Strikes on Libya set to slow, stalemate feared

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Attacks on Libya are likely to slow in the coming days, a U.S. general said on Monday, as Western powers consolidate a no-fly zone that some say is unlikely to bring an early end to the country's civil war.

Rebels who began a revolt against Muammar Gaddafi a month ago have so far done little to capitalize on a two-day bombardment that halted an advance by government forces on their Benghazi stronghold and targeted Libya's air defenses.

But Washington, wary of being sucked into another war after long campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, has ruled out specific action to overthrow Gaddafi, though France said on Monday it hoped the Libyan government would collapse from within.

AP Source: Tennessee fires coach Bruce Pearl

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Tennessee has fired Bruce Pearl after a season that saw the coach charged with unethical conduct for lying to NCAA investigators during a probe into recruiting, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.

The person spoke with The Associated Press Monday on condition of anonymity because the university has not announced the firing.

In six seasons, Pearl, 51, led the Volunteers to their first No. 1 ranking in 2008 and first NCAA tournament regional finals appearance, missing out on a trip to the 2010 Final Four by a single point.

Pearl acknowledged in a tearful press conference on Sept. 10 that he had given investigators false information when asked about a cookout at his home attended by high school juniors. The NCAA has since charged the Tennessee basketball and football programs with a dozen violations.

Actresses sport the same shiny dress

  


Selena Gomez resurrects a look tried by Katherine Heigl over a year ago, but changes the hem.


Fashion Faceoff: Selena vs. Katherine

Selena Gomez in L.A., February 8, 2011.

Katherine Heigl in New York, July 20, 2009.

Just laLadies and gents, we've got another fashion battle on our hands. This time it's a Disney princess up against a rom-com queen, and it's going to be a fierce one! Though they donned it in different colors, Selena Gomez and Katherine Heigl were both spotted wearing the same Reem Acra cocktail frock for different events in Los Angeles and New York. Question is ... who wore it best?
Just last month, Selena wore a purple version of the Reem Acra Resort 2010 dress to the premiere of her boyfriend Justin Bieber's concert film, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never." The "Wizards of Waverly Place" starlet paired her gown with a gorgeous tan, center-parted curly tresses, a jeweled clutch, and embellished nude heels. 

Libya a turning point for Obama's policies

  

A series of global crises put the president's measured responses in the spotlight.

Does Barack Obama know what he's doing?

The question isn't purely rhetorical because Obama's response to the cascade of global crises over the past several weeks has often seemed mystifying. He supported pro-democracy forces in Egypt and nudged out a regime the U.S. had backed for decades, but has been unwilling to do the same in Bahrain or Yemen. In Libya, his Administration was against armed intervention to stop Muammar Gaddafi before Obama was for it. American warplanes carried out the initial wave of strikes on Tripoli, but Obama's aides insist that Washington is merely following the Europeans' lead. U.S. officials were reticent for days as the nuclear crisis in Japan worsened, then declared the situation to be even direr than the Japanese government had let on.