Justin Bieber celebrates his 17th birthday, requesting donations for clean water projects

The Canadian star is hoping to use his birthday to the raise money for one of his favorites causes - building clean water projects in developing countries.

"I have had an incredible year and it is all due to the fans helping me live my dream. I'm turning 17 years old on Tuesday, and have so much to be grateful for!" he wrote on a "mycharity: water" website page accepting donations.

"So this year, I really want my birthday to be all about helping others. Instead of asking for gifts, I'm asking friends, family and fans to consider donating $17 for my 17th birthday to help make a change."

He went on: "Together, we've made a big difference for many causes. Did you know that about 4500 kids die each day from waterborne disease? By building clean water projects for villages that need them, we can prevent this!

"I want to make my birthday matter this year - let's make it so more kids can grow up to have a 17th birthday like me. Join me to make a change.

"I'm really so grateful for my family, friends and fans - and I believe we can do something big to help bring clean water to people in need. Even if you don't have $17 to give I just ask you to go out in your community and try and make a positive difference. Even the smallest act of kindness can go a long way."

The website says the charity drive has already raised $24,243.89, far in excess of a $17,000 goal.

Just how Bieber intends to celebrate his birthday is unclear but he turned heads at the Vanity Fair post-Oscars dinner party Sunday night in Hollywood when he showed up with girlfriend Selena Gomez.

HK stocks end up, trim losses for month; HSBC leads
Hong Kong stocks finished higher on Monday as large cap financials advanced ahead of annual results from HSBC, raising the risk of a pull-back if Europe's largest lender disappoints with a tepid earnings forecast.
 

The Hang Seng Index .HSI closed up 1.42 percent at 23,338.02, trimming its loss for February to 0.5 percent.

Manufacturing and building-related stocks such as cement pushed the China Enterprises Index .HSCE of top locally listed Chinese companies up 1.91 percent.
 

The Shanghai Composite .SSEC recovered from earlier losses to close up 0.92 percent. The index rose 4.1 percent in February making it Asia's top performing market.

 HIGHLIGHTS:
 

* HSBC Holdings Plc (0005.HK) ended the day up 1.5 percent as investors geared up for results and a possible dividend boost from the industry bellwether. High expectations among investors have lifted its Hong Kong-listed shares 13.4 percent this year, easily outpacing the Hang Seng Index's 1.3 percent advance.
 

* Coal-related stocks were on fire on Monday after the world's largest producer Coal India Ltd (COAL.BO) raised prices earlier in the day. Sany Heavy International (0631.HK), which also received a boost from a ratings upgrade from brokerage Nomura International, rose 9.4 percent.

 DAY AHEAD:
 

Corporate earnings will take centre stage this week in Hong Kong, with HSBC rival Standard Chartered Plc (2888.HK) and Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd (2888.HK) both scheduled to report on Wednesday.
 

Monthly gaming revenue from Macau and results from Sands China Ltd (1928.HK) on Tuesday will keep casino stocks in focus on Tuesday.

Buyer will move Camelot Theatre building

ARealtor with a passion for preserving older buildings will move the current Camelot Theatre building to a nearby lot he owns on the Talent Avenue.

The building, being replaced by a nearly finished theater next door, needs to go to make way for the extension of Main Street to West Valley View Road.

"I heard they were going to tear it down," said Jack Latvala, owner of Star Properties. "I've been involved with architectural review and historic preservation. I wanted to try to find an alternative to tearing it down."

Talent's Urban Renewal Agency has accepted a proposal by Latvala to move the building, with a contract to be signed by March 18. Latvala, who bid $10 for the structure, will have to clean up the site.

"He gave us a proposal that looked really good," said agency director Marla Cates. "It will save TURA some money. It's not a good idea to put it into the landfill. It's best to find another use for the building, either in its entirety or in parts."

TURA's project includes the street extension, construction of another street and a gateway entrance to town.

"We've had a couple pretty strategic buildings that were razed in the last 10 years," said Latvala, who said he didn't want to see another historic building disappear.

The Camelot Theatre building, originally a feed store, was probably built in 1951 or 1952, said Neil Stockeman of Prospect, who drove a truck for the Stebler family, who ran the operation.

