Boxing promoter Frank Warren has signed an agreement to stage six fights in the 7,000-seater Copper Box Arena which was used for handball and modern pentathlon fencing during last year's Games.

British middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders will meet challenger John Ryder on September 21 in the first of the fights planned for the venue.

Britain spent around nine billion pounds ($14 billion) of public money to put on the Games. Politicians and sports administrators are keen to show that the money was a sound investment that will prove of lasting benefit.

"The Copper Box is what all the investment in the Olympics was about - legacy and giving London a fantastic arena," Warren said on Monday.

Proceeds from putting on the fights will be used to subsidize other sports such as swimming in the Olympic pool, officials from the London Legacy Development Corporation said.

The Park, currently closed for conversion work, will host a series of rock concerts this year. Sprint champion Usain Bolt is scheduled to appear in a Diamond League athletics meeting in a sold-out Olympic Stadium at the end of July, one year on from the Games.

Longer-term, the Olympic Stadium will stage World Cup rugby matches in 2015 before becoming the home of Premier League soccer club West Ham United the following year.

(Writing by Keith Weir, editing by Ed Osmond)

STRENGTHS

West Indies, led by all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, abound with talent in all departments and their victory in the last Twenty20 World Cup was a welcome reminder of the glamour and excitement they once brought to one-day cricket.

WEAKNESSES

Top-order batting is notoriously fallible.

ODDS 9/1

KEY PLAYER

Chris Gayle can demolish any attack and on his day he is the most destructive one-day batman in the world.

SQUAD

Dwayne Bravo (captain), Tino Best, Johnson Charles, Jason Holder, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Devon Smith, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Ravi Rampaul, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan.

(Compiled by John Mehaffey)

"There is a modest amount of data and reason to state that pet ownership may have some causal role in decreasing ," said Dr. Glenn Levine, professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and chairman of the committee that wrote the statement.

Enough studies have looked at the question over the last decade that the time was right for a thorough scientific review of the data, Levine said.

The statement explains the evidence surrounding the question of whether pet ownership is linked with heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity and physical activity levels.

Some studies that have looked for a link between pet ownership and blood pressure have found that people with pets tend to have , and are less likely to have hypertension, than those who don't own a pet, the statement said. The only randomized controlled trial to look at the question included 30 participants, and found that when people adopted a dog, their blood pressure dropped.

Other evidence shows that people who own dogs are more likely than those who don't to reach recommended levels of physical activity, the statement said. It's likely that the benefit is seen because of the walking that some dog owners do. Owners who don't walk their dogs and owners of other pets were unlikely to see a benefit in physical activity levels in studies.

Walking a dog may also be linked with a lower risk of obesity, and may help with weight loss efforts in obese people, the statement said.

Among people without heart disease, owning a pet does not lengthen life, studies have shown, and among people with heart disease, findings are mixed.

Few studies have looked at whether owning a pet is linked with levels of triglycerides (fats) in the blood, but the evidence does show thathave lower levels.

The statement doesn't mean people should buy or adopt pets in hopes of improving their heart health, Levine said. "The primary reason to adopt, rescue or purchase a pet should be to give that pet a loving home, and to enjoy the relationship one has with a pet," he said.

People should not get a pet without implementing standard changes to lower their risk of heart disease, he said.

The American Heart Association recommends avoiding heart disease by eating foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium, being physically active, not smoking and watching your weight.

The statement is published online today (May 9) in the journal Circulation.

Pass it on: People with pets may have better heart health.

Follow Karen Rowan. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily, &. Originally published on MyHealthNewsDaily.

The date is revealed by fossilized remnants of plankton found insediments, which show how plankton diversity plummeted when a big chill came along at the end of the Eocene Epoch and the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. Before the transition, , and a wide array of plankton survived even at the poles.

The study, published in the journal Science in April, focused on single-celled plankton called dinoflagellates, which contain materials that fossilize. Before the Eocene-Oligocene transition about 34 million years ago, Antarctic dinoflagellates were extremely diverse. When the ice pack formed, however, only plankton that could survive cold temperatures and a seasonal freeze-melt cycle remained.

Antarctica's ice pack is the floating sea ice that melts in the summer and freezes in the winter. At melt time, plankton in the Southern Ocean surrounding the continent get busy, chowing down on the nutrients freed up from the melting ice. The consequences are global, said study researcher Carlota Escutia of the Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences in Spain.

"This phenomenon influences the dynamics of global primary productivity," Escutia said in a statement. Primary productivity is the basis of the food chain: Photosynthetic organisms such as plankton take sunlight and nutrients such as iron and nitrate and turn them into organic compounds. Larger organisms then eat the plankton and make use of those compounds to provide themselves with energy.

"The great change came when the [plankton] species simplified their form and found they were forced to adapt to the new climate conditions," Escutia said.

