Team USA hardly tested in blowout mens basketball victory over France

Consider it passed -- even though the take a look at was primarily the basketball equivalent of coloring within the lines.
Kevin Durant scored twenty two points in his Olympic debut and also the U.S. men's team cruised past overmatched France 98-71 in its gap game at the London Olympics on Sunday afternoon.
The outcome left very little question that there is something to a lot of hassle the star-studded Americans on their thanks to the gold medal -- even though they can not ever live up to the "Dream Team."
"We simply played with angle," Durant said, "fighting for every ball, defending onerous and obtaining each rebound. that is how we have a tendency to beat groups that are onerous to beat."
Hard to beat?
The French offered very little resistance once a foul-plagued 1st quarter, never leading despite having 5 NBA players on their roster -- together with purpose guard Tony Parker, sporting black-rimmed goggles to shield the attention he injured during a big apple town nightclub melee last month.
"USA played an excellent game," Parker said, "especially defensively."
Kevin Love scored fourteen points off the bench for the Americans, and Kobe Bryant added ten before answering queries in fluent Italian once the sport. The Americans held the French to thirty-nine % shooting -- it had been even lower before a throwaway fourth quarter -- together with only 1 of their 1st sixteen 3-point tries.
"Not too unhealthy," purpose guard Chris Paul said. "Like we've been saying all along, our defense is what


makes us therefore sensible. As long as we have a tendency to leave and do this each night, we have a tendency to offer ourselves an opportunity to win."
The Americans can have over an opportunity -- attempt, a certainty -- once they meet No. 32-ranked Tunisia in their next game Tuesday. that may create the opener against No. 12-ranked France look as if it lessened to the wire.
"As long as we have a tendency to defend as we have a tendency to did these days, and that we get rebounds, we'll be fine," guard Russell Westbrook said.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski started Paul and Durant beside Bryant, LeBron James and center Tyson Chandler, the 3 regular starters throughout the team's pre-Olympic exhibition tour. however he was ready to substitute freely, using virtually everyone on the roster for a minimum of one quarter.
Even last man off the bench Anthony Davis played eight minutes.
"Overall, an honest 1st step," Krzyzewski said.

USA beat France in Olympics 2012

Welcome to the  minute by minute gap ceremony for the 2012 Olympic soccer tournament. Predating the official games gap by a few of days, our version is an equally vibrant and spectacular gap warrant the best show on earth. It's edgy and fashionable and combines the pyrotechnic awe of Beijing with the whimsy of 1,000,000 below the road comments. And it's undoubtedly NOT simply a man with a laptop hoping the wifi holds up.


OK, let's skip the spectacle and obtain straight to the game - we're starting up the women's Olympic soccer these days and we're not messing regarding - nice Britain have gotten us underway against New Zealand, and currently the Gold medal favorites, the USA, are beginning their campaign against a French facet who aren't any slouches themselves. the 2 sides met in competition simply last year, of course, within the semi-finals of the planet Cup. The USA won that one (despite being given lots of issues by a awfully technically astute French side), and if Abby Wambach repeats her World Cup type, or Alex Morgan continues her fantastic goalscoring streak, they will fancy their probabilities of beginning their tournament with another win these days. France though, have all that ability on the ball, and a world category playmaker in Louisa Nécib, and if they have any longer inspiration on what's attainable, they need solely to appear at what happened to the US ladies against Japan in last year's World Cup Final.

Ah yes, Japan. Having dispatched Brazil (and Marta) with Wambach's famous last minute goal within the quarter finals, then prevailing against an rising French facet who were one amongst the harmful dark horses in last year's tournament, the US came up against a Japan facet whose fairy tale run was expected to finish within the final. Instead the japanese scored a late equalizer and won on penalties, as team USA continued their strange streak of alternating between World Cup (1999) and Olympic (1996, 2004, 2008) wins, however never quite managing to carry each titles promptly.

Sadly for his or her opponents, the loss to Japan solely looks to own strengthened the US women's resolve to try to to things right this year. They've looked in pretty typeidable form as they struggle to try to to simply that - and memorably beat the planet champions 4-1 in an exceedingly friendly in Sweden last month to hopefully lay the ghost of Frankfurt to rest. therefore they are in an exceedingly assured and determined mood as they hit Britain. will France dent that confidence? perhaps. this can be slightly begin for each side.

NATO will not trust their security to Russia

U.S., against Russia and NATO share missile defense.

