Putin says feels for leopard as Sochi Olympic mascot

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he would like leopard to become the official mascot of the 2014 Winter Olympic as the voting to choose the candidate is about to start.

A total of 13 characters, including dolphin, polar and brown bears, leopard, snowflake and bullfinch, have been chosen by a special commission among 24,000 candidates on the official website of the 2014 Olympic Games mascot.

The winner will be announced at an evening 115-minute TV show on Russia's largest broadcaster Channel One. The voting, which will be broadcast online on the channel's website, begins at 3 p.m. Moscow time [12:00 GMT].

"Leopard is strong, powerful, fast and beautiful. The leopard species were killed off here in the Caucasus, but now they are reviving," Putin said at a meeting with student organizations in Sochi.

Putin, who is known to have a weak spot for furry animals, said the character of leopard is "symbolic" if the Olympic construction project is partly linked with reviving the nature which was hampered by the human activity.

Meanwhile, the Russian prime minister said the mascot will be chosen by the majority voting and his personal opinion or opinion of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev should not influence the final decision.

 

SOCHI, February 26 (RIA Novosti)

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Turkish naval ship may guard ferry evacuating Russians from Libya

The Russian Emergencies Ministry plans to engage a Turkish naval ship to provide security for Russians and citizens of other countries who will be evacuated by Saint Stefan ferry from the Libyan port of Ras Lanuf.

Violent nationwide protests demanding the end of the 42-year rule of Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi are currently raging across Libya. National authorities clamped down on the protests. According to international organizations, between 640 and 4,000 were affected in the clashes. Libyan authorities pledged to continue to suppress the opposition.

Many countries have sent evacuation planes and vessels to bring back home its citizens who were caught up in the chaos.

Since the beginning of the tumult, Russia has sent four evacuation planes to Libya. A statement, saying that four additional planes and a ferry may be sent to Libya, was issued on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday.

The Saint Stefan ferry set off on Friday and is currently approaching Libya. It is to arrive in Ras Lanuf on early February 27. Russian Emergencies Minster Sergei Shoigu said all preparations for the departure should be completed by 4.00 a.m. local time.

The total of 1126 foreigners are waiting for evacuation in Ras Lanuf. There are 124 Russian citizens among them.

A plane set off from London for Libya's Tripoli to bring back British citizens. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said it was "very important" for any Britons to get on board the plane as it is expected to be the last evacuation flight for Britain.

A chartered ferry carrying about 2,900 Chinese nationals evacuated from Libya arrived at the island of Crete on Saturday.

MOSCOW, February 26 (RIA Novosti) 

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Kelsey Grammer's Emotional Wedding: The Inside Details

Not even a heavy rainstorm could put a damper on Kelsey Grammer's wedding to Kayte Walsh in New York City on Friday.

Inside the Longacre Theater, where the couple tied the knot, the space was still decorated with props from La Cage aux Folles, as well as huge bouquets of pink and red flowers in gold urns.

During the emotional ceremony, performed by Terry Lavell who was Grammer's costar in the Broadway hit musical, attendants read poems that the bride and groom had written for one another. As the couple listened, they appeared to be holding back tears, according to one guest.

After Walsh's brother, Stuart, sang "Feels Like Home" by Randy Newman, Grammer, 55, and Walsh, 29, recited traditional vows.

"They looked very happy," a wedding guest told PEOPLE after the ceremony, "really, really happy."

In addition to Lavell, the couple was attended by Grammer's two eldest daughters, Spencer and Greer, Walsh's sister, Sophie, and friend Angela Copeland. The women wore matching black dresses and Christian Louboutin pumps. The bride wore a silk sheath gown with beaded straps and bodice – a custom design by Peter Langner for Mark Ingram, according to Access Hollywood. Grammer's son Jude, joined Walsh's brothers as groomsmen, and the best man was friend Carl DeGersdorff.

RELATED: Kelsey Grammer Is a Married Man – Again

A Night at The Plaza

Immediately following the ceremony, a small group of guests went to the Plaza Hotel for a lavish dinner in the Grand Ballroom, which was decorated by celebrity event designer Ed Libby.

A few hours later, guests returned to find the Grand Ballroom transformed: The tables were replaced with regal, gold lounge furniture, cocktail tables, and a massive dance floor, flanked by a stage on one side and sleek bar on the other.

"It was gorgeous, very classy," said one wedding guest. "It wasn't too much and it wasn't too little. They definitely did it right."

After dinner, the newlyweds cut the 55-inch-tall carrot cake by Sylvia Weinstock and shared the story of how they met: He was flying to see La Cage in London, and she was one of the flight attendants.

"It was really, really sweet," a guest told PEOPLE. "Kelsey is very good with words. He's an actor, so he was very articulate and sweet. She was, too, and very genuine."

Throughout the night, guests grooved on the packed dance floor while a deejay played tunes such as, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "Don't Stop Believin'," which a source described as "songs that everybody could sing along with and dance to."

The bride and groom spent the entire night at each other's sides, said a guest, who added, "They seemed so genuinely in love and happy. They were dancing with each other the whole time and seemed to be having a lot of fun together, really a part of the festivities."

