Slovaks Set to Walk on Top of Chuck Norris

David Arquette really likes ... to knit?

(NEWSER) - How to unwind after a tough day of attending awards ceremonies and movie premieres? Well, if you're Tom Cruise, by fencing. That's the sport Tom enjoys along with Will Smith and David Beckham, the Huffington Post notes in its list of 10 celebrity leisure activities:

• David Arquette: The former Mr. Courteney Cox is a knitter, who knew? Apparently Russell Crowe also partakes in this particular pastime.
• Mila Kunis: She's so addicted to online game World of Warcraft that she actually had to give it up for a while.

Elections give leftist party first majority in Slovakia history

(NEWSER) - Slovakia's leftist opposition appears headed toward a big win in yesterday's elections, reports the AP . With most of the votes counted, the Smer-Social Democracy party has taken 44.8% of the vote, enough for 84 of the 150-seat parliament. If the lead holds up, it will be the first outright majority held by any one party since the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993. "We succeeded with what we offered as an alternative," said Robert Fico, the Smer-Social Democracy leader early today. "We've achieved a result that is a pleasant surprise for us, to be honest." More»

Adam Sandler, Jessica Simpson, even 50 Cent make the list

(NEWSER) - Hollywood may be seemingly rife with outspoken liberals, but Chuck Norris (who is currently backing Newt Gingrich) is far from the only Republican celebrity. A sampling of those who lean right, courtesy of E! and the Atlantic :

• Jessica Simpson: She endorsed George W. Bush in 2004, and her dad said a few years ago that the singer "loves the heck out of" Dubya.
• 50 Cent: The rapper also endorsed Bush, calling him "incredible. A gangsta. I wanna meet George Bush, just shake his hand and tell him how much of me I see in him."
• Robert Downey Jr.: It's not totally clear where he stands, but he once told the New York Times, "I have a really interesting political point of view, and it's not always something I say too loud at dinner tables here, but you can't go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal."
• Johnny Ramone: The Ramones' member once called Ronald Reagan "the best president of my lifetime."

It's expected to pass later this week

(AP) - Slovakian lawmakers today rejected the expansion of the euro currency zone's bailout fund. But parliament is expected to pass the measure later this week, notes MarketWatch . Slovakia remains the only country in the 17-member euro zone that has not approved expanding the bailout fund, which requires unanimous support. Today's vote not only failed, it brought down the government because it contained a no-confidence measure. Opposition members have said they would support the bailout measure once the government is dissolved. More»

The money must be really good

(NEWSER) - There was a time when celebrities could do super-embarrassing commercials overseas, rake in the dough, and never worry very much that the ads would find an American audience. Thanks to YouTube, that time no longer exists. The Telegraph rounds up 17 pretty spectacular foreign commercials starring everyone from Chuck Norris to Nicole Kidman. Watch a sampling in the gallery or click for the complete list. In the mood for cringeworthy American commercials? We’ve got those, too. More»