Russell Crowe set for Superman movie

Russell Crowe is in the running to play Superman’s father in Man of Steel.
The actor is said to be in negotiations for the role of Jor-El, the lead character’s biological dad, in the upcoming remake of the superhero movie titled Superman: Man of Steel. British actor Henry Cavill will play the title role in the picture, which is being directed by Zack Snyder.
Jor-El is a pivotal character in the movie, and was played by Marlon Brando in the 1978 original. He is the man who sends Superman to earth in order to save him, as his birth planet Krypton is being destroyed.
Variety confirms Russell is in talks for the part, although no further details are currently available.
Superman: Man of Steel already has a host of A-list names attached. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane will play Superman's adoptive parents, while Amy Adams was recently unveiled as the new Lois Lane. Michael Shannon has landed the villainous role of General Zod.
The movie is scheduled for release in December 2012. (C) Cover Media

Amy Winehouse cancels European shows

Troubled British singer Amy Winehouse was booed off stage in Serbia on Saturday night, after reportedly arriving late and stumbling around the stage.
Amy Winehouse has cancelled part of her European tour after she was booed off stage.
The troubled British singer, who has battled problems with drugs and alcohol and recently spent time in rehab, was jeered at a gig in Serbia in the first night of her 12-date tour. Amy reportedly arrived an hour late, dropped the microphone, mumbled during songs, wandered around aimlessly and eventually stumbled off the stage. Her performance on Saturday night was branded a 'scandal' and 'disaster' by critics.
The 27-year-old star has now announced she will not perform in Istanbul tonight or Athens on Wednesday.
'The singer would like to say sorry to fans expecting to see her in Turkey and Greece, but feels that this is the right thing to do,' a statement from Amy’s spokesperson said. 'Despite feeling sure that she wanted to fulfil these commitments, she has agreed with management that she cannot perform to the best of her ability and will return home.'
Amy recently spent a week at The Priory clinic in London, with her representative explaining she had 'embarked on a treatment programme'. It was reported the singer had been banned from drinking alcohol on tour. (C) Cover Media

Kirsten Dunst: I like comfortable gowns

Kirsten Dunst says comfort is the most important factor when deciding on her red carpet attire.
The Hollywood star is famed for her feminine look and blonde tresses and is regularly praised for her eclectic mix of elegant and edgy fashion choices.
While she likes to wow at big events, the 29-year-old always keeps her comfort in mind.
'I prefer classic pieces which are always very feminine. But comfort is always very important for me,' she revealed in an interview with Madame Figaro.
Kirsten has a failsafe red carpet look. The gorgeous star relies on a handful of designers to dress her come day or night.
'For the red carpet, I like Chanel, Valentino and Rodarte, because they have very feminine dresses. For every day, I always wear the same brands. I melt at Acne, A.P.C, Isabel Marant or Vanessa Bruno. In fact, I have a French style.'
Kirsten hasn’t always been so clued-up when it comes to her style. The actress says the worst fashion disasters involve uncomplimentary underwear and transparent garments.
'A lot of fashion accidents happened when I was younger. The most important thing is to be very careful with the underwear that you wear – it has to structure your figure. You also have to be careful with the transparency of the dress that you choose,' she said. (C) Cover Media

SMART Introduces Next Generation Interactive Whiteboard System

SMART Technologies Inc, a leading provider of collaboration solutions, announces the fifth-generation SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard system.

The new interactive whiteboard system, featuring the ultra-short-throw standard SMART UF75 or widescreen SMART UF75w projectors, is available with the SMART Board 400i, 600i and 800i series. The SMART UF75 offers a bright, crisp image and is the first projector from SMART that is both 3D- and high definition-ready.

The integrated SMART UF75 projector mounts to the wall directly above the interactive whiteboard and offers a throw distance of just 23.5” (59.7 cm), improving picture quality and reducing shadows and glare. The new 600i and 800i interactive whiteboard systems are now available globally and the new 400i interactive whiteboard system is now also available in the Middle East.

The new SMART Board interactive whiteboard system features a swivel projector mount, which makes installation and projector alignment quick and simple.

The system features a digital HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port, enabling one-touch support for high-definition (HD) video and audio.

The ultra-short-throw SMART UF75 projector is also available as a retrofit for all SMART Board 600 and 800 series interactive whiteboards.

With the introduction of the fifth-generation SMART Board interactive whiteboard system, the company now offers systems with four projector options to meet the varied needs of customers – the ultra-short-throw SMART UX60 projector, which has a throw distance of only 12” (30.5 cm); the ultra-short-throw SMART UF75 and SMART UF75w, which have a 23.5” (59.7 cm) throw distance; the short-throw SMART V25, which has a throw distance of 38.5” (97.8 cm) and is available for the SMART Board 480iv interactive whiteboard system; and the short-throw SMART UF65 and SMART UF65w projectors, which have a 40” (101.6 cm) throw distance.

For more information on the new SMART Board interactive whiteboard system, featuring the integrated, ultra-short-throw SMART UF75 or SMART UF75w projectors, visit smarttech.com/projectors.

“As classrooms around the world continue to become more interactive and demand for SMART Board interactive whiteboard systems continues to increase, we recognize the need to provide flexible, integrated solutions that meet the needs of all educators worldwide,” says Linda Thomas, SMART’s Vice President, Products.

“The fifth-generation interactive whiteboard system extends our comprehensive product line to provide a solution that offers educators even more choices to enhance interactivity in the classroom and effectively engage and motivate learners.”

SMART Board interactive whiteboard features
High definition ready – Digital HDMI port to support high-definition audio and video
Extended control panel – The extended control panel (ECP) mounts to the interactive whiteboard bezel and offers easy access to the power button, volume control, video input selection, USB and audio switching for guest laptop, and an additional USB port.

At-board connector – Enables quick and easy connection to computer VGA and audio
Alert broadcast feature – Like the fourth-generation SMART Board 600i interactive whiteboard series, the fifth-generation series includes an innovative alert broadcast feature that enables educators to instantly display important messages on one or more fourth- or fifth-generation SMART

Board interactive whiteboard systems

SMART Notebook™ collaborative learning software – Ships with award-winning SMART Notebook software, used by more than five million teachers around the world to create interactive lessons
SMART product integration – Seamless integration with the full range of SMART hardware and software

products

SMART Board interactive whiteboard warranty – Two-year standard warranty that can be extended to five years upon product registration within two years of purchase

SMART UF75 projector features

Ultra short throw – Throw distance of just 23.5” (59.7 cm)
Image quality – Offers SMART’s brightest projector image with 2,500 lumens in standard mode
3D ready – Integrated with 3D DLP® Link™ technology by Texas Instruments™ to support 3D content, images and video using active 3D glasses
Aspect ratio – Standard 4:3 and widescreen 16:10, with selectable 16:9 available for the widescreen SMART UF75w
Energy conservation – Consumes less than one watt of power in standby mode to meet the EuP (Energy-using Products) Directive
Lamp life – Up to 2,500 hours in standard mode and up to 4,000 hours in economy mode
Resolution – Standard XGA (1024 x 768) and widescreen WXGA (1280 x 800)
SMART UF75 projector warranty – Three-year standard warranty

Real Madrid's Fernando Gago shockingly says Barcelona are the best club ever

Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago seems to be pushing himself out of the club after declaring Barcelona are far superior to his side.

The Argentine midfielder is expected to leave the club in the summer after several injuries in the past two seasons restricted him to just a peripheral role at the club.

Gago recently indicated he would not make a decision on his future before talking to coach Jose Mourinho, but his latest remarks will certainly not go down well at Real Madrid, as he praised his club's arch-rivals.

