The United States and other leading European nations have urged Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, to refrain from violence against unarmed protesters and work to create conditions for free and fair elections.

Washington told Mubarak on Saturday that it was not enough simply to "reshuffle the deck" with a shake-up of his government and pressed him to make good on his promise of genuine reform.

"The Egyptian government can't reshuffle the deck and then stand pat," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said in a message on Twitter after Mubarak fired his government but made clear he had no intention of stepping down.

"President Mubarak's words pledging reform must be followed by action," Crowley said, echoing Obama's appeal on Friday for Mubarak to embrace a new political dynamic.

'Recognise human rights'

In a statement released in Berlin on Saturday, the leaders of Britain, France and Germany said they were "deeply worried about the events in Egypt".

"We call on President Mubarak to renounce any violence against unarmed civilians and to recognise the demonstrators' peaceful rights," the joint statement said.

"We call on President Mubarak to begin a transformation process that should be reflected in a broadly based government, as well as free and fair elections."

The European trio appealed to Mubarak to respond to his people's grievances and take steps to improve the human rights situation in the country.

"We recognise the balanced role that President Mubarak has played for many years in the Middle East. We call on him to adopt the same moderate approach to the current situation in Egypt," the statement said.

"Human rights and democratic freedom must be fully recognised, including freedom of expression and assembly, and the free use of means of communication such as telephone and internet."

Vice-president appointed

The international messages came hours after Mubarak appointed the country's head of intelligence to the post of vice-president, in a move said to be a reaction to days of anti-government protests in cities across the country.

Omar Soliman, once Egypt's chief spy, was sworn in on Saturday, marking the first time Mubarak has appointed a vice-president during his 30-year rule. Ahmad Shafiq, a former air force commander, was appointed prime minister.

The appointments failed to satisfy protesters in the country, however, as Al Jazeera's correspondents in Egypt said that many of those taking to the streets demanded a total change of guard, as opposed to a reshuffling of figures in the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP).

Tens of thousands of people continued to rally in the capital Cairo on Saturday, demanding an end to Mubarak's presidency.

The demonstrations continued in defiance of an extended curfew, which state television reported would be in place from 4pm to 8am local time.

A military presence also remained, and the army warned the crowds in Tahrir Square in Cairo that if they defied the curfew, they would be in danger.

Military's role

But the protesters in Tahrir Square demonstrated in full view of the army, which had been deployed in the city to quell the popular unrest sweeping the Middle East's most populous Muslim country since January 25.

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from the capital, said that soldiers deployed to central Cairo did not intervene in the protests.

"Some of the soldiers here have said that the only way for peace to come to the streets of Cairo is for Mubarak to step down," he said.

The number of people killed in protests over the past five days is reported to be in the scores, with at least 23 deaths confirmed in Alexandria, and at least 27 confirmed in Suez, with a further 22 deaths in Cairo.

Similar crowds gathered in the cities of Alexandria and Suez on Saturday, Al Jazeera's correspondents reported.

In Suez, Al Jazeera's Jamal ElShayyal reported that 1,000-2,000 protesters had gathered, and that the military was not confronting them.

ElShayyal quoted a military officer as saying that troops would "not fire a single bullet on Egyptians".

The officer also said the only solution to the current unrest was "for Mubarak to leave".

ElShayyal said that 1,700 public workers in Suez had gone on an indefinite strike seeking Mubarak's resignation.

Cabinet resigns

Earlier on Saturday, the Egyptian cabinet formally resigned in response to the protests, and Ahmed Ezz, a businessman and senior figure in the ruling NDP also stepped down from his post as chairman of the Planning and Budget Committee.

Protesters ransacked and burned one of his company's main offices in Mohandiseen, an area of Cairo.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading opposition figure, told Al Jazeera that protests would continue until the president steps down.

He also stressed that the political "system" will have to change in Egypt before the country can move forward.

The former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also expressed "disappointment" with the US reaction to the protests, though he stressed that any change would have to come from "inside Egypt".

He said Mubarak should put in place an interim government that would arrange free and fair elections.

