Spain vs Italy Final Euro 2012 - 1 July 2012

Spain vs Italy Final Euro 2012 - 1 July 2012. Well the team of the Spain will face the team of the Italy in the Final of Euro 2012. Spain have won the 2 major trophies in Previous few years in 2008 Euro Cup 2008 and in 2010 they were crowned as World Cup 2010 Champions . Will this time they retain their title to their hands against the Italy.

Spain defeat Portugal , They have already defeated in the Group stages well now its final count down not team wants to lose the match. Spain got every thing they need in the match they have a better defence , better attacking and some of the best midfiled options. Italy is not an easy side to face they have defeated England , and now Germany in the Euro 2012 semi finals.

Spain rules all over the Euro 2012 and they have been undefeated side so far while the same results for the Italy .

Euro 2012: 2nd semifinal. can germany take the revenge ?

Euro Cup 2012 Semi Final - 28 June 2012 .Italy will take on the team of the Germany in the Euro Cup 2012 . It will be a tough game to watch because Italy is a great ever defensive team in the Euro and they try to compete the match in the Penalties . But last week they show some attack against the England but win the match on Penalties. But this time they must becarefull about their defensive tactics because they are going to face Germany.Germany is one of the best and strongest teams in the Euro 2012 they have finished the group stages with most points and now they were looking to win the Euro 2012 .

Germany is one of the best and strongest teams in the Euro 2012 they have finished the group stages with most points and now they were looking to win the Euro 2012 . Who ever wins will face the team of Spain in the Euro Cup 2012 .

Euro-2012 Portugal v Spain 1st semifinal

Spain know better than most that Portugal are more than just a one-man team, even if Cristiano Ronaldo invariably hogs the headlines. Portugal thrashed the reigning world and European champions 4-0 in their last meeting, in November 2010; Ronaldo was not amongst the scorers, and was rested in the second half, when the hosts netted three of their four goals, condemning Spain to their heaviest defeat since a 6-2 loss to Scotland in 1963. And while the match was a friendly, the Spanish were by no means under strength - they included 10 of the side who started the World Cup final, plus David Silva.

Ronaldo was denied a memorable solo goal in the 4-0 win, finishing a jinking run with an audacious lob - only for Nani to unnecessarily head the ball in on the goal-line from an offside position. Clearly infuriated, Ronaldo reacted by hurling the captain's armband at the turf. The 27-year-old, who has adopted a shoot-on-sight policy at Euro 2012, knows that his legacy depends on reproducing his scintillating club at international level.
The world's second greatest player has failed to score in three previous appearances against Spain, including an anonymous display at the 2010 World Cup. In contrast, his great rival Lionel Messi has netted twice in three games against the Spanish. It seems that whatever Ronaldo does, Messi can (usually) do better - although neither player has won a major international tournament. If Ronaldo can inspire his side to victory in their next two matches, the argument about which of them is the world's greatest may not be quite so one-sided.

Spain's ability to retain possession means they are rarely on the defensive, but they have been put on the back foot following criticism of their style, much of it from the Italian media. La Repubblica branded the 2-0 win against France "really boring", lamenting the lack of an orthodox centre-forward. There were even a few jeers, presumably from Kiev neutrals, as the quarter-final meandered to a conclusion. Has "Tiki Taka" really morphed into "Tiki Takanaccio" - or were Spain merely conserving energy for the tougher tests that lie in wait?

Facebook's email switch prompts criticism by users

Facebook is facing a backlash from users after replacing email addresses listed in members' contacts with those provided by its @facebook.com system.

The company said it had acted to make details "consistent" across its site.
If Facebook's email system takes off it could drive more traffic to the firm's pages helping boost advertising sales.
But some users have branded the move "annoying" and "lame" and publicised instructions on how to display original addresses instead of the Facebook ones.
Facebook first announced plans for the move in April, although the news attracted little attention at the time.
"We are providing every Facebook user with his or her own Facebook email address because we find that many users find it useful to connect with each other, but using Facebook email is completely up to you," said a statement from the company.
Emails sent to @facebook.com addresses appear alongside posts sent via the network's internal message system, allowing users to pick up both types of communication from the same place.

Tense Egypt awaits presidential election results

Egypt's election authority is preparing to announce the result of last weekend's presidential run-off vote.

The panel of judges has begun announcing its decisions on the hundreds of complaints by the campaigns of Mohammed Mursi and Ahmed Shafiq.
Security is tight, with tanks deployed around the commission's headquarters.
Both Mr Mursi, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Mr Shafiq, a former prime minister, have claimed victory and vowed to form unity governments.
Thousands of Mursi supporters have gathered in Tahrir Square to hear the result and are urging the ruling military council to respect the will of the people. Some are chanting "revolution, revolution until victory".
A pro-Shafiq rally is being held in the northern district of Nasser City.
Correspondents say the atmosphere at both gatherings has been peaceful, but tense.

Many people are still apprehensive about the intentions of the ruling generals, who gave themselves sweeping new powers last week after the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the Islamist-dominated parliament should be dissolved.

Shops are closing early and people are hurrying to their homes to watch the decisive news conference at the Higher Presidential Election Commission headquarters in Nasser City.
Government employees were also advised to leave early, in another signal of the security precautions being taken.

Paraguay's President Lugo impeachment trial under way

Mr Lugo's supporters, many of them poor peasants, gathered to protest against the trial

Lawyers representing Paraguay's left-wing President Fernando Lugo have begun his defence in impeachment proceedings.