The building was later used as a secondhand store before it became the Minshall Theater, where melodramas were produced.

Still later it became the home of Actor's Theatre, which was subsequently renamed Camelot.

The building will be moved to the corner of Talent Avenue and Lapree Drive, just a couple hundred yards from its current location.

Latvala has a .4-acre lot there with a house that serves as his office.

Built to handle heavy loads of feed, the 40-by-60-foot structure sits on large beams that run the width of the building and are topped with 2-by-12s. That configuration should help facilitate a move, said Latvala.

Moving cost is estimated at $20,000, with expenses for a foundation, access, utilities and system-development charges.

Camelot Theatre, which sold the building to the urban renewal agency last year, will move into its new home in June. The old building must be moved by November. 30.

Latvala said he may restore the original appearance of the building, but he hasn't yet determined how he'll use it.

"I've been approached by a couple of businesses, but it's all hypothetical at this point," Latvala said.

Among possibilities are business offices, art spaces and a restaurant, he said.

Teen Mom’s Amber Portwood has once again found herself in the middle of a huge scandal, and this time it doesn’t involve trying to the beat up her baby daddy. Instead, photos of Amber wearing nothing but a few tattoos have surfaced online, and they are spreading like wildfire.

Amber is supposedly furious over the photos, and insists that she did not release them herself in the hopes of getting attention. Portwood also denies that her ex, Gary Shirley leaked the photos, though he does seem like the one person in her life with the most motive.

Regardless of how the photos got out, Amber Portwood should have known better than to even take them in the first place. What will she tell her daughter Leah about this scandal?

Deadliest Catch Star Found Dead

Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch show star, Justin Tennison was found dead in the hotel room in Alaska.

The 33-year-old’s body was discovered by a hotel cleaning staff this Tues.

Reportedly, police found alcohol and a small amount of marijuana in the room but maintain the cause of death is unknown.

Discovery Channel released this statement: “Discovery Channel is saddened by the passing of Time Bandit crew member Justin Tennison. We send our sympathies to his entire family and fellow crew members during this most difficult time.”

Tennison had a son and a daughter and joined the Time Bandit crew as a deckhand fishing the Red King 2010 and Opilio 2011 seasons.

Just recently, the show lost another star of the show, Captain Phil. The site posted this message after his death,” we're all deeply saddened by the passing of Capt. Phil last February. He was a devoted father and loyal friend to all who knew him. We'll miss his straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humor and enormous heart — in every way, he was a true American legend.

As the trade deadline approaches ...

The Wizards dealt Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong to Atlanta last night in the exchange for Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans, Jordan Crawford and a 2011 first-round pick.

The team then proceeded to get blown out by the 76ers. After the game, John Wall openly questioned the competitiveness of his teammates. It was another wild night in Philadelphia.

And to top things off, Andray Blatche joined D.C. Sports Uniform Fail Hall of Fail (DC Sports Bog).

AROUND THE WEB
Mike Prada explains why he's lukewarm on the Hinrich trade (Bullets Forever).

Kyle Weidie takes a closer look at John Wall's postgame comments (Truth About It).

As the trade deadline looms, David Steele examines what the King wrought (FanHouse).

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo!Sports, Lisa Olson of FanHouse and Johnette Howard of ESPNNewYork.com weigh in on Carmelo Anthony's arrival in NY.

And while Anthony and Chauncey Billups debuted at Madison Square Garden, the Nets' acquisition of Deron Williams briefly stole some of their thunder (NY Daily News) and Knicks owner James Dolan veered into testiness (NY Times).

In other trade news, Baron Davis was reportedly dealt to the Cavaliers (Yahoo!Sports).

And as you contemplate Mike Bibby wearing No. 0 for the Wizards, here's another way to remember Agent Zero.

Five things to know in Prince William County today

1. Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton is set to make a big announcement tomorrow about commuter parking in eastern Prince William. We’re hearing the state may build a new 1,000-space commuter lot in the Woodbridge area in the aftermath of Potomac Mills mall's drastic reduction in commuter spots. As we 1st reported February. 14, a deal is still in the works for commuter parking at First Baptist Church on Minnieville Road.

