Serena Williams of the U.S., right, shakes hands with Russia's Maria Sharapova, left, after defeating Sharapova in two sets 6-4, 6-4, in the women's final of the French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday June 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler) by Howard Fendrich LONDON (AP) — As her agent nodded along approvingly from a front-row seat, Serena Williams sounded contrite and composed. Well-rehearsed, too. Williams even managed to crack herself up with a couple of jokes during her news conference at Wimbledon as the defending champion, where the primary topic was hardly her 31-match winning streak or her bid for a sixth title at the All England Club or her injured sister Venus' absence from the field. Instead, more than half the questions at Sunday's session revolved around themes generating the most buzz on the eve of tennis' oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam tournament: what Williams was quoted as saying in a recent magazine article — and Maria Sharapova's surprisingly forceful verbal swipe in reaction to that story.
This 1999 file photo provided by HBO, shows James Gandolfini as mob boss Tony Soprano, in an episode from the first season of the HBO cable television mob series, "The Sopranos." HBO and the managers for Gandolfini say the actor died Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Italy. He was 51. (AP Photo/HBO, Anthony Neste, File) by Lynn ElebrAP Television Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO's "The Sopranos" helped create one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mobster stereotype on its head, died Wednesday in Italy. He was 51. Gandolfini died while on holiday in Rome, the cable channel and Gandolfini's managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders said in a joint statement. No cause of death was given.
Serena Williams of the U.S. holds the trophy after defeating Russia's Maria Sharapova in two sets 6-4, 6-4, in the women's final of the French Open tennis tournament, at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday June 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) by Steven WinePARIS (AP) — Two hours before her French Open final, Serena Williams practiced on center court, the stands deserted as she whacked one winner after another to the distant sounds of a brass band playing on the plaza.
CHUKA UMUNNA by Robbie Corey-Boulet ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — A rising star in Britain's Labour Party, described by some as the "British Barack Obama," Chuka Umunna urged the United Kingdom to more aggressively forge ties with West Africa's fast-growing economies.
Miles and Jimi. Jimi and Miles. Fans of the late trumpet and guitar masters have long known that Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix had been making plans to record together in the year before Hendrix's sudden death in 1970. But less attention has been paid to the bass player they were trying to recruit.
by Nicole Winfied ROME (AP) — Italy's first Black Cabinet minister, targeted by racist slurs following her appointment last week, said Friday that Italians aren't racist but that some are merely ignorant of other cultures and the "richness" that immigration can bring.
ACCLAIMED NOVELIST DIES--Chinua Achebe, Nigerian-born novelist and poet poses his life at his home on the campus of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. by Hillel Itale and Jon Gambrell NEW YORK (AP) — The opening sentence was as simple, declarative and revolutionary as a line out of Hemingway:
ONE DIRECTION-Harry Styles of British band One Direction performs on stage during the BRIT Awards 2013 at the o2 Arena in London on Feb. 20. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP) by Jane Caffrey (CNN) -- Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen were launched into stardom after getting discovered on YouTube, and now "The X Factor" creator Simon Cowell is setting out to find the world's next big YouTube stars.
CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATION--In this May 3, 1963 file photo, a 17-year-old civil rights demonstrator, defying an anti-parade ordinance of Birmingham, Ala., is attacked...