Mr Lugo, who asked the Supreme Court to stop the trial, announced he was not going to defend himself in person.
Both houses of parliament voted on Thursday to begin impeachment proceedings over his handling of clashes between farmers and police in which at least 17 people died.
His 2008 election ended 61 years of rule by the right-wing Colorado party.
A vote is expected at 16:30 (20:30 GMT), with a two-thirds majority need to remove Mr Lugo from office.
The impeachment trial is being held in the upper house of parliament, the Senate.
The two main political parties, Colorado and Liberal, have put aside their differences and voted in favour of the motion to begin the impeachment trial.
The Liberals are part of Mr Lugo's ruling coalition.
The vote in the House of Deputies was passed with an overwhelming 76-1 majority. Reports suggest only five out of 45 senators support Mr Lugo, who has likened the impeachment bid to a coup.
In an appeal filed with Paraguay's Supreme Court on Friday, Mr Lugo's lawyers said the proceedings do not ensure due process, and that the president should be granted more time to prepare.
"The president has been given fewer guarantees and fewer rights to defend himself than someone with a traffic fine," one of Mr Lugo's lawyers, Adolfo Ferreiro, told the AP news agency.
The Senate's decision to schedule the trial for Friday gave Mr Lugo less than 24 hours to ready a defence.
A centre-right legislator, Carlos Maria, denied allegations of unconstitutionality. "There's nothing illegal here, there's no constitutional rupture, no coup,"
Supporters of Mr Lugo gathered amid tight security outside the National Congress building in the capital Asuncion before the trial was due to start.
If Mr Lugo is impeached, Vice-President Federico Franco would take over as president until the end of Mr Lugo's five-year term in 2013.
There are fears the vote could prompt violent street protests.

Windows Phone 8 system update announced by Microsoft

Microsoft's new system supports NFC touch-and-go payment technology

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Microsoft has unveiled the next version of its smartphone operating system.

Windows Phone 8 shares much of its code with the firm's PC system, making it easier for developers to write programs for different types of devices.
The company said it should mean there would be some "amazing games" for handsets running its new release.
A tie-up with Nokia has already bought several Windows Phone devices to market, but sales lag some way behind models running Android or Apple's iOS.
Microsoft said Nokia, Samsung, HTC and Huawei would all be making devices powered by the system upgrade.
High-def handsets Other new features announced at the Windows Phone Summit event in San Francisco included:

• Support for multi-core chips, allowing devices to turn on cores to access extra processing power when needed, and to switch off cores when not to preserve battery life
• The ability to work with different screen resolutions including the high definition 720p format
• Support for removable Micro SD cards allowing users to store more media files or install apps saved on the format
• A new "wallet" app allowing the phone to act as both credit and membership cards. It also supports NFC (near field communication) payments
• Built-in maps from Nokia's Navteq division with turn-by-turn navigation
• A more customisable start screen allowing users the choice of three tile sizes to represent installed software and more colour options
• A warning alert if the software believes a website contains malware or is otherwise unsafe

Application tiles can be made to look smaller

Background Skype The update also allows internet call software based on VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and video chat technologies to run in the background.
This addresses a complaint that the firm's own Skype program could not be used to receive calls while its owner was using another application - a function offered on rival platforms.
The firm said VoIP calls should now "feel like any other call" made or received by Windows Phone handsets.
Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 strongly resemble each other - at least when the PC system is run under its Metro interface - and Microsoft was keen to stress that their relationship goes deeper than appearance alone.
The two will share a range of components including graphic drivers, the DirectX collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) and the NT kernel that ties application software to the hardware it is installed on. They can also both support native code in the C and C++ programming languages.
Microsoft said this should not only make it easier to port software between the two environments, but should speed up the time it takes developers to recode programs originally built for iOS and Android.

Ousted Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak 'close to death'

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is critically ill and may be close to death.
The 84-year-old is said to have had a stroke, and was moved from prison to life support in an army hospital.
Supporters and opponents gathered outside the hospital through the night, after initial reports said he was "clinically dead".
Mubarak was removed in last year's uprising, and jailed for life for his role in the death of protesters.
There have been frequent reports since then that his health has deteriorated, many of which have proved wrong.
The news comes as tens of thousands of people protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square against a move by the ruling military council to assume new powers.
The rally was called by the Muslim Brotherhood, which is also claiming victory for its candidate Mohammed Mursi in last weekend's presidential elections.
His rival Ahmed Shafiq, a former prime minister under Mubarak, has also said he has won.Results are expected to be announced on Thursday
The Muslim Brotherhood has also vowed to retry Mubarak once in power, and insists that he should face the death penalty.
As Egyptians voted, the generals dissolved parliament and claimed all legislative power for themselves.
Activists have described the moves as a "military coup"

Pakistan Supreme Court bars PM Gilani from office

Pakistan's top court has disqualified Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani from holding office, two months after convicting him of contempt of court.

The Supreme Court ruled he had "ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan".
In April, the Supreme Court convicted Mr Gilani of failing to pursue corruption charges against President Asif Ali Zardari.
The legal case is part of a bitter feud between Pakistan's civilian government and the judiciary.
In April, Mr Gilani was given only a token sentence and spared a jail term.
Tuesday's court ruling disqualified him from office and from parliament.
"Since no appeal was filed [against the 26 April conviction]... therefore Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani stands disqualified as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora [parliament]," Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry told a packed courtroom.
He added: "He has also ceased to be the prime minister of Pakistan... the office of the prime minister stands vacant."
The court backdated the disqualification to 26 April, raising questions over decisions Mr Gilani has made in office since then.
It is not clear what next steps Mr Gilani may take - or whether his removal means the fall of the government.

