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A female British aid worker kidnapped nearly two weeks ago was snow boots killed when one of her captors detonated a bomb as NATO forces were trying to rescue her in eastern Afghanistan, officials said Saturday. Linda Norgrove died Friday in Kunar province where she was abducted in an ambush on Sept. 26 along with three of her Afghan colleagues, who were later released. "Working with our allies we received information about where Linda was being held and we decided that, given the danger she was facing, her best chance of safe release was to act on that information," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement. A NATO official said coalition forces went to a compound in the Nurgal district of Kunar province late Friday night where they believed Norgrove was being held. Five insurgents were killed in a gunbattle with NATO forces and a Roxy Boots sixth died when he detonated an explosive device, fatally wounding Norgrove, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information, "Afghan and coalition security forces did everything in their power to rescue Linda," said Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. "Linda was a courageous person with a passion to improve the lives of Afghan people, and sadly she lost her life in their service." Norgrove worked for Development Alternatives Inc., a global consulting company based in the Washington, D.C., area. "We are saddened beyond words by the death of a wonderful woman whose sole purpose in Afghanistan was to do good — to help the Afghan people achieve a measure of prosperity and stability in their everyday lives as they set Ultra Tall Boots about rebuilding their country," DAI President James Boomgard said. "A development professional to the core, Linda spent most of her adult life working for and managing projects in developing countries, mostly projects that help farmers and rural workers build sustainable livelihoods while protecting the environment," he said. Norgrove, 36, worked on university-funded projects in Mexico and Uganda and managed a World Wildlife Fund forest program in Peru. From 2005 to 2008, she worked on United Nations projects that focused on community forestry and horticulture and the environment. Later, she managed a U.N. program that provides job training for ex-combatants and the rural poor in Afghanistan's poppy-growing areas. She was an aid worker in Laos before returning to Afghanistan. She joined DAI in Ultra Short Boots January and was guiding a program, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, to create jobs, boost local economies and strengthen local Afghan leadership to reduce reliance on the cultivation of poppies, used in making opium. Separately in Afghanistan, four Italian soldiers were killed and another was seriously wounded in a bomb blast Saturday in western Farah province, said Gen. Massimo Fogari, a spokesman for Italy's Defense Ministry. The bomb exploded as a 70-vehicle convoy passed by insurgents, and then the soldiers came under small-arms fire. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi released a statement praising the work of Italian troops and saying he was saddened "by the tragic ambush." The deaths brought to 24 the number of NATO forces killed this month. At least 2,012 NATO service members have died since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, according to an Associated Press count. NATO also announced Saturday that joint forces seized more than western boots 6,600 pounds (3,000 kilograms) of drugs, including heroin and opium, from vehicles searched in southern Afghanistan on Friday.

With the Memphis basketball squad still a month away from the cowboy boots beginning of team workouts, coach Josh Pastner learned Wednesday that the Tigers’ top player has found inspiration for his game in a most unlikely venue. The classroom. African-American Rhetoric may be a snoozer for some freshmen, but that was hardly the case for freshman guard Will Barton earlier this week. So moved was Barton by a lecture from professor David Acey that the potential 2011 lottery pick repeated the message to teammates and coaches and wrote about it on Twitter. “His main [point] was that you can will your way to anything if you truly believe in yourself,” Barton said. “He was talking about Ali beating Frazier and all these other great achievements by famous people in history. “It’s all about visualizing yourself accomplishing UGG Classic Cardy Boots something and then putting in the work to make it happen. That’s what I plan to do at Memphis.” More than ever, Barton is just thankful for the chance. It was just over a month ago when the NCAA declared that Barton was an academic non-qualifier because of a rule that requires players to complete high school in eight semesters. Barton graduated from Lake Clifton High in Baltimore in August of 2009, two months after the rest of his class. Barton said he was unaware the rule applied in his case because he’d already decided to spend a postgraduate year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before enrolling in college. Memphis appealed the ruling and, after re-examining UGG Classic Crochet Boots nearly 2,000 pages of transcripts and other documents, the