The icy ecosystem that formed after the Eocene is marked byin the spring and summer, which sets off a short-lived feeding frenzy as plankton-eating species such as whales gorge themselves while they can.

"The explosion of dinoflagellates adapted to a temporary sea ice cover testifies to an in-depth reorganization of the food web in the Southern Ocean," study researcher Jrg Pross, a paleoclimatologist at Goethe University in Germany, said in a statement. "Our data suggest that this change may have promoted the evolution of modern baleen whales and penguins."

Follow Stephanie Pappas on and . Follow us , & . Original article on .

White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon made the remarks at a meeting with senior Chinese military leader Fan Changlong, two weeks ahead of a summit between the U.S. and Chinese presidents in California.

"An essential part of building a new model for relations between great powers is ensuring we have a healthy, stable and reliable military to military relationship," Donilon told Fan at the Chinese Defence Ministry, in brief comments before reporters.

He added the two countries should work to face "non-traditional security challenges" including peacekeeping, disaster relief and countering piracy.

Fan, the vice chair of China's powerful Central Military Commission, called for a "new type of major power relations".

Neither Donilon nor Fan mentioned the numerous sensitive areas Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama are expected to discuss in June, including tensions on the Korean peninsula and a string of cyber attacks the United States has linked to China.

Donilon met Xi on Monday, during which Xi said Sino-U.S. relations were at "an important stage connecting the past and the future", according to China's official Xinhua news agency.

Neither side has given details about what will be discussed at the summit, set for June 7-8 at a sprawling California estate called Sunnylands, which lies southeast of Palm Springs.

While military relations between the world's two largest economies have thawed considerably in the last two years, deep suspicions and sticking points remain, including China's role in pushing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Fan and Xi both met with Choe Ryong-hae, a special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, earlier this month. The U.S. will likely continue pressuring China to enforce international sanctions on Pyongyang.

(Reporting By Megha Rajagopalan; Editing by Michael Perry)

(Logo: )

Recall Summary

Name of product: GNU Snowboard Bindings

Hazard: The ankle straps can break posing a fall hazard.

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the bindings and contact Mervin Manufacturing for instructions for receiving free replacement straps.

Consumer Contact:

Mervin Manufacturing at (800) 905-0551 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or online atand click on Recall for additional information.

Photos are available at:

Recall Details

Units: About 6,800 pairs in the U.S. and 1200 in CanadaDescription: The recalled snowboard bindings include men's, youth, and women's sizes. The bindings attach to the snowboard with screws, and to the snowboard boot with straps with buckles. The brand name "GNU" is imprinted on the front of the straps or on the baseplate. The SKU number can be found on the model sticker located on the original packaging. The following styles and SKU numbers are included in the recall:

Name

SKU #

MEN'S

AGRO

213710 - 213720

BACKDOOR

213105 - 213115

CHOICE

213510 - 213540

MUTANT/BIGFOOT

213610 - 213640

PSYCH

213410 - 213460

STREET

213205 - 213235

WEIRD

213305 - 213355

YOUTH

GNUNIOR

213005

WOMEN'S

B-FAMOUS/YETI

214405 - 214435

B-FREE COPPER

214305 - 214335

B-HERE

214205 - 214230

B-REAL

214105 - 214130

B-TRUE

214005 - 214010

This sister-in-law expressed concern that our 10-year-old would remember Charlie and say something inappropriate. She's demanding that we lie to him and tell him Claire is another daughter we have never met.

My husband and I do not lie to our children. We feel it is best to explain to all three of our sons that Charlie has decided to make a lifestyle change and let them ask questions if they choose. What is your opinion? -- TRUTH-TELLING PARENTS

DEAR PARENTS: I don't believe in lying to children either, but before you tell your sons that Charlie decided to make a "lifestyle change," I urge you to do some research about gender identity. It is not as simple on any level as changing an aspect of one's lifestyle. It is about who Claire truly feels she is inside.

If your oldest boy remembers Charlie, he should know that some people feel from an early age that they were born into the wrong body -- the wrong gender. Fortunately, there is help for it in the form of medication and surgery. He should be told that the problem has been solved and Charlie is now Claire. When the younger children are older, they can be told the same thing in an age-appropriate manner if the subject comes up.

DEAR ABBY: My children's father died of cancer about a year ago. As a result, they receive Social Security benefits as his surviving dependents. He had no life insurance, so this is all they have.

The problem is nearly everyone who finds out they receive this money becomes angry and jealous. Abby, these benefits came from his earnings and are meant to assist me in supporting the children he is no longer here to help with. We try not to mention the money, but sometimes it comes up in conversation.

How can people be jealous about money received from such a tragedy? Would they really want to lose a family member in exchange for cash? Please ask people to be more considerate in a situation where a child has paid a far greater price than any check in the mail could cover. -- SURVIVING MOM IN ILLINOIS

DEAR MOM: I'm sorry for your loss. People, particularly in a difficult economy, can become jealous if they think someone is getting "something for nothing." (And depending upon how dysfunctional a family is, they might indeed be willing to "lose" a family member in exchange for cash.)

