Northern Ireland leaders appealed for calm and police braced for trouble on "the Twelfth," an annual sectarian holiday that always inflames tensions with the Catholic minority. At least two Protestants were arrested during bottle-throwing skirmishes with police near the scene of several Belfast bonfires early Friday.

The police commander, Chief Constable Matt Baggott, took the unusual step of importing 630 police officers from England and Scotland to beef up his own 7,000-member force. The officers have already received Northern Ireland-specific riot training as part of their deployment last month to provide security for the Group of Eight summit of world leaders.

Baggott said the reinforcements would help deter trouble when the major British Protestant brotherhood, the Orange Order, mounts 550 parades in commemoration of a 17th century military victory over Irish Catholics. He said 43 parades would pass near potentially hostile Catholic areas.

"Violence is not inevitable," said his deputy overseeing the police operation in Belfast, Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr.

For more than two centuries, Orangemen have marched to commemorate July 12, 1690, when forces loyal to William of Orange, the newly crowned Protestant king of England, routed the army of the deposed Catholic king, James II, in a river valley south of Belfast.

Orangemen march beneath banners portraying the British crown atop an open Bible and proclaim William as defender of their civil and religious liberty on what was then, and now, a mostly Catholic island.

Most Catholics loathe the marches as a Protestant effort to intimidate and insult them, a view underscored by the Orangemen's accompaniment on parade by so-called "kick the pope" bands of fife and drum playing a mixture of Gospel and sectarian tunes. The bonfires similarly attract Catholic scorn because they are adorned with Irish and papal flags and anti-Catholic messages.

Protestant youths placed a stolen Virgin Mary statue on one bonfire in west Belfast. But older residents spotted the statue and returned it Thursday to the Holy Cross Catholic Church in the north Belfast district of Ardoyne, where the parish priest thanked them for what he called their "incredibly responsible act."

The Rev. Gary Donegan said the statue's rescue "proves there are leaders within our communities who remain committed to taking positive steps for peace."

But police prepared for march-related trouble at several Belfast spots near Catholic areas, particularly Ardoyne, a power base for the outlawed Irish Republican Army. Ardoyne was been wracked by violence following the Twelfth parades every year since 2009.

A British government-appointed panel called the Parades Commission since 1997 has imposed restrictions on the path of Orange parades to minimize contact with Catholic communities, but the effort faces no-win situations in the tight sectarian geography of Belfast, with its patchwork of rival districts. Most trouble occurs in the evening as Orangemen march back to their lodges on major Belfast roads.

The Ardoyne clashes typically have persisted for two or three nights and involved the burning of hijacked vehicles, the hurling of homemade grenades and bursts of gunfire from IRA members. More than 250 police officers have been injured there in Twelfth-inspired violence since 2009.

The recurring conflict demonstrates how IRA splinter groups remain active despite the 2005 decision of most IRA members to disarm and officially abandon their 1970-1997 campaign to force Northern Ireland out of the United Kingdom.

This year for the first time, the Parades Commission has ordered Orangemen to avoid the main road beside Ardoyne. But the Orangemen have no logical alternative route to their lodge in a nearby district, and Protestants are threatening to stand their ground until police let them through.

Orange leaders dismissed concerns that their plan for late-night standoffs with police could easily spiral out of control.

"The Parades Commission has created this crisis," said the Orange Order's chaplain, Mervyn Gibson.

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - It wouldn't be right to totally slime "Turbo," an animated tale about a snail who longs to race in the Indianapolis 500.

The film will entertain young moviegoers, the audience at which it is primarily aimed. But adults in the audience who've sat through the animated offerings of the past decade or two will likely find the film derivative and trifling.

"Turbo's" hero is Theo (voiced by Ryan Reynolds), who prefers to be called by his nom de racer, Turbo. His protective older brother, Chet (Paul Giamatti, whose distinctive voice works perfectly for the character), worries that Turbo is aiming too high in thinking he can become a speed demon. But Turbo adopts as his mantra the motto repeatedly expressed by his hero, Guy Gagn (Bill Hader), a French racing champion, who lectures, "No dream is too big and no dreamer too small."

Before you can say "Fast and Furious," our hard-shelled protagonist magically goes from sluggish to speedy after an accidental, up-close-and-personal encounter with nitrous oxide in the engine of a souped-up vehicle during a street race. Soon he's off to the Brickyard, accompanied by his brother, a posse of fellow snail racers (voiced by Maya Rudolph, Snoop Dogg, Samuel L. Jackson and more), and his sponsors, a ragtag group that includes a taco truck driver (Michael Pea) and other owners (Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong and Michelle Rodriquez) of faltering businesses in a forlorn strip mall north of the 101 in Van Nuys, Calif.