'Barcelona are the best team in history. They are well above Real Madrid and the fans do not want to admit it,' Gago told ESPN Argentina.

Gago, who moved to Real Madrid in 2006 for €20.4 million, has been linked with a move to his former club, Boca Juniors.

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ICC judges to rule on Kadhafi arrest warrant

World crimes court judges are to decide Monday whether to issue an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi for crimes against humanity committed against opponents of his regime.
Judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng is expected to read a three-judge bench's decision at 1:00pm (1100 GMT) on a request by The Hague-based International Criminal Court's prosecutor to have the Libyan strongman and two of his closest allies arrested.
The ICC's prosecution asked for warrants for Kadhafi, 69, his son Seif al-Islam, 39, and the head of Libyan intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, 62, for murder and persecution since mid-February, when the bloody uprising started.
ICC judges may now decide to issue the warrants, to decline the request or to ask for additional information before giving the nod.
Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's investigation follows a referral by the United Nations Security Council on the Libyan conflict on 26 February. The prosecutor's office launched its investigation five days later.
On Sunday, Moreno-Ocampo said the war crimes in Libya will not stop until Kadhafi is arrested.
"Crimes continue today in Libya. To stop the crimes and protect civilians in Libya, Kadhafi must be arrested," he said in a statement.
It will be the second time the ICC's top accuser has a country's head of state in his sights, after an arrest warrant for Sudan's Omar al-Bashir was first issued in March 2009. The warrant is yet to be executed.
In his submission, Moreno-Ocampo said Kadhafi had a personal hand in planning and implementing "a policy of widespread and systematic attacks against civilians and demonstrators and dissidents in particular."
"Kadhafi's plan expressly included the use of lethal force against demonstrators and dissidents," the submission said.
The Libyan strongman also ordered sniping at civilians leaving mosques after evening prayers. His forces carried out a systematic campaign of arrest and detention of alleged dissidents, it said.
"Kadhafi's plans were carried out through his inner circle, which included Seif al-Islam, Kadhafi's de-facto prime minister and his brother-in-law Al-Senussi, considered to be his right-hand man," the submission said.
Established in 2002, the ICC is the world's first permanent, treaty-based court set up to try those accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide if the accused's own country cannot or will not do so.
African leaders Sunday welcomed Kadhafi's decision to stay out of talks to end Libya's conflict, entering its fifth month, as fighting raged between his troops and rebels near Tripoli.
Multiple rocket and heavy machine-gunfire was heard on the plains below the rebel enclave in the Nafusa Mountains, southwest of Tripoli.
Rebel commanders said the fighting centered on Bir al-Ghanam, a strategic point on the road to the Libyan capital.
Meanwhile, the African Union panel on Libya meeting in the South African capital Pretoria said Kadhafi would not participate in peace talks, in what appeared to be a concession.
The panel "welcomes Colonel Kadhafi's acceptance of not being part of the negotiations process," AU peace and security commissioner Ramtane Lamamra said, reading a prepared statement issued after four hours of talks.
A South African official who requested anonymity said after the panel meeting: "We wanted Kadhafi to make a public statement that he would not take part in the negotiations but he would not."
Asked about the significance of his refusal to make a statement, the official, part of the South African team that travelled to Tripoli last month in a failed bid to launch peace talks, said: "This means he is finished."
On Saturday, Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, vice chairman of the National Transitional Council (NTC), said that they had been in touch with loyalists over the possibility of Kadhafi submitting to internal exile.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Sunday there had been contact between the two camps that specifically involved the fate of Kadhafi.
"I know that they covered, for example, the fate reserved for Kadhafi himself, which is one of the central questions today...," he told France's RTL radio.
But Kadhafi government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said Sunday the leader had no intention of quitting power.
"Kadhafi is here. He is staying. He is leading the country. He will not leave. He will not step down because he does not have any official position," Ibrahim said.
"We will not give in to some criminal gangs who took our cities hostage. We will not give in to the criminal organisation of NATO. Everyone continues to fight. We are ready to fight street to street, house to house," he added.
The wording of the AU panel's statement was far softer than South African President Jacob Zuma's opening remarks. He had again warned NATO against overstepping the mandate of the UN resolution imposing a no-fly zone over Libya.
"The intention was not to authorise a campaign for regime change or political assassination," Zuma said behind closed doors, according to a text of the speech.
Zuma urged both Kadhafi and the rebel NTC to make compromises to reach a deal in the face of a conflict that was degenerating into a protracted and bloody deadlock.
"On the ground, there is a military stalemate which cannot and must not be allowed to drag on and on -- both because of its horrendous cost in civilian lives and the potential it has to destabilise the entire sub-region," he said.

Katy Perry suffers sore throat

Katy Perry appealed for her fans to sing louder at her Jersey show as she’s struggling with a sore throat.
The American singer-and-songwriter is currently in the midst of her California Dreams world tour, which most recently made a stop at Long Island's Nassau Coliseum.
The 26-year-old songstress has revealed the 121-date show has finally taken its toll on her vocal chords, and she was suffering with a sore throat ahead of her performance in Jersey last night.
'Jersey! I'm not feeling too well today, Dr. said it's strep, but I'm not canceling... Just means ur gonna have to sing LOUD tonight. Deal? (sic)' she wrote on her Twitter page yesterday.
Katy insists the show will go on. The stunning star says the doctor has prescribed her with medication she hopes will see her through her show tonight.
'After a cocktail of prescribed drugz I think I'ma be able to fist pump my way through tonight... ' she added.
The California Dreams Tour is the second worldwide concert tour by Katy, which is in support of her third studio album Teenage Dream. It began in February of this year and will visit Europe, Australasia, Asia and the Americas. (C) Cover Media

Marilyn Monroe dress sells for $4.6m

Marilyn Monroe’s iconic white dress has been sold to a private bidder for $4.6 million.
It was sold along with 3,500 other items as part of an auction of Hollywood memorabilia collection amassed by actress Debbie Reynolds.
The dress was worn by screen legend Marilyn in the 1955 film The Seven year Itch and has since gone on to be Marilyn’s most famous look. The scene with Marilyn coyly holding down the gown as she stands over a breezy New York City subway grate is considered one of the most iconic images in American film history.
Debbie acquired the dress when it was sold by 20th Century Fox in 1971.
Other items sold at the prestigious auction included a dress and a pair of ruby slippers worn in a screen test for The Wizard of Oz by Judy Garland, which sold together for $1.75m.
Charlie Chaplin's famous bowler hat sold for $135,000. (C) Cover Media

Monica Bellucci: Dracula was significant

Monica Bellucci was 'bitten by the world of cinema' after appearing in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula.
The Italian actress-and-model was cast as Dracula’s bride in the 1992 horror movie which also starred Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
The beauty only appeared in the picture for a few seconds, but says the casting was a significant one because it opened her eyes to the world of film.
'At the time, I was still a model, Coppola had seen pictures of me and he wanted to meet me. Let's say that I can't even call that a role, it's just a small cameo but in a beautiful movie,' she explained in an interview with a French TV show. 'I was bitten by the world of cinema.'
Monica is married to French actor Vincent Cassel and the pair have appeared in several films together. The couple have two daughters, and Monica says they live a 'gypsy' life because of all the travelling they do.
'It is a bohemian life. I live a bit like a gypsy because we are not together all the time because of the shootings, the travel. There are great distances between us but then we have great reunions,' she revealed. (C) Cover Media

Liverpool weigh up £6m bid for St-Etienne winger Dimitri Payet following collapse of Sylvain Marveaux deal

Liverpool are weighing up a bid for Saint-Etienne star Dimitri Payet, but will not pay the French club's asking price.

