Friday, June 22, 2012

'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter': The Reviews Are In! Critics says Benjamin Walker brings 'backbone' to an otherwise 'fake and cartoony' retelling of the Civil War.

                            Erin Wasson and Benjamin Walker in "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"


Critics says Benjamin Walker brings 'backbone' to an otherwise 'fake and cartoony' retelling of the Civil War.

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" reimagines the Civil War as a struggle between the living and the undead with our 16th president as a slayer of the bloodsuckers. It sounds like a fun premise, but critics certainly wish the filmmakers had stuck to the history books.

Here is our roundup of what the critics are saying about "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter."




The Story
"The story opens with young Abe witnessing the murder of his mother by a vampire. He swears vengeance, and some years later is lucky to be getting drunk while standing at a bar next to Henry Sturgess (Dominic Cooper), who coaches him on vampire-killing and explains that it is a high calling, requiring great dedication and avoiding distractions like marriage. Against Henry's advice, Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) marries Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and the story moves quickly to his days in the White House, where he discovers that the vampires are fighting on the side of the South." — Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Afghan Taliban attack on hotel near Kabul ends



Afghan forces led the operation against the gunmen, with help from international forces, as Quentin   Somerville reports


Afghan security forces have ended a 12-hour attack by Taliban militants on a hotel outside Kabul, in which at least 20 people died, officials say.

Insurgents attacked the Spozhmai Hotel in the Lake Qargha area on Thursday night, taking many hostages.

Kabul's police chief said 15 civilians, including hotel guests, died. All five insurgents were killed.

The Taliban claimed the attack, saying the hotel was used by wealthy Afghans and foreigners for "wild parties".

Lake Qargha is on the outskirts of Kabul and is favoured by residents of the Afghan capital for day trips and family outings.
The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, in Kabul, says this was an easy target for the Taliban, in a fairly remote area, with little security.

Foreigners rarely visit the lake, our correspondent says.

In addition to the five militants, those killed included civilians, hotel guards and a police officer.


Monday, June 18, 2012

Movie-going declines in some Eurozone countries

                                   Sir Ridley Scott's Prometheus is currently top at the UK box office

Cinema attendances are falling in some of the hardest-hit Eurozone countries, according to industry journal Variety.

Having declined by 10% in 2011, Italy's box office returns were down 12% between January and June this year to $372 million (£237.5m).

Spain tells a similar story. Its takings are also 12% down so far this year, having dropped by 2.7% in 2011.

"Two years of decline is not healthy," said David Hancock, senior film analyst at IHS Screen Digest.

"In fact, it does not happen very often in European or even worldwide box offices."

Other countries to suffer a double dip include Portugal, which dropped by 11% in the first half of this year following a 3% fall in 2011.

Ireland is down by approximately 7% this year, following consecutive declines in 2010 and 2011.

Yet according to media analyst Rentrak it is not all bad news. Europe's top film markets - the UK, France and Germany - are said to be holding up well.

There are hopes too that summer blockbusters like Sir Ridley Scott's Prometheus - currently top at the UK box office - will boost takings.

Analysts attribute falls in cinema attendance to rising unemployment in the under-25s.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Radiohead stage collapse kills one in Canada


Espanol: (CNN) – La tarima del escenario en el cual se presentaría este sábado Radiohead en un parque de Canadá colapsó antes de la presentación de la banda, causando al menos un muerto y cuatro heridos, dijeron las autoridades.
El colapso ocurrió alrededor de las 4 pm, una hora antes de que los espectadores iban a comenzar a llegar para un concierto de la banda de rock alternativo.