All of this proceeds competently enough, interrupted periodically for musical montages featuring rap tunes.

But the whiff of the familiar is strong in "Turbo." How different is a snail hero who longs to be a racer from a rodent who longs to be a chef ("Ratatouille") or building up to a big auto race set in Indianapolis from one set in Radiator Springs ("Cars")? Near the end, there's even a brief nod to "Transformers."

Mostly, "Turbo" feels dutiful. It's going where plenty of other animated family films have gone before, without any particular verbal or visual inventiveness. Making its hero a snail is by far its most audacious move.

But let's not focus just on the negative. The movie deserves points for its inclusiveness (major supporting characters are Hispanic and Asian) and its message about pursuing one's dreams.

Also on the positive side, I have yet to hear of McDonald's or Burger King doing tie-in promotions with edible escargot offerings.

Merci for that.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity on Friday because the team has not announced the deal. ESPN.com first reported the agreement earlier in the day.

Ribeiro was one of the top players available once the league's free-agency period opened on Friday.

He's a 14-year NHL veteran, who spent last season with the Washington Capitals.

Ribeiro has topped 50 points in a season eight times, and finished with 49 points (13 goals, 36 assists) in 48 games last year.

The Coyotes did announce they've signed free agent goalie Thomas Greiss to a one-year contract. Greiss spent parts of the past four seasons with San Jose.

Every, who has yet to win on the PGA Tour, coolly rolled in a 10-footer at the par-four ninth to complete a blistering eight-under-par 62 at The Greenbrier's Old White Course for a nine-under total of 131.

The 29-year-old, who has twice been a runner-up on the U.S. circuit, piled up eight birdies in a flawless display but declined to speak to reporters after signing his card as he wanted to be with his wife, Danielle, who was not feeling well.

Johnson Wagner, one of two co-leaders overnight, carded a 70 to finish one stroke off the pace, level with fellow Americans Daniel Summerhays (67), Bill Lunde (66) and Russell Henley (65), and Australian Steve Bowditch (67).

While players were able to take advantage of preferred lies for a second day in a row, four-times major winner Mickelson again struggled with his distance control before exiting the tournament after following his opening 74 with a 68.

"I played well today, hit a lot of good shots and my game feels good, even though the scores were not very good," world number six Mickelson told Golf Channel after missing the cut at The Greenbrier for a third year in a row.

"I hit a lot of good shots and as I look back on these last three years where I have struggled here, that's been the biggest issue for me, is distance control with the irons.

"I have been surprised by every iron shot where it lands relative to where I expect it to land. And it's not just a yard or two off like it normally is ... it's 10 or 12 yards off. I haven't been able to adjust."

FOREIGN TERRITORY

While Mickelson was unable to adjust at The Greenbrier, Australian Bowditch was delighted to put himself in foreign territory he has long dreamed about occupying - being in contention for a maiden PGA Tour title.

"I really haven't put myself in position my whole career, so it's going to be a new experience for me," said Bowditch, who has recorded only one top-10 on the circuit after three full seasons.

"I've gained a little bit of experience but not quite at this level ... so I'm just going to go out there and play my game. My golf swing feels probably the best it's felt in a long time now. I'm sort of freewheeling it, which is nice.

"It's obviously everyone's dream at this level to try and win," Bowditch said after mixing four birdies with a lone bogey. "Just keep giving myself chances and hopefully on the back nine I'll have a chance to do well."

Henley, who won his first PGA Tour title at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, was also in an upbeat mood after surging into contention with a seven-birdie display.

"I hit the ball great all day," said the 24-year-old, who ended his round by draining a 14-footer to birdie the ninth. "Made a lot of good putts and just stayed patient. Got one there at the very end so it feels pretty good."

Swede Jonas Blixt (67) was two shots off the lead, along with Americans Ben Curtis (66) and Tommy Gainey (71) and Englishman Greg Owen (66), while 63-year-old Tom Watson rolled back the years with a 69 to sit a further four strokes back.

The cut fell at one-under 139 with Fiji's ex-world number one Vijay Singh and fellow former major winners Lucas Glover, Trevor Immelman and Mike Weir among those missing out.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Gene Cherry)

"I'm happy being a prostitute" was the slogan on a web campaign for International Prostitute Day that also encouraged sex workers to not be ashamed to seek medical treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

The campaign was published on the health ministry's website and social media sites last weekend, and has since provoked a wave of criticism, especially from evangelical legislators in Brazil's congress.