NCAA deemed Barton eligible on Aug. 21. “I called him and told him and he was so happy,” Pastner said. “One of the hardest things for a person to do is change. Usually, to change, you’ve got to feel some pain or you’ve got to hit rock bottom. “The pain he went through then, just the mental thought process of ‘Hey, [basketball] could be taken away from me …’ I think it made him a different person.” And a more driven one. “There was a time when it looked like I may never get to play at Memphis, but my faith kept me going,” Barton said. “Now I’ve got to take advantage of this opportunity and appreciate it. “There are a lot of people who would love to be UGG Classic Tall Patent Paisley Boots in my shoes right now.” As the top-ranked shooting guard in the Class of 2010, Barton knows expectations for him will be high during his first – and perhaps only – year at Memphis. That’s fine with the 6-foot-6 Barton, who said the pressure he feels from fans and coaches won’t be nearly as intense as what he puts on himself. Just as his professor suggested, Barton has already begun picturing himself achieving the goals he set at the start of the school year. “I want to win a national championship,” he said. “I want to be the best player in the country. And I want to be a pro, a lottery pick or even the first pick. I know I can do all those things. I just can’t get cocky. I have to stay humble and focused and work on my game and all those things will happen.” Watch Barton play, and it’s evident most of his UGG Classic Short Patent Paisley Boots ambitions are far-fetched – especially the ones regarding Memphis’ team. One season after missing the NCAA tournament, the Tigers should enter the season ranked no lower than No. 15 in the preseason polls and could even make a case for the Top 10. Barton, the country’s 11th-ranked prospect, was the headliner of a seven-man recruiting class that Rivals.com ranked second in the nation behind Kentucky. Small forward Jelan Kendrick (No. 15) and point guard Joe Jackson (No. 18) were among the players who joined Barton in Memphis’ impressive haul. Add them to a list of returnees that includes future NBA draft pick Wesley Witherspoon and starting forward Will Coleman, and Memphis will be as long, athletic and deep as any team in the country. “It could be an exciting season for us,” Tall Bomber Jacket Boots Pastner said. “We’ll just have to wait and see. We’ve got a lot of good players, but so many of them are young. We’ve only got two guys (Witherspoon and New Orleans transfer Charles Carmouche) who have ever scored 20 or more points in a college game.” Although he may go through some growing pains early, youth shouldn’t be much of a factor for Barton, who is regarded as one of the truly elite incoming players. Also, remember, Barton played for a prep school last season, so he’s a year older than most of his freshman teammates. One way Barton can set himself apart in the minds of NBA scouts is to bring out the best in those around him. Pastner said he has yet to designate a team leader or name a captain, but he said Barton certainly has the personality to fit such a role. “It’s a great opportunity for him,” Pastner said. “It could happen. He’s a very upbeat person. Guys love being around him. He attracts people because he’s always got a smile on his face. “Still, whoever gets that job will UGG Bailey Button Boots have to earn it.” Barton said he’s up for the role. “When the season starts, I’ll keep getting more and more vocal. I’ve been a leader my whole life. Even though I’m only a freshman I think people respect my game. They feed off me. So I think I’ll be in a position to be that guy.” Although the start of practice is still a month away, Barton is already doing his best to lead by example. It wasn’t uncommon to find him in the gym during the summer shooting jump shots with his teammates well past midnight. Instead of writing about his future in the NBA, most of his tweets illustrate a love of Memphis and a genuine excitement about the season. Thanks to some hard work in the weight room, Barton has gained 16 pounds over the past few months and now checks in at 177. He said his goal is to weigh 185. Pastner doesn’t want Barton to get so heavy UGG Roxy Boots the extra weight affects his athleticism. As much as they need him to score and penetrate, the Tigers are counting on Barton to provide a boost on the offensive and defensive glass. If Memphis has any weakness other than youth, it’s a lack of size down low. “I think he’s the best rebounding guard in the 2010 class,” Pastner said. “He should never have an off night rebounding. He can have some off nights when it comes to shooting and points. But he should be productive on both ends of the glass every single night.” Barton said he’s prepared for the challenge, adding that he’s looking forward to what’s ahead of him instead on dwelling on the frustrating experiences he left behind. It’s obvious he’s learned UGG Ultra Tall Boots from his mistakes. “It was nobody’s fault but mine,” Barton said of the eligibility issues that arose last month. “If I’d have done better in school when I was younger none of that stuff would’ve even come up. “All you can do is man up, deal with it, and then turn a bad situation into a good one.”