Damien Comolli, the Reds' director of football, is a huge admirer of the winger having worked with him at Saint-Etienne before leaving for Liverpool last November.

Payet, 24, is the subject of interest from Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain as well as French champions Lille, who are looking to replace Arsenal-bound Gervinho.

The France international is aware of interest from Liverpool and Goal.com understands he has been told that the Reds could be ready to enter the bidding as manager Kenny Dalglish looks to add some wide men to his squad.

Dalglish wants at least two wingers and is hoping to clinch the signing of €17m-rated Aston Villa star Stewart Downing.

But he is targeting at least one more wide player in the summer transfer window, having already missed out on Ashley Young and seen a move for Sylvain Marveaux fall through, amidst suggestions he failed a medical.

Comolli would be willing to pay around €6.7m for Payet, who scored 13 goals in 33 appearances last season and has been capped three times for the France national team.

Payet, who is under contract until 2013, is believed to favour a move to Anfield but Saint-Etienne will have to lower their expectations over the transfer value.

The French club's president, Roland Romeyer, revealed earlier this month that he had been in touch with English sides but insisted he would not let his star player leave on the cheap.

'There have also been calls from England,' said Romeyer. 'But there is no question of letting Dimitri leave at any price.'

Another problem for Liverpool is the bad blood felt by Saint-Etienne after former Tottenham director Comolli criticised the working environment at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

Romeyer has said he felt 'betrayed' by Comolli after he quit the club and accused him of squandering money on signings.

PSG's interest in Payet is becoming increasingly apparent, with reports suggesting the capital club have offered €8m plus Jeremy Clement for the winger.

Meanwhile, reports in France have suggested Liverpool are ready to meet the €8m release clause to sign Brest striker Nolan Roux.

The 23-year-old has scored 21 goals in 53 league games for his club and would replace fellow Frenchman David Ngog at Anfield.

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Acer smartphone .. Mini Size, Maxi Possibilities

For those loving subtle curves, chrome details and soft touch casing, Acer liquidmini packs maximum smartphone possibilities into minimum size.

Small, compact and extremely stylish, liquidmini is available in a wide range of colors – jet silver, royal blue, piano black, lime green and light pink - to let users choose the one that fits their personality best.

The subtle curves of liquidmini meet the beautiful chrome edges, wrapped in a soft touch casing shaped to fit your hand perfectly. You will be amazed to discover so many features into this charming Android smartphone.

The liquidmini sports a high quality multi-touch display that allows you to truly experience rich content on your smartphone. Flick through your photo gallery, pinch and zoom in on that smile or swipe around web pages, the liquidmini is simply a pleasure to use. Touch it, swipe it, love it.

The Acer liquidmini boasts Android Froyo operating system to work in harmony with its sleek hardware. The clever and classy Acer UI sits on top of it all to give you speed and productivity to get things done quickly and in style.

Allowing smart access to wireless options, music player and sound profiles, Acer has eliminated need to dive into a number of menus letting you to use your smartphone in the simplest way. Your liquidmini comes with the full-featured Google suite of applications including Gmail, Google Maps, Google Navigation and Google Talk.

Search on the market for more innovative apps from Google and other developers: there are over 100.000 apps and games in the Android Market!

Listen to your whole music library thanks to the expandable memory card slot; tune into your favourite radio station and even enjoy quality videos effortlessly on your liquidmini.

Fancy something extraordinary? You have YouTube in the palm of your hand displayed beautifully on the 3.2” screen: search, discover, smile!

Snap a memory with 5 megapixels of clarity and treasure it for years to come. One-click sharing allows you to upload your pictures and movies to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr with ease.

Be spontaneous, you’re on camera.

Catch up with what’s going on in your world with just one glance at Acer’s SocialJogger app, seamlessly integrating your Facebook and Twitter accounts into one handy feed ready to read, like and comment.

SocialJogger allows to create groups & filters, so feeds from the friends & family who are most important to you stand out.

Keep up to date with your work life on your liquidmini thanks to DocumentsToGo® and RoadSync®. View and edit popular office files (Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF) and send them through your work email with support for Microsoft Exchange.

Everything you need to connect is all ready on the liquidmini out of the box. And with the high-speed data connection and fast browser, you can surf the web and find what you need in no time.

The liquidmini is DLNA certified, which means you can enjoy content from your computer on your phone. You can even play the part of DJ / cinema-buff by streaming music and video to a DLNA television and browse & play back the multi-media content stored on your liquidmini to your TV or PC, through the integrated Acer clear.fi media sharing system. No wires, no hassle, just play.

Mini in size, maxi in possibilities liquid mini can do everything in a tinier and cool design!

NATO defends credibility of Libya air war

NATO defended the credibility of its air war in Libya after a bomb misfired killing civilians, as Libyan state media said the alliance had begun bombing highway traffic checkpoints.
"I would suggest that our reputation and credibility is unquestionable," said Wing Commander Mike Bracken, the mission's military spokesman.
"What is questionable is the Kadhafi regime's use of human shields, (and) firing missiles from mosques," Bracken told reporters from operation headquarters in Naples, Italy.
He stressed that NATO had taken pains to avoid civilian casualties in its three-month campaign in Libya .
The comments came after NATO admitted a bomb misfired in Tripoli at the weekend, killing nine people according to Moamer Kadhafi's regime.
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini warned that NATO's credibility was "at risk" following the civilian casualties, and urged it to ensure it was not providing ammunition to Kadhafi's propaganda war.
"We cannot run the risk of killing civilians. This is not good at all," Frattini said at a meeting of European foreign ministers.
The blunder -- an embarrassment for a mission that prides itself on protecting Libya's people from the regime -- came on the heels of a friendly fire incident last week in which a column of rebel vehicles were hit by NATO warplanes.
Bracken rejected a regime claim of further civilian casualties, however, reiterating that an air strike in the western Tripoli suburb of Sorman on Monday hit a legitimate military target.
"If you look at our track record, we have taken utmost care to avoid civilian casualties and we will continue to do so," said NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu.
British Prime Minister David Cameron butted heads with his own brass over the campaign Tuesday after top officers warned that the military is overstretched.
After speaking with the heads of the army and navy, Cameron said: "They are absolutely clear that we are able to keep up this mission for as long as is necessary, and that time is on our side, not on Kadhafi's side."
In Brussels, NATO said it lost radar contact with a drone helicopter conducting a reconnaissance flight over Libya on Tuesday.
"This drone helicopter was performing intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance over Libya to monitor pro-Kadhafi forces threatening the civilian population," military spokesman Mike Bracken said in a statement.
In Washington, defence officials said the aircraft was a Fire Scout, but could not confirm whether it had been shot down or suffered mechanical or communications problems.
Libyan state television showed footage of a burnt-out helicopter it identified as an Apache, reportedly downed near Zliten, 160 kilometres (100 miles) east of the capital.
The caption on the television, which quoted military sources, read: "Images of the Apache helicopter shot down by the people's army."
The Pentagon had previously announced the deployment of two armed Predator drones for the NATO-led air campaign against Kadhafi's forces, but had not previously cited any role for an unmanned helicopter.
State television and official news agency JANA reported early Wednesday that NATO warplanes had carried out raids on the towns of Khoms and Nalut in western Libya.
NATO targeted two checkpoints in the Khoms region 120 kilometres (75 miles) east of Tripoli, the television report said. It added that the control points were "civilian" intended to "organise traffic movements."
If the strikes were confirmed, it would mean the Western alliance had moved into a new stage of operations in the west of Libya, aiming at checkpoints on the highways leading into the capital Tripoli.
Until now, NATO had limited itself to attacks on military installations and armour.
JANA reported raids on Al-Ghazaya in the Nalut region southwest of Tripoli. This region has for months been the scene of violent clashes between rebels and troops loyal to Kadhafi.
Advocacy group Human Rights Watch meanwhile accused Kadhafi's forces of laying land mines in the strategic Nafusa mountains near the border with Tunisia to counter rebel attacks there.