2. Registration for the 2011 Marine Corps Marathon opens at noon today. The 36th edition of the annual run from Arlington to the Marine Corps War Memorial in Washington is scheduled for October. 30. Those interested in running can register at marinemarathon.com. Last year, nearly 22,000 runners from the United States. and 54 countries participated in the marathon.

3. Ross Murphy, a local publisher and recently published author, will present the program “Publishing: Today and Tomorrow” tonight at the Central Community Library in Manassas. The program begins at 7 p.m.

4. Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative has tallied totals from the January. 26 “thundersnow” storm that dumped about eight inches on the D.C. area. They report that repair crews responded to 604 outage locations, restoring power to a total of 35,733 customers. The number of individual outage locations exceeded what NOVEC experienced with Hurricane Isabel in 2003.

5. In celebration of the first president’s birthday, you can save some cash on tours at George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon. Save up to $4 per ticket through the end of the month, plus you will get a discount at The Shops at Mount Vernon.

Have you seen Jennifer Aniston’s new haircut? I was browsing through one celeb gossip site or other and saw this picture of her. I guess it was time for a change, as she is had that long, straight hair for many years now, but I’m not so sure about this new look. I think it will take a little while to get used to it.

What do you think? Is this shorter ‘do a good fit for Aniston? I usually do not pay attention to hairstyles, but this celeb in particular is so tied up with them (particularly “The Rachel”) that it’s hard not to notice!

Justin Bieber's Hair cut down: A teen nation mourns

Justin Bieber — hipster, hoopster, Canadian of the Millennium — got a haircut yesterday. Justin Bieber has cut his famed Hair. The Hair was approximately 6 years old when it was cut down in the prime of its lush life. Bieber (pictured with Jay DeMarcus) made the decision to cut the cords for a video he was making with Rascal Flatts. No one has been arrested for the crime. Yet. The Hair was partially responsible for the wave of Biebermania that's soaked the adolescent masses and New England Patriot quarterbacks.

The locks won't have been cut in vain. Bieber tweeted last night that he intended to donate the fallen hairs to charity, where they'll be auctioned. Even in death, the Hair will continue to be a beacon of goodness for the world. “Never in the field of human civilization was so much owed by so many to so few strands of hair,” said Winston Churchill’s great-great-great grandson.

There's the obvious concern that an open auction could allow the Hair to end up in the wrong hands. Rogue governments with not-so-secret ambitions to grow a herd of rainbow unicorns have been seeking the Hair for several years. Certainly, there are also some Hollywood record executives who'd like a clone army of Biebers under their control. But it seems clear that rogue governments and record executives will be no match for 13-Year-Old Girls With Daddy’s Credit Card. It's these young patriots that will keep the Hair and our way of life safe.

Investigation continues in fatal shooting of Poughkeepsie officer, 2 others dead.

A Poughkeepsie police officer died Friday following a series of the shooting near the Poughkeepsie train station.

Police are not yet releasing the name of the 44-year-old officer until all of his family members are notified. He was an 18-year veteran of the department.

A press conference is expected at noon today at Poughkeepsie City Hall, 62 Civic Center Plaza.

Police continue their investigation into Friday's rampage that also left two other people dead. Police said a man apparently shot and killed his wife while she was in a car in a downtown parking lot. The alleged shooter was then fatally wounded in a confrontation with police.

Daytona 500 lineup set by Gatorade Duels

Drivers hoping for starting spots in Sunday's Daytona 500 raced in the Gatorade Duels on the Thursday.

Heading into 2011 Speed Weeks, Kurt Busch had never won any kind of race at a restrictor plate track. He continued to make up for lost time in the 1st duel race of the afternoon on Thursday by claiming his second win in a week, following up his victory in the Budweiser Shootout last Saturday.

"This is just an incredible Speed Weeks," Busch said.

Also with Busch's win Thursday came the unofficial pole for the Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be recognized the official polesitter, but will fall to the back because of a wreck in practice on Wednesday. As a result, the inside line will move up, moving Busch into the front starting position.

Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth made up the pairing that led much of the way in the 1st duel, but lost the lead with just a handful of laps to go and ended up finishing third and fourth (Harvick -- 3rd and Kenseth -- 4th). During their run, Kenseth seemed to figure out something many other competitors had yet to realize -- that the car in the pushing position of a two-car draft could, every now and then, dip down about half a lane to get air through the grille to keep temperatures down and negate the need for the 2 cars in said draft to switch positions every so often -- a move that costs precious time.

Busch was assisted to the win by Regan Smith, who finished second. Kasey Kahne rounded out the top-five in the first duel. Also in the first duel, J.J. Yeley raced his way into the Daytona 500 with a 17th-place finish.

Despite not racing until the second duel, action from the 1st duel secured Michael Waltrip a Daytona 500 starting spot, by virtue of Bill Elliott. Elliott raced his way into the 500 in the first duel, so he did not need to get in based on his qualifying speed from Sunday's pole qualifying session. Elliott racing his way in moved Waltrip up into a position where his qualifying speed from Sunday would be enough to get him into the Daytona 500, regardless of how he finished the second duel race.

Despite the guaranteed spot, Waltrip posted a strong third-place finish in the second duel race behind Richard Childress Racing teammates, duel 2 winner Jeff Burton and second-place finisher Clint Bowyer.

The 2 Richard Childress Racing teammates (Burton and Bowyer) worked together throughout the second duel to finish up the event in the first and second spots.

"Clint and I decided we were just going to find each other early, and it worked out well for the both of us," Burton said.

Despite having the advantage of watching the first duel to see what worked and what didn't, competition wise, the second duel turned out to be more chaotic, as 5 cautions plagued the second duel, as opposed to only two in the first. Some of those cautions in the second duel spelled early trips home for a couple of drivers.

After blowing an engine to bring out the first caution of the second duel on lap three, his second blown engine of Speed Weeks, Casey Mears waved goodbye to a Daytona 500 starting spot. Also, a crash ended the 2011 Daytona 500 hopes of Todd Bodine. Other drivers competing in Thursday's duel races who will not be in the Daytona 500 on Sunday include Derrike Cope, Michael McDowell and Kevin Conway.

The feel-good story coming out of Thursday's Gatorade Duels was the teamwork of brothers Brad and Brian Keselowski in the second duel. Younger brother Brad, who was already guaranteed a 500 starting spot by virtue of 2010 owner points, spun late in the race, putting him pretty far back in the field for the restart. It was in the back where he found his older brother Brian, driving a family-owned, under-funded entry. Together the two drafted toward the front, and scored a fifth-place finish for Brian -- just ahead of fourth-place finisher Kyle Busch -- and a seventh-place finish for Brad. With the top-five finish, Brian got himself into the Daytona 500.

Here is how the first five rows look for the start of the Daytona 500:
row 1: Dale Eanrhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon
row 2: Kurt Busch, Jeff Burton
row 3: Regan Smith, Clint Bowyer
row 4: Kevin Harvick, Michael Waltrip
row 5: Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch

VIDEO: Remembering Len Lesser aka Seinfelds Uncle Leo

Dylan adds new life into old song at the Grammy Awards

Folk and Rock n' Roll legend, Bob Dylan, joined 2 high-energy jam bands, Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers, for the 53rd annual Grammy Awards, and the result was a picking party of sorts on the Dylan's 1965 classic song, "Maggie's Farm".

Dylan's performance along with the two bands, was a salute to the comeback of acoustical music.

The folk legend hopped out onto stage, like Charlie Chaplin, as both bands jammed to a rousing edition to Dylan's 1965 classic.

Numerous microphones were set up as Dylan band members Stu Kimball, Donnie Herron, and Tony Garnier joined the jam session that sounded a little bluegrass and a little rockabilly as Dylan took center stage without a guitar but only a mic and harmonica in hand.

The band members of Mumford and the Avetts seemed almost giddy with excitement, singing backup like teenagers in a garage band.

Valentines Day 2011: Happy Valentines Ideas, Facts and eCards

Valentines Day 2011: Happy Valentines Ideas and Facts and the eCards - Love is celebrated when the month of February comes. Here, there and everywhere, the aura of love spreads like a virus. And when the 14th of February came, there's no doubt, that your surrounding will turn into red and all things will be shaped as heart. This is the Valentine’s day.