English:
One person has died in a stage collapse before a Radiohead concert in the Canadian city of Toronto.
Three others were injured, one seriously, in the incident at Downsview Park, medical officials said.
The collapse happened an hour before the gates were due to open for the concert, with queues already beginning to form outside.
UK rock band Radiohead tweeted that the performance had been cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances".
Emergency crews went to the scene and the area was evacuated.
'Like a car accident' Toronto police said the stage collapsed at 16:00 local time (20:00), with the concert

Greece holds key elections over EU bailout


               Greek football fans - some in costume - were cheering a win at Euro 2012 but there is little            enthusiasm for another election


news by bbc:

Voting has begun in Greece for crucial elections which could determine the country's future in the eurozone.
The main contenders, the right-wing New Democracy and left-wing Syriza, are at odds over whether broadly to stick with the tough EU bailout deal, or reject it and boost social spending.
Opinion polls are banned for two weeks before voting but unofficial polls say the result is too close to call.
EU leaders say if Greece rejects the bailout, it may have to leave the euro.
The election, the second in six weeks, was called after a vote on 6 May proved inconclusive.
"Today the Greek people speak. Tomorrow a new era for Greece begins," New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras said after casting his ballot.
"We have conquered fear. Today we open a road to hope," Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras said.
The election marked the start of a new era for Greece as "an equal member of a Europe that is changing", he added.
Sunday's vote is being watched around the world, amid fears that a Greek exit from the euro could spread contagion to other eurozone members and send turmoil throughout the global economy.
Tough austerity measures were attached to the two international bailouts awarded to Greece, an initial package worth 110bn euros (£89bn; $138bn) in 2010, then a follow-up last year worth 130bn euros.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Egypt starts presidential election run-off

                               The Muslim Brotherhood's candidate Mohammed Mursi voted in Zagazig


Egyptians are voting in a two-day run-off election to choose their first freely elected president.
Mohammed Mursi, head of the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, is up against Ahmed Shafiq, former President Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister.
The ruling generals have vowed to hand over power to the winner by 30 June.
But correspondents say there is less enthusiasm than there was for previous rounds of voting, and some have called for a boycott or spoiled ballots.
There were early queues outside some polling stations on Saturday, but later they were reduced in some places to just a steady trickle of voters, reports the BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo.
Particularly noticeable is the lack of young people voting, our correspondent says.
They seem to be particularly disenchanted with the choice between Mr Shafiq, a candidate seen as a representative of the old regime, and the Islamist Mr Mursi, he adds.
While state TV has been urging people to vote, some activists have been distributing flyers in several Cairo metro stations calling for a boycott.
Mr Mursi's campaign held a news conference on Saturday afternoon in which it said several electoral violations had been reported, and urged voters to report any incidents.



La ONU suspende todas las actividades en Siria por la escalada de violencia

(CNN) – Los observadores de las Naciones Unidas en Siria suspendieron este sábado todas las actividades debido a la escalada de violencia en el país, informó el jefe de la misión.
"La violencia armada en todo Siria ha intensificado en los últimos 10 días", dijo el general Robert Mood, jefe de la Misión de Supervisión de Naciones Unidas en el país.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Falkland Islands to hold referendum on sovereignty

        Gavin Short announced the referendum, which visiting UK minister Jeremy Browne welcomed



The Falkland Islands will hold a referendum on its "political status" in a bid to end the dispute with Argentina over the archipelago's sovereignty.
The islands' government made the announcement ahead of the anniversary on marking 30 years since the end of Argentina's 74-day occupation in 1982.
It said it wanted to send a firm message to Argentina that islanders want to remain British.
The UK prime minister said Britain would support the result of the vote.
The referendum will be organised by the Falkland Islands government and will take place in the first half of next year.
'Economic blockade'
The announcement comes amid growing tensions between the UK and Argentina surrounding the anniversary commemorations marking the islands' liberation by British forces on 14 June, 1982.
Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Brown is currently there on an official trip.
Argentina claims sovereignty over the islands it calls the Malvinas, and wants the UK to negotiate over their rule.
Recently, UK ministers have accused Argentina of trying to impose an "economic blockade" on the islands.
The South American country has been turning away cruise ships carrying the British flag and is taking legal action against five British oil firms exploring the coast of the islands.
Gavin Short, chairman of the islands' legislative assembly, said they were holding the referendum "to show the world just how certain we are about it [our future]".
"I have no doubt that the people of the Falklands wish for the islands to remain a self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
"We certainly have no desire to be ruled by the government in Buenos Aires, a fact that is immediately obvious to anyone who has visited the islands and heard our views.
"But we are aware that not everybody is able to come to these beautiful islands and to see this reality for themselves.
"And the Argentine government deploys misleading rhetoric that wrongly implies that we have no strong views or even that we are being held hostage by the UK military. This is simply absurd."