The party has the necessary majority in parliament to elect a successor to Mr Gilani.

Rwanda 'gacaca' genocide courts finish work

Rwanda's community courts, known as gacaca, have finished their work, after 10 years of trying those accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide.

The courts were set up to speed up the prosecution of hundreds of thousands of genocide suspects awaiting trial.
Human rights group say the gacaca fell well short of international legal standards.
About 65% of the close to two million people tried have been found guilty, according to latest government figures.
Controversial justice Rwanda's legal system was left in ruins after the massacres by ethnic Hutu militia and soldiers of some 800,000 minority Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus in 100 days between April and June 1994.
The UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was set up in neighbouring Tanzania to try the ringleaders of the genocide - it has convicted 38 people and acquitted eight so far. It is due to be closed down at the end of the year.
But this left hundreds of thousands of people accused of involvement in the killings, leading to an enormous backlog of cases in Rwanda.

Nik Wallenda Tightrope Across Niagara Falls!

High-wire superstar Nik Wallenda put us all to shame last night by walking across Niagara Falls on a tightrope, becoming the first person to do so successfully in over a century. Wallenda, the scion of the famous circus-performing Flying Wallendas, spent about 26 minutes crossing the 1500 foot expanse on a two-inch wide wire strung a couple hundred  Feet above Horseshoe Falls, the largest of Niagara Falls' three rampaging waterfalls. An estimated tens of thousands of people gathered at both sides of the border to watch him, and the entire episode was televised  nationally.
Wallenda, who earned the Guinness World Record for Longest Distance Crossed on a Tightrope by Bicycle in 2008, had been planning last night's feat for years. He considered the walk a tribute to his great-grandfather, Karl Wallenda, who fell to his death in 1978 while performing a high-wire stunt in San Juan, Puerto Rico. And getting approval to break a 128-year law prohibiting stunts at Niagara Falls wasn't easy. Wallenda had to obtain permission from both the Canadian and American governments prior to setting foot on the rope, appealing  to Governor Cuomo and Canadian officials. Wallenda wasn't exempt from any of the usual bureaucracies, either. Upon setting foot in Canada, a customs agent approached him, looked at his passport, and asked him if he carrying anything into the country, because nothing balances out a tightroper better than a couple kilos of smuggled drugs. And when the agent asked Wallenda, "What is the purpose of your trip, sir?", he replied, "To inspire people around the world."

Deadly market bombing hits north-west Pakistan town

A bomb explosion at a marketplace in north-western Pakistan has killed at least 13 people, officials say.

About 15 were injured in the blast, which occurred in the town of Landi Kotal near the Afghan border.
The bomb appeared to be aimed at members of a pro-government tribe who oppose a local warlord, officials say.
Landi Kotal is in the Khyber tribal agency, part of Pakistan's tribal north-west which has seen frequent attacks by Taliban militants.
The town lies close to the Torkham crossing into Afghanistan.
No group has so far claimed the attack.

Myanmar conflict spurs hatred for Asia's outcasts

Rohingya Muslims who fled Myanmar to Bangladesh to escape religious violence, sit in a boat after being intercepted crossing the Naf River by Bangladeshi border authorities in Taknaf, Bangladesh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 They have been called ogres and animals, terrorists and much worse - when their existence is even acknowledged.

Asia's more than one million ethnic Rohingya Muslims are considered by rights groups to be among the most persecuted people on Earth. Most live in an anachronistic purgatory without passports, unable to travel freely or call any place home.
In Myanmar, shaken this week by a bloody spasm of violence involving Rohingyas in which dozens of civilians died, they are almost universally despised. The military junta whose half-century of rule ended only last year treated them as foreigners - fuelling a profound resentment now reflected in waves of vitriol being posted online.
The Myanmar government regards Rohingyas mostly as illegal migrants from Bangladesh, even though many of their families have lived in Myanmar for generations. Bangladesh rejects them just as stridently.

"This is the tragedy of being stateless," said Ms Chris Lewa, who runs a non-governmental organisation called the Arakan Project that advocates for the Rohingya cause worldwide.

"In Burma they're told they're illegals who should go back to Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, they're told they're Burmese who should go back home," Ms Lewa said. "Unfortunately, they're just caught in the middle. They have been persecuted for decades, and it's only getting worse."

That was made painfully clear this week as Bangladeshi coast guard units turned back boatload after boatload of terrified Rohingya refugees trying to escape the violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state. The clashes between Rohingyas and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists have taken a roughly equal toll on both communities, though each blames the other for the violence.

The boats were filled with women and children, and Bangladesh defied international calls to accept them, saying the impoverished country's resources are already too strained.
The unrest, which has seen more than 2,500 homes charred and 30,000 people displaced internally, erupted after a mob lynched 10 Muslims in apparent retaliation for the rape and murder last month of a 27-year-old Buddhist woman, allegedly by Muslims.

On Thursday, Rakhine state was reportedly calm. But Rohingyas living there "very much feel like they're trapped in a box," said Mr Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch. "They're surrounded by enemies, and there is an extremely high level of frustration."

