Brazilian football legend Pele's health continued to improve on Sunday, with doctors removing renal support temporarily to assess the evolution of a urinary tract infection.

The 74-year-old three-time World Cup champion was put on kidney support treatment last week. In a statement, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein said the treatment would be suspended until Monday, when doctors would decide whether or not to reinstate it.

The statement said that Pele, who is often called the greatest football player in history, was "lucid, talking", and that his respiratory and blood readings were stable.

Pele underwent surgery just over two weeks ago to remove kidney stones.

Pele, who was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, has struggled with a series of health problems over the past decade. He has had emergency eye surgery for a detached retina, and a hip replacement.

Known in Brazil as the "King of football", he played in four World Cups and scored more than 1,000 goals during his career.

REUTERS

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama and his teenaged daughters, Sasha and Malia, went to an independent book store in Washington to buy books as a way to promote Small Business Saturday, an event aimed at boosting small businesses.

"Do I get a discount for that?" the president asked jokingly while unloading a bunch of books from his shopping basket at the Politics and Prose book store on Saturday.

"Maybe a neighbor's discount," the clerk joked back.

It is not clear whether Obama would have taken the discount, if offered.

The first family shopped at the same bookstore last year.

On Saturday, Obama was met by a mostly cheery crowd of shoppers and got a round of applause when a baby earned a presidential selfie.

Over the clicking of cameras and flashes of smart-phones, one shopper yelled: "When are you going to close Guantanamo?"

"We're working on it," the president replied. "Any other issues?"

Started in 2010 by credit card company American Express, Small Business Saturday comes on the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day, to encourage people to spend their holiday shopping dollars at small businesses.

It is the Black Friday for mom-and-pop shops that has become an annual tradition and has gained momentum, spawning "shop local" movements in communities across the country.

Last year, shoppers spent about $5.7 billion at small companies on Small Business Saturday, according to a joint survey by National Federation of Independent Business and American Express.

The White House did not immediately provide a list of the books purchased by the first family.

Vladimir Putin's tiger Kuzya has reportedly gained some weight after being spotted inside Chinese territory, having probably feasted on wild boars and roe deer.

The Russian president set free three rare Siberian tigers over a month ago.

Kuzya, first of three Siberian tigers released by Putin, was detected earlier this month several hundred meters away from the Sino-Russian border river in the Taipinggou nature reserve, in northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

Reports say Kuzya may spend the winter here.


CRIENGLISH

Brazilian football star Ronaldo Lima looks miserable when he was forced to the dishes after losing to Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal at the Poker Stars game in London on November 20, 2014.

The world's most powerful political and economic leaders have reached a rare unanimous agreement at the Group of 20 summit in Brisbane, Australia.

The consensus — koalas are adorable.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott greeted the illustrious G-20 attendees before the start of the summit with Jimelung the koala and an as yet unnamed companion, resulting in what may be the most joyful opening to an international economic summit in recent history.

Everyone from President Obama to IMF chief Christine Lagarde cracked child-like grins in the presence of the cuddly marsupials. Even the usually stoic Russian President Vladimir Putin — who is being widely criticized for his country's actions in eastern Ukraine — beamed as he hugged a wide-eyed koala






USA TODAY

Glen A. Larson, the writer and producer behind well-loved TV series such as the original "Battlestar Galactica," ''Knight Rider," ''Magnum, P.I." and "Quincy, M.E.," has died. He was 77.

Larson died at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center on Friday night of complications from esophageal cancer, his son, James Larson, said in a phone interview Saturday.

Glen Larson, also an accomplished singer and composer, was a powerhouse in the television landscape in the 1970s and 1980s, when he churned out hits that became staples in millions of living rooms every night.

He also co-composed the theme songs for some of his hits, including the frequently sampled tune from "Knight Rider" and the orchestral music behind "Battlestar Galactica," his son said.

"He was sort of an icon," James Larson said. "There are a lot of interesting things like that."

Glen Larson was nominated three times for an Emmy, once for a Grammy for the original score of "Battlestar Galactica," and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1985.

Glen Larson was born on Jan. 3, 1937 to a Swedish immigrant mother and a Swedish-American father in Long Beach, California.

In 1956, Glen Larson joined a vocal group called The Four Preps and, with them, appeared in a Gidget film and earned three gold records. He helped write and compose some of their hits, including "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)," ''Big Man" and "Down by the Station."

Where he would make a lasting mark, however, was in television.

His first writing credit came in 1966 on an episode of "The Fugitive."

By 1968, he had worked his way up to an associate producer on the series "It Takes a Thief" and quickly rose through the ranks to produce some of the biggest TV shows of the time. At one point, he had five shows airing at once, his son said.

A list of nearly four dozen TV credits also includes "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries," ''B.J. and the Bear," ''The Fall Guy" and the TV movie "The Six Million Dollar Man."

Glen Larson is survived by his wife, Jeannie Pledger, a brother, and nine children from two different marriages.

AP

(Yahoo)

Reality TV star Tameka "Tiny" Harris, the wife of rapper T.I., has the attention of skeptical eye doctors and social media haters over a procedure she underwent to permanently lighten the color of her eyes.