I'm passing your sentiments along, but my advice to you is to stop discussing finances unless there is a specific reason why the person you're talking to must have that information.

DEAR ABBY: My mother-in-law picks her nose in front of others by covering her finger with a tissue and then digging deep into her nose. She claims this is acceptable behavior even though the rest of us are grossed out. She refuses to stop unless somebody like you tells her otherwise.

Please help with this. I have a 7-year-old daughter who sees her, and I don't want her to think this is proper behavior in public. -- GROSSED OUT

DEAR GROSSED OUT: It's one thing to use a tissue for a gentle nose-blow, and quite another to use it as camouflage for a major excavation. That your MIL is grossing out those around her should be evidence enough that what she's doing is bad manners. It is showing lack of consideration for those around her.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

To order "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

The Taliban claimed responsibility and said their fighters were still battling police in Kabul and that they had allegedly killed several people.

However, Interior Ministry spokesman Seddiq Seddiqi said no one was killed except two insurgents. He said everyone inside the building that the Taliban took over was safely evacuated, adding that two civilians and two security forces were wounded. He would not confirm the nationality of the wounded, nor would he identify the building.

Details of the attack remained sketchy. Three hours after the blast, which shook much of the city, fighting was still going on in the upscale Shahr-i-Now neighborhood.

Police officer Latif Khan, director of the city's District 4, said the explosion was a suicide attack but could give no further information on the ensuing shootout.

The exact target of the attack was unclear. The explosion took place near a hospital that services the National Security Directorate, the state intelligence agency. Police quickly cordoned off the area, which also houses buildings used by several international aid agencies.

A restaurant owner in the district, Adel, who gave only one name as is customary among Afghan men, said his cc-camera footage at the restaurant showed four gunmen in the street outside. He said he ran away with his staff.

"When I saw these four attackers, we decided to get away," said Adel, who was running as he spoke to The Associated Press.

Dozens of Afghan police were rushed to the scene in trucks and took up positions around the area. At least one wounded officer was seen being helped away by his comrades.

It was the second explosion to hit Kabul in just over a week.

Last Thursday, a suicide car bomber killed six Americans, including two soldiers, and nine Afghan bystanders in an attack on a U.S. convoy.

The attacks broke two months of relative calm in Kabul. As the Taliban spring offensive gets underway, it will test the Afghan forces' ability to keep security now that international combat forces are pulling back ahead of the 2014 withdrawal.

Most of the U.S.-led military coalition will leave by the end of next year, more than a dozen years after launching the war to topple the Taliban rule over its sheltering of al-Qaida's leadership.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told the AP over the phone that Friday's attack started with a car bomb that blasted open the gates of a compound used by foreigners linked to the CIA.

Insurgent fighters then entered the building and began fighting police, Majahid said. He said he was in contact with the attackers whose "morale is high" despite the fierce fighting.

But the Interior Ministry spokesman, Seddiqi, said that two of the attackers were shot dead as they fired on security forces and that one or two were believed to be still in the building.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index, which plummeted more than 7 percent Thursday, bounced back a sizeable 2.8 percent to 14,892.57. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.1 percent to 1,971.46. Benchmarks in Indonesia, Taiwan and mainland China also rose.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng spent the morning bobbing between slight gains and slight losses before falling nearly 0.1 percent to 22,656.15. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 tumbled 1.4 percent to 4,992.80. Benchmarks in the Philippines and New Zealand also fell.

The Nikkei's dramatic fall Thursday was attributed on the spike in the interest rate on the country's benchmark 10-year bond to above 1 percent for the first time in a year, which came after Fed meeting minutes showed some of its policy makers want the U.S. central bank to start scaling back its monetary stimulus.

The swing in Japanese bonds unnerved investors at a time when Japan's already overburdened government finances are vulnerable to rises in interest rates. The interest rate, or yield, later slipped back to about 0.9 percent.

The sell-off is a reminder of Japan's vulnerability as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tries to end two decades of stagnation with unprecedented monetary easing, increased government spending and reforms to make the world's No. 3 economy more competitive.

Mixed messages from the Federal Reserve about when it might start scaling back its bond-buying program also stirred investor anxiety.

The Fed is buying $85 billion worth of bonds every month as part of its stimulus program. That has kept interest rates low and encouraged investors to put money into stocks and other risky assets. If the Fed slows down its bond purchases, investors fear it could lead to an outpouring of money from stocks.

Benchmark oil for July delivery was down 4 cents to $94.20 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 3 cents to close at $94.25 per barrel on the Nymex on Thursday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.2920 from $1.2932 late Thursday in New York. The dollar strengthened to 102.23 yen from 101.91 yen.

___

Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson