Intro2u Blog

The former Kate Middleton turns 30 on Monday but royal fans expecting a lavish birthday bash to mark the milestone will be disappointed.Palace officials say the Duchess of Cambridge’s birthday celebration will be a “low-key and private” affair, appearing to quash press reports that she will see off her 20s with a fun ’80s themed party, complete with karaoke, in a throwback to her more carefree bachelorette days.The choice of a muted event seems appropriate: After all, the duchess is not just starting the fourth decade of her life she is also embarking on her career as a future queen, charged with renovating a monarchy that has become somewhat creaky with age.“She’s done very well, playing a very good supporting role to Prince William and complementing him as part of a team,” commentator Robert Jobson said of her first few months as a royal.“We’ve not seen much of her, but when she’s in public she has performed with aplomb,” added Jobson, who is the author of “William and Kate: The Love Story.”The past year has seen momentous changes for Kate, with a fairytale wedding to Prince William, travels around the world and glamorous appearances that marked her transition from commoner to the world’s most talked-about princess and style icon.She has won rave reviews for her sparkle, her elegant sense of style, and her common touch with the public. The media, yearning for a young and beautiful royal, documented and largely admired her every move.On Sunday, they were out in force with the duchess again the center of attention as she and William took to the red carpet for the premiere of Steven Spielberg’s movie “War Horse” in central London.But now that the excitement around her grand wedding has subsided, she is expected to quietly settle down into her royal duties and for much of this year, that means helping Queen Elizabeth II celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, without upstaging the monarch in her moment of glory, and also playing a supporting role at the London 2012 Olympic Games.Until recently, palace officials have been quiet about what exactly her role will be, keen to protect her transition into a fully fledged royal from the glare of the media limelight. The newlyweds, who live in a remote corner of north Wales, were said to favor a “quieter life” after the massive global media coverage of their April wedding. Outside of a tour of Canada and California in the summer, the duchess has only taken a handful of official engagements.The former Middleton ventured out on her first solo engagement in October a private charity dinner for about 30 guests but is yet to make a public speech on her own.That is set to change. This week, royal officials finally gave the first insight into her new role when they announced which charities she’s supporting, including the Scouts and a group that helps drug addicts. More organisations will follow later, officials said.The royal family considers patronage of charities an important aspect of their social role, and frequently makes visits and attends events to boost the charities’ profiles. William is involved in many diverse nonprofits, while his mother, the late Princess Diana, was well known for her active support for numerous charities including organizations that helped AIDS patients.Even after her separation from Prince Charles, Diana actively campaigned for a ban on land mines, and visited Angola to champion that cause.The former Middleton is expected to take on a similar role, eventually designating more charities she wants to be involved with as a way for her to carve out her own niche, based on her own priorities and concerns.She has already taken on an unofficial role as a champion of the British fashion industry, wearing the creations of British designers at home and abroad, showcasing their work in the best possible light.On top of such duties, the duchess also has a busy year ahead with the queen’s jubilee, a major celebration of the monarch’s 60 years on the throne that will take see numerous celebrations throughout Britain and the Commonwealth, peaking in a major celebration in London in early June.The royals are expected to play a supporting role by traveling overseas to represent the queen. William and Kate are due to journey to Malaysia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and the tiny Pacific island of Tuvalu as part of the festivities.The queen and her husband will avoid overseas travel because their advanced years make such trips challenging. The queen’s husband, Prince Philip, recently spent time in hospital with a heart problem.William and his wife have also indicated that they intend to take up residence at an apartment in London’s Kensington Palace once his military commitment at an air base in Wales has been met. That will give the likely future king and queen even more visibility in the capital.Inevitably, much of the speculation about the duchess’s future has centered on royal lineage Is she going to start a family soon? That, however, is anyone’s guess, and despite incessant tabloid baby chatter, there doesn’t yet appear to be great pressure on the newlyweds to produce an heir.“It’s early days yet, and they’re both getting used to their roles,” said Jobson, adding that the presence of other young members of the royal household, such as Prince Harry, helps to ease the pressure on William and Kate.Many of the more senior women in the royal family were mothers in their 20s, but times and expectations have changed both inside and outside the royal household. By the age of 30, the queen had given birth to two of her four children. Her daughter, Princess Anne, married at 23 and had her first child, Peter Phillips, four years later. Diana also married early and gave birth to William, her first child, at 21.Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR: Buses carrying supporters of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived at the court complex in Jalan Duta as early as 5am to show support to the Opposition leader who is awaiting his sodomy II verdict.Crowd at Anwar’s verdictPeople, including the handicapped, were seen gathering at the carpark in front of the court complex.Police earlier sent in a bomb squad at about 4.30am to perform a sweep of the premises.As of 7.15am, the crowd stands at more than 3,000 people and increasing.Police have cordoned off the road leading to the complex.