MIAMI (AP)—Josh Johnson(notes) woke up Monday without back pain for the uggs uk first time in weeks. It wasn’t enough to save his season. Johnson was shut down for the remainder of the year by the Marlins, who remain in the postseason chase only in a mathematical sense. After losing 11-4 to Philadelphia, Florida is nine games behind Atlanta in the NL wild-card race and 10 games back of first-place Philadelphia in the NL East with 19 games remaining. “It’s just the smart thing to do,” Johnson said. The ace right-hander was scratched from a start last week after a strained muscle near the middle of his back forced him to end a bullpen session. Johnson also had his shoulder examined, mostly for precautionary reasons. He might be able to resume Sundance II Boots playing catch later this month. Once the Marlins said last weekend that Johnson wouldn’t make his scheduled Wednesday start against the Phillies, it seemed only a matter of time before they declared his 2010 season complete. “We saw that coming,” manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “We were very careful with him and made a decision that we were going to shut him down. He was getting a little better, but he was very far from being 100 percent. So that’s why we made the decision and he agreed.” Johnson went 11-6 with a career-best Knightsbridge Boots 2.30 ERA this season and matched a career high with 12 strikeouts in his final start, Sept. 4 against Atlanta. For the year, he struck out 186 in 183 2-3 innings. But once the calendar flipped to August, there were some indicators that Johnson might have been wearing down. Through July 31, Johnson—once considered a strong candidate for the NL Cy Young Award this season—was 10-3 with a 1.72 ERA and opponents were hitting .212 against him. In seven starts since, he was 1-3 with a 4.25 ERA and an opponents batting average of .284. “I’m not one to make excuses,” said Mayfaire boots Johnson, who pitched through a strained back muscle earlier this season. “Every now and then you could tell that things weren’t kind of right or were a little off.” The Marlins were aware of Johnson’s physical issues, Rodriguez said, but decided not to reveal them. “We were not supposed to mention anything about that,” Rodriguez said. “We knew that back then. I have to say I blame myself because I was part of that, but we kind of reached an agreement in saying it was a mechanical issue, but he was trying to pitch through it.” Since returning from reconstructive elbow surgery in July 2008, Johnson is 33-12 with a 2.94 ERA. The Marlins gave him a $39 million, four-year contract in January. He ’s due to make $7.75 million in 2011, then Lo Pro Button boots $13.75 million in 2012 (when Florida is scheduled to move into its new downtown Miami ballpark) and again in 2013. “This morning was the first time I woke up and wasn’t sore in my back in two months, maybe a month and a half,” Johnson said. “It’s been kind of an ongoing thing and something I’ve just got to deal with. It was actually kind of nice to get up and not having to help myself out of bed.”

LOS ANGELES (AP)—When Lane Kiffin looked around the Southern California sexy boots locker room after his first head coaching victory at the Coliseum, he saw nothing he liked—except the result. Matt Barkley threw first-half touchdown passes to Jordan Cameron and Brandon Carswell, and No. 16 USC hung on for a 17-14 victory over Virginia on Saturday night. Barkley passed for 202 yards for the Trojans (2-0), who struggled offensively for long stretches in their first game at the Coliseum since the program was hit with serious NCAA sanctions. USC also committed 13 penalties for 140 yards, giving them 24 penalties in Kiffin’s first two games. The Trojans finished it off by recovering an onside kick after Virginia’s Kris Burd caught a touchdown pass with 4 seconds left. But not even the subdued Coliseum crowd got much joy from what could have been a Roxy Boots cathartic evening for a program that has taken a tremendous public