BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's prime minister survived a bomb attack on his convoy in Damascus on Monday, as rebels struck in the heart of President Bashar al-Assad's capital.
Six people were killed in the blast, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Previous rebel attacks on government targets included a December bombing which wounded Assad's interior minister.
As prime minister, Wael al-Halki wields little power but the attack highlighted the rebels' growing ability to target symbols of Assad's authority in a civil war that, according to the United Nations, has cost more than 70,000 lives.
Assad picked Halki in August to replace Riyadh Hijab, who defected and escaped to neighboring Jordan just weeks after a bombing killed four of the president's top security advisers.
Monday's blast shook the Mezze district soon after 9 a.m. (2:00 a.m. EDT), sending thick black smoke into the sky. The Observatory said one man accompanying Halki was killed as well as five passers-by.
State television showed firemen hosing down the charred and mangled remains of a car. Close by was a large white bus, its windows blown out and its seats gutted by fire. Glass and debris were scattered across several lanes of a main road.
"The terrorist explosion in Mezze was an attempt to target the convoy of the prime minister. Dr Wael al-Halki is well and not hurt at all," state television said.
It later broadcast footage of Halki, who appeared composed and unruffled, chairing what it said was an economic committee.
In comments released by the state news agency SANA but not shown on television, Halki was quoted as condemning the attack as a sign of "bankruptcy and failure of the terrorist groups", a reference to the rebels battling to overthrow Assad.
Mezze is part of a shrinking "Square of Security" in central Damascus, where many government and military institutions are based and where senior officials live.
Sheltered for nearly two years from the destruction ravaging much of the rest of Syria, it has been sucked into violence as rebel forces based to the east of the capital launch mortar attacks and carry out bombings in the center.
CHEMICAL WEAPONS
Assad has lost control of large areas of northern and eastern Syria, faces a growing challenge in the southern province of Deraa, and is battling rebels in many cities.
But his forces have been waging powerful ground offensives, backed by artillery and air strikes, against rebel-held territory around the capital and near the central city of Homs which links Damascus to the heartland of Assad's minority Alawite sect in the mountains overlooking the Mediterranean.
As part of that counter-offensive, Assad's forces probably used chemical weapons, the United States and Britain have said.
However the trans-Atlantic allies, whose 2003 invasion of Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein was based in part on flawed intelligence about an Iraqi program of weapons of mass destruction, have been cautious in their accusations.
Despite congressional pressure on Barack Obama to do more to help the rebels, the U.S. president has made clear he is in no rush to intervene on the basis of evidence he said was preliminary.
Britain, which says there is limited but growing evidence of chemical weapons use, said it wanted a United Nations investigation to see "whether or not there is verified use of chemical weapons".
"We've been very clear that, should that be the case, then the repercussions would be serious," British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said during a visit to Beirut.
"That is why it is so important to have this independently verified and for the U.N. to do their investigation".
A U.N. team of experts has been waiting to travel to Syria to gather field evidence, but has yet to win agreement from Syrian authorities who want it to investigate only government accusations of chemical weapon use by rebels in Aleppo province.
Russia, which has criticized Western and Gulf Arab support for the anti-Assad fighters, said that attempts by Western countries to expand the U.N. inquiry to cover rebel accusations of Syrian government use of chemicals in Homs and Damascus mounted to a pretext to intervene in the civil war.
"There is not always a basis for the allegations (of the use of chemical weapons)," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference.
"There are probably governments and a number of external players who believe that it is fine to use any means to overthrow the Syrian regime. But the theme of the use of weapons of mass destruction is too serious and we shouldn't joke about it. To take advantage of it (to advance) geopolitical goals is not acceptable."
The United Nations said in February that around 70,000 people had been killed in Syria's conflict. Since then activists have reported daily death tolls of between 100 and 200.
Five million people have fled their homes, including 1.4 million refugees in nearby countries, and financial losses are estimated at many tens of billions of dollars.
The Beirut-based U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia estimates that 400,000 houses have been completely destroyed, 300,000 partially destroyed and a further half million have suffered some kind of structural damage.
(Additional reporting by Thomas Grove in Moscow; Editing by Alistair Lyon and Robin Pomeroy)
Just in case you thought Samsung didn't offer enough variety in its tablet range, its gone ahead and launched yet another. This 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 is brand new and, um, like virtually every other Samsung tablet that's gone before it.
The third iteration of Samsung's first tablet attempt, this little seven-incher packs a 1.2GHz processor, 8GB or 16GB of storage, 3-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front facer, and Android 4.1. A fairly bland spec list to accompany what is quite a bland product.
The Wi-Fi version of the Tab 3 will roll out across the world in May, with a 3G model following in June. There's currently no word on pricing, but it will probably be comparable to the existing Tab 2. Not that you'd notice the difference. [Samsung via Engadget]
Celebrity News Headlines - Yahoo! Newshttp://news.yahoo.com/celebrity/ Get the latest Celebrity news headlines from Yahoo! News. Find breaking Celebrity news, including analysis and opinion on top Celebrity stories, photos and more.en-USCopyright (c) 2013 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reservedFri, 26 Apr 2013 14:06:59 -04005Celebrity News Headlines - Yahoo! Newshttp://news.yahoo.com/celebrity/ http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gifCountry singer George Jones dead at 81<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/country-music-singer-george-jones-dies-age-81-144810382.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/VQiFMFgIOVbbIPd9MCdYfQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-26T145849Z_2_CBRE93P155R00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-JONES.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="George Jones performs during the Country Music Association Awards in Tennessee, November 6, 2002." align="left" title="George Jones performs during the Country Music Association Awards in Tennessee, November 6, 2002." border="0" /></a>By Bill Trott WASHINGTON (Reuters) - George Jones, a classic country singer with a voice full of raw honky-tonk emotion and a life full of honky-tonk turmoil, died on Friday at age 81, his spokesman said. Jones, whose career spanned more than six decades and included hits such as "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and "Window Up Above," died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville. He had been hospitalized since April 18 with fever and irregular blood pressure, spokesman Kirt Webster said. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/country-music-singer-george-jones-dies-age-81-144810382.htmlFri, 26 Apr 2013 14:06:59 -0400Reuterscountry-music-singer-george-jones-dies-age-81-144810382<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/country-music-singer-george-jones-dies-age-81-144810382.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/VQiFMFgIOVbbIPd9MCdYfQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-26T145849Z_2_CBRE93P155R00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-JONES.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="George Jones performs during the Country Music Association Awards in Tennessee, November 6, 2002." align="left" title="George Jones performs during the Country Music Association Awards in Tennessee, November 6, 2002." border="0" /></a>By Bill Trott WASHINGTON (Reuters) - George Jones, a classic country singer with a voice full of raw honky-tonk emotion and a life full of honky-tonk turmoil, died on Friday at age 81, his spokesman said. Jones, whose career spanned more than six decades and included hits such as "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and "Window Up Above," died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville. He had been hospitalized since April 18 with fever and irregular blood pressure, spokesman Kirt Webster said. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Gwyneth Paltrow named People's most beautiful woman<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/gwyneth-paltrow-named-peoples-most-beautiful-woman-165921879.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/rP_XImVqD8mKEkOZ.9RBDQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-24T165921Z_1_CBRE93N1B7D00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-GWYNETHPALTROW.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Actress Gwyneth Paltrow arrives at the 84th Academy Awards in Hollywood" align="left" title="Actress Gwyneth Paltrow arrives at the 84th Academy Awards in Hollywood" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow on Wednesday was named the world's most beautiful woman for 2013 by People magazine, knocking pop singer Beyonce out of the top spot. The 40-year-old mother of two credits a five-day-a-week exercise regimen for keeping her in shape as she grows older. "It makes me look younger and feel strong," Paltrow told the magazine. "When I first started, I thought, 'I'll never be good at this. This is a nightmare!' But now it's like brushing my teeth, I just do it. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/gwyneth-paltrow-named-peoples-most-beautiful-woman-165921879.htmlWed, 24 Apr 2013 12:59:21 -0400Reutersgwyneth-paltrow-named-peoples-most-beautiful-woman-165921879<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/gwyneth-paltrow-named-peoples-most-beautiful-woman-165921879.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/rP_XImVqD8mKEkOZ.9RBDQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-24T165921Z_1_CBRE93N1B7D00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-GWYNETHPALTROW.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Actress Gwyneth Paltrow arrives at the 84th Academy Awards in Hollywood" align="left" title="Actress Gwyneth Paltrow arrives at the 84th Academy Awards in Hollywood" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow on Wednesday was named the world's most beautiful woman for 2013 by People magazine, knocking pop singer Beyonce out of the top spot. The 40-year-old mother of two credits a five-day-a-week exercise regimen for keeping her in shape as she grows older. "It makes me look younger and feel strong," Paltrow told the magazine. "When I first started, I thought, 'I'll never be good at this. This is a nightmare!' But now it's like brushing my teeth, I just do it. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Michael Jackson wrongful death trial set to get underway Monday<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/michael-jackson-wrongful-death-trial-set-underway-monday-011959836.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/B0MMciNvU6Zttp3YoHbMMQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-24T042551Z_5_CBRE93L1UID00_RTROPTP_2_PEOPLE-MICHAELJACKSON.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Katherine Jackson leaves the sentencing hearing of Dr. Conrad Murray in Los Angeles" align="left" title="Katherine Jackson leaves the sentencing hearing of Dr. Conrad Murray in Los Angeles" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The civil trial over the death of Michael Jackson is set to get formally underway next week after jury selection was completed on Tuesday in the $40 billion case that pits the pop star's mother against concert promoters AEG Live. Six alternate jurors were chosen on Tuesday following the selection a day earlier of a jury of six men and six women for what is expected to be an emotional three-month trial. The conclusion of the month-long search for a jury set the stage for opening statements to begin in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/michael-jackson-wrongful-death-trial-set-underway-monday-011959836.htmlWed, 24 Apr 2013 00:25:51 -0400Reutersmichael-jackson-wrongful-death-trial-set-underway-monday-011959836<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/michael-jackson-wrongful-death-trial-set-underway-monday-011959836.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/B0MMciNvU6Zttp3YoHbMMQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-24T042551Z_5_CBRE93L1UID00_RTROPTP_2_PEOPLE-MICHAELJACKSON.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Katherine Jackson leaves the sentencing hearing of Dr. Conrad Murray in Los Angeles" align="left" title="Katherine Jackson leaves the sentencing hearing of Dr. Conrad Murray in Los Angeles" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The civil trial over the death of Michael Jackson is set to get formally underway next week after jury selection was completed on Tuesday in the $40 billion case that pits the pop star's mother against concert promoters AEG Live. Six alternate jurors were chosen on Tuesday following the selection a day earlier of a jury of six men and six women for what is expected to be an emotional three-month trial. The conclusion of the month-long search for a jury set the stage for opening statements to begin in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Novelist Banks "stunned" by fan support over terminal cancerBy Li-mei Hoang LONDON (Reuters) - Scottish author Iain Banks, who announced this month he was suffering from terminal cancer, said he was "stunned" by the messages of support he has received from his fans. The "Wasp Factory" author said he was deeply flattered and touched by all the responses left on the website Banksophilia, which was set up by his friend Martin Belk. "Good grief! - what an outpouring of love, affection and respect. I honestly had no idea," he wrote. ...http://news.yahoo.com/novelist-banks-stunned-fan-support-over-terminal-cancer-114755776.htmlThu, 25 Apr 2013 07:47:55 -0400Reutersnovelist-banks-stunned-fan-support-over-terminal-cancer-114755776A Minute With: Colin Firth from royal to ordinary "Arthur Newman"<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/minute-colin-firth-royal-ordinary-arthur-newman-112053442.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/AAceqZMSdcdsXr8FelBUrg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-25T172024Z_1_CBRE93O1C6800_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-COLINFIRTH.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Cast member Firth arrives for the world premiere of the film "Gambit" at Leicester Square in London" align="left" title="Cast member Firth arrives for the world premiere of the film "Gambit" at Leicester Square in London" border="0" /></a>By Zorianna Kit LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After winning a Best Actor Oscar for playing a stuttering British royal in 2010 film "The King's Speech," Colin Firth is back on screen as a character who appears ordinary to the point of boring in indie drama "Arthur Newman." Opening in select U.S. movie theaters on Friday, Firth plays an American man who is dissatisfied with his life and hits the road with a new identity. Things get derailed when he meets Mike (Emily Blunt) a troubled young woman fleeing from her own issues. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/minute-colin-firth-royal-ordinary-arthur-newman-112053442.htmlFri, 26 Apr 2013 07:20:53 -0400Reutersminute-colin-firth-royal-ordinary-arthur-newman-112053442<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/minute-colin-firth-royal-ordinary-arthur-newman-112053442.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/AAceqZMSdcdsXr8FelBUrg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-25T172024Z_1_CBRE93O1C6800_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-COLINFIRTH.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Cast member Firth arrives for the world premiere of the film "Gambit" at Leicester Square in London" align="left" title="Cast member Firth arrives for the world premiere of the film "Gambit" at Leicester Square in London" border="0" /></a>By Zorianna Kit LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After winning a Best Actor Oscar for playing a stuttering British royal in 2010 film "The King's Speech," Colin Firth is back on screen as a character who appears ordinary to the point of boring in indie drama "Arthur Newman." Opening in select U.S. movie theaters on Friday, Firth plays an American man who is dissatisfied with his life and hits the road with a new identity. Things get derailed when he meets Mike (Emily Blunt) a troubled young woman fleeing from her own issues. ...</p><br clear="all"/>"Community's" Jim Rash Talks Writing 'Freaky Friday' Episode, Getting Revenge on Joel McHale<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/communitys-jim-rash-talks-writing-freaky-friday-episode-115131507.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/UlUE74pAKJ2dlgoSHAWOkg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-26T115131Z_1_CBRE93P0WY100_RTROPTP_2_PEOPLE-US-JIMRASH-COMMUNITY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="The stars of the comedy series "Community" Yvette Nicole Brown (L) and Jim Rash take part in a panel discussion at the NBC Universal Summer Press Day 2012 introducing new television shows for the summer season in Pasadena" align="left" title="The stars of the comedy series "Community" Yvette Nicole Brown (L) and Jim Rash take part in a panel discussion at the NBC Universal Summer Press Day 2012 introducing new television shows for the summer season in Pasadena" border="0" /></a>(Note: Strong language in para 8) By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jim Rash hasn't let his Oscar for co-writing "The Descendants" go to his head. "Oscar or no Oscar, it doesn't matter," Rash told TheWrap. "It's like, 'You did that, great. Now, do it again' or 'Let's see if you got what it takes.' The pressure is always going to be there no matter what," he continued. "So I feed off that pressure, because obviously I want to do the best job as I can. But, it really doesn't mean anything. You can still write a piece of crap next time around. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/communitys-jim-rash-talks-writing-freaky-friday-episode-115131507.htmlFri, 26 Apr 2013 07:51:31 -0400Reuterscommunitys-jim-rash-talks-writing-freaky-friday-episode-115131507<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/communitys-jim-rash-talks-writing-freaky-friday-episode-115131507.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/UlUE74pAKJ2dlgoSHAWOkg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-26T115131Z_1_CBRE93P0WY100_RTROPTP_2_PEOPLE-US-JIMRASH-COMMUNITY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="The stars of the comedy series "Community" Yvette Nicole Brown (L) and Jim Rash take part in a panel discussion at the NBC Universal Summer Press Day 2012 introducing new television shows for the summer season in Pasadena" align="left" title="The stars of the comedy series "Community" Yvette Nicole Brown (L) and Jim Rash take part in a panel discussion at the NBC Universal Summer Press Day 2012 introducing new television shows for the summer season in Pasadena" border="0" /></a>(Note: Strong language in para 8) By Jethro Nededog LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jim Rash hasn't let his Oscar for co-writing "The Descendants" go to his head. "Oscar or no Oscar, it doesn't matter," Rash told TheWrap. "It's like, 'You did that, great. Now, do it again' or 'Let's see if you got what it takes.' The pressure is always going to be there no matter what," he continued. "So I feed off that pressure, because obviously I want to do the best job as I can. But, it really doesn't mean anything. You can still write a piece of crap next time around. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Kuwait author wins Arabic book prize for tale of foreign workersLONDON (Reuters) - Kuwaiti author Saud Alsanousi has won the 2013 International Prize for Arabic Fiction for his portrayal of the lives of foreign workers in Gulf countries in "The Bamboo Stalk". The 31-year-old Alsanousi became the youngest winner in the $50,000-prize's six-year history for the story seen through the eyes of Issa, the son of a Kuwaiti father and a Filipina mother. "All the judges agreed on the superior quality of this novel, both artistically and also in terms of its social and humanitarian content," the panel's chair Egyptian writer Galal Amin said in a statement on Tuesday. ...http://news.yahoo.com/kuwait-author-wins-arabic-book-prize-tale-foreign-173002035.htmlTue, 23 Apr 2013 13:30:02 -0400Reuterskuwait-author-wins-arabic-book-prize-tale-foreign-173002035Malaria turns comedy's Richard Curtis from laughter to tears<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/malaria-turns-comedys-richard-curtis-laughter-tears-135729474.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/jrqww9yffBxjfnE8cuJrpQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-23T135729Z_1_CBRE93M12TC00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-MALARIA-RICHARDCURTIS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Director Richard Curtis arrives for a reception for the British Film Industry held by Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, southern England" align="left" title="Director Richard Curtis arrives for a reception for the British Film Industry held by Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, southern England" border="0" /></a>By Barbara Lewis BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Brussels and Washington are the two great lobbying capitals of the world, where campaigners talk themselves hoarse trying to shift the political dial. Some of them have had the fortune to recruit British director and screenwriter Richard Curtis, whose powers of persuasion move hearts as well as minds. Known for his romantic comedies, such as "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill", Curtis has turned his hand to a didactic tragedy - "Mary and Martha" - being screened across the globe to coincide with world malaria day on April 25. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/malaria-turns-comedys-richard-curtis-laughter-tears-135729474.htmlTue, 23 Apr 2013 09:57:29 -0400Reutersmalaria-turns-comedys-richard-curtis-laughter-tears-135729474<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/malaria-turns-comedys-richard-curtis-laughter-tears-135729474.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/jrqww9yffBxjfnE8cuJrpQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-23T135729Z_1_CBRE93M12TC00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-MALARIA-RICHARDCURTIS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Director Richard Curtis arrives for a reception for the British Film Industry held by Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, southern England" align="left" title="Director Richard Curtis arrives for a reception for the British Film Industry held by Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, southern England" border="0" /></a>By Barbara Lewis BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Brussels and Washington are the two great lobbying capitals of the world, where campaigners talk themselves hoarse trying to shift the political dial. Some of them have had the fortune to recruit British director and screenwriter Richard Curtis, whose powers of persuasion move hearts as well as minds. Known for his romantic comedies, such as "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill", Curtis has turned his hand to a didactic tragedy - "Mary and Martha" - being screened across the globe to coincide with world malaria day on April 25. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Brad Grey Discusses Piracy, Failure of DreamWorks Deal During 'Charlie Rose' AppearanceBy Brent Lang LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Brad Gray kept dodging questions during an appearance on "Charlie Rose" Wednesday about why the Paramount's deal to purchase DreamWorks SKG ended with the exits of Steven Spielberg and David Geffen from the studio lot, but the tenacious anchor would not let the studio chief duck his queries. Grey insisted he did not want to speak ill of anyone. He dissembled. He leaned back on the old standby, "I don't know."] Pressed about reports that personality clashes with Geffen had doomed the pact, Grey countered with praise. ...http://news.yahoo.com/brad-grey-discusses-piracy-failure-dreamworks-deal-during-114942752.htmlFri, 26 Apr 2013 07:49:42 -0400Reutersbrad-grey-discusses-piracy-failure-dreamworks-deal-during-114942752Khloe Kardashian out as "X Factor" co-host<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/khloe-kardashian-x-factor-co-host-175736781.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/u2E8XfsOp4LBG2VyMZfKtw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-22T175805Z_2_CBRE93L1DW500_RTROPTP_2_PEOPLE-KIDSCHOICE.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian signs autographs at the 2013 Kids Choice Awards in Los Angeles" align="left" title="Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian signs autographs at the 2013 Kids Choice Awards in Los Angeles" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian will not be returning to "The X Factor" after just one season as co-host of the TV talent show. Fox television on Monday announced that presenter and actor Mario Lopez would return for a second season but the statement made no mention of Kardashian. An "X Factor" spokesman said Kardashian, 28, who with her California socialite sisters Kim and Kourtney rose to fame in "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," would not be returning when the U.S. version of the singing competition returns in September. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/khloe-kardashian-x-factor-co-host-175736781.htmlMon, 22 Apr 2013 13:58:05 -0400Reuterskhloe-kardashian-x-factor-co-host-175736781<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/khloe-kardashian-x-factor-co-host-175736781.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/u2E8XfsOp4LBG2VyMZfKtw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-22T175805Z_2_CBRE93L1DW500_RTROPTP_2_PEOPLE-KIDSCHOICE.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian signs autographs at the 2013 Kids Choice Awards in Los Angeles" align="left" title="Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian signs autographs at the 2013 Kids Choice Awards in Los Angeles" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Reality TV star Khloe Kardashian will not be returning to "The X Factor" after just one season as co-host of the TV talent show. Fox television on Monday announced that presenter and actor Mario Lopez would return for a second season but the statement made no mention of Kardashian. An "X Factor" spokesman said Kardashian, 28, who with her California socialite sisters Kim and Kourtney rose to fame in "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," would not be returning when the U.S. version of the singing competition returns in September. ...</p><br clear="all"/>British comedian Dawn French marries for a second timeLONDON (Reuters) - British comedian Dawn French, who plays "The Vicar of Dibley" in the award-winning television comedy, has married for the second time, her publicist said on Monday. French, 55, married charity worker Mark Bignell at the Scarlett Hotel near Newquay in Cornwall, south west England, on Saturday. The hotel describes itself as a luxury, eco venue overlooking the ocean. Her first marriage, to comedian Lenny Henry, ended in 2010 after 25 years. The pair have an adopted daughter, Billie. ...http://news.yahoo.com/british-comedian-dawn-french-marries-second-time-142835040.htmlMon, 22 Apr 2013 10:28:35 -0400Reutersbritish-comedian-dawn-french-marries-second-time-142835040Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries settle divorce, avoid trial<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/kim-kardashian-kris-humphries-settle-divorce-avoid-trial-175318043--nba.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/vb3LA2XufVhvn3O5yoUlXQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-19T175318Z_1_CBRE93I1DP000_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-KIMKARDASHIAN-DIVORCE.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="TV personality and actress Kim Kardashian speaks during an interview with Reuters in Dubai" align="left" title="TV personality and actress Kim Kardashian speaks during an interview with Reuters in Dubai" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Reality television star Kim Kardashian and NBA basketball player Kris Humphries have finally settled their divorce, avoiding a trial that was set for next month, a Los Angeles County Superior Court spokeswoman said on Friday. Judge Hank Goldberg approved the divorce settlement for the couple, who broke up after just 72 days following their made-for-TV wedding in August 2011. Celebrities usually settle their divorces through negotiation rather than at a trial that can fuel publicity. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/kim-kardashian-kris-humphries-settle-divorce-avoid-trial-175318043--nba.htmlFri, 19 Apr 2013 14:40:19 -0400Reuterskim-kardashian-kris-humphries-settle-divorce-avoid-trial-175318043--nba<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/kim-kardashian-kris-humphries-settle-divorce-avoid-trial-175318043--nba.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/vb3LA2XufVhvn3O5yoUlXQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-19T175318Z_1_CBRE93I1DP000_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-KIMKARDASHIAN-DIVORCE.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="TV personality and actress Kim Kardashian speaks during an interview with Reuters in Dubai" align="left" title="TV personality and actress Kim Kardashian speaks during an interview with Reuters in Dubai" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Reality television star Kim Kardashian and NBA basketball player Kris Humphries have finally settled their divorce, avoiding a trial that was set for next month, a Los Angeles County Superior Court spokeswoman said on Friday. Judge Hank Goldberg approved the divorce settlement for the couple, who broke up after just 72 days following their made-for-TV wedding in August 2011. Celebrities usually settle their divorces through negotiation rather than at a trial that can fuel publicity. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Prince Harry to join expedition to the South Pole<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/prince-harry-join-expedition-south-pole-165200942.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/oCM4p3WZwtePJKYMbd_XKg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-19T165200Z_1_CBRE93I1AUW00_RTROPTP_2_BRITAIN.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Britain's Prince Harry attends the launch of the Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge 2013" align="left" title="Britain's Prince Harry attends the launch of the Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge 2013" border="0" /></a>LONDON (Reuters) - Prince Harry, Britain's third in line to the throne, will take part in a race to the South Pole alongside wounded British servicemen and women, he announced on Friday. The 208-mile (335-km) trek to the South Pole will see Britain's Royal compete against teams from the United States and Commonwealth countries. "As a member of the British team, I will have a brew (tea) on ready for you when you join us at the Pole," he said in a speech, referring to participants from other countries. Harry took part in a 2011 expedition to the North Pole organized by the same charity. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/prince-harry-join-expedition-south-pole-165200942.htmlFri, 19 Apr 2013 12:52:00 -0400Reutersprince-harry-join-expedition-south-pole-165200942<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/prince-harry-join-expedition-south-pole-165200942.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/oCM4p3WZwtePJKYMbd_XKg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-19T165200Z_1_CBRE93I1AUW00_RTROPTP_2_BRITAIN.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Britain's Prince Harry attends the launch of the Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge 2013" align="left" title="Britain's Prince Harry attends the launch of the Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge 2013" border="0" /></a>LONDON (Reuters) - Prince Harry, Britain's third in line to the throne, will take part in a race to the South Pole alongside wounded British servicemen and women, he announced on Friday. The 208-mile (335-km) trek to the South Pole will see Britain's Royal compete against teams from the United States and Commonwealth countries. "As a member of the British team, I will have a brew (tea) on ready for you when you join us at the Pole," he said in a speech, referring to participants from other countries. Harry took part in a 2011 expedition to the North Pole organized by the same charity. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Oprah, Usher, Mayer honor Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/oprah-usher-mayer-honor-rock-roll-hall-fame-084745088.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/pp9Vcyvp6Env7p0eHg3tAA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-19T095154Z_1_CBRE93I0RES00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-HALLOFFAME.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Usher performs during the induction for Quincy Jones at the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles" align="left" title="Usher performs during the induction for Quincy Jones at the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles" border="0" /></a>By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A star-studded crowd gathered to celebrate the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees on Thursday, as Oprah Winfrey and Usher gathered to pay homage to the likes of Donna Summer, Quincy Jones, Randy Newman and Rush. Disco queen Summer, producer Jones and comedy-rock singer Newman were inducted along with Canadian progressive rock band Rush, blues guitarist Albert King, hip hop pioneers Public Enemy, rockers Heart and veteran producer Lou Adler. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/oprah-usher-mayer-honor-rock-roll-hall-fame-084745088.htmlFri, 19 Apr 2013 05:51:54 -0400Reutersoprah-usher-mayer-honor-rock-roll-hall-fame-084745088<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/oprah-usher-mayer-honor-rock-roll-hall-fame-084745088.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/pp9Vcyvp6Env7p0eHg3tAA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-19T095154Z_1_CBRE93I0RES00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-HALLOFFAME.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Usher performs during the induction for Quincy Jones at the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles" align="left" title="Usher performs during the induction for Quincy Jones at the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles" border="0" /></a>By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A star-studded crowd gathered to celebrate the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees on Thursday, as Oprah Winfrey and Usher gathered to pay homage to the likes of Donna Summer, Quincy Jones, Randy Newman and Rush. Disco queen Summer, producer Jones and comedy-rock singer Newman were inducted along with Canadian progressive rock band Rush, blues guitarist Albert King, hip hop pioneers Public Enemy, rockers Heart and veteran producer Lou Adler. ...</p><br clear="all"/>One year after death, music legend Levon Helm returns in documentaryBy Iain Blair (Reuters) - Levon Helm, drummer and singer of root rock group The Band, left behind more than a lifetime of music when he died of cancer a year ago. The four-time Grammy winner also left a documentary film portraying his career, family and friendships that opens in New York City on Friday, exactly a year after his passing. ...http://news.yahoo.com/one-death-music-legend-levon-helm-returns-documentary-132207009.htmlThu, 18 Apr 2013 09:22:07 -0400Reutersone-death-music-legend-levon-helm-returns-documentary-132207009Gospel singer George Beverly Shea dead at 104<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/gospel-singer-george-beverly-shea-dead-104-040546634.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/wle1yZ4D738vCw.uG3CTHw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-17T040546Z_1_CBRE93G0BEC00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-USA-PEOPLE-SHEA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="George Beverly Shea attends the Recording Academy Special Merit Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles" align="left" title="George Beverly Shea attends the Recording Academy Special Merit Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles" border="0" /></a>(Reuters) - George Beverly Shea, a gospel singer with a deep baritone voice who teamed with Billy Graham for more than 60 years, died on Tuesday after a brief illness, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said. He was 104. Shea, was born in Ontario, Canada, where his father was a Wesleyan Methodist minister. He first sang for Graham in 1943 and joined the first of Graham's city-wide crusades in 1947, the association said. "Bev was one of the most humble, gracious men I have ever known and one of my closest friends," Billy Graham said in a statement announcing his death. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/gospel-singer-george-beverly-shea-dead-104-040546634.htmlWed, 17 Apr 2013 00:05:46 -0400Reutersgospel-singer-george-beverly-shea-dead-104-040546634<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/gospel-singer-george-beverly-shea-dead-104-040546634.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/wle1yZ4D738vCw.uG3CTHw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-17T040546Z_1_CBRE93G0BEC00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-USA-PEOPLE-SHEA.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="George Beverly Shea attends the Recording Academy Special Merit Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles" align="left" title="George Beverly Shea attends the Recording Academy Special Merit Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles" border="0" /></a>(Reuters) - George Beverly Shea, a gospel singer with a deep baritone voice who teamed with Billy Graham for more than 60 years, died on Tuesday after a brief illness, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said. He was 104. Shea, was born in Ontario, Canada, where his father was a Wesleyan Methodist minister. He first sang for Graham in 1943 and joined the first of Graham's city-wide crusades in 1947, the association said. "Bev was one of the most humble, gracious men I have ever known and one of my closest friends," Billy Graham said in a statement announcing his death. ...</p><br clear="all"/>A Minute With: Billy Ray Cyrus on Miley and his "Hillbilly Heart"<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/minute-billy-ray-cyrus-miley-hillbilly-heart-123409727.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/am4SGXBAH1XwEEgXQWv5Wg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-17T123409Z_1_CBRE93G0YX300_RTROPTP_2_MUSIC-US-BILLYRAYCYRUS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Recording artist Billy Ray Cyrus arrives on the red carpet at the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Awards XIX in Phoenix" align="left" title="Recording artist Billy Ray Cyrus arrives on the red carpet at the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Awards XIX in Phoenix" border="0" /></a>By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After writing hit song "Achy Breaky Heart," starring in Disney Channel show "Hannah Montana" and raising a famous daughter, country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus has found himself at a crossroads. In his memoir "Hillbilly Heart," published this week, Cyrus writes about his early life in Kentucky, joining his daughter Miley on the 2006-11 TV show that made her a teen idol and how he is still hungry for success despite having moved out of the spotlight. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/minute-billy-ray-cyrus-miley-hillbilly-heart-123409727.htmlWed, 17 Apr 2013 08:34:09 -0400Reutersminute-billy-ray-cyrus-miley-hillbilly-heart-123409727<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/minute-billy-ray-cyrus-miley-hillbilly-heart-123409727.