KUALA LUMPUR: Three explosions at separate locations were heard outside the Jalan Duta court complex not long after Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was acquitted from his sodomy charge.AnwKL city police chief DCP Mohamad Salleh confirmed that there were three explosions.Two people were believed to be hurt from the incidents and had been rushed to Kuala Lumpur Hospital by ambulances.The bomb squad and the K9 unit are currently combing the scene for more explosives.Anwar’s supporters who had converged there to hear speeches from Anwar and other political leaders were told to disperse by the police as the area is “not safe”.They slowly dispersed at about 11.30am.Read more: Explosions erupt after Anwar’s acquittal – Top News – New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/top-news/explosions-erupt-after-anwar-s-acquittal-1.29836#ixzz1iwP8lIQf

Malaysia opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was acquitted of sodomy by the Kuala Lumpur High Court, following a trial criticized by outside observers as an attempt to stop him competing in elections that may be held this year.Five people suffered “minor” injuries in three explosions outside the courthouse, where supporters of the opposition leader chanted “Long Live Anwar,” according to a statement on the police’s Facebook page. Home-made devices containing timers, ball-bearings, batteries and wires were found after clearing the crowd, city police chief Mohmad Salleh said in a telephone interview.“I am extremely pleased that I have finally been vindicated,” Anwar said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. “It came as a surprise. Of course, a pleasant one. Based on previous evidence, the judiciary is clearly not independent.”The verdict clears the way for Anwar, who has united an ideologically disparate opposition, to participate in elections that must be held by June 2013. The opposition is aiming to improve on its showing in 2008 when it won five states and held the ruling National Front coalition, now headed by Prime Minister Najib Razak, to its narrowest victory in five decades.“There was no evidence to corroborate,” Judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah said in the Kuala Lumpur High Court. The court couldn’t exclude the possibility that DNA samples had been compromised, he said.Anwar’s family, including his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and their six children, wept and hugged in the court as the judgment was read. Party members inside the court cheered.Jail ThreatSodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia, even between two consenting men. The charge carries a sentence of as much as 20 years in prison.The country’s benchmark stock index, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index (KLCI), rose 0.1 percent at the 12:30 p.m. trading break, while the ringgit was down 0.5 percent on Europe’s debt crisis.“It’s good for the country and good for the stock market,” said Scott Lim, who manages 350 million ringgit ($111 million) as chief executive officer at Kuala Lumpur-based MIDF Amanah Asset Management Bhd. “With this vindication that he is not guilty, I think it clears people’s doubts. At least there is no accusation of political intervention.”The government said the verdict was proof of an independent judiciary and highlighted steps announced by Najib last year to boost freedoms repealing laws that allow detention without trial, while also easing rules restricting media freedom.‘Independent Judiciary’“Malaysia has an independent judiciary and this verdict proves that the government does not hold sway over judges’ decisions,” Malaysian Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim said in a statement. “The current wave of bold democratic reforms introduced by Prime Minister Najib Razak will help extend this transparency to all areas of Malaysian life.”Anwar’s trial began in February 2010, stemming from a police report filed by a former aide in 2008 detailing a sexual encounter in a Kuala Lumpur apartment. Anwar, 64, didn’t run in the March 2008 national poll because an earlier corruption conviction barred him from holding office until April of that year.The opposition chief, now an MP, faced similar allegations in 1998 when he was sacked by then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as his deputy. Anwar was sentenced to nine years in jail for sodomy and a separate corruption charge, before being released in 2004 after Malaysia’s highest court overturned the sex conviction.Outside Criticism“It’s good for the opposition in the sense that Anwar can stand as a candidate in the next general election,” said Ong Kian Ming, a political analyst at UCSI University in Kuala Lumpur. “But it’s also bad for the opposition in the sense that they will not be able to benefit from a sympathy vote.”Anwar’s latest two-year trial has been criticized by outside observers as politically motivated. New York-based Human Rights Watch in a Dec. 22 report called on Malaysia to “revoke its colonial-era law criminalizing consensual sexual acts between people of the same sex” and to drop the case against Anwar.“Anwar Ibrahim was acquitted on a charge that should have never been brought in the first place,” Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in an e-mailed statement released today by the organization. “Hopefully the verdict sends a message to the Malaysian government to put this matter to rest.”U.S. Vice President Al Gore, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and billionaire Richard Branson have criticized the use of the law against the opposition chief.‘Sway the Electorate’The People’s Alliance coalition led by Anwar includes his People’s Justice Party, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party and the Democratic Action Party. Some Pan-Malaysian members espouse the implementation of Islamic law, while the Democratic Action Party’s secretary-general is Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Malaysia’s only ethnic-Chinese state leader.Najib announced a budget in October that sparked speculation about an early vote. The plan gives cash to low- income families, raises civil servants’ pay and boosts spending on railways to spur growth at a time when global economic risks cloud the outlook for Malaysian exports. He said Dec. 3 that preparations had begun for an election.Najib’s plan is “to sway the electorate with handouts, which we’ve begun to see in increases in public servant pay and handouts to retirees,” said Johannes Lund, a Singapore-based analyst at Control Risks. “We’re probably going to see more of that as election plans go ahead.