Valentine’s day ideas come in many ways. From hard thinking, smooth flow, funny ones and romantic moves are done. Valentines quotes, love messages and poems never missed our email and cellphone inboxes. I've give some ideas in my older post. Now, I'll give some Valentine’s day facts and anything around the perimeter of the Valentines day.

Valentine’s day symbols. It's obvious that the symbol of Valentine’s day is heart. The color is red to feel the love. And one thing that's cute, the figure of a little winged Cupid. Cupid is the Roman God of erotic love and beauty. The color red signifies the eternal love and romance. Valentines day is named after the Patron saint, Saint Valentine.

The Traditions and Gifts. Most of the time, the men are the one who prepares and plan for romantic dates and gifts for their partners. It's observed that around 70 percent of men buy Valentine’s day flowers for their partners. But did you know that men also wish to receive flowers? It's around 80 percent of men with ages 18-24 who really want it, and this percentage varies according to their age. The older the men, the less they expect but it's still around 30 percent who really want it considering their age at 65 years old. Luckily, 40 percent of men say that they've receive flowers during Valentines from a woman.

February 14 eCards are available online.  You can subscribe in some website in order to have their newest designs. Just be creative in giving your personalized message for your love ones! Have a happy Valentine’s day!

Say What? Family Guy’s Seth Macfarlane Doing a Big Band Record? Gets REAL Talent to the Play Along
Seth MacFarlane did not just create The Family Guy but he also lends his voice to the characters of Peter Griffin, Brian the dog, Stewie and Quagmire.  But he’s not just content just doing voices of Rhode Island residents. Nope, Seth MacFarlane will not be speaking in his next role, he’ll be singing. And as part of a big band no less.

And he got some very talented ladies to lend their talents to his artistic pursuit…

Entertainment Weekly learned that Norah Jones and Sara Barelles will be joining him on the record. The album is entitled Music in Better Than Words and features “hidden gems from the ’40s and ’50s.”

Would you listen to Peter Griffin sing a Sinatra like ditty? Fortunately for us all, Seth MacFarlane has a whole slew of voices in that throat of his, it will be interesting to see which one he pulls out for his role as big band singer.

Grasmick Touts AP Progress at Arundel High

The Maryland State Superintendent of Schools touted Arundel High School as an example of the success of Advanced Placement programs, while boasting of the state’s top ranking in the seniors scoring well on AP exams.

During a visit to Arundel on Wednesday, Grasmick praised school leaders and students for the increase in AP enrollment and the rise in test scores. Members of the College Board also said Arundel was a model school for how AP classes can boost the level of education across the board.

“We’re here at a school that's really functioning, and functioning well,” Grasmick said in remarks to students and staff in the school’s media center. “I want to commend the students for their dedication, because it's a rigorous requirement, and you've to put forth a lot of effort.”

AP courses are generally viewed as more rigorous than other high school classes. Many colleges offer credit for AP exam scores of “3” or better.

For the 3rd straight year, Maryland placed first in the number of seniors scoring a “3” or better on AP exams, at 26.4 percent.

Enrollment in Advanced Placement courses at Arundel High has risen in recent years, along with exam scores. The school reported a 79 percent increase in AP enrollment from 2008 to 2011, with the number of tests administered up 136 percent since 2006. The school also said there has been an 86 percent rise in the number of students earning score of three or better on AP exams.

“At this school, nobody gets wasted, because the principal, the superintendent and the teachers that work here all care about what happens,” said Peter Negroni, a senior vice president with the College Board.

Anne Arundel County Schools Superintedent Kevin Maxwell said the number of AP students going on to take the exam has risen from 70 percent to 84 percent.

“That’s tremendously high, and it gives you confidence that the instruction isn’t hit or miss,” he said.

Senior Molly Sinnott, the student government president at Arundel, took 14 AP classes during her 4 years at the school. She was recently accepted into Yale University, and thanks to credits from AP exams, she could enter as a sophomore.

Dijon Mason, a junior, said he believed the AP classes he is taken have prepared him well for college.

