Extraordinary Underwater Art Exhibition

In the clear shallow waters off Cancun in Mexico, 200 ghostly figures are gradually lowered to the seabed.

It's the final installment of a strange underwater art exhibition, which spans 420 square meters of barren sea bed in the area's national marine park.

Officially due to open next month, the exhibition entitled "The Silent Evolution," is the work of British sculptor and scuba diver Jason deCaires Taylor.

Consisting of 403 life-size human figures, each sculpture has been independently cast by deCaires Taylor and made using unique cement mix to encourage coral growth.

Created to highlight the decimation of the world's coral reefs, deCaires Taylor told he wanted to "create an immense artificial reef, a habitat space that would encourage fish to colonize and inhabit the area."

It is hoped the artistic reef bed will attract some of the park's 750,000 yearly visitors away from the natural reefs, which need time to recover and expand.

"It's extremely interesting working underwater," said deCaires Taylor, who explained how the work had shaped a new and dynamic perspective for audiences.

"The colors are different, the light patterns are very diverse, the atmosphere and mood is otherworldly. The piece takes on a very different tone underwater - it has a missing feel to it and brings up all these questions that you wouldn't have on land," he said.

Spiteful Asian Fruit Fly Found In Michigan

Michigan State University Extension researchers have found a spiteful Asian fruit fly the spotted wing Drosophila in numerous areas in the southern end of the state. The fly attacks fruits that are among Michigan's most popular, including the cherries available at Overhiser Orchards. Researchers consider the invader has the potential to severely damage fruit crops if not managed properly.

The spotted wing Drosophila is native to southeast Asia, but has been turning up in astonishing places lately. First spotted in California in 2008, the fly was then seen north in Oregon and Washington. It has yet been found in Florida.

Michigan has a spotted wing Drosophila response team that formed previous this year to detect and combat the fly. Further monitoring is taking place this fall to decide where the fly is present in the state.

First European To Top The World Rankings

Lee Westwood has taken over from Tiger Woods as golf's new world number one, after Martin Kaymer failed to conclude in the top two in the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama on Sunday.

Briton Westwood, who becomes the first European to top the world rankings since Nick Faldo in 1994, has climbed to the summit in spite of never having won one of golf's four 'major' titles.

And in doing so, the 37-year-old ends Woods' remarkable 281-week control as the world's top golfer. Woods has been top of the tree since enduringly taking over from Vijay's Vijay Singh in June 2005.

Westwood opted to skip this week's European Tour event in Spain, meaning European Ryder Cup colleague Kaymer could have taken the top position if he had won the tournament or shared second place with no more than one other player.

China Discovers World's Fastest Supercomputer

The United States no longer holds the world's fastest supercomputer.

A computer called Tianhe-1A, unveiled at a conference in Beijing, China, can run calculations faster than the earlier speed leader, a computer at a U.S. lab in Tennessee.

The new computer set a presentation record by crunching 2.507 petaflops of data at once. The earlier leader, a computer called Cray XT5 Jaguar and located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, completed 1.75 petaflop calculations.

Analysts say the innovative record underscores China's place as a global tech leader.

According to Nvidia, the computer technology company, the world's fastest computer will be operated as an open contact system and will be used for large scale scientific computations.

Supercomputers, which basically are many computers strung and networked together, fill entire rooms and even small warehouses. They are often used to processes vast amounts of scientific data. Climate models, for example, are run using the supercomputing power that can be seen in U.S. national labs.

Mount Everest Gets 3G Mobile Network Service

The world's highest third generation (3G) mobile network services base station was set up at the base of Mount Everest on Thursday.

Ncell, a mobile phone and internet operator in Nepal, said it set up a 3G base at an altitude of 5,200 meters (17,000 feet) near the village of Gorakshep, according to Aigars Benders, the chief mechanical officer of Ncell.

"The velocity of the 3G services will be up to 3.6 MB per second," Aigars said."But we could have it up to 7.2 MB if there is insist."

A total of nine stations, with the lowest at 2,870 meters (9,400 feet) at Lukla where the airport in the Everest region is located, came into operation on Thursday.

The service is mostly targeted at the approximately 30,000 tourists who come to trek in Nepal's Himalayan region every year.

A few hundred mountaineers try to climb Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain at 8,848 meters (29,028 feet) and it is predictable that the annual total number of mountaineers in the region number several hundred.

Although Ncell has not tested its 3G services from the top of Everest, Aigars said it is theoretically probable.

Up to 50 people can use the services at a time and if there is demand this faculty can be increased. Four of the base stations are run by solar power with a back-up battery that can control the stations for up to three days.

Sweden-based Teliasonera, the fifth largest mobile company in Europe, has the controlling and working stake in Ncell.

"Teliasonera also has the world's lowest 3G base station in the world," said Teliasonera's CEO Lars Nyberg. He said that the lowest one is at 1,400 meters (4,595 feet) below sea level in a mine in Europe.

'Home Haunters' Grab The Attention In Halloween Decorations

The house with sinister animatronics, the fake smoke and a perfectly timed soundtrack of spooky noises is the work of 'Home haunters’. The one that makes little children think twice about ringing the doorbell.

That's the "home haunter's" house. Their fascination with Halloween drives them to create incredible experiences for trick-or-treaters; they are masters at creating a fine scare. And they do it by dismantling off-the-shelf items and whirling electronic parts into freaky Frankenstein decorations.