Harris, once a member of the '90s R&B group Xscape, told ABC News on Thursday that she traveled to Africa a little more than two weeks ago for cosmetic eye implants that changed her eye color from brown to ice gray — and she couldn't be happier.

"I looked in the mirror and I was, like, they're amazing," she said on "Good Morning America" on Thursday.

New York ophthalmologist James Tsai, a clinical spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told The Associated Press such cosmetic procedures are illegal in the United States. Similar but not identical procedures are done for patients with specific medical problems or conditions.

For cosmetic purposes, he said, the risks can include glaucoma, cataracts, bleeding in the eyes and corneal problems. Tsai said websites advertising such procedures for cosmetic purposes often emphasis how quick they can be done — 10 to 15 minutes per eye — without emphasizing risks.

"We believe they are a dangerous practice and as a physician I would never recommend them," he said.

Tsai said cosmetic implants, which involve making a small slit in the eye, first surfaced about five years ago and have been done in the Middle East, Panama and Africa.

Harris, who co-wrote TLC's massive hit "No Scrubs," said she went to Africa for her procedure and is feeling fine. Some on Twitter and other social media have questioned her motivation for wanting to change up her eye color as self-hate.

"I just wanted to do something different. I have the right to do that," Harris said. "It's my body."

As for her husband, she said he wasn't on board at first but now, "He loves them. He's OK with them as long as they're healthy and I'm not having any problems."

Harris appears on two VH1 reality shows, "T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle" and "Tiny and Shekinah's Weave Trip."


ap

 Since playing the lucky-unlucky lottery winner Hurley on "Lost," Jorge Garcia's career has moved along nicely from "Alcatraz" to "Hawaii Five-O" and upcoming big-screen movies.

It's logical that he might indulge himself in, say, a fast car or pricey wristwatch. But to think that is to badly misjudge the man and, if you happen to see him decked out on Halloween night, you'll understand why.

"Oh, man, do I admit this?" Garcia said. "I always wanted to have an Elvis jumpsuit made and always found reasons not to do it. But getting the job on 'Five-O,' I said, 'OK, I'm doing it.'"

Specifically a $3,700 "Dragon" jumpsuit — a white version with colorful dragons embroidered front and back — from a costume design company that also offers, among many others, the Burning Love and Aloha from Hawaii versions for Elvis impersonators and admirers like Garcia.

If the custom-tailored suit arrives before Halloween he's definitely wearing it, said Garcia, 41, a fan of the holiday as demonstrated by his Instagram postings. It would also be a nice way to mark Friday's episode of "Hawaii-Five-O," in which his character, Jerry Ortega, has a featured role.

Conspiracy theorist Jerry has been spying on a suspicious bookstore and "it turns out they're also spying on him," Garcia said. "Perhaps he poked his nose in where he shouldn't."

This season represents Garcia's move up from recurring guest star to series regular on "Hawaii Five-0," the revamped version of the 1968-80 police drama. Among the show's stars is Daniel Dae Kim, who as Jin Kwon was stranded with Garcia on the Hawaii-based "Lost."

"Half the (production) crew are people I already know" from "Lost," Garcia said. "When I came back and did the show as a guest star it definitely had this feeling of coming home."

Paradise is only rented, however. He still has a house in the Los Angeles area, where he can stay on top of job opportunities.

"It's better to be in the room for certain meetings then do things remotely. You can get a better feel for the personalities," said Garcia, who comes across as drolly funny but also much more focused than his often free-spirited characters.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, and raised in Southern California's Orange County, he found youthful career inspiration in two very different films.

"It was seeing 'Fiddler on the Roof' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' that made me first want to be an actor. I just loved Tevya so much; I used to sing 'If I Were a Rich Man' when I was little," he recalled.

Was that accompanied by Topol's exuberant, hip-shaking dance from the 1971 movie?

Of course, Garcia said. "If you're gonna play it, play it."

As a fledgling performer, the roles he expected to get were along the lines of the funny neighbor in a three-camera sitcom.

"I knew I wasn't a usual type," said the round-faced, bushy-haired Garcia.

His first big role came in the Ted Danson sitcom "Becker" in 2003-04, followed by small roles in other shows and movies. Then came Hugo "Hurley" Reyes in 2004, a welcome chance to play a character with dimension.

He's adding more movie credits to his resume, including two set for 2015 release: "The Wedding Ringer" starring Kevin Hart and Josh Gad, and "Cooties," a horror-comedy featuring Elijah Wood, Alison Pill and Rainn Wilson.

As for his distinctive mane, he's more than ready to part with it ("I've had long hair for so long, I need to start feeling like a grown-up") and step into what he calls "real suit-and-tie guy" roles. He plans a serious trim after "Hawaii Five-O," with his Elvis Presley suit as added inducement. He and friends are planning an indie film that would include a scene with a couple of Elvis impersonators.

But there will be other uses for his treasured outfit.

"It's not like I wouldn't walk around my house in the Elvis suit with a gorilla mask on, just for entertainment," Garcia said.


