1.
Sharapova Plans Name Change to Honor Her Candy Line, Report Says
The Moscow Times 21
August 2013
Sharapova, who has made a fortune on advertising, has a
novel marketing strategy for her own brand of sweets.
Tennis superstar Maria Sharapova has asked a U.S. court
to legally change her last name to Sugarpova during the upcoming U.S. Open tournament
to promote her brand of sweets, The Times reported Tuesday.
Sharapova, 26, has filed a petition with the Supreme
Court of Florida, where she resides, to allow her a temporary name change for
the two-week duration of the last Grand Slam event of the year, The Times said.
A pair of red lips — the symbol of her candies — will be
printed on some part of her tournament attire, the paper added.
In addition to the court's ruling in Sharapova's favor,
the use of Sugarpova will require approval of the U.S. Open organizers before
it can be displayed during the tournament.
Sugarpova line of candies launched worldwide in 2013
through IT'SUGAR and Selfridges stores. The line currently consists of 12
different flavors that range from Flirty, to Smitten Sour, to Splashy.
Sharapova, who has topped the Forbes list of
highest-earning female athletes for the ninth-straight year, raking in $29
million over the last 12 months, previously said she had plans to expand the
Sugarpova brand to include cosmetics, fashion and other accessories.
Her success on courts, however, has been overshadowed by
this year's early elimination from Wimbledon and a loss to American Sloane
Stephens at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati earlier in August.
She currently holds the third place in Women's Tennis
Association rankings trailing U.S. superstar Serena Williams and Belarusian
player Victoria Azarenka.
2. Syria allies: Why Russia, Iran and China are standing
by the regime
CNN August
30, 2013
·
Russia has
sold billions of dollars in arms to Syria
·
Iran is
the most populous Shiite Muslim nation; al-Assad is Alawite, a Shiite offshoot
·
China said
it still wants to see a political solution in Syria
(CNN) -- Allegations of a chemical weapons attack carried
out by the Syrian regime last week have heightened tensions internationally.
There's been tough talk from Western leaders and a flurry of activity by the
United States -- all of which seem to suggest that a military strike against
the regime could be in the offing.
But through it all,
Syria seems to retain the support of some good friends.
Why do Russia, Iran and
China continue to support a regime that's accused of slaughtering tens of
thousands of civilians in the 2-year-old civil war?
Here's why.
RUSSIA
Why it
cares:
Two main reasons: One has
to do with economics; the other with ideology.
a) Economics:
Russia is one of Syria's biggest arms suppliers.
Syrian contracts with
the Russian defense industry have likely exceeded $4 billion, according to Jeffrey Mankoff, an adjunct fellow with the
Center for Strategic and International Studies Russia and Eurasia Program.
He noted the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute estimated the value of Russian arms
sales to Syria at $162 million per year in both 2009 and 2010.
Moscow also signed a
$550 million deal with Syria for combat training jets.
Russia also leases a
naval facility at the Syrian port of Tartus, giving the Russian navy its only
direct access to the Mediterranean, Mankoff said.
b) Ideology:
Russia's key policy goal is blocking American efforts to shape the region.
Russia doesn't believe
revolutions, wars and regime change bring stability and democracy. It often
points to the Arab Spring and the U.S.-led war in Iraq as evidence.
Russia also doesn't
trust U.S. intentions in the region. It believes humanitarian concerns are
often used an excuse for pursuing America's own political and economic
interests.
"Russia's backing
of (Syrian President Bashar) al-Assad is not only driven by the need to
preserve its naval presence in the Mediterranean, secure its energy contracts,
or counter the West on 'regime change,'" said Anna
Neistat, an associate program director at Human Rights Watch.
"It also stems from
(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's existential fear for his own survival and
the survival of the repressive system that he and al-Assad represent. In
Putin's universe, al-Assad cannot lose because it means that one day he, Putin,
might as well."
IRAN
Why it
cares:
Iran and
Syria are bound by two factors: religion and strategy.
a) Religion:
Iran is the world's most populous Shiite Muslim nation. The Syrian government
is dominated by Alawites, a Shiite offshoot, and the rebels are dominated by
Sunnis.
That
connection has bound them for quite a while. Iran counted on Syria as its only
Arab ally during its eight-year war with Iraq. Iraq was Sunni-dominated.
The last
thing Iran wants now is a Sunni-dominated Syria -- especially as the rebels'
main supporters are Iran's Persian Gulf rivals: Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
b) Strategy:
For Iran, Syria is also a strategically key ally. It's Iran's main conduit to
the Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, the proxy through which Iran can
threaten Israel with an arsenal of short-range missiles.
In 2009,
the top U.S. diplomat in Damascus disclosed that Syria had begun delivery of
ballistic missiles to Hezbollah, according to official cables leaked to and
published by WikiLeaks.
So, it's
in Iran's interest to see al-Assad's regime remain intact.
Western
intelligence officials believe the Islamic Republic has provided technical help
such as intelligence, communications and advice on crowd control and weapons as
protests in Syria morphed into resistance.
A U.N.
panel reported in May that Iranian weapons destined for Syria but seized in
Turkey included assault rifles, explosives, detonators, machine guns and mortar
shells.
Ayham
Kamel of Eurasia Group believes the Iranians must be alarmed that the tide is
turning against al-Assad.
"Iran
probably has excellent information regarding Assad's position. That information
would make clear that Iran is increasingly likely to lose its only ally in the
region, greatly reducing its strategic reach," he said.
CHINA
Why it
cares:
China's
relationship with Syria is more nuanced.
Some say
it wants to maintain its financial ties. It was ranked as Syria's third-largest
importer in 2010, according to data from the European Commission.
"Beijing's
renewed interest in Damascus -- the traditional terminus node of the ancient
Silk Road ... indicates that China sees Syria as an important trading
hub," according to a 2010 report from The Jamestown Foundation, a
Washington-based research and analysis institute.
But
there's a bigger factor at play.
China has
said foreign countries shouldn't meddle in Syria's internal affairs -- and
perhaps for good reason. China has had its own share of international
controversies over its policies with Tibet as well as allegations of human
rights violations.
Finally,
China doesn't want to reprise what happened with Libya.
It
abstained from a U.N. Security Council resolution on that one, clearing the way
for a NATO military intervention in Libya.
"It
was rather disappointed with the payoff," said Yun Sun of the Brookings
Institution, writing in the East-West Center's Asia Pacific Bulletin.
"Neither the West nor the NTC (Libyan National Transitional Council)
showed much appreciation for China's abstention."
So, he
says, China has "formulated a far more sophisticated hedging
strategy" when it comes to Syria.
"Rather
than siding with either Assad or the opposition and standing aside to 'wait and
see,' Beijing is actively betting on both."
What's it
saying:
China
said it is firmly opposed to the use of chemical weapons and supports the
U.N.'s chemical weapons inspectors.
It also
said it wants a political solution for Syria -- though some say hopes for such
an ending have waned.
"A
political solution is always the only realistic means to resolve the Syria
issue," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.
Like
Russia, China also walked out of Wednesday's U.N. Security Council meeting
where Britain planned to pursue a resolution on Syria.
Why it
matters:
China is
a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. And like Russia, China has
repeatedly blocked sanctions attempts against the Syrian regime -- leading to a
perpetual stalemate at the U.N. body to take any serious action on Syria.
3. Foods that can fix your health problems
August
30, 2013 
A regular breakfast of
100% whole grain cereal with fruit and low-fat milk is great. for maintaining
mood balance.
STORY
HIGHLIGHTS
·
Juicy
fruits and vegetables flush your system and reduce bloating
·
Eating a
complex-carbohydrate snack 30 minutes before bedtime increases sleep quality
·
Avoid
jet-lag by eating breakfast when it's 7 a.m. in the place you are going
·
Consuming
sulfur-rich vegetables can reduce acne and keep skin clear
(CNN) -- Can't sleep? Got the PMS blues? Before you open
your medicine cabinet, step into your kitchen.
