China will reduce death penalty and cut executions

China will reduce the number of people it executes and impose more suspended death sentences, a senior judicial official has said.The country is believed to be the world's most prolific executioner, with at least 7,000 sentenced to death and 1,718 executed last year, according to Amnesty International.Zhang Jun, vice-president of the supreme people's court, said it would tighten restrictions on the use of capital punishment. But he stressed that the country would not abandon the death penalty, saying it was "impossible" to do so under current conditions and that people had strongly supported it for a long time."It is an important effort to strictly...

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New Pygmy Seahorse discovered

At under half an inch tall (13 millimeters), Satomi's pygmy seahorse—named after dive guide Satomi Onishi—is a strong contender for the world's smallest seahorse. With their tails stretched out straight, two Satomi's pygmy seahorses would fit head-to-head across the face of a penny.These miniscule seahorses from Indonesian reefs have been seen giving birth to tiny offspring, each about the size of a 12-point apostrophe.Together with two other species, Satomi's pygmy seahorses were named in a December 2008 study.The Walea pygmy seahorse is one of five species named in a flurry of recent seahorse discoveries from coral reefs in the Red Sea and...

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'Microsoft & Yahoo' the big deal

Microsoft's Bing search engine will power the Yahoo website and Yahoo will in turn become the advertising sales team for Microsoft's online offering.Yahoo has been struggling to make profits in recent years.But last year it rebuffed several takeover bids from Microsoft in an attempt to go it alone.Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer said the 10-year deal would provide Microsoft's Bing search engine with the necessary scale to compete."Through this agreement with Yahoo, we will create more innovation in search, better value for advertisers, and real consumer choice in a market currently dominated by a single company," said Mr Ballmer.In return for ceding...

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BMW will withdraw from Formula 1

BMW will end their involvement in Formula One racing at the end of the current season, it was announced on Wednesday. The move is part of what the German car maker described as a ‘landmark’ decision to restructure its motorsport activities.The news came at a press conference held at the company’s German headquarters in Munich, attended by BMW Sauber team principal Mario Theissen, along with Dr. Norbert Reithofer, the chairman of the BMW board, and Dr. Klaus Draeger, the director for development.BMW became Formula One entrants in 2006 after taking over the Swiss Sauber team. The company said the decision to withdraw stems from a desire to dedicate...

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Worlds longest waterfalls

Angel Falls:Angel Falls is the tallest waterfall in the world, as well as the tallest single drop in the world. The falls consist of a 2648 foot plunge, where the water comes out of the face of Auyan Tepui, then it cascades down steep talus before dropping over another 100 foot cascade. Total Height: 3,212 feet or 979 meters.Tugela Falls:The Tugela River drops over 3000 feet in 5 major tiers. It is located in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Total Height: 3,110 feet or 948 meters.Three Sisters Falls:The falls is located in Rio Cutivireni, Peru. Total Height: 3,000 feet or 914 meters.Oloupena Falls:The most volumnous waterfall in Hawaii. Total Height:...

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Inglourious Basterds Trailer

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Cuil celebrates its first birthday

A year ago today, Cuil hit the web.With ex-Google staff and claims that it indexed three times as much of the web as the leading search engine, pundits eagerly suggested the Irish-named search engine would take down Google.It hardly seems sporting to mock in hindsight, especially on its birthday, but Cuil hasn't made much of a dent in market share, leaving Yahoo and Microsoft's newly-launched Bing to compete for second.Privately-funded Cuil doesn't seem too worried about how many users it's drawing a year on, even though the best its managed is one per cent of the market. By February, it was down to just 130,000 users a month, but Cuil has apparently...

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How to create a retro bedroom

When one thinks of the word “retro”, their mind automatically goes to the decorating styles of the 1960’s and 1970’s. For more and more people, however, the 1980’s is also considered retro. Here are some ideas you can use to create a retro bedroom for yourself. The 1960’s was the time of hippies, and free love. Even more than that, it was a time for people to discover love of their fellow man with the emergence of Martin Luther King, Kennedy, and war protests. Home décor was as bold and free as the youth of the generation.Walls: Room décor did not necessarily come from wall colors. They came from what was hung on them. On your white or neutral...

