UCLA hires Steve Alford as new basketball coach

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Steve Alford was hired as UCLA basketball coach on Saturday, spurning New Mexico days after he agreed to a new 10-year deal with the Lobos for a chance to run what he called "the premier basketball program in the country."

The Bruins are bringing in someone who shares the same Indiana roots as John Wooden, who led UCLA to a record 10 national championships, including seven in a row, before retiring in 1975. Alford learned about Wooden as a first-grader in Martinsville, Ind., where his father, Sam, coached the high school basketball team at Wooden's alma mater.

"Ever since then there was a draw to find out more about him," Alford said on a teleconference. "I know my first steps into Pauley I will really feel that."

Alford agreed to a seven-year deal worth $18.2 million, with a yearly salary of $2.6 million and a $200,000 signing bonus, according to UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero.

Alford will be introduced in Westwood on Tuesday.

"This is truly a leap of faith," he said.

Guerrero said UCLA reached out to Alford first, not knowing whether he would be interested in the Bruins. Once he confirmed he was, the details were finalized early Saturday, Guerrero said.

"It was not an easy decision because I was extremely happy," Alford said. "I was about as happy as I can be.

"When I kept thinking about things, it still came back to UCLA. You're talking about the premier basketball program in the country. To have an opportunity like this, they don't come around every day."

Guerrero said Alford is "the perfect fit for UCLA" because he connects with a new generation of players and brings an up-tempo and team-oriented style of play to Westwood.

"He's ready for this stage," Guerrero said.

Alford's deal with New Mexico, scheduled to take effect on April 1, was worth more than $20 million over 10 years.

Guerrero said Alford is responsible for a buyout of his agreement in Albuquerque, but that UCLA would work out the details. Both Alford and New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs said they didn't know how much the buyout was worth.

Alford, who is 48, succeeds Ben Howland, who was fired last weekend after 10 years and a 233-107 record that included three consecutive Final Four appearances and four Pac-12 titles. The Bruins were 25-10 this season, which ended with a 20-point loss to Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Alford led New Mexico to a 29-6 record this season that included the Mountain West regular-season and tournament titles. But the Lobos were upset by Harvard in the second round of the NCAAs shortly after Alford's new contract had been announced.

Alford had a 155-52 record in six years at New Mexico, with the Lobos making three trips to the NCAA tournament. He was selected Mountain West coach of the year three times.

"I'm about building programs, not teams, not seasons," Alford said. "UCLA doesn't just want one winning season, UCLA wants a basketball program that is going to breed consistent excellence.

"I've always tried to do things with excellence. When you think of UCLA in every regard, you see the word excellence."

Expectations have always been high in Westwood since Wooden's era. The Bruins own a record 11 national championships, but have won just one ? in 1995 under Jim Harrick ? since Wooden retired.

"Nobody understands pressure any more than I do. I've been under pressure since I was 16," said Alford, whose high school gym in New Castle, Ind., seats 10,000 and frequently sold out when he was there. "You're not going to find anybody more competitive than I am."

Guerrero said, "He's not the kind of guy that will shy away from what UCLA basketball is all about."

The Lobos didn't just lose Alford, they also won't have his son, Bryce, on their roster next season. Alford said his highly touted son would follow him to Westwood, continuing a tradition that Alford first established when he played under his father at New Castle Chrysler High.

Krebs said it was clear when he talked to Alford on Saturday morning that his mind was made up, and although he's disappointed, he said he respected the decision.

Krebs said it was like a "bomb dropped in the room" when Alford told his players he was leaving.

"This is a very emotional time," Krebs said. "There is no good way to break the news to the young men in the program. ... There's a lot of raw emotion right now."

Alford said, "That's not easy to look those young men in the face, but I think they understand. The reason they understand is it's UCLA. If it was anywhere else, this is not a decision that would have been made."

Lobos senior center Alex Kirk said, "Nobody would say no to UCLA. That's crazy."

Guerrero had said he wanted a coach who would help boost season ticket sales. The Bruins had just a few sellouts at newly renovated Pauley Pavilion this season.

"I think the UCLA family will embrace him. I think he'll be able to hit on all cylinders," Guerrero said. "He'll be able to energize the fan base in so many ways. Look at New Mexico, they get 15,000 a game. It's madness there."