Diaz and A-Rod are reportedly moving in together

The 'Bad Teacher' actress only confirmed she was dating the baseball star last month even though they have been together for over a year and despite recent speculation they had split, the pair are said to be happier than ever and were spotted looking at a property together in Miami yesterday (06.06.11) where Alex is hoping to build a new house.

The 38-year-old actress has previously dated a string of Hollywood hunks, including Justin Timberlake, Jared Leto and Matt Dillon but recently revealed her happiness with Alex - who has two children, Natasha, six, and three-year-old Ella, from his marriage to Cynthia Scurtis - and said she doesn't want to live in the past or regret any of her previous relationships.

She said: "Yes Alex is my boyfriend. It's not a secret any more.

"Life is long. Why would you ever live in the past when you can live in the present and allow the future to be bright and happy and exciting. There's no reason. I think people's mentality is, 'It didn't work out!' But like, what didn't work out? What's supposed to happen?

"I think a lot of people are married to people they're not romantic with any more. I just didn't ever marry anybody that I then had to get divorced from."

Tom Cruise in talks for One Shot adaptation

Tom Cruise is said to be in talks to star in the upcoming movie adaptation of crime novel One Shot.
The star is being considered for the role of Jack Reacher, who investigates a group murder of five office workers shot down by a sniper.
One Shot is the ninth book in the series based around the character by author Lee Child and the movie adaptation will be directed by Christopher McQuarrie.
One Shot will only be the filmmaker’s second movie, but he has previously worked as a screenwriter on Valkyrie – which starred Tom Cruise – and The Usual Suspects.
However, movie experts are concerned that die-hard fans of the Child books will be upset about Cruise’s casting because he doesn’t match the character’s physical appearance. In the original, Jack Reacher is described as 6ft 5in tall and weighing around 250lbs, while the Hollywood star is known for only measuring 5ft 7in in height.
However, author Lee has spoken out in support of Tom’s casting.
'Reacher’s size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way,' he said. (C) Cover Media

Christina Aguilera: I love authentic singers

Christina Aguilera says she loves 'authentic' pop stars.
The American songstress is the new mentor on singing show The Voice, alongside Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.
The talented singer, who has achieved international success as a solo artist, was initially drawn to the competition because it concentrates on peoples’ talent as singers first and foremost.
'[It] takes music back to a place and time where you're inspired by nothing but the voice, before music videos, before the Internet,' she told Extra. 'It takes you back to a place of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and real music, where it was all about authenticity, and I love it.'
The format of the show sees each mentor developing their own 'team' of contestants. Christina has joked that her all-female group are going to dominate the competition. The blonde star has also revealed that she enjoys banter with the male contestants on the show.
'I have a good group of female performers, they're gonna kill it. Boys better watch out,' she joked. 'Sometimes it's like being in a boy’s locker room... and I can't believe what I'm hearing. I do feel like the mom of the group... like, okay boys, let's get down to business.'
Christina found fame on the Mickey Mouse Club alongside pop stars Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. The 30-year-old says there could be a future collaboration on the cards. 'It would be fun to hook up with Britney or Justin at some point, maybe,' she said. 'There's so much talent out there. It's always fun to collaborate. I keep it open.'
Christina is mom to three-year-old son Max. The star says her tot is keen to follow in her footsteps and is already proving he has 'mama’s lungs'.
'The other day I was putting him to bed, and he looked at me and said, 'Mama, will you teach me to sing?' It was so cute. I'm like, you already have it in there Maxie, all you have to do is sing out loud, it'll come natural. He definitely has his mama's lungs, he can scream.'

Clinton says 'no going back' in Syria

Syrians prepared on Saturday to bury at least 12 protesters shot dead by security forces as Washington warned the government's "continued brutality" may delay but will not reverse the process of change.
Rights activists said protests broke out after the main weekly Muslim prayers on Friday as the army pressed its campaign against northern towns and the number of refugees fleeing across the border into Turkey neared 10,000.
A senior US administration official put the toll at around 19 dead.
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, said five people were killed in the flashpoint central city of Homs, two in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor and two in the Damascus suburb of Harasta.
Two more people were killed in Dael in the restive southern province of Daraa and a 12th person died in the Damascus suburb of Douma, other activists told AFP by telephone.
The United States is weighing whether war crimes charges can be brought against Damascus to pressure the government to end its bloody crackdown on dissent, the US administration official said.
Other measures, including sanctions targeting the country's oil and gas sector, are being considered as part of a broader diplomatic campaign to increase pressure on President Bashar al-Assad.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday urged a transition to democracy in Syria, saying in a commentary in the Arabic-language Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the government's crackdown would not quell the momentum for change.
Clinton wrote under the headline "There Is No Going Back in Syria" that it was "increasingly clear" the crackdown was an irreversible shift in the country's push towards reform, in an English translation provided by the State Department.
The regime's "continued brutality may allow (Assad) to delay the change that is under way in Syria, it will not reverse it," Clinton wrote in the pan-Arab daily published in London.
"The most important question of all -- what does this mean for Syria’s future? -- is increasingly clear: There is no going back." Assad's actions have "shattered his claims to be a reformer," Clinton wrote.
A senior administration official said on Friday that the United States was studying whether war crimes charges could be brought against Syria.
Two administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, outlined the campaign in a teleconference with reporters, stressing efforts were being made at the United Nations and with regional partners to condemn and isolate the regime.
The official said other measures, including sanctions targeting Syria's oil and gas sector, were being considered as part of a broader diplomatic campaign to increase pressure on Assad.
In Friday's violence, according to Abdel Rahman, "there was intense firing to disperse the demonstrations in (the coastal city) Banias and there were casualties" but the head of the London-based Observatory was unable to give a breakdown.
About 5,000 protesters gathered in Homs, he said, adding demonstrations gripped several other cities and towns including Jableh in the west and in Suweida in the south, where club-wielding forces dispersed hundreds.
Protests also hit Latakia, Maaret al-Nooman and the countryside outside Damascus, activists said.
Witnesses told AFP that a gunman opened fire on a police station in Rikn al-Deen, in Damascus, during a protest, killing a policeman and wounding at least four.
State news agency SANA also reported casualties among the ranks of the security forces. "A member of the security forces was martyred and more than 30 were wounded by gunfire in Homs," the news agency said.
It added that two officers and four members of the security forces were wounded when gunmen attacked a recruitment centre in Deir Ezzor while three policemen were hit by gunfire in the Qabun neighbourhood of Damascus.
The military pressed ahead with its crackdown, sending tanks and troops into the northwestern town of Khan Sheikhun and surrounding villages, according to activists and witnesses.
Nearly 10,000 Syrians have crossed the border into Turkey fleeing the crackdown, an official Turkish source said on Friday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Tuesday said the violence has claimed the lives of nearly 1,300 civilians and 340 security force members since it broke out in mid-March.

Acer smartphone .. Mini Size, Maxi Possibilities

For those loving subtle curves, chrome details and soft touch casing, Acer liquidmini packs maximum smartphone possibilities into minimum size.

