a "serious" measure in the Security Council. But Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said his government dislikes a recent council draft resolution from Western nations.

"We have stated repeatedly that Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter is unacceptable to us," Gatilov said, according to state-run RIA Novosti. "Using the resolution to justify the use of force in the future is absolutely unacceptable to us."

A Security Council resolution under Chapter 7 of the charter could ultimately authorize the use of force.

Opposition groups say more than 15,000 people have died since the violence began in March 2011.

Syrian ambassador to Iraq joins revolt, urges military to turn on regime

CNN's Yousuf Basil, Salma Abdelaziz, Joe Sterling, Caroline Faraj and Amir Ahmed contributed to this report.

Original - http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/uK9zmn0xvbw/index.html

Sunday, 8 July 2012

Ernest Borgnine Dies at 95

Ernest Borgnine

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Longtime screen star Ernest Borgnine died Sunday of renal failure, his spokesman Harry Flynn told the Associated Press. He was 95.

He was surrounded by his family at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, according to the report.

While he often played the bad guy, Borgnine – who was known for his off-screen professionalism and friendliness – enjoyed a six-decade career that was also filled with many affable roles, from his sensitive, Oscar-winning turn as a homely Bronx butcher who finds love in 1955's Marty, to his popular Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale on ABC's 1962-66 World War II sitcom McHale's Navy.

The character of the gruff McHale came easily. Born in Connecticut in 1917, Borgnine joined the Navy in 1935 and served for 10 years, reaching the rank of Gunner's Mate 1st Class.

After fighting in World War II, he began to pursue acting – specifically in the theater, making his Broadway debut in 1949 as a male nurse in the comedy Harvey.

Moving to Los Angeles in 1951, Borgnine received his big break as Sergeant "Fatso" Judson in 1953's Best Picture of the Year From Here to Eternity alongside Frank Sinatra, whose character he bullied. From there came character roles, including the psychotic villain who threatens Spencer Tracy in Bad Day at Black Rock.

Stayed in the Spotlight

Other notable roles included helicopter pilot Dominic Santini on TV's Airwolf and as a doorman on the '90s sitcom The Single Guy. Recently, he provided the voice as the superhero Mermaid Man in the animated SpongeBob SquarePants. In 2011, he received the Screen Actors Guild's Life Achievement Award.

Borgnine's biggest box-office success was the 1972 all-star disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure, in which he played Detective Lieutenant Mike Rogo, married to a former hooker (Stella Stevens). Although, besides Marty and From Here to Eternity, his most critically successful movie was the 1969 Western The Wild Bunch.

As he noted in a 1966 interview, "The Oscar made me a star, and I'm grateful. But I feel had I not won the Oscar I wouldn't have gotten into the messes I did in my personal life."

Borgnine had four children and was married five times, including to Broadway diva Ethel Merman in 1964. The headline-making marriage lasted less than six weeks – and decades later was compared to the short-lived union of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.

Borgnine later called the Merman marriage the "biggest mistake of my life. I thought I was marrying [singer] Rosemary Clooney." (He said the marriage fell apart on their honeymoon overseas, where fans knew him but didn't recognize her.)

His final marriage, in 1973 to Tova Traesnaes, a skin-care mogul, endured until his death. In 2007, he told AP about their union: "That's longer than the total of my four other marriages."

• Additional reporting by STEPHEN M. SILVERMAN

Ernest Borgnine on McHale's Navy

Via - http://feeds.people.com/~r/people/headlines/~3/lTMsSNnN-3c/0,,20610273,00.html

Saturday, 7 July 2012

New storms down trees as heat spreads east

The heat wave that has gripped much of the nation continues this weekend, but there are signs that it may come to an end soon. NBC's Michelle Franzen reports.

By Miguel Llanos, msnbc.com

Severe thunderstorms were rolling through parts of the Midwest and Northeast still suffering not only from last weekend's storm outages but also the sweltering heat that spread eastward Saturday.

Trees and phone lines were downed across parts of upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Missouri starting Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center reported.

The New York City area, which saw muggy heat Saturday, was also in the path of the storm front, NBCNewYork.com reported.

More storms are likely across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic on Sunday, the Weather Channel reported.

