Beyonces sister Solange Knowles hits Jay Z in elevator

Why would Solange Knowles allegedly attack Jay Z? It appears that all isn’t well in Beyonce’s "Drunk in Love" world. A new video has surfaced on May 12 via TMZ.com that shows what appears to be a fight that happened last week after the Met Gala. This so-called “showdown with the in-laws” shows rapper Jay Z and his sister-in-law Solange – sister of Beyonce – having an issue during a Met Gala after-party that the trio may not have known was caught on tape in the elevator Solange, the 27-year-old sister of Beyonce, appears to claw and kick at her brother-in-law Jay Z, who backs into a corner and doesn’t appear to fight back nor hit the woman. The "Halo" singer looks on and doesn’t seem to get involved in the melee, but instead stands off in the corner as Solange seems to have her foot held by Jay Z in order to stop the onslaught of kicks coming his way.

The video of Jay Z being viciously attacked by his wife's sister Solange in New York last Monday is making the rounds and making headlines on plenty of websites reporting the melee. The surveillance camera doesn’t have audio attached to the recording, so the general public doesn’t exactly know why Solange would lash out that wildly at her 44-year-old brother-in-law, however, reports of the younger woman’s reaction to something Jay Z said previously seem to 

suggest that her reaction was overblown in comparison to the comments made.

The 58-second long video is shocking, and Us Magazine reports that Solange was held back by another man, and that the elevator’s stop button was apparently pressed during the heated elevator exchange as another man held her back at the Standard Hotel in New York City on May 5 during the altercation. No comment has yet been made by Beyonce, Solange or Jay Z regarding the incident.

Jay Z Physically ATTACKED by Beyonce's Sister

Jay Z Physically ATTACKED by Beyonce's Siste

VIDEO

Jay Z was ferociously assaulted by Beyonce's sister Solange  ... who was wildly kicking and swinging at him inside an elevator ... and the attack was captured on surveillance video ... obtained by TMZ.

According to our sources, it all went down at a Met Gala after party last week at the Standard Hotel in NYC.  In the video ... Jay Z, Beyonce and Solange step into the elevator ... and then Solange goes crazy, screaming at Jay before unleashing a violent attack. 

A large man -- who appears to be a bodyguard -- attempts to hold Solange back, but she manages to connect at least 3 times.  At one point Solange throws a kick and Jay grabs her foot, but never attempts to strike her.  Beyonce stands by without getting physically involved. 

And this is interesting.  When you look closely, you see the bodyguard hit the emergency stop switch on the 12th floor -- mid fight -- presumably to keep the fight private.

At one point, Solange smacks Jay with her purse ... spilling the contents all over the floor of the elevator.

Eventually the group exits the elevator ... but not before Solange takes a few last shots.

All three walked out of the building together -- Solange looks pissed -- but while Bey and Solange get in one car ... security walks Jay to a different one. 

It's unclear what triggered the fight.

flashes a smile as she holds on tight to wife Ellen DeGeneres

On Thursday they attended a friend's book launch in Beverley Hills, California and they were clearly inspired as on Saturday Ellen DeGeneres and Portia Rossi went shopping for some reading material in West Hollywood.

The 56-year-old comedienne-actress was obviously successful as she carried six large hardbacks as Portia, 41, ran on ahead to open their car.

But before they picked up their purchases, the couple enjoyed a romantic stroll together in the sunshine, where Portia linked arms with her beloved wife, proving that despite recent reports to the contrary, their six year marriage is going strong.

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Jeff Fisher says if Michael Sam doesn't earn roster spot hell be cut

Draft coverage: Draft picks and grades | Prospect Rankings | Mock drafts | News

One of the biggest stories heading into the final day of the 2014 NFL Drafts was whether former Missouri linebacker Michael Sam, the NFL's first openly gay player, would be selected. He had to wait until the 249th pick, but the Rams finally took him.

