News and Reviews

Tony Scott: Top Gun director dies after Los Angeles bridge jump

2012-08-20T08:08:00.000+01:00

Tony Scott, the British-born Hollywood director behind hits including Top Gun and Crimson Tide, has died after jumping off a Los Angeles bridge, authorities said today.

Film director Tony Scott died after jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles Photo: AFP/Getty Images/AP

The 68 year-old, originally from North Shields, died from horrific injuriesafter he plunged 185 feet from the Vincent Thomas Bridge, at lunchtime on Sunday.

Witnesses reported seeing the father-of-two calmly parking his black Toyota Prius near the bridge, climb a fence on the south side of the bridge's apex and leap off "without hesitation" just after 12:30p.m local time.

Within hours of his death becoming public, Hollywood paid tribute to the younger brother of film-maker Ridley Scott, who was frequently seen behind the camera in his signature faded red baseball cap.

The US Coast Guard said officials found a note listing contact information inside his car, which was parked on an eastbound lane of the cable-suspension bridge.

A suicide note was later found at the downtown Los Angeles office of the Hollywood legend, who also directed Days Of Thunder and Beverly Hills Cop II.

Today, it was believed that his actress wife, Donna Scott, who appeared in several of her husband's films, was being comforted by friends and family at their Beverly Hills home.

“I can confirm that Tony Scott has indeed passed away,” said his publicist, Simon Halls.

“The family asks that their privacy be respected at this time.”

Today colleagues and fans struggled to explain why the successful director would commit suicide as many took to Twitter to post their tributes.

Director Ron Howard, led tributes, saying: "No more Tony Scott movies. Tragic day."

Stephen Fry, the British actor, said: "Deeply saddened to hear the news about Tony Scott. A fine film-maker and the most charming, modest man."

Rob Schneider, the actor, said: "So sorry to hear Tony Scott is dead. A great director."

James Gunn, a film-maker, added: "RIP Tony Scott. Damn. He was a huge inspiration. Very sad."

The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office said a dive team using sonar equipment pulled the body from the murky waters in Los Angeles harbour several hours later after a massive search.

Lieutenant Joe Bale, a watch commander for the coroner's office, said there was no evidence to suggest foul play.

“At this point we are investigating this as a suicide,” he said. “There is nothing to lead us to believe otherwise. A note was left in the car.”

The two brothers ran Scott Free Productions and were working jointly on a film called "Killing Lincoln," based on the best seller by Bill O'Reilly. Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" was a summer blockbuster, which has grossed $327 million (£208 million) worldwide.

Their company produced the CBS dramas "NUMB3RS" and "The Good Wife" as well as a 2011 documentary about the Battle of Gettysburg for the History Channel.

Tony Scott was known for hyper-kinetic action and editing, although he never won an Oscar and critics often dismissed his movies for emphasising style over substance.

Top Gun, a film about the US fighter jets starring Tom Cruise, was one of the highest-grossing films of the 1980s which quickly became a cult classic. Since its release in 1986 it has grossed almost $354 million (£225 million).

Top Gun's producers, Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, signed Scott to direct the movie after being impressed by a commercial he had done for Swedish automaker Saab in the early 1980s in which a car races a fighter jet.

The trio worked together again four years later on the NASCAR-set Days of Thunder, which also starred Cruise's soon to become wife Nicole Kidman.

Crimson Tide, the 1995 submarine thriller, was another blockbuster whose cast included Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. He later directed Hackman in Enemy of the State, with Will Smith.

Scott frequently worked with Denzel Washington, most recently on the runaway train drama "Unstoppable." Scott and Washington collaborated on four other films: Man on Fire, Deja Vu and The Taking of Pelham 123.

Other films produced by Scott included True Romance and Man On Fire.

He said during an interview before the release of Taking of Pelham 123: "My whole career I’ve always tried to avoid CGI, whether it’s planes, cars or trains.

"It’s something in terms of the drama and the performances that gives me a reality and more of an edge."

Last year Cruise confirmed talks were underway about a sequel to the 1986 hit Top Gun that would see him reprise the role of fighter pilot Lt Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

On the red carpet in Munich, Cruise confirmed he has been developing a script with Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

A port mortem examination will be performed later today. One lane of the eastbound side of the bridge was closed as investigations continued.

Completed in 1963, the 6,060-foot bridge, which spans San Pedro and Terminal Island in Los Angeles, is a known suicide spot.

Sourced: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9486673/Tony-Scott-Top-Gun-director-dies-after-Los-Angeles-bridge-jump.html

We'll be deadliest in Europe with Van Persie, says Fergie ahead of £24m deal

2012-08-16T20:28:00.002+01:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed Manchester United will possess arguably Europe's most fearsome strikeforce when Robin van Persie arrives.

Van Persie arrived at London St Pancras train station on Thursday morning before setting off to Manchester to complete his medical.

He should be ready to make his Manchester United debut at Everton on Monday.

Ferguson has spoken about the new-look attacking options of Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez, and the comparisons with the 1999 set of Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Speaking at a press conference, Ferguson said: 'They (Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie) are two fantastic players and it will be great to have both of them. It gives us more strength and more combinations up front.

'In 1999 I had Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the four best strikers in Europe.

'We are going towards that now with Javier Hernandez, Wayne Rooney, Robin, Danny Welbeck and Shinji Kagawa.

It is a fantastic collection of players and hopefully I pick the right combinations It is great to have a player of Robin van Persie's qualities to come into the squad. I am very pleased.'

United sealed the signing of the summer when Arsenal agreed to sell Van Persie to their Barclays Premier League rivals for £24million.

Even one of the players whose place is threatened expressed his delight, with Welbeck keen to welcome Van Persie into the United fold.

'It is a massive boost to the club if Robin van Persie joins us,' he said. 'I am really looking forward to playing with him.'

After weeks of negotiating with Arsenal and the Holland striker, United have beaten Manchester City and Juventus to Van Persie’s signature and the 29-year-old will have a medical at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Launch: Sir Alex Ferguson was speaking at the club's link-up with sponsor bwin

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Ferguson said: 'He is on his way up from London for a medical. We hope that goes according to plan.

'His agent is in discussions with (United chief executive) David Gill right about now. We hope all the things will be tied up, although sometimes medicals do take a bit longer. I am sure he will be available for Monday's game.'

Arsene Wenger has admitted that Arsenal were powerless to stop Robin van Persie signing for Manchester United.

Wenger has the best part of two weeks to spend some of the money before the transfer window is closed. He said on French TV on Wednesday night: ‘It’s sad to lose a player of his quality. He had only one year left on his contract so we didn’t have the choice.’

On the move: Bookmakers Coral were quick to set up this stunt outside the Emirates

United front: Sir Alex Ferguson has finally got his man by agreeing a deal for Robin van Persie

Asked who he would recruit, Wenger said: 'We already signed Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud.'

Van Persie is the first Arsenal player to join United since Viv Anderson in 1987 and the move has riled Gunners fans, who took to Twitter to abuse him.

United are understood to have agreed a £15m downpayment for last season’s Footballer of the Year and Players’ Player — who scored 30 Premier League goals for last season. That will rise to £24m depending on appearances. Van Persie is expected to sign a four-year contract worth over £200,000 a week.

A statement on United’s website said: ‘Manchester United is pleased to announce it has reached agreement with Arsenal for the transfer of Robin van Persie. The deal is subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms.’

In signing Van Persie, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has laid down a clear marker ahead of the new season. It is the first time the club have paid for a big name since Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham for £30.75m in 2008.

Having decided two or three years ago they would not sign players over the age of 27, United have signified just how far they are prepared to go to wrest the title back from City.

Final hurdle: The protracted deal will be concluded when Van Persie has a medical on Thursday

City manager Roberto Mancini will be particularly irritated that United have been allowed to steal his top target from under his nose, and this will test his strained relationship with the club’s football administrator Brian Marwood still further.

'Last season was disappointing for us because we didn't win the league,' said veteran defender Rio Ferdinand.

'Now it is about how we come back. We have shown in the past the mentality of the club and its history is that we always come back stronger.

'We want to give the fans what they expect and be battling at the top of the league. The gauntlet has been thrown down time and time again. It is up to us to pull in the right direction.

'We have to step up to the plate and produce. I am sure we will.'

