Joannie Rochette: Figure Skating's Moment Beyond Medals

Instead, there were tears, there was pride, and there was palpable sense among each person in the building that they had been witness to something that Will Linger in the memory for a lifetime, and medals had no part in it.

Sunday morning, Rochette's mother, Thérèse, passed away unexpectedly here in Vancouver, where she had come to watch her daughter skate. Tuesday night, Rochette skated as close to perfect as she possibly could.

(The Monitor spoke with Mrs.. Rochette in January. Read about the deep pride in her daughter's achievements that she shared in the interview.)

The judges put a value on its skating by sea, and even by that measure, it was the best short program of her season. In this case, however, the numbers were a poor indication of the enormity of the performance.Read More Story,http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Olympics/2010/0224/Joannie-Rochette-figure-skating-s-moment-beyond-medals

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UK Lawmakers Criticise Murdoch Paper Over Hacking

A Parliamentary committee has said in a media report it was "inconceivable" that managers at the News of the World did not know about the practice, the legislators said Which was more widespread than the Sunday newspaper had previously admitted.

News International, the British arm of Murdoch's News Corp. (NWSA.O) which publishes the News of the World ", rejected the claims and the Committee Accused of bias against it.

"The reaction of the committee to its failure to find any new evidence has been to make claims of 'collective amnesia', deliberate obfuscation and concealment of the truth," it said.

In 2007, Clive Goodman, who reported on the British royal family for the paper, was Jailed for four months after writing stories based on phone taps of royal aides carried out by a private detective.

News International has always maintained that Goodman acted without the knowledge of senior editors and his actions had been an isolated incident.

But the cross-party parliamentary committee said in its report: "The evidence, we find, makes it inconceivable that no-one else at the News of the World, bar Mr. Goodman, was aware of the activities."

Last July, the left-Leaning Guardian newspaper said News of the World Reporters, with the knowledge of senior staff, had illegally accessed messages from the mobile phones of thousands of celebrities and politicians.Read More Story,http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE61N0OS20100224?type=marketsNews

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Abbey Road Studios Win Preservation Order

Culture Minister Margaret Hodge declared the iconic venue a Grade II listed building - the second-highest category - on the advice of national preservation body English Heritage.

In a statement she said the listing had been: Granted "Overwhelmingly is the historical merit of the studios" and "Because of its" huge cultural Importance. "

The new status means that although changes to its interior can be made, any proposed Alterations must respect the character and preservation of the site.

Abbey Road became synonymous with the Beatles who recorded almost all their albums and singles there between 1962 and 1970. Pink Floyd also used the studios for their late 1960s and mid-1970s albums.

Tourists still regularly pose for snaps on the nearby pedestrian crossing over Abbey Road Which features on the cover of the Beatles album of the same name.

Among those calling for the buildings to be saved were ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber, who signaled he was a potential buyer.

Sunday, EMI said it wanted to retain ownership of the studios in St John's Wood, north London, though it indicated it was talking to other parties about revitalizing them.

The firm, owned by private equity group Terra Firma, has previously said it welcomed reports about the planned listing although the restrictions involved could potentially lower the selling price.Read More Story,http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61K1FQ20100223

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