They strode the globe like Lions – common soldiers standing erect before foreign Kings eyeing potentates with unwavering gaze. They caused consternation and capitulation. A handful to begin with, they soon numbered in hundreds, then tens of thousands. At home, they melted into velvet – compassionate and generous. With untold wealth strewn before them, they chose instead to lead simple lives.

Olympic diving champion Guo Jingjing’s return to the pool will be delayed after China withdrew from a grand prix diving event in the United States next month because of the global swine flu scare.
China Sports Daily said the national diving team, which won seven of the eight gold medals at last year’s Beijing Olympics, would not take part in the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Fort Lauderdale from May 7-10.

Last week had three important anniversaries that though not necessarily interconnected did have a thread running through them. There were the two 9/11s, that of the fall of the twin towers in New York City eight years ago and the death of the founder of Pakistan sixty-one years ago. And the other anniversary was the first year of Asif Ali Zardari as president of Pakistan.

India increases surveillance at international airports as part of global measures to check the spread of swine flu.

Jayson Williams
Jayson Williams the former New Jersey Nets star facing a retrial on a reckless manslaughter charge,  arricaded himself inside a Manhattan hotel room early today, was acting “suicidal’ and “violent,’ and was taken to a Manhattan hospital for psychological evaluation, the New York Post is reporting on its Web site.
Williams, 41, was removed from his room at the Hilton Embassy Suites in Battery Park City at 4 a.m., the Post quoted police sources.

The first phase of the census will now be launched from May 15 and will continue till May 30.