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/am4SGXBAH1XwEEgXQWv5Wg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-17T123409Z_1_CBRE93G0YX300_RTROPTP_2_MUSIC-US-BILLYRAYCYRUS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Recording artist Billy Ray Cyrus arrives on the red carpet at the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Awards XIX in Phoenix" align="left" title="Recording artist Billy Ray Cyrus arrives on the red carpet at the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Awards XIX in Phoenix" border="0" /></a>By Piya Sinha-Roy LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After writing hit song "Achy Breaky Heart," starring in Disney Channel show "Hannah Montana" and raising a famous daughter, country singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus has found himself at a crossroads. In his memoir "Hillbilly Heart," published this week, Cyrus writes about his early life in Kentucky, joining his daughter Miley on the 2006-11 TV show that made her a teen idol and how he is still hungry for success despite having moved out of the spotlight. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Tweeting Turkish pianist given suspended sentence for blasphemy<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/tweeting-turkish-pianist-given-suspended-sentence-blasphemy-110545603.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/L6m1OP7bY50v8xG_KnBD1w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-15T134713Z_2_CBRE93E0UUE00_RTROPTP_2_TURKEY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Turkish classical pianist Say performs during a concert in Ankara" align="left" title="Turkish classical pianist Say performs during a concert in Ankara" border="0" /></a>By Can Sezer and Ece Toksabay ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A world-renowned concert pianist was given a suspended jail sentence in Turkey on Monday for insulting religious values on Twitter, a case which has become a cause celebre for Turks alarmed about creeping Islamic conservatism. Fazil Say, also a leading composer, went on trial in October for blasphemy - a crime that can carry an 18-month sentence - for a series of tweets including one citing a 1,000-year-old poem. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/tweeting-turkish-pianist-given-suspended-sentence-blasphemy-110545603.htmlMon, 15 Apr 2013 10:43:53 -0400Reuterstweeting-turkish-pianist-given-suspended-sentence-blasphemy-110545603<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/tweeting-turkish-pianist-given-suspended-sentence-blasphemy-110545603.html"><img src="http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/L6m1OP7bY50v8xG_KnBD1w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-15T134713Z_2_CBRE93E0UUE00_RTROPTP_2_TURKEY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Turkish classical pianist Say performs during a concert in Ankara" align="left" title="Turkish classical pianist Say performs during a concert in Ankara" border="0" /></a>By Can Sezer and Ece Toksabay ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A world-renowned concert pianist was given a suspended jail sentence in Turkey on Monday for insulting religious values on Twitter, a case which has become a cause celebre for Turks alarmed about creeping Islamic conservatism. Fazil Say, also a leading composer, went on trial in October for blasphemy - a crime that can carry an 18-month sentence - for a series of tweets including one citing a 1,000-year-old poem. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Ozzy Osbourne apologizes to family for drink and drugs binge<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/ozzy-osbourne-apologizes-family-drink-drugs-binge-101739236.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/BqL1MY8IQaC6t6hjYtY21w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-16T101739Z_1_CBRE93F0SM500_RTROPTP_2_BRAZIL.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Rock musician Ozzy Osbourne performs during a concert in Brasilia" align="left" title="Rock musician Ozzy Osbourne performs during a concert in Brasilia" border="0" /></a>LONDON (Reuters) - Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne apologized on Tuesday for bingeing on drink and drugs over the last year and a half but said he was not getting a divorce from his wife Sharon. The British singer's comments on his Facebook page were a response to media speculation about the state of his marriage, with reports that he and Sharon had split up after more than 30 years and were living separately. "Just to set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing," Osbourne, 64, said on his Facebook page. "I'm just trying to be a better person. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/ozzy-osbourne-apologizes-family-drink-drugs-binge-101739236.htmlTue, 16 Apr 2013 13:13:22 -0400Reutersozzy-osbourne-apologizes-family-drink-drugs-binge-101739236<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/ozzy-osbourne-apologizes-family-drink-drugs-binge-101739236.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/BqL1MY8IQaC6t6hjYtY21w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-16T101739Z_1_CBRE93F0SM500_RTROPTP_2_BRAZIL.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Rock musician Ozzy Osbourne performs during a concert in Brasilia" align="left" title="Rock musician Ozzy Osbourne performs during a concert in Brasilia" border="0" /></a>LONDON (Reuters) - Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne apologized on Tuesday for bingeing on drink and drugs over the last year and a half but said he was not getting a divorce from his wife Sharon. The British singer's comments on his Facebook page were a response to media speculation about the state of his marriage, with reports that he and Sharon had split up after more than 30 years and were living separately. "Just to set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing," Osbourne, 64, said on his Facebook page. "I'm just trying to be a better person. ...</p><br clear="all"/>French chef Alain Ducasse wins lifetime achievement award<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/french-chef-alain-ducasse-wins-lifetime-achievement-award-112809608--sector.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/GwBpQqoe0_9s45jcelSirw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-15T112809Z_1_CBRE93E0VW300_RTROPTP_2_MONACO.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="French chef Ducasse poses before the anniversary evening celebrating the 25 years of the restaurant Le Louis XV in Monaco" align="left" title="French chef Ducasse poses before the anniversary evening celebrating the 25 years of the restaurant Le Louis XV in Monaco" border="0" /></a>LONDON (Reuters) - French chef Alain Ducasse was given a lifetime achievement award on Monday by The World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards for "pushing the boundaries of excellence in cooking" over a 30-year career. Ducasse, 56, is one of the world's most decorated chefs who won his first three Michelin star award at the age of 33 with Le Louis XV restaurant in the H?tel de Paris in Monaco. He was the first chef to win three Michelin stars in three different cities and his empire now includes more than 20 restaurants around the world, a culinary publishing house, and a culinary institute. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/french-chef-alain-ducasse-wins-lifetime-achievement-award-112809608--sector.htmlMon, 15 Apr 2013 07:28:09 -0400Reutersfrench-chef-alain-ducasse-wins-lifetime-achievement-award-112809608--sector<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/french-chef-alain-ducasse-wins-lifetime-achievement-award-112809608--sector.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/GwBpQqoe0_9s45jcelSirw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-15T112809Z_1_CBRE93E0VW300_RTROPTP_2_MONACO.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="French chef Ducasse poses before the anniversary evening celebrating the 25 years of the restaurant Le Louis XV in Monaco" align="left" title="French chef Ducasse poses before the anniversary evening celebrating the 25 years of the restaurant Le Louis XV in Monaco" border="0" /></a>LONDON (Reuters) - French chef Alain Ducasse was given a lifetime achievement award on Monday by The World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards for "pushing the boundaries of excellence in cooking" over a 30-year career. Ducasse, 56, is one of the world's most decorated chefs who won his first three Michelin star award at the age of 33 with Le Louis XV restaurant in the H?tel de Paris in Monaco. He was the first chef to win three Michelin stars in three different cities and his empire now includes more than 20 restaurants around the world, a culinary publishing house, and a culinary institute. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Manic comic Jonathan Winters dead at 87<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/manic-comic-jonathan-winters-dead-87-045129210.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/NPvvQynHU8xj.ozwnn4U8g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-12T183819Z_1_CBRE93B1FRY00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-JONATHANWINTERS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Comedian Jonathan Winters performs at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in this handout photo" align="left" title="Comedian Jonathan Winters performs at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in this handout photo" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Jonathan Winters, whose manic, improvisational genius never seemed to take a rest, has died at the age of 87 after a more than 50-year career in stand-up comedy, on television and in film. The burly, moon-faced Winters, a major influence on contemporary comedians like Robin Williams and Steve Martin, died on Thursday of natural causes at his Montecito, California home, surrounded by family and friends, said long time family friend Joe Petro III. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/manic-comic-jonathan-winters-dead-87-045129210.htmlSat, 13 Apr 2013 00:51:29 -0400Reutersmanic-comic-jonathan-winters-dead-87-045129210<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/manic-comic-jonathan-winters-dead-87-045129210.