"We are fighting childhood prostitution and here comes a campaign encouraging it," federal deputy Liliam S said in a recent congressional committee meeting.

Health Minister Alexandre Padilha, a rising star in the ruling Workers' Party who is expected to run for governor of So Paulo state next year, said in a Twitter post late Tuesday that the campaign had gone ahead without his authorization.

In the tweet, Padilha said the decision to scrap the campaign "came before any protests for or against it."

(Reporting by Asher Levine; Editing by Todd Benson and Vicki Allen)

LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways is working on the assumption that efforts to expand Heathrow airport will ultimately fail and the proposals from a commission on London's airport problems will be ignored next year, the head of the airline's parent said on Wednesday.

In some of his strongest comments yet on the fierce political battle over whether to build a third runway at Europe's busiest airport, IAG Chief Executive Willie Walsh cast the commission as a political football whose recommendations would be put aside after 2015 elections.

Heathrow operates at around 98 percent capacity and opposition from local people and environmental activists, concerned by the noise and pollution another runway would generate, has already seen its expansion knocked back once.

BA and other interested businesses argue the project would be a huge boost for UK economic growth, forcing the current government to set up a commission to look again at how to expand London's aviation capacity.

"I suspect the recommendations by the committee won't be acted on by politicians... I'm critical of the politics behind their decisions," Willie Walsh, the CEO of International Airlines Group told a public evidence session in London on Wednesday assessing the country's future aviation needs.

"This government gave no credible alternative to a third runway so BA will continue planning for the future on the basis of a two runway Heathrow."

Overturning the previous Labour administration's decision to build the third runway, Britain's Conservative-led coalition government, in power since 2010, also ruled out expanding London's smaller airports.

The government's commission on airport capacity, chaired by former Financial Services Authority head Howard Davies, will publish an interim report by the end of next year with a final report due in mid-2015. British aviation officials will submit their proposals to the commission next week.

About 1,300 flights arrive and lave from Heathrow daily. BA is the largest airline there with around 40 percent of the take off and landing slots.

London Mayor Boris Johnson is pushing for a new four-runway hub to be built in the Thames Estuary east of the capital while other groups would prefer to see Britain's regional airports expanded.

"I don't see how you can finance the building of a new four-runway hub in London," said Walsh of the Thames Estuary idea," said Walsh.

"How can you fund development if you have no revenues? The idea that sovereign wealth funds will just hand over the money to build it is just ridiculous."

Colin Matthews, the chief executive of Heathrow, maintains that no taxpayer money would be used to build a third runway at Heathrow, which he said would be funded by a combination of the airlines that use it and private investors, who would get a share of revenues generated by passenger landing fees.

Noise produced by airlines using Heathrow affects some 700,000 local residents, according to Britain's Civil Aviation Authority, more than any other airport in Europe.

(Editing by Patrick Graham)

But a new study shows that despite it's imposing dental profile, this ancient carnivore had a bite no stronger than that a something the researcher called "embarassing." Instead, it packed most of its power in a robust set of arms, strong neck muscles and knack for precision, researchers say.

Named Thylacosmilus atrox ("pouch saber"), the animal was about the size of a jaguar, but "looked and behaved like nothing alive today," paleontologist Stephen Wroe said in a statement. Superficially, Thylacosmilus resembled theof the Pleistocene, like the North American icon, Smilodon fatalis. Both have long canines designed to attack large prey, but the animals were separated by at least 125 million years of evolution, researchers say. []

Thylacosmilus, a marsupial-like carnivore that carried its young in a pouch, went extinct 3.5 million years ago. It had the largest canines of any known saber-toothed beast; its fangs kept growing throughout its lifetime and had roots extending almost into the animal's braincase. The teeth also fit over long sheath-like ridges that extended down from the animal's lower jaw.

The ancient beasts aren't around today to show off their killing skills, but researchers can reconstruct thebased on fossilized skulls. Wroe, of the University of New South Wales, and his colleagues made computer models to compare the bite mechanics of Smilodon and Thylacosmilus, as well as a living cat, the leopard.

Previous "crash tests" led by Wroe showed that Smilodon, which vanished only 10,000 years ago, had a rathercompared with modern feline predators like the African lion. The new research shows that Thylacosmilus, too, had a weak jaw.

"Frankly, the jaw muscles of Thylacosmilus were embarrassing," Wroe said in a statement. "With its jaws wide open this 80-100 kg [175-220 lbs] 'super-predator' had a bite less powerful than a domestic cat."