Alford is known for his up-tempo coaching style, which should suit Bruins fans turned off by Howland's grind-it-out defensive emphasis.

"We do like to score points, we like transition, we like to get up and down the floor," he said, while noting that defense wins championships. "Ultimately, it's about the product ? are they good young men of character and integrity?"

Alford called recruiting in fertile Southern California "of the utmost importance." He had players from the region on his New Mexico roster, including Kendall Williams, who became Mountain West player of the year.

"I will hit the ground running," he said, noting the respect he has for high school coaches was formed through his father.

Alford's other head coaching stints were at Iowa (2000-07), Missouri State (1996-99) and Manchester College (1992-95) in Indiana.

Alford is famous in the Hoosier state, where he starred at Indiana University from 1984-87 under coach Bob Knight. The Hoosiers won the national championship in his senior year. He also played on the gold medal-winning 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team in Los Angeles as a college sophomore. Knight coached that team. Alford said he put in a call to his former coach about taking the UCLA job.

Alford was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 1987 and played four years in the NBA before starting his head coaching career at tiny Division III Manchester.

As a high school senior, Alford averaged 37.7 points and was Indiana Mr. Basketball.

Besides Bryce, Alford and his wife, Tanya, have a son, Kory, and a daughter, Kayla.

___

Associated Press Writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ucla-hires-steve-alford-basketball-coach-162919050--spt.html

engadget twin towers iPhone 5 9-11 Chris Brown Tattoo Innocence of Muslims Clara Schumann

Ghana Commercial Bank reports surge in 2012 profits

March 28 (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy, playing for the first time since losing his world number one ranking earlier this week, got off to a shaky start at the Houston Open on Thursday where he dropped three shots over his opening eight holes. The 23-year-old Northern Irishman, who was replaced atop the world rankings by Tiger Woods this week, struggled to find his rhythm on an ideal day for low scoring at the Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas. He bogeyed the par-four second hole and made a double-bogey seven on the eighth hole to limp to the turn at three-over. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ghana-commercial-bank-reports-surge-2012-profits-094625438--finance.html

Medal Count Sam Mikulak London 2012 diving Tim Berners-Lee Olympics 2012 Schedule Kenneth Branagh Lupe Ontiveros

It's a girl for Kristen Bell, fiance Dax Shepard

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are new parents of a baby girl.

The engaged actors took to Twitter Thursday to announce the arrival of their daughter, Lincoln Bell Shepard.

Bell, who stars on Showtime's "House of Lies," tweeted that her "new roommate poops her pants and doesn't pay rent." She closed with, "welcome baby Lincoln."

Shepard is a star of NBC's "Parenthood." He posted that his new daughter "has mom's beauty and dad's obsession with breasts."

Bell is 32 and Shepard is 38. The couple have been engaged since 2009.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/girl-kristen-bell-fiance-dax-shepard-225545453.html

janelle monae MBTA national signing day Solomon Islands Mary Leakey Side Effects bob marley

Former US soldier accused of fighting with al Qaeda group in Syria

via YouTube

Video of US Army veteran Eric Harroun filming militants celebrating a crashed helicopter was cited in the FBI affadavit. This clip has not been edited or verified by NBC News.

By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News

A former U.S. soldier has been charged with fighting with an al Qaeda group in Syria after allegedly posting photographs of himself posing with military hardware on the internet, officials said in a statement.

Eric Harroun, 30, of Phoenix, Ariz., was accused of using a rocket-propelled grenade while fighting with the al-Nusrah Front, an alias of al Qaeda in Iraq, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the U.S. Attorney?s Office in the Eastern District of Virginia.

?Harroun, a U.S. citizen who served with the U. S. Army from 2000 to 2003, was charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to use a destructive device outside of the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, if convicted,? the statement said.

?According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Harroun allegedly crossed into Syria in January 2013 and fought with members of the al-Nusrah Front against the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria,? it added. ?The affidavit alleges that Harroun was trained to use an RPG by members of the terrorist organization and that he fired an RPG and posted online multiple photographs of himself carrying or posing with RPGs and other military weapons.?

?Harroun allegedly participated in attacks led by the al-Nusrah Front and was part of an RPG team, for which he carried anti-personnel and anti-armor rockets,? it said.

600 terrorist attacks
Al Qaeda in Iraq has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization since October 2004.