Small, compact and extremely stylish, liquidmini is available in a wide range of colors – jet silver, royal blue, piano black, lime green and light pink - to let users choose the one that fits their personality best.

The subtle curves of liquidmini meet the beautiful chrome edges, wrapped in a soft touch casing shaped to fit your hand perfectly. You will be amazed to discover so many features into this charming Android smartphone.

The liquidmini sports a high quality multi-touch display that allows you to truly experience rich content on your smartphone. Flick through your photo gallery, pinch and zoom in on that smile or swipe around web pages, the liquidmini is simply a pleasure to use. Touch it, swipe it, love it.

The Acer liquidmini boasts Android Froyo operating system to work in harmony with its sleek hardware. The clever and classy Acer UI sits on top of it all to give you speed and productivity to get things done quickly and in style.

Allowing smart access to wireless options, music player and sound profiles, Acer has eliminated need to dive into a number of menus letting you to use your smartphone in the simplest way. Your liquidmini comes with the full-featured Google suite of applications including Gmail, Google Maps, Google Navigation and Google Talk.

Search on the market for more innovative apps from Google and other developers: there are over 100.000 apps and games in the Android Market!

Listen to your whole music library thanks to the expandable memory card slot; tune into your favourite radio station and even enjoy quality videos effortlessly on your liquidmini.

Fancy something extraordinary? You have YouTube in the palm of your hand displayed beautifully on the 3.2” screen: search, discover, smile!

Snap a memory with 5 megapixels of clarity and treasure it for years to come. One-click sharing allows you to upload your pictures and movies to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr with ease.

Be spontaneous, you’re on camera.

Catch up with what’s going on in your world with just one glance at Acer’s SocialJogger app, seamlessly integrating your Facebook and Twitter accounts into one handy feed ready to read, like and comment.

SocialJogger allows to create groups & filters, so feeds from the friends & family who are most important to you stand out.

Keep up to date with your work life on your liquidmini thanks to DocumentsToGo® and RoadSync®. View and edit popular office files (Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF) and send them through your work email with support for Microsoft Exchange.

Everything you need to connect is all ready on the liquidmini out of the box. And with the high-speed data connection and fast browser, you can surf the web and find what you need in no time.

The liquidmini is DLNA certified, which means you can enjoy content from your computer on your phone. You can even play the part of DJ / cinema-buff by streaming music and video to a DLNA television and browse & play back the multi-media content stored on your liquidmini to your TV or PC, through the integrated Acer clear.fi media sharing system. No wires, no hassle, just play.

Mini in size, maxi in possibilities liquid mini can do everything in a tinier and cool design!

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard eyes Premier League title challenge

The Anfield captain admitted it hurt to see their record conceded to Sir Alex Ferguson's charges and is eager to get back from his injury and help the team to the EPL title

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes his team are strong enough to challenge for the title this season.
The skipper retained a groin injury last March which kept him out of action for the remainder of last season but is now anticipating the 2011-12 campaign.
Gerrard told Sky Sports News: "If we were to get back in the top-four next season I think it would be a fantastic achievement.
"But we will be setting out to win the league, because that's what you do year in and year out at Liverpool."
He added: "We've got a good side together. Hopefully it'll be strengthened with a few new signings in the next few weeks before we go back.
"Then we'll be in a position where we're competitive next season."
Having spent months on the sidelines, Gerrard is eager to return to the Liverpool outfit to help his team push for the title.
"I'm actually dying for a game of football," he added. "In a strange way it's been good to get a rest mentally, and also physically.
"I believe I'm going to come back firing, fit and well next season.
"It's probably the best I've felt, physically and mentally, going into a season so I'm excited, I can't wait for it."
He also admitted the hurt he felt when Manchester United surpassed Liverpool’s title record.
"The way they were playing you knew the 19 was going to come," he added. "And it did hurt because they are our biggest rivals.
"You've got to give credit where it's due. We've got to get on with it and the challenge is can we equalise as soon as possible."

Jennifer Lopez loves experimental nails

Jennifer Lopez thinks nail polish can be a great way of expressing individuality.
The 41-year-old actress-and-singer is famed for her immaculate appearance, and loves to look glamorous from head to toe.
Jennifer pays special attention to her hands, and thinks funky nails can be a great way to stand out from the crowd.
'I wear all colours on my nails, for pales to corals and blues. It’s fun to express yourself with shades and patterns. I even had pink sparkles on the tips of my nails at a party recently,' she told the British edition of In Style.
Jennifer has been discussing other elements of her beauty regime. The gorgeous star tries to avoid false tanner most of the time, although does like to have a little bit of help in looking bronzed.
'When I first started out, I had fake tan on all the time. But now, I only use it when I need to for work,' she explained.
'If I’m wearing a dress, I always apply a shimmery body cream for a pretty glow.'

John Malkovich receiving Munich honour

John Malkovich will be honoured at the Munich International Film Festival due to his 'unpredictable presence'.
The 57-year-old US actor has enjoyed a hugely successful Hollywood career, appearing in classics such as Empire of the Sun, Dangerous Liaisons and In the Line of Fire.
The talented star will now be honoured with a lifetime achievement gong at Germany’s coveted Munich International Film Festival, during the CineMerit Awards.
'John Malkovich is in a class of his own. His unpredictable presence makes every one [of his films] worth seeing,' the festival’s director Andreas Strohl is quoted as saying in The Hollywood Reporter.
Georgian filmmaker Otar Iosseliani will also receive a lifetime honour. The 77-year-old’s passion for artistic freedom was praised.
'Otar Iosseliani has spent his life defending artistic expression and self-determination in cinema. He is the unsurpassed master of the melancholic comedy. We are very proud to be able to honour both of them in Munich for their extraordinary achievements,' added Andreas.
The 2011 Munich International Film Festival will run from June 24 to July 2.

Google gets into local bargain game with Offers

Google on Wednesday will begin testing an Offers service that delivers local bargains to smartphone "wallets" in a challenge to online bargain hot spot Groupon.
Google Offers, working in conjunction with the Wallet mobile payment platform for Android smartphones, will begin testing in Portland, Oregon and eventually expand to New York City and the San Francisco area.
"There is no intent to favor one (smartphone) platform," Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt said while introducing Offers at an All Things Digital conference at a resort in the southern California town of Rancho Palos Verdes.
"This is a big opportunity," he added, as Stephanie Telenius and another Google executive demonstrated Offers on stage. "We make our money through advertising and the Offers."
The service takes advantage of near-field-communication (NFC) chips to consummate discounts available to people who sign up using Gmail accounts.
"Tap, pay and save," Telenius said. "This is new; there is no one doing this exact thing. We are integrating at the point of sale."
Offers comes as a direct challenge to Chicago-based Groupon, which offers subscribers online coupons for discounts on a broad range of consumer goods and services.
Groupon in April announced the appointment of former Google executive Margo Georgiadis, saying she would oversee global sales, marketing and operations.
Georgiadis was previously Google's vice president in charge of global sales.
Google's move to build its own local coupon service comes as it ramps up its commerce platform to stay in tune with lifestyles increasingly centered on smart mobile gadgets such as smartphones and tablet computers.
Groupon, which claimed 50 million subscribers at the start of this year, had rejected a reported $5 billion takeover offer from Google.
Google Offers meshes with a free application introduced last week that turns a smartphone into an electronic wallet and is designed to replace plastic credit cards.
Google Wallet is being field tested in New York and San Francisco and will be available this summer.
It will initially work with Google's Nexus S 4G smartphone from Sprint, the third-largest US wireless provider, and will eventually be expanded to other phones equipped with NFC technology.
An NFC chip in a phone allows a user who has entered his or her credit card details to "tap-and-pay" for purchases at a checkout register equipped with the PayPass system from CitiMasterCard.
Within hours of the unveiling of Wallet last week, eBay and PayPal filed a lawsuit charging that Google tapped into the online financial transaction service's know-how for the mobile payments project.
Mountain View, California-based Google has rejected the charge that it swiped PayPal trade secrets and vowed to fight the lawsuit.
PayPal spent three years trying to work out a deal in which it would handle payments for Android smartphones, only to see Google scuttle the talks and hire PayPal lead negotiator Osama Bedier, according to court documents.
The online bargains market has attracted social networking powerhouse Facebook along with startups such as Groupon and LivingSocial.
In April, Facebook began testing a deals program in five US cities in a bid to expand its revenue stream beyond advertising and carve out a niche in the rapidly growing online bargain space.
While many of the offers on Groupon involve solo activities or purchases, Facebook, which has more than 500 million members, said its deals program will emphasize group activities.