Apple continued its trend of crazy high profit margins, high-profile product releases and lines wrapped around stores on launch days. It continues to hoard more cash than the gross domestic product of many small countries.Things weren’t quite so rosy for Netflix, which took a stunning tumble from one of the top tech darlings to a firm that fumbled to respond to a mass exodus of subscribers.Netflix’s woes were first caused by an inelegantly explained price increase and were exacerbated by CEO Reed Hasting’s announcement that he would split the company in half and separate its streaming and DVD-rental services. Later he agreed with customers: That was an awful idea.Therefore, 2012 will not be the year of Qwikster after all.Looking ahead, here are some things to keep an eye on in 2012.BlackBerry users continue their exodusThese are not happy times for executives at Research in Motion’s Canadian headquarters. The maker of the onetime leader in smartphones continues to tumble.The most recent usage numbers from comScore show BlackBerry at just 16.6% of smartphone users at the end of 2011, down more than 3% from just a few months before. Android is approaching 50% of smartphone users and Apple is nearing 30%.BlackBerry said its next generation of phones, running BlackBerry 10, won’t be available until late this year.Any BlackBerry user with a contract up any time before then will be appropriately wooed by Android, Apple or Windows phones. It’s time to make the leap.The rise of the 4G LTE networksAll the wireless carriers say they have a 4G network, but only one of those has a high-speed network in Michigan that is worthy of the moniker: Verizon.The thing to keep an eye out for with 4G networks is the acronym LTE, which stands for long-term evolution. The other top carriers, including AT&T and Sprint, plan to introduce LTE in Michigan this year.That’s when you’ll be able to expect some of the superfast download speeds Verizon users enjoyed in 2011.Apple releases the iPad 3If Apple sticks to its script — which it didn’t do for the late release of the iPhone 4S last year — a new iPad model will be introduced early this year.Apple, of course, isn’t hinting at what the iPad 3 will include. We also don’t know that it will be the iPad 3, especially after most people expected the iPhone 4S to be called the iPhone 5.Some features to bet on, though: the addition of the high-resolution display and Siri, Apple’s voice-controlled personal assistant.Some recent rumors pointed to the possibility of a smaller, 7-inch iPad model that would compete more with the Kindle Fire’s size and lower price point. That’s less likely.The continued rise of Facebook as a platformFacebook first showed off its vision for a frictionless social Web last fall. Just a handful of services embraced it. Music streaming service Spotify can now seamlessly broadcast what songs you listen to, offering a recommendation engine of sorts for your friends.Look for more companies to implement this in 2012, including some big names like Netflix (after an act of Congress amends a dated law that prohibits the sharing of video rental activity without written consent).Facebook, like it or not, is becoming a platform for more and more facets of our online and offline lives.Also, allow me to go out on a limb and say we should expect Facebook to make a few changes this year that will upset its user base.The death of …There are a number of gadgets that looked a little peckish in 2011, starved for juice after months of inactivity.The smartphone was the main culprit, making things like alarm clocks, landlines and even wrist watches relics for generations of users.Ask someone under 40 what time it is and he will reach for his pocket.Also just steps away from the digital graveyard: the home printer. It’s an increasingly paperless world. And that’s a good thing.The end of the physical media format warOK, this one probably is a couple of years early, but a tech columnist can hope.A friend asked me recently what Blu-Ray player he should buy. I told him not to buy one at all.As streaming services get more comprehensive, and the pricing model more appropriate, it’s time to buy a streaming set-top box like the Roku or Apple TV and hope the experience improves.Like any early technology, the price isn’t right quite yet. Movie downloads often cost as much as the DVD, and users are being asked to store the mammoth HD files on home computers.The experience, though, is good enough to invest in now.

Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd (P1) expects to be IPv6-ready (Internet Protocol version 6) by end-2012 in bracing for the depletion of IPv4 Internet addresses. In a statement today, P1 said it has already completed phase two of three phases of the compliance exercise.Its chief executive officer, Michael Lai, said P1?s preparations on the compliance exercise began months back.“Our back-end systems are already fully IPv6-compliant.“The third phase is on the last-mile delivery and end-user devices-compliant,” he said.Lai said IPv6 was needed to support the fast pace of Internet use growth and the explosion in the use of wireless products, quality services, in-built security features, enhanced mobility and the need for more IP addresses to facilitate its wider use.“The growth of the Internet has mandated a need for more addresses than are possible with IPv4.“It’s a case of basis binary mathematics. There is not enough numbers with IPv4,” he said.Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/04/p1-to-be-ipv6-ready-by-end-2012-latest/#ixzz1iUZ3vjJf

The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has proposed that the issuance of new MyKad be frozen until a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) is set up and conduct a cleaning-up of ICs issued through Project IC.SAPP information Chief Chong Pit Fah said the National Registration Department (NRD) should stop the exercise that started this year to change the present MyKad with a new version.”After all, it is not like the old MyKad is not usable anymore. If the NRD proceeds with the renewal exercise, it will only give the opportunity to those presently holding the MyKad acquired through dubious means to be issued with a better one.”This is like giving them double endorsement…it is back to square one,” he said in a statement, here, Wednesday.Chong said if the issuance of the Native Certificate in Sabah had been frozen since 1984 due to abuse and existence of a syndicate to give ineligible people native status, then there should be no reason why the issuance of the new MyKad in Sabah cannot be frozen until the establishment of the RCI to investigate the matter, including cleaning up the electoral roll.The NRD had early this week started to receive applications from people to change their MyKad to a new version that has better security features.