?The al-Nusrah Front is one of several aliases used by the 'al Qa?ida in Iraq' terrorist organization, and since November 2011 the group has claimed responsibility for nearly 600 terrorist attacks in Syria,? the statement said.

U.S. officials have called for Assad to step down in Syria and have offered non-lethal support to the rebels, but there is concern about militant groups like al Qaeda affiliates fighting alongside other rebel forces.

Israel fears al Qaeda elements will establish themselves close to the border and threaten to fire chemical weapons and long-range rockets captured from the Syrian army into Israel.

The statement said Harroun appeared in a federal court in Alexandria, Va., Thursday.

Harroun was arrested on Wednesday upon returning to the United States at an airport outside Washington, Reuters said. He has a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

He was medically discharged from the army after being injured in a car accident, according to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint, Reuters reported.

The criminal charge of "conspiring to use a destructive device outside of the United States" carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Harroun appeared in two videos that indicated he was engaged in military action with rebel forces against the Syrian government, Reuters reported. In one video, he said: "Bashar al-Assad, your days are numbered. ... Where(ever) you go we will find you and kill you," according to the affidavit.

In March, the FBI conducted three voluntary interviews of Harroun at the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, during which he stated that he wanted to fight with the Free Syrian Army against the Assad regime, the affidavit added.

Harroun allegedly told the FBI that during his fighting in Syria he shot about 10 people but did not know whether he killed any of them, the affidavit said, according to Reuters. He also said he hated al Qaeda and did not know any al Qaeda members, the affidavit said. On Wednesday in the United States, the FBI conducted another voluntary interview during which Harroun allegedly said that he knew the al-Nusrah Front had been designated a terrorist organization, according to the affidavit.

The U.S. Attorney's office said a lawyer would be appointed for Harroun, Reuters reported.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Related:

Syrian rebels ask US to shoot down Assad's warplanes with Patriot missiles

Arab nations set to declare the right to arm Syrian rebels

Syria chaos looms large over Obama's Israel trip

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653387/s/2a1fb2fb/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C290C175126340Eformer0Eus0Esoldier0Eaccused0Eof0Efighting0Ewith0Eal0Eqaeda0Egroup0Ein0Esyria0Dlite/story01.htm

safety not guaranteed lifehouse al gore la dodgers lawrence o donnell magic johnson jetblue pilot

ZTE Posts Second Straight Net Loss Of $183M In Q4 On Emerging Market Woes

As it already warned, ZTE posted its second-straight quarterly loss, due to vastly trimmed margins in emerging markets, as well as contract delays and falling handset sales in China. It made a net loss of 1.14 billion yuan ($183 million) in the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with its net income of 991.16 million yuan a year prior. Sales in the fourth quarter also fell 16 percent to 23.5 billion yuan ($3.78 billion). In all, this makes it the first time ZTE has posted an annual loss, at 2.84 billion yuan ($456 million). The company blamed the decrease in profit margin on low-margin contracts in emerging markets like Africa, South America and Asia, as well as its home market of China. ZTE has spent the last 20 years aggressively expanding overseas, but often at the cost of profitability because of its slim profit margins as it undercuts European equipment makers in emerging markets such as India. It recently said it will try to cut costs and make a profit in the first quarter by focusing on developed markets, instead. ZTE has been lagging behind fellow Chinese rival, Huawei Technologies. The former recently announced it will increase its investment in 4G infrastructure, in order to catch up with Huawei, as the two compete for most 4G contracts from the three major carriers in China?China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom. Huawei is the second largest global maker of telecoms equipment, while ZTE is fifth-largest. As for its handset play, nobody is really staking a claim on the Android market the way Samsung is. According to Gartner’s latest report, Samsung has 42.5 percent of the global Android market, with the next vendor at just 6 percent. And it grew this share in just a year, eclipsing Taiwanese competitor HTC to leave it trailing by 30 percent at the end of 2012. Across OSes, Samsung and Apple have the number one and two slot respectively atop the global share, at 29 percent and 21.8 percent, respectively, according to IDC. Huawei has 4.9 percent, Sony has 4.5 percent, and ZTE is fifth at 4.3 percent. But ZTE has more to worry about than just the Samsung juggernaut. Its general focus on the low to mid-range Android handset market means that thinner and thinner margins make it less worthwhile to duke it out in emerging markets. Its new?plan to attack the high-end market is

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/WbtmlUBcV_c/

Savages Home Run Derby 2012 San Diego fireworks steve nash july 4th Malware Monday First Row Sports

David Miliband, Former UK Foreign Secretary, Appointed President of International Rescue Committee

NEW YORK, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Rescue Committee (IRC) today announced the appointment of David Miliband, 47, former Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, as its president and CEO, effective September this year. He will succeed George Rupp, who has led the global humanitarian relief and development organization since stepping down as president of Columbia University in 2002.?