St. Louis on Saturday saw 106 degrees, a 10th straight day of temperatures at 100 or above. Its record -- 13 straight days -- is not likely to be broken, with Sunday's forecast in the mid-90s.

Washington, D.C., topped out Saturday at 105 degrees -- just a degree short of its all-time record.

The heat and storms weren't the only things spreading into the East Coast -- so too was smoke from the wildfires out west.

The smoke has brought with it pollutants that will make the next few days even tougher for people with breathing issues.

In fact, prevailing winds over the last week have been sending that smoke east, with officials issuing local health advisories.

Maryland issued a "code orange" air quality alert on Friday and again on Saturday, meaning that the young and elderly are at risk, NBC affiliate WBAL-TV reported.

The wildfire smoke is on top of other air pollution coming into Maryland from other states.

"Maryland is not alone in these extreme conditions," Jay Apperson, a Maryland Department of the Environment spokesman, told WBAL-TV. "Chicago and other areas of the Midwest are issuing these type of advisories and that pollution is coming into Maryland, and we're also being affected by the wildfires."

Celebrating the warm summer months, as schools let out and the cooling off begins

On Friday, smoke was detected "from the Rockies to to the Eastern Great Lakes, the mid Atlantic, and the Southeast," according to the U.S. Air Quality "Smog Blog" compiled by the University of Maryland. "The smoke is primarily light density but a moderate density area can be seen in and around the Ohio River Valley.

The highest values on Friday, it added, were "mainly over the Midwest and down towards the Southeast."

The heat wave shifting east comes after last weekend's storms that left millions without power. Hundreds of thousands still don't have electricity back.

Related: Chicago heat doesn't keep these seniors from aerobics

Moreover, since the first round of extreme heat two weeks ago, at least 46 deaths have been tied to the high temperatures, according to a list compiled by the Weather Channel on Friday.

NBCChicago.com on Saturday reported four more heat-related deaths there on Friday.

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

Original - http://pheedo.msnbc.msn.com/click.phdo?i=7ae067ddf69b29733ac26bfba95d0cc3

Monday, 2 July 2012

Ellen DeGeneres, Kathy Griffin & More Are 'Proud' of Anderson Cooper

Clockwise from top left: Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin

Jason Merritt/Getty; Jemal Countess/WireImage; Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic; Getty

Within hours of Anderson Cooper coming out, stars and media figures offered their support and congratulations to the CNN anchor and daytime talk show host.

"I'm proud of you, @AndersonCooper," Ellen DeGeneres, who came out years ago, wrote on Twitter.

Neil Patrick Harris also gave the newsman his good wishes, writing, "Good for you, @AndersonCooper. You're awesome."

Both messages have been re-tweeted almost 5,000 times.

On Monday, Cooper wrote an open letter to his longtime friend Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Beast saying, "The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."

Cooper also received well-wishes from TV pals such as Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who tweeted: "One of the reasons I look up to my friend @andersoncooper is his amazing eloquence. Very proud of him!"

Even Bravo exec Andy Cohen chimed in, offering Cooper his coveted daily "Mazel" on Twitter.

Fellow CNN anchor Don Lemon tweeted his congrats and added, "We should all be supportive."

Meanwhile, funny ladies Joan Rivers and Kathy Griffin also expressed their congratulations. Griffin, who has hosted a New Year's program with Cooper many times, refrained from joking and instead posted an adorable picture on Facebook of herself holding hands with Cooper along with the message: "Here I am with my friend Anderson Cooper who I'm so proud of." It has gotten almost 50,000 likes.

Rivers took a lighthearted approach to her Cooper comment, saying: "Thrilled @AndersonCooper came out! So, THAT'S why he never wanted to date me! I would've loved having Gloria Vanderbilt as my mother-in-law."

Original - http://feeds.people.com/~r/people/headlines/~3/_7NoskaJysw/0,,20608949,00.html

Sunday, 1 July 2012

Spain reigns once again, wins 2012 Euro title

Eddie Keogh / Reuters

Spain's Jordi Alba celebrates after scoring his team's second goal of a 4-0 win against Italy.