"For some reason, we all adore to tear apart Christmas props," said Rik Cary, a software designer who lives in Hayward, California.

"There was a 5-foot-tall dancing Santa at Wal-Mart one year, and he picked up a number of these on consent. He's made that into a plagiarize and a zombie. He used the dancing machine itself under one of those singing Douglas fir Christmas trees."

China Unveils World's Fastest Bullet Train

China on Tuesday unveiled what it described as the world's fastest bullet train, which will join two of the country's industrial hubs travelling at an average speed of 350 km per hour.

The rail link between Shanghai and Hangzhou, the newest addition to China's fast-expanding high-speed rail network that is already the world's largest, covers the 200-km distance in only 45 minutes, reducing the travelling time from 78 minutes.

The home-built CRH380 bullet train has been recorded travelling at 420 km per hour, a world record. It will, however, go between the two cities at less than full tilt, at an average speed of 350 km per hour.

China's high-speed rail network now stretches over 7,431 km. The government plans to enlarge the network to over 16,000 km by 2020. China is investing an expected $300 billion on its high-speed rail network.

China has also started work on a 1,318-km high-speed rail line linking the country's two most important cities — Beijing and Shanghai. The $33-billion line will open in 2012, dipping the travel time between the capital and the financial centre in half, to just five hours.

Scientists Fear 'Sixth Mass Extinction' For World's Animals

One in five of the world's mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians are under danger of extinction, according to a major new stock take of life on Earth.

The dreadful study found that the number of endangered vertebrates, or animals with backbones, is still rising and that humans are largely to blame.

Many scientists believe the world is going through a 'sixth mass extinction' and that more wildlife is going destroyed now than at any time since the dinosaurs vanished 65 million years ago.

Around 20 per cent of the world's vertebrates are endangered, including 25 per cent of all mammals, 13 per cent of birds, 22 per cent of reptiles and 41 per cent of amphibians.

The scientists also found that 33 per cent of 'cartilaginous' fish - species such as shark, rays and skates whose skeletons are made from cartilage, were in danger, along with 15 per cent of bony fish.

Species at risk comprise the iconic polar bear, panda and Iberian lynx. Others include the Tasmanian devil - which has been deficiently hit by an infectious form of cancer, the Caspian seal and the Asian fishing cat.

British species on the list comprise the European eel whose numbers have plummeted by 99 per cent because of pollution and overfishing, the schelly - one of Britain's rarest freshwater fish which is found in only four lakes in the Lake District, and the aquatic warbler - a yellow brown guest to southern Britain in the late summer.

The report also warned that entire 'lineages' of species such as marine turtles and pandas are on the edge of being lost - with no similar species able to fill the ecological niches or functions they inhabit.

James Bond’s Aston Martin Car sold With gadget For $4 Million

James Bond never could oppose sleek curves and a good-looking rear view, especially when the owner is armed with lethal gadgets and a taste for speed -- like the Aston Martin DB5.

The one-of-a-kind 1964 silver sports car with unique 007 modifications became the quintessential Bond car when Sean Connery got behind the wheel in 60s Bond classics "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball."

Now, the classic has been snapped up at a London sale for $4 million. It was not straight away clear who bought the DB5. Peter Wallman, car expert at RM Auctions, the auction house selling the car, told. "I think, unquestionably, it's the most famous car in the world." He called the sale an once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Other Bond memorabilia up for auction Wednesday incorporated a helicopter piloted by Bond girl Pussy Galore in "Goldfinger" and a 1998 Jaguar XKR with a weapons system, one of eight customized Jaguars driven in the 2002 film "Die Another Day."

But the absolute star of the show is the DB5.

World’s Largest Indoor Theme Park Opens Today

Turning an exceptional project from an idea to a reality, and within a short period of time, were the key challenges behind Ferrari World, the Yas Island theme park that opens today, according to those close to the project.

Mohammad Al Mubarak, chief commercial officer at Aldar, the developer after the multi-billion car-themed project, and Will Jones of landscapers Mesa Design Group, which provided the landscaping.

“There have been many architectural firsts in the design and build of the world’s largest indoor theme park,” said Mubarak, counting the challenge of maintaining the same temperature throughout the year. For this, the building was aligned on a key North-South axis of the Yas Marina Circuit to maximise the shading and cut down on 'solar gains', falling cooling requirements."

Maintaining passenger security on what will be the world’s fastest roller coaster – Formula Rossa – was also important, he adds, crediting the company’s work with US ride specialist Jack Rouse Associates.

More Than 1,200 Species Discovered In Amazon

More than 1,200 new species of plants and animals have been revealed in the Amazon rainforest over the past decade according to a new report.

"Amazon Alive! A Decade of Discoveries 1999-2009," published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), showcases the strange diversity housed in the world's biggest rainforest which spans eight South American countries.

Six-hundred-and-thirty-seven innovative species of plant were found during the period, as well as nearly 500 new fish and amphibians, including 24 new poison dart frogs.

A four-meter long anaconda snake - native to Bolivia and the first of its genus to be recognized since 1936 - was among 55 new reptile species discovered, and a Bolivian river dolphin was one of 39 new species of mammals.