Sandusky trial: Mike McQueary 'saw sex abuse'

            Mike McQueary said he had called his father for advice "because I just saw something ridiculous".




A key prosecution witness in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case told the court that he saw something "more than my brain could handle" in a locker room.
Mike McQueary said he had no doubt that he saw Mr Sandusky engaging in anal sex in a shower with a boy no more than 12-years-old.
Mr Sandusky, 68, denies 52 criminal counts of abusing of 10 boys over 15 years at Penn State university.
A second accuser, still a teenager, also testified on Tuesday.
He told a Pennsylvania jury that Mr Sandusky kissed him, fondled him and engaged in oral sex with him during sleepovers in the basement of the Sandusky home.
Mr Sandusky served as assistant coach of Penn State's football team until his retirement in 1999, but had access to the campus for several years after.
His November arrest prompted a crisis at the university, which has a celebrated college football tradition.

Syria in civil war, says UN official Herve Ladsous



source by bbc:Syria is now in a state of civil war and the government has lost control of "large chunks" of cities, the UN's head of peacekeeping has told reporters.
It is the first time a UN official has formally voiced that view.
His comments came as UN monitors in Syria were fired on as they tried to reach the besieged town of Haffa.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused Russia of supplying attack helicopters to the Syrian government.
She said the move would "escalate the conflict quite dramatically".
Russia maintains its arms shipments to Syria are unrelated to the conflict there.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Dingo caused baby Azaria Chamberlain's death - coroner



                                   Azaria's parents were initially charged with her disappearance


An Australian coroner has made a final ruling that a dingo dog took baby Azaria Chamberlain from a campsite in 1980 and caused her death.
The decision was made after Azaria's parents presented new evidence to try to clear their names.
After the eight week-old baby went missing, they were charged with her disappearance, and mother Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton with her murder.
She was released when evidence matched the dingo story but doubts lingered.
They have long argued that the open verdict recorded after an earlier review of the case left room for doubt about Ms Chamberlain-Creighton's innocence.
Famous case Earlier this year, the Chamberlains gave evidence to a coroner in Darwin recording a series of other attacks by dingos on humans.

Azaria Chamberlain case


  • 17 Aug 1980: Baby Azaria Chamberlain disappears from a campsite near Uluru (Ayers Rock) - her parents say she was taken by a dingo
  • 1982: Mother Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton convicted of murder; father Michael Chamberlain found guilty of being an accessory
  • 1986: Police find a piece of the baby's clothing in area of dingo lairs - case reopened
  • 15 Sep 1988: Both Lindy and Michael Chamberlain cleared of charges
  • 1995: Open verdict recorded following another inquest
  • 24 Feb 2012: Fourth inquest opened
Virtually ever since Azaria vanished from her tent near Uluru (Ayers Rock) in 1980, Australia has been engrossed by the question of whether she was taken by a dingo.
In 1982, Ms Chamberlain-Creighton was found guilty of her baby's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, while Mr Chamberlain was found guilty of being an accessory.

British prime minister and his wife leave daughter, 8, at a pub


British Prime Minister David Cameron and wife Samantha accidentally left their daughter in a pub a few months ago.