Van Persie was on Wednesday night with Holland, who lost a friendly 4-2 to Belgium. He is expected to fly to Manchester early on Thursday morning.

His departure will leave Arsenal fans angry that yet another of their star players has decided to depart in search of an improved salary and better prospects for winning major honours.

Van Persie follows Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas, who left a year ago, although the club recovered from a poor start — including an 8-2 demolition by United at Old Trafford — to finish third.

Talisman: Van Persie bagged the vast majority of Arsenal's goals last season

Michael Carrick, who was on duty with England on Wednesday, was first to comment on the deal.

He said: 'Someone mentioned in the dressing room about Van Persie and if it goes through, it will be brilliant. He had a terrific season and he will further strengthen our squad. It is a great boost going into the new season.

'He is a world class player and we have always been about bringing in players of that ability.

'Can it make the difference between second and first? There wasn't much difference so hopefully we can go that step further! But the club has always had strength in depth and it is about the squad and not the 11 on the pitch.'

Sourced: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2189241/Robin-van-Persie-make-Manchester-United-best-Europe-says-Alex-Ferguson.html#ixzz23jsmZva5

Wolves eyeing Geromel signing

2012-08-13T14:57:00.000+01:00

Wolves boss Stale Solbakken has confirmed he intends to raid former club Cologne again for £3million-rated defender Pedro Geromel.

Solbakken has already brought winger Slawomir Peszko to Molineux on loan from the German outfit but is now eyeing an ambitious attempt to convince Geromel to join him.

The 26-year-old Brazilian centre-back was made captain at Cologne by the Norwegian but has since found himself surplus to requirements as the club seek to cut costs following relegation.

A fee of £3million has been mentioned for the former Vitoria Guimaraes man with Spanish sides Sevilla and Celta Vigo among the favourites to secure his signature.

But with both Primera Liga teams struggling to find the funds for the deal, the Wolves boss believes a move could be possible.

"We are also to talk to Cologne about Pedro, of course," Solbakken told Cologne-based tabloid Express.

"Those clubs from Spain are having financial troubles. Maybe it's a chance for us to step up and do it."

Wolves are keen to add a defender with Christophe Berra having asked for a transfer away from the Championship club.

That resulted in the Scot being booed by Wolves fans during his warm-up against Aldershot on Saturday and again when he came on as a substitute in extra-time.

But Solbakken is relaxed about that situation and feels it would not be a problem if Berra stays.

"That's what happens in football," he said.

"If Christophe stays here after the transfer deadline and fights for the cause of the club I am sure that will be okay."

Sourced: http://www.teamtalk.com/wolverhampton-wanderers/7987087/Wolves-eyeing-Geromel-signing

BOA promises even more medals in Rio

2012-08-13T12:26:00.000+01:00

The British Olympic Association is adamant Team GB can claim even more medals at the next Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, following a remarkable performance on home turf.

London 2012 saw the best British medal haul since 1920, the result of extensive investment in a variety of sports for over a decade as athletes from disciplines as diverse as rowing, track cycling, equestrian and judo all delivered medals.

Some have feared that matching the final total of 65 medals (29 golds) will prove impossible in Brazil in four years' time, but BOA chief Lord Moynihan has pledged to do everything in his power to ensure this is not the high watermark for British Olympic achievement, but rather the latest step on a path of continued progress.

"The aspiration is always to push on and do better - absolutely," Lord Moynihan said. "If you're an athlete, if you're a team, your aspiration is always to do better. No question at all in my mind.

"You never say, 'Okay, we did very well. Now let's fall back'.

"We have phenomenal athletes in this country, unbelievable athletes, and we're building great support structures.

"And we must always push on and always raise the bar and always seek to do better."

On Sunday, the government announced that elite-level funding would be guaranteed for a further two years, taking it up to Rio and giving the relevant bodies scope to plan well into the future.

While a new medal target will not be set imminently, Moynihan stressed that all those sporting bodies will have their results assessed to work out areas for improvement in the next few months.

"Every sport should have a comprehensive review of their performance," he added. "Those who have done really well will need to review why they did really well.

"Those who haven't lived up to the expectations will need to review that.

"It won't be until we're very close to Rio that we have an assessment of who we're competing against, let alone how good our own team is."

Chef du mission Andy Hunt agreed that there is no reason why Team GB cannot score even more medals at the next Games.

"I believe it could be more than that," he said. "And that's such an important legacy from these Games.

"Our insight and engagement with sports is like never before and we're not going to stop that."

Some sports will have to adjust to a new reality, however. Swimming, for example, failed to deliver on its pre-Games predictions (winning just three medals, none of which were gold) - a performance that will likely result in a slash in funding levels.

Michael Scott, performance director of British Swimming, is aware a complete overhaul of how their system works will likely be demanded, with input taken from more successful sports like cycling.

"When we know the reality of the funding situation, my job is to determine those new priorities and deliver them," Scott said. "Most likely we will have to be leaner and meaner. That means things will change."

He added: "We are looking at people who can come in and openly and honestly challenge us.

"We have made approaches and not necessarily to people within the sport of swimming. You have to look at Team GB as a whole and say there is expertise in this country that could be used to sharpen our focus."

Sourced: http://www.espn.co.uk/london-olympics-2012/sport/story/164978.html#rBqMgxrLjK37X0Zj.99

Jennifer Aniston engaged to Justin Theroux

2012-08-13T10:23:00.000+01:00

"Justin Theroux had an amazing birthday on Friday, receiving an extraordinary gift when his girlfriend Jennifer Aniston accepted his proposal of marriage," Theroux's representative told the celebrity magazine.

Aniston's publicist Steven Huvane confirmed the engagement.

Aniston, 43, and Theroux, 41, have been dating for more than a year and appeared in the comedy "Wanderlust" in February.

No wedding date was announced.

The marriage will be the second for Aniston, one of Hollywood's favourite actresses and a frequent face in romantic comedies.

Her first union with Brad Pitt ended in divorce after five in 2005, when Pitt fell in love with actress Angelina Jolie, and Aniston's love life has been followed closely ever since by the world's celebrity media.

Aniston's previous boyfriends include singer John Mayer and actor Vince Vaughn.

Pitt and Jolie announced their engagement in April but have not publicly set a wedding date.

Sourced: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/celebritynews/9471687/Jennifer-Aniston-engaged-to-Justin-Theroux.html

London Olympics 2012: A musical farewell to the world

2012-08-13T08:22:00.001+01:00

After 16 days of sporting heroism which made London the centre of the world, the curtain fell on the Olympics last night with a display of exuberant – at times anarchic – revelry that had but one message: "Goodbye world, we hope you had as good a time as we did. Now let's dance."

With 29 gold medals – the last arriving just hours before the grand finale in the Olympic Stadium – reflecting the glory of the best performance by a British team in 104 years, the Closing Ceremony delivered the grandest of grand hurrahs for London 2012.

From a rendition of "God Save the Queen" introduced by Timothy Spall playing Winston Churchill emerging from a miniaturised Big Ben, to Russell Brand on top of a trippy bus and Freddie Mercury's voice delivering "Bohemian Rhapsody" from beyond the grave, this was Britain showing that as well as putting on the greatest show on earth, it can party too.

Just as Danny Boyle's opening jamboree had enthralled the nation with his heady cocktail of the sublime, a skydiving monarch and Mr Bean, so artistic director Kim Gavin, a ballet dancer turned stadium tour impresario, provided a sumptuous feast of British creativity and eccentricity.

Gone was the didactic splendour of the Opening Ceremony with its giant NHS beds and Satanic Mills, Jarrow marchers and Sir Tim Berners Lee. This was all about having fun and, after putting on an unquestionably fine Games, London had reason to celebrate.

The Who, those titans of universally recognised but uniquely British pop, were due to bring the three-hour performance to a climax with a thundering rendition of "My Generation".

A week after his wife lost their daughter, Poppy, in a still birth, Take That's Gary Barlow was due to perform "Rule the World" with the band in a dramatic sequence leading to the extinguishing of the Olympic Flame.

But, reserving the right of this host nation to bamboozle the rest of the planet, there was also the downright wacky. The Reliant Robin immortalised in the classic comedy Only Fools and Horses made an explosive appearance followed by the sight of 160 Household Guards marching behind Madness while playing an instrumental version of Blur's "Parklife".