A vibrantly colored bald parrot (Pyrilia aurantiocephala) was one of the highlights of 16 new bird species. The list of new discoveries amounts to more than the mutual total of new species found in Borneo, the Congo Basin and the Eastern Himalayas during the same time period, the report says.

Nearly one fifth of the Amazon rainforest has been cut down in the past 50 years, Leape says. This is mainly due to increased global demand for soya, beef and, more recently, biofuels.

Governments from around the world are presently meeting at the United Nations biodiversity summit in Nagoya, Japan with the aim of setting new targets to stem eco-system loss.

Byrd The First Golfer To Win PGA Tour Title

Jonathan Byrd is coming to terms with being the first golfer to succeed a PGA Tour title with a hole-in-one.

In fading light in Las Vegas, the American aced the par-three 17th with the opening shot of the fourth hole of a three-man playoff to victory at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

It was only his second hole-in-one during a tournament, but he managed the feat at the par-four 15th hole on the same TPC Summerlin course during a practice round previous in his career.

The 32-year-old had survived a big scare at the previous hole, when his ball stopped just short of dipping into the water hazard and he recovered to save par.

Byrd's opponents Martin Laird and Cameron Percy shook his hand after he nailed his six-iron tee shot - then both found water with their attempts to match his achievement into the water to give him the $756,000 winner's prize.

Miss Mexico World 2010 To Represent Miss World 2010

Miss Mexico World 2010 Anabel Solis Sosa will be representing the country of Mexico at the 2010 Miss World beauty pageant which is going to place at Sanya, China on October 30.

The 23 year-old beauty stood second in the Nuestra Belleza Mexico 2009 pageant after the dazzling Ximena Navarrete, who is currently Miss Universe 2010. Anabel competed with 33 other gorgeous young ladies to win the runners-up prize.

Anabel, who hails from Yucatan, stands five feet eleven inches tall and has a great self-confidence in herself. Mexico has placed a lot of hope on her, and more so since her compatriot Ximena Navarrete won the Miss Universe title previous this year. So will Miss Mexico World 2010 Anabel Solis Sosa pursue the footsteps of Ximena and win the Miss World 2010 title? Let’s see if this sizzling favorite can do magic!

U.S Approves World’s Largest Solar Energy Project

Calling it a major milestone, the Obama administration on Monday agreed what investors say will be the world's largest concentrated solar power plant and one that more than doubles all of U.S. solar output and can power at least 300,000 homes.

The project in the Mojave Desert near Blythe, Calif., is the sixth solar scheme authorized on federal lands within the last month. All are in desert areas.

"The Blythe Solar Power Project is a chief milestone in our nation’s renewable energy economy and shows that the United States intends to contend and lead in the technologies of the future," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in announcing the approval.

Construction on the $6 billion plant is probable to start by the end of 2010, with production starting in 2013. Developer Solar Millennium, a company based in Germany, says the plant will produce 1,066 construction jobs and 295 permanent jobs.

Buffalo Found Stuck In North Georgia Swimming Pool

A buffalo was found wedged in a North Georgia couple’s swimming pool. Chris Nonnemaker of Cleveland, Georgia, and his wife, saw holes in the wrap of their swimming pool on Saturday. When they went to examine the pool cover to see what was up, they noticed that there was something moving under the pool cover.

Turns out the “something” was a buffalo. The buffalo had gotten free from a neighbor’s herd. According to the local sheriff's office, the rogue buffalo was one of three that runaway from a neighbor several weeks ago. The others had been trapped quickly, but this particular animal remained on the loose.

The rescue of the buffalo is revealed below on YouTube videos that Nonnemaker posted.

Twister Pierces Through Northeast Texas

At least one tornado ripped through northeast Texas Sunday evening, destroying homes, whirling over vehicles and knocking train cars off tracks, local authorities said.

A tornado struck Rice Texas at 5:30 p.m., Navarro County Chief Deputy Mike Cox said. The twister shattered three homes, damaged at least two more, turned over an 18-wheeler truck onto a passenger car and knocked cars from a freight train off their tracks, he said. It also caused widespread damage to Rice Elementary School.

Four people were transported to the hospital with slight injuries, Cox said. In addition to "significant damage" from a tornado moving through Navarro County, witnesses have also spotted likely tornados in other parts of northeast Texas, the National Weather Service said.

Betty Montgomery of the Lone Oak Fire Department said callers had reported a debris cloud and structural break to homes, but authorities had not confirmed whether a tornado had touched down.

At least one residence in Lone Oak was destroyed, Red Cross spokeswoman Anita Foster said.

Body Surfer Killed In California By Shark

Matthew Garcia was surfing near to his friend, who was body boarding, when he heard a desperate cry for help.

Within seconds, a shark came out of the water, bit into his friend’s leg, and pulled him under in a cloud of blood off the coast north of Santa Barbara.

“When the shark hit him, he just said, ‘Help me, dude!’ He knew what was happening,’’ Garcia said as he recounted the attack.

As massive waves broke over his head, Garcia tried to find Lucas Ransom, 19, in the surf but couldn’t. He decided to get help, but turned around again as he was swimming to shore and saw Ransom’s red body board pop up. Garcia swam to his friend and did chest compressions as he brought him to shore.