(Logo:?http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130327/DC83911LOGO)

Over the last 15 years, Miliband has had a distinguished political career in the United Kingdom. From 2007 to 2010, he served as the youngest U.K. Foreign Secretary in three decades, driving advancements in human rights and representing the United Kingdom throughout the world. In 2006, as U.K. Secretary of State for the Environment, he spearheaded the groundbreaking Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Bill, establishing the world's first legally binding framework for reducing carbon emissions.

"I am deeply honored to have been appointed president of the IRC," Miliband said. "Thanks to the leadership of George Rupp, the dedication of its staff and the confidence of its donors, the IRC today is strong, effective and widely respected, and I am committed to helping the IRC team build on their great work. The IRC's mission is personal for me because my own parents were refugees who arrived in Britain in the 1940s. I look forward to honoring the memory of those who helped my parents by leading the IRC as it continues to offer help today to uprooted people around the world. I will bring to the IRC a passionate commitment to social justice and international cooperation. I am eager to listen to the stories of its diverse staff, beneficiaries, partners and funders, and adding ideas of my own, as we chart a confident future for an organization that has an inspirational past."

"David is an experienced world leader and a man of both action and character," Rupp said, "as his record as Foreign Secretary?including his work for conflict resolution in the former Yugoslavia, his leadership in calling for a political settlement in Afghanistan, and his drive for education reform in Pakistan and human rights in Sri Lanka?attests. His insights, ability and commitment will be tremendous assets. I look forward to witnessing this next exciting chapter of the IRC's incredible journey of helping the most desperate people move from harm to home."

"The IRC was looking for a proven leader with the ability to project our message, deepen our partnerships and build on our record of innovation on behalf of displaced people around the world," said Sarah O'Hagan and Thomas Schick, co-chairs of the IRC's Board of Directors. "In David Miliband we have found such a leader."

During the last decade, the IRC has responded to a wide range of humanitarian crises, including those associated with the civil war in Syria, the war in Iraq, the conflict in Darfur, the drought and famine in the Horn and East Africa and more recently the Sahel, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2008 cyclone in Myanmar and earthquakes in Pakistan, Haiti and Japan. The IRC has also carried out major development and assistance programs in Afghanistan, Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Thailand and elsewhere. In addition, the agency has helped more than 75,000 refugees begin new lives in the United States over the last decade. Founded in 1933 at the suggestion of Albert Einstein to help victims of the Nazis, the IRC today has operations in more than 40 countries. Its staff includes more than 12,000 men and women around the world, and nearly 1,300 volunteers in its 22 U.S. refugee resettlement offices. The IRC's budget is expected to exceed $440 million during the current fiscal year.?

David Miliband is currently Member of Parliament representing South Shields. He is Co-Chair of the Global Ocean Commission. Before serving as Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for the Environment, he was Minister for Communities and Local Government (2005?2006); Minister for Schools (2002?2004); and Head of Downing Street's Number 10 Policy Unit (1997?2001).

Miliband graduated from Oxford University in 1987 with a first class degree in philosophy, politics and economics, and received his master's degree in political science in 1989 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which he attended as a Kennedy Scholar. He is married to the violinist Louise Shackelton and they have two sons. His office will be located at the IRC's global headquarters in New York.

About the International Rescue Committee

A global leader in humanitarian assistance for 80 years, the International Rescue Committee works in more than 40 countries offering help and hope to refugees and others impacted by violent conflict and disaster. During crises, IRC teams provide health care, shelter, clean water, sanitation, learning programs for children and special aid for women. As emergencies subside, the IRC stays to revive livelihoods and help shattered communities recover and rebuild. Every year, the IRC also helps resettle thousands of refugees admitted into the United States, in 22 cities across the country. A tireless advocate for the most vulnerable, the IRC is committed to restoring hope, dignity and opportunity. For more information, visit http://www.rescue.org.