"We were fortunate to have the supplemental choices," Fisher said shortly after selecting Sam. "You use those for players that you want to give an opportunity to, that you want to draft. He's a good football player. I'm excited about our draft and I'm excited about the possibility of adding him to our defensive front."

Historically, late-round picks don't earn regular-season roster spots, especially as rookies. And Fisher says that Sam, like any other player, will have to earn that right.

“[W]e picked him within the process and we're going to reduce this roster within the process,” Fisher said regarding Sam (via PFT). “So I don't see that being an issue.”

Put another way: If Sam doesn't earn a roster spot based on his performance in training camp and preseason games, he'll be released, just like most of the rookie seventh-rounders drafted by the 31 other NFL teams.

“[I]t's going to be very competitive for him, as it will be for some of the other guys, the later picks, because of the depth and the talent level at the position,” Fisher said. “He's going to have to come in, and like the rest of his new teammates, these rookies, they're not in shape. Not in the condition our veterans are in. He's going to have to work to get in great shape and we'll blend him in the offseason program and we'll go.”

The good news for Sam: As TheMMQB.com's Peter King notes, 18 of the 53 players on the Rams' opening-day roster were undrafted, and another three were seventh-round picks. Unfortunately, this team is stacked with pass rushers, with Robert Quinn and Chris Longleading the way, and William Hayes and Eugene Sims behind them.

But like every other player heading into training camp with something to prove, all Sam wants is an opportunity.

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2015 NFL Draft: Top 100 prospects

Jameis Winston could be the No.
1 pick if he turns pro after next season.
Draft coverage: Picks and grades | Prospect Rankings | Sam goes No. 249 | News

Even as the last names still echo from the NFL's 2014 Draft, fans who are disappointed, anxious or curious already are looking forward to which players will get those warm hugs from commissioner Roger Goodell upon being selected next year.

And, thanks to NFLDraftScout.com's constant vigil watching prospects as soon as they enter college, there is the ability to at least pretend we know next year's top 100 candidates -- right here, right now.

Of course it is almost as preposterous to really know such things as it is to do mock drafts, but due to an overwhelming appetite for all things draft, the beat goes on 24/7/365.

Peering into the NFLDrafScout.com crystal ball with analysts Rob Rang and Dane Brugler, it appears that the 2015 draft will be even more exciting than the recently completed 2014 version. Or, at least, we figure it will seem more exciting by the time we get there.

From this distant view on the calendar, nobody really knows (among other things), what underclassmen will join the draft. So that becomes part of the guessing game.

If Heisman Trophy winning Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston goes back on his word to stay in college two more years, and also manages to stay out of trouble, he will be at the center of what could be a vibrant quarterback controversy.

Now there's something new.

Winston certainly has the ability to be a great NFL passer, but Oregon's Marcus Mariota is being touted as the second, larger, coming of Johnny Manziel.

Early rankings by NFLDraftScout.com, which includes 42 underclassmen, shows the usual favorite positions among the top 100 -- 15 wide receivers, 13 cornerbacks, 12 defensive ends and nine offensive tackles.

If this list truly is a harbinger of the next draft, there may be a return to popularity of running backs, that once-important position that has not produced one player in the first round for the past two drafts.

There are nine listed among this top 100, led Georgia's Todd Gurley. He is one of four running back prospects who appear to be possible first-round candidates.

But first there is that one detail -- the 2014 season.

Below are the 100 players to watch (note: 'r' in front of a class reflects a redshirt year; i.e., rJr = redshirt junior):

Overall/Position Rank, Player, Position, Height, Weight, Class, College

1/1, Marcus Mariota, QB, 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, rJr, Oregon: For college football fans who want their Johnny Manziel fix next season, tune in on Mariota, a full-sized version of J. Football. The most exciting dual-threat quarterback in the country must become more consistent. But don't we all?

2/2, Jameis Winston, QB, 6-3, 228, rSo, Florida State: Talented with issues. Some would put the Heisman-winner first. Although he stated he plans to play two more seasons, he should consider himself fortunate to get through another great college year without getting into more trouble off the field. If he can do both, NFL teams will clamor for Winston.