To Unlock and Jailbreak iPhone 4/S iOs 5.0.1.1 Using Unlock iPhone App Visit the Official Website http://tinyurl.com/UnlockAnyAppleiPhone . Following the release of iOS 5.0.1.1, many of you are searching for a unlock and untethered jailbreak iPhone 4/4S iOS 5.0.1, and take advantage of some of the great new things it allows you to do, especially with the Notification Center.To Unlock and Jailbreak iPhone 4/S iOs 5.0.1.1 Using Unlock iPhone App Visit the Official Website http://tinyurl.com/UnlockAnyAppleiPhoneIt is reported that unlock and untethered jailbreak iOS 5 for ipad ,iphone and ipod touch has been released by the name of Unlock iPhone team from http://tinyurl.com/UnlockAnyAppleiPhone . As we told you this morning, the only unlock and jailbreak iPhone 4 ios 5.0.1 currently available is Unlock iPhone App untethered jailbreak ios 5.0.1, which works with every device besides the iPad 2. It will allow you to unlock your device, and add tons of little apps and tweaks, through Cydia, that Apple would never have an you will be able to use your iPhone on any GSM Network worldwide.So, what about the untethered jailbreak iOS 5.0.1? Well, you need to visit the official website of Unlock iPhone team and download the last version of Unlock iPhone software, they’ve released the unlock and untethered jailbreak iPhone 4 iOs 5.0.1 . They have even found many exploits that have a good chance of allowing them to jailbreak the iPhone 4S 5.0.1.As you might recall, current versions of iOS 5.0.1, dating all the way back to Beta 1, until the release of Unlock iPhone App could only be jailbroken using the so-called “tethered” methods, such as Redsn0w or Sn0wbreeze. Tethered jailbreaks are similar to untethered ones as far as features go, except for a big difference: tethered jailbreaks require the jailbroken device to be plugged into a computer running Rednsn0w every time it’s powered on or rebooted, in order to launch iOS into a jailbroken state. While this process takes just a few minutes, it can be rather inconvenient, especially for users who are often on the road.If you have been an ardent follower of the jailbreaking ios 5.0.2 scene, you might be aware of the fact that the Unlock iPhone software, developers of Unlock iPhone App jailbreak tool, have released the new Unlock iPhone App Tool. Most recent releases who release untethered jailbreak exploit for iOS 5.0.1. In a bid to make people remember that the Unlock iPhone tool still exits, members earlier today released iOS 5.0.1 untethered jailbreak for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. They might also has iOS 5 untethered jailbreak for iPhone/iPad 2 ,the succeeded in dumping A5 bootrom there’s a possibility that we might even get an iOS 5.0.1 untethered jailbreak on iPhone 4S.Jailberaking your iPhone 4 5.0.1 will install Cydia on your iPhone. Mostly people in their mind have confusion that Cydia is an application store that supplies the pirated apps but the thing is not like that.It includes all the apps that are not authorized and signed by the Apple company.And these apps are not available in the official App store of Apple because Apple rejected them due to their harsh policies etc.But Cydia contains apps that you don’t have to pay for it.To Unlock and Jailbreak iPhone 4/S iOs 5.0.1.1 Using Unlock iPhone App Visit the Official Website http://tinyurl.com/UnlockAnyAppleiPhone

Samsung has announced the Galaxy Ace Plus, which slots in just above its predecessor in the Galaxy range, adding a better processor and larger screen.The device was announced by the Korean company on Tuesday and will ship to customers in Russia first, beginning in January, and will then be “gradually rolled out” to Europe, Latin America, Asia, China and other regions, Samsung said.”In 2012, we will continue to make every effort to create an easy and fun mobile experience by expanding our incredibly popular GALAXY smartphone range, which is now one of the most recognized and successful mobile brands in the world,” JK Shin, president of IT & mobile at Samsung, said in a statement.The Galaxy Ace Plus will join more expensive and higher specified devices in the Galaxy range, such as the Galaxy S, S II, Ace and Mini.The Ace Plus features an upgraded processor — up to 1GHz from 800MHz in the Ace — 5-megapixel camera, 3.65-inch display and 3GB of onboard storage. It also offers smartphone staples including Wi-Fi, HSPDA connectivity and pre-loaded social networking features via Samsung’s Social Hub and ChatON services.Like some other lower-end Android devices like the Wildfire S, the handset will arrive running the Gingerbread — Android 2.3 — operating system with Samsung’s proprietary TouchWiz UI atop. However, higher-end devices are now available to buy that use the newer Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) version of Android.The device will also have to fend off competition from Chinese manufacturers like ZTE and Huawei, which want to increase their consumer recognition and smartphone market share in the European markets using devices running the Android OS.

he long-delayed Saif Ali Khan production venture Agent Vinod is finally complete and will release on March 23, says director Sriram Raghavan. The director revealed that the celebrity couple – Saif and Kareena Kapoor – shot for the last day of Agent Vinod on December 24, 2011. Incidentally, Priyadarshan’s Tezz was also set to release on March 23 but the film starring Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Mohanlal, Kangna Ranaut and Zayed Khan has now been postponed to April 27. “My shooting with Saif and Kareena is over. We are all done. Saif and Kareena did their last shooting for my film on December 24 and left for their holiday. We are now in post-production work. The release date is March 23,” said the director who has given hit thrillers like Ek Hasina Thi and Johnny Gaddaar. The Kareena-Saif wedding would follow in the last week of March or the first week of April. The next schedule of Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine has been advanced from the end of February to the middle of the same month to accommodate the promotion and release of Agent Vinod into Kareena’s already clogged schedule, followed by their wedding and honeymoon. “After the release of Agent Vinod, the wedding will happen immediately. Kareena and Saif don’t want to delay it anymore,” said a source. Looks like the couple has a lot on its plate right now and we are definitely looking forward to both Agent Vinod and Saif and Kareena’s grand wedding.

On nude scenes: “I think it’s worse nowadays, because you do something like that and somebody immediately makes a five-times as long feature on YouTube to rock music, and they play it over and over again. I’m not averse to doing a nude scene, but it would have to be something I felt I could really argue for in front of my daughter, and so far that hasn’t happened.”On her husband, director Len Wiseman: “We’re just a good couple. Having a husband who’s comfortable being very affectionate is important. Women do well with that. If the husband is very loving, the wife blossoms, and everybody’s fine.”On time away from work: “I was at home. We’ve got a kind of unconventional family situation, with two dads, and I’ve always been the constant parent, the one who is here. Even if I’m working, it’s me. So if anything ripples the water, then it’s important to be home. My daughter is about to be 13, and I realize how fleeting time is. I was happy to be around Lily to talk about her day when she got home.”

A Twitter account, set up in the name of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch’s wife Wendi Deng, has turned out to be fake, despite being officially verified as genuine by the micro-blogging site.Deng’s account appeared at a similar time to Murdoch’s new Twitter account on New Year’s Eve.Both received a blue tick from the service, which is only given to high profile people to denote that the account is genuine.However, despite carrying a tick for the last 48 hours, Twitter has now removed the blue icon from the @Wendi_Deng account, The Telegraph reports.Twitter, however, declined to comment on how the gaffe had occurred, with a spokesperson for the US based company saying that the site “does not comment on individuals’ accounts”.”We don’t comment on our verification process but can confirm that the @wendi_deng account was mistakenly verified for a short period of time. We apologise for the confusion this caused,” the spokesperson said.The person behind the fake account is still unknown, calling herself an “anonymous blogger”.The account quickly gathered followers, attracting over 10,000 people in a short space of time.

Damage control will be Manchester United’s objective when they visit Newcastle on Wednesday night stinging from their humiliation at home to Blackburn last weekend.Sir Alex Ferguson’s men saw their Premier League title bid take a surprise blow on New Year’s Eve when they were beaten 3-2 at Old Trafford by struggling Rovers.That slip allowed local rivals Manchester City to reinstate their lead at the top of the table after they thrashed Liverpool 3-0 on Tuesday night.Rooney returnThe Red Devils could close the gap again with the right result on Tyneside and will be boosted by the return of talismanic striker Wayne Rooney, who was axed for the Blackburn defeat along with Darren Gibson after reportedly angering Ferguson by his performance in training after a Boxing Day night out.Rooney has scored nine goals in 13 Premier League games against the Magpies and could help get the reigning champions back on track after Saturday’s setback marked their first league loss since they were memorably demolished 6-1 at home to City back in October.The Magpies will also be keen to steady their campaign after losing 3-1 at Liverpool last time out, leaving them with just one win from eight encounters.After a storming start to the season the Toon’s season has hit a definite rough patch, with injuries and tough fixtures prompting their form to slide.Despite losing five of their last eight, Alan Pardew’s men remain a respectable seventh in the standings and could cut the gap on nearest rivals Liverpool to just a point with a giant-killing at St James’ Park.Newcastle have not beaten the visitors on home turf since September 2001, but will be hoping to capitalize on a wounded Red Devils side and take something from the clash.Late checkPardew will make a late check on Gabriel Obertan ahead of Wednesday’s match, with the former Manchester United midfielder expected to recover from an infected toe and be available.The manager otherwise has no fresh injury problems, with Danny Guthrie (groin) and Peter Lovenkrands (calf) close to returns.Steven Taylor (Achilles) and Sylvain Marveaux remain on the long-term casualty list.The returning Rooney could be joined by Chris Smalling (tonsillitis) and Rio Ferdinand (back) if they recover in time for the trip to the North East.If the Red Devils duo are fit it would provide a welcome boost to Ferguson’s injury-ravaged squad as they look to keep pace with leaders City.The visitors remain without a host of long-term absentees including captain Nemanja Vidic (knee) and key midfielder Tom Cleverley (ankle).Possible starting XIs:Newcastle: Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Santon, Jonas, Tiote, Cabaye, R Taylor, Ameobi, Ba.Man United: De Gea, Evra, Smalling, Jones, Rafael, Park, Carrick, Valencia, Nani, Rooney, Berbatov.