Forbes named the IRC as one of five "all-star" charities in its November 2012 list of the 100 largest charities. The watchdog groups Charity Navigator and CharityWatch, formerly the American Institute of Philanthropy, give the IRC their highest ratings, and it meets all standards of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.?

SOURCE International Rescue Committee

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/david-miliband-former-uk-foreign-secretary-appointed-president-070000591.html

abraham lincoln vampire hunter their eyes were watching god lara logan manu ginobili sports illustrated swimsuit 2012 aretha franklin whitney houston paul williams

GOP ponders long list of names, policies for 2016

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-ponders-long-list-names-policies-2016-170133101--election.html

kirkwood chris brown and rihanna nightline brady quinn brady quinn bloom box obama sweet home chicago

Watch your tongue, North Korea warns South's new leader

Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/watch-tongue-north-korea-warns-souths-leader-051421838.html

kids choice awards ncaa Miley Cyrus Twerk ncaa march madness cbs march madness bracket ncaa basketball scores

Russian hotel booking site Ostrovok lands $25m ... - The Next Web

Moscow, Russia-based online hotel booking service provider Ostrovok has raised $25 million in Series B funding, a mere two weeks after one of its main local rivals, Internet travel agency Oktogo.ru, raised $11 million.

Ostrovok?s capital injection comes from a mix of prior and new backers, including General Catalyst Partners ? which led the round ? Frontier Ventures, Accel Partners, global tech investor extraordinaire Yuri Milner, prolific Silicon Valley investor Shervin Pishevar, ex-Expedia CEO Eric Blachford and the former head of UBS Russia, Edward Kaufman.

The round, which Ostrovok claims makes it the best-capitalized online travel company in Russia, will likely not be the last for the startup.

Going all-in

In a phone conversation with co-founder and CEO Serge Faguet earlier this week, I learned that there?s no cashing out involved in this fundraising round and that every penny went straight into the fledgling company.

In fact, both co-founders, Faguet and Kirill Makharinsky, contributed $2 million of their own money to the Series B round.

Makharinsky previously co-founded YouNoodle and worked at Slide.com, while Faguet had a stint working for Google and co-founded TokBox.

?We?re in it for the long haul,? Faguet told me, ?and we will likely close more funding rounds, potentially even raise hundreds of millions of dollars in the next few years. We?re really serious about turning Ostrovok into a multi-billion dollar company over time.?

A capital-intensive business

The above is quite an unorthodox thing for any startup founder to say when raising money (at least out loud), especially relatively big rounds like this one, but Faguet explains:

?Online hotel booking is actually more of a capital-intensive business than most people think, especially when you consider the way we work and taking into account the specifics of the Russian market.?

Faguet points out that part of its 200-strong workforce travels to all corners of Russia to build direct, long-term relationships with hotels country-wide, and that a lot of resources also goes into making sure all of its product, both for the Web and mobile devices, are top-notch.

The third reason why the Russian online hotel booking market is an expensive space to operate in, Faguet argues, is that consumers don?t (yet) generally trust Internet service providers with their money.

?Ostrovok is on a mission to build a true, trustworthy mainstream consumer brand in Russia?, Faguet adds, ?which means a lot of money goes into marketing the company.?

Ostrovok is currently running television advertising campaigns on a major public TV network for that very reason.

Raising for growth

Ostrovok says the $25 million will help the company to continue developing its existing as well as new products, such as a third-party API to integrate its inventory and accelerate sales across partner networks.

Ostrovok?s API is currently used by a range of partners, including MegaFon, Tripadvisor, Kayak, Sheremetyevo airport and others.

Last year, Ostrovok launched mobile apps for iOS and Android, and a steady stream of revenue is now coming from on-the-go customers.

Faguet tells me approximately 10 percent of all bookings through Ostrovok are currently made using a mobile device, whether it?s a smartphone or tablet app or a portable connected device owner using the company?s website.

In addition to product development, Ostrovok also plans to use the funds for business expansion, in particular growing its sales and customer service teams.

The company?s aim is to become the leading online booking service based on the number of bookable hotels across the former USSR, challenging leader Booking.com in particular.