2011 - aljazeera

Live From the Egyptian Revolution by Sharif Abdel Kouddous

Cairo, Egypt—I grew up in Egypt. I spent half my life here. But Saturday, when my plane from JFK airport touched down in Cairo, I arrived in a different country than the one I had known all my life. This is not Hosni Mubarak’s Egypt anymore and, regardless of what happens, it will never be again.

In Tahrir Square, thousands of Egyptians–men and women, young and old, rich and poor–gathered today to celebrate their victory over the regime’s hated police and state security forces and to call on Mubarak to step down and leave once and for all. They talked about the massive protest on Friday, the culmination of three days of demonstrations that began on January 25th to mark National Police Day. It was an act of popular revolt the likes of which many Egyptians never thought they would see during Mubarak’s reign. "The regime has been convincing us very well that we cannot do it, but Tunisians gave us an idea and it took us only three days and we did it," said Ahmad El Esseily, a 35 year-old author and TV/radio talk show host who took park in the demonstrations. "We are a lot of people and we are strong."

In Cairo, tens of thousands of people--from all walks of life--faced off against riot police armed with shields, batons, and seemingly endless supplies of tear gas. People talked about Friday’s protest like a war; a war they’d won. "Despite the tear gas and the beatings, we just kept coming, wave after wave of us," one protester said. "When some of us would tire, others would head in. We gave each other courage." After several hours, the police were forced into a full retreat. Then, as the army was sent in, they disappeared.

The military was greeted warmly on the streets of Cairo. Crowds roared with approval as one soldier was carried through Tahrir square today holding a flower in his hand. Dozens of people clambered onto tanks as they rode around the square. Throughout the day people chanted: "The people, the army: one hand."

While the police and state security forces are notorious in Egypt for torture, corruption and brutality, the army has not interacted with the civilian population for more than 30 years and is only proudly remembered for having delivered a victory in the 1973 war with Israel. A 4pm curfew set for today was casually ignored with people convinced the army would not harm them. The police were a different story. Their brutality the past few days--decades in fact--has been well documented.

Saturday, some of the police forces were holed up inside their headquarters in the Interior Ministry building near the end of a street connected to Tahrir Square. When protesters neared the building, the police began firing live ammunition at the crowd, forcing them to flee back to the square. Three bloodied people were carried out. "The police are killing us," one man yelled desperately while on the phone with al Jazeera from outside the building. When the firing stopped, defiant protesters began approaching the building again. In the background, the smoking, blackened shell of Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party headquarters served as an ominous reminder of their intentions.

At this point it seems clear the people are not leaving the streets. They own them now and they are refusing to go until Mubarak does. They chanted, "Mubarak, the plane is waiting for you at the airport," and "Wake up Mubarak, today is your last day."

At one point, a rumor spread through Tahrir Square that Mubarak had fled the country. A massive cheer rippled through the crowd. People began jumping up and down in joy. One man wept uncontrollably. When it turned out not to be true, the cheers quickly ended but it provided a brief glimpse of the sheer raw desire for Mubarak’s ouster. Reports now indicate that Mubarak’s two sons and his wife, Suzanne, have fled Egypt, as have some of his closest business cronies. Many people believe that is a sign that Hosni will not be far behind.

There is a great sense of pride that this is a leaderless movement organized by the people. A genuine popular revolt. It was not organized by opposition movements, though they have now joined the protesters in Tahrir. The Muslim Brotherhood was out in full force today. At one point they began chanting "Allah Akbar" only to be drowned out by much louder chants of "Muslim, Christian, we are all Egyptian."

As the sun set over Cairo, silence fell upon Tahrir square as thousands stopped to pray in the street while others stood atop tanks. After the sunset prayer, they held a 'ganaza'–a prayer for those killed in the demonstrations. Darkness fell and the protesters, thousands of them, have vowed to stay in the square, sleeping out in the open, until Mubarak is ousted.

Meanwhile, across Cairo there is not a policeman in sight and there are reports of looting and violence. People worry that Mubarak is intentionally trying to create chaos to somehow convince people that he is needed. The strategy is failing. Residents have taken matters into their own hands, helping to direct traffic and forming armed neighborhood watches, complete with checkpoints and shift changes, in districts across the city.