The University of California-Santa Barbara junior, who was in Riverside County, had a harsh wound to his left leg and died a short time later on Surf Beach, the Santa Barbara County sheriff’s department said.

The beach 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles, is on the property of Vandenberg Air Force Base but is free to the public.

Sheriff’s deputies were able to recuperate the bodyboard, which had a 1-foot segment on the side bitten off. Authorities rapidly closed Surf Beach and two other beaches nearby for at least 72 hours.

Federal and state Fish and Game officials were functioning to identify the type of shark that attacked Ransom.

Based on its behavior and Ransom’s injury, it was most likely a great white, one shark specialist said.

The ocean was calm and stunning before the attack, with large wave sets that the friends had been tracking all week as they moved down the West Coast from Alaska, Garcia said.

The shark, which breached the water on its side, seem to be about 18 feet long, said Garcia, 20. “There was no sign, there was nothing. It was all very quick, very stealth,’’ he said.

The pair was best friends since they were on the water polo and swim teams together at Perris High School in Riverside County.

Garcia said it was the initial time either had been to that particular beach.

Alonso Wins F1 championship After Rain-Lashed Korean GP

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won an incident-packed Korean Grand Prix Sunday to take over the lead in the F1 world title race as his Red Bull rivals Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel were unsuccessful to finish.

The race began under security car conditions after rain soaked the Yeongam circuit on Saturday night and for most of Sunday.

Drivers completed three laps in the order they practiced for the race in the dry on Saturday before the race was red-flagged.

With rain easing, race officials set a re-start time for 4:05 pm local time (0705 GMT). Britain's Jenson Button of McLaren, the reigning world champion, said the conditions were "like driving totally blind, waiting to hit something".

Spaniard Fernando Alonso told his Ferrari pit crew that the conditions were "the most horrible I ever drove a car".

Australian Mark Webber, the world championship leader for Red Bull Racing, said: "The aquaplaning is not actually crazy, but the water is sitting in one layer all the way around. When you can't see, you can't have a car race."

Brazil's Richest Man Builds World’s Biggest Port

Dangling above the South Atlantic, construction workers brave wind and waves to raise a vast 10-berth port terminal off the Brazilian coast.

Nicknamed the "highway to China," the $2.7 billion port will be one of the biggest in the world when finished in 2012.

Eike Batista, a mining mogul and Brazil's richest man, dreamed up the idea for the Acu Superport because he was fed up with the delays in receiving iron ore from his mines onto ships bound for China.

"Land your cargo at a port and if it's a urn, it may stay there for 30 to 60 days," Batista told in an interview.

He ended up building a port and industrial complex that will be larger than Manhattan and already is luring foreign and domestic investments.

"Brazil is a gigantic chance to arbitrage inefficiencies," he said.

U.S. To Regulate 'Backyard Tigers'

Rising numbers of imprisoned tigers in the United States are putting citizens at risk and could be fueling illegal trade in animal parts, which threatens their endurance in the wild, conservationists have warned.

"Tigers Among US," published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network estimates that there are more than 5,000 tigers in imprisonment in the U.S. compared with around 3,200 that remain wild across Asia.

While some tigers are housed in zoos, many more are secretly owned, often free to roam backyards, urban apartments and are normally kept in "deplorable conditions," the report says.

Leigh Henry, WWF senior policy officer for Species Conservation told: "We've seen photos and there's a video on our website viewing tigers walking around muddy wet cages."

But its the size of the enclosures that is most stressful, Henry says, "when you know tigers are supposed to be ranging over hundreds and hundreds of acres."

Current U.S. regulation on tiger ownership is "a patchwork of central laws" full of "exceptions, exemptions and loopholes," the report says.

A majority of U.S. states (28) don't allow citizens to keep tigers as pets, while 17 have laws which control their ownership.

But in some states there are no regulations at all, making it easier to own a tiger than to accept a dog, with sometimes tragic consequences.

The U.S. is one of the world leaders in the endorsement of tiger conservation but the U.S. also has a responsibility to manage tigers in its own backyard, Henry says.

World leaders will gather in St Petersburg, Russia at the end of November for a Global Tiger Summit to converse proposals which will further protect breeding populations, habitats and inhibit poaching and international trade.

Their long term goal is to double the worldwide tiger population in the wild by the time the Chinese rejoice the Year of the Tiger again in 2022.

Roger Federer Wins 900th Singles Match

Roger Federer marked his 900th career singles match with a straight sets beating of Taylor Dent of the United States at the Stockholm Open.

The top seed took just 49 minutes to beat the outclassed Dent 6-1 6-2 on his revisit to the tournament in Sweden after a 10-year absence.

The 16-time grand slam champion has an overall record of 727-123 during his sparkling career.

It was a fine start to his bid to lift his 64th ATP Tour-level label to draw level with Pete Sampras.

But his next task is more hard as he faces fellow Swiss and Olympic gold medal doubles partner Stanislav Wawrinka in Friday's quarterfinals in the Swedish capital.

"Playing Stan is always hard," Federer told.

Another Recognition By Guinness World Record

The Maine Coon from Reno, Nevada, was identified by Guinness World Record officials as measuring 123.2cm from nose to tailbone.

Stewie's owners, Robin Hendrickson and Erik Brandsness, say they determined to try for the record after hearing countless people say they were amazed by Stewie's length.