To launch an effective attack, Wroe thinks Thylacosmilus must have used "a mix of brute force and delicate precision."

The animal likely used its brawny forearms to clutch and immobilize its prey, Wroe said. The crash tests also showed that Thylacosmilus had stronger neck muscles than Smilodon, which probably helped the pouched predator power its fatal bite. And since its saber-teeth were quite fragile, Thylacosmilus' piercing blow must have been planted carefully, right into the windpipe or major arteries of its prey's neck, Wroe said.

The research was detailed on June 26 in the journal .

Follow Megan Gannon onandFollow us ,& . Original article on .

After more than 20 hours of deliberations, the jury voted 6 to 2 in the High Court to convict Peter Chan, formerly known as Tony Chan, on a charge of forgery. Chan had pleaded not guilty to a number of charges, including forgery and using a forged document.

The proceedings had transfixed Hong Kong with revelations of adultery and bizarre rituals associated with "feng shui", a Chinese philosophy meaning "wind-water", aimed at creating harmonious surroundings and harnessing natural energies.

Wang, known as "Little Sweetie", was one of Asia's wealthiest women, with a business empire including the Chinachem Group, Hong Kong's largest private property developer. She died of cancer in 2007, aged 69.

The verdict is the latest setback for the married Chan, who in March was ordered to pay HK$340 million ($43.8 million) in tax arrears, and has been hit by the lengthy and costly legal battle for Wang's estate that he lost in 2011.

Chan changed his name from Tony after that ruling and converted to Christianity this year.

After Thursday's verdict, Chan appeared flushed and lowered his head in the witness box, but showed no outward emotion.

"Without the lawsuits, I would not have gone to church and would not have experienced God," Chan told the South China Morning Post in an earlier interview. "I have no regrets."

In 2011, the High Court upheld a previous judgment that a 2006 will leaving Wang's entire $4 billion estate, one of Asia's largest fortunes, to her former lover and feng shui master was a forgery. Instead, it upheld an earlier will bequeathing her fortune to a charitable foundation.

The jury had earlier been asked by Justice Andrew Macrae to put aside personal feelings in making their judgment, the South China Morning Post reported, amid extensive media coverage.

The judge is expected to issue a sentence on Friday morning.

(Reporting by Brian Yap, Grace Li and James Pomfret; Editing by Ron Popeski)

SANFORD, Florida (Reuters) - A Florida judge on Tuesday deferred a ruling on whether jurors in George Zimmerman's murder trial should see a digital reconstruction of his shooting of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin.

The digital re-enactment, commissioned by the defense, drew objections from prosecutors, who said it distorted events of the fatal encounter between Zimmerman and Martin, in a gated community in Sanford, Florida, on February 26, 2012.

The defense's attempt to introduce the digital reconstruction - created from technology similar to that used in Hollywood movies - comes as the defense team is nearing the end of its case. It remains uncertain whether Zimmerman will testify.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder and faces up to life in prison if convicted, although either side can request that the jury also consider the lesser offense of manslaughter, with a maximum penalty of 30 years.

The case revolves around sometimes murky evidence, including disagreements among witnesses over whose voice - Martin's or Zimmerman's - can be heard in the background of a 911 emergency call on the night that Zimmerman shot Martin.

State prosecutors argued the digital reconstruction of the crime scene failed to show the gun used by Zimmerman and showed details of the neighborhood watch volunteer's altercation with Martin based only on "approximations," including the number of blows during the fight and how each body reacted to those blows, among other objections.

The reconstruction was shown to Judge Nelson while the jury was out on Tuesday morning. It was not viewable by spectators in the courtroom but starts during the 911 emergency call that captured the sound of screams for help.

Daniel Schumacher, a specialist in reconstructing graphic crime scenes and accidents who created the re-enactment, testified he employed the same technology and body motion capture suits used to create action movies. He said he based his depiction on police reports, witness statements and drawings, crime scene and investigative information, testimony in depositions, medical examiner reports and the 911 audio.

"I believe I had everything I would need to create the scene," said Schumacher who previously was qualified as an expert in 16 California counties.

Zimmerman remained free for 45 days after the killing, because police initially declined to arrest him, accepting his claim he shot and killed the 17-year-old Martin in self-defense.

A special prosecutor brought the charge of second-degree murder against Zimmerman after protests and cries of injustice in Sanford and several major U.S. cities, as the case sparked a national debate about race, profiling, gun rights, self defense and children.