We asked a Manchester United fan if Wayne Rooney was really world class. He spat out his tea and recovered sufficiently to tell us exactly why he is…I started writing this before Christmas when Wayne Rooney was seemingly setting-off on one of his goal gluts following double strikes against Wolves and Fulham. I didn’t write much as I was busy over Christmas and it seems so was Wayne. ‘Going-out-for-a-meal-gate’ as no-one but me is calling it has seen Wayne dropped from the squad and fined, leading to a ‘rift’ (c. The Media) between him and Ferguson. Modern football and it’s media being what it is, this ‘news’ will be forgotten or Wazza will have slapped in a transfer request and be dreaming of oil-fields by the time you read this but it was Rooney the player I was writing about anyway.“Is Wayne Rooney world class?” The associate editor of Sabotage Times asked me. “Yes he is”, I replied . It’s an obvious answer to a no-brainer of a question isn’t it? Is there a better English player than Rooney right now? Of course not. There’s not even a candidate. Granted his Englishness is no barometer of class given the Three Lions dismal record of dismal dismalness, but it’s a measure of just how far ahead of his national contemporaries he is.He’s the only English player who would get a game for the current world champions Spain or European champions Barcelona, jointly recognised as true barometers of world class and who everyone has decided are the bestest ever teams ever in the history of the game ever (To be fair Ashley Cole would probably get in their teams as well but it’s against the rules to say anything positive about Ashley Cole). He’s also, horribly, probably one of only two United players who would walk into Man City’s team these days (Vidic being the other). Terrifying. What’s the other competition? Gascoigne, Platt, Shearer, Ferdinand, Owen, Beckham, Gerrard? No competition. Rooney’s clearly better than all of themSo what makes Rooney world class? Everything. He’s a footballer, not just a football player and England produces far too many football players. He combines his own natural ability with a work-rate not always seen in a player of such natural gifts. In a nation that celebrates John Terry but failed to see the beauty of Juan Sebastian Veron because he ‘wouldn’t put his foot in’, Rooney is a shining beacon of hope for what English footballers can and could be. He might look like he should be burnin-an-lootin in Croxteth but he plays like he’s on the Copacabana (Although he’s not averse to ‘putting his foot in’ either to be fair).His movement and positioning are perfect. When he drops deep, he manoeuvres the entire opposition defence without them even being aware of it and he creates and works space like an architect, his futile, yet beautiful goal against Barcelona last May giving a perfect example. His body-shape and technique are always spot-on, a sign of a true natural. He is always positioned perfectly to receive a ball, already opening-up to make the pass or run before he’s even received it. His shooting ability is unquestionable, ditto his heading and whilst he’s no speed-merchant, he’s never been let-down by a lack of pace.He can often be an over-aggressive, short-tempered, bad-taste bellend at times but then what does anyone expect? He’s a not-very-bright Scouse lad who’s been earning fortunes and having everyone tell him he’s the bees-knee’s since he was 16 years old. Anyone believing he could be any different probably believes Joey Barton writes his own tweets.He’s got a face like a clenched –fist. A wasp-chewing bulldog would be offended by any comparison to Wayne’s kite but true beauty lies within him. He’s got it all. He’s like a combination of Glenn (one ‘n’s’ not good enough) Hoddle, Bryan Robson and Ronaldo (the proper/fat one). He lacks Ronaldo’s searing pace but so do most and as he’s a fat lad from Liverpool that’s always asking too much (The fact that he’ll clearly be 18 stone within a year of retirement only emphasises the work he puts into the pace he shows now).His goal in the Manchester derby last season is what he and indeed football are all about. Drama, Technique, beauty and ultimately, glory. Nobody who loves football could fail to be thrilled by that goal. You’ve seen it, there’s nothing not to admire. A lot of what we love about football was in that goal and Wayne Rooney scored it. Others could have, but they didn’t. Anyone could paint like Jackson Pollock but they didn’t.With the exception of Paul Scholes, Rooney’s clearly the best English player of at least the past 20 years. What’s the other competition? Gascoigne, Platt, Shearer, Ferdinand, Owen, Beckham, Gerrard? No competition. Rooney’s clearly better than all of them, has achieved at least as much and he’s only halfway through his career.Messi and Ronaldo are ahead of everybody else in terms of the world’s best, with the Argentine Peter Beardsley some way ahead of the Portuguese prima-donna. Xavi and Iniesta are great players but I want goals, fantasy and genius from the best footballers, not efficient ball-retention and Wayne Rooney provides just that (As long as he keeps his cock in his trousers except when Colleens-a-calling and does exactly what Sir Alex says, because he dosn’t half play rubbish when he’s in a bad mood).

There are two images you’re about to see here, both of them showing what our source here is saying is the official AT&T version of the soon to be released in the USA Samsung Galaxy Note. This device is already released in international sectors, that being basically everywhere outside the USA, but has yet to formally be released here in the states. What we’re seeing here is basically the same device but with AT&T branded and a slightly different bit of hardware that brings it much more in line with the USA group of Galaxy devices – notably in the front bottom area where the single physical home button has been replaced by the four Android buttons us Americans are used to.This device is being noted by SamMobile to have one notable addition that the Galaxy Note international edition does not have: an NFC Chip. THis will allow the device to interact with NFC devices galore and very possibly allow it to work with Google Wallet, a system currently only activated on the Nexus S 4G smartphone. This device has a 5.29-inch WXGA Super AMOLED display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and a stylus which fits inside the device itself for easy transport.This device will be launched with TouchWiz 4.0 over the top of Gingerbread, and will come standard with Qik for video chat. Additional bits included in this release of the device with TouchWiz 4.0 are Face Recognition, Augmented Reality, and Multistage for ease in arranging your many apps. The processor is not yet known for this release, but the 8 megapixel camera on the back complete with 1080p video recording appears to be in-tact. This device, like most recent Samsung releases, also features an MHL port which acts as a microUSB as well as an HDMI-out with the correct converter cord, also from Samsung.This device also will have Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich soon after it launches, but will still be launching with Android 2.3 Gingerbread at the start. The images you’re seeing are one press image complete with stylus and one showing the innards with what SamMobile is saying is “NFC Detail.” We’ll know more soon, we’re sure!