3/1, Leonard Williams, DE, 6-4, 290, Jr, Southern Cal: As subtle as punch in the mouth. The top candidate for the most dominant defensive lineman in the Pac-12, if not the country.

4/1, Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, 6-5, 300, rSr, Texas A&M: Could be better than former first round teammates Luke Joeckel or Jake Matthews, which is saying a lot. He is expected to become A&M's third top-10 lineman in the draft in three years.

5/2, Brandon Scherff, OT, 6-5, 315, rSr, Iowa: Never confused with Mr. Nice Guy, Scherf is a heavyweight fighter who will make Hawkeye fans forget their last unanimous All-American tackle, Robert Gallery. Who? Well, see, you forgot.

6/1, Shilique Calhoun, DE, 6-4, 250, rJr, Michigan State: He is fast-rising prospect in a class full of outstanding defensive ends. Has a way of tackling behind the line of scrimmage, with 14.5 tackles for losses, including 7.5 sacks, and he added 18 quarterback hurries last season.

7/3, Cameron Erving, OT, 6-5, 320, rSr, Florida State: Moved from defensive tackle to become key a blocker keeping Winston upright. How high he goes depends on how much he improves technique.

8/2, Devonte Fields, DE, 6-4, 240, rSo, TCU: There is no doubting his ability, but Fields must show maturity and consistency to become a true top-10 candidate.

9/3, Randy Gregory, DE, 6-5, 255, Sr, Nebraska: Here is a junior college transfer who demanded attention last season by recording 10.5 sacks in only 10 games. Scouts are excited to see if he improves on that.

10/1, Vic Beasley, OLB, 6-2, 235, rSr, Clemson: NFLDraftScout.com's Rob Rang likens Beasley to hyperactive Dee Ford, a first-rounder out of Auburn this year. Beasley managed a Ford-like 23 tackles for a loss in 2013.

Others to watch:
Overall/Position Rank, Player, Position, Height, Weight, Class, College

