NOTTINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Australia claimed the prize wickets of Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook as England laboured to 157 for four at lunch on the third day of the first Ashes test at Trent Bridge on Friday.

Pietersen, on 64, dragged a ball from James Pattinson on to his stumps and Cook fell for 50, a first test victim for Ashton Agar whose extraordinary innings of 98 turned the match Australia's way on Thursday.

Ian Bell, on 20, and Jonny Bairstow, 13, were the not out batsmen at the interval with England 92 runs ahead.

Cook and Pietersen started with the same cautious approach they adopted on Thursday when they steadied the ship for England after the loss of two early wickets.

Pietersen drove Mitchell Starc to the cover boundary to reach his fifty, one of his 12 fours, and looked in the mood to play a long innings.

But he was distracted by a spectator moving in the pavilion and dragged the next ball from Pattinson on to his stumps trying to force it through the off side, ending a third-wicket partnership of 110.

Cook's four-hour vigil was over shortly afterwards, the captain edging a top-spinner from left-arm spinner Agar to slip where Australia captain Michael Clarke held a fine one-handed catch high to his left.

The Australians were cock-a-hoop and the crowd fell quiet, although Bell struck one textbook drive to the cover boundary to briefly raise spirits.

Pattinson and Starc obtained significant reverse swing and troubled Bell and Bairstow but the pair survived a few uncomfortable moments to give England hope of setting Australia a difficult target to chase in the fourth innings.

(Reuters) - Canada is famed as a hotbed of hockey, but basketball dominated headlines in the Great White North after Anthony Bennett became the first Canadian to be taken first overall in the NBA Draft.

With more Canadian talent on the way, Bennett's selection by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday could serve as a red-letter moment in a golden era for Canadian basketball.

Even Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, an avid hockey fan, took to Twitter, writing "Congrats to @AnthonyBennett for being the first Cdn ever drafted #1 overall in the NBA draft. Good luck in Cleveland, we're all behind you."

Bennett will have Canadian company on the Cavs, joining compatriot Tristan Thompson, who had held the distinction of being the highest-drafted player from Canada when he was taken fourth overall last year by Cleveland.

The team's newest forward, who entered the draft out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, following his freshman year, left New York after the draft to meet reporters in Cleveland.

Bennett thought a moment when asked if there was anything special about his day of non-stop activities. "Yeah, the private jet that I flew in on this morning," he told Reuters with a chuckle in a telephone interview on Friday.

"It's not really something I do, but I can get used to it."

As for reaction from back home, the versatile forward said: "Just been getting a lot of love."

Joining the prime minister with a Twitter reaction was Steve Nash, the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player now of the Los Angeles Lakers, who went 15th overall to the Phoenix Suns in 1996 as the previous top Canadian pick before Thompson.

Wrote Nash, "Proud on Proud!"

INTEREST SKYROCKETED

Bennett was also proud of some other history made Thursday as the selection of British Columbia's Kelly Olynyk, headed to the Boston Celtics as the 13th pick, marked the first time two Canadians were among the top 14 so-called lottery picks awarded to the non-playoff teams.

Canadian basketball is on the rise, according to Bennett.

"For sure. We have a couple of players now in the league, a couple just got drafted and more on the college level and others in high school. I feel like on every level in basketball, there is a strong Canadian group of guys.

"Later on, it's going to be pretty crazy," he said, admitting to dreams of Olympic glory. "Everyone is going to want to bring back a medal."

Popularity of basketball in Canada should not be that surprising.

Canada, after all, can lay claim to its invention as Canadian sports coach James Naismith is credited with devising the game in Springfield, Massachusetts, first played with soccer balls shot into peach baskets hung above a gym floor in 1891.

NBA Canada General Manager Dan Mackenzie said the launch of National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises in Toronto and Vancouver in 1995 had a great impact.

"In '95 the Raptors and Grizzlies hit the floor and this is really the first generation of kids that have grown up having the NBA in their backyard," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

The Grizzlies lasted only six seasons in Vancouver before they moved to Memphis in 2001, but general interest across Canada in basketball has skyrocketed in recent years.

"Having the league more present both on television and on media platforms and in live events has really had a great impact on kids' desire to pick up a basketball versus a hockey stick," he said.

'MAPLE JORDAN'

Mackenzie pointed to statistics showing that over the last four years basketball was growing faster than soccer and hockey in terms of participation and said Canadians have embraced digital platforms providing nearly non-stop NBA action.

"When you layer on top of that the macro factors of immigration, we think immigration has been a big part of the growth of the sport here," the NBA executive said.