Malaysia’s Aileen Gabriella Robinson defeated 10 other international contestants in the grand final to be crowned Miss Tourism International (MTI) 2011 at the Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, here, Saturday night.Robinson, 22, was one of the 54 contestants representing their respective countries.Reigning Miss Tourism International Nathalie Den Dekker from the Netherlands handed over the crown to the new queen.The crowning of Miss Tourism International was telecast live over RTM1, and witnessed by thousands of revellers at Dataran Merdeka, prior to the 2012 countdown.Celebrating its 15th Anniversary, the Miss Tourism International is unique in the sense since it is the only New Year Eve’s Pageant to be held in the world and it also culminates to the biggest countdown, with delegates from 54 countries welcoming a brand new year.Also present were Deputy Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Maglin Dennis D’Cruz, president and owner of MTI Datuk Danny Ooi and chairman of Sunway Group Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah.The judges for the final were Chef Wan, supermodel Amber Chia, former Miss Malaysia Queen of Tourism 1996 Zoee Tan, artist and music lecturer Syafinaz Selamat and producer and choreographer David Kort.The Miss Tourism International is a platform to promote tourism for the hosting country and at the same time to promote peace, goodwill, and friendship among participating countries.The 18-day event saw delegates engaging in many promotional and charity activities.Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/02/malaysian-beauty-crowned-miss-tourism-international-2011/#ixzz1iGuHSjd3

CELEBRITY Chef Wan has closed his Facebook account after experiencing backlash from some quarters following his comments as a juror on Astro’s Maharaja Lawak Mega.Kosmo! reported that Chef Wan, whose real name is Datuk Redzuawan Ismail, said his Chef Wan Fan Club had become an avenue for some people to ridicule him.“The purpose of me setting up the Chef Wan Fan Club on Facebook four months ago was to share my experiences and views with my fans,” he said, adding that the page had attracted more than 80,000 fans.“However, what I have seen is that it has become a source for spewing jealousy, backstabbing and kutuk-mengutuk (condemnation), especially towards me. That is why I feel it is better that I just close my Facebook account,” he said.Among the negative comments on the site included “Jangan jatuhkan maruah orang lain … hati busuk!!! (Don’t crush other people’s dignity … rotten-hearted!!!)”.Chef Wan, who has been in the public eye for 25 years, said he would not be opening new accounts on any social network websites.He said his fans who still wanted to follow his development could watch his cooking show or read the latest news through newspapers and magazines.“Anyway, this Facebook account must be closed so that I can have a peaceful life and do all the good things in life and learn from my past experiences. Good or bad, they are all life experiences … thank you … thank you to everyone honestly from my heart,” he said in his final post.> Pop singer and actor Jamal Abdillah, 52, is confident of living independently after leaving rehabilitation centre Pengasih where he resided for the past five years, reported Metro Ahad.Thrilling some 400 fans at a concert in Kuala Terengganu last week, he later told reporters that his decision to leave Pengasih last month was appropriate.“I am grateful to that place … because it has made me who I am now. God-willing, I am confident I can be independent,” he said.He found that he could carry on with normal life in a more “meaningful way” after leaving the centre.Jamal, whose voice has been described as “timeless and evergreen” by fans, will launch his latest album Raja Pop II this month.

Iran announced a nuclear fuel breakthrough and test-fired a new radar-evading medium-range missile in the Gulf on Sunday, moves that could further antagonize the West at a time when Tehran is trying to avert harsh new sanctions on its oil industry.U.S. President Barack Obama signed a law on Saturday imposing tougher financial sanctions to penalize Iran for a nuclear research programme that the West suspects is aimed at developing nuclear weapons.The move could for the first time hurt Tehran’s oil exports, and the European Union is due to consider similar steps soon.As tensions have risen, Iran threatened last week to close the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow Gulf shipping lane through which 40 percent of world oil flows, if sanctions hit its oil exports.At the same time, it signaled on Saturday that it was ready to resume stalled international talks on its nuclear programme.It says the programme is completely peaceful and, in what Iranian media described as an engineering breakthrough, state television said Iran had successfully produced and tested its own uranium fuel rods for use in its nuclear power plants.The rods were made in Iran and inserted into the core of Tehran’s nuclear research reactor, the television reported.Iran is trying to develop its own nuclear fuel cycle to power reactors without international help. Western countries are skeptical of some of Tehran’s engineering claims but say they fear Iran’s enrichment of uranium to make fuel could eventually lead to it producing a weapon.SABRE-RATTLINGIn what has become part of a pattern of saber-rattling in recent weeks, Iran is finishing a 10-day Gulf naval exercise.Deputy Navy Commander Mahmoud Mousavi told IRNA state news agency it had successfully test fired a medium-range surface-to-air missile equipped with “the latest sophisticated anti-radar technologies.”Iran has apparently delayed pre-announced plans to test its long-range missiles during the drill, saying the weapons would be launched in the next few days. Its long-range missiles could hit Israel or U.S. bases in the Middle East.The United States and Israel say they have not ruled out military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve the dispute over its nuclear programme.Western analysts say Iran sometimes exaggerates its nuclear advances to try to gain leverage in its stand-off with the West.The U.N. Security Council has already imposed four rounds of global sanctions on Iran, but Russia and China have refused to back sanctions that would seriously affect Iran’s oil industry, so the EU and United States have taken measures on their own.Just how far the latest U.S. measures will go could depend on how Obama decides to implement them.The U.S. defense funding bill, approved by Congress last week, aims to reduce the oil revenues that make up the bulk of Iran’s export earnings. Obama signed it in Hawaii on Saturday, where he was spending the Christmas holiday.If enforced strictly, the sanctions could make it nearly impossible for most refiners to buy crude from Iran, the world’s fourth biggest producer.POSSIBLE WAIVERSHowever, Obama asked for scope to apply the measures flexibly, and will have discretion to waive penalties. Senior U.S. officials said Washington was consulting foreign partners to ensure the new measures did not harm global energy markets.Despite its missile tests, war games and threats to close the Hormuz Strait, Iran has also made conciliatory gestures, saying it wants to resume talks with major powers, stalled for a year, about its nuclear research programme.Western officials suggest the offer may be a stalling tactic to avert sanctions and buy time for more nuclear progress.Iranian media reported on Saturday that nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili would write to the EU foreign policy chief to say Iran was ready for talks.A senior Western diplomat in Tehran, who asked not to be identified, said the stepped-up Iranian threats show “that they are worried about losing petrodollars, on which more than 60 percent of the economy depends.”The rising tensions are having an impact at home. Iran’s currency has nosedived in recent weeks as ordinary Iranians have moved money from savings accounts into gold or foreign currency.The price of staple foods has increased by up to 40 percent in recent months and many critics have put the blame on increasing isolation brought about by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s economic and foreign policies.