11/4, Mario Edwards Jr., DE, 6-3, 277, Jr, Florida State
12/1, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, 5-10, 185, Sr, Oregon
13/2, Jordan Jenkins, OLB, 6-2, 246, Jr, Georgia
14/1, Tre Jackson, OG, 6-4, 330, Sr, Florida State
15/1, Amari Cooper, WR, 6-1, 205, Jr, Alabama
16/2, P.J. Williams, CB, 6-0, 190, Jr, Florida State
17/1, Todd Gurley, RB, 6-1, 232, Jr, Georgia
18/1, Ramik Wilson, ILB, 6-2, 232, Sr, Georgia
19/2, T.J. Yeldon, RB, 6-1, 218, Jr, Alabama
20/2, Michael Bennett, DT, 6-3, 285, Sr, Ohio State
21/2, Nelson Agholor, WR, 6-0, 185, Jr, Southern Cal
22/3, Melvin Gordon, RB, 6-1, 207, rJr, Wisconsin
23/3, Rashad Greene, WR, 6-0, 180, Sr, Florida State
24/4, Mike Davis, RB, 5-09, 215, Jr, South Carolina
25/3, Kyler Fackrell, OLB, 6-4, 245, rJr, Utah State
26/4, Andrus Peat, OT, 6-6, 312, Jr, Stanford
27/3, Trae Waynes, CB, 6-1, 185, rJr, Michigan State
28/4, Ty Montgomery, WR, 6-2, 215, Sr, Stanford
29/3, Carl Davis, DT, 6-4, 315, rSr, Iowa
30/5, Lael Collins, OT, 6-5, 315, Sr, LSU
31/5, Dante Fowler Jr., DE, 6-3, 266, Jr, Florida
32/3, Bryce Petty, QB, 6-2, 230, rSr, Baylor
33/1, Derron Smith, FS, 5-11, 200, rSr, Fresno State
34/2, Isaac Seumalo, OG, 6-3, 305, Jr, Oregon State
35/5, Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, 6-5, 225, Jr, Missouri
36/1, Hroniss Grasu, C, 6-3, 298, rSr, Oregon
37/4, Brett Hundley, QB, 6-3, 222, rJr, UCLA
38/1, Anthony Harris, SS, 6-1, 190, Sr, Virginia
39/4, Danny Shelton, DT, 6-1, 327, Sr, Washington
40/1, Nick O'Leary, TE, 6-3, 248, Sr, Florida State
41/2, Kurtis Drummond, FS, 6-1, 200, rSr, Michigan State
42/6, Jaelen Strong, WR, 6-4, 205, rJr, Arizona State
43/4, Jalen Collins, CB, 6-1, 195, rJr, LSU
44/2, Denzel Perryman, ILB, 6-0, 240, Sr, Miami
45/5, Karlos Williams, RB, 6-1, 223, Sr, Florida State
46/6, Spencer Drango, OT, 6-5, 315, rJr, Baylor
47/2, Devin Funchess, TE, 6-5, 235, Jr, Michigan
48/5, Christian Covington, DT, 6-2, 295, rJr, Rice
49/6, Duke Johnson, RB, 5-09, 196, Jr, Miami
50/6, Noah Spence, DE, 6-3, 252, Jr, Ohio State
51/5, Josh Shaw, CB, 6-1, 195, rSr, Southern Cal
52/4, Derrick Malone, OLB, 6-2, 216, rSr, Oregon
53/3, Ben Koyack, TE, 6-5, 261, Sr, Notre Dame
54/6, Arik Armstead, DT, 6-7, 292, Jr, Oregon
55/7, Antwan Goodley, WR, 5-10, 225, rSr, Baylor
56/2, Jordan Richards, SS, 5-11, 208, Sr, Stanford
57/6, Marcus Peters, CB, 5-11, 193, rJr, Washington
58/5, Ishaq Williams, OLB, 6-5, 261, Sr, Notre Dame
59/3, Kris Frost, ILB, 6-2, 238, rJr, Auburn
60/3, Laken Tomlinson, OG, 6-3, 320, rSr, Duke
61/5, Sean Mannion, QB, 6-4, 220, rSr, Oregon State
62/7, Ellis McCarthy, DT, 6-3, 330, Jr, UCLA
63/2, Reese Dismukes, C, 6-2, 298, Sr, Auburn
64/3, Cody Prewitt, FS, 6-2, 220, Sr, Mississippi
65/4, Eric Kendricks, ILB, 6-0, 228, rSr, UCLA
66/8, Deontay Greenberry, WR, 6-2, 198, Jr, Houston
67/7, Wayne Lyons, CB, 6-1, 196, Sr, Stanford
68/4, Josue Matias, OG, 6-5, 322, Sr, Florida State
69/8, Steven Nelson, CB, 5-10, 192, Sr, Oregon State
70/9, Christion Jones, WR, 5-11, 185, Sr, Alabama
71/7, Trey Flowers, DE, 6-3, 262, Sr, Arkansas
72/3, Landon Collins, SS, 6-0, 215, Jr, Alabama
73/10, DaVaris Daniels, WR, 6-2, 203, rJr, Notre Dame
74/7, Eric Lefeld, OT, 6-5, 309, rSr, Cincinnati
75/11, Bralon Addison, WR, 5-10, 182, Jr, Oregon
76/9, Charles Gaines, CB, 5-11, 176, rJr, Louisville
77/6, Tyler Matakevich, OLB, 6-1, 230, Jr, Temple
78/8, Daryl Williams, OT, 6-5, 321, rSr, Oklahoma
88/7, Corey Grant, RB, 5-10, 205, rSr, Auburn
79/8, Cedric Reed, DE, 6-5, 258, Sr, Texas
80/10, Lorenzo Doss, CB, 5-11, 168, Jr, Tulane
81/8, Ameer Abdullah, RB, 5-09, 190, Sr, Nebraska
82/8, Brandon Ivory, DT, 6-3, 310, rSr, Alabama
83/9, Jeremy Langford, RB, 5-11, 206, rSr, Michigan State
84/12, Tyler Lockett, WR, 5-11, 175, Sr, Kansas State
85/12, Damian Swann, CB, 5-11, 178, Sr, Georgia
86/9, Grady Jarrett, DT, 6-1, 295, Sr, Clemson
87/7, Shaq Thompson, OLB, 6-2, 225, Jr, Washington
89/11, Blake Countess, CB, 5-10, 182, rJr, Michigan
90/9, Markus Golden, DE, 6-3, 260, rSr, Missouri
91/13, Kasen Williams, WR, 6-2, 212, Sr, Washington
92/6, Andrew Manley, QB, 6-3, 225, rSr, Eastern Illinois
93/11, Lynden Trail, DE, 6-6, 260, rSr, Norfolk State
94/5, A.J. Cann, OG, 6-3, 314, rSr, South Carolina
95/14, Sammie Coates, WR, 6-1, 201, rJr, Auburn
96/9, Sean Hickey, OT, 6-5, 291, rSr, Syracuse
97/10, Alvin Dupree, DE, 6-3, 252, rSr, Kentucky
98/15, Levi Norwood, WR, 6-1, 195, rSr, Baylor
99/4, Ronald Martin, FS, 6-1, 218, Sr, LSU
100/3, B.J. Finney, C, 6-3, 303, rSr, Kansas State