"We think a lot of that is due to people coming to Canada from countries where basketball is very popular. For our country, the two largest sub-groups of newcomers to Canada are folks from the Philippines and from China. Those are two countries where basketball is very popular."

He said the general hoops interest in Canada combined with "the individual passion, talent and desire of these kids that are starting to excel, it really makes for a great movement."

"When you look at the pipeline of talent coming through, if you look at the NCAA pipeline, high schools in Canada and/or in prep schools in the U.S., the Canadians are coming."

One of the most eagerly anticipated Canadian players, Andrew Wiggins, will be hitting the major U.S. college basketball scene next season as a freshman at Kansas, where Naismith went on to coach basketball at the turn of the 20th Century.

Even Bennett is excited by what Wiggins, who has been dubbed the "Maple Jordan," could accomplish.

"He's just real dominant, can take over games any time he wants," Bennett said. "He's athletic, he can shoot.

"I feel like in the next draft coming up, he can go number one, too, and make history again. Two Canadian players going number one, back-to-back. That would be something else."

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)

WATERLOO, Ontario (Reuters) - BlackBerry Ltd signaled on Tuesday that a licensing deal, or even an outright sale of the company, was still a possibility, pleasing shareholders still reeling from the disappointing debut for its new line of smartphones.

Chief Executive Thorsten Heins, responding to a question about whether he was looking into strategic alternatives, said he is open to all options that create value for shareholders. He emphasized that the company has so far focused on creating value through the launch of its new devices powered by an all-new BlackBerry 10 operating system.

"This is a long-term transition for the company, but I can assure you that we're pushing very hard," Heins said at the company's annual shareholder meeting. "BlackBerry will pursue every opportunity to create value for shareholders."

His remarks that BlackBerry was also open to any and all licensing opportunities, sent shares higher in morning trading.

John Goldsmith, deputy head of equities at Montrusco Bolton, which owns more than 1.5 million BlackBerry shares, believes that BlackBerry may well be pressed into striking such a deal.

"I think they're on a very short leash," said Goldsmith, referring to BlackBerry's management. "I wouldn't be surprised if within the next two quarters there is a definitive announcement with regard to other options that this company could be looking at whether that's putting itself for sale or some other option."

The company's stock had dropped more than 30 percent after it posted disappointing second-quarter results in late June and forecast an operating loss in the current quarter.

A bigger concern for investors, was the fact that it sold fewer-than-expected BlackBerry 10 devices in their first full quarter on the market, offering little evidence that it could quickly win back market share from Apple Inc's iPhone, Samsung's Galaxy devices, and other phones powered by Google's Android operating system.

Even so, some investors believe many other companies would relish the prospect of getting their hands on the new platform.

"I can see why this guy is confident," said Ross Healy, a portfolio manager with MacNicol & Associates, whose clients own BlackBerry shares. "He is talking about partnerships and being open to talks and I don't think you say that unless you've really had a talk or two with interested parties - and that gives you some confidence."

At the meeting, held at BlackBerry's home base in Waterloo, Ontario, Heins conceded that BlackBerry has a tough road ahead as it attempts to turn around its fortunes, but he insisted it was on the right track.

Heins said BlackBerry was already seeing small signs of market-share gains in the top-end of the ultra-competitive smartphone market.

"Before you go into any strategic option, I think you have to create value. And the value of the company 15 months ago was way less than what it is today," he said.

CLOCK TICKING

Despite the company's confident tone, many investors agree that the clock is ticking for BlackBerry, which is caught in a squeeze on both the high- and low-ends of the smartphone market.

BlackBerry 10 devices hit store shelves this year just as the high-end smartphone segment had begun to show some signs of saturation. Last week, Samsung reported results that fell shy of expectations, while Apple earlier this year reported its first quarterly profit decline in more than a decade.

On the mid- to low end, competition is growing intense, with Chinese manufacturers such as Huawei Technologies and ZTE gaining ground.

Even so, BlackBerry said it remains determined to stick to its plan and is not re-thinking its strategy in any manner.

"We as a board remain completely supportive of management," said the company's chair, Barbara Stymiest, adding that she was confident the turnaround plan would succeed.

Shareholders voted on Tuesday to elect all the company's director nominees to its board. They also approved the plan to change the company's name to BlackBerry Ltd from Research In Motion Ltd, a move that had been announced in January.

BlackBerry shares closed almost 1 percent higher at $9.64 on the Nasdaq on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Euan Rocha, additional reporting by Peter Henderson; Writing by Cameron French; editing by Frank McGurty and Gunna Dickson)

Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years, reports the . In 2010, more than a third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.The USDA is responsible for implementing the new rules. In aAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children. Parents and schools work hard to give our youngsters the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong, and providing healthy options throughout school cafeterias, vending machines, and snack bars will support their great efforts.