London (CNN) -- British Prime Minister David Cameron thought his daughter Nancy was with her mom. Her mom, Samantha, thought the 8-year-old was with her dad.
In fact, they had left her behind at a pub about a mile from the prime minister's country residence, staff at the pub said.
"The prime minister and Samantha were distraught when they realized Nancy wasn't with them," Cameron's office said in a statement Monday. "Thankfully when they phoned the pub -- she was there safe and well. The prime minister went down straight away to get her."
The incident happened "a couple of months ago," said a bartender at the Plough at Cadsden who declined to give his name.
It was reported widely in the British press Monday.
Cameron and his wife left the pub in separate cars, and each assumed Nancy was with the other one, the Press Association said.
Nancy was helping pub staff when her dad came back to get her about 15 minutes after he left, PA reported.

Chilean police clash with anti-Pinochet demonstrators

                    

                 Police in Chile used tear gas and water cannon to try to break up the protest in Santiago


news source BBC:
Hundreds of demonstrators in Chile have clashed with the police after the screening of a documentary praising the former military government of General Augusto Pinochet.
The mayor of the capital, Santiago, Pablo Zalaquett, said police were attacked in several areas of the city centre.
He said there was extensive damage to property.
Earlier police used tear gas and water cannon to break up the demonstration.
The screening has pitted supporters of the late general, who claim the right to free speech, against relatives of victims of his regime, who are outraged at the tone of the documentary.
The mayor said hundreds of anti-Pinochet demonstrators organised in groups continued to launch "coordinated attacks" in the centre of Santiago hours after the screening at the Caupolican theatre.
"As I said before, I would prefer the event not to have taken place because we all knew what was going to happen," Mr Zalaquett told CNN.
"Chile needs to look forward. We are tired. Many people say they are out there to defend human rights, but they just come to destroy and loot."
General Pinochet led a coup against the democratically-elected Marxist president of Chile, Salvador Allende, on 11 September 1973 and only left power in 1990.
The Chilean government estimates that more than 3,000 people were killed during the Pinochet years, included those whose bodies have not been found.
Thousands more were tortured, arrested or forced into exile during his rule.

Montreal Grand Prix protests lead to arrests


                                        A police car was damaged in Saturday night's disturbances


Source by BBC:
Police in the Canadian city of Montreal have arrested 28 people suspected of trying to disrupt the F1 Canadian Grand Prix.
Hundreds had taken to the streets as part of protests against rising university tuition fees, as well as the city's hosting of Sunday's race.
There were clashes on Saturday night between student protesters and riot police, who fired tear gas.
Students in Quebec have been protesting for months against rising tuition fees.
Hundreds of demonstrators marched through Montreal on Saturday, banging pots and pans.
Later in the evening, some protesters sprayed paint on a police car and smashed its windows, triggering clashes with riot police.
Some students have described Sunday's Grand Prix as an obscene display of capitalism.
The BBC's Lee Carter in Toronto says city authorities have been determined to protect the lucrative race with a huge police presence, and have blocked off an area in the city centre designated as a party zone for F1 fans.
Earlier this month talks between the Quebec government and student groups broke down, when officials rejected demands for a tuition-fee freeze.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Spain's Rajoy hails bank rescue as 'victory for euro'


                                               Mr Rajoy says structural reforms will continue

 News source BBC:
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has hailed a decision by eurozone finance ministers to help Spain shore up its struggling banks as a victory for the European common currency.
"It was the credibility of the euro that won," he told reporters.
On Saturday, the eurozone ministers agreed to lend Madrid up to 100bn euros ($125bn; £80bn) to help banks hit by bad property loans.
The US and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also welcomed the move.
Mr Rajoy told a news conference in Madrid that it was part of efforts by his centre-right government to restore Spain's public finances and carry out structural reforms.
The rescue, he said, would help the "process of restoring the credibility of the Spanish economy".
"The solidity of Spain's financial system won, the credibility of the euro won," he added, and vowed to press ahead with economic reforms.
The eurozone loan will bolster Spain's weakest banks, left with billions of euros worth of bad loans following the collapse of a property boom in recent years and the recession that followed.
Some banks borrowed large amounts on the international markets to lend to developers and homebuyers.
The exact amount that Spain will receive will be decided after the completion of two audits of its banks, due to be completed by the end of June.
The money will come from two funds - the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), which enters into force next month.
Investors have recently demanded higher and higher costs to lend to Spain, making it too expensive for the country to borrow the money needed for a bank rescue from the markets.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Russia: We won't back a foreign force in Syria