Michael Sam subjected to social media backlash after NFL draft

Michael Sam made NFL history this weekend, but not everyone was ready to accept gay pride in professional sports.

Camera crews captured a visibly emotional Sam as he broke down in tears when he found out he was selected as the 249th draft pick by the St. Louis Rams, making the defensive end the first openly gay player drafted in the NFL. After hearing the news in a phone call that changed his life, Sam hung up, turned to his boyfriend, and kissed him.

The footage of the kiss, which aired on ESPN, was met with swift negativity on social media.“I”m sorry, but that Michael Sam is no bueno for doing that on national tv,” former NFL player Derrick Ward tweeted.

“I’m fine with it being a new day in age but for him to do that on […] national tv is disgusting. Gay or not,” Ward added with a follow-up tweet.

Miami Dolphins safety Don Jones was reprimanded for tweeting “OMG” and “Horrible” after Sam was drafted by the Rams. The tweets were later deleted. Jones was fined and banned from team activities until he finishes educational training.

“We were disappointed to read Don’s tweets during the NFL Draft,” Coach Joe Philbin said in a statement. “They were inappropriate and unacceptable, and we regret the negative impact these comments had on such an important weekend for the NFL.”

Jones later apologized to Sam, his teammates, coaches and fans for his “inappropriate comments.”

“I take full responsibility for them and I regret that these tweets took away from his draft moment,” Jones said of Sam. “I remember last year when I was drafted in the seventh round and all of the emotions and happiness I felt when I received the call that gave me an opportunity to play for an NFL team and I wish him all the best in his NFL career.”

But not all were turned off by Jones’ reaction. Conservative pundits questioned whether the disciplinary action against Jones for his negative comments would “offend” his free speech. Billionaire Donald Trump suggested that Jones’ punishment means “we’ve become so politically correct in this country that the country is going to hell.”

Meanwhile other critics, including Florida State University linebacker DeMarcus Walker, contrasted the positive reaction to Sam’s coming out to the negative attention NFL player Tim Tebow received for being open about his faith.

“Y’all praise Michael Sam for being gay but y’all mocked Tim Tebow for being a Christian. Smh #Society,” Walker tweeted Saturday.

Sam, a former Mizzou defensive end, said he wanted to “own [his] truth” earlier this year when hepublicly came out as gay, just three months ahead of the NFL draft.