This is the Egypt I arrived in today. Fearless and determined. It cannot go back to what it was. It will never be the same.

Sharif Abdel Kouddous is a senior producer for the radio/TV show Democracy Now.

Follow him on Twitter at @sharifkouddous.

Egyptian largest protest in decades

Egyptians have taken to the streets demanding an end to the 30-year rule of President Hosni Mubarak and protesting economic hardship and rampant corruption. Demonstrations in Tunisia brought down the regime of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, and this inspired tens of thousands of Egyptians to stage a countrywide "Day of Rage" that started on January 25.

Ironically, the mass rallies were held on a public holiday honoring the country’s police force. As the protests grow larger and larger in size, casualties occured on both sides, the protesters and the police force.

The regime also blocked the social networking site Twitter as well as mobile phone networks in the Cairo area.

Chris Medina brings Juliana Ramos his fiancé on stage

It has been quite a day for Chris Medina on American Idol, as after his audition, he brings his fiance Juliana Ramos on stage. Juliana Ramos was involved in a car crash in 2009. The accident left her with a severe brain damage.

Despite her condition, Chris Medina still cares so much about her, and loves her in health or sickness. He's a trully amazing person.

Here are some photos of them :

Juliana Ramos on stage.


Photo of them before the accident.


Chris and her mom care for her.

PS3 Firmware v3.56 released

Just under two months since the previous PlayStation 3 system software update has passed, and today Sony has released PS3 Firmware version 3.56.

According to VP of Network Operations Americas Eric Lempel via Sony's official blog on the update, to quote: "A new PS3 system software update, v3.56, will be released soon. This is a minor update that adds a security patch."

If you value PS3 homebrew, jailbreaking, downgrading or accessing PSN on a hacked PS3 it would probably be wise to hold off updating until PlayStation 3 developers can examine the 3.56 update.

2011 - ps3news

Discovery Channel's New Serial "Sons of Guns "

The Serial "Sons of Guns" is playing on Wednesday 9pm. It focus on Red Jacket Firearms, an unique weapon shop that creates one-of-a-kind custom weapons. Owner Will Hayden and his crew of Baton Rouge, Louisiana gunsmiths trades and build guns to knives to swords to cannons, and customizes them all.

If you are a big fan of guns and weapons, this serial is really hard to miss.

EU clears Intel, McAfee deal under conditions

BRUSSELS – European Union regulators on Wednesday cleared Intel's takeover of McAfee after the chipmaker committed to allowing its products to also work with software from other computer security companies.

The fact that Intel could embed McAfee's security programs in its own chips had threatened to lock other players out of the market, the European Commission said.

Computer security has become a lucrative business in an age of computer viruses and other cyber malware.

Intel, whose computer chips are inside about 80 percent of the world's PCs and servers, promised to give rival security companies all the information necessary to use Intel's chips in the same way as McAfee.

On top of that, Intel committed to not actively impeding competitors' programs from running on its chips, or hampering the performance of McAfee programs on non-Intel devices, the Commission said.

"The commitments submitted by Intel strike the right balance, as they allow preserving both competition and the beneficial effects of the merger," the EU's Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a statement. "These changes will ensure that vigorous competition is maintained and that consumers get the best result in terms of price, choice and quality of the IT security products."

The $7.68 billion takeover of McAfee is the biggest deal in Intel's history and had already been cleared by U.S. regulators.
2011 - newzfor

Jimmy Buffett Hospitalized After Falling From Stage

Jimmy Buffett has been hospitalized in Australia after falling face-first into the front row at a concert Wednesday night.

Buffett was near the front of the stage at a sold-out show in Sydney, Australia, performing an encore of 'Lovely Cruise,' when he was temporarily blinded by an extended flash of light -- reportedly a production malfunction -- and tumbled into a large gap between audience members, striking his head on a piece of metal.

The 64-year-old singer was unconscious and bleeding for some time, and was taken to a local hospital a half hour later, according to several news reports.

Audience members have given conflicting stories of the event. One told Rolling Stone that Buffett inadvertently tripped and fell; another told the gossip site TMZ that Buffett had planned to leap off the stage and greet fans, but made a miscalculation. TMZ also has a video of the fall here.