And do not even mention the multi-coloured octopus and the taxi ballet.

Gavin, speaking before the ceremony, said: "We wanted to host a celebration of all that's good about London, British people, our music and our culture. And capture the spirit that's inspired so much global creativity over the past 50 years."

Watched by dignitaries including Prince Harry, representing his grandmother, and Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee, the extravaganza began with a shout of "It's nine o'clock" from the capacity 80,000 crowd and Scottish R'*'B singer Emeli Sande on a purposely monochrome stage belting out her anthem to success "Read All About It" from the back of a rubbish truck.

And then it ended. Speeches from London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe and Jacques Rogge heralded the official close of the Games as Thomas Heatherwick's copper petal cauldron was finally extinguished after 16 days of constant burning. The only thing left to do was sing away the end of the night and that honour was given to The Who accompanied by the ballerina Darcey Bussell. Goodbye world. Thanks for coming.

Sourced: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/london-olympics-2012-a-musical-farewell-to-the-world-8037279.html

Ted – Film Review

2012-08-10T19:40:00.000+01:00

Stolid, easygoing Mark Wahlberg stars as John Bennett, who as a lonely and unhappy child growing up in 1980s Massachusetts made a poignant Christmas wish on a falling star. He yearned for his teddy bear, named Teddy, to come to life … and so it did. We see the process of Teddy becoming a national sensation with TV appearances on Johnny Carson, but before you know it, they are both grown up, and Teddy has become curtly abbreviated to Ted (voiced by MacFarlane). He's a has-been, an ex-celebrity, depressed and foul-mouthed, addicted to casual and demeaning sex, smoking weed with his feckless buddy John on the couch at nine in the morning, or in the park, and complaining that he feels like one of the cast members of Diff'rent Strokes – "You know, the live ones." As for John, his adulthood has been catastrophically impaired by loyalty to his friend, the way the mental age of famous people is frozen at the age at which they became famous. He is working for a boring car-hire company, but is living with a beautiful, ambitious and very tolerant career woman, Lori (Mila Kunis), who is sick of sharing her man with a talking toy bear. Soon it will be time for John to make a big life choice. Either Ted goes – or she does.

Peter Bradshaw, Xan Brooks and Catherine Shoard review Ted on the Guardian Film Show Link to this video

It might be a stretch to claim that Ted is a satirical commentary on the infantilised state of western male culture, because it is not so much a satire as a cheerfully and unironically supportive celebration. Ted could, with some script tweaks, be read as some sort of M Night Shyamalan-type mystery, or a wish-fulfilment tale of males somehow finding a way to let their id cathartically speak out, loud and proud – though here again we are straying into Gibson/Beaver territory.

Shamelessly incorrect ... Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlance in Ted. Photograph: Universal Pictures/Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar

Britain's current Olympic mood – generous, wholesome and healthily upbeat – is very wrong for this film. Seth MacFarlane, the creator of TV's Family Guy, has co-written and directed a stoner fantasy comedy which is cynical and lethargic, sour and dour; it is misanthropic, crass, facetious, offensive, immature and very funny. Ted is about a grown man's relationship with a non-imaginary imaginary animal; it is quite without the sympathetic, redemptive notes of films such as Harvey or ET or the Toy Stories, movies to which it would not dare or bother to compare itself. However, compared to The Beaver starring Mel Gibson, the tale of a menopausal executive who speaks to a hand puppet, Ted is a watercolour exercise in whimsical charm

Actually, it is probably simply another example of the nostalgia to which screen comics are prone: the nostalgia for the student or ex-student days of messing around, talking about stupid TV shows and pop culture and having fun – the playful atmosphere from which their deadly serious vocation of comedy originally sprang. It is the same mood as that in Old School, or Knocked Up, or The 40-Year-Old Virgin: a man-boy world of guys who accept the future necessity of working for a living and want to escape it. A toy bear toils not, neither does it spin, and so exercises an awful fascination.

In Ted, MacFarlane includes a derogatory reference to Adam Sandler's appalling comedy Jack and Jill: and of course how could any reference to that film be anything other than derogatory? Yet there are Sandlerisms here. The poster showing John and Ted at the urinals is very like that for Sandler's foster-father comedy Big Daddy (1999), and in fact the knowing, goof-off mood is reminiscent of Judd Apatow's interesting filmFunny People, about the emotionally paralysed life of a madly successful Hollywood comedian.

This unfolds in a series of vignettes without all that much in the way of an important narrative arc, and I admit Mila Kunis's role is a pretty thankless one. But in its shamelessly incorrect way, it is very funny. I enjoyed Ted and John's bizarre exchange on the subject of white-trash names, their final falling out, and the subsequent brutal and extended fight in a hotel room. This film may well be dismissed by some with the phrase "comedy is very subjective", a phrase traditionally used by pundits to mean: "This is absolutely and objectively unfunny but I am far too wearily mature to argue about it." In my experience, comedy is subjective, but no more so than anything else. Ted has nothing much to offer in terms of subtlety and sensitivity, but there are plenty of laughs.

Sourced: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/aug/02/ted-review

Cardiff confirm Bellamy signing

2012-08-10T18:38:00.002+01:00

The 33-year-old was officially a free agent after his contract at Liverpool had expired earlier this summer.

Bellamy, who enjoyed a loan spell with his hometown club during the 2010/11 season, will join his team-mates next week ahead of their Championship opener against Huddersfield.

"I would like to place on record my thanks to a number of key parties that have facilitated Craig's return," Bluebirds chief executive Alan Whiteley told the club's official website.

"I would also like to thank our manager for his tenacity and single mindedness in ensuring the transfer could take place - and for making my life a misery until such time as it could be completed!

"Finally to Craig, for having the confidence and courage to buy into and wanting to be a part of the club's future. Craig's return will be met with huge excitement and enthusiasm by all Cardiff City fans - and as the perfect backdrop to the start of the new season."

Sourced: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/cardiff-confirm-bellamy-signing-134435069.html

Roy Hodgson leaves the England door open for John Terry

2012-08-10T18:36:00.002+01:00

Roy Hodgson has said John Terry is still part of his England plans and only a length FA ban would change that. Photograph: Alexander Khudeteply/AFP/Getty Images

Roy Hodgson has indicated he wants to keep John Terry in his plans for the England team even if the Football Association rules that the Chelsea captain did racially abuse Anton Ferdinand.

Terry will not be involved in Wednesday's friendly against Italy after Hodgson named an experimental squad notable for the return of Michael Carrick and call-ups for Jack Rodwell, Steven Caulker, Jake Livermore and Ryan Bertrand.

Hodgson was always planning to experiment and the England manager said it would need "an enormous ban" for Terry not to remain a part of future squads at the end of the FA's disciplinary hearing.

Hodgson said the same applied to Rio Ferdinand, Anton's elder brother, who has been charged with misconduct by the FA for responding to a tweet about "choc-ice" in a conversation about Ashley Cole's evidence during Terry's recent trial at Westminster magistrates' court. Ferdinand said his comment was misconstrued.

However, Ferdinand's exclusion from the latest squad all but confirms what is widely known already, namely that his international career is over while Hodgson is in charge. Terry faces a more serious offence, which he denies, arising from Chelsea's trip to QPR last October, but Hodgson does not believe a guilty verdict should rule the player out of being picked to represent his country in the future.

"John Terry has been through a charge in a court; now he has to go through the process the FA has embarked upon," Hodgson said. "The same applies to Rio. As far as I am concerned, it is a disciplinary matter, which the FA will take care of.

"As long as they don't suffer enormous bans that will keep them out of my thinking there is no reason for me to believe I can't consider them in the future. And obviously I will."

As well as Terry, Hodgson has also left out his other first-choice defenders from Euro 2012 – Cole, Joleon Lescott and Glen Johnson – and several other senior players, including Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney. Frank Lampard returns in midfield and Hodgson blamed a misunderstanding for Carrick's non-involvement in Euro 2012.

"Michael Carrick would have always been in our thinking. I was given to believe he didn't want to be part of the England setup. He didn't want to be considered for the Euros so I reluctantly thought if people are not available they are not available."

Carrick had, indeed, withdrawn from contention while Fabio Capello was still in charge at the beginning of the year, on the basis he was fed up of being a fringe player. Stuart Pearce, the caretaker manager, asked him to return for the February friendly against Holland but could not talk him round. David Geiss, Carrick's agent, then informed the FA this was still the case shortly before Hodgson named his Euro 2012 squad.

"He [Carrick] has had discussions with Gary [Neville] and me since and it turns out that he does want to play," Hodgson said. "This is an ideal opportunity to invite him to play for England again. There has never been any doubt that Carrick has not been in our thoughts or our wishes. It was more a case of believing he wasn't available for England and that it was a final decision."

Hodgson's squad includes five of the players who were involved in the Olympics with Great Britain. "I think it's very important to get a look at some of the younger players. But it's also important to make sure that the players who should have been with us at the Euros – John Ruddy, Frank Lampard, Gary Cahill – had a chance to come with us.

"There's a good balance in the squad. There are plenty of senior players to start the game for us but it will also be nice to see some of the younger ones. I've left [out] a lot of the players who did extremely well at the Euros – the senior players whose position is in no doubt – to give others a chance."

England squad to play Italy in Berne on 15 August

Joe Hart (Man City), Jack Butland (Birmingham), John Ruddy (Norwich); Kyle Walker (Spurs), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Steven Caulker (Spurs), Phil Jagielka , Leighton Baines (both Everton), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea); Jack Rodwell (Everton), Michael Carrick (Man Utd), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Jake Livermore (Spurs), Tom Cleverley (Man Utd), James Milner, Adam Johnson (both Man City), Ashley Young (Man Utd), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Theo Walcott (Arsenal); Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Spurs).

Sourced: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/aug/10/roy-hodgson-england-john-terry

Beckham to play 'small part' in Olympic opening ceremony

2012-07-24T22:30:00.000+01:00

The LA Galaxy midfielder was controversially left out of Stuart Pearce's 18-man team for the Games but has now confirmed that he will continue to be involved in London.

Beckham was part of the successful bid team seven years ago and described how grateful he remains to Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, for giving him a part to play.

"It's amazing to see," Beckham told ITV. "To be involved in the bid team that got the Olympics to London is something I feel very proud about.

"[I will have] some kind of role in the opening ceremony which I am honored to be involved in because obviously I was involved in the start of this process seven years ago.

"For it to all come to life now, and to see the Olympic Park built and all the athletes start to arrive is exciting.

"I'm privileged to still be involved in this. I was involved seven years ago [in bringing the Games to London] and Seb [Coe] has kept me involved since then. I feel very honoured with that.

"At the time I said it felt a bit strange to be involved in an Olympic bid team, because I'd never performed in the Olympics or been an Olympian. So to be asked to be part of that bid team, I was very honoured.

"Seb's an amazing man who's done amazing things leading up to these Olympics, and who continues to do amazing things. So for him to keep me involved, I feel privileged."

Beckham, now 37, has won more England caps than any other outfield player and captained his country between 2000 and 2006.

Sourced: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/4433/2012-olympics/2012/07/24/3262986/beckham-to-play-small-part-in-olympic-opening-ceremony

iPhone 5 expected to launch in September with new connector

2012-07-24T21:50:00.003+01:00

Apple's next iPhone, already being dubbed the iPhone 5, is expected to launch in mid-September, with a new "nano-sim" system to enable the device, the Guardian has learned.

Sources also say that the device will introduce a new 19-pin power and control connector on its base, dumping the 30-pin connector first introduced with the third-generation iPod in April 2003.

The new phone is also expected to include 4G mobile broadbandcapability, but only offer compatibility with networks in the US. 4G networks in Europe and the rest of the world transmit on different frequencies and so are incompatible with US systems.

Apple will be the first major manufacturer to use the nano-sim card. Some operators began ordering the chip cards in substantial numbers even while Apple, Nokia and BlackBerry-maker RIM were still wrangling over the fine details in spring this year.

The nano-sim design is 40% smaller even than the micro-sim used insmartphones such as the iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Nokia Lumia range introduced in the past 12 months, and was only agreed by the European standards body ETSI on 1 June.

Mobile phone companies anticipate a mid-September launch for the iPhone 5, and expect demand to be extremely high as present owners of iPhone 3G and 3GS look to upgrade, and those who have not yet bought a smartphone consider a shift from an older featurephone.

The Taiwanese electronics news site Digitimes has quoted industry sources saying that Pegatron, a contract manufacturer, has begun making the new iPhone at its factory in Shanghai. It also says that Pegatron is making new versions of the iPad for a third-quarter shipment date.

Another source in China, quoted by the French site App4Phone, suggests that Apple will release the next iPhone on Friday 21 September.

If correct, that would be the day on which the phone goes on sale, because manufacturers want to release new handsets to consumers at the beginning of the weekend.

Last year, Apple chief executive Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone 4S on Tuesday 4 October, and the phone went on sale on Friday 14 October.

If the 21 September release date is correct, that would imply a public unveiling by Apple on Tuesday 11 September this year.

Dumping the 30-pin connector for a new design could hobble the multi-billion-dollar business for iPhone, iPod and iPad accessories, which relied on the now likely-to-be-outmoded proprietary socket to connectthe Apple equipment to the power supply or other devices.

Apple will be keen to begin selling a new iPhone as soon as possible. Last year expectations were high that, as from 2007 to 2010, it would announce the new model in June and start selling it soon afterwards.

But instead the iPhone 4S launch did not come until October, leading to a dramatic dip in iPhone sales in the July-September quarter.

Though sales of the 4S and the rest of the iPhone range was very high, Cook said at Apple's earnings announcement that month that the company knew there was great anticipation in June and July and that speculation hit extreme highs by September 2011.

Consumers held off buying Apple phones that month in anticipation of the new model.

Accessory makers will be holding their breath to find out more about the new design.

The website iMore, which was the first to report in February that the next iPhone would remodel its connector, said on Tuesday night that Apple would offer an adapter to enable 19-pin devices to link to older 30-pin connectors and accessories.

But that will still leave accessory makers in a quandary about whether to focus on the newer connector, in the expectation that more devices will use those in the future, or to stick with the old one – which fits more than half a billion iPods, iPhone and iPads.

The accessory business is highly competitive, yet offers retailers a better margin than selling Apple devices alone.

Retail margins on the items are typically around 40%, compared to about 10% on iPods or iPads. Some manufacturers will almost certainly make adapters to let older iOS 30-pin devices connect to the new 19-pin systems.

Speculation is already building, with a survey carried out by ChangeWave Research reporting unprecedented demand for the next iPhone: a poll of 4,042 American consumers found 14% "very likely" to buy one, and 17% "somewhat likely" to.

The iPhone commands a substantial share of the US market, helped by subsidies from US carriers.

UK operators, too, expect to see heavy demand for the new phone, whose release would also bring a new version of Apple's iOS which dispenses with Google for its mapping system.

O2, which originally signed up many iPhone users in the UK, could lose out as the new phone is expected to be available through every carrier, leading to a more competitive market than previously for owners looking to upgrade.

Apple said it did not comment on rumours and speculation.

Sourced: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jul/24/iphone-5-launch-expected-september?newsfeed=true

Roger Johnson wins support of Wolves boss

2012-07-23T17:07:00.000+01:00

Stale Solbakken today insisted Roger Johnson can win over the Wolves fans again by showing 100 per cent commitment to the cause.

The manager has extended the £4m signing an olive branch after his Wolves career hit the rocks following a problematic first season at the club which saw him turn up to train showing the effects of alcohol, involved in a heated exchange with keeper Wayne Hennessey against Bolton and dropped from the team.

Johnson has returned to pre-season in excellent shape, however, and looking like he is determined to grasp his chance.

Fans’ reaction to Johnson has showed signs of thawing and Solbakken is hoping the 29-year-old can be the player Wolves thought they had signed last summer.

“Roger has a revenge mission to perform from last season,” said the boss.

“I’ve told him that he can have a fresh start if he can handle the situation both on and off the pitch. From what I’ve seen so far, he’s trained well and is very fit and is mentally in a good place.

“It’s up to him to bury things that happened or may have happened last year. The situation with the fans is also a little bit up to Roger.

“I don’t know so much about what happened last year, but if there has been a strained relationship with the fans, I think that can be solved if he shows 100 per cent commitment on and off the pitch.”

Solbakken wants a dominant centre-back and looks to have missed out on Real Sociedad’s Vadim Demidov, now set for a £1m move to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Meanwhile, Solbakken welcomed Irish trio Stephen Ward, Stephen Hunt and Kevin Doyle back to pre-season training today.

“They should have big roles to play this season,” he said. “All three of them have experience and the potential to make us a good team next season. With 46 games you need a lot of good players.”

Solbakken, also prepared to welcome back midfielder Adlene Guedioura, added: “If they’ve been lying on the beach for a long time they have to catch up fast! I’m sure they’ve done their programmes and we’re looking forward to seeing them.”

* Steven Fletcher (2), Matt Jarvis, Frank Nouble and Matt Doherty scored in Wolves’ 5-1 friendly win over Bray Wanderers.

Sourced: http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2012/07/23/roger-johnson-wins-support-of-wolves-boss/

Revealed: iPad prototype from 2002 that Steve Jobs denied existed

2012-07-20T12:23:00.000+01:00

The iPad 2, photographed against Apple's 2002 iPad prototype, known as '035'. Photograph: Buzzfeed

Apple's court battle against Korea's Samsung in the US has yieldedpictures of a prototype iPad, and testimony from chief designer Jonathan Ive which indicates that the American company was working on a tabletdesign called "035" as far back as 2002 - even though Steve Jobsdenied exactly that a year later.

Jobs told an audience at the AllThingsD conference in April 2003 that tablets were a "niche market": "a bunch or rich guys who can afford their third computers." He told Walt Mossberg: ""If you do email of any volume you've gotta have a keyboard. We looked at the [Microsoft] tablet and we think it's gonna fail." The audience would be too small, limited to the very wealthy: "You know, they've got their desktop, they got a portable, and now they got one of these to read with, that's your market."

But testimony from Ive, given in one of the many court battles betweenSamsung and Apple in the US, says that he had seen the prototype - in effect a mockup of a working product - as early as 2002. "My recollection of first seeing it is very hazy, but it was, I'm guessing, some time between 2002 and 2004… I remember seeing this and perhaps models similar to this when we were first exploring tablet designs that ultimately became the iPad."

The '035' prototype (on left) was much thicker than the final iPad 2 (on right) Photograph: Buzzfeed

The prototype - pictures of which are shown here (some from the original court documents, and some courtesy of Buzzfeed) show that Ive's original designs for the iPad were a bulky device almost as large as the Macbook laptop that the company then made.

It has no home button, although it does have an Apple logo on the back. Compared to the iPad launched in 2010, the "035" looks enormously thick. It has the same rounded corners used on the existing iPad.

Samsung is using the evidence of the prototype - which was referenced in a patent filed by Apple - to say that there should be no restriction on sales of its Galaxy Tab in the US.

Apple '035' iPad prototype shown against Samsung Galaxy Tab. Source: court documents.

In line with the way that the cases between Samsung and Apple have thrown both companies into contorted legal positions - with Apple now facing the prospect of advertising its rival's product, while Samsung saw a complaint from Apple dismissed on the basis that the Korean's product was "not cool" - in a docket filed on 6 July, Samsung insists that Apple should not be able to injunct its sales in the US because they are so small: "Even when the entire family of Galaxy Tab tablets is considered collectively, Samsung only has a 15.4% share of Android tablets," it says in its deposition. "This new evidence demonstrates that Samsung is not only not 'flooding the market;' it is actually losing market share to Apple and other manufacturers."

Samsung also says that Apple invalidated one of its own patents on the iPad-style design with an earlier product, the "Brain Box" display which it showed off in 1997, which had a flat surface from edge to edge.

iPad '035' prototype from 2002 v Samsung Galaxy Tab. Source: court documents

The difference in size is emphasised by the photos from the court case, where Samsung is comparing the 035 prototype with its own Samsung Galaxy Tab, and with the existing Apple iPad, to show that the device on which the patent is based is too different from its own for the latter to be considered an infringement.

The '035' prototype featured a headphone jack. Photograph: Buzzfeed

That Apple had been working on the iPad and a tablet - after Jobs saw Bill Gates launch the idea at Comdex 2000 - before the iPhone had been known; Ive and his team shelved the idea because of cost issues, because touchscreens were still very expensive early in the decade. Instead they focussed on the iPhone because of the far larger potential in the phone market and the fact that the smaller screens would bring down costs.

But the existence of the "035" prototype had remained secret beyond Apple and the courtroom until this week.

The fact that Jobs in effect lied about Apple's work on a tablet only indicates how such large organisations are very good at keeping secrets. John-Henry Barac, a former designer with The Guardian, recalls visiting Apple in October 2004 as part of a personal visit.

His first day was spent meeting people at the Graphic design studio - where, he says, "where many things were covered with white paper so I couldn't see them, but due to someone's carelessness or some kind of bizarre test - I'll never know - there was a poster for a device which didn't yet exist; it turned out to be the iPod shuffle which was announced a short time later."

The next day he met Ive, and the conversation veered towards personal organisers: "I talked to him about my Palm Pilot, and how I liked it, but it felt a little clunky (I have a note to myself which says 'PDA-other directions?') - I said - 'you have this Inkwell (handwriting) technology, and this notion of the digital hub. Why not build a device that is not a PDA, but relies on the computer for doing much of the work but you have some limited input abilities, and perhaps video viewing ability, and easy sync email and addresses via Wi-Fi?' Jony gave me a look which was, I though slightly playful and just said 'iiiinteresting' in a way that you just know there is something going on, but you know not to ask anything more.

"So this week images emerge of prototype iPads dating back to 2002-4. And we all know now athat by then [Apple's designers] were definitely beginning to look at touch screen, iPhone ideas etc. It puts my conversation with Jony Ive in a different perspective. There WAS stuff going on, and my desires as a consumer and designer connected with their secret works... but the story was all yet to unfold.

"While I was sitting there chatting to Jony there was also a brief interruption as a smiling Phil Schiller came to within a few feet of us and said 'Hey Jony, you now that thing that was black? I just made it green - OK?' He was beaming. Jony just said 'Uh - OK, Phil... i liked the sense of play and knowledge that they were playing with stuff that could change the world in some small ways."

Sourced: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jul/19/ipad-prototype-ive-2002?newsfeed=true

Microsoft in first loss to dat

2012-07-20T11:21:00.000+01:00

Computing giant Microsoft has made the first quarterly loss in its history after it wrote off some of the value of its onlineadvertising business.

The loss came after it wrote down the value of Aquantive by $6.2bn (£3.94bn; 5bn euros), which failed to bring the profits expected by Microsoft.

That led to a $492m loss in the three months to the end of June, compared with a profitof $5.9bn a year ago.

The company has not made a loss since it joined the stock market in 1986.

It took over Aquantive in 2007 but it struggled to compete with rivalGoogle.

Microsoft paid $6.3bn for Aquantive.

Microsoft is doing well in other areas, despite the decline in popularity of its Windows operating system, which dominated the personal computer market for years.

Revenue for the three months to June rose by 4% to $18.06bn.

Mosaic

Excluding the adjustment for the asset write-down, and the holding back of some income related to the launch of its Windows 8 system, Microsoft profits beat those expected by investors.

Shares were up 1.6% after the results were announced.

Microsoft says the update of the Windows systems is the most important redesign in more than 10 years.

Windows 8, which will launch in October, will feature a new look that will present applications in a mosaic of tiles.

Importantly, it will also enable the operating system to work on tablet computers, which along with smartphones are the fastest-growing sector of the computing market.

Microsoft is also planning to release its own tablet, the Surface.

Earlier this week, Microsoft previewed its next version of the Office system, which is expected to be released next year.

Nokia: not dead yet

2012-07-20T10:19:00.000+01:00

Latest results from troubled handset-maker Nokia show that things aren’t getting worse as fast as some had feared

There are few companies where reporting a billion-dollar operating loss is a mark of relative success. But today’s results from Nokia gave the markets a pleasant surprise: sales are only down 24 per cent, revenue is only down by 29 per cent and the company has more cash left than many thought – shares rose by as much as 15 per cent.