Ms Hendrickson said maine coon are recognized as the "gentle giants" of the cat world.

The record was formerly held by another Maine Coon that measured 121.9cm.

Bus Crash In Mexico Kills Many

At least 19 people were killed in the central Mexican state of Queretaro on when a bus crashed into a dump truck, the state-run news agency reported, citing local officials.

The toll could rise as responders go through the debris, the state's minister of security, Adolfo Vega Montoto, said.

Among the dead were 16 passengers, the bus driver and an helper, and the driver of the dump truck.

The state attorney general, Arsenio Duran Becerra, said that the bodies being found were in pieces, news agency reported.

Duran explained that the most probable scenario was that the bus hit the dump truck, which caused both vehicles to catch fire. The passengers died instantly, he said.

Ivanovic Attains Tennis Rankings After First Title In Two Years

Former world number one Ana Ivanovic has climbed to a year high of 26th in the rankings following breaking her WTA Tour title drought.

The Serb ended a run of two years without a winner's trophy , defeating Patty Schnyder in direct sets in the final of the Generali Ladies Linz tournament in Austria.

Ivanovic -who was a last-minute replacement in the draw for the hurt Serena Williams took just 47 minutes to dispose of her Swiss opponent 6-1 6-2.

It was her second achievement at the hard-court event, with her win there in 2008 her last on the women's singles circuit.

"It's just astonishing how some things turn out. This is my first title since I won here in 2008, so it's very special. I feel very excellent here and am really happy to have come back this week," the 2008 French Open champion told the official WTA website after claiming her ninth career title.

Since rising to the top of the world rankings in 2008, the 22-year-old has suffered a dip in form due to illness and injury that has seen her fall to as stumpy as 65 in the world earlier this year.

But seeded seventh in Austria, Ivanovic did not drop a set all week and Schnyder was not capable to provide much of a challenge to the rejuvenated champion in the final.

"I had self-belief from my last few matches and that helped me stay forceful today. I took a lot of risks and stepped in a lot," she said.

"I believed in my shots and made them count, and I'm very satisfied with that."

Green Energy Revolution Transforms Portugal

In recent years Portugal has been harnessing its desirable southern European climate to benefit more than just its tourism industry.

As its government announces a package of austerity measures to meet its budget deficit-reduction plans, the country is touting a USP that it believes will save its economy.

"In the same way as Finland is famed for mobile phones, France for its high-speed trains and Germany for its industry, Portugal will become known for renewable energy," declared Manuel Pinho, the economy minister, last year.

Now, nearly 45 percent of Portugal's electricity will come from renewable sources, up from 17 percent just five years ago. Land-based wind power has amplified sevenfold in that time.

With latest contracts every week for national and international firms to work on new, cleaner power plants it seems that, on the surface at least, Portugal is eco-buying its way out of recession.

Portugal's small population helps in terms of ability and positive-sounding percentages of usability. However the small population also has the disaster of belonging to one of the poorest country in the European Union.

As the world's markets focus their attention on Lisbon, many residents have already left because of high costs of living that do not correspond to the low pay and pension rates. Living in a renewable-energy haven has become the slightest of their concerns.

"Solar must change from being an luxurious source of energy to one of solutions which will be able to compete directly with fossil fuel," said Wemans.

"We believe that a reduction in electricity tariffs is healthy - and essential."

As Portugal proves to the world its estimable goals, it still has to convince many of its own citizens of the benefits.

U.N. Conference Aims To Preserve Biodiversity

Delegates from all over the world descended on Nagoya in Japan on Monday for talks considered vital to sustaining the future of animal, plant and human life on Earth.

For two weeks, delegates at the 10th meeting (COP10) of the Convention on Biological Diversity will try to agree a 20-point plan for the next decade following the comprehensive failure of any government to meet previous targets set out in 2002.

"Nagoya is the main global event to converse the value of nature and the costs of its loss to the whole world," Pavan Sukhdev, special advisor and head of UNEP's Green Economy Initiative told.

Peru’s ISA World Surfing Games Welcomes 200 Athletes

The International Surfing Association welcomed more than 30 nations to the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games Presented by Amarok by Volkswagen in Lima, Peru. The official program opened with a press conference hosted by a panel of participants and organizers at the magnificent Municipalidad de Lima in the heart of the city.

The competitors were excited as anyone for the chance to show their national pride: “At the World Surfing Games you contend for your flag, for your country, and that outweighs all,” said Gabriel Villarán who won a bronze medal at Costa Rica 2009. “Winning a medal at last year World Surfing Games has been the most beautiful achievement on my career.”

“This is the best opportunity to see the best competitors from each country surfing for their flag, merely for the honor of their nation,” Concluded Fernando Aguerre as the conference closed. “There’s one thing that we can’t do, controlling the waves. And the wave forecast shows outstanding waves for the whole week. That’s part of the aura of the ISA events wherever they are held”.

The Opening Ceremonies and Parade of Nations will take place at Lima’s main square at 9:30AM, Peruvian time. The opening event will be attended by 31 nations and Peru’s President Alan Garcia will be in attendance.

English Otters Back From Verge Of Extinction

For the past 40 years or more, the view of otters playing in England's rivers has been a rare treat. Now, at last, it seems the tide is turning in favor of the country's favorite water-dwelling animal, which has been brought back from the edge of extinction.