For those who love to savor cheese-covered nachos during football games, do not fret. The Friday-night ritual is not ruined. The new rules only apply to foods sold outside of school cafeterias in vending machines and student stores during school hours. Treats sold at after-school events or other fundraising activities are excluded.Many states have already made most of the required changes on their own. In Missouri, vending machines are turned off an hour before lunch time and remain inoperable until mealtime is over. In California,for years, greasy potato chips have been replaced by baked chips, and small bags of sliced fruits and veggies are sold by ASB clubs.

It might seem like a difficult transition and that kids will hate it, but its not that big a deal, Ann Rector, Coordinator for Health Programs at Pasadena Unified School District, said.Rector thought she would have a riot on her hands when she gave the order to eliminate chocolate milk from the districts menu.We really thought that would be a disaster, but it didnt even matter, she said. It turns out, the kids love white milk and drink it up like crazy.And when sodas were pulled from vending machines and replaced with water, Rector says some PTA members and school administrators thought schools would lose out on major fundraising bucks typically set aside for graduation parties or teacher appreciation luncheons. But that has not been the case.They think that candy or unhealthy food items are the fastest way to make a lot of money, but theyre learning that there are a lot of other ways to do that.

Since California implemented more stringent nutrition standards, Rector says student health has improved.Over the last seven years, approximately 55 percent of the districts students were either overweight or obese. In the 2012-13 school year, that dropped by roughly 10 points; 45 percent of students were found to be overweight or obese.Studies have shown that a child who is obese between the ages of 10 and 13 has an 80 percent chance of becoming an obese adult.Thats why its imperative to impart good eating habits at an early age, Rector said.Kids are pliable and they will eat good healthy food if you give them the opportunity.

Related stories on TakePart:

M23 spokesman Kabasha Amani said Tuesday there was no agreement yet, and there were a number of points that still needed to be discussed, above all the need for a ceasefire, which he said was a precondition for negotiations. He was reacting to an announcement by the government delegation on Monday that a draft peace agreement was ready to be signed.

The M23 began in 2012 as a mutiny. Hundreds of soldiers, who previously belonged to another rebel group, deserted the Congolese army, which had agreed to integrate them into their ranks. The fighters routed government forces last November, briefly occupying one of eastern Congo's biggest cities, withdrawing only after the government agreed to negotiate.

An important cog in the world financial system, the rates are a benchmark for some $550 trillion in contracts from complex derivatives to credit card bills, but Libor's credibility was shaken by revelations that bank traders manipulated them.

NYSE Euronext will take over running Libor from the British Bankers' Association (BBA) trade body, which has run them since the 1980s, the independent British committee set up to choose the new operator for Libor said on Tuesday.

Libor, the London interbank offered rate, will continue to be regulated by Britain's financial regulator, according to the Hogg Tendering Advisory Committee.

The appointment "is an important step in enhancing the integrity of Libor" said Martin Wheatley, chief executive of Britain's Financial Conduct Authority, which has regulated Libor since April.

British and U.S. regulators have fined three banks a total of $2.6 billion and two men have been charged for manipulating Libor and similar benchmark rates. More banks and individuals remain under investigation.

Thomson Reuters , which has calculated Libor on behalf of the BBA since 2005, had also expressed an interest in a role in running Libor.

(Reporting by Kirstin Ridley, Steve Slater and Matt Scuffham; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)

Skateboarding pioneers including Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Cindy Whitehead and others are gathering Friday and Saturday at the museum for a festival celebrating the culture of skateboarding. On Saturday morning, Hawk will donate his first skateboard.

The Innoskate Skateboarding Festival is hosted by the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. It will feature panel discussions and skate sessions on a ramp built outside the museum. The museum is also showing films about skateboarding.

Hawk, of San Diego, is donating a 1975 Bahne skateboard that was handed down by his brother, Steve Hawk. He modified the skateboard's fiberglass deck with plywood to raise it further from the wheels.

___

Innoskate: http://innoskate2013.tumblr.com/

has only recently emerged from behind the sun, so you may not have seen it yet as an "evening star." Tonight it will shine low in the western sky near the Beehive star cluster, weather permitting.

Venus is of course a planet, which shines by light reflected from the sun, and not a star, a huge ball of glowing plasma in the far reaches of space. To the naked eye, stars and planets look the same, so ancient astronomers called them all "stars." []