The extent of Buffett's injuries is not known, though he is reportedly in stable condition and being held for observation. Buffett is in Australia for an extended tour, which most recently included a trio of sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House.
2011 - Brian

Up to 200 protesters arrested after deadly Egypt riots

CAIRO — Up to 200 protesters were detained following demonstrations demanding an end to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian rule , officials said.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said more people are likely to be detained as authorities review police video footage of the nationwide protests.

Four people were killed in nationwide demonstrations Tuesday inspired by the Tunisian uprising, which also demanded a solution to Egypt's grinding poverty and were likely to fuel growing dissent in a presidential election year.

Meanwhile, the country's stock market tumbled by more than four percent on Wednesday and the Egyptian pound fell to a six-year low against the dollar.

Police fired teargas and water cannons early Wednesday to disperse protesters who had occupied the capital's central Tahrir square. By dawn, streets had returned to normal with traffic flowing across the city.

Some protesters demonstrators, who are angry at poverty and repression have been inspired by this month's downfall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia, said they would try to regroup during the day on Wednesday. Security forces said protesters would not be permitted to reassemble.

"Down, Down Hosni Mubarak," protesters chanted after fleeing from the square early Wednesday. Some threw stones at police, who charged them with batons to prevent the protesters returning to the square after it was cleared by using teargas.

"Bullies," fleeing protesters shouted. Others cried: "You are not men." Police sprayed a water cannons at protesters and moved in rows into the square.

Sporadic clashes took place into early Wednesday, but by the pre-dawn hours police were in control of the square, milling about, while street sweepers cleared away rocks and litter.

"Down with Mubarak" was still scrawled on a wall. Police trucks were lined up along a side street.

'Reforms'
Washington, a close ally and major donor, called for restraint. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Mubarak's government was stable and seeking ways to meet Egyptians' needs.

"The Egyptian government has an important opportunity to be responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people and pursue political, economic and social reforms that can improve their lives and help Egypt prosper," a White House statement said.

Events in the region were a reminder that "all people yearn for certain things," such as free speech, a say in government and the rule of law, the White House added.

Twitter, the Internet messaging service that has been one of the main methods used by demonstrators to organize, said it had been blocked in Egypt. In a message, the company wrote: "We believe that the open exchange of info & views benefits societies & helps govts better connect w/ their people."

Thousands of demonstrators had earlier said they planned to stay out in Tahrir square until the government fell. Some protesters and police shared food and chatted on Tuesday evening after a day of protests that closed many Cairo roads to traffic.

Demonstrators tore up pictures of the president and his son, Gamal, who many Egyptians say is being groomed for office. Both Gamal and his father deny any such plan.

'Day of wrath'
"Tomorrow, don't go to work. Don't go to college. We will all go down to the streets and stand hand in hand for you our Egypt. We will be millions," wrote one activist on a group on Facebook, which has been a key tool mobilizing demonstrators.

Tuesday was a national holiday and ministries were closed. A government source said ministers had been told to ensure staff returned to work on Wednesday and did not join protests.

Web activists, who called for Tuesday's "Day of Wrath" against poverty and repression, have become some of the most vociferous critics of Mubarak and his three decades in office.

Their complaints echo those of fellow Arabs in Tunisia: soaring food prices, a lack of jobs and authoritarian rule that usually crushes protests swiftly and with a heavy hand.

Tuesday's demonstrations brought many thousands onto the streets of Cairo and several other cities in a coordinated wave of anti-government protests not witnessed since Mubarak came to office in 1981 after Anwar Sadat was assassinated by Islamists.

The population is growing 2 percent a year and has a "youth bulge," with some 60 percent under 30 years old, including 90 percent of jobless Egyptians. About 40 percent of citizens live on less than $2 a day and a third are illiterate.

Story: Gaddafi fears foreign meddling in Tunisia turmoil
Demands by the protesters were posted on Facebook and passed around Tahrir square on slips of paper before police moved in.

They included calling for Mubarak to step down, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif to quit, parliament to be dissolved and the formation of a national government. A union activist repeated the demands to the crowd in the square by megaphone.