Founded in late 2010, Ostrovok?s Web and mobile properties today receive more than two million visits every month.

The fledgling company offers its users a selection of more than 135,000 hotels in 200 countries around the world. In the past eighteen months, Ostrovok signed direct agreements with over 4,800 hotels in Russia and the CIS, trumping all existing local players in terms of numbers.

In 2013, Ostrovok plans to establish direct connections with hotels in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Smart money

Faguet asserts that all of the investors in the Series B round were carefully chosen, some because they?ve funded the company in earlier stages (General Catalyst), others because they should be helpful in terms of supporting growth with local and international business expertise (former Expedia CEO Eric Blachford), and others because they can open doors for larger funding rounds down the road (another new backer of Ostrovok is Steve Hellman, country CEO for Credit Suisse Russia).

Yuri Milner?s involvement is notable too: according to Faguet, this is the first investment he?s made in a Russian company in three years. In a statement, Milner notes that the ?persistence, commitment and strategic vision of the team? contributed to his decision to invest.

Dmitry Alimov, managing partner of Frontier Ventures, which is itself backed by the co-founders of Digital Sky Technologies and Mail.ru, says:

?Online hotel booking services is one of the largest, fastest-growing and most profitable parts of the online travel business. We are happy to support Ostrovok, and will help the team build the best product for the Russian consumers.?

Image credit: Katie Brady / Flickr

Source: http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/03/26/ostrovok/

miguel cabrera Karrueche Tran dodd frank Lark Voorhies Jennifer Livingston Orlando Cruz MLB Playoff Schedule

Capote's ashes invited to 'Tiffany's' party

Ron Galella / Getty Images stock

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

It's always nice to have the author whose work a particular play or musical is based on stop by for opening night. But the producers of Broadway's new "Breakfast at Tiffany's" adaptation had a bit of a problem making that happen: writer Truman Capote, whose 1958 novella was the play's inspiration, has been dead since 1984.

That little detail did not stop them, however, from trying.

According to the New York Post, representatives from the play sought out Capote's ashes (owned by late talk show host Johnny Carson's ex Joanne Carson, in whose home Capote died), in the hopes of having them fly cross-country from Bel Air, Calif., to New York for the show's opening night after party. (They would have flown first-class, of course.)

"We did try to get him here," a "Breakfast" rep confirmed to the paper. "Joanne says he always wanted to (see) Holly Golightly open on Broadway, and we thought it would have been poignant for the entire company."

Alas, the fear was that the ashes would not make it back home safely: Over the years they've been reported stolen multiple times, and in any case they would have only have been "half" of Capote, since the other half?of his ashes were scattered along with his late partner's, author Jack Dunphy in 1992.?

"I think ultimately the risk of theft was just too high," added the "Breakfast" rep to the paper, "but he was certainly there in spirit."

As the Post noted, Carson has said that Capote's ashes "were my sanity for ... years. Truman often referred to me as his very own Holly Golightly come to life. He always told me you could be anything you wanted, but whatever happens, never be boring."

In life, as in death, that seems to be true for Capote.

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/03/25/17454206-truman-capotes-ashes-sought-for-breakfast-at-tiffanys-broadway-party?lite

Obama Acceptance Speech Prop 30 Election 2012 Michigan Election Results Missouri Election Results Amendment 64 marijuana

Tilda Swinton performs art of sleeping in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) ? Actress Tilda Swinton is performing the art of sleeping at New York City's Museum of Modern Art.

A museum spokeswoman says the "Moonrise Kingdom" star presented her one-person piece called "The Maybe" on Saturday.

In "The Maybe," Swinton lies sleeping in a glass box for the day. The exhibit will move locations within the museum every time Swinton performs.

There is no published schedule for the piece, which will occur about a half dozen more times through the end of the year.

Swinton first performed the piece at the Serpentine Gallery in London in 1995. In 1996, she performed it in the Museo Barracco in Rome.

