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  • Massive submerged structure stumps Israeli archaeologists

    The massive circular structure appears to be an archaeologists dream: a recently discovered antiquity that could reveal secrets of ancient life in the Middle East and is just waiting to be excavated.

    It's thousands of years old -- a conical, manmade behemoth weighing hundreds of tons, practically begging to be explored.

    The problem is -- it's at the bottom of the biblical Sea of Galilee. For now, at least, Israeli researchers are left stranded on dry land, wondering what finds lurk below.

    The monumental structure, made of boulders and stones with a diameter of 230 feet, emerged from a routine sonar scan in 2003. Now archaeologists are trying to raise money to allow them access to the submerged stones.

    "It's very enigmatic, it's very interesting, but the bottom line is we don't know when it's from, we don't know what it's connected to, we don't know its function," said Dani Nadel, an archaeologist at the University of Haifa who is one of several researchers studying the discovery. "We only know it is there, it is huge and it is unusual."

    Archaeologists said the only way they can properly assess the structure is through an underwater excavation, a painstakingly slow process that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. And if an excavation were to take place, archaeologists said they believed it would be the first in the Sea of Galilee, an ancient lake that boasts historical remnants spanning thousands of years and is the setting of many Bible scenes.

    In contrast, Israeli researchers have carried out many excavations in the Mediterranean and Red Seas.

    Much of the researchers' limited knowledge about this structure comes from the sonar scan a decade ago.

    Initial dives shortly after that revealed a few details. In an article in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology published earlier this year, Nadel and fellow researchers disclosed it was asymmetrical, made of basalt boulders and that "fish teem around the structure and between its blocks."

    'Return Of The Jedi' 30th Anniversary 30 Things You Didn't Know 'Star Wars' Gave Us

    This Saturday, "Star Wars VI: Return Of The Jedi," the capstone of George Lucas' original trilogy, turns 30. Not only does this mean you're old, it means it's time to consider precisely 30 things Lucas and his wildly successful franchise introduced into the world. Some (incest kiss) aren't too popular; others are downright magical. But they're all here thanks to one man and his crazy, mad expensive, dream. Time to scroll, like those revolutionary opening credits.

    1. Crowd pleasing science-fiction. Big budget sci-fi movies before "Star Wars” tended to be apocalyptic, along the lines of "Planet of the Apes," or "Soylent Green". Lucas didn't eradicate that genre entirely, but he made room for a new one. In a matter of a few years after "Star Wars," we got not only "Alien" and "Blade Runner," but the significantly kinder world of “E.T.”

    2. A "used future." Film scholars credit George Lucas for pioneering the concept (made famous again in later sci-fi movies like “Alien”) -- with spaceships that are dingy rather than shiny, furnished with a hodgepodge aesthetic.

    3. An unknown cast, but not for lack of trying. Luckily, Sissy Spacek, Jodie Foster, Al Pacino, and James Caan effectively turned Lucas down, and we landed up with Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, Mark Hamill as young Luke Skywalker, and Harrison Ford, in his first starring role, as Han Solo.
    SOURCE

    Alleged Hit-and-Run Driver Brags on Twitter, Joins Other 'Crime-Braggers'

    The criminal mind can be cunningly brilliant—or stunningly foolish. You can safely put Emma Way of the U.K. into that second category. She’s the aggressive 21-year-old motorist who allegedly hit a cyclist while out for a drive in the city of Norwich, fled the scene, and bragged about it on Twitter on Monday.

    More on Shine: 10 Biggest Dating Mistakes People Make on Facebook

    “Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier—I have right of way he doesn’t even pay road tax! #bloodycyclists,” she tweeted.

    Her admission was soon retweeted more than 300 times, inspiring angry responses and the nickname “twit and run girl” by fellow Twitter users. They also retweeted her brag to the social-media savvy Norfolk police department, who wrote back, "we have had tweets ref an RTC with a bike. We suggest you report it at a police station ASAP if not done already & then dm us." Though Way deleted her account, the ball kept rolling. The cyclist, Toby Hockley, a chef who had been taking part in an organized ride, came forward, and police said they tracked down Way and are progressing with an investigation.

    On Wednesday, the police department told Yahoo! Shine there was “no further information at this time.” Way later apologized on ITV News, saying "It was a spur of the moment thing and I'm sorry," adding, "I don't want any cyclist to think I have hatred against them." Her lawyer said during the interview that she'd been interviewed by police but that no arrest had been made.