The grudges go back far. Bitterness against the Rohingya in Myanmar has roots in a complex web of issues: The fear that Muslims are encroaching illegally on scarce land in a predominantly Buddhist country; the fact that the Rohingya look different than other Burmese; an effort by the former junta to portray them as foreigners.
Across the border in Bangladesh, civilians - not the government - are more tolerant. But even there, Rohingyas are largely unwanted because their presence in the overpopulated country only adds to competition for scarce resources and jobs.

Myanmar's government has the largest Rohingya population in the world: 800,000, according to the United Nations. Another 250,000 are in Bangladesh, and hundreds of thousands more are scattered around the world, primarily the Middle East.

How and why do we age?

It's pretty easy to spot the difference between a newborn and a centenarian, but explaining how and why we age is far more challenging.

Why do we develop wrinkles and why do our muscles waste away? Why do our brains and immune systems become less effective with time?
In the search for clues to what is going on, researchers in Barcelona have looked in huge detail at the "epigenomes" of a newborn baby boy and 103-year old man. It's all part of the rapidly emerging and exciting field of epigenetics.
Epigenetics is all about changing the way our genes function by turning them off or making them more active.
Genes are the blueprint for building the human body. There's a copy of the whole blueprint in nearly every cell in the body, but clearly you don't need to use all of it all of the time. Bone cells will use different bits of the blueprint to nerve cells or light sensing cells in the eye.
Manel Esteller's team, at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, has shown that this control over the blueprint decays over time.
Adding small chemicals, methyl groups, to specific points of DNA is one of the main ways of turning a gene off.
The scientists compared the proportion of these sites which had an added methyl group in the white blood cells of a 103-year old man and newborn baby boy.
The findings,

Reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

, showed the newborn had methyl groups turning genes off at more than 80% of all possible sites. This compared with 73% in the centenarian. That's a difference of nearly half a million sites between the two.
Another test on a 26-year-old showed 78% of sites were methylated.
Dr Manel Esteller says the implication of the study is that very tight control of genes at the beginning of our lives may be being lost as we age, with more genes being switched on over time.
He told that "epigenetics is playing a central role in ageing" and that epigenetic changes between newborns and centenarians were "affecting many, many genes".
This in turn could affect some of the physical traits associated with ageing.

Ghazal maestro Mehdi Hassan passes away

Pakistan's legendary classical singer Mehdi Hassan, who captivated millions of music fans across South Asia, died on Wednesday after a long illness, his family said. He was 84.
Hassan, known as Shahenshah-e-Ghazal, or the king of classical singing among Urdu speakers across the world, died in a private hospital in Karachi.
His son Asif told reporters outside the hospital that his father had been suffering from multiple lung, chest and urinary tract conditions.
Mehdi Hassan was born in 1927 in a village called Luna in Rajasthan‚ undivided India in a family of traditional musicians. He had his musical grooming from his father Ustad Azeem Khan and uncle Ustad Ismail Khan who were both traditional Dhrupad singers.
After the independence‚ 20 years old Mehdi Hassan and his family migrated to Pakistan and settled in Cheecha Watni‚ district Sahiwal.
Mehdi Hassan was given an opportunity to sing on Radio Pakistan in 1957‚ primarily as a thumri singer‚ which earned him recognition within the musical fraternity. At that time‚ Mehdi Hassan also had a passion for Urdu poetry and began to experiment by singing ghazals on part-time basis.
Mehdi Hassan ruled Pakistani film industry for a long time. 1962 was a lucky year for him when his three songs were a hit. His all time hit Ghazal Gullon mein rang bharay... in film Farangi in 1964 gave him breakthrough as playback singer. His peak period was in the 1970s.
Following a severe illness in the late 80s‚ Mehdi Hassan stepped down from playback singing. Later due to severity of his illness he completely departed from music.
Mehdi Hassan received numerous awards and recognitions. These include the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz ; the Pride of Performance ; and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz . Besides Nigar Film and Graduate Awards from Pakistan‚ he was recipient of the Saigal Award in Jalandhar‚ India‚ in 1979 and the Gorkha Dakshina Bahu Award in Nepal in 1983.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed his condolences, calling Hassan "an icon who mesmerised music lovers" in Pakistan and the sub-continent for decades.
Indian singing legend Lata Mangeshkar told a private TV channel  that his death was a "big loss".
Hassan also won awards and accolades in India and Nepal, as well as Pakistan.He was born in India and migrated to Pakistan after partition and independence from British rule in 1947

Euro 2012: Football fans in Warsaw clash

Clashes between rival Russian and Polish football fans in the Polish capital Warsaw have marred a Euro 2012 tie between the two teams.

A march ahead of the match by thousands of Russian fans to mark their national day had to be halted and some missiles were thrown.
Police say they arrested at least 120 people and that 10 people were injured.
A heavy police presence was in evidence around the stadium after the match as further clashes broke out.
About 6,000 police were on duty to keep the rival fans apart.
The match ended shortly after 22:30 local time (20:30 GMT) in a 1-1 draw.
Beforehand, some Polish fans on a bridge on the march route had tried to attack the Russian fans and had been involved in scuffles, says the BBC's Alex Capstick in Warsaw.
Tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon were used to disperse fans at the end of the march, according to Poland's state news agency.
In a separate incident, 50 Polish fans in masks attacked Russian fans in a Warsaw cafe, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.
During the match, trouble broke out in an area of the city centre where the match was being displayed on big screens, the Associated Press reports.
Polish police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at a group of young fans who attacked them with glass bottles.