beating. “(That’s) probably the most miserable 2-0 locker room I’ve ever been in,” Kiffin said. “Which is good. Our players understand we have to play much better. … but we’re extremely disappointed with our performance.” Kiffin said it was “kind of a flip-flop from our last game,” in which USC scored 49 points against Hawaii but gave up 588 yards on defense. A week later, USC didn’t move the ball effectively against Virginia except for the final few minutes of the first half, but won by mostly smothering the Cavaliers (1-1) on defense. “Our defense was more itself,” linebacker Ultra Tall Boots Devon Kennard said. “We got to really go out there and show what we’re about. We bounced back. We held strong.” Keith Payne ran for Virginia’s first score in the Cavaliers’ first game in California. The late-starting, slow-paced game ended at nearly 2 a.m. Charlottesville time. Virginia missed two field goals and committed nine penalties of its own for 101 yards. Verica went 17 for 36 and threw a first-quarter interception in the USC end zone, but Virginia’s offense blamed itself for missing an opportunity to score a major upset under first-year coach Mike London. “I knew it was a stupid play,” Verica said. “But we sent a message tonight that this is a new team. This is definitely not who we used to be. We can play with anybody left on our schedule. This one hurts a UGG Ultra Short Boots lot, but it proves we’re going to be a good team.” USC has won 13 straight home openers and 18 consecutive nonconference games, but the current Trojans don’t look much like the USC teams that won seven straight Pac-10 titles and two national championships—at least not yet. Kiffin is still seeking discipline and consistency at the school where he served as an assistant for much of that successful run. “I’m excited to watch this tape to learn what we’re doing wrong, and there’s a lot to go on from this,” said Barkley, who went 20 for 35. The Trojans are moving on from the Pete Carroll era in several other ways: The oversize replica of Reggie Bush’s No. 5 jersey is no longer among USC’s collection of Heisman Trophy winners on the steps of the peristyle, Nightfall Boots the columned porch holding the Olympic cauldron on the historic stadium’s east end. Both teams made costly mistakes in the first half. After Verica’s end-zone pass was intercepted by T.J. McDonald, USC’s Ronald Johnson caught a 47-yard scoring pass early in the second quarter—but it was erased by a holding penalty. “I feel terrible about it,” right guard Khaled Holmes said. “We had a bunch of those, but it’s something we can get better at.” Star Virginia cornerback Ras-I Dowling warmed up and was in uniform, but sat out his second straight game with a hamstring injury. After 26 scoreless minutes, the Trojans finally went after Dowling’s replacements, Sundance II Boots with freshman Robert Woods catching two passes before Cameron’s 4-yard scoring grab in the back of the end zone 3:43 before halftime. “We’ve just got to do better playing those types of things, but it’s part of the game,” London said. “You can’t look back and say those things could have been better.” Virginia immediately answered with a 69-yard scoring drive capped by Payne’s dive into the end zone 2 1/2 minutes later. But USC kept throwing, and Barkley found Carswell among three defenders for another score with 1 second left before halftime. Carswell nearly transferred from USC after the NCAA sanctions but Kiffin begged him to stay. After a scoreless third quarter, USC went up by 10 Knightsbridge Boots points on Joe Houston’s 34-yard field goal with 5:52 left. Virginia finally got moving with the help of more USC penalties, but couldn’t score until Burd’s late TD catch. “This is something we can build on,” said Virginia defensive tackle Matt Conrath, who played in the Cavaliers’ 52-7 home loss to USC two years ago. “Both teams, USC and us, are very different from two years ago. We came in here to show people that we can play with the better teams in the country.”