Spain threatens to sue Hamburg over cucumber slur

Spain threatened Wednesday to sue Hamburg for damages after the German city pointed to Spanish cucumbers as the source of a fatal outbreak of E.coli.
Hamburg health authorities admitted Tuesday that tests on two suspect Spanish cucumbers showed they did not carry the bacteria strain that has killed 15 people in Germany and one in Sweden.
"We do not rule out taking action against the authorities who called into question the quality of our products," Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba told Spanish radio Cadena Ser.
"We may take action against the authorities, in this case Hamburg," the minister said.
Spain's vegetable exporters estimate damages of more than 200 million euros ($290 million) a week as 150,000 tonnes of produce go unsold in a Europe-wide reaction to the crisis.
Madrid has demanded European Union compensation for Spain and other producer countries hit by the crisis.
"The bacteria is not in Spain," Rubalcaba said.
"Once the truth is re-established, what we need to do is repair the damages, which are not small: we have lost a lot of money and a lot of our image," the minister said.
Authorities in the northern German city of Hamburg say they are still searching for the source of the outbreak.
In tests so far, two cucumbers from the southern Spanish region of Andalucia came up positive for enterohamorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) but not the strain responsible for the huge outbreak, they said.
Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli can result in full-blown haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a disease that causes bloody diarrhoea and serious liver damage and which can result in death.
Of 9.4 million tonnes of Spanish fruit and vegetables exported in 2010, the biggest share, 24 percent, went to Germany, according to the Spanish producers' federation FEPEX.
The Andalucian region says cucumber batches from the two suspect distributors in Almeria and Malaga have been withdrawn pending soil, water and produce tests.
Samples from suspect batches were sent to a laboratory in the northwest province of Galicia for testing. Results were expected some time this week but there is no set date for their release.
The Spanish government says there have been no infections in Spain and it argues that there is no evidence the bacteria come from the cucumbers' origin in Spain rather than in later handling elsewhere.
A 40-year-old man who recently returned from Germany was in intensive care in northern San Sebastian with a possible E.coli infection, the Donostia hospital said this week. Tests so far have been inconclusive.

L?w tinkering toward a Germany that can pass up Spain

In sport, tasting repeated defeat at the same pair of hands can build resentment. But as often as not it also engenders respect from the loser that can cross over into mimicry, or at least an effort to unravel the alchemy that makes the winner a decisive bit better.
These days, Germany coach Joachim L?w rarely misses an opportunity to praise the Spanish national team, or talk about how important it is to catch up.
"Spain is still the stick by which others are measured - not just among national teams, but in club football too," he told kicker this week.
L?w said this in the midst of preparations for a set of Euro 2012 qualifiers, and fresh off of watching Barcelona's dismantling of Manchester United in the Champions League final. It is likely then that what he was getting at were the hallmarks of Spain and Barcelona, the club side that provides so many of its players: possession and passing accuracy.
Keep away
The Spanish (and their Catalan club alter ego) are the unqualified masters of possession, using their triangle-building, to-and-fro tiki-taka style to run opponents ragged. Against a disciplined, defensive-minded opponent, a team playing this way can struggle (see Spain-Paraguay in South Africa) or even lose (as with Inter-Barca). But eleven players who can pass so well that they keep the ball away from the other side will often win.
Germany learned this lesson twice against Spain. But they've also learned, on their own, that it's not just the amount of possession but the kind that counts. Serbia ceded Germany 58 percent of the ball and beat them. Ghana let Germany have it for 56 percent of the game, and if it weren't for a moment of individual brilliance from Mesut ?zil the African side would have gone through as Group D winners.
Tellingly, L?w's men's most rousing successes at the World Cup came playing a countering style against teams that took the game to them and left a lot of space, England and Argentina. This quick -strike method is effective, but L?w understands that a team of Germany's caliber can't count on being able to use it very often. It appears he is on the hunt, above all, for players who can pass - and thus help him add an effective possession-oriented style to Germany's bag of tricks.
Star search
If finding a few super-players with this ability is L?w's goal, Dortmund's Mario G?tze is a godsend. His youth, speed, and experience with Dortmund playing under a quick-strike tactical regime mean he will need little remedial work at playing the counter. But it's his close control and passing accuracy (76 percent for the season, among the best in the Bundesliga for an attacking midfielder) that may make him a long-term shoo-in for L?w's new Germany. (Still, he has a way to go to match the likes of Mesut ?zil, whose passes were a dizzying 86-percent accurate with Real Madrid this year.)
There has been a lot of talk in the German press since Andre Schürrle's fine debut in Germany's starting line-up against Uruguay that the young Mainz player could supplant Lukas Podolski as the left wing striker. Podolski has not always been the best decision-maker in the final third, and Schürrle may well prove himself the better option. But don't expect it just yet. Passing statistics from this season show the two were very similar in their care for the ball. Podolski was 71-percent accurate, while Schürrle was on 72 percent.
Further back in the central midfield, Germany looks very well served by its entrenched crop of players. The first-choice pairing of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira just completed seasons in which their passes were 84 and 86-percent accurate, respectively, and down the depth chart Toni Kroos and Simon Rolfes were not far behind at 83 and 82 percent.
Casting an eye over Sven Bender's numbers this year with Dortmund (far behind at 75-percent accuracy), it's hard to see what L?w sees in him other than a pure destroyer. It may also be that L?w doesn't feel he has many alternatives.
Among defensive midfielders whose all-around play might arguably warrant a look-in with Germany - Freiburg's Julian Schuster, Manuel Schmiedebach of Hanover, and Hoffenheim's Sebastian Rudy - only the latter (on 77 percent) is in even Bender's league as a passer. (Incidentally, the 81-percent-accurate Michael Ballack has a strong case that he can still pass well, but his tackles-won percentage for the season was a limp 44.)
Cream of the crop
If all this seems like an exercise in hair-splitting, that's precisely the idea - and one that will have to be undertaken for more traits than passing accuracy alone. L?w says his job in the coming months is to determine the precise ability level of each of the new crop of young German players.
"My demands have increased enormously," L?w said this week. "I now know how good you have to be, and not every young player is going to fulfill my demands."
With the remainder of their qualifying campaign ahead of them, as well as friendlies against the likes of Brazil, Poland, France and the Netherlands before the tournament kicks off next summer, he should have every opportunity to find out who is up to the task.

