Earthquake strikes off Greenland's east coast, no injuries

The quake, initially reported at a magnitude 7.0, was centered 266 miles east-northeast of Ittoqqortoormiit in Greenland and occurred at a depth of 5.3 miles, the USGS said.
Police in Ittoqqortoormiit, with some 500 inhabitants, were aware of the quake but did not feel anything. They said the island does not have a tradition of issuing tsunami warnings.
The meteorological institute in Norway's Tromso said the quake could be felt at Jan Mayen, a Norwegian island, but that no one was injured.
"I would say our experience of this was that it was rather undramatic," said Jo Valseth, a meteorologist working at Jan Mayen.
(Reporting by Paul Simao, Mia Shanley in Copenhagen and Victoria Klesty in Oslo; Editing by Andrew Roche)

source: Reuters 

D’Banj, Don Jazzy – are they back?

All those already celebrating the supposed re-union between D'Banj and Don Jazzy may well have some waiting to do.

The blogosphere and social networks were abuzz with news that Kanye West, whose deal with D'Banj and Don Jazzy has been cited as the reason behind their split, is making serious overtures to the two uber talented artists to sheathe their swords and work together again.

Kanye is said to have insisted that D’Banj get back and work with Don Jazzy and even feature him in the remake of the single, Scapegoat. The two former friends were said to have begun talks on working together once again.

However, Don Jazzy has come out on twitter to debunk the tales. Responding to a direct question on twitter Don Jazzy, tweeting under his twitter handle Michael Collins, tweeted: "False. thanks for asking".

His tweet was in response to a question from @nope2famzers who had asked: Pls How tru Is De Kanye Donjazzy And Dbanj Story Sir!!Confirm?


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Eddie Murray charged with insider trading in SEC probe

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday brought insider trading charges against Hall of Famer Eddie Murray. According to a release from the SEC, Murray was tipped by former Baltimore Orioles teammate Doug DeCinces, who was charged last year.

"It is truly disappointing when role models, particularly those who have achieved so much in their professional careers, give in to the temptation of easy money," Daniel M. Hawke, Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division's Market Abuse Unit, said in a statement.

According to the SEC, Murray made about $235,314 in illegal profits after Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories Inc. publicly announced its plan to purchase Advanced Medical Optics through a tender offer. Murray agreed to pay $358,151 to settle the SEC's charges.

The SEC alleges that in 2009, Murray used the available cash in his self-directed brokerage account to purchase 17,000 shares of Advanced Medical Optics stock on the basis of confidential information DeCinces provided him.

"Mr. Murray, who is a decent man of principle, has settled this to put the matter to an end and get on with his life," his lawyer, Michael Proctor, said Friday, according to CNN.com. "Eddie Murray is admitting no wrongdoing at all in this matter. The settlement agreement itself states that fact."

The SEC says DeCinces and three tippees made more than $1.7 million in illegal profits, and they agreed to pay more than $3.3 million to settle SEC charges.

The SEC is charging the source of the illegal tips – DeCinces's close friend and neighbor in Laguna Beach, Calif., James V. Mazzo, who was the chairman and CEO of Advanced Medical Optics. The SEC also is charging another friend, David L. Parker, who is a businessman living in Utah.

"Mazzo had repeated personal contacts and communications with DeCinces, who promptly traded and tipped Murray, Parker and others that a deal involving Mazzo's company was imminent," Hawke said. "CEOs and other employees of public companies must resist the lure of sharing confidential information with their friends and always put the interests of their shareholders and company first."

According to the SEC's complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the total unlawful profits from Mazzo's illegal tipping topped $2.4 million.

Google upgrades Android maps as Apple battle looms

SAN FRANCISCO — Google’s mapping service for mobile devices is getting an upgrade as the Internet search leader braces for new competition from iPhone maker Apple.

The improvements center on listings for public transportation options in nearly 500 cities around the world. Wednesday’s update includes suggested routes and departure times for more than 1 million stations worldwide, about 50 percent more than a year ago. At some stations, Google will provide indoor directions to help riders navigate the system.

To highlight what it sees as a competitive advantage, Google is offering its latest improvements only on devices running its Android operating software. They include models from Samsung Electronics Co., HTC Corp., Sony Corp. and Google’s Motorola Mobility division. Google said it eventually hopes to make the upgrades available for other systems, including the iPhone and the iPad, but it didn’t say when.

The changes come as Apple Inc. prepares to oust Google’s maps as the automatic navigation service on the iPhone and the iPad. Apple will offer its own mobile mapping service in the next version of the iPhone and iPad operating system due out this fall. The switch could come as early as next month if the release of Apple’s next iPhone comes then, as several technology blogs have speculated.

Apple’s snub represents a major blow for Google Inc., which stands to lose mobile advertising revenue and valuable insights about people’s whereabouts if users of the popular iPhone and iPad devices embrace the alternative mapping service from Apple.

Google’s once-close relationship with Apple has been fraying since it began giving away its Android software in 2008 to cellphone makers looking to challenge the iPhone. Android has since established itself as the leading operating system for smartphones, helping Google boost its revenue by selling more digital advertising on its mobile services.

Steve Jobs, Apple’s late co-founder, viewed Android as a rip-off of the iPhone’s innovations and vowed to retaliate against Google for the perceived betrayal. Apple is currently pursuing allegations of intellectual theft against Samsung, a leading maker of Android devices, in a high-profile trial in a federal court in San Jose, Calif.