“I’ve learned that stuff isn't always going to be easy,” he said. “I learned that when I go off to college, things are going to be hard, but these are ways to prepare for it.”

Tightening education budgets have forced many schools to do more with less, but Grasmick said she hopes AP classes will be retained even as school funding remains flat or declines.  She said eliminating some honors and non-AP classes could allow current AP classes to remain.

“We have some teachers teaching honors classes and Advanced Placement classes … I think we have to motivate our students and give them support, and say ‘yes, you can handle this.’ We’re going to continue to promote this.”

Meanwhile, she said the state will continue to push for greater participation in AP classes by some minority students. While African-American participation in AP classes has risen in recent years, it still stands at about ten percent, while those students make up more than twenty percent of the total student body in the state.

Euro Falls Sharply After the Speculation About Weber's Future

The euro fell sharply across the board after a newswire report ignited speculation that German central bank head Axel Weber won't succeed Jean-Claude Trichet as European Central Bank president.

The report said that the Bundesbank will make a statement about the professional future of Weber later Wed.

Weber, considered to be one of the most hawkish members of the ECB's governing council, has been seen as a front runner to succeed Trichet later this year, boding well for the single currency's rate expectation-driven rally.

The currency plunged to the day's low against the dollar in the wake of the news, dropping from $1.3652 to $1.3612 and dropping against the Swiss franc and the Japanese yen as well.

German government bonds recovered after the headline, with schatz yields now flat on the day. March bunds are down 0.07 at 122.75 vs 122.47 session low, while the two-year schatz yield is flat on the day at 1.435%, having risen three basis points earlier.

3 Valentines Day Gift Ideas You Should Avoid If Your Valentine Is the Pregnant

Valentine’s Day can be a beautiful time to be pregnant. What could be more loving? But a pregnant Valentine isn't just any Valentine. Your beloved gestating woman needs a certain amount of special consideration from you this February 14th.

Here are some things you might want to avoid when choosing a February 14 gift for your pregnant partner.

1. A Smelly Bouquet

Strong-scented flowers may offend your lady’s supersensory perception: Pregnancy amplifies the sense of smell, and sometimes alters it, too. If you want to buy flowers, you might want to stick with something milder, like roses. Or do some research first to see what’s grossing your girl out aromawise.

2. A Fancy Dinner Out..During The First Trimester
There’s little I enjoy more than a perfectly orchestrated meal at a great restaurant. What better way to reconnect with your partner and enjoy the finer things in life?  But in the queasy first trimester, even a fantasy dinner out can be kind of a nightmare.  A candelit dinner becomes a lot less romantic when the candle is being used to inspect the chicken.

3. Anything That Implies she's Required To Have Sex With you, right now

Yes, I know Valentine’s day is the holiday of love and all that. And perhaps you've a long established tradition of exchanging naughty gifts on this celebration of consummation. I’m not saying you should abandon any enjoyable habits,  but do realize that when your woman is pregnant, she may not react in the same way. 

What was once felt as fun might feel a little pressure-y if her hormones or pregnancy side effects are interfering with her desire. So if you do go with something racy, make sure you deliver the gift with an open mind about how and when you will get to see your present in action!

Politi: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers may eventually outshine Brett Favre

The puzzled looks could become common in a few years, in living rooms and the sports bars all over Wisconsin, when Packers rack their cheeseheads for an answer to this question:

“What was the name of that fella who played quarterback before Aaron Rodgers?”

You know, the one with the funny last name. The one who was just wee bit indecisive with the whole retirement thing. The one who got in trouble with those cell-phone camera photos of his you-know-what.

Brett Favre. Remember him?

Green Bay still does, of course, but Rodgers has the talent and supporting cast to do the rarest thing in sports. He might not only replace a legend. He might eventually outshine him.

He was the MVP of Super Bowl XLV on Sunday night, leading the Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Steelers at Cowboys Stadium, but this felt like more than that. This felt like the beginning of a long run.

A dynasty in the making.

“People are going to write stories about Aaron 10 years from now, he’s pretty special,” Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. “Even though he is done so much, he’s still just getting started.”