"Real, whole, fresh
food is the most powerful drug on the planet," says the author of
"The Blood Sugar Solution" cookbook, Dr. Mark Hyman. "It
regulates every biological function of your body." In fact, recent
research suggests not only what to eat but when to eat it for maximum benefit.
Check out the latest smart food fixes.
Problem: I'm
bloated
Food fix #1: Dig in to juicy fruits and vegetables
When you're feeling
puffy, you may not want to chow down on watery produce, but consuming foods
like melon, cucumber and celery is an excellent way to flush out your system,
says the author of the book "Food & Mood," dietician Elizabeth
Somer.
"We need sodium to
survive," she explains, "but because we often eat too much of it, our
bodies retain water to dilute the blood down to a sodium concentration it can
handle. Eating produce with high water content helps the dilution process, so
your body can excrete excess sodium and water."
Food fix #2:
Load up on enzymes
Bloating can also be a
sign that your intestines are out of whack. "If you're irregular or
experience gas right after eating, papaya can help," explains the author
of the book "Food as Medicine," Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa. "Eating
1 cup several times a week helps rejuvenate the gastrointestinal system, thanks
to papaya's digestive enzyme papain, which breaks down protein."
The fiber also helps
push food through your intestines, improving regularity. Try a smoothie with
papaya, pineapple (it also contains digestive enzymes), protein powder, ice and
almond milk.
4. A Maker of Bikes Now Makes a Point of Riding Them
The New York Times Aug. 30, 2013
TAICHUNG, TAIWAN — THE bicycle maker Giant
Manufacturing Company was established amid green rice paddies and earth-god
temples, a short ride from the roar of the South China Sea. But for years its
founder, King Liu, was never big on pedaling around to enjoy the scenery. The
main reason he took one of his new products for a spin was to make sure
everything worked.
After decades of struggles, it has. Giant is
the world’s largest bike manufacturer by revenue. Its factories in Taiwan,
China and the Netherlands churned out 6.3 million bicycles last year,
generating revenue of $1.8 billion. The company sells bikes under its own name and
makes them for major brands like Trek, Scott and Colnago.
At 79, Mr. Liu still puts in 10-hour days as
Giant’s chairman. But after four decades of building bikes by the millions,
he’s finally started to enjoy them. Trim and tan from daily rides, with close-cropped
gray hair and a heart rate monitor strapped to his wrist, he has become the
public face of a cycling boom on Taiwan.
“I have a mission to make Taiwan a capital of
cycling,” he said.
Since 2007, bicycle sales on Taiwan have
surged, bike lanes and paths have been expanded, and the island’s two largest
cities, Taipei and Kaohsiung, have launched bike-share programs. At every step
Mr. Liu has unflaggingly promoted the cause.
His evolution from a small-town tinkerer to
an industry titan reflects greater shifts of Taiwan and its economy. Once a
workshop to the world, anonymously churning out bikes, cellphones and computers
for big-name foreign companies, Taiwan now has firms like Giant, HTC and Acer
that have become global brands in their own right. With those successes
come new questions about whether those businesses can continue
to lead and innovate.
For Mr. Liu, the answer is not just selling
more Giant products (though his cycling advocacy campaign certainly helps with
that), but focusing on how bicycles can reduce pollution, make people healthier
and help cities function better. “It’s been amazingly successful P.R. for his
company, but he’s not only doing it for that,” said Ho-chen Tan, former
chairman of Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan’s largest phone company, and a regular
cyclist. “He’s showing that even people his age can do this. His encouragement
and commitment is a driving force for people to follow.”
Mr. Liu’s transformation, and that of many of
his cycling compatriots, was motivated somewhat unexpectedly by a 2007 film, “Island Etude,” about a young man who
bicycles around Taiwan. “With some things, if you don’t do them now, you might
never do them in your life,” was its most often repeated line.