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King Kong of Skull Island

Spirit Pictures is looking to breathe new life into King Kong and a project initially developed by effects legend Ray Harryhausen.Producers at the shingle have picked up the rights to the book "Kong: King of Skull Island," a prequel to the well-known tale of the big ape.Penned by Joe DeVito and Brad Strickland, book focuses on the backstory of Skull Island and how the giant gorilla became king there. It introduces other giant gorillas and dinosaurs only hinted at in the previous films.The book was published at the same time Peter Jackson was producing his remake of "King Kong."Rights to make the movie were brokered with the Merian C. Cooper family,...

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How to Quit Smoking?

It is no secret that an addiction to cigarettes is one of the toughest habits to break. While there are some people who can quit by the strength of will power alone, the vast majority of the smoking population requires the assistance of cessation aids and numerous attempts before quitting cigarettes for good. But with medical reports and statistics piling up over the years detailing the dangers of nicotine, the need to stop smoking has become more of a trend than smoking ever was.According to some figures, there are still over 1.1 billion people in the world who smoke cigarettes. In the United States alone, nearly 20 percent of the population...

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Ads that people love or hate

Here are some of the ads that have come up repeatedly in our discussion. But we're not done yet! Just because an ad isn't listed does not mean it can't still top the contest. Describe it in the comments.BEST ADS:I'm not quite sure what computer-generated roller-skating rapper babies has to do with drinking Evian, but darn if this ad doesn't stop me in my tracks and make me watch. Has anyone actually seen this on TV yet, or just on YouTube? Here's an article about the ad's popularity.This Prius commercial, in which people dressed like flowers, grass and other bits of nature pop up as the car drives by, is still a favorite of many, and a leading contender. But some people just find it creepy.Front-front, back-back, side-to-side. The Kia Soul ad with giant hamsters driving a Kia past others of...

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Kelly Clarkson's latest music video

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Smart phones now used to educate kids

Smart phones now have hundreds of applications meant to educate kids — from graphic calculators to animation programs that teach spelling and phonics.And while most public schools don't allow the devices because they're considered distractions — and sometimes portable cheating tools — some school districts have started to put the technology to use.The key, educators say, is controlling the environment in which they are used.In St. Mary's, Ohio, a school district of 2,300 students is continuing a pilot program where third-, fourth- and fifth-graders are assigned PDAs for use as a learning tool in the classroom, and at home. They use applications...

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Working on Michael Jackson Theories

The strange circumstances surrounding the death of Michael Jackson have law enforcement personnel working overtime to figure out exactly what happened.It seems that the longer the investigation into just how the superstar passed away continues, the more disturbing and perplexing some of the details become.One of the theories investigators are exploring, according to TMZ, is that the singer's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray administered Propofol to him.After giving Jackson the hospital-grade anesthesia, the mere possession of which is probably enough for him to face criminal charges, Murray left the room.When he returned, he discovered Michael...

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Luck released

This is a film about subverted heroes. People who need big money so desperately they are willing to participate in a crazy game of life and death orchestrated by a man who has turned betting on human beings into a galloping global industry.Sanjay Dutt strides across the wide screen and its accompanying pomp and paraphernalia with aplomb. He’s accompanied by a cast that knows this film means macho business.However, the real heroes of this tale of perverse heroism are the action by Allan Amin, dialogues by Soham Shah, locations — ranging from the super-rugged to the ultra-chic — the thundering background score by Amar Mohile and the cinematography...

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Beautiful cities in the world - 1

SydneyGenevaFrankfurtLiverpoolMonacoTempe Town LakeAvilaLon...

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Bill Gates received Indira Gandhi award

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates Saturday received the Indian government's prestigious Indira Gandhi prize the work done by his foundation in fighting poverty and illness, specially HIV-AIDS, in India. "When a technological giant like Bill Gates joins the cause of changing the lives of people through philanthropy, we have reasons to be optimistic," Indian President Pratibha Patil said in presenting the award at a ceremony in the Indian capital. Noting this was the first time a business leader had been given the award, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was an inspiration for business leaders around the world."Others...

Tiniest animals in the world

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Okeanos Explorer new developement

Docked off San Francisco's Pier 27 and rocking calmly in the bay, the Okeanos Explorer awaits its return to sea.The ship--once a U.S. Navy vessel now under control of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)--is in the midst of being outfitted exclusively for deep-ocean exploration and discovery. Its purpose will be to investigate unknown, misunderstood, and other below-the-surface phenomena. It is expected to be fully operational by next summer.With up to 95 percent of the ocean unexplored, there are vast amounts of research for the ship to pursue. However, the Okeanos Explorer will have a second function as well: education.On...

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