“I’m Michael Sam, I’m a football player, and I’m gay,” Sam told The New York Times. “Is this a huge deal? I understand it is. But my purpose and focus right now is playing football.”

His initial coming out, and his subsequent draft pick, triggered an outpouring of support from fans and admirers eager to uproot the stigma of gay rights grounded in professional sports.

“The president congratulates Michael Sam, the Rams and the NFL for taking an important step forward today in our Nation’s journey,” the White House said in a statement. “From the playing field to the corporate boardroom, LGBT Americans prove every day that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are.”

Orders for Sam’s St. Louis Rams jersey sailed through the roof this weekend, outselling those for No. 1 overall draft pick, Jadeveon Clowney. According to Outsports, in the initial 48 hours after Sam made the team, sales for his jersey were just second to Heisman Trophy-winner Johnny Manziel.

Erdogan Courts Gulf’s Billions After Wrong-Way Bet on Egypt

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to limit the economic costs of picking the losing side in the regional power struggle over Egypt.

Turkey is courting investors from the Arab monarchies that backed Egypt’s new military rulers with billions of dollars in aid. The push shows how Erdogan’s criticism of the Gulf states after the ouster of Islamist ally Mohamed Mursi is balanced by the growing importance of the region for Turkish exporters and companies such as airport operator TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS. (TAVHL)The Abu Dhabi National Energy (TAQA) Co., known as Taqa, froze a $12 billion power project in Turkey after Mursi’s fall, while Turkish exports to Egypt have declined. Efforts to repair the damage include visits to the Gulf by President Abdullah Gul and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, as well as a real-estate and energy conference for Arab investors in Istanbul.

The Gulf “is more important to Turkey than the other way around,” Ghanem Nuseibeh, founder of Cornerstone Global Associates, which advises clients on risk in the Middle East, said from Abu Dhabi. “The longer the political tensions remain, the greater the risk will be for business relations.”

The unrest that has spread through the Arab world since 2011 has undermined Erdogan’s efforts to cultivate ties with Muslim Arab countries that had been neglected by more secular-minded Turkish governments in the past.

Turning East

The region offered an alternative as Turkey’s talks to join the European Union stalled and the euro-zone crisis capped trade growth. By contrast, sales to the Middle East surged eightfold since Erdogan came to power in 2003, reaching $38.6 billion in 2012. While the EU is still Turkey’s biggest market, the Middle East now buys almost quarter of its exports, more than doubling its share during the Erdogan decade.

Turkish companies are also prominent in the race for contracts worth hundreds of billions of dollars, as the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council expand infrastructure. TAV is building an airport in the Saudi city of Medina and upgrading another in the capital, Riyadh. Gunal Construction, part of Ankara-based MNG Holding Group, is helping develop a canal in central Dubai.

Erdogan’s regional strategy “seemed to have worked until the Arab Spring started,” said Soner Cagaptay, author of “The Rise of Turkey: the 21st Century’s First Muslim Power,” in a telephone interview from Washington.

Coming Adrift

Egypt was one of the places where it started coming unstuck. The Middle East was polarized by the revolt that ousted Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and led to the election of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mursi as president a year later.

During Mursi’s one-year rule, Turkey offered aid to the government, including a $1 billion loan. Qatar was Mursi’s biggest financial supporter, with $8 billion, and it also quarreled with Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. over Egypt. Yet as the world’s richest country, Qatar was better shielded than Turkey from the financial fallout.

When the army toppled Mursi after mass protests in July, Erdogan railed against what he called a coup. Egypt’s new military rulers recalled their envoys from Ankara, and 43 Turkish investors in Egypt had their business licenses or visas revoked, forcing them to cut ties with the country, Turkey’s Sabah newspaper reported.

Turkish exports to Egypt fell more than 40 percent between July and December from a year earlier, the biggest drop among the Arab country’s main trade partners, according to Egyptian central bank data.

