Some of you may be going Ga Ga over this!

US President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Committee said he was awarded it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".

There were a record 205 nominations for this year’s prize.

The laureate - chosen by a five-member committee - wins a gold medal, a diploma and 10m Swedish kronor ($1.4m).

U.S. President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his calls to reduce the world’s stockpile of nuclear weapons and working for world peace.

The first African American to hold the country’s highest office, Obama has called for disarmament and worked to restart the stalled Middle East peace process since taking office in January.

Fans around the world react to the death of singer Michael Jackson, who collapsed at his Los Angeles, California, home on Thursday and died at UCLA Medical Center. He was 50.

Some say the death of the music icon is like losing a relative. "It’s like my generation’s Elvis passing away," says one man.

Mothers recall passing on his dances such as "The Moonwalk" to their children, and one fan says Jackson’s name was one of the first celebrity names she learned as a child.

His autopsy was completed, but further tests must be carried out before the cause of death can be determined, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner said.

Craig Harvey said the tests would take four to six weeks, after which "we anticipate being able to close the case and issuing a final cause of death." Among the tests to be carried out, he said, are neuropathology (brain) and pulmonary (lung) tests.

Harvey added, "We know that he was taking some prescription medications," but said he was not able to divulge what.

The possibility that Jackson may have been taking medication that could have contributed to his death at the age of 50 weighed heavily Friday on a number of people close to the star.  Watch coroner’s office discuss Jackson’s death. Jackson’s ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, said in an online blog posted Friday that she was not surprised by Thursday’s news.

She said she divorced him in January 1996, after less than two years of marriage, because she was "in over my head in trying" to save Jackson "from the inevitable, which is what has just happened."

Jackson talked with her about his death during "a deep conversation" 14 years ago about "the circumstances of my father’s death," she wrote, referring to Elvis Presley. The singer collapsed in the bathroom of his Memphis, Tennessee, mansion — Graceland — on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42. While his death was ruled the result of an irregular heartbeat, the autopsy report was sealed amid accusations that abuse of prescription drugs caused the problem.

The similarity to the "King of Rock" apparently resonated with the "King of Pop." "At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, ‘I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did,’ " Presley said.  Watch crowds gather at the hospital. »

"I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that."

That conversation haunted Presley as she watched television coverage of Jackson’s death Thursday, she said.

"I am sitting here watching on the news [as] an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears," she wrote.

"A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn’t predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened."

Her blog can be found online at http://blogs.myspace.com/lisamariepresley

Meanwhile, police — who had spoken Thursday with Dr. Conrad Murray, who was with Jackson when he died — were trying to reach him again Friday.

A car that Murray had parked at Jackson’s home was impounded and may contain medications pertinent to the investigation, said Detective Agustin Villanueva of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Public records show the impounded car was registered to a Texas woman who is an associate of the cardiologist, who is licensed in California and Texas and also has an office in Las Vegas, Nevada.

AEG Live, the promoter of Jackson’s planned tour, said their deal with the singer included a dedicated private physician of his choosing and that Jackson chose Murray, his physician of three years.

A source close to the family said Murray spent much of the last two months with Jackson, as he prepared for his upcoming concert series. The doctor is said to be cooperating with officials.

Jackson was in cardiac arrest when paramedics took him Thursday from his home to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where the music idol was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. (5:26 p.m. ET).  Listen to the 911 call »

He had been preparing for a comeback tour — aimed at extending his legendary career and helping him to pay off hundreds of millions of dollars in debt.

Jackson began his professional work at age 5, singing with his brothers, before shooting to superstardom as a solo singer. He had numerous No. 1 hits — the best known being "Thriller," the best-selling album of all time, at an estimated 50 million copies worldwide.

After dominating the popular music scene for years, Jackson became reclusive and mired in scandals that included child molestation charges. He reached a settlement with one accuser and was acquitted in another case after a highly publicized trial in Santa Maria, California, in June 2005.

Jackson is survived by his three children, Prince Michael I, Paris and Prince Michael II.

Condolences and appreciations continued to pour in Thursday from around the world. President Obama said he considered Jackson a "spectacular performer" and expressed his condolences to the Jackson family, the White House said Friday.

At a briefing with reporters, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said he spoke with the president Friday morning about the death of the pop superstar.

"He said to me that, obviously, Michael Jackson was a spectacular performer, a music icon. I think everybody remembers hearing his songs, watching him moonwalk on television during Motown’s 25th anniversary."

But Gibbs said the president also noted that "aspects of his life were sad and tragic. His condolences went out to the Jackson family and to fans that mourned his loss."

In a written statement, Jackson’s second ex-wife, Debbie Rowe Jackson, said, "Though Michael is now at peace, the world has lost a beautiful and loving soul. I appreciate the outpouring of support and prayer for Michael, all of his family, me and our children, and hope our privacy can be respected at this difficult time."

Which is the symbol of the current movement (hard to miss really) for more democracy and freedom in the recent election fraud case in Iran. So I’ll post my symbol of Green for support of the Iranian “free” people.

Those green wristbands by the Iranian football team demonstrate another such symbol of solidarity.

You’d have to be sitting in a cubby hole if you don’t know what’s going on out there..GREEN IRAN! (just search Iran or Iran Election if you must!)

A record 150,000 people poured into Victoria Park last night to pay homage to those who died in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square 20 years ago.

The turnout claimed by organizers for the June 4 candlelight vigil would therefore equal the 150,000 who turned up for the first anniversary of the crackdown in 1990. Police, however, put last night’s attendance at 62,800 - the second highest turnout, as they estimated the 1990 figure at 80,000.

By contrast, only about 300 attended a similar ceremony in neighboring Macau last night.