The Packers have a talented young defense, one that stopped the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on a final drive. They've enough offensive talent to lose several of their best playmakers, including veteran receiver Donald Driver in the first half, and still win four straight in the playoffs. They've an excellent coaching staff, starting with the underrated Mike McCarthy.

But mostly, they've a 27-year-old quarterback who announced himself as one of the best players in the game with this postseason run, and one who doesn’t figure to go anywhere soon.

Green Bay has Rodgers. He completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards, and that includes at least a half dozen that his receivers dropped. He avoided the mistakes that Roethlisberger, with two killer interceptions, couldn't.

His brilliance, once again, was making the impossible seem ordinary. The best example came after the Steelers had cut the lead to three points, and on the next drive, the Packers faced a third-and-10 from their own 25.

There were 6 minutes left, and the towel-waving Pittsburgh fans were sensing an epic comeback. But then Rodgers lofted a pass over the extended arm of Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor, missing his fingers tips by what seemed like inches.

The ball landed in the only place that receiver Greg Jennings could catch it — and he caught it in stride, racing 31 yards into Steelers territory — before safety Troy Polamalu could stop him. The Packers would turn that drive into a crucial field goal.

“I put the ball where I wanted to,” Rodgers said, because he’s as understated as he is accurate, “and Greg made a great play.”

Rodgers turned Driver’s replacement, unheralded receiver Jordy Nelson, into a part of Super Bowl lore. Nelson, who had nine catches in his final 4 regular-season games, had 9 for 140 yards and a touchdown Sunday night alone.

The Packers won despite running the ball just 13 times all game. McCarthy put the offense in Rodgers hands, allowing him to make the calls in the huddle, and Rodgers delivered.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect anything less from A-Rod,” said defensive tackle B.J. Raji, who graduated from Westwood Regional High. “He’s been doing this the whole season and throughout the playoffs. I believe the best is yet to come for him.”

To think, Rodgers was the one who couldn’t get a Division 1 scholarship offer out of high school, the one who sat red-faced in the Radio City Music Hall green room on draft day as his stock unexpected dropped. He was the one who had to wait out Favre’s annual will-he-or-won’t-he retirement decisions.

Thompson was the one brave enough to cut ties with Favre in 2008, sending him to the Jets to give Rodgers his shot. The fanbase was outraged, but the Packers knew what they had.

“Give him credit for learning, and not just sitting there waiting for Brett to be done,” Nelson said. “He perfected his game to be ready for this, and look where we're now.”

Rodgers has completed 118 of 174 passes in his five postseason games (67.8 percent) for 1,517 yards, 13 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. But numbers don’t define quarterbacks.

Spot-fixing case: Interstate Commerce Commission bans for tainted Pak trio

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has imposed bans on the Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir who are at the centre of the spot-fixing allegations.

While Salman Butt has been banned for 10 years by ICC, fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have been slapped with bans of 7 and 5 years respectively.

Earlier on Saturday, the 3 Pakistan players were charged by the United Kingdom Crown Prosecution Service with conspiracy to obtain and the accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat.

The spot-fixing allegations had rocked the Lord's Test against England the last August.

Cameron promises to the isolate hostile Muslim groups

David Cameron will today promise to isolate Muslim groups that express hostility to the western values, in a uncompromising speech in which he argues that Islamic extremism must be countered by a new “muscular liberalism”.

Mr Cameron will claim that state multiculturalism has failed and that society and governments have in the past shown a “hands-off tolerance” that accepts or even encourages groups that don't share British values.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Mr Cameron says young Islamic men must be given a feeling of belonging. “They find it hard to identify with Britain because we have allowed the weakening of our collective identity,” he will say.

Mr Cameron’s rejection of multiculturalism – with societies living side by side – and advocacy of British values is a continuation of an agenda pursued by Labour, particularly after the 2005 public transport bombings in London.

But the prime minister will go a step further in focusing on people and groups who explicitly reject violence, but whom he believes provide a climate in which militant extremism can flourish. “Islam is a religion observed peacefully and devoutly by over a billion people,” he will say. “Islamist extremism is a political ideology, supported by a minority.” He says that at one end of the spectrum are those who back terrorism.