The company’s new Lumia handsets, running Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system, have been well received, but they’ve sold just 600,000 in America and 4 million worldwide. This is what analysts had expected, roughly. But it’s nonetheless unfortunate that Microsoft recently chose to upgrade Windows Phone in such a way that the current flagship Lumias won’t be compatible with the new version of Windows Phone, just a few months after they were Nokia’s top products.

Retailers desperately want Nokia and Windows Phone to provide a viable counterpoint to Apple and Google's Android operating system - the hardware is beautiful and it deserves to do well. But without its rivals' momentum the project remains an uphill struggle. Even with Microsoft's backing, Windows Phone may yet end up being the mobile version of Windows on the PC, and that could leave users simply asking for apps that are compatible with both Windows and their existing phones. That's why, for instance, Microsoft already makes apps for the iPad.

These results may prove to be the inflection point for Nokia’s losses – if chief executive Stephen Elop has reshaped the company so that it has fewer, more efficient staff who will make better products, and also signeddeals such as those he trumpeted with car makers, then there could be some hope for the struggling company. Certainly, as things stand, Nokia looks like a much better bet than BlackBerry.

But the fact that Nokia beat market expectations today reflects primarily how low those expectations were, ratther than that the firm is back on the march.

Sourced: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/nokia/9412381/Nokia-not-dead-yet.html

Yahoo chief Marissa Mayer in line for $100m package

2012-07-20T09:18:00.000+01:00

Marissa Mayer's net worth is already estimated to be as much as $300m. Photograph: Henny Ray Abrams/AP

Marissa Mayer could be in line for a package of almost $100m (£64m) after taking up the position of Yahoo chief executive, the company says.

Mayer's pay package is made up of $1m in annual salary, as much as $2m in an annual bonus, and $42m in stock options and other awards, as well as $14m in "make whole restricted options" for forfeiture of compensation from Google Inc. With the inclusion of some stock grants, Mayer could earn up to a total of $20m a year, or up to $100m over five years, a Yahoo spokeswoman told Reuters.

As the first female Google engineer and one of its earliest employees, Mayer's net worth is already estimated to be as much as $300m.

Yahoo's hiring of Mayer from Google earlier this week caught analysts and investors by surprise. Mayer, 37, edged out presumed frontrunner and acting chief executive Ross Levinsohn to become Yahoo's third CEO in a year.

Industry observers believe Mayer's selection over Levinsohn is a signal that Yahoo is likely to renew its focus on Web technology and products rather than beefing up online content.

Her appointment caps a tumultuous year at Yahoo. In May, Scott Thompson resigned as chief executive less than six months into the jobafter a controversy over his academic credentials. Thompson had replaced the controversial Carol Bartz, who was fired in September after failing to revitalise the company.

Thompson's total compensation at hire was valued at $27m. He got no severance but was able to keep the $7m in compensation he got for leaving Paypal. Bartz got more than $10m in severance when she was fired last year.

A self-described "geek" with a master's degree in computer science from Stanford University, Mayer started her new job on Tuesday, the same day Yahoo announced weak financial results, with flat net revenue and a slight decline in second-quarter profit.

Alhough she was on the company's sprawling Sunnyvale, campus in California, she did not participate in its earnings call. Levinsohn was also absent from the call, which was led by Yahoo's chief financial officer, Tim Morse.

Mayer joins Yahoo as something of a celebrity, having already established herself as one of Silicon Valley's leading women, both inside and outside of the office. She is known for her love of fashion and regularly appears on the society pages for hosting parties.

In 2009 she married real estate investor Zachary Bogue. Mayer tweeted that the couple expect their first child, a boy, in October.

Despite its leadership upheaval, Yahoo remains one of the world's most popular websites, with more than 700 million monthly visitors, according to the company.

But revenue growth has stalled amid an industry-wide decline in online display advertising prices and competition from Facebook Inc and Google.

Sourced: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jul/20/yahoo-chief-marissa-mayer-100m?newsfeed=true

ZTE unveils Grand X Android smartphone

2012-07-19T11:33:00.000+01:00

ZTE has announced the Grand X gaming focused Android smartphone aimed at the young and hip.

Grand X touted as affordable gaming Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone

Related Articles

The Grand X features a 4.3in qHD (540 x 960) screen and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The smartphone will launch with Phones 4U and Virgin Media in August. See also: ZTE launches budget Kis Android smartphone.

"ZTE Grand X brings high-end mobile video and gaming within the reach of a whole new audience," said Mr. He Shiyou, head of the terminals division at ZTE. "It provides a world of entertainment in a single device – combining high quality and a wide range of functions for a great mobile multimedia experience."

ZTE says the Grand X stands out from the competition in part because of its high-end specifications. However, this is more of a mid-range device since the handset is powered by a 1GHz nVidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor and 512MB.

Storage is also limited at just 4GB but there is a microSD card slot so you can add a further 32GB. Cameras consist of a 5MP at the rear and 0.3MP at the front. Other specs include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and digital living network alliance (DLNA).

ZTE is launching the Grand X with rap artist Professor Green. The Grand X will be available for £189 from Virgin Media on a prepay basis or from £19 per month on a contract.

Sourced:http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/new-product/mobile-phone/3370839/zte-unveils-grand-x-android-smartphone/

Christian Bale back as Batman in The Dark Knight Rises (film review)

2012-07-17T16:48:00.000+01:00

Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Christian Bale, and Morgan Freeman

Damon Smith gives his verdict on the latest Batman film: The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises (12A, 164 mins)
Released: July 20 (UK & Ireland)

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Director Christopher Nolan completes his dark and brooding trilogy based on the DC Comics crime-fighter in suitably grandiose fashion, delivering not only the longest film in the series but also the most brutal, violent and satisfying.

Replete with more than an hour of footage shot on IMAX cameras to enhance picture quality and truly immerse the audience in the pulse-quickening action, The Dark Knight Rises ends Nolan’s tenure on a giddy high.

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Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Christian Bale, and Morgan Freeman

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It’s to the London-born film-maker’s credit that he resisted the urge to jump on the 3D bandwagon for the caped crusader’s swansong.
Certainly, the breathlessly orchestrated action sequences, including the spectacular opening aboard a huge C-130 Hercules transport plane, would draw bigger gasps in the eye-popping format.

However, Nolan has always focused on the characters and their twisted psychologies, and he puts all of them and us through the emotional wringer in this final chapter, co-written by his brother Jonathan.

The script is a little too cute in places, inadvertently giving away one major plot point well in advance, but it certainly doesn’t hurt our enjoyment to be two steps ahead of the good guys.

Christian Bale brings typical intensity to the title role and the tender bond with Sir Michael Caine’s lackey continues to tug heartstrings.

Thankfully, Tom Hardy’s electronic vocals have been improved since the early trailers for the film so his masked villain is largely intelligible and Anne Hathaway slinks away from Michelle Pfeiffer’s memorable portrayal of Catwoman but still purrs some choice one-liners.

It is eight years since Batman falsely assumed responsibility for the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) in order to bring the anti-crime legislation into effect and crush Gotham’s criminal fraternity.

The caped crusader is a fading memory and crippled billionaire Bruce Wayne (Bale) has become a virtual recluse, holed up in his manor with trusty butler Alfred (Caine).

An encounter with wily cat burglar Selina Kyle (Hathaway) draws Bruce into the orbit of hulking terrorist Bane (Hardy), who intends to complete the work of Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson) and destroy Gotham and its money-oriented denizens.

A dastardly plot unfolds but Bruce is physically and mentally unable to stop gangs of gun-toting mercenaries from overwhelming Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) and the Gotham police force, including idealistic officer John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

As Bane’s uprising gathers momentum, Bruce turns to technical genius Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and loyal board member Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) to protect his beloved Wayne Enterprises.

Alas, money can only go so far and Bruce must don his cowl one final time, putting his life on the line to save the residents of Gotham, who had previously turned their backs on him.

“I won’t bury you. I’ve buried enough members of the Wayne family,” warns Alfred, tears glistening.

The Dark Knight Rises should satisfy ardent fans of the previous two instalments while delivering all of the slam-bang thrills required of a muscular summer blockbuster.

Action sequences are adrenaline-pumping from the bruising fist fights, which fully warrant the film’s 12A certificate, to high-speed chases aboard the nifty two-wheeled Bat-Pod and the introduction of a state-of-the-art stealth aircraft nicknamed The Bat.