Author: Matt Hermann
Editor: Toma Tasovac

My Classical Egyptian Wedding VS. The Royal Wedding

The whole world watched the Royal Wedding attentively.
Girls’ taking notes for their future big day, others day dreamt of what it would feel like to marry a prince, some mourned the loss of Prince William’s availability but rejoiced the fact that Prince Harry wasn’t seeing anyone, and some girls were too realistic to even care about the whole ordeal.
Even the guys watched but were too hooked on the cars, the Beckhams, and Pippa Middleton the lovely bridesmaid.
What they all had in common? They were part of the wedding of the century, the wedding that captured 2 billion viewers worldwide, and that entailed a modern love story ending in marriage.
When I stopped to think about our cultural differences and how two people in one of part of the world celebrate tying the knot, I realized that my wedding (according to current trends and tradition) wouldn’t be much different than the royal wedding when you stop to think about it.

For example: My Egyptian Wedding

1- Transportation:
A white rental Jeep or a borrowed Beemer, both being entirely covered in semi-wilting red roses, tulle, and curly ribbons (glitter is optional)

2 - Grooms outfit:
Black/silver suit with thick white stripes, no satin, white dress shirt with black buttons, red puffy cravat (commonly referred to as “Folar”), a red vest, and a thick satin waist belt (similar to sumo wrestlers outfit).

3 - Best man outfit:
Whatever falls out of the closet that day, just because Egyptians are always in a hurry and don’t really have time to “pick” a suit.

4 - The venue:
A 4 or 5 star hotel’s ball room, usually named after something luxurious or Italian like “Diamond” or “Bellissimo”.
Heavily decorated with flowers (in the centerpieces), tulle, ribbons (around the chairs), baby lights (scattered everywhere), and candles. Average spending on décor: 3,000- 10,000 LE.

5 - Security:
3am Saleh, 3am Abdullah, and Abo Ahmed will be guarding the event and valet parking as well.
They might appear in our wedding video though as they sit at the back to eat and watch us dance. Average cost: 50 LE each + a piece of the cake.

6 - The dress:
MUST HAVE beads and tulle. A bolero might be required or Carina just in case arms shouldn’t show.
Should be designed by a famous local designer like Nadia El Sheikh regardless if I like her styles or not, and definitely a huge wedding dress hoop (aka “Jibona”). Average cost: 5,000- 20,000 LE

7 - The band:
Which one exactly? In Egypt, there’s the “zaffa” (aka the walk down the aisle), my least favorite part of the wedding that consists mainly of 15 people I don’t know carrying noisy instruments and slurring out hate speech, wearing stinky galabeyas and sometimes deodorant.
Anyone performing in the zaffa, are not just for dancing, they pretend to be your friends, carry HUGE candelabras over the heads while they sit there and smile as wax falls on their forehead, they also pretend to be thoroughly choreographed while instead keep looking at each other for instructions the whole time, and the guy with the BIGGEST drum manages to annoy everyone standing by banging it right next to their ears.
“Zaghareet” are Big in Egypt; they’re the most common/best way to express joy. In my opinion that’s what the Royal Wedding was missing.
“Zaghareet” are usually done by moving your tongue from side to side while screaming at the same time (don’t worry it’s not mad cow disease).
The groom, eyeballing me throughout the whole evening thinking “man, tonight’s gonna be a good night” -in Arabic of course.

8 - The cake:
8 tiers, white/pink/red, Natural soily flowers at the top, cut with a huge, Braveheart sword, and accompanied with the “Cake Show”.
The cake show starts when the maitre de pretends to be your friend as well, carrying a tiny fork with a piece of the cake and watches as you and your groom bite at the tiny piece TOGETHER.
Basically facilitating a kiss infront of hundreds of people there that day (wink wink).
Unless you scream “I don’t want the friggin cake”, he’ll probably think you want that kiss/bite/ cake but too shy to ask.
The Royal Wedding

1 - Transportation:
Bentley for the groom, Rolls Royce for the bride, a Jaguar for the mother in law, and an Aston Martin for the happy couple as they leave.

2 - Grooms outfit:
Red long jacket, with a blue “beauty pageant” sash, black pants with satin strips along the side, and a policemen hat (aka the military uniform).

3 - Best man outfit:
Similar to groom’s military uniform, just black with gold curtain tie backs all over.

4 - The venue:
Westminster Abbey first then a ballroom as well, this time it’s Buckingham Palace. Average spending on décor/ flowers: $800,000.

5 - Security:
Thousands of police officers and armed military personnel guarded the event. Aircraft circled the air after the ceremony as a form of celebration Average cost: $32 million.

6 - The dress:
Very delicate lace detail, taffeta, and definitely NO hoop. Arms shouldn’t show hence the tulle/lace sleeve.
Designed by Sarah Burton (Alexander McQueen’s creative director). Average cost: $450,000.

7 - The band:
William and Kate hired the London Chamber Orchestra to take them down the aisle. Consisting of 39 highly talented musicians, conducted by the famous Christopher Warren- Green.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Westminster Abbey choir composed of 20 boys and 12 adult singers.
The chapel royal choir consists of 10 children and six adult singers therefore creating the perfect harmony. Silence filled the hall as Kate walked down that aisle grasping her father’s arm.
Prince William was not allowed to look at his bride until she reached the altar and stood right next to him.

8 - The cake:
Designed by Fiona Cairns was eight tiers, covered in cream and white icing, decorated with 900 sugar-paste flowers, and was positioned in the center of Buckingham Palace.
It took 5 weeks to create the masterpiece fruit cake that impressed viewers worldwide.
Prince William ordered another cake for the ceremony from McVities, a chocolate biscuit one that was made with an old royal recipe.

The list can go on forever; the differences are so different yet so similar somehow.
But the one thing I realized that truly matters, no matter which part of the world you live in, or whether you’re royalty or not, is true love.
If you have the love of your life standing next to you on the altar that day, that’s all you need because when the party ends, and the noise disappears into the night, you’ll be left with a long life filled with nothing but intimacy, affection, trust, and love for that man that swept you off your feet that day.
Cakes, cars, centerpieces, and dresses are not what you need for a fairy tale ending; true love will get you that happy ending you’ve always dreamed of.

10 icky habits men should seriously STOP doing

We all appreciate how comfortable men feel in their own skin.
They beat women at it, and never at any point made us felt uncomfortable around them, just because they're being themselves 100% of the time.
Which is great, but not when you’re in the middle of a black tie dinner and your man decides to burp (claiming that he thought it would be a more “silent” one).
No matter how many times you imply, or even bluntly tell them that you don’t like it when they do that, they think it’s human nature and “you shouldn’t stand in nature’s way, just to look good infront of your friends!”.
Well, if you’re a man reading this, WE BEG YOU PLEASE STOP DOING THE FOLLOWING (at least in public)

1 - The Grand Escape:
And that applies to letting one out (both farting and belching). We all have gas, but you don’t see any women raising up one leg just to let one slip away.
You don’t see us burping after we chug down that Coke, because we learned how to do that SILENTLY.
It’s not funny, and no we won’t guess what you had for dinner!

2 - Pee Aiming Game:
There’s a reason why we want you to lift up those seats. I'm sure aiming at that –what appears to be- HUGE hole is not easy, but you’ve been practicing ever since you were 3, so why on earth is there a puddle of piss on my bathroom floor?

3 - Nose Exploration:
It’s not picking, it’s digging. It’s like men are on a mission to widen their nostrils! Men in BMW’s or even Lada’s do it, and aren’t ashamed of it (FYI being in your car DOES NOT make you invisible, we CAN see you).
Tissue paper has no value to men like these.

4 - The Squat:
Girls don’t understand male anatomy, simply because they don’t have the whole “kit” down there, but I'm sure even if they did have “it” they wouldn’t go on and adjust it right there infront of everyone.
This freaks us out, it’s like men are checking to see if everything is still there or not and so tend to squat and fondle their tools! PLEASE DO IT IN PRIVATE, YOU DON’T SEE US TOUCHING OUR “GIRLS” ALL THE TIME NOW, DO YOU?