Controversial history
 
Russia annexed most of Poland in the 19th Century and ruled it for more than 100 years. The Soviet Union dominated it during the Cold War, after World War II. 
The conservative Polish opposition condemned the march as a provocation, but it was approved by the authorities.
The Russian national holiday marks Russia's declaration of sovereignty in 1990 - a key episode in the demise of the Soviet Union.
Polish media highlighted fears that some Russian fans may sport Soviet flags and symbols - a highly sensitive issue for the many Poles who deplored communist rule.
"March or street war?" said a headline in the conservative Polish daily Rzeczpospolita. It quoted Wojciech Wisniewski, a member of the Polish Union of Football Fans, as saying "somebody really wants to make Polish football fans attack the Russians".

Viewpoint: Taxi sharing in Iran's 'sexual revolution'

Young Iranians must employ complicated and creative behaviour to navigate around restrictions on their private lives

ran, in her long history, has been no stranger to repression and dictatorship, mostly from invaders. Iranians quickly developed the habit of thriving when times are tough, of somehow finding a way around the obstacles.
We are long used to not being direct, to never approaching things straight. We have learnt to shimmy our ways around obstacles, and to approach fulfilling the simplest desires of life with creativity and imagination.
Nowhere is this creativity and imagination more obvious that in the relations governing men and women.
As for dating and sex - well, what would you expect of a population that is overwhelmingly young? Some 70% of Iranians are under the age of 35 and this army of young people has grown up under the restrictions - and its curious contradictions - and they are used to bending the rules. The state runs to keep up.
For the first time in Iranian history, the people have a private space - a room of their own albeit in cyberspace - in which they can interact with others, usually of the opposite sex, without being watched, restricted or punished. 
Although people try to arrange themselves so that strange men and women are not sitting on top of each other, my friend and I found ourselves sitting so close that I could feel his heart beating, the closest we had ever come physically.
When the day comes that Iran enjoys its own brand of democracy, the extra dimensions this constant weaving around the rules has given the Iranian character will help it to achieve truly great things in the world.

Syrian forces attack Homs amid fears of new massacre

Syrian government forces have renewed their attack on the city of Homs, one of the focal points of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

Video published on the internet purportedly from Homs showed intermittent shelling and black smoke.
UN mediator Kofi Annan is concerned civilians have been trapped in Homs and al-Haffa, a town in Latakia province also said to be under attack.
The US says it fears the government may be planning "another massacre".
Mr Annan's spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi, said civilians had been trapped in both Homs and al-Haffa.
Mr Annan was demanding immediate entry to al-Haffa for UN military observers be allowed, he added.
As joint envoy for the UN and the Arab League, Mr Annan brokered a six-point peace plan, including a ceasefire which came into nominal effect two months ago but has now been virtually abandoned.

Ernestine Shepherd: The 75-year-old bodybuilding grandma

Ernestine Shepherd:

The world's oldest female bodybuilder wakes up every day at 02:30 to fit in a 10 mile (16km) run before hitting the gym.
But 75-year-old Ernestine Shepherd insists that "age is nothing but a number".
"Miss Ernie", as she is known in the world of competitive bodybuilding, began training at the tender age of 71.
She says her true calling in life, however, is helping others to follow a more healthy lifestyle.

England v West Indies: Tino Best makes history at Edgbaston

Tino Best struck the highest score by a Test number 11 as the West Indies all but ended England's chances of completing a series whitewash at Edgbaston.

Best smashed 95 in a thrilling last-wicket partnership of 143 with Denesh Ramdin, who scored 107 not out as the Windies took their first-innings total from an overnight 280-8 to 426.

England lost their top three batsmen cheaply before Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell steadied the ship with a fluent partnership of 137.

Pietersen was caught at slip off Marlon Samuels for 78 and Jonny Bairstow was clean bowled by Best for 18, but Bell remained unbeaten on 76 as England reached 221-5 at the close, still 205 behind.
With only one day's play remaining, and rain forecast, a draw seems inevitable, but thanks to the heroics of Best an otherwise forgettable Test will live long in the memory.
When the Windies lost their ninth wicket in the first over of the day, it appeared England would soon be setting about overhauling a total of less than 300.
He became the first number 11 to score a fifty against England since 1906, launching into an exuberant arm-wheeling celebration on reaching the mark.
He surpassed India paceman Zaheer Khan's record for a number 11 of 75 with a four over gully then hammered Tim Bresnan's next ball over the bowler's head for six.
Meanwhile Ramdin, dropped by Pietersen in the gully on 69, played watchfully at the other end before accelerating through the nineties to bring up his second Test century - and first for 22 innings - off 160 balls.

Spain, Italy draw tight Group C opener

Italy's Claudio Marchisio, second left, is tackled by Spain's Sergio Busquets, left, and Xabi Alonso.