Szeto Wah, chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China which organized the event, said he was more than happy as the attendance exceeded all expectations.

Because of the huge turnout, the 8pm start of the vigil was put back 30 minutes since all six football fields were packed with more people streaming in.

Around 8.20pm, the organizer opened a basketball court and an adjoining lawn to accommodate the overflow.

Veteran democrat Martin Lee Chu- ming said he was proud of those who had turned up. "Those who showed up tonight represent the views of the Chinese populations all over the world. It also shows young people have not forgotten June 4," Lee said.

Before the one-minute silence, Szeto led a group of young students who were born in 1989 to lay a wreath while the names of known victims of the crackdown were read

out. The crowd then sang and lit candles while calling for a vindication of those who lost their lives.

One of the highlights of the vigil was the broadcast of an audio clip recorded by the late premier Zhao Ziyang while he was under house arrest.

In it, Zhao reaffirmed claims the students at Tiananmen Square in 1989 had been law abiding.

Also present was Xiong Yan, the first Tiananmen student leader to take part in the Alliance’s activity in Hong Kong. "Hong Kong is the pride of China and even the whole world because the Hong Kong people uphold freedom. The world will treasure Hong Kong and her people," said Xiong, adding he was happy to be back on Chinese soil.

Before the vigil ended at 10pm, legislator Lee Cheuk-yan called on all people to join the upcoming July 1 rally.

According to a declaration at the vigil, "June 4 was the dark age of contemporary Chinese history. We again light the candle as we have lit it for the past 20 years."

Though the declaration does not accuse Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen by name, it condemns those who "buried their conscience."

The declaration read: "Regrettably, 20 years on, people who have buried their conscience express mistaken ideas, saying that 20 years of successful development will help people to arrive at an `objective evaluation’ of June 4. Does this mean that economic development can legalize and legitimize the June 4 massacre?

"Does it mean Hong Kong should cover up the crime of those in power for the sake of economic interests? Let us hold our candles, hold our dignity and conscience high, to light up Hong Kong, light up China, and not to allow ignorant leaders riding on the heads of the people to continue their arrogant ways. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, can you hear us?"

Tsang’s remarks last month sparked public outrage as he glossed over the June 4 crackdown by speaking of the mainland’s economic development over the years. He also said his views represented Hong Kong people in general.

Among those who showed up were Lasse Markus Galschiot and Kasper Markus, sons of the Danish sculptor Jens Galschiot who made the Pillar of Shame to commemorate the 1989 crackdown.

Others said they attended the vigil to show Tsang he could not speak for them.

So this is really interesting, Kitty is 35 years old and celebrating it in style, I saw some of the videos and…well obviously I had to share it with everyone! Taken straight from the blog!

So here we go, Happy Birthday soon to Kitty for being a cool 35 years of wonderful cute age!

Some nice special items as well…like this special edition item below, I wonder if anyone can actually get them outside of Japan?

A techno looking black shirt…Hello Kitty meets Gundam? I picked out a shirt idea based on the recent HKO event but then I found this! A shirt that looks very…robot like.

"I stand here today humbled by the task before us," said Mr Obama as he began his inaugural address.

He thanked outgoing president George W. Bush before pledging to live up to the enormous challenges that lie ahead.

"I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met," he said.

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."

More than 2 million well-wishers braved temperatures hovering at  minus-2 degrees Celsius to cram the National Mall and streets leading onto the US capital’s central thoroughfare, clogging the metro system and roads for hours before Mr Obama took the oath of office.

Mr Obama, the son of a black Kenyan father and a white American mother, swore to "preserve, protect and defend" the US constitution as he took the oath in front of the US Capitol building.

"This is the culmination of two years of work," said Obama activist Akin Salawu, who helped the candidate as a community organiser. "We got on board when Obama was the little engine who could. He’s like a child you’ve held onto. Now he’s going out into the world."

Mr Obama, 47, and his wife, Michelle, earlier attended services at St John’s Episcopal Church, across from the White House. Along with Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, they then had coffee at the executive mansion with Mr Bush, his outgoing deputy, Dick Cheney, and their wives.

The former Illinois senator stepped up to the dais in front of the Capitol early this morning Hong Kong time to assume power from Mr Bush after two terms marked by political division.

Mr Obama is famed for his eloquence, but he stumbled his way through the oath of office, talking over Chief Justice John Roberts.

But this was forgotten as Mr Obama, who inherits an economic crisis, two foreign wars and massive challenges to US authority overseas, delivered a soaring inaugural speech.

"We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began," he said.

"Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

Looking overseas, Mr Obama said America’s multicultural history put it in a unique position of responsibility.

Because of this history "we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace", he said.

The celebrations in Washington had an acute poignancy for many, given the new president’s bi-racial heritage.

Christian Alderson went to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968 in support of the civil rights movement and was there when Martin Luther King was assassinated 40 years ago. "That day was sorrowful," Mr Alderson, 73, said. "This is a dream come true for me."

So says the official blog.

To quote:

On top of that, we have good news for all our Sanriotown users. If you’ve taken time to check the mail info box that appears when you log-in to Sanriotown, you’ve probably noticed that you have a certain number of “Kitty Points”.

In Open Beta, these Kitty Points will be converted into HKO Loyalty Points. That means, the higher your Kitty Points, the more Loyalty Points you will receive. This will be an active conversion system, so continued use of Sanriotown will earn you more points for the Item Mall!

At the moment, signing up, logging in, sending email through your account will earn you Kitty Points, but we have plans to extend this system to the use of other services in Sanriotown.

This means I get to use my Kittypoints for credits inside the game once launched.

Bruce Lee playing Ping Pong, but with a nunchuk! Amazing old footage (used in a commercial thereafter, but still great to see, and at those times there were no special F/X like we know them today)