5 - TPI:
Also known as Tissue Paper Investigation. TPI consists of 3 main steps, getting out an old, wrinkly piece of TP, blowing your brains out in it, and then checking to see if actual body parts fell out or not.
I don’t understand what you’re looking for in there, and I'm SURE that if you do find it, you won’t put it back in your nose!

6 - Spitting:
Although this doesn’t apply to all men, but to those who think it makes you manlier, YOU’RE ABUSING THE PRIVELAGE! FYI, spit CAN be swallowed and is NOT toxic.
You will NOT die if spit stays in your mouth, and spit does NOT intend to harm you, so PLEASE when you feel like spitting again, either do it SECRETLY in a tissue paper or swallow!

7 - Ear Bush:
you’re a man, we get it! Most men think they should groom themselves only when they REALLY have to. Cream is a female product, and nose/ ear trims are un-necessary until they can’t hear themselves think.
Well, newsflash bro, the only bush we like to see, is the one in DC (and not even him!). Oh, and ever heard of ear buds?

8 - Splits:
I'm glad you decided to spend more than 1 minute on styling your hair today in the bathroom, and I really like the new hair cut, but all I’m asking for here is 15 seconds out of your precious time to WASH THE SINK AFTER YOU’RE DONE, its full of tiny hair splits.

9 - Toothpaste suicide:
you know when you squeeze that tube of paste on to your tooth brush and that “pea size” blob commits suicide right off your brush? Well, women wash it off instantly because if it dries out, it’ll stick on there for a while, but men like to leave the “crime scene” un-touched.
Again. All I'm asking for here is to …. Yes that’s right, WASH THE SINK.

10 - Butt picking: enough said!
Men, we love you, even when you’re gross and TOO comfortable around us, but please try to understand that we’re a bit different.
Farts belong in the bathroom, not in a fart guessing game with friends. Burps remain in our system, not out there for everyone to smell.
And finally, just when you think no one is watching, they probably are, so please care about stuff like that, just like we do.

Gmail Hacked: Phishing in Troubled Waters?

This day was bound to arrive, but no one thought that it would be played out in such an entertaining manner. Thousands of Google email accounts have been hacked by Chinese coders, including Gmail accounts that were being used by top brass US military officers and journalists.

However, Google refuses to get off its high horse. It maintains that its systems haven't been compromised, but that the hackers managed to get passwords from the account owners by tricking them into revealing them through a method known as "spear phishing". So is this online espionage or is it cyber crime?..YC/ATC-TCL.com

Euro 2012 qualifying preview: England - Switzerland

PROBABLE LINE-UPSEngland (4-3-3): Hart; G Johnson, Ferdinand, Terry, Cole; Wilshere, Parker, Lampard; A Johnson, Bent, Young.
There has been a certain air of unpredictability around Fabio Capello's starting XI in recent outings, and with Wayne Rooney's absence through suspension, it is likely the Italian could start with a new look forward line.
Expect Darren Bent to retain his place at the spearhead of attack, having bagged his third goal in international football in March's 2-0 victory over Wales. Scott Parker received a widely acclaimed man of the match award in Cardiff, and is also set to start in the centre of the park.
Switzerland (4-5-1): Wolfi; Lichtsteiner, Von Bergen, Grichting, Ziegler; Barnetta, Behrami, Inler, Fernandes, Shaqiri; Derdiyok.

Switzerland boss Ottmar Hitzfeld looks set to name the same defence that drew a blank away to Bulgaria in March, meaning Fulham defender Philippe Senderos may have to settle for a place on the bench.Ex-West Ham winger Valon Behrami and former Manchester City midfielder Gelson Fernandes could feature in the starting XI, as Hitzfeld opts for a youthful squad in which defender Stephane Grichting is the only player older than 30, following the retirement of Swiss all-time leading goal scorer Alexander Frei.

DID YOU KNOW?England are undefeated against Saturday's opponents for over 30 years, a run which stretches back seven games.
Their last encounter came in Basel in September 2010, with goals from Wayne Rooney, Adam Johnson and Darren Bent (pictured right) sealing a 3-1 victory.
The two sides drew at Wembley in the group stages of Euro 1996, but England came out on top in Euro 2004 with a 3-0 victory.
Fabio Capello's first game in charge came in a 2008 clash with Switzerland, with goals from Jermaine Jenas and Shaun Wright-Phillips securing a 2-1 win for the Italian manager.
England and Montenegro currently top Group G on 10 points apiece, whilst Switzerland sit in third place and find themselves six points off the pace after facing defeat from both of the group's current leaders.

Mobile phone use may cause cancer: WHO

Mobile phone users may be at increased risk from brain cancer and should use texting and hands-free devices to reduce exposure, the World Health Organisation's cancer experts said.
Radio-frequency electromagnetic fields generated by such devices are "possibly carcinogenic to humans," the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced at the end of an eight-day meeting in Lyon, France, on Tuesday.
Experts "reached this classification based on review of the human evidence coming from epidemiological studies" pointing to an increased incidence of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, said Jonathan Samet, president of the work group.
Two studies in particular, the largest conducted over the past decade, showed a higher risk "in those that had the most intensive use of such phones," he said in a telephone news conference.
Some individuals tracked in the studies had used their phones for an average of 30 minutes per day over a period of 10 years.
"We simply don't know what might happen as people use their phones over longer time periods, possibly over a lifetime," Samet said.
There are about five billion mobile phones registered in the world. The number of phones and the average time spent using them have both climbed steadily in recent years.
The IARC cautioned that current scientific evidence showed only a possible link, not a proven one, between wireless devices and cancers.
"There is some evidence of increased risk of glioma" and another form of non-malignant tumour called acoustic neuroma, said Kurt Straif, the scientist in charge of editing the IARC reports on potentially carcinogenic agents.
"But it is not at the moment clearly established that the use of mobile phones does in fact cause cancer in humans," he said.
The IARC does not issue formal recommendations, but experts pointed to a number of ways consumers can reduce risk.
"What probably entails some of the highest exposure is using your mobile for voice calls," Straif said.
"If you use it for texting, or as a hands-free set for voice calls, this is clearly lowering the exposure by at least an order of magnitude," or by tenfold, he said.
The new review, conducted by a panel of 31 scientists from 14 countries, was reached on the basis of a "full consensus," said Robert Baan, in charge of the written report, which is yet to be released.
"This is the first scientific evaluation of all the literature published on the topic with regard to increased risk of cancer," he said.
But the panel stressed the need for more research, pointing to incomplete data, evolving technology and changing consumer habits.
"There's an improvement in the technology in terms of lower emissions but at the same time we see increased use, so it is hard to know how the two balance out," Baan noted.
One major international study under way, known as MOBI-KIDS, is investigating potential links between communication devices and brain cancer in children.
"Children are most vulnerable due to the intensity of emissions compared to the mass of tissue exposed," said Dominique Gombert, head of risk evaluation at France's Agency for Food, Environment and Occupational Health and Safety, but not part of the IARC panel.
"We need to redouble our efforts to reduce exposure," he told AFP.
The IARC ranks potentially cancer-causing elements as carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, possibly carcinogenic or "probably not carcinogenic". It can also determine that a material is "not classifiable".
Cigarettes, sunbeds and asbestos, for example, fall in "Group 1", the top threat category.
Cell phones now join lead, chloroform and gasoline exhaust in Group 2B as "possibly carcinogenic".