Abdel-Fattah al-Seesi, the Egyptian army chief who led the takeover, said in an interview with Sky News Arabia broadcast today that Turkey had initiated the dispute, and that Egypt rejects interference in its internal affairs.

‘No Allies’

There were signs of a chill with the Saudis too. Saudi Arabia pulled out of talks to buy Turkish Anka drones, which would have been the first overseas sale of the aircraft, Cumhuriyet newspaper reported on March 18.

“Turkey is now left with almost no allies in the Middle East, from Tunisia to Libya to Egypt and the Levant,” said Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute.

One unexpected by-product of Turkey’s “deep sense of alienation” is a push by Erdogan to restore ties with Israel, aimed in part at securing gas supplies, said Cagaptay. The relationship ruptured after a deadly Israeli raid on a Turkish ship in 2010. Erdogan said last month that they’re close to “a normalization process.”

Dubai Pitch

The Turkish premier, who in August accused Gulf states of “endorsing the dictators,” is also seeking to avoid escalating the dispute with the monarchies and Egypt.

Finance Minister Simsek visited Dubai this month, where he met fund managers to make a pitch for investment in Turkey, according to his office. CNBC-e television said the visit was aimed at changing a negative view of Turkey in the Gulf.

In Kuwait a month earlier, Gul and Simsek focused on Turkey’s stable economy and public finances in a meeting with investors. Turkey also aims to attract $10 billion in Saudi investments in petrochemicals over five years, Saudi-owned Asharq Alawsat reported last month.

Turkish investors are still seeking opportunities in Egypt, too, Egyptian Trade Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour said last month.

There’s a growing realization of the costs of falling out with the Gulf, and “a willingness on the part of Turkey to fix this in order to attract more foreign direct investment,” said Naz Masraff of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group. It won’t be easy to mend ties, she said, because “the countries continue to hold diverging political views.”

‘Natural Reflex’

Simsek, in an April 10 interview at a Gulf investment forum in Istanbul, said Erdogan’s condemnation of the military intervention in Egypt reflects his support for democracy, not for the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Turkey’s suffered too in the past from military coups,” Simsek said. “If we condemn military coups abroad, it’s not about the Muslim Brotherhood, it’s our natural reflex.”

Turkey still enjoys profitable ties with Qatar, its fellow Mursi supporter.

Simsek said Qatar may be interested in the project to develop coal mines and power plants that Taqa “seemed to have walked away” from. He said that Turkey is particularly interested in attracting investment from financial companies in the GCC, “because we believe that banks can serve as a bridge between us” and that region.

‘Going Eastward’

Qatar Islamic Bank is in talks to buy a stake in Turkey’s Asya Katilim Bankasi AS. (ASYAB)Turkey’s STFA and Yapi Merkezi announced May 6 they were part of a consortium that won a $4.4 billion contract to build a metro line in the Qatari capital. They said it’s the biggest foreign deal ever won by Turkish companies.

For all its per-capita wealth, though, Qatar’s economy is only about half the size of the U.A.E.’s and a quarter of Saudi Arabia’s. Erdogan will eventually need good ties with those countries too, investment adviser Nuseibeh said.

Turkey’s long-term political and economic ambitions rest on expanding eastward, he said. And, “going eastward, the GCC is the first regional bloc that comes to mind.”

Glacial Regions Melt Past Point of No Return NASA Says

A glacial region of western Antarctica that’s already melting rapidly has passed “the point of no return,” according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

“The collapse of this sector of West Antarctica appears to be unstoppable,” Eric Rignot, a glaciologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of California, Irvine said today in an e-mailed statement.NASA estimates the glaciers, in the Amundsen Sea region, contain enough water to raise global sea levels by 4 feet (1.2 meters). United Nations researchers in September said sea levels have risen by 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) since the Industrial Revolution, and may rise an additional 26 centimeters to 98 centimeters by 2100.

“This sector will be a major contributor to sea level rise in the decades and centuries to come,” Rignot said in the statement. “A conservative estimate is it could take several centuries for all of the ice to flow into the sea.”