    Way, unfortunately, is not alone in bragging about wrongdoing on her smartphone. The post-privacy generation has given way to a host of accidental confessions and video-taped self-indictments. Get a load of these other social-media users outed by their own Internet mistakes:

    The drunk driver: Oregon teenager Jacob Cox-Brown landed himself in the county jail after posting about his drunk-driving hit-and-run escapade on Facebook earlier this year. "Drivin drunk ... classsic ;) but to whoever's vehicle i hit i am sorry. :P" was the early-morning post that quickly led to his at-home arrest, after Facebook friends alerted the local police department, who had already been looking into the mysterious hit-and-run of a parked car.

    The baby Jesus thief: A York, Pennsylvania juvenile (who has remained unnamed in the press) was charged with theft after stealing a baby Jesus statuette worth $400 from a neighbor’s front-lawn manger scene. The boy’s gaffe? Posting a photo of the swiped statuette on Facebook, where rightful owner Frank McKee spied it after combing through profiles of locals for clues.

    Maria Sharapova Dishes About 'Refreshing' Relationship With Grigor Dimitrov

    Maria Sharapova hasn't been too keen on letting the press into her relationship with fellow pro Grigor Dimitrov, but in a surprisingly open interview with USA Today, she uncharacteristically gushes about Dimitrov -- and says dating a younger man (Dimitrov is 22 years old) is "refreshing."

    "Maybe it makes me really young, too, inside, which is good," Sharapova, 26, told the newspaper.

    As for what she's looking for in a man, she says: "It's about finding the person where you can be yourself all the time, where you're comfortable with being younger girl, the older girl, the mature girl, and the person that understands you and look at you and say you're completely off your rocker!

    "I have so many things going on in my life and I really love them. Of course I want someone to be by my side to enjoy them. You know, I can jump on a plane tomorrow and go somewhere because I want to do it. And it's really important that that person respects me for the decisions that I make and the things that I do in my life."

    She did not, however, offer any of her tips about outrunning the paparazzi.

    The two were first spotted cozying up on a Madrid street earlier this month. Sharapova ended her engagement to basketball player Sasha Vujacic last year.

    Christina Aguilera Wears Bra, Shows Slim Figure On Music Video Set

    Christina Aguilera showed off her slim figure in a bra and skirt on the set of an upcoming new music video on Wednesday.

    Aguilera donned a black bra and bodycon mini-skirt, showing off the weight loss she first debuted back in March, on the set of her music video for "Hoy Tengo Ganas De Ti" -- a track she collaborated on with Alejandro Fernandez. With red lipstick and platinum curls, the 32-year-old resembled a pin-up beauty from yesteryear.

    She tweeted a photo of her slimmer figure, against an ocean backdrop, for fans.

    The singer has previously had to defend her curvy figure from critics who lambasted her in the press for gaining weight. In October, Aguilera said she embraces her body and the changes that have happened over the years -- through motherhood, her 30s and more.

    "I've always been one to make it very clear, love me or hate me, take it or leave it, this is who I am," she told People magazine. "I embrace my body, and I embrace everything about myself. Coming full circle is a celebration of freedom and happiness because that's what [my new album] Lotus is representing. I'm embracing everything that I've grown to be and learned to be."

    This week, it was reported that Aguilera will return to "The Voice" for Season 5, taking her spot back from Shakira, who replaced the "Your Body" singer while she focused on her own music and the promotion of "Lotus." She reportedly inked a deal worth $17 million.

    Demi Lovato On Selena Gomez Feud 'We've Been Through A Lot'

    A feud between Disney Channel stars and former best friends Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez caused their friendship to fall apart three years ago. Now that the starlets have grown up and moved on from the Mickey Mouse House, they are putting the past behind them.

    In an interview with MTV News, Lovato opened up about her feud with Gomez, admitting that there were some difficult times.

    "We've been through a lot together," she said. "We've had periods of times where we grew apart and we just didn't really talk. Now we are in a place where I think we realized that life is so short and that when you have people in your life that love you so much then, you should just always be around them. She's going to be a big sister, and I want to be around for that. Everything about her... she has a great soul, she's talented, she's beautiful, and she will always be really, really close to my heart."

    She said even though they don't talk every day, the ex-best friends -- who first met on the set of "Barney & Friends" when they were little girls -- have been able to pick up right where they left off.

    Where they left off was 2010 and the rift involved players like Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift. Gossip blogs claimed both Lautner (who was dating the "Spring Breakers" star at the time) and Swift came between the two Disney stars. Gomez got closer with the country sweetheart and Lovato turned to Miley Cyrus, later dissing Gomez to the press.

    In an interview with Girl's Life magazine that year, Lovato targeted Gomez head-on, saying: “We’re both busy, and I wish the best for her. True friends don’t let their friends or family be mean to you. If you can’t trust somebody, you can’t be friends with them.”

    Shortly after, Lovato checked into rehab for eating disorders and self-harm. In 2011, she revealed to Billboard that both Gomez and Kim Kardashian called her while she was getting treatment and the sentiment meant the world to her.