NATO admits that negotiations are at a "dead" but expected to agree on a proposal that the agreement of the parties.

U.S. rejects the Russian proposal for a joint missile defense between NATO and Russia in Europe, said the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, in an interview published Wednesday by the Russian daily Kommersant.

Daadler and reiterated the U.S. position to the proposal made at the time by the Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev, which called for creating a joint Russia-NATO, in which each party is responsible for the security of a sector the continent.

Only the Alliance, not a foreign power can guarantee the security of its members and their territory "The NATO can not accept that idea. Only because we are convinced that only the Alliance, not a foreign power, can ensure the safety of its members and its territories. Nor Moscow wants his safety is in the hands of NATO, "the U.S. diplomat.

The Alliance insists on cooperation in which the parties to respond only to defend its territory.

"We can accept an adapted version of the Russian proposal (defense) sector. NATO will defend its territory, and Russia on their own. Together we can determine how our systems can cooperate to enhance missile independent European security and protect the Iranian threat, "he said.

In late November, the Russian president announced the deployment of a radar and ordered to reinforce the security of the facilities of Russia's strategic forces in response to U.S. refusal to give written assurances that its missile defense system in Europe does not threaten the Russian nuclear power.

A quagmire

"There is nothing new among the measures announced by President Medvedev. The most important thing we heard is that the door to dialogue remains open. We intend to cooperate with Russia, but at the same time we intend to deploy our missile defense " Daadler said.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO acknowledged that at present negotiations between the Alliance, the United States and Russia on the missile shield are in neutral. " We are in a quagmire, but no exit. We are all ready to talk. We see clearly our differences and we are ready to overcome them. No one hands down and surrendered, including representatives of Russia, "he said.

US military chaplains can officiate at gay weddings

U.S. military chaplains will be allowed to officiate at same-sex weddings under new guidelines following repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays serving openly in the military, the Pentagon said Friday.

A chaplain may participate in or officiate at any private ceremony on or off a military installation as long as the ceremony is not barred by state and local laws, the Defense Department said in a statement.

Chaplains do not have to officiate at ceremonies that go against their religious tenets, it said.

The repeal of the Defense Department policy that barred homosexuals from serving openly in the military — known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" — took effect on Sept. 20. More than 14,000 U.S. service members were thrown out under the rule, which dated from 1993.

The new guidelines said that decisions on the use of military property should be made on a "sexual-orientation neutral" basis, the statement said.

Six states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage. Thirty-nine states specifically ban it.

China launches its first space laboratory

China has a manned space station scheduled for 2020.

China is the third country to orbit a human being behind the USSR and the USA.

The laboratory module also carries scientific experiments.

China launched on Thursday at 21.16 local time (13.16 GMT) the first module Tiangong Spacelab-1, unmanned , together with the Long March carrier rocket 2FT1 from downtown Jiuquan Satellite Launch (northwest), the agency official Xinhua. China's president, Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao witnessed the launch from the space centers in Beijing and Jiuquan respectively. From 8.5 ton, 10.4 meters and 3.35 meters in diameter, Tiangong-1 spacecraft will dock with the Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 over the next two years, Xinhua news agency reported. The first experimental space docking, two days after the launch of the unmanned Shenzhou-8, is scheduled within a month, in late October or early November, according to spokesman for China's manned space program, Wu Ping. This first space docking to test this technology will be when Tiangong-1 drops from orbit of 350 kilometers of 343 kilometers. The link will last 12 days. The second coupling experimental Shenzhou 9 will occur in 2012, according to official media, while the Shenzhou-8 will return to Earth, and Tiangong-1 return to the original orbit after both tests while awaiting the third link.

Is expected to remain Tiangong-1 into orbit two years

According to Wu, the docking experiments provide valuable information for the construction of a 60-ton space station and permanent manned China, scheduled for 2020 . According to the country's manned space program, the Shenzhou-10, which may be manned including perhaps the first woman astronaut, could be launched in 2012 also to join the laboratory module launched. The Tiangong-1, which is expected to remain in orbit two years, represents an important step in China's efforts to eventually build a manned space station , said the official press. The laboratory module also carries several scientific experiments. China is the third country to put a human into orbit after the Soviet Union and the U.S., first in the Shenzhou -5 on October 15, 2003 and has since sent two manned missions into space

Iran could send warships near US

The head of the Navy has raised the possibility of sending ships to the Atlantic.