Playing for a third straight major title, Spain had to rally for a 1-1 draw against Italy on Sunday at the European Championship.
Antonio Di Natale put Italy in front after an excellent setup from Andrea Pirlo in the 61st minute, but Cesc Fabregas equalized for the defending champions three minutes later by finishing off a dazzling display of Spain's trademark passing game.
Spain, which followed up its Euro 2008 victory with the 2010 World Cup title, dominated the Group C match for long stretches but struggled to finish at times, while Italy relied on dangerous counterattacks.
The draw ended a 14-match winning streak for Spain in competitive matches, which began after a 1-0 loss to Switzerland to open the last World Cup.
Spain pulled a surprise by starting with no recognized strikers in its lineup, with Fabregas at forward between David Silva and Andres Iniesta -- leaving Fernando Torres, Alvaro Negredo and Fernando Llorente on the bench.
Italy countered with an attack of Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli and an untested three-man defence.
Di Natale replaced Balotelli in the 56th and scored five minutes later, collecting a pass from Pirlo just as he slipped in between two defenders, then expertly shooting around Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
The 34-year-old Di Natale has scored 20 or more goals the past three seasons with Udinese in Serie A.
Fabregas' goal from the centre of the area concluded a series of passes that started with Iniesta giving the ball to Silva, who then found Fabregas cutting toward the goal.
On a pleasant evening at the Arena Gdansk near the Baltic Sea, red-clad Spain fans appeared to greatly outnumber Italian supporters, with surprisingly large sections of empty seats in the corner allotted for Azzurri fans.
The Italians, just like when they won the 2006 World Cup, are weathering a widespread match-fixing scandal.
Among the 38,869 in attendance were Italy President Giorgio Napolitano and Spain Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, plus former Poland President and Solidarity founder Lech Walesa.
After two poor shots from Silva early in the match, Italy had the first real threat with a free kick from Pirlo in the 13th, drawing a diving save from Casillas.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon easily stopped a low shot from Iniesta in the 30th, while at the other end Casillas had trouble gathering a volley from Claudio Marchisio in the 36th.
Balotelli's aggressiveness drew the attention of Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai, first with a verbal warning after the Italy forward collided with Gerard Pique, then with a yellow card for a foul on Jordi Alba in the 37th.
There were two more chances just before halftime at both ends. First, Iniesta lifted a shot over the bar with the tip of his foot, then Thiago Motta headed a shot at Casillas.
Spain showed more decisiveness to start the second half, with Fabregas and Iniesta producing dangerous opportunities in the 50th and 51st.
A few minutes later, Balotelli had his best opportunity of the match, dribbling in all alone on goal, but the 21-year-old Manchester City striker waited too long to shoot and Sergio Ramos caught up to strip him of the ball.
Torres replaced Fabregas in the 74th and nearly scored a minute later but was somehow stripped by Buffon near the edge of the area.
Di Natale then had a great chance to restore Italy's lead in the 77th, but missed a difficult volley from the edge of the box.
Appearing indecisive, Torres missed another clear opportunity high in the 85th, a lob shot over the charging Buffon.

Tragic odyssey

Many immigrants have made perilous journeys, but Greece is rarely their final destination

Patras is one of Greece's biggest ports - known as the gateway to the west. Ships here leave to Italy and the vehicles on board often travel further still. It is a smugglers' hub into Europe - one of the continent's most vulnerable borders.

More than 1,500 illegal immigrants were caught in Patras last year; every vehicle carrying them was impounded.

But while the port authorities are rigorous in their checks, plenty more migrants will attempt the journey. Over 80% of those entering the European Union now pass through Greece.
The typical route is in through the north-eastern corner of the country, across the Evros river from Turkey. They continue through Athens and down to Patras, in limbo until they pick what they hope is the right time to leave.
"I'm scared I'll die at any time because it's so unsafe here," one Afghan says while cowering on a disused railway track. "Nobody looks after us - there are no human rights in Greece. My dream is to go to England and I'll try every day to get there."
The influx of new arrivals here has made immigration a hot social issue and a key theme in the upcoming election. In last month's inconclusive poll, the virulently anti-immigration Golden Dawn party swept into parliament for the first time in its history, promising to lay landmines along the border with Turkey.
The party rejects the neo-Nazi label, but its leader has been filmed making Hitler salutes, and he recently denied that gas chambers were used in the Holocaust and said the figure of six million Jews killed was "an exaggeration".

Salam World: The Facebook of the Muslim world…

Salamworld.com yet another social network site with Islamic content will be launched as soon as possible.
 Salam World is owned by some Russians and Turks who will invest $ 15 million to open its branches in 16 countries with large Muslim populations, including Indonesia. Beside that, in two years Salam World will spend $ 40 million on infrastructure and further expansion. Salam World is going to develop the internet payment concept using a kind of electronic gold or electronic dinar. Therefore Salam World is trying to collaborate with Bank Muamalat as a partner in Indonesia.
It’s an ambitious project. Its goal is 50 million users in three years. The launch gathered Islamic leaders and campaigners from around the world.
What should be done, according to Salamworld, is to create an online spot where users can find Islamic services and products, like halal food, which meets Islamic dietary laws, or a near-by mosque.

150 feared dead as passenger plane crashes into building in Lagos in Nigeria

At least 150 people were feared killed yesterday after a commercial airline crashed into a densely populated area of Lagos, the biggest city in Nigeria

 

The plane, operated by Dana Air, was coming in to land in Lagos having taken off from the capital Abuja less than an hour earlier.

Some reports suggested that the plane hit power cables as it descended towards the runway, while others said that it hit a furniture shop and then into residential buildings in the neighborhood. The plane did not appear to have nosedived, but rather land on its belly.

The weather locally was described as clear and sunny as the plane came in to land.

Those near the crash site, in the busy neighborhood of Iju, described scenes of chaos as emergency vehicles battled to get through heavy traffic and gathering crowds.