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/NPvvQynHU8xj.ozwnn4U8g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-12T183819Z_1_CBRE93B1FRY00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-JONATHANWINTERS.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Comedian Jonathan Winters performs at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in this handout photo" align="left" title="Comedian Jonathan Winters performs at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in this handout photo" border="0" /></a>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Jonathan Winters, whose manic, improvisational genius never seemed to take a rest, has died at the age of 87 after a more than 50-year career in stand-up comedy, on television and in film. The burly, moon-faced Winters, a major influence on contemporary comedians like Robin Williams and Steve Martin, died on Thursday of natural causes at his Montecito, California home, surrounded by family and friends, said long time family friend Joe Petro III. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Alternative metal bassist Chi Cheng dead at 42By Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - Alternative metal bassist Chi Cheng of the Deftones has died, four years after a car accident left him a coma. Cheng died on Saturday after being brought to a hospital emergency room, according to a website set up to raise funds for the stricken musician. He was 42. "I know you will always remember him as a giant of a man on stage with a heart for every one of you," his mother wrote in a statement on the site. "He left this world with me singing songs he liked in his ear." No cause of death was given on the site. It was not immediately clear where Cheng died. ...http://news.yahoo.com/alternative-metal-bassist-chi-cheng-dead-42-231043535.htmlSun, 14 Apr 2013 19:10:43 -0400Reutersalternative-metal-bassist-chi-cheng-dead-42-231043535McCartney tops UK music rich list, Adele richest youngster<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/mccartney-tops-uk-music-rich-list-adele-richest-153925152.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ARA15XACAViv3HQLvwxD9Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-11T153925Z_1_CBRE93A17HT00_RTROPTP_2_MUSIC-US-BRITAIN-MUSIC-RICH.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="BRITISH SINGER AND SONGWRITER SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY GREETS SPECTATORS IN PRAGUE." align="left" title="BRITISH SINGER AND SONGWRITER SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY GREETS SPECTATORS IN PRAGUE." border="0" /></a>LONDON (Reuters) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney's 680-million-pound ($1.04 billion) fortune put him at the top of a list ranking the UK and Ireland's richest musicians that also highlighted Adele as the wealthiest young music millionaire. McCartney was followed closely by music and stage impresario Andrew Lloyd-Webber at 620 million pounds, Irish rock band U2 and singer Elton John in the Sunday Times Rich List 2013 to be published on April 21, an emailed statement from the paper said. ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/mccartney-tops-uk-music-rich-list-adele-richest-153925152.htmlThu, 11 Apr 2013 11:39:25 -0400Reutersmccartney-tops-uk-music-rich-list-adele-richest-153925152<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/mccartney-tops-uk-music-rich-list-adele-richest-153925152.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ARA15XACAViv3HQLvwxD9Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-11T153925Z_1_CBRE93A17HT00_RTROPTP_2_MUSIC-US-BRITAIN-MUSIC-RICH.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="BRITISH SINGER AND SONGWRITER SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY GREETS SPECTATORS IN PRAGUE." align="left" title="BRITISH SINGER AND SONGWRITER SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY GREETS SPECTATORS IN PRAGUE." border="0" /></a>LONDON (Reuters) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney's 680-million-pound ($1.04 billion) fortune put him at the top of a list ranking the UK and Ireland's richest musicians that also highlighted Adele as the wealthiest young music millionaire. McCartney was followed closely by music and stage impresario Andrew Lloyd-Webber at 620 million pounds, Irish rock band U2 and singer Elton John in the Sunday Times Rich List 2013 to be published on April 21, an emailed statement from the paper said. ...</p><br clear="all"/>Korean rapper Psy releases single to follow "Gangnam" hit<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/korean-rapper-psy-releases-single-gangnam-hit-125429816.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/9l.QlsXyrH5r6eApLZKX3w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-11T125429Z_1_CBRE93A0ZUZ00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-PSY-SONG-GENTLEMAN.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Singer Psy performs during the inauguration of South Korea's President Park at parliament in Seoul" align="left" title="Singer Psy performs during the inauguration of South Korea's President Park at parliament in Seoul" border="0" /></a>By Narae Kim and Elaine Lies SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean rapper Psy released his much-anticipated new single on Thursday hoping to repeat the success of "Gangnam Style" that made him the biggest star to emerge from the growing K-pop music scene. The video for "Gangnam Style" has become the most watched item on YouTube with more than 1.5 billion hits and Psy's horse-riding moves sparked an international dance craze. The details of his latest single, "Gentleman", were kept under wraps until the song was released at midnight in New Zealand (1200 GMT). ...</p><br clear="all"/>http://news.yahoo.com/korean-rapper-psy-releases-single-gangnam-hit-125429816.htmlThu, 11 Apr 2013 08:54:29 -0400Reuterskorean-rapper-psy-releases-single-gangnam-hit-125429816<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/korean-rapper-psy-releases-single-gangnam-hit-125429816.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/9l.QlsXyrH5r6eApLZKX3w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-11T125429Z_1_CBRE93A0ZUZ00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-PSY-SONG-GENTLEMAN.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Singer Psy performs during the inauguration of South Korea's President Park at parliament in Seoul" align="left" title="Singer Psy performs during the inauguration of South Korea's President Park at parliament in Seoul" border="0" /></a>By Narae Kim and Elaine Lies SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean rapper Psy released his much-anticipated new single on Thursday hoping to repeat the success of "Gangnam Style" that made him the biggest star to emerge from the growing K-pop music scene. The video for "Gangnam Style" has become the most watched item on YouTube with more than 1.5 billion hits and Psy's horse-riding moves sparked an international dance craze. The details of his latest single, "Gentleman", were kept under wraps until the song was released at midnight in New Zealand (1200 GMT). ...</p><br clear="all"/>Malawi labels Madonna an "uncouth" bully in scathing attack<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/malawi-labels-madonna-uncouth-bully-scathing-attack-115523643.html"><img src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/eex6RsD0S3d.ooSK44Y.3g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9ODU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-04-11T115523Z_1_CBRE93A0X4M00_RTROPTP_2_CENTERTAINMENT-US-MADONNA-MALAWI.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Madonna during a visit to Gumulira village" align="left" title="Madonna during a visit to Gumulira village" border="0" /></a>By Mabvuto Banda LILONGWE (Reuters) - The Malawi government has branded pop star Mado
THURSDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) ? A hormone that could lead to more effective diabetes treatment has been identified by researchers.
The hormone, called betatrophin, causes mice to produce insulin-secreting pancreatic beta cells at up to 30 times the normal rate. But it only produces insulin when the body needs it, according to the team at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.
The researchers said their findings offer the potential for the natural regulation of insulin and a significant reduction in diabetes-related complications such as blindness and limb amputation.
The study is published in the April 25 online edition of the journal Cell and in its May 9 print issue.
Although the hormone shows promise in lab mice, much more work is needed before it could be considered as a treatment for diabetes in humans, the researchers noted. Results obtained in animal experiments often aren?t attainable in trials with humans.
?If this could be used in people, it could eventually mean that instead of taking insulin injections three times a day, you might take an injection of this hormone once a week or once a month, or in the best case maybe even once a year,? Doug Melton, co-director of the institute and co-chair of Harvard University?s department of stem cell and regenerative biology, said in a university news release.
About 26 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, which causes people to slowly lose beta cells and the ability to produce sufficient amounts of insulin.
?Our idea here is relatively simple,? Melton said. ?We would provide this hormone, the type 2 diabetic will make more of their own insulin-producing cells, and this will slow down, if not stop, the progression of their diabetes. I?ve never seen any treatment that causes such an enormous leap in beta cell replication.?
Along with its potential for treating type 2 diabetes, betatrophin might also have a role in treating type 1 diabetes, Melton said.
Unlike type 2 diabetes, which is associated with being overweight and sedentary, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs most often in children and young adults.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about diabetes.
[unable to retrieve full-text content]In July, odorless gases will be released at street level and in the subways to study how airborne toxins would flow after a terrorist attack or a spill of hazardous chemicals.