Rignot is lead author of a study that has been accepted for publication in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, NASA said. The team used radar observations from the two European Earth Remote Sensing satellites, ERS-1 and ERS-2, to track the movement of the “grounding lines,” the place where the floating portion of glacier meets land.

Floating Ice

They determined that the glaciers have become so thin that they are now floating in areas where they used to be grounded. As the grounding lines retreat inland, there’s more space below the ice for sea water, which accelerates melting. The researchers also found the masses of ice are flowing faster toward the sea, causing further thinning.

Scientists have homed in on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet because the level of melting detected there is greater than the far bigger and more stable Eastern portion of the continent.

Antarctica’s ice sheets hold enough water to raise sea levels by 187 feet, according to UN estimates, though that’s not likely for thousands of years.

Moscow 'Respect' Ukraine separatist votes

DONETSK, Ukraine — Russia called Monday for "respect" for the results of the disputed referendums in eastern Ukraine as it also expressed its hope that dialogue between Kiev and Ukraine's eastern regions would take place.

Moscow said the outcome of the controversial referendums in Donetsk and Luhansk should now be implemented without resorting to violence, and that it should be done in a "civilized way." The Kremlin's brief remarks were carried by Russia's Interfax news agency.

Russia suggested that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe could be brought in to help mediate the dialogue between Ukraine's government and representatives of the east.

Earlier, pro-Russia insurgents claimed voters supported succession overwhelmingly after referendums Sunday that could deepen turmoil here and further set Russia against the West. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the voting a "criminal farce.''

About 90% of voters in Ukraine's sprawling industrial heartland backed their regions' sovereignty in the controversial referendums, which the Ukrainian government and the West have rejected as illegal, organizers said Monday.

"These processes are inspired by the leadership of the Russian Federation and are destructive to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions' economies and threaten the lives and welfare of citizens and have the aim of destabilizing the situation in Ukraine," acting Ukrainian President Oleksander Turchinov said in a statement.

Locals in Donetsk — where streets had remained calm Sunday — were split on whether to vote for secession or remain part of Ukraine, with a number intimidated by the armed militants occupying the regional council building in the center of the city. Many of those who said they were against independence were opting not to vote at all.

"There is no third way anymore. You have to be either for or against. But why should I hate my own country? So they proclaim independence, but then what?" said Vyacheslav Fomenko, an entrepreneur in Donetsk.

The pro-Russian insurgents who organized the vote said the ultimate status of the regions would be discussed later and could include the possibility of secession or annexation by Russia.

Ukraine's central government and the West have condemned the balloting as a sham and a violation of international law, and accused Moscow of fomenting the unrest in a possible attempt to grab more land weeks after the annexation of Crimea.

5 killed when van smashes into car in California

HESPERIA, Calif. — A van hit and landed on top of a sedan sitting at a stop sign in this Southern California desert town on Sunday, crushing the car and killing the five people inside, authorities said.

A man and a boy were taken from the Honda sedan to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead, said Jodi Miller, a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman.

Emergency crews initially thought just two people, a woman and a girl, were dead inside the Honda, but several hours later, workers discovered a badly crushed fifth victim, a boy, once the van was removed, Miller said.

The man driving the van had only minor injuries, Miller said. He was treated at the scene and released. He had been driving alone when he drifted into the wrong lane and struck the car just before 7 a.m. in Hesperia, a Mojave Desert town east of Los Angeles.

A man who lives across the street said he heard a loud early-morning crash and sent his daughter to check it out while he called 911. She saw one man bleeding, but they didn’t how many victims there were.

“My daughter came and said, ‘There’s a bad crash,’” Bernard Fitzsimmons told KABC-TV. “While I was on the phone with 911, she ran across the street and came running back and said, ‘He’s bleeding bad from the head.’”

The names and ages of the five who died and the van driver have not been released.

The cause of the crash was still under investigation.