NEW YORK (AFP) - World number one Rafael Nadal, uggs outlet seeking his first US Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, advanced to the last four by defeating eighth-seeded Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco. Nadal, who has not lost a set in the tournament, rolled 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 and will play for a finals berth on Saturday against Russian 12th seed Mikhail Youzhny, who ousted Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. "It was a very important victory," Nadal said. "It's a very nice feeling to be in the semi-finals third time in a row in one of the most important tournaments in the world, for me right now probably the most important." Nadal has reached the US Open semi-finals for the third year in a row but has never made it to final, losing to Britain's Andy Murray in 2008 and eventual winner Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina last year. "For me, the semi-final is amazing but I have to keep playing better if I want to win the final," Nadal said. "It's a great thing for me, especially without losing a set. I played every day better." Nadal seeks his ninth career Grand Slam title and third in a fashion boots row in 2010 after Wimbledon and the French Open. Only Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Rod Laver have won three Slams in a row in the Open Era that began in 1968. Swiss second seed Federer, a 16-time Grand Slam champion, and Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic meet in the other semi-final. Both were off Thursday but barring rain Nadal must win three matches in four days to claim the title. "I have to play my best tennis," Nadal said. "That's the only way I'm going to get to the last round." Nadal could join Federer, Andre Agassi, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Fred Perry as the only men to complete the career Grand Slam, but says his main concern now is Youzhny. "I'm always focused on next match. I never look sale ugg boots that far away," Nadal said. "I'm in semi-final. I don't think about the final." Nadal, 24, has a 7-4 career record against Youzhny, but has won four of their past five meetings, most recently in the 2008 fourth round at Wimbledon. Youzhny's four triumphs over Nadal have all come on hardcourts, including a 2006 US Open quarter-finals upset. "He's number one. He won two Grand Slams (this year). He plays really, really well," Youzhny said. "It will be a tough match, but I hope not only for me to be a tough match." The Russian could foil hopes for a Nadal-Federer final at the only Grand Slam where they have never played in the title match. "I'm ready to be bad person," Youzhny said. "I'd ugg boots 2010 love to be bad person in this case." In blustery winds at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Nadal connected on 66 percent of his first serves and made only 16 unforced errors compared to 41 for Verdasco to stretch his Grand Slam win streak to 19 matches. "Very difficult to play, one of the more difficult days," Nadal said. "Serve was important. It was difficult to have big serves with the wind. When you throw the ball it was very difficult to control." Verdasco fell to 0-11 lifetime against Nadal but had the edge early. The showdown of left-handers began when Verdasco, seeking his first US Open semi-final, took the first service break of the tournament off Nadal to seize a 2-1 lead, Nadal netting a forehand to surrender his serve at love. Verdasco, 26, saved a break point in the fourth game when Nadal sent a wind-blown forehand long. But Verdasco double-faulted away a break in the eighth game to draw Nadal level. "For the game I need to do to beat Rafa, these conditions were very bad for me," Verdasco said. "My game plan was to push him all I can with my serve. It was very difficult to even make the toss of the ball." Nadal, who has dropped only three sets in 11 uggs uk matches with Verdasco, broke at love in the 12th game to take the set, the last point on a forehand volley winner. Nadal, 106-1 in Grand Slam matches when he wins the first set, broke for a 4-2 lead in set two, pressured Verdasco sending a cross-court forehand wide on the pivotal point, and held twice more to win the second set. "It was important for me to be focused all the time, moving the legs and waiting for the mistake of the opponent because it's difficult to control the shots," Nadal said. The Spanish superstar, 90-0 in Grand Slams when winning the first two sets, broke to begin the third set and held from there to advance in two hours and 22 minutes.

NEW YORK, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Let it sizzle, let it sexy boots blow, let it chill…. whatever the weather, Roger Federer proved himself to be a master of the elements at the U.S. Open. Federer coolly dismissed opponents in the early rounds when on-court temperatures topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celcius) and on Wednesday, he warmed up his serve in the cold and wind to blow away Robin Soderling and reach the semi-finals. “I see it as a challenge and I see it as an opportunity to play differently,” the Swiss owner of a record 16 grand slam crowns said about playing through the wind. “It’s not easy, you know. It’s cold. Everywhere it’s blowing. You feel like it’s blowing through your ears and into your eyes. “But I think I used to dislike it so much that I’m on snow boots the other side now. I was able to turn it around and kind of take enjoyment out of playing in the wind, actually.” Federer also enjoyed the sweet taste of revenge in his 6-4 6-4 7-5 rout of Soderling, who had beaten him in the French Open quarter-finals earlier this year. The 29-year-old Swiss sent down 18 aces against the Swede, who only registered two for himself. “I guess I got a good service motion,” Federer said by way of explanation. “To me, it doesn’t affect my concentration. “I think what I’m also very good at is also hit a good serve even though the ball toss is not in the right location anymore. I think that’s something I was always able to do. “I can serve to all different corners with western boots either kick or flat or slice. I think that allows me to have a great variety of serves, first of all.” Federer thought of another advantage he holds. “My second serve is reliable, I don’t panic or double fault so much. It’s a huge weapon in conditions like this.” The Swiss went on to admit he was ready for almost anything. “You know, I’ve played in such strong winds. I’ve practiced in such hot conditions. Whatever you throw at me, I can do it. “I mean, obviously if it’s snowing and tough, then it sheepskin boots gets a bit different,” he said. “I haven’t had that yet, so I guess I would freak out when that starts happening.”