It?s a solution that came after all other avenues were exhausted. On April 29, more than two months after the Italian elections, the country?s parliament is expected to give life to a coalition government. Led by Enrico Letta, a high-ranking member of the center-left Democratic Party, Italy?s new administration will be dependent on support from former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, a man many in Letta?s party regard as the enemy.
Indeed, the deal comes only after efforts to find another solution exposed deep rifts in the Democratic Party. After an election in which no party was able to secure a clear victory, Pier Luigi Bersani, the party?s leader during the elections, fervently opposed any compromise with the sex-scandal plagued media mogul, only to resign his position last week after repeatedly trying and failing to get his parliamentarians to vote for his candidates for the Italian presidency. ?On any issue of relevance, the party is split,? says Roberto D?Alimonte, a professor of political science at Rome?s LUISS University. ?Letta might get more support from Berlusconi than his own party. That?s the paradox.?
The deal follows weeks of political brinkmanship in which the Democratic Party struggled to strike a deal with the Five Star Movement, a surging protest party headed by the angry comedian Beppe Grillo, who doggedly rebuffed efforts by Bersani to draw him into a coalition. Grillo, who doesn?t hold elected office, has condemned the government-forming deal as a corrupt pact between unpopular political parties, one that plays into the Berlusconi?s hands. His parliamentarians have pledged to stay in the opposition?positioning themselves as an alternative in future elections.
In the meantime, the pact yields a new government will only survive through compromise. With the Democratic Party having proved that it is incapable of holding the line, Berlusconi will be able to easily claim to control the government?s largest block of support. Recent opinion polls put Berlusconi?s party well ahead of his opponents, so there?s little question that Letta?s government will be heavily shaped by the desires of the former prime minister. Indeed, in an interview on April 25, Berlusconi indicated that his support would be dependent on the adoption of a series of a measures, including the rollback and refunding of a controversial property tax instituted by Mario Monti?s outgoing administration. ?It?s not so important who will lead this government,? Berlusconi said. ?We?ll sustain the measure of any government that can pass the provisions that we desperately need to exit from the economic crisis that the politics of austerity have put us in.?
For the moment, the emergence of the possibility of Letta at the head of a coalition government has calmed markets that had been skittish in the early days after the election. At 46-years old, Letta is young by the standards of his country?s aging political class. But he?s also a veteran politician, well known in Brussels and in other European capitals. First appointed minister in 1998, he spent the last 15 years alternating between terms and government and spells in oppositions to Berlusconi.?We?re talking about a politician who is young, but also experienced,? says Guglielmo Vaccaro, a parliamentarian in the Democratic Party and a close Letta advisor. ?It?s really what we need.? In cooperating with Berlusconi, Letta will also be well served by his family ties; his uncle is a close confidante to the former prime minister.
Indeed, in addition to Berlusconi, Letta will draw much of his support from Giorgio Napolitano, Italy?s president, an important, but largely symbolic role more akin to that played by the Queen of England. After being reelected for an unprecedented second term, Napolitano has thrown his weight behind a coalition government, urging the country?s politicians to put aside their difference and cooperate. With the Italian public screaming for results, all members of the coalition will want to have something concrete to show from their participation. ?There is a potential convergence to a reform program that could deeply change the Italian economy and launch growth,? says Franco Bruni, an economist at Milan?s Bocconi University. ?The country is very conscious that things do not work.?
(MORE: How Berlusconi?s shadow loomed over elections.)
According to Vaccaro, Letta?s government is likely to draw its agenda from a report written by a group of elder statesmen charged by Napolitano with charting a future for the country, focusing first on items all members of the coalition can support. ?We?ll work on things that unite us, which are many.? says Vaccaro. ?If we work on all the things on which there is agreement, we can start moving forward right away, and for the next couple of years we won?t have a moment to breathe.?
Apr. 24, 2013 ? Life on Earth may have originated not in warm tropical seas, but with weird tubes of ice -- sometimes called "sea stalactites" -- that grow downward into cold seawater near Earth's poles, scientists are reporting. Their article on these "brinicles" appears in ACS' journal Langmuir.
Bruno Escribano and colleagues explain that scientists know surprisingly little about brinicles, which are hollow tubes of ice that can grow to several yards in length around streamers of cold seawater under pack ice. That's because brinicles are difficult to study. The scientists set out to gather more information on the topic with an analysis of the growth process of brinicles.
They are shown to be analogous to a "chemical garden," a standby demonstration in chemistry classes and children's chemistry sets, in which tubes grow upward from metal salts dropped into silicate solution. But brinicles grow downward from the bottom of the ice pack.
The analysis concluded that brinicles provide an environment that could well have fostered the emergence of life on Earth billions of years ago, and could have done so on other planets. "Beyond Earth, the brinicle formation mechanism may be important in the context of planets and moons with ice-covered oceans," the report states, citing in particular two moons of Jupiter named Ganymede and Callisto.
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Journal Reference:
Julyan Cartwright, Bruno Escribano, Diego L. Gonz?lez, Claro Ignacio Sainz-Diaz, idan tuval. Brinicles as a case of inverse chemical gardens. Langmuir, 2013; : 130403173604005 DOI: 10.1021/la4009703
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
New genomics center will study rheumatoid arthritis and lupus with $5.6 million grantPublic release date: 24-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Phyllis Fisher phyllis.fisher@gmail.com 212-606-1724 Hospital for Special Surgery
Research focus will be on developing personalized therapies
Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City has received a $5.6 million grant from The Tow Foundation to establish the Hospital for Special Surgery Genomics Center. The new center will apply genomic approaches to study two autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, with the aim of developing more effective therapies.
"Our goals are to use genomic approaches to understand the regulation and function of disease-associated genes, understand how disease-associated genetic variants contribute to disease, and identify new genes associated with autoimmune diseases," said Lionel B. Ivashkiv, M.D., associate chief scientific officer at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), who will serve as director of the new center. "We will use this new knowledge to develop more effective and personalized therapies."
Genomics is the study of an organism's complete set of genetic material, including gene sequence, structure and function, regulation of gene expression, and gene-environment interactions.
In the United States, rheumatoid arthritis, a crippling disease that destroys joints, affects approximately 3 million people. Lupus, a disease that can be very serious, affects joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs, and impacts 600,000 people in the United States. HSS is internationally known for research into these two diseases, and treats one of the world's largest populations of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus patients.
"HSS has strength in both the clinical area and the basic science area of these diseases," said Dr. Ivashkiv. "Our strength is we can have an integrated multidisciplinary approach to trying to study and understand these diseases and develop new therapies."
"We are honored that The Tow Foundation has provided a generous grant to support our continued leadership in exploring the mysteries of autoimmune disease," said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of Hospital for Special Surgery. "Thanks to the Tow Foundation's gift, our scientists and physicians will offer hope to our patients with these challenging diseases."
Over the last two decades, scientists have discovered that certain proteins, including tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6, are associated with rheumatoid arthritis and have used this knowledge to revolutionize treatments for patients. Researchers have also identified proteins associated with lupus that have advanced therapies. Basic, translational and clinical investigators at HSS have worked together and been major contributors to the progress that has been made.
The HSS Genomics Center will use genomic approaches to understand the regulation and function of the genes associated with these proteins, as well as identify new genes associated with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The goal is to develop more effective treatments with fewer side effects, and researchers expect to be testing new therapeutics in animal models by year four of the grant.
The new endeavor will focus on several aspects of research including epigenetics.
"We are very excited to try to understand how genes involved in lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are regulated, because it would represent a new way to drive therapy. It is called epigenetic therapy, meaning therapy targeted around how the environment controls gene expression and thus the environmental causes of disease," said Dr. Ivashkiv.
"In recent years, researchers have identified DNA sequences previously thought to be junk DNA that regulate the expression of genes. These are affected by the environment, for example by hormones or by smoking. It turns out that a lot of susceptibility to diseases falls within these regulatory regions."
A future focus of the new center will be whole genome sequencing. "We would like to look at the genomes of individuals and try to understand how the variation in genes among different people, which occurs normally, influences that person's disease susceptibility and their response to treatment. This part of the research will be more prognostic, looking at the genetic makeup of an individual and potentially making predictions about disease prognosis and, equally important, trying to find which treatments might work the best for them. This is called personalized medicine," said Dr. Ivashkiv. "That is a very complex undertaking, but we think that would also have a very big impact on improving patient's lives."