"We are glued to the ground here in Tahrir and will not move, not tomorrow, not the day after until this government falls," said 35-year-old shopkeeper Sameh Adam, shortly before protesters emptied the square.

Protests on Tuesday also erupted in Alexandria, cities across the Nile Delta and in Suez and Ismailia, east of Cairo.

A fourth Egyptian died in hospital on Wednesday as a result of protests the previous day, a medical source told Reuters.

Gharib Abdelaziz Abdellatif, 45, died in Suez. Two other protesters died in Suez on Tuesday due to rubber bullets. A police officer was killed on Tuesday in Cairo after a stone hit his head.

© 2011 msnbc.com

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico – The mayor of the border city of Ciudad Juarez said federal police shot and killed one of his bodyguards Tuesday night.

Mayor Hector Murguia said his guards were outside a house where he was holding meetings when two masked federal police officers approached. He said his guards identified themselves but the federal police shot one of them anyway.

He identified the slain bodyguard as Jose Humberto Perez, 29.

"I am so furious and indignant ... about the killing of this young man for no reason," Murguia said. "If this is the way it is with the mayor, how must it be with regular citizens?"

Officials at the federal Public Safety Department, which oversees the federal police, said there would be a statement on the shooting later.

Carlos Gonzalez, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state prosecutors' office, said the shooting was under investigation and he could not provide further details.

Mexico's federal police are largely responsible for security in Ciudad Juarez, one of the most dangerous cities in the world due to a fierce turf war raging between the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels.

The shooting threatened to raise tensions in a city where many citizens are already angry that violence has only increased since the federal government deployed troops and federal police two years ago. More than 3,000 people were killed last year in the city of 1.3 million across the border from El Paso, Texas.

Murguia was inside the house when the shooting took place, and his life was not in danger. The house was near a hotel where the federal police are housed.

Murguia said he went to the hotel after the shooting to demand an explanation but the federal police there dismissed him with aggressive words.

"This is a very difficult situation," Murguia said. "It can't be that a masked assassin goes out and kills like this."

Source : Yahoo News

Toyota Massive Recall

Serving as proof that its domestic lineup is not immune to faulty manufacturing, Toyota is set to recall more than 1.2 vehicles in Japan and more than 400 000 models around the world.

The sixteen models covered by the recall include the popular Avensis sedan, the Noah, Voxy, and Isis minivans, and the fullsize Toyota Crown. Toyota attributes the recalls to faulty fuel pipes and high pressure fuel pumps. All models were manufactured between 2000 to 2008.

As big as of a recall as it may be, Toyota produced some of their worst cars (quality wise) during the 2000s. This recall is simply a carryover from their past mistakes – ones that Toyota will hopefully rectify in their future models in the next few years and beyond.

source : savingjapan

Michigan State junior guard Korie Lucious was dismissed from the team Tuesday by head coach Tom Izzo.

"Unfortunately, Korie Lucious displayed conduct detrimental to the program. My focus is on this team for the remainder of the season," Izzo said in a statement.
Michigan State G Korie Lucious dismissed from team Michigan State coach Tom Izzo announced Tuesday that junior guard Korie Lucious has been dismissed from the team for the remainder of the season.

Lucious is averaging 6.5 points per game and 4.1 assists in 24.4 minutes serving as the Spartans' sixth man.

"I didn't live up to the standards of the program. Unfortunately, I let my teammates, my coaches, and myself down, and wish them the best for the rest of the season," Lucious said.

Lucious returned to his role as backup to Kalin Lucas this season, but he was instrumental to the Spartans' Final Four run last season after Lucas suffered a season-ending injury. Lucious hit the game-winning 3 at the buzzer in the second round, the game Lucas went down. He averaged 10 points and 4 assists in the three tournament games he started in Lucas' place.

The Spartans, coming off back-to-back Final Fours, started the season with high expectations and a No. 2 ranking in the preseason. But they've lost their last two to stumble to 12-7 and a 4-3 mark in the Big Ten. Michigan State has also dealt with other personnel problems as sophomore Derrick Nix almost walked away from the team earlier in the season.

Source : Sporting News