A report by the Environment Agency published reveals that numbers of the once subtle animal are at their highest for decades. Poisoned by toxic pesticides in rivers, the animals had roughly disappeared by the 1970s.

But an intensive effort to protect the otter, including legislation which made it an offence to deliberately kill or harm the animals, has brought about a dramatic resurgence. Every county in England, bar one, can now boast an otter population - and some are even getting maximum capacity.

The Environment Agency predicts that the species will recuperate fully in less than 20 years. An examination of 3327 river sites across the country between July last year and March showed a tenfold amplify in otter populations over the past 30 years.

Paul Raven, head of conservation and ecology at the Environment Agency, said: "Rivers in England are the healthiest for over 20 years, and otters, salmon and other wildlife are habitual for the first time since the Industrial Revolution."

Lake Mead Reaches Historic Low Point

The water level in Lake Mead, the huge reservoir that fills the taps of millions of people across the Southwest, has reached a record low, the federal Bureau of Reclamation says.

Even as thunderstorms dropped rain on the Las Vegas area, Lake Mead’s level dropped to 1,083.18 feet above sea level just before noon on Sunday, and fell farther, to 1,083.09 feet, by Monday morning. Lake Mead is still eight feet above the level at which rationing could go into consequence in Nevada and Arizona, and well above the levels at which Hoover Dam’s hydroelectric output might be critically jeopardized. But Barry Nelson, a senior policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: “This strikes me as such an amazing instant. It’s three-quarters of a century since they filled it, and at the three-quarter-century mark, the world has changed.”

U.S. Track Star Suspended By U.S. Anti-Doping Agency

U.S. Olympian LaShawn Merritt, a gold medalist in track and field, was perched Monday after testing positive for banned steroids almost a year ago, according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Merritt tested positive for DHEA last year, was placed on a temporary suspension and was "disqualified from all aggressive results achieved at and subsequent to October 28, 2009, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes", said the statement from the USADA.

The choice was made by an independent three-member American Arbitration Association panel that's been investigating the doping violation, the agency said. The 21-month period of exclusion dates back to the day the first sample was collected, said Nick Esares, communications representative with the USADA.

The track star won gold medals in the men's 400 meters and 400-meter relay at the 2008 Beijing games in China.

In April, a statement released by Merritt said the use of the substance was the unintended result of taking an over-the-counter "male enhancement" pill "and occurred at a time that he was neither seriously training nor competing."

In a statement issued through his attorney in April, Merritt said he had acknowledged a provisional suspension. Merritt's attorney, Howard Jacobs, said the athlete was notified of the positive results in March and was "shocked and saddened" by the news.

Calls to Jacobs' office Friday, after the suspension was announced, were not straight away returned.

'Jellyfish' Smoothies Give Solar Solutions

Putting thousands of jellyfish in a mixer to make a smoothie sounds like the start of bad joke. In fact, it's one way to source ingredients for a new generation of solar power solutions that could aid medical science and give cheap energy.

Scientists say by liquidizing the humble Aequorea victoria - a glow-in-the-dark jellyfish usually found off the western coast of North America - they can use the green fluorescent protein (GFP) it contains to make miniature fuel cells.

These, say their creators, could be used to power microscopic "nanodevices" that could function independently inside the human body, helping reverse blindness or fight tumors.

Although the algae might at present be at risk, for the jellyfish there is good news. Thanks to modern breakthroughs allowing scientists to grow their own green glowing protein using bacteria - the unsuspecting sea creatures are no longer on the milkshake menu.

Stoner Sustains Australian Dominance

Australian Casey Stoner sustained his domination of his home MotoGP, coming home alone to win at Phillip Island for a fourth successive season.

The 25-year-old Ducati rider, who is now just one win away from matching Valentino Rossi's five wins on the circuit from 2001 to 2005, finished over eight seconds clear of new world champion Jorge Lorenzo -- his third triumph in the last four races.

Seven-time world champion Rossi fought off Stoner's American teammate Nicky Hayden to take third place. However, the Italian is no longer third in the overall standings, with Stoner taking that location behind Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa with just two races remaining this season.

Stoner now lies 23 points behind the injured Pedrosa, with Rossi a additional eight points back in fourth position.

Andrea Dovizioso is another 18 points adrift in fifth position overall after the Honda rider retired with engine troubles on just the fourth lap of the race.

"This feels really pleasant. I think when I won two in a row here nobody expected me to make it three but having done that I felt there was a lot of hope on me today," Stoner told the official MotoGP website.

"Everything has gone well for us, we have been happy with the bike from the first follow and the support from the fans has been fantastic," he added.

Mexico Plane Crash Kills Four Americans

Four Americans were killed in a small plane collapse in northwestern Mexico, the president of the volunteer organization Flying Samaritans said.

The plane had been headed on a medical mission in the Mexican state of Baja California and lost radio contact with the ground, said Flying Samaritans President Victor Jones.

The wreckage of a Beechcraft A36 plane and the bodies of the four volunteers were found "after an wide ground, air and water search," Jones said in a statement Saturday.

The wreckage was located in irregular terrain about 30 miles south of Ensenada, Mexico - a city on the Pacific coast - where the plane had departed to San Quintin, Mexico.

Jones said that Mexican authorities discovered four bodies in the wreckage.