As the evening wound down, guests were treated to passed desserts, including mini ice cream cones and little smoothies.

According to a source, the newlyweds slipped out quietly just before the celebration ended.

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Egyptian constitutional committee proposes shrinking presidential term

An Egyptian army-appointed constitutional committee on Saturday announced a set of proposed amendments which stipulate that the presidential term is reduced to four years and a two-term limit is imposed.

Earlier the country had a 6-year term with unlimited reelection opportunities.

The Egyptian military plan to submit the revised constitution to a referendum within two months.

MOSCOW, February 26 (RIA Novosti) 

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ESRB details Dead or Alive: Dimensions’ partial nudity, violence and more

The ESRB has released a rating summary for the upcoming Nintendo 3DS exclusive game, Dead or Alive: Dimensions. The fighting title received a “Teen” rating due to blood, mild language, partial nudity, suggestive themes, use of alcohol and violence. You can check out the complete rating summary provided by the Entertainment Software Rating Board below:

This is a fighting game in which players engage in one-on-one battles of strength against a large cast of characters. Players mostly punch and kick each other in fast-paced rounds of combat; some characters use special attacks involving magic, throwing weapons, or guns. Cutscenes also depict instances of violence: an enemy stabbed in the abdomen with a sword; a samurai slashing at soldiers amidst a blood spray across the screen; a female fighter shot in the head. The game uses camera angles that briefly focus on female fighters' underwear; the fighters' breasts sometimes jiggle during combat. Picture galleries also depict female characters wearing revealing outfits. One character, a green clone of a female fighter, is briefly depicted topless. During the course of the game, a fighter is depicted swaying and consuming alcohol from a gourd; the dialogue also contains a handful of alcohol references (e.g., 'Your drunken-fighter skills are quite impressive.'). The words 'a*s,' 'bastard,' and 'damn' can be heard in dialogue.

Dead or Alive: Dimensions will be released exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS in North America on May 17th. You can check out some screens from the game in the following link: Dead or Alive: Dimensions Screens

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Dozens of criminal aliens, fugitives nabbed during dragnet

During a law enforcement dragnet within the Jackson. Mississippi area, federal law enforcement officers arrested 58 suspects, including convicted criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and known gang members and gang affiliates. The Immigration & Customs Enforcement operation concluded last week, according to a report obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police.

Many of the criminal aliens taken into custody had prior convictions for serious or violent crimes, such as sexual assault, possessing and selling dangerous drugs, drunken driving, sexual contact and battery, assault, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Eleven of the suspects ICE officers took into custody were immigration fugitives, aliens with outstanding orders of deportation who had failed to leave the country.

The arrests took place in the Mississippi cities of Brandon, Pearl, Ridgeland, Canton, Carthage, Crystal Springs, Hazlehurst and Jackson.

The Ridgeland Police Department, Leake Sheriff Office and Pearl Police Department assisted ICE Enforcement and Removal officers with the arrests.

Of those arrested, there were 57 men and one woman. Forty are from Mexico, nine are from Guatemala, four are from Honduras, two are from Panama, one is from El Salvador, one is from Peru, and one is from Costa Rica. They range in age from 17 to 71.

Seven of those arrested had been previously deported. A conviction for felony re-entry carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison.

This latest enforcement action was spearheaded by ICE's fugitive operations program, which is responsible for locating, arresting and removing at-large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives -- aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation handed down by the nation's immigration courts.

ICE's fugitive operations teams give top priority to cases involving aliens who pose a threat to national security and public safety, including members of transnational street gangs and child sex offenders, according to officials.

Largely as a result of these enforcement initiatives, ICE officials claim that last year they removed more than 392,800 aliens from the United States; of that number, more than 195,700 were aliens with criminal convictions.

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Halo Reach Daily Challenges Guide - 2/26/11

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The Challenges:

Shootin' and Lootin' - kill 400 enemies in any game mode in Reach. - 2000cR

Once you finish off the multiplayer challenges for today, head to Firefight and you can finish this off with ease.  Typically, you get a hundred and twenty kills per game.

Secondary Fire - Earn 25 assists today in multiplayer Matchmaking. - 1875cR

It is very easy to get assists in any playlist, except Team SWAT.  Make sure you stick near your teammates so they can finish your opponent off.  It does not help to take down a players shields, almost kill him, and then stop if you do not have any teammates around.  If you are going to do Multi Team, pick a small map so a lot of players are in on the battles.  I find that this increases your chances of getting assists.

This is My Rifle... - Earn 77 kills with precision weapons in multiplayer Matchmaking. - 1400cR

Stick to Team SWAT and Team Snipers for this challenge once you have all the assists you need.  Does not matter if it is a headshot or a body shot that kills them as long as you are using the Sniper, the DMR, or the Needle Rifle.

The Magic Number - Complete 7 games in multiplayer Matchmaking. - 1350cR

To me, this challenge seems out of place today.  This would have been a day where it said "Complete 20 games" and it would have made sense.  Seven games will happen no matter what.  Might even happen before you have the assists done.

See the Weekly Challenge here.

Also on my blog.

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