Google Inc. believes it can stay a step ahead of Apple in mobile mapping by adding features such as its expanded public transportation directions.

New technology on the maps will allow users to focus exclusively on directions for specific transportation options, such as the subway, while excluding other alternatives, such as the bus.

Navigating public transit is even more important than driving directions in many major cities where cars aren’t the most popular way of getting around, said Brian McClendon, vice president of engineering for Google’s maps. Requests for mass transit directions are especially high in Japan, London, Sydney and New York.

“I am very confident these are the best transit maps available,” McClendon said. “It’s not something you can just go out and buy on the street.”

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Elvis Presley lives, 35 years after death

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"Elvis Presley didn't invent rock n' roll, but he was its most important figure and primary symbol," then-Times' critic Bob Hilburn wrote in an appreciation. "His music was wild, defiant, challenging, adventurous. His long hair, sideburns, loud clothes and uncompromising manner offered a symbol for teen-agers desiring to state their own identity."
Ted Thackeray's official obituary begins with a strikingly detailed account of Presley's medical issues, and the minute-by-minute account of his heart failure. "(Medical examiner Jerry) Francisco told newsmen after an autopsy that Presley had died of 'cardiac arrythmia,' which he described as a severely irregular heartbeat.... He said Presley had a history of mild hypertension and some coronary artery disease, both of which might have contributed to the arrythmia."


The obit notes that Presley was found "fully clothed but unconscious, in a bathroom of his Graceland mansion by his road manager, Joe Esposito."
The now-canonical historical details remain fascinating: "He became a truck driver for the Crown Electric Co. and was studying at night to become an electrician when he decided his mother should have a 'very special' birthday present. The present was a phonograph record. Presley went to the Sun Record Co. in Memphis and paid $4 to make a recording of 'My Happiness' and 'That's When Your Heartaches Begin.' His mother loved it. So did Sam Phillips, president of Sun Records."
A scene piece by Nicholas C. Chriss described the shock of fans assembled outside the Graceland gates at the news.  "A stream of Cadillacs, mostly belonging to members of the Presley family, passed in and out of the mansion gates, which are adorned with guitars and music notes fashioned out of steel. 'I just saw Elvis early this morning,' said Fred Stoll, gatekeeper at the mansion for the last 14 years. 'He smiled and waved. He looked good to me.' "
But Hilburn's appreciation perhaps best documents the legacy that Elvis still carries today. He quotes Phil Spector in a harrowing sendoff: " 'Hey, he's doing us a favor being up on that stage,' Spector said. 'He may be overweight and he may not move like he used to, but he doesn't have to be there. He doesn't need the money. We're lucky to be able to see him. Some day we're all going to say, 'Damn, I wish I could still see him'."

source:latimes.com

Real World star "Joey Kovar" Dead at 29

Joey Kovar, the troubled "Real World" star who appeared on "Celebrity Rehab," was found dead at a friend's home near Chicago this morning, and family members believe drugs are to blame, TMZ has learned.
Kovar was 29 years old.
Kovar's rep tells TMZ that he was discovered by a female friend early this morning who noticed blood coming out of Joey's ears and nose.
The woman called 911 and authorities rushed to the scene, where he was pronounced dead.
Kovar had battled drug issues and sought help for cocaine and ecstasy during his stint on "Celeb Rehab."
While on "Real World: Hollywood," Kovar entered rehab halfway through the season for alcohol and drugs, admitting he'd struggled with substance abuse for years. It was a pretty powerful moment on the show.

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Pussy Riot verdict: live report

1535 GMT: We conclude our live report for the day now, after a Moscow court convicted the three members of protest band Pussy Riot -- Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30 -- to two years in a corrective labour facility.

They were handed the sentence for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after performing a "punk prayer" against Vladimir Putin, who has since been elected to the presidency, in a landmark Moscow cathedral in February.
Dozens of protesters were arrested outside the court during today's hearing, including former chess champion Garry Kasparov.
The trio, two of whom have young children, were driven away in a police van to begin their sentence, minus five months already served.
But there are likely to be more developments in the coming days, as the three are set to appeal the verdict and the Russian Orthodox Church has called for "mercy" amid an international outcry over the three women's fate. LIVE REPORT ENDS.
1528 GMT: The Russian Orthodox Church calls for "mercy" for the three convicted feminist punks.

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Pussy Riot members sentenced to 2 years in prison

MOSCOW – A Moscow judge sentenced three members of the provocative punk band Pussy Riot to two years in prison on hooliganism charges on Friday following a trial seen around the world as an emblem of Russia's intolerance of dissent.

The trial inspired a wave of small but raucous protests across Europe and North America in support of the feminist rockers, who have been dubbed prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International. Hundreds of Pussy Riot supporters waiting outside the Moscow courtroom chanted "down with the police state" when the sentence was announced. Dozens were detained, including several opposition leaders.

The three women were arrested in March after a guerrilla performance in Moscow's main cathedral where they high-kicked and danced while singing a "punk prayer" pleading with the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Vladimir Putin, who was elected to a third term as Russia's president two weeks later.

Judge Marina Syrova said in her verdict that the band members "committed hooliganism driven by religious hatred." She rejected the women's arguments that they were protesting the Orthodox Church's support for Putin and didn't intend to offend religious believers.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alekhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, stood in handcuffs in a glass cage in the courtroom for three hours as the judge read the verdict. They smiled sadly as the judge recounted testimony of prosecution witnesses accusing them of sacrilege and "devilish dances" in church and said that their feminist views made them hate the Orthodox religion.