Prosecutors wrapped up their side of the case against Zimmerman, 29, after nine days of witness testimony on Friday.

In a blow to the prosecution, Judge Nelson ruled late on Monday that defense lawyers can introduce evidence that Martin had the active ingredient of marijuana in his system when he was killed.

Toxicology tests showed THC in Martin's system, and Zimmerman told a police operator just before the shooting that Martin "looks like he's on drugs."

The prosecution argued the evidence was prejudicial, and the defense countered that it was relevant given Zimmerman's observation that Martin could be on drugs.

Medical Examiner Shiping Bao initially reported the THC level was too slight to affect Martin, but Bao testified outside the jury's hearing last week that his further research in preparation for the trial indicated the drug might have had a slight but unknown effect.

When the jury renders its verdict in the Zimmerman case, it seems likely that many Americans will be disappointed however his fate is decided because they have already made up their minds about a killing that became a virtual national obsession for much of last year.

Highlighting fears of racial tensions in Sanford itself, the Broward County Sheriff's Office in south Florida, the state's largest, announced on Monday that it was working closely with the Sanford Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies to coordinate "a response plan in anticipation the verdict."

Sanford's population of 54,000 is about 30 percent black.

"Freedom of expression is a constitutional right. While raising your voice is encouraged, using your hands is not," the Broward Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

"We don't have information about a specific event that might take place at the conclusion of the trial, but we encourage everyone to keep any protests peaceful," Broward Sheriff Scott Israel said.

(Writing by Tom Brown; Editing by Paul Thomasch)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Friday made it final that employees of religiously affiliated, nonprofit institutions would receive insurance coverage for birth control amid mounting legal challenges to a rule in the recent healthcare law.

The White House proposed in early 2012 an arrangement that allows universities, hospitals and other employers with a religious affiliation to avoid paying directly for contraceptives. Instead, insurance companies provide coverage and foot the bill under the law.

The rule requires an institution's health insurer or third-party insurance administrator to notify employees about birth control benefits and provide beneficiaries with direct payments that cover the cost of contraceptive services.

The announcement was made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It puts into effect a requirement that has been beset by more than a year of talks between administration officials and religious employers.

The U.S. Roman Catholic bishops and other denominations oppose contraception on religious grounds and have protested against the requirement as have conservatives.

"Today's announcement reinforces our commitment to respect the concerns of houses of worship and other non-profit religious organizations that object to contraceptive coverage, while helping to ensure that women get the care they need, regardless of where they work," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement.

The rule formally takes effect on August 1. Thanks But the administration gave nonprofit employers an additional five months to adjust to the new regulations by having it apply to plan years beginning on or after January 1. Other employers have been required to make contraceptives coverage available to their workers since last August.

Women's advocates applauded the regulations as a milestone that could have profound impact on the education and economic opportunities of women including college students.

"Birth control is basic healthcare for women, and this policy treats it like any other kind of preventive care," Planned Parenthood President Cecile Roberts said in a statement.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has spearheaded opposition to the policy, responded to the ruling.

"We have received and started to review the 110-page final rule," New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said in a statement. "It will require more careful analysis. We will provide a fuller statement when that analysis is complete."

LEGAL FIGHT EXPANDS

Opponents say the policy, part of President Barack Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, violates religious tenets of nonprofit and for-profit employers alike, particularly coverage for the morning-after pill to stop pregnancy and other types of contraceptives, which they view as tantamount to abortion.

Employers have had legal successes, raising speculation that the lawfulness of the rule may eventually be tested by the U.S. Supreme Court.

More than 60 lawsuits have been filed by religious organizations and businesses against the requirement, and courts have granted some 20 for-profit businesses temporary relief from the law while their cases proceed in court.

Earlier this month, a federal judge in Pennsylvania granted the same relief to a religiously affiliated nonprofit for the first time in the case of Geneva College, which was established by the Reform Presbyterian Church.

Friday's regulations came a day after a federal appeals court in Denver ruled that Hobby Lobby, family-owned arts and crafts chain may be exempt from offering contraceptive benefits to its 13,000 full-time employees.

Hobby Lobby's lawyer, Kyle Duncan of the Becket Fund, said his organization filed an emergency request late Thursday asking the district court to take immediate action on the company's request for an exemption from the mandate. On Friday, the retailer was excused by a federal judge from paying up to $1.3 million a day in fines for not providing coverage.

(Additional reporting by Terry Baynes in New York; Editing by Michele Gershberg, Vicki Allen and Kenneth Barry)