Radio contact with the plane was misplaced soon after the pilot reported to the Ensenada airport when it was about 10 miles south of the airport, Jones said.

He recognized the victims as: James Thornton, a plastic surgeon; Graciela Sarmiento, a doctor; Andrew Theil, a non-medical support staffer; and Roger Lyon, the pilot.

Flying Samaritans transports medical and support personnel to clinics in Baja California - which is just south of California, the American state - where they offer free medical services and supplies to those who lack medical care.

Sydney To Replicate Success Of Blockbuster Shows

ART galleries in Sydney hope to imitate the success of blockbuster shows interstate with a showcase of international art.

The Museum of Contemporary Art will start the Sydney International Art Series next month with a show from the American photographer Annie Leibovitz.

The Art Gallery of NSW will open an exhibition of China's terracotta warriors in December.

The series, funded by the state government and corporate sponsors, aims to depict more than 350,000 visitors to Sydney each year, pumping up to $20 million into the economy.

The Art Gallery of NSW is scheduling future shows for the series: Australia's main exhibition of Pablo Picasso's work next year and a Francis Bacon show in 2012.

Rebel Black Bear Chosen As New Mascot For Ole Miss

Ole Miss' latest mascot will be the Rebel Black Bear.

More than 1,000 suggestions were initially reviewed by the school's Mascot Selection Committee and 11 were submitted for public input at the end of June. The choices were tapering down to three and an October poll of Ole Miss students, faculty, staff, alumni and season ticket holders revealed the most support for the Black Bear.

The results showed that 62 percent of those polled supported the Black Bear, while the Land Shark drew 56 percent and the Hotty Toddy finished with 42 percent.

"We selected the Rebel Black Bear because it was supported through the whole process and was the lead runner in the final poll," said Margaret Ann Morgan, committee co-chair. It has a Mississippi connection, is timeless, appeals to children, is exclusive to the SEC and fits the other characteristics established in the initial focus groups. Through this long process we have seen the love that people have for the university. Having listened to all of those groups, we know this is a option that best represents what they have said they looked for in a mascot."

The school has been without a mascot as the goateed "Colonel Reb" was removed almost seven years ago in an effort to disassociate the university from the culture of the old South.

Russia To Bond With F1 Calendar From 2014

Russia will host a Formula One race for the first time in 2014, its Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday.

A seven-year deal has been decided to host the race at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, running through to the 2020 season. The city will also host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

"We have reached a conformity with the principal owner of Formula One that Sochi would host the Russian Grand Prix from 2014 to 2020," former President Putin told Russian business leaders, as quoted by state news agency RIA Novosti.

Formula One surpremo Bernie Ecclestone also established Russia's imminent introduction to the elite motorsport category's calendar.

Sony Debuts The First Google TV

Sony Corp is making its largest push yet into so-called connected televisions, unveiling a line of Google-enhanced sets that aim to fuse TV and Web content mutually in the living room.

The electronics giant announced high-definition TVs that also permit users to surf the Internet, use apps, stream online content and better organize and search programming.

Sony's Internet TVs, which come Wi-Fi-ready to connect to broadband networks, are built on Google's Android platform and trait Intel's Atom chip.

They start at $600 for a 24-inch model and range up to $1,400 for a 46-inch. Sony is also introducing a $400 set-top box that has the same functionality as the TVs, and also includes a Blu-ray player.

The products go on sale Saturday at Sony retail outlets, and will be sold at Best Buy stores soon after. Until after the holiday season, the Internet TVs will be accessible only in the United States.

The TVs and set-top box come with a new hybrid remote control, a two-hand device that features an optical mouse and a QWERTY keyboard.

The key facet of Google TV is a search box that accesses Google's search engine to scan live programs, DVR recordings and the Web, delivering a easy list of results that can be accessed with a push of the button.

Users can toggle between live TV, Web content or apps from common names like Pandora, YouTube, Twitter and the NBA. The TV feed can be locked in a corner of the screen, so viewers can surf and watch at the same time.

Apps from the Google's Android Marketplace, optimized to run on TVs, are predictable to be available early next year.

Google is partnering with Sony and others as it aims to enlarge its ad search business beyond its Internet stronghold into the $70 billion TV advertising market.

World’s Largest Ballooning Festival Fills The Sky With Hot Air Balloons

Hot air balloon enthusiasts and novices alike will come together in wonderful expectation as more than 500 balloons launch each morning in Albuquerque, New Mexico during the 39th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Hundreds of thousands of spectators will experience the admiration and wonder of the 2010 event themed “Earth, Wind and Flyers.”

More than 650 pilots will represent 17 countries and 39 states during the event that marks a yearly pilgrimage for balloonists from around the globe. New Mexico is home to the leading number of balloon pilots and nearly 200 balloons.

Ninety-one special shaped balloons are registered for the 2010 Fiesta including some of the latest balloons – The Stork, Waddles, Three Monkeys, Crazy Crab and Zebra. Special shapes are often the highlight of the week, specially for children who collect trading cards from their favorite balloons.

In addition to a spectacular feast for the eyes, Balloon Fiesta visitors are also treated to alluring tastes from around the Southwest.

101-Year-Old Texas woman To Become US Citizen

A Texas woman marked the 101st anniversary of her arrival in the United States as a Mexican-born baby by finally becoming a citizen of her adopted homeland.