Nolan effortlessly sustains tension throughout, harking back to earlier episodes as he sews up some but not all of the sinewy plot threads.
Heath Ledger’s Joker is noticeable by his absence and never mentioned.

“The Batman has to come back,” whispers Commissioner Gordon at one point, echoing the sentiments of fans around the world.
Some prayers are never answered.

Splash the cash and bring £35m Andy back! Pardew begs Ashley to seal Carroll's return

2012-07-17T15:48:00.000+01:00

Alan Pardew has challenged owner Mike Ashley to ramp up Newcastle's bid for Andy Carroll and bring the unsettled £35million striker back to St James' Park.

The 50-year-old Toon boss is keen to secure the England international's return just 18 months after he sold him for a British transfer record fee to Liverpool.

Newcastle had an approach to take the England international on a season-long loan firmly rebuffed by Liverpool on Sunday night but they will now be expected to come back with another offer after receiving encouraging noises from Carroll’s entourage.

Bring Andy home: Newcastle boss Alan Pardew wants Mike Ashley to finance Carroll's return from Liverpool

Homecoming: Carroll looks set for a switch back to Newcastle

West Ham United, Fulham and Aston Villa have all stated their interest to varying degrees but it would appear Carroll would only want to go back to the North East.

And it seems likely that the success or otherwise of Newcastle's approach will come down to finance as much as anything else, but Pardew, currently in Germany with his squad at their pre-season training camp, admits that has little to do with him.

'That whole process is a little bit more involved with the chairman and the board at Liverpool,' Pardew told the Evening Chronicle.

'We have got a great team here, a great squad, and if Andy Carroll comes, it will only add to us.

'Annoyed': Carroll wanted the chance to impress Brendan Rodgers

'It's simple, really. Sometimes transfers are done at corporate level. I'm slightly detached from that. It will be what it will be.

'It's been said that he's available and if we are involved, then we will be involved because of the figures, not anything else, because we know he's good enough.'

Newcastle launched their attempt to re-sign the man they sold to Liverpool in January last year after it emerged that he was not a central figure in new Reds boss Rodgers' plans for the new season.

Carroll was not among the party which flew out on the club's North American tour on Monday, although he was never intended to be after being given an extended break following his trip to the Euro 2012 finals with England.

The player, who insists he does not want to leave Anfield, has indicated he would be prepared to make a temporary switch back to St James' Park, where he made his name, although Liverpool are understood to be ready only to contemplate a permanent transfer.

According to an unnamed friend, who was quoted in Monday’s Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Carroll is annoyed that he hasn’t had an opportunity to impress Rodgers.

‘From a professional point of view Andy is miffed that he wasn’t given the chance to show what he can do in front of new manager Brendan Rodgers,’ a close friend of Carroll’s said.

Acrimonious departure: Carroll upset Magpies fans when he left in January 2011

‘He was expecting to get at least pre-season to show what he could offer him. He ended last season on a high and wanted to continue that.

‘Now Newcastle are interested and Andy wants to come home. He’s already told Liverpool that too. He’s surprised Liverpool don’t want him anymore and doesn’t want to be where he is not wanted.’

Former Newcastle captain Alan Shearer believes returning to Tyneside would be a 'great move' for Carroll.

The 41-year-old said in The Sun: 'Andy is an England centre-forward and I wouldn't say he has been a flop at Liverpool by any means.

'Yes, it took him a bit of time to settle there but he finished the season strongly and considering he only started one game at the Euros, I thought he did well.

Improving: Carroll scored for England at Euro 2012 after an indifferent season for Liverpool

'Make no mistake, he is a very good footballer. I can fully understand why Newcastle are in for him and I think it would be a great move.

'When he was there before he benefited from the fact that the team was always working to get him the ball - and he thrived on that. That hasn't always been the case at Liverpool and perhaps at times he suffered.'

He added: 'There is an old saying that you should never go back but, in Andy's case, I don't think it would be a mistake at all.

Reunion: Alan Pardew managed Carroll for a short spell in 2010-11

'He was hero-worshipped by the crowd first time around and they would warm to him again. Andy loved playing there and whatever the fans felt about him leaving to join Liverpool, I'm sure he would win them over quickly.'

However, Liverpool's valuation, thought to be in the region of £20million, is significantly in excess of the Magpies', and whether or not that gap can be bridged could prove to be the crux of the matter.

Sourced: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2174804/Andy-Carroll-latest-Newcastle-boss-Alan-Pardew-asks-Mike-Ashley-sign-Liverpool-striker.html

The Amazing Spider-Man: One and Done at Box Office?

2012-07-15T18:13:00.003+01:00

Columbia Pictures

The Amazing Spider-Man has gone where no Spider-Man movie has gone before: to second place in its second weekend.

But box-office standings aside, the Andrew Garfield-Emma Stone reboot held well, reaching $200 million domestically and soaring past $500 million worldwide.

The latest Ice Age sequel, Continental Drift, debuted, as expected, at No. 1.

COMIC-CON SCOOP: Man of Steel update

Here's a complete look at the weekend's top movies, per Friday-Sunday domestic estimates as reported by the studios and Exhibitor Relations:

Ice Age: Contiental Drift, $46 million
The Amazing Spider-Man, $35 million
Ted, $22.1 million
Brave, $10.7 million
Magic Mike, $9 million
Savages, $8.7 million
Madea's Witness Protection, $5.6 million
Katy Perry: Part of Me, $3.7 million
Moonrise Kingdom, $3.66 million
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, $3.5 million

Sourced: http://uk.eonline.com/news/330306/the-amazing-spider-man-one-and-done-at-box-office

Panto villains Haye and Chisora perfect for WWE

2012-07-15T17:22:00.000+01:00

David Haye and Dereck ChisoraTrudging through rain and empty cans on the post-midnight walk towards Upton Park tube station, The Pugilist couldn't help but wonder just how many World Wrestling Entertainment DVDs Frank Warren had run through in the last six months.

From the moment Dereck Chisora and David Haye provoked gasps in Munich with a host of outside interference, foreign objects and profanity-laced rants, there was a distinct 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin aura to proceedings — and that was before the steel cages were dragged out for press conferences.

For some reason, however, the scheduling of an in-ring confrontation between the two British boxers — the traditional end destination of all good rasslin' storylines — was met by a massive backlash.

Yes, the two were nothing short of a joke in Germany between Chisora's desperate attempts to start fires at every opportunity and Haye's shameless attempt to turn a turn as guest analyst into a 'shocking' challenge of a Klitschko (against whom he may actually be able to land a punch or two), but punishments were doled out and their reputations suitably tarnished.

That Warren, a regular flame-haired Vince McMahon, capitalised on obvious interest in the pairing was smart business. Don't want to watch the two clowns tussle? Don't order it. Nobody on the promotional team was guilty of picking pockets here.

Even the Luxembourg loop-hole was just that — a loop-hole — and if anything further cemented the card as a sporting sideshow, not an actual ranking event of any prestige.

Much like when now-actors Steve Austin and long-time 'nemesis' Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson faced off at a packed Houston Astrodome in front of 67,925 paying fans for a WWE Wrestlemania event in 2001, I doubt a single soul in attendance actually believed the two actually hated each other, or that the winner would actually be regarded as a better athlete for it.

Within seconds of arrival at West Ham's Boleyn Ground for the card on Saturday evening, the ambience was much more akin to that of a professional performance card than a world-class sporting contest: from the set-up to the atmosphere of the crowd, all the way to convincing Michael Buffer (who has supplemented his boxing income announcing wrestling events for years) to favour the card over Khan-Garcia at Mandalay Bay and the over-abundance of 'Hayemaker' merchandise stands, which proved as obnoxious as a sea of John Cena apparel.

Only one element served as a major concern, not just across the ringside press quarters but also throughout a crowd who had paid top money for the evening on admission, booze and merch and were braving the miserable 'summer' elements: would the performers in this case actually perform?

Once the boxers made their arrival and Buffer did his thing, with Haye as expected playing the 'hero' in the eyes of the audience compared to Chisora's 'heel', the two unlicensed fighters could easily have gone all out with the Summerslam tribute and grappled aimlessly for ten rounds. Their money was in the bank, and their World title aspirations were already bleak.

Thankfully, both men appeared to have something to prove and came out swinging in the rain, as the media area began doubling up on ponchos — one for themselves, one for their poor equipment.