BREAKING NEWS

By CHRIS LEHOURITES

updated 7:07 p.m. ET July 1, 2012

KIEV, Ukraine - Just like clockwork, Spain's "tiki taka" passing game tore Italy apart.

The World Cup champions controlled the play Sunday in the European Championship final, as they usually do. They moved the ball up the field with short pass after short pass, as they usually do.

But, incredibly, they also managed to score a whopping four goals, something they don't usually do.

It all added up to a 4-0 win over Italy and a third straight major soccer title for Spain.

"We won being true to our playing style, and by moving the ball the we way we moved it we knew how to take charge of the match," said Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas, the team's captain. "What we do is difficult but we make it look easy."

Casillas and Spain striker Fernando Torres also made their own histories. Torres became the first man to score in two European Championship finals, and Casillas played in his record 100th victory in international soccer.

Spain's other goals on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium came from David Silva, Jordi Alba and Juan Mata.

"We were superior to Italy," said midfielder Xavi Hernandez, perhaps Spain's most influential player over the last four years. "We played a complete game and perhaps the best of the entire European Championship. We made history."

Four years ago at Euro 2008, Spain ended a 44-year drought of major titles, beating Germany 1-0 in the final to start a run that has been unmatched by any other team in history.

Although they lost to the United States in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup in 2009, snapping a record 15-game winning streak, the Spanish have been nearly impossible to beat in competitive matches.

A year after that game against the Americans, Spain opened the 2010 World Cup with a loss to Switzerland. But they then went on a tear, winning their next six games to finally claim a World Cup title and undoubtedly shed for good the "underachiever" tag.

In all that time since Euro 2008, Spain has won with flair, using its short passing game — dubbed "tiki taka" by the Spanish media and adopted by the team — to dazzle scrambling opponents.

"Tonight, there was no contest," Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said. "They were too superior, so the bitterness at losing this final is only relative."

Against Italy, Spain was the favorite, but was also primed to be beaten after being held to a 1-1 draw by the Italians in their opening Group C match. Spain, which has been experimenting with a lineup that excludes a recognized striker, needed a penalty shootout to reach the final after a 0-0 tie with Portugal in the semifinals.

"They've been playing at a very high level for years," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "And even though they didn't use any traditional striker, they were able to give weight to their attack."

The controversial lineup, which Spain coach Vicente del Bosque again employed on Sunday, is akin to playing in the Super Bowl without a running back. Sure, you can still score touchdowns, but you give up on the chance for a game-breaking play.

Still, the midfielders and the defenders got the job done in the first half. Silva headed in a high shot in the 14th minute off a pass from Cesc Fabregas. And Alba added another in the 41st, picking up a beautiful through ball from Xavi and shooting past Buffon.

"The game was ours after the first goal, but the truth is that we played one heck of a game," Fabregas said.

Italy's task was tough enough with 11 players, and it became impossible with only 10 after the 64th minute. All its substitutes were used when midfielder Thiago Motta, who had only been on the field for seven minutes, was taken off with an injury.

Torres, who came on for Fabregas in the 75th minute, then added the third goal with a relatively easy finish and Mata really put the game away in the 88th, knocking in a pass from Torres.

"The second goal by Jordi hurt them, and then the third finished them off," said Casillas, who made a point-blank save on a shot from Antonio Di Natale at the start of the second half and twice tipped crosses out of danger just before the Italians could get their heads to the ball.

With every save, and of course with every goal, the huge group of Spain supporters cheered and screamed. The red-shirted fans dominated one corner of the stadium, filling up more than six sections of the Olympic Stadium. On the opposite side, the blue-clad Italians were far outnumbered, with dozens of empty yellow seats poking through the mass of supporters.

Also in the stands were several heads of state. Italian Premier Mario Monti, along with other EU leaders, had said they would not travel to Ukraine for the tournament because of the politically tainted jailing of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. But that didn't stop him from attending the final in Kiev.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also attended the match, and got to watch as his players celebrated with confetti and fireworks when they lifted yet another major trophy.

"I don't believe it," said Alba, who has played only nine matches for Spain, "but little by little it is sinking in."

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Xavi had Spain on its game

PST: Midfielder's pinpoint passing, pace and skill had Spain on track right from the start in its 4-0 win against Italy.

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