"As the powers are present in our borders, we will also have a strong presence there."

The Iranian Navy chief, Admiral Sayyari Habibolá, on Tuesday raised the possibility of sending warships to the Navy near the U.S. Atlantic coast.

"Like the arrogant powers are present close to our maritime borders, we will also have a strong presence close to U.S. maritime borders," said Sayyari, according to official news agency IRNA.

U.S. and Israel do not rule out military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to halt its production of nuclear weapons. But Tehran says its nuclear program is purely peaceful purposes and denies it is developing nuclear weapons.

Facing the threat of military action is warned that Iran will respond by hitting American interests in the Persian Gulf and Israel. The Islamic Republic often conducted military exercises in the country to demonstrate its military capabilities against the threat.

A few months ago Iran has sent warships through the Suez Canal after the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak.

In early September announced that Turkey will host a radar system for early warning of NATO. This system will help the defense against ballistic missiles that could pose a threat to Europe. This decision has angered Tehran maintains an anti-Western policy and so far had close relations with Ankara.

New Missile

The Iranian Defense Ministry will begin tomorrow to equip the fleet vessels Corps IRGC new cruise missile with a range of 200 kilometers, said Wednesday the Iranian news agency, IRNA. According to the source, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi general, will preside over the ceremony tomorrow projectiles, called "Ghadir", designed to meet naval targets. These missiles are small and lightweight, they can fly at low altitude and with high precision, According to the Ministry of Defense. The Ghadir carry a strong explosive charge and can be fired from the shore or from ships, he adds.

French achieved majority in Senate

The French left historically achieved an absolute majority in the Senate

At seven months of the presidential election, the Left achieved a second victory at the polls after the last local elections.

The result is "a serious failure if not serious, for Nicolas Sarkozy," said socialist Francois Hollande.

Conservative Prime Minister, François Fillon, attributes the defeat of his party divisions in many departments. "

Left parties and environmentalists in France achieved this Sunday absolute majority in the Senate for the first time since the founding of the V Republic in 1958 and seven months before the next presidential election.

Failing that go beyond the official results confirmed this both from the ranks of the Socialist Party (PS) and from the ruling conservative Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), the party's head of state, Nicolas Sarkozy .

The election changed political sign that the upper chamber were designed to renew , by indirect suffrage of 71,890 members, general directors, regional councils and delegates from 44 districts for a period of six years, 170 of the 321 seats that make up the Gallo Senate.

Before the official results were known, the aspiring candidate for the PS in the upcoming presidential elections François Hollande, the favorite in the polls, said the result would be "a serious failure if not serious, for Nicolas Sarkozy. "

"For the first time since the V Republic, the left would be the majority in the Senate, an event is historical , "said Hollande, whose party manages data showing that the left forces have managed to win the 23 seats they needed to gain control of the Senate.

For his part, Prime Minister François Fillon conservative, said in a statement that "the opposition showed a strong momentum "in the Senate, which he attributed to" divisions "in" many departments "within his party.

This progression of the left "was predictable , according to the latest local elections, "where the left won a victory over the government's severe and conservative UMP, Fillon said.

"We must join forces and assert our convictions to the French," the prime minister, who said that "the moment of truth will take place next spring, "referring to the presidential election.

In the same line said UMP secretary general, Jean-Francois Cope, who said that "defeat" of their formation in the Senate is "disappointed" but not "a surprise".

For its part, the outgoing president of the Senate, Gérard Larcher (UMP) announced that it will present to its own re-election despite the polls this Sunday, which give most to the left in that chamber.

The territorial representation ensures Senate of the Parliament, also established by the National Assembly.

UN expresses concern public spending

UN expresses concern over the policies of cutting public spending

They fear that financial constraints lead to "potential regressions."

He believes that the crisis "is the poor who bear the consequences."

Calls to protect the weak and not "private actors" who "were responsible for the current financial and economic tensions."