(Warren, by the way, appeared to be having far too much fun throwing the complimentary rain covers out to the affected fans for a middle-aged businessman…)

Though Haye was the better boxer by some distance, his Chris Jericho-like facial animations from wide-eyed grinning for connecting a flush combo to pouty-lipped smugness in evading Del Boy's lunging hammers gained a new dimension in round three as Chisora connected with the type of shots he spent the entire contest hoping to land, and David's uncomfortable grimaces made you wonder how many of those he would be able to take.

Fortunately for Haye there wouldn't be an opportunity to find out: a fifth-round left-hook, thrown almost in desperation as he slumped on the ropes, did what his educated flurries in the centre of the ring could not and dropped the lumbering bad guy. It was a moment trainer Adam Booth has been working on with Haye for years, with just one previous success; and it was a moment reminiscent of Hulk Hogan bodyslamming the latest behemoth to ride into town after momentarily looking troubled.

The ovation at the decision after five thumping rounds proved beyond doubt that the event was by no means a rip-off — especially combined with Liam Walsh's emotional victory on the undercard — and that there is a place in boxing for the pantomime. Nowhere near the World title picture, hopefully, but a place nonetheless.

The fact remains that wrestling is currently a profession in decline after a big mainstream kick at the turn of the millennium. That's not because the world only just discovered that the 'sport' was pre-determined and embellished for maximum interest 10 years ago — it's because the quality of finales at marquee events is often poor these days. The same cannot be said of Haye-Chisora.

Of course, Haye's sole victory after a year of excuses, interruptions and a miserable performance at the highest stage immediately had his tail back up and talk soon followed of challenging Vitali — the very concept which began all of this, back in February.

"I'll be surprised if Vitali Klitschko wants to fight me after that," Haye snorted afterwards, perhaps thinking that Haye's performance against Wladimir had escaped the older brother's mind.

"He will no doubt try to fight some chump nobody has ever heard of and then retire to be a politician," added the Londoner, in a wonderful piece of self-fulfilling prophecy with Vitali's next defence against unknown Manuel Charr a month before Ukrainian elections announced long ago.

And if there was one big downside to the Upton Park fight, it is that Haye's laughably high opinion of his own stature has well and truly returned. If he is able to regain a proper boxing license, an attempt to pick at the weakest link of the World title chain in the form of Vitali or Manuel Charr — just as he had done when dethroning Nikolai Valuev — will no doubt follow.

And just like that, a renewed taste of the big time with an eye on gold turned the hero into the 'heel'.

The Pugilist suggests that, should Haye's efforts to make a mockery of his 'retirement' vows — another classic trick of the professional wrestler — hit a stumbling block, that his showmanship and cocky monologues would go down a treat in the other squared circle.

Indeed, Haye could quite easily follow in the footsteps of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Floyd Mayweather, Thomas Hearns and even Danny Williams in turning a quick profit as a sports-entertainment personality.

If anything, six months of 'feuding' with Chisora — which of course, ended in the Sonnen-Silva sudden resolution and subsequent buddying up — should serve as the perfect audition for a guest spot at a WWE Raw event the next time they pop over to Blighty for another European tour.

As for Chisora, the slugger did the right thing in showing humility in defeat, thus drawing a line under his ill-advised attempts to drum up interest in both the Vitali and Haye fights. It's safe to say, though, that his hopes of fighting at a world level again are over.

It is time for the likes of David Price and Tyson Fury — the latter having bettered the Zimbabwe-born fighter last summer — to begin their final ascents to a crack at representing the nation against the division's best. Chisora's time has passed.

Unless, of course, he wants to follow Haye into the wrestling ring. The two newfound 'pals' would form a hell of a tag team, I'm sure.

Sourced: http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/the-pugilist/panto-villains-haye-chisora-perfect-wwe-114523438.html

Rio Ferdinand reignites John Terry race row by endorsing tweet calling Ashley Cole a 'choc ice'

2012-07-15T16:16:00.000+01:00

- Twitter user brands Cole a 'choc ice' - often understood to mean 'black on the outside, white on the inside' - for defending John Terry in trial

- Terry was cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence after being accused of calling Rio's brother Anton a 'f****** black c***' during a match

- Rio today tweets that he was not being racist adding term is used 'for someone who is being fake'

Rio Ferdinand has reignited the John Terry racism row by appearing to endorse a Twitter attack on fellow England footballer Ashley Cole.

Ferdinand, whose brother Anton accused Terry of racist abuse during a Premier League match, publicly supported a tweet that referred to Cole as a 'choc ice'.

The comment was made only days after Terry was cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence after a trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court, at which his Chelsea team-mate Cole gave evidence as a defence witness.

The term 'choc ice' is often understood to mean 'black on the outside, white on the inside'.

This morning Rio Ferdinand had deleted his tweet of endorsement, but he insisted that the term referred to someone who was fake and did not have any racist connotations.

Race row: Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand, left, is facing criticism after apparently endorsing a Twitter attack branding Ashley Cole, right, a 'choc ice' for being a defence witness in John Terry's race abuse trial

After the 'choc ice' comment was widely criticised by Twitter users, the Manchester United defender, who has more than three million followers, wrote: 'What I said yesterday is not a racist term.

'Its (sic) a type of slang/term used by many for someone who is being fake. So there.'

It comes after Terry was cleared of subjecting Rio Ferdinand's brother Anton, a Queens Park Rangers defender, to a volley of racist abuse during a Premier League match last October.

More...

The Twitter exchange began when someone sent Rio Ferdinand a tweet about Cole's involvement in the trial.

The person wrote: 'Looks like Ashley Cole's going to be their choc ice.

'Then again he's always been a sell out.

'Shame on him.'

Laughing off: Rio Ferdinand appears to endorse the tweet branding Ashley Cole a 'choc ice' by responding: 'I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic. Hahahahahahhha!!'

Rio Ferdinand today said his retweet was not racist

Rio, who played with Terry at the heart of England's defence and whose parents attended every day of the five-day trial in support of his brother, replied: 'I hear you fella!

'Choc ice is classic! hahahahahahha!!'

After Twitter users began reacting to the comments, Ferdinand wrote: 'And if I want to laugh at something someone tweets....I will! Hahahahaha! Now stop getting ya knickers in a twist!'

Cole, who told the court he was a long-standing friend of the Ferdinand brothers, later sought to calm the situation and issued a statement through his lawyers.

It said: 'Ashley Cole has been made aware of the discussion following comments appearing on Twitter and wishes to make it clear that he and Rio Ferdinand are good friends and Ashley has no intention of making any sort of complaint.

Key moment: Terry and QPR's Anton Ferdinand clash during the Barclays Premier League match at Loftus Road

'Ashley appreciates that Tweeting is so quick it often results in off-hand and stray comments.'

The original tweet was believed to have been made by a man from Derbyshire.

A Derbyshire Police spokeswoman today said the force had received no complaints over the matter.

Prosecutors alleged that Terry had maliciously called Anton Ferdinand a 'f****** black c***' during a match on October 23 last year.

Terry was said to have made the comments after being taunted over his affair with team-mate Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel.

The Chelsea captain admitted calling Anton Ferdinand a ‘f****** black c***’ and a ‘f****** k***head’ as they squared up on the pitch at Loftus Road. However he was only responding to words already spoken by Anton Ferdinand.

Relieved: The former England captain was flanked by security guards as he left the court after being cleared

Mobbed: Terry made no comment as he left the court building to shouts of support from crowds waiting outside

Terry, 31, claimed he was simply repeating the words after being falsely accused of saying them.

Terry claimed that, as the pair traded insults, he heard Ferdinand say: ‘Calling me a black c***?’, and that he replied: ‘A black c***? You f****** k***head.’

The players met in the Chelsea changing room after the match and shook hands, writing it all off as ‘handbags’ and on-pitch ‘banter’.

Even when he was shown footage of the incident on YouTube, Anton Ferdinand did nothing.

But an off-duty police officer watching on TV, who claimed to be able to lip read, complained to the Metropolitan Police that a racially-aggravated offence had taken place.

In the weeks that followed Terry was stripped of the England captaincy and lost a fortune in sponsorship deals. England manager Fabio Capello resigned in a