Flames and smoke billowed from where the plane went down, close to the airport, and eyewitnesses reported that several buildings were on fire as officials tried to evacuate the area.
“It’s just chaos right now. A lot of people live in that area and the roads are very bad,” he said. “The crowds have surrounded the place, making it very difficult for emergency services to get through to the crash site.
“We can see a lot of flames and smoke, but not exactly what has been hit. There will definitely have been many more fatalities on the ground.”
Nigerian Aviation News website reported that the plane had suddenly disappeared from the radar scope of the Lagos Air Traffic Control, and communication from the tower to the pilot was lost.
A spokesman for Dana Air confirmed one of its planes had crashed but could not immediately provide further details.
“I can confirm that one of our planes crashed today on the outskirts of Lagos,” Tony Usidamen told AFP. “We lost communication with the aircraft.”
Since its inaugural flight from Lagos to Abuja in November 2008, Dana Air has grown to become one of Nigeria’s leading airlines operating more than 18 daily flights to Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Uyo, carrying up to 1.26 million passengers up to December 2011. According to the airline’s website, it was awarded the title of “Best Safety and Security Conscious Airline in Nigeria” at the Security Watch Africa Awards in September 2010.
Lagos has a population of around 15 million and its international airport is a major hub for West Africa, seeing 2.3 million passengers pass through it in 2009.
Air crashes are not uncommon in Nigeria, Africa’s second biggest economy, which has a poor airline safety record.
The Lagos crash comes less than 24 hours after a cargo plane flying from Lagos crashed into a bus and a taxi after overshooting a runway at Ghana’s international airport, killing at least 10 people.
An investigation has been opened into the Boeing 727 plane crash, which saw the Nigerian-registered aircraft land in heavy rain and slam through a perimeter fence and onto a public road. The plane’s four crew survived.

 

GAALI - EVERY MAN MUST WATCH THIS WOMAN !!!

Hosni Mubarak sentenced life in prison

An Egyptian court has sentenced ex-President Hosni Mubarak to life in prison for complicity in the killing of protesters during last year's uprising.

The 84-year-old is the first former leader to be tried in person since the start of the Arab Spring in early 2011.
But Mubarak suffered a "health crisis" as he was being transferred to prison, Egyptian state TV reported.
Former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly also got a life sentence, but the acquittal of four aides sparked fury.
Mubarak and his two sons were also acquitted on separate charges of corruption.
Shouting and scuffles erupted in court after the verdict was read out.

Outside the building, Mubarak's sentencing was initially greeted by celebrations from relatives of those killed, according to the BBC's Yolande Knell.

But the joy soon turned into angry shouts and protesters clashed with riot police as the crowd learned that the four senior security officials had been acquitted.
There have been several calls for demonstrations later on Saturday to protest against the verdict.
Immediately after the announcement, crowds gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square, which was a leading focus in the protests that toppled Mr Mubarak. There were also protests in Suez.
As Mubarak was being transferred from the courthouse to the hospital of Tora prison, near Cairo, state television reported that the former president suffered a "health crisis".
The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says it is difficult to interpret the nature of this particular incident, but adds that Mubarak has had regular health lapses in the past.
Since his trial began last August, he has been held in the International Medical Centre outside the capital, as his lawyer said he was in poor health.
Tora prison is where a number of figures from the former government are serving jail sentences for corruption and reports say Mubarak has now been admitted to the hospital there.
His sons, Alaa and Gamal, are to remain in detention despite their acquittal because they are to go on trial on charges of stock market manipulation.
Years of darkness'
In his preamble, Judge Ahmed Refaat insisted the 10-month trial had been a fair one.
He spoke of the Mubarak era as "30 years of darkness" and praised what he called "the sons of the nation who rose up peacefully for freedom and justice".

Announcing the verdicts, the judge then said Mubarak and Adly had failed to stop security forces using deadly force against unarmed demonstrators.

Mubarak, who ruled the country from 1981 to 2011, had faced a possible death sentence over the killing of about 850 protesters.
The ruling comes as political tensions are rising in Egypt between the two rounds of voting in a presidential election.
Correspondents say many of Egypt's revolutionaries are bitterly disappointed by the choice they now face - between a Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohammed Mursi and Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq.
The Muslim Brotherhood - the main opposition force under Mubarak's rule - condemned the verdict and urged a meeting between key political forces to discuss the trial's outcome.
A spokesman called for a retrial and said the prosecutor failed to "carry out its full duty in gathering adequate evidence to convict the accused".
But Mr Shafiq said that the verdicts "must be accepted", adding that the rulings would serve as a lesson for future presidents.
The first leader toppled during the Arab Spring was Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia, who was found guilty in absentia of drugs and gun charges in July.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed by rebels in October. Yemen's Ali Abdullah Saleh received immunity from prosecution after handing over power in November.

Worldwide search for porn star Luka

Canadian police name Luka Rocco Magnotta as the suspect in a gruesome murder case, in which body parts were distributed through the post.

A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for Luka Rocco Magnotta, 29, suspect in the grisly slaying and dismemberment of a victim whose body parts were sent in the mail, including a foot sent in a package to Conservative Party headquarters in Ottawa.