With the fear of an imminent collapse of the economy of Greece as a backdrop , the Human Rights Council of the UN in Geneva on Monday opened its eighteenth regular meeting expressing concern about cuts in public spending carried out by the major world economies. fears that social rights are cut in his speech at the first Council meeting, which will be collected until February 30, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, found "disturbing" the decision by some governments reform their laws to limit budget deficits and warned against "potential regression" in terms of economic and social rights. " As the debt crisis spreads to Europe, USA and elsewhere, we see a wave of drastic cuts in social and a worrying tendency of legal reforms to contain the budget deficit, "lamented Pillay. His statement coincided with the worsening crisis in the euro area , at the prospect of an imminent bankruptcy and exit from the euro by Greece, which again lead to sharp declines in major stock markets in Europe. 's intervention did resonate Pillay also the recent parliamentary approval in Spain for a reform of the Constitution to enshrine a deficit ceiling legislatively and ensure fiscal stability of the government. According the High Commissioner, many modifications in legal terms and policies are adopted "in response to market pressures" and argued that this may threaten the economic, social and cultural rights of citizens.

Obama plan to create jobs

Obama presented a plan of over 200,000 million to create jobs

The amount of the proposal will be offset by budget cuts to convince the Republicans.

Obama will give details of the employment plan in Congress on Thursday.

The U.S. president, Barack Obama , on Thursday will propose to Congress a package of measures to boost job creation will cost 300,000 million dollars (213.427 million euros), as reported by the U.S. network CNN quoted sources the Democratic Party.

The money from the proposal, which will be announced by Obama in a speech to Congress to be televised, will be offset by budget cuts to try to convince Republicans who are unresponsive to the approval of new spending.

It seeks to stimulate a direct impact the economy Obama's aides had avoided giving public figures. Hours before it became public the cost of the package, the White House spokesman, Jay Carney, had asserted that the U.S. government "needs to do things that have a direct impact in the short term to grow the economy and create jobs and the president will make proposals that create just that. "

Republicans have criticized Obama for not having them in discussions on the economic package of the new measure before it is presented.

US to sue four major banks

They are Bank of America, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank.

The reason: They did not observe due diligence when it comes to qualifying mortgages.

Expect to get 631 million euros.

The Federal Finance United States is preparing a lawsuit against more than a dozen banks for mortgage securities incorrectly assess that were granted in full burburja estate, according to the newspaper 'The New York Times.

The application shall be addressed, among others, against Bank of America, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, as reported by three sources close to the case cited by the U.S. newspaper.

The agency argues that these big banks did not observe the diligence due to the time of rating mortgage securities, and that inflated their value, which was significantly reduced with the onset of debtors.

The application shall be made by Wednesday The agency mission is to recover millions in losses that resulted, and that most have had to meet Americans with tax increases. In particular, it seeks to recover from losses caused by the rating agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, worth about 30,000 million (21.043 million euros).

The New York Times says the agency hopes to get compensation from $ 900 million (631 million) , the same as that demanded in July to USB, another rating agency mortgage in a similar lawsuit.

The sources cited by the newspaper explained that the application shall be made before Wednesday when the deadline for filing claims under the summonses sent last year by the agency in these banks.

In parallel, fifty U.S. attorneys general preparing a lawsuit against several financial institutions, including Bank of America, JP Morgan and Citigroup for the abuses in mortgages. This expected gain of $ 20,000 million (14.029 million euros) that used to pay part of the mortgages at risk of foreclosure.

USA to Palestine

U.S. threatens to stop aid to Palestine if they ask to be recognized as a State

The president of the Palestinian Authority calls to intervene with the UN on September 23.

Islamic Jihad will respect the ceasefire agreement with Israel.

U.S. may suspend economic aid to the Palestinians if they continue with plans to apply for recognition of a Palestinian state or integration as a full member of the UN in September.

So says the U.S. consul general in Jerusalem, Daniel Rubinstein, the same day as the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, has asked to speak to the UN on 23 September. Nabil Shaath, head of Foreign Fatah movement, believes that "will use this opportunity to announce the application for membership in the organization." Some countries like Honduras and India have announced that they would recognize the new state should be the situation.

If necessary, we will go to court has not ruled Shaath Palestinian request that does not receive support from United Nations because of opposition from some countries like the United States, Israel's main ally. "If necessary, we will go to international tribunals," he said.

Meanwhile, in Gaza the Palestinian faction Islamic Jihad has announced its commitment to respect the new cease-fire with Israel, reached through the mediation of Cairo and after the upsurge in violence in recent days.

Washington intends to veto any resolution in the Security Council to call the UN recognition of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on the borders of June 4, 1967, as well as an application for full membership of the Palestinians in the international organization.

The U.S. diplomat has warned that Washington considers "useless" the Palestinians turn to the UN for recognition and it would be advisable to make peace with Israel through direct negotiations.