AP

 Louis van Gaal says the visit of Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea side to Old Trafford on Sunday will be extra special for the Manchester United manager as he greets his "modest" former apprentice.

The pair have maintained a close relationship since former Barcelona boss Van Gaal gave the self-styled 'Special One' some early coaching opportunities as the Portuguese worked under him for three years at the Nou Camp.

The Dutchman says he is not surprised at Mourinho's emergence as one of the world's best managers and feels privileged to have played a part in his development.

"I knew already he had talent because I let him do Catalunya Cup matches for me instead of my other assistants," Van Gaal told a news conference on Friday ahead of the visit of the Premier League leaders.

"But to see that he's such a wonderful coach and won in different countries, all championships, I think it's fantastic.

"He has said (he learned from me) and it's remarkable because in the football world not many people are talking about that. He says it is not only about Louis van Gaal but also (former Barca manager) Bobby Robson. I appreciate that but you always do it by yourself.

"He is very special for me because I've worked with him and we've continued our relationship which in the football world is not always normal," added the Dutchman. "He is a very modest and emotional human being and I like that."

The pair have only clashed once before in a competitive game when Mourinho's Inter Milan beat Van Gaal's Bayern Munich 2-0 in the 2010 Champions League final.

DEVASTATING FORM

Hosting his former assistant on Sunday will be another difficult task for the United boss with Chelsea in devastating form, dropping only two points from their opening eight games to open up a five-point gap on nearest rivals Manchester City.

In contrast Van Gaal has endured a stuttering league start since taking over in the close season, with his side in sixth place in the table and 10 points adrift of Mourinho's men.

"Jose has worked more than one year already with his team and last year they didn't win any prizes so you have to build up and he has built up Chelsea," said the Dutchman.

"They are playing like a team and I want my team to do that as well but to play for 90 minutes."

United have been handed a boost with British transfer record signing Angel Di Maria deemed fit to face Chelsea.

The Argentina winger limped off when his team snatched a 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion on Monday but Van Gaal said he had trained ahead of Sunday's match.

reuters

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge takes her seat in a State Carriage for the carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, as part of the ceremonial welcome ceremony for Singapore's President Tony Tan at the start of a state visit at Horse Guards Parade in London October 21, 2014.

Christophe de Margerie, the charismatic CEO of Total SA who dedicated his career to the multinational oil company, was killed at a Moscow airport when his private jet collided with a snowplow whose driver was drunk, Russian investigators said Tuesday.

Three French crew members also died when the French-made Dassault Falcon 50 burst into flames after it hit the snowplow during takeoff from Moscow's Vnukovo airport at 11:57 p.m. Monday local time.

Tatyana Morozova, an official with the Investigative Committee, Russia's main investigative agency, said investigators are questioning the snowplow driver, who was not hurt, as well as air traffic controllers and witnesses.

"At the current time, it has been established that the driver of the snowplow was in a state of alcoholic intoxication," Morozova said.

NTV television showed the charred plane lying on a grassy field. Though it had snowed earlier Monday in Moscow, it was unclear how much snow remained at the airport at the time of the crash.

De Margerie, 63, was a regular fixture at international economic gatherings and one of the French business community's most outspoken and recognizable figures. His trademark silver handlebar earned him the nickname "Big Mustache."

A critic of sanctions against Russia, he argued that isolating Russia was bad for the global economy. He traveled regularly to Russia and recently dined in Paris with a Putin ally who is facing EU sanctions over Russia's involvement in the crisis in Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a telegram to his French counterpart Francois Hollande, lauding de Margerie for being at the "origins of the many major joint projects that have laid the basis for the fruitful cooperation between Russia and France in the energy sphere for many years."

Hollande expressed his "stupor and sadness" at the news. In a statement, he praised de Margerie for defending French industry on the global stage, and for his "independent character and original personality."

De Margerie started working for Total in 1974 after receiving his degree because it was close to home. It was a difficult time to join the firm as the oil embargo, which led to a fourfold increase in prices, was coming to an end.

"I was told 'You have made the absolute worst choice. Total will disappear in a few months,'" he said in a 2007 interview with Le Monde newspaper.

De Margerie rose through the ranks, serving in several positions in the finance department and the exploration and production division before becoming president of Total's Middle East operations in 1995. He became a member of Total's policy-making executive committee in 1999, CEO in 2007, before adding the post of chairman in 2010.

He was a central figure in Total's role in the United Nations oil-for-food program in Iraq in the 1990s. Total paid a fine in the U.S., though de Margerie was acquitted in France of corruption charges.

Under his leadership, Paris-based Total claims it became the fifth-largest publicly traded integrated international oil and gas company in the world, with exploration and production operations in more than 50 countries.

On Monday, de Margerie took part in a meeting of Russia's Foreign Investment Advisory Council with members of Russia's government and other international business executives.

Jean-Jacques Guilbaud, Total's secretary general, said the group would continue on its current path and that the board would meet in coming days to discuss who will succeed de Margerie. Total planned a minute of silence in its offices worldwide at 2 p.m. Paris time.

After dipping slightly early Tuesday, Total's share price was trading 2 percent higher, in line with the broader rally in French stocks.