Montreal police said Wednesday that Magnotta is wanted for homicide in connection with sending body parts through the mail and the discovery of a torso behind a low-rise apartment rented by the suspect in west-end Montreal, near the Décarie Expressway.
Police said Magnotta knew the person whose torso was found in a suitcase in a pile of garbage in Montreal on Tuesday, but they have yet to identify the victim.
Sources have told that police believe they have evidence of the suspect videotaping the killing and dismembering of the victim.
A hand was found in a package addressed to the Liberal Party of Canada at a Canada Post terminal before it could be delivered.
Magnotta, believed to be originally from Toronto, is also known as Eric Clinton Newman and as Vladimir Romanov. Police describe him as five feet 10 inches tall and 135 pounds with black hair and blue eyes.
Building manager Eric Schorer said Magnotta had lived there for four months but hadn't been seen around in a while. He said there were never any complaints about noise in the unit, and that Magnotta passed a credit test to rent there.
Police in masks combed through the blood-soaked apartment Wednesday, having zeroed in on the source of a stench like rotting meat, said a building resident.
A neighbour said police were showing neighbours pictures of two men — the suspected victim and the homicide suspect.
Montreal police said Magnotta was not known to them and had no criminal record. CBC News has learned, however, that he was convicted on four counts of fraud in Ontario in 2005. He served 16 days in pre-trial custody and was given a further nine-month conditional sentence and 12 months probation.
The suspect's name has also come up in association with videos showing the killing of kittens. A CBC News source said police are also investigating a possible connection between the suspect and Karla Homolka.
A website is also claiming it has posted video of a killing that is possibly linked to the suspect.
Montreal police Cmdr. Ian Lafrenière said he would not substantiate internet rumours about the suspect.
"We don't conduct our investigations via social media," he said.
The discovery of the torso was believed to be linked to the foot sent to Conservative headquarters and a hand found at a Canada Post terminal that was addressed to the Liberal Party of Canada headquarters.
Lafrenière did not deny the second package was addressed to the Liberal Party, but told CBC's Evan Solomon on Power and Politics that it would be incorrect to link the actions to a political motive.
"I've been a police officer for more than 20 years now, and I met officers that were doing an investigation for more than 30 years, and they said they never saw a scene like that," said Lafrenière
"So it would be hard for me to say there is a political reason for this," he said.
The hand and foot mailed to Ottawa were sent from a fake Montreal address, police said. Police also said there were other body parts sent by mail that they are still investigating.
Lafrenière described the scene of the alleged crime as "horrible" but said investigators would be releasing few details for now.
"The most important thing for us is to nab the suspect, and to make sure we don't jeopardize a future trial. I'd have a lot of trouble, as a father, to sleep if that happened."
The foot was discovered Tuesday after Ottawa police were called to the Conservative Party of Canada headquarters at 130 Albert St.
A party spokesman told the package was brought to Jenni Byrne, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's director of political operations. She examined the package after it was opened, he said, but called police when she saw the blood and smelled the odour.
"Conservative Party staff are very upset and disturbed by what happened yesterday. It was such a horrible odour I'm sure many of us will never forget it," said Fred DeLorey, director of communications for the party.
The hazardous materials unit was called in and the coroner soon confirmed the package contained a human foot that was partially decomposed.

 

Japan’s “cool” summer dress code

Salarimen, throw on your Hawaiian shirts: it’s that time of year again in Japan.  “Super Cool Biz,” the Ministry of Environment’s annual energy reduction campaign, officially launches Friday across the country.
To reduce electricity use in corporate workplaces, Super Cool Biz encourages office workers to eschew their usual black suits for lighter clothing, including Hawaiian shirts, polo shirts, T-shirts, jeans, and sandals.
The campaign has been an inadvertent boon to clothing retailers, who have not only increased their stock of these items, but also specially designed garments for the season.
Among them is lingerie manufacturer "Triumph Super Cool Bra "The bra’s cups are filled with a gel which, after being placed in the freezer for a few hours, will help keep the wearer’s body cool while remaining soft at the same time.
After being stung by reduced sales of suit jackets last summer, men’s clothiers have also produced new “Cool Biz” lines with lighter, more breathable fabrics.  Sanyo Shokai Ltd. is launching six new types of suit jackets that include technology to absorb sweat and block heat.
Textiles companies have also incorporated sportswear materials into business wear.  Teijin Ltd. is using polyester with pH control to reduce sweat odor.  Toray Industries Inc. is working with apparel makers to develop “Cool Avenue” shirts and pants using polyester and nylon cool to the touch, projecting sales of 50,000-60,000 items worth one billion yen in total.
Shares of menswear retailers, such as Konaka, Aoyama Trading Co. and Aoki Holding Inc. have steadily rose since the weather—and Cool Biz sales—began warming up in late April, according to The Nikkei Report.
Despite the relaxed dress code, there still are suggested standards to be upheld: T-shirts must be in solid colors, jeans smart-looking without tears, and undergarment-like tops such as camisoles and flip-flop sandals are banned.
The government is also advising that working hours be shifted earlier, and overtime be reduced.
Complete with a government-sponsored fashion show, Super Cool Biz was introduced last year to conserve energy during the hot summer months following the Fukushima nuclear disaster.  It built upon “Cool Biz”, an annual campaign introduced in 2005, which urged office workers to forgo wearing ties and set air conditioner thermostats at 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
Alongside Super Cool Biz and Cool Biz this year, the Ministry of Environment is also promoting “Cool Share”, which encourages people to share air conditioning units as much as possible.  Residents are advised to turn on air conditioning in only one room of their home and have all members of the household congregate there. Alternatively, they can switch off their home air conditioning units entirely and hang out in air-conditioned public venues instead.
Last year’s Super Cool Biz was considered a cool success, as the country avoided widespread brownouts and blackouts despite a reduced supply of nuclear energy.  This year will be a greater challenge, as Japan tries to stay cool without drawing on nuclear energy at all.  Pre-Fukushima, nuclear sources comprised 30% of the country’s energy consumption.
Super Cool Biz will run through September.