She won an Oscar in 2008 for best supporting actress for her role in "Michael Clayton."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-24-People-Tilda%20Swinton/id-3d16ff05e460414cbaa326ea7a044041

separation of church and state dale earnhardt oscar predictions nba all star game 2012 academy awards 2012 nominations independent spirit awards 2012 jan brewer

WSJ: Apple takes WiFiSlam indoor-GPS mapping startup under its wing for $20M

Watch out, Google Maps for Android, it looks like Apple's iOS Maps may soon be entering the building -- when it comes to indoor GPS tracking anyway. The Wall Street Journal's Digits blog is reporting that Apple has confirmed it purchased WiFiSlam, a startup that specializes in WiFi-assisted indoor-GPS functionality for phone apps. Interestingly, Digits notes that the company was founded by a few ex-Googlers a couple of years back and that one of its investors has included a Google employee. Further, a quick Google search confirms that any WiFiSlam-related apps that may have been on Google Play are all but dead links now.

The word on the street is that Apple handed over $20 million to claim the company, although it wouldn't confirm any numbers -- or a specific reason for the purchase -- with the blog. While there's no actual telling whether this means we'll see indoor mapping on iOS maps at any point, it's hard not to imagine it now that Apple's made the purchase. We're seeking comment from Apple on our end, and will be sure to let you know what we hear back. For now, check out an old demo of WiFiSlam in action after the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS, Wireless, Mobile, Apple, Google

Comments

Source: Wall Street Journal (Digits blog)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/23/apple-wifislam-indoor-gps-maps/

att libya engadget twin towers iPhone 5 9-11 Chris Brown Tattoo

Bollywood actor, Super Fight League co-founder Sanjay Dutt, headed to prison

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, the co-founder of the Super Fight League, the largest active mixed martial arts promotion in India, was ordered Thursday by India's Supreme Courtto serve the remainder of a six-year sentence on gun charges stemming from a 1993 bombing in Mumbai that killed 257 people.

Dutt, 53, was originally convicted in 2007 under India's Terrorism and Disruptive Activities Act of possessing a rifle and a pistol given to him by the men convicted in the 1993 bombing that occurred in the financial district of Mumbai (then known as Bombay). In addition to the 257 people who died in the bombing, more than 700 were injured.

He was released on bail pending an appeal, but the Supreme Court upheld his conviction Thursday.

Dutt is a popular Bollywood actor who founded the Super Fight League last year. The promotion signed a five-year television deal with ESPN Star Sports, but it turns out that Dutt will be in prison for most of the term of that deal. Dutt has already served 18 months, but must serve an additional 4 1/2 years.

Dutt is the co-founder and the chairman of the Super Fight League. According to his biography on the Super Fight League web site, Dutt is India's "real action hero."

Bollywood superstar Sanjay Dutt needs no introduction, he is the co-founder and partner of Raj Kundra in Super Fight Promotions Pvt. Ltd. He is the face of MMA India and India's real action hero! He has the raw appeal he has that is so essential to being a star, and people can feel his presence even before they've sighted him. He is the real action hero of India! Sanjay Dutt's passion for fitness and fighting sports along with a vision for India's MMA future he has joined forces with Raj to Launch India's first professional Mixed Martial Arts league. Mr. Dutt is also the brand ambassador for the Boxing Federation of India.

The UFC has been attempting to break into India, but CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said Indians were just becoming aware of MMA. Feeder leagues like the Super Fight League would have been important for the UFC's efforts, to help build interest in the sport in the world's second-most populated country.

The Super Fight League has several recognizable fighters, including former UFC fighters Jeff Monson, Trevor Prangley and Neal Grove.

It has a show scheduled for March 29, but it is not clear if that show will go on.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/bollywood-actor-super-fight-league-creator-headed-prison-042842262--mma.html

ncaa football CES russell wilson Pokemon nhl jillian michaels Freddy E

William Friedkin's misunderstood 1977 "Sorcerer" getting re-release

By Brent Lang

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - William Friedkin's "Sorcerer" - a film that fell victim to shifting tastes when it opened more than three decades ago - will be remastered and released in theaters and for the first time on Blu-ray, the director told TheWrap.

The film, a remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot's "The Wages of Fear," nearly sank Friedkin's career when it hit theaters in 1977. He was riding high on the success of "The Exorcist" and "The French Connection," but as he recounts in his upcoming memoir "The Friedkin Connection," the release of "Star Wars" that same year made it a film out of time and place.

"The zeitgeist had changed by the time it came out," Friedkin said.