The new center will collaborate with scientists at the New York Genome Center (NYGC), a center known for its technical, bioinformatic, and educational resources that houses genome sequencing machines. HSS is an associate founding member of the NYGC and will develop a partnership similar to the relationship of the Broad Institute with Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In collaboration with NYGC, the HSS Genomics Center plans to host international research symposia every two years called Genomics of Autoimmune Diseases.
The HSS Genomics Center will have an estimated 20 scientists and will recruit four genomics fellows, a computational biologist and a senior genomics researcher who will interact closely with NYGC staff. In the future, research may expand to other autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases.
HSS has more than 30 rheumatologists who care for an estimated 2,600 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 300 lupus patients, and many of its scientists are internationally recognized experts in their respective fields. The institution has patient registries and repositories that store patient samples and DNA linked with clinical information.
Shiaoching Gong, Ph.D., associate scientist at HSS, will serve as co-director of the HSS Genomics Center. Other key faculty include Assistant Scientists Kyung Park-Min, Ph.D.; Xiaoyu Hu, Ph.D., and Baohong Zhao, Ph.D., Senior Scientist Alessandra Pernis, M.D., Peter Jay Sharp Chair in Lupus Research; and Associate Scientist Inez Rogatsky, Ph.D., from HSS; Robert Darnell, M.D., Ph.D., director of New York Genome Center; and Olivier Elemento, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Eugenia Giannopoulou, Ph.D., computational fellow, both from the Weill Cornell Medical College Institute for Computational Biomedicine. HSS Genomics Center faculty will work closely with leading HSS SLE investigators Mary K. Crow, M.D., physician-in-chief and Benjamin M. Rosen Chair in Immunology and Inflammation Research, and Jane Salmon M.D., senior scientist and Collette Kean Research Chair.
###
The Tow Foundation, a family foundation located in Connecticut, structures grants that provide leverage to the recipients, making possible things that are far greater than what could be achieved alone. Investments focus on support of innovative programs in the areas of groundbreaking medical research, cultural institutions, higher education and vulnerable children and families, with a concentrated initiative on juvenile justice reform. For more information, visit http://www.towfoundation.org
About Hospital for Special Surgery
Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics, No. 3 in rheumatology, No. 10 in neurology and No. 5 in geriatrics by U.S. News & World Report (2012-13), and is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center three consecutive times. HSS has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. From 2007 to 2011, HSS has been a recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award. HSS is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College and as such all Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are faculty of Weill Cornell. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at http://www.hss.edu.
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
New genomics center will study rheumatoid arthritis and lupus with $5.6 million grantPublic release date: 24-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Phyllis Fisher phyllis.fisher@gmail.com 212-606-1724 Hospital for Special Surgery
Research focus will be on developing personalized therapies
Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City has received a $5.6 million grant from The Tow Foundation to establish the Hospital for Special Surgery Genomics Center. The new center will apply genomic approaches to study two autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, with the aim of developing more effective therapies.
"Our goals are to use genomic approaches to understand the regulation and function of disease-associated genes, understand how disease-associated genetic variants contribute to disease, and identify new genes associated with autoimmune diseases," said Lionel B. Ivashkiv, M.D., associate chief scientific officer at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), who will serve as director of the new center. "We will use this new knowledge to develop more effective and personalized therapies."
Genomics is the study of an organism's complete set of genetic material, including gene sequence, structure and function, regulation of gene expression, and gene-environment interactions.
In the United States, rheumatoid arthritis, a crippling disease that destroys joints, affects approximately 3 million people. Lupus, a disease that can be very serious, affects joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs, and impacts 600,000 people in the United States. HSS is internationally known for research into these two diseases, and treats one of the world's largest populations of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus patients.
"HSS has strength in both the clinical area and the basic science area of these diseases," said Dr. Ivashkiv. "Our strength is we can have an integrated multidisciplinary approach to trying to study and understand these diseases and develop new therapies."
"We are honored that The Tow Foundation has provided a generous grant to support our continued leadership in exploring the mysteries of autoimmune disease," said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of Hospital for Special Surgery. "Thanks to the Tow Foundation's gift, our scientists and physicians will offer hope to our patients with these challenging diseases."
Over the last two decades, scientists have discovered that certain proteins, including tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6, are associated with rheumatoid arthritis and have used this knowledge to revolutionize treatments for patients. Researchers have also identified proteins associated with lupus that have advanced therapies. Basic, translational and clinical investigators at HSS have worked together and been major contributors to the progress that has been made.
The HSS Genomics Center will use genomic approaches to understand the regulation and function of the genes associated with these proteins, as well as identify new genes associated with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The goal is to develop more effective treatments with fewer side effects, and researchers expect to be testing new therapeutics in animal models by year four of the grant.
The new endeavor will focus on several aspects of research including epigenetics.
"We are very excited to try to understand how genes involved in lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are regulated, because it would represent a new way to drive therapy. It is called epigenetic therapy, meaning therapy targeted around how the environment controls gene expression and thus the environmental causes of disease," said Dr. Ivashkiv.
"In recent years, researchers have identified DNA sequences previously thought to be junk DNA that regulate the expression of genes. These are affected by the environment, for example by hormones or by smoking. It turns out that a lot of susceptibility to diseases falls within these regulatory regions."
A future focus of the new center will be whole genome sequencing. "We would like to look at the genomes of individuals and try to understand how the variation in genes among different people, which occurs normally, influences that person's disease susceptibility and their response to treatment. This part of the research will be more prognostic, looking at the genetic makeup of an individual and potentially making predictions about disease prognosis and, equally important, trying to find which treatments might work the best for them. This is called personalized medicine," said Dr. Ivashkiv. "That is a very complex undertaking, but we think that would also have a very big impact on improving patient's lives."
The new center will collaborate with scientists at the New York Genome Center (NYGC), a center known for its technical, bioinformatic, and educational resources that houses genome sequencing machines. HSS is an associate founding member of the NYGC and will develop a partnership similar to the relationship of the Broad Institute with Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In collaboration with NYGC, the HSS Genomics Center plans to host international research symposia every two years called Genomics of Autoimmune Diseases.
The HSS Genomics Center will have an estimated 20 scientists and will recruit four genomics fellows, a computational biologist and a senior genomics researcher who will interact closely with NYGC staff. In the future, research may expand to other autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases.
HSS has more than 30 rheumatologists who care for an estimated 2,600 rheumatoid arthritis patients and 300 lupus patients, and many of its scientists are internationally recognized experts in their respective fields. The institution has patient registries and repositories that store patient samples and DNA linked with clinical information.
Shiaoching Gong, Ph.D., associate scientist at HSS, will serve as co-director of the HSS Genomics Center. Other key faculty include Assistant Scientists Kyung Park-Min, Ph.D.; Xiaoyu Hu, Ph.D., and Baohong Zhao, Ph.D., Senior Scientist Alessandra Pernis, M.D., Peter Jay Sharp Chair in Lupus Research; and Associate Scientist Inez Rogatsky, Ph.D., from HSS; Robert Darnell, M.D., Ph.D., director of New York Genome Center; and Olivier Elemento, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Eugenia Giannopoulou, Ph.D., computational fellow, both from the Weill Cornell Medical College Institute for Computational Biomedicine. HSS Genomics Center faculty will work closely with leading HSS SLE investigators Mary K. Crow, M.D., physician-in-chief and Benjamin M. Rosen Chair in Immunology and Inflammation Research, and Jane Salmon M.D., senior scientist and Collette Kean Research Chair.
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About Hospital for Special Surgery
Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics, No. 3 in rheumatology, No. 10 in neurology and No. 5 in geriatrics by U.S. News & World Report (2012-13), and is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center three consecutive times. HSS has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. From 2007 to 2011, HSS has been a recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award. HSS is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College and as such all Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are faculty of Weill Cornell. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at http://www.hss.edu.
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Public release date: 24-Apr-2013
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