    LeAnn Rimes, Brandi Glanville Feud Reignites After Mother's Day Diss

    The ongoing feud between LeAnn Rimes and Brandi Glanville flared again this week when the reality star reportedly dissed the country singer over a Mother's Day gift.

    On Sunday, Rimes sent flowers to Glanville for Mother's Day as a peace offering of sorts, Us Weekly notes. (Rimes is the stepmother of Glanville's children with Eddie Cibrian.) However, it appears the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star did not take kindly to the gesture and failed to thank Rimes.

    The reality star later took to Twitter, saying:

    Rimes responded, tweeting, "[T]his was actually the first acknowledgement of my gesture I was made aware of. I didn't see anything else sent to me. It wasn't for the 'thank you.' It was to just simply say Happy Mother's Day."

    She also retweeted a seemingly cryptic message reading: "Stop giving the people who have nothing positive to say about you an ear. Ignore them and keep doing your thing."

    The feud between Rimes and Glanville has been playing out in the public arena since the singer and Cibrian had an affair in 2009 and married two years later. One point of contention has been Rimes' relationship with Glanville's sons -- Jake, 5, and Mason, 9.

    “I don’t think we’ll be friends, but I hope we can coexist peacefully,” the former model told "Access Hollywood" in February. “I think once she has a child of her own, I think she will understand boundaries and what’s respectful to do and how to handle things a little better.”

    The Bravo star told Andy Cohen in March that she is done "speaking poorly" about Rimes, but she isn't the only one to engage publicly. The 30-year-old "Spitfire" songstress has been vocal about her feelings in the press as well.

    Beyonce Pregnant Singer Expecting Baby No. 2

    The rumors were all true! Beyonce is pregnant again with her second child, multiple sources confirmed to E! News.

    The superstar singer took a "sick day" earlier this week from The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, which only fueled speculations that she and Jay-Z are expecting. Today the rumors were verified as accurate, according to E!.

    HuffPost will keep updating this story as it develops.

    Rumors started running rampant last Monday when New York Post's Page Six described the singer's Met Gala dress by saying "Bey wore a Givenchy gown with a high, belted waist that carefully camouflaged her midsection, but pictures have emerged on blogs of what looks like a baby bump from recent tour dates."

    As "proof," many media outlets relied on Beyonce's own quotes regarding children and her desire to give Blue Ivy -- her and Jay-Z's one-and-a-half year old daughter -- a sibling. "I would like more children," Beyonce told ABC News earlier this month. "I think my daughter needs some company. I definitely love being a big sister. At some point ... when it's supposed to happen."

    'Nymphomaniac' Movie Photo Shia LaBeouf, Uma Thurman, Willem Dafoe Get Down For Lars Von Trier

    Controversy magnet Lars Von Trier has unveiled the first official look at his upcoming film "Nymphomaniac" on the film's website. The photo, a "porn-inspired tableau" to use some of THR's flowery language, features the film's game cast in a bunch of almost-compromising positions, none of which would be out of place on an episode of "Red Shoe Diaries."

    For instance, in the lower left of the "Nymphomaniac" photo, there's a shirtless Shia LaBeouf acting as handy man while a young woman straddles his body; an overflowing bottle of champagne sits bubbling over to the couple's left. In the middle, Willem Dafoe is shown with a coffee stain on his pants; a young woman kneels before him to clean it off. Stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and Uma Thurman, meanwhile, both appear with their legs spread in different places within the frame. (As previously noted, the film will only feature simulated sex and not actual intercourse -- this despite early rumors to the contrary.)

    While all this cheeky sex play is taking place, Von Trier stands in the back. With a camera. And duct tape over his mouth. (A reference to his controversial Hitler comments at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival or just another sex game? You be the judge!)

    For now, "Nymphomaniac" is still a ways out; part one of the two-part film will debut in Denmark on Dec. 25, before its worldwide rollout begins soon after. Magnolia will release "Nymphomaniac" in the U.S. Oh, yeah: This one is in two parts.

    Nicki Minaj's 'Idol' Shoes Are A Furry Puzzlement

    Nicki Minaj isn't known for having the tamest of style on "American Idol" -- she even sparks fervent Twitter debates for her racy on-air looks. Naturally, the singer brought her fiercest fashion game for the season finale last night.

    The outfit, high-waisted white jeans and a leather jacket, seemed simple enough, but it was Nicki's shoes that really caught people's attention. The star wore furry high-heeled boots that practically looked alive. We're already anticipating a PETA backlash...

    Sure, Nicki's worn stranger things before, but we have a feeling these babies won't exactly make any "best-dressed" lists. What do you think of her fluffy footwear?

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