The director told TheWrap that a "major studio" has gotten involved in creating a new recolored, digital print and that he hopes it will be ready in time for the Venice Film Festival this August. He said he will have a formal announcement within roughly a week and that the re-release will include all media.

"We're working off the original negative, which is in pretty good shape, but without changing the original concept we have to bring it back in terms of color saturation, sharpness and all the stuff," he said.

The film cost the then enormous sum of $22 million to produce but grossed $12 million and failed to make back its production budget. Along with "Heaven's Gate" and "One From the Heart," it is sometimes brought up as an example of the directorial hubris that ended the period of personal and challenging filmmaking that characterized 1970s Hollywood.

Yet the picture and, in particular a bravura sequence of a truck carrying "sweating" nitroglycerin while crossing a rickety wooden bridge, has grown in the estimation of critics. Stephen King went so far as to write in an Entertainment Weekly column that "Sorcerer" was superior to "Wages of Fear."

But it hasn't been released on DVD since the late 1990s, and Friedkin said the rights have been tangled up for roughly 30 years between Paramount and Universal, which co-distributed the picture. He sued the two studios in 2012 to try to clarify who owned the picture.

Friedkin said he dropped the suit, but that the discovery process was essential to discovering who controlled the rights.

"It's been in a legal whirlpool for 30 or 35 years," Friedkin said "And a lot of people have come and gone from the studios during that time, so it just takes awhile to unravel everything, but we're very close to announcing a premiere date."

A 35 MM print of the film will be shown at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on May 2 as part of a retrospective of Friedkin's work. He will answer questions as part of the event. The same print will be shown on May 9 at American Cinematheque Los Angeles.

"I screened it recently and it hasn't dated," Friedkin said. "It's set in a kind of limbo and neither the haircuts nor the wardrobes nor the sets have aged poorly."

"The Friedkin Connection" will be released on April 16.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/william-friedkins-misunderstood-1977-sorcerer-getting-release-233221870.html

bridge to nowhere primary results dale earnhardt jr michigan primary daytona 500 winner cleveland plain dealer john scott

Discover Why Trusting The Experts With Your Website Design May ...

With an increase in the selection of web design software been made available, increasingly more businesses are choosing to develop their website in-house rather than outsourcing it to the professionals

Nonetheless, as businesses begin to create their website?s in-house, they are coming to the realisation that website design is in fact a good deal harder than what they had initially imagined.

So ? before you choose between creating your business website in-house or having it created by an expert web design company (see ? bespoke web design ), check out a few of the many benefits of having your website made by the professionals.

1.First Impressions Mean Everything

It is said that first impressions mean everything, especially in business! When a search user lands on your site?s homepage, they might be able to decide in an instance whether or not they would like to work with you. For that reason, it is vital that your website looks professional and skillfully made. With help from an expert web design company, your site will be able to leave a long-lasting impression on every search user that comes your way.

2.Accessible To Search-Users

A website?s accessibility to search users is arguably one of the most important aspects of a website. This is because a site that?s easier to navigate and use, will have a much higher conversion rate. This is a professional web designer?s experience with customers and their understanding of what they want, they?ll make sure that they deliver an easy-to-use and customer friendly site.

3.Saves Time

Designing and then creating a website is an unbelievably detailed process. Therefore, once you opt to outsource your web design to the experts you are free to concentrate on what you are best at ? running your business!

4.You Can Rank Amongst Your Biggest Competitors

Before you compete amongst the best, you must first make sure that you too are the best! With the professional help of an experienced website design company you may enjoy ranking amongst some of your biggest competitors, helping to give your business brand greater authority.

5.Better Search Engine Ranking And Visibility

Possibly the biggest advantage of using a professional web design company for your website, is that most can offer you an integrated marketing package (see ? small business web design ). SEO and internet marketing in general are essential to the success of any business. With the right web design company you can expect brilliant SEO as part of your web design service, assisting your website to rank better with the search engines and acquire you greater website traffic. This is just what you need to have a profitable and successful website!

More and more consumers are using the internet to search for the products and services they require; because of this, it?s vital for any business to have a professional site that will assist them to stand above their competitors and reap the rewards of a large online consumer base.

For more information on professional web design, see ? www.webdesignessex.net .

Source: http://timothychain.nazuka.net/discover-why-trusting-the-experts-with-your-website-design-may-prove-good-for-your-business/