Eulalia Garcia-Maturey took the oath of allegiance Tuesday from a federal magistrate in Brownsville on during a unique naturalization ceremony administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The agency says Garcia-Maturey was born in Mexico on Feb. 12, 1909, and arrived in Brownsville with her parents on Oct. 12, 1909. She has lived there ever since, raising two children.

Her relations says part of the reason Garcia-Maturey waited so long to take the oath was her husband, who died in 1982, didn't want her to.

Resort In Maldives With Blondes In 2015

Exotic locales typically tout aquamarine waters and white sandy beaches to lure tourists, but one company is hoping the staff's hair color will be among the draws to its intended vacation paradise.

A Lithuanian firm called Olialia -- pronounced "ooh-la-la" - has announced that it intends to construct a resort in the Maldives that will employ blond women only.

"There are plans to build a high-class blondes resort with hotels, activity and spa centers on the island. Other important things - like an education [center] called 'Pretty Women' - will teach female visitors to always be perfect and look great," said the company's Giedre Pukiene, according to the Maldives Traveller.

"A personally established airline will be taking the blondes to the island. The pilots and stewardesses on the planes too will be blonde only."

Olialia reportedly plans to open the resort in 2015, but the extraordinary business plan has already received world attention and is prompting lots of questions, outrage and doubts over whether it would ever be built.

Maldivian media note that local resorts are necessary to employ a large percentage of Maldivian staff -- Olialia has not said whether employees would be necessary to dye their hair blond to work at the resort.

'Sesame Street' Spoofs At Old Spice

Old Spice Guy Isaiah Mustafa became a vast viral marketing superstar this year and now he's even worked his way into 'Sesame Street'. In a latest clip, Grover the furry blue monster tells viewers the benefits of smelling like a monster and knowing the word "on." Mustafa doesn't make an appearance, but Grover makes a beautiful good stand-in.

The spoof is mark on. Grover sports a towel and does the "look at yourself, now back to me" bit, the "two tickets to that thing you love" bit, and of course, "I'm on a horse."

Either way, this clip is set to turn into more viral than Sesame Street's 'True Blood' parody, and maybe even top the banned Katy Perry clip. Controversy certainly scores YouTube views, but Old Spice Grover's humor and cuteness are more probable to win over the target Sesame Street audience.

Military-Grade Explosives Found At Historic New York Cemetery

Eight sticks of military-grade explosives were found at the New York City Marble Cemetery in the East Village of Manhattan, the police commissioner said.

The explosives were dug up in May or June 2009 by a groundskeeper and laid away, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters. A volunteer cleaning within the cemetery found the bag.

The explosives were not set up or wired to set off.

Each stick is about one and a quarter pounds, said Kelly, who recognized the powerful explosive as C-4.

"Inside a building, clearly it could have caused an awful lot of damage," he said.

Kelly added the material would be taken to a police sacking range by members of a bomb squad.

Chemical Ship Collides With Cargo Ship Off France Coast

A chemical tanker collided with a large bulk carrier in waters off the coast of France, a spokesman for the corporation that manages the chemical tanker said.

The crew was evacuated and the leakage from the chemical hauler has stopped, the spokesman said.

The collision between the tanker - named YM Uranus - and the bulk carrier took place off the coast of the northwestern French city of Brest, said Patrick Adamson, the spokesman.

The tanker was shipping 6,000 tons of solvent, officials said.

French authorities had boarded the vessel and there seemed to be no environmental hazard, Adamson said.

Niamh Bond - World's Luckiest Baby

New-born babe Niamh Bond scored the perfect ten as she arrived in the world yesterday.

She was born on the tenth day of the tenth month of 2010 at ten minutes past ten - and ten seconds.

The date is considered perfect as the number ten means completion and symmetry in Chinese.

But Niamh Bond is possibly the luckiest person alive after being born on the unique date at ten seconds past 10.10am.

Her mother Keelie Hearne, 20, said: ‘I was so surprised. When I looked at the clock and even saw the ten seconds as well I was gobsmacked. Everyone was shocked.’

Her partner Dean Bond, 22, from Birmingham considered having a flutter after learning expectant parents could cash in on £10,000 by having a 10/10/10 baby.

Superlative Kaymer Claims Title

Martin Kaymer augmented his lead in the Race to Dubai with a superlative final round of 66 at St.Andrews to claim a three-shot victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The German birdied the final two holes at the home of golf to hold off a firm challenge by England's Danny Willett as he finished on 17-under 271.

But there was distress for Lee Westwood who needed a top two finish to immediately dislodge Tiger Woods as world number one, but struggled to a one-over 73 for a tie for 11th.

Westwood, who has been harassed with a recurrence of a calf injury, then confirmed he will not play again until the end of the month at the latest.

But due to a peculiarity of the rankings, it could mean the Englishman will take over at the top in three weeks' time unless Woods changes his plans and enters a tournament before next month's HSBC Champions in China.

"It's just got more provoked and achy as the week has gone on," Westwood told Sky Sports after his round.

Kaymer, who claimed his first main title with victory at the PGA Championship, was winning his third straight tournament and again showed his cool under pressure.

"To be honest I think at the moment Lee Westwood is number one in the world," Kaymer said. "He plays incredible golf."