“Move along the spectrum and you find people who may reject violence, but who accept various parts of the extremist world view including real hostility towards western democracy and liberal values.”

Mr Cameron doesn't identify by name groups to the “non-violent extremist” category, but suggests they may condone or at least not condemn practices such as forced marriage. “Some organisations that seek to present themselves as a gateway to the Muslim community are showered with public money despite doing little to combat extremism,” he will say.

“So let’s properly judge these organisations. Do they believe in universal human rights – including for women and people of other faiths? Do they believe in equality of all before the law? Do they believe in democracy and the right of people to elect their own government? Do they encourage integration or separatism.”

Mr Cameron’s “muscular liberalism” would ensure groups failing these tests would receive no public money, wouldn't share public platforms with ministers and could face bans from universities and prisons. The approach was drawn up in consultation with Lady Warsi, Conservative co-chairman and the first Muslim woman to sit it in the cabinet.

A review of the government’s strategy for preventing violent extremism was announced by Theresa May, home secretary, last Nov-ember. The review of Prevent, overseen by Lord Carlile, will assess how the government’s counter-terrorism programme can work more effectively. The conclusions will inform a strategy to be published this year.

Mr Cameron’s presence at the Munich conference follows appearances by William Hague, foreign secretary, and Liam Fox, defence secretary, all anxious to dispel suggestions that spending cuts will lead to Britain playing a diminished global role.

“This is a complete reversal of the truth,” Mr Cameron will tell the gathering of world security figures. “Yes we're dealing with the deficit, but we're also making sure our defences are strong. We still have the fourth-largest military budget in the world.”

 Before Gwyneth Paltrow and Cee Lo: Other Strange, Wonderful Muppet Collaborations

After performing "Country Strong" at the Country Music Awards, singing an Oscar-nominated song from that film, and the winning rave reviews for a guest stint on Glee, Gwyneth Paltrow is now taking her musical talents to the Grammys. It was announced this week that she will perform there alongside Cee Lo Green—who's nominated for 4 Grammy awards for his song "Fuck You"—and ... some Jim Henson Company Puppets.

It's not often that the Muppets are mentioned in the same breath as that profane kiss-off. Yes, it's likely (nearly certain) that Paltrow, Green, and company will in fact be performing the more family-friendly "Forget You" version of the song. Still, it's an unusual, if not progressive, move to team the fuzzy creatures with he-who-penned "Fuck You." But is it the most unsual? We have rounded up a list of the bold-faced names who've fought Miss Piggy for the spotlight in the past. Some are bizarre; some are brilliant; all are downright adorable:

Pfizer trims 2012 sales view and the cuts R&D spending

Pfizer Inc cut its sales forecast for 2012, the 1st full year its $10 billion-a-year Lipitor cholesterol fighter faces cheaper United States. generics, but slashed its research budget to keep its profit view intact that year.

The world's biggest drugmaker said it had earned $2.89 billion, or 36 cents per share, in the 4th quarter, compared with $767 million, or 10 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding special items, Pfizer earned 47 cents per share, beating the analysts' average forecast of 46 cents.

Quarterly revenue rose six percent to $17.56 billion, topping Wall Street expectations of $16.96 billion. It would have risen 7 percent if not for negative foreign exchange factors.

Global sales of prescription drugs rose 3 percent to $15.1 billion. Revenue in emerging markets, where the company is pinning its hopes for earnings growth, rose 25 percent to $2.37 billion, a marked improvement from flat sales in the third quarter.

Pfizer said it still expected 2012 earnings, excluding special items, of $2.25 to $2.35 per share. But the company said it now expected revenue that year of $63 billion to $65.5 billion, compared with its earlier view of $65.2 billion to $67.7 billion.

Moreover, Pfizer said its preserved 2012 earnings forecast hinged in part on a cut in its research and development spending, to between $6.5 billion and $7 billion, from its previous target of $8 billion to $8.5 billion.

"Driving this decline is the planned reduction in the number of disease areas the company will focus on," Pfizer said in a release. The company noted it would leave its research site in Sandwich, England, but enhance its operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Shares of Pfizer were up 1.8 percent at $18.55 in premarket trading.