             A Syrian man carries a wounded girl after an explosion targeted a military bus on June 8, 2012


source by (CNN) -- After days of international shuttling on what to do with the troubling situation in Syria, Russia's foreign minister said Saturday his country will never agree to foreign intervention.
Despite warnings of Syria spiraling into a civil war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a televised briefing in Moscow there was no alternative other than implementing Special Envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan, despite its failures.
"The situation looks more and more grim," Lavrov said. "For the first time since the beginning of this crisis we see the question of foreign intervention. And our position remains unchanged. We will never agree to sanction the use of force in the U.N. Security Council."

Denmark stun Dutch as Germany beat Portugal



Denmark produced the first major surprise of Euro 2012 as Morten Olsen's side secured a 1-0 win over the Netherlands in Kharkiv.
Famed for their Total Football approach, the World Cup finalists were left totally frustrated by a Danish side that was never fazed by the star-studded reputation of Bert van Marwijk's team.
Michael Khron-Delhi scored the only goal of the game to leave Holland -- one of Euro 2012's heavyweights -- a real challenge to qualify from Group B and reach the knockout stages.
Van Marjwik's side next play Germany, who beat Portugal 1-0 in Lviv thanks to Mario Gomez's second-half goal, in a game that never matched the drama of Denmark's victory.

Denmark 1-0 Holland
Billed as Group B's rank outsiders, Denmark had to ride their luck against a Dutch team that dominated possession for long periods in Kharkiv's Metalist Stadium.

Germany 1-0 Portugal
Saturday's second game had been billed as one of the most intriguing of the Euro 2012's group stages but it rarely failed to live up to the pre-match hype.
It offered the tournament a first glimpse of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 60 goals for Real Madrid this season, but as to often the Portuguese forward flickered in and out of an international for his country -- in truth more out than in.
Ronaldo has scored only five goals in 19 appearances during major internatioal tournaments and with Portugal adopting a strategy of containment he was never able to significantly influence the game.
It was not until late in the second half that he forced Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into a save and for the most part Germany were able to minimize the Portuguese forward's threat.
Soon after making that save Neuer had a fortunate escape when he misjudged Nani's looping cross, allowing the ball to bounce off the bar.
The Bayern Munich goalkeeper quickly recovered his poise to brilliantly save from substitute Silvestre Varela, who had been set up by Nelson Oliveira's ingenious reverse pass.
Nani then had a rising shot blocked by Holger Badstuber as Portugal finally put Germany under sustained pressure for the first time in search of an equaliser.
Given that late surge of Portuguese attacking activity the question is why Paulo Bento's side only started to test Germany's defense after having gone a goal behind.
Germany had arguably shaded a forgettable first-half, with Gomez going close early on with a header that was well saved by Rui Patricio, though Portuguese defender Pepe did hit the upright with a clever shot following a corner.


But it was Gomez who finally broke the deadlock, connecting with Sami Khedira's cross from the right, cleverly guiding a header past Patricio.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Justin Bieber's Weirdest Fashions

Superstar Justin Bieber rarely deviates from his uniform of high-tops, hoodies and great hair, but when he does, things can get a little--or a lot--weird. Check out some of Bieber's strangest fashion choices. -- by Tiffany Lee





                                           

Justin Bieber's photo