Gotham City is a war zone. A ruthless madman named Bane has ripped away any sense of security and the citizens, haggard and clutching suitcases with refugee anxiety, sit behind barbed wire waiting to see what will blow up next. A hooded prisoner is dragged in – it’s Bruce Wayne, one of Gotham’s most famous faces – but the eyes of the crowd go instead to the woman in black standing at the top of the staircase.“Sorry to spoil things, boys, but Bane needs these guys himself,” says sultry Selina Kyle, played here by actress Anne Hathaway, navigating the steps with stiletto heels that, on closer inspection, turn out to have serrated edges capable of leaving nasty claw marks in a fight. She also wears high-tech goggles that, when not in use, flip up and resemble feline ears.Meet the new Catwoman — but don’t expect her to do any purring this time around. “I love the costume,” Hathaway said last summer on the set of “The Dark Knight Rises,” after shooting that scene for the film. “I love the costume because everything has a purpose, nothing is in place for fantasy’s sake, and that’s the case with everything in Christopher Nolan’s Gotham City.”Nolan is the director who truly made Batman a grim creature of the night after decades of Hollywood versions that climbed into the Batmobile with a wink. On July 20, the filmmaker delivers “The Dark Knight Rises,” his third and, he says, his final Gotham City film. Christian Bale, now a newly minted Oscar winner, is back as the haunted hero and the supporting cast again includes Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.The newcomers this time include Hathaway and Tom Hardy (who worked with Nolan on “Inception”), who plays Bane, the hulking, masked terrorist who will test the hero physically more than any of his previous foes, Nolan says. The movie is set eight years after the events of “The Dark Knight,” the billion-dollar 2008 hit that will be a tough act to follow, especially considering the Oscar-winning performance by Heath Ledger as the Joker.Hathaway says the new script (based on a story by Nolan and David S. Goyer and written by the director and his brother, Jonathan Nolan) is strong and that she and Hardy have Nolan on their side, which counts for a lot in a franchise that has been defined by his carefully crafted shadows and symbols.“Gotham City is full of grace,” Hathaway said. “You look at Heath’s performance as the Joker, there was a lot of madness there but there was also a grace and he had a code there. There’s a lot of belief and codes of behavior in Gotham and my character has one, too. A lot of the way she moves and interacts with people is informed by her worldview. Chris has given us all such complex, defined, sophisticated worldviews that it’s just a matter of doing your homework and getting underneath the character’s skin.

Batman 3 Anne Hathaway dropped new details about her Catwoman character & more. Recently, Hero Complex hit up the beautiful Anne Hathaway for an interview,and she revealed a few more, exclusive details about her Catwoman role in the upcoming Dark Knight Rises flick.First, she dropped details about her love for the new costume. She said, she loved the costume because “everything has a purpose, nothing is in place for fantasy’s sake, and that’s the case with everything in Christopher Nolan’s Gotham City.”Next, she chatted about her new version of Catwoman,and isn’t affected by previous versions that came before her, because each Catwoman “is defined by the context of the Gotham City created around her. Catwoman is so influenced by Gotham and whoever is creating Gotham at the time. You have to live in whatever the reality of the world is and whatever Gotham is.”They also talked with director Nolan,and he revealed his take on Anne as the Cat. He said, she had something that was very important for this role. “She’s an incredibly talented but naturalistic actress, which makes her great in film. She also has terrific theatrical skill so she can project a persona and there’s a big aspect of the character that is a persona. She’s a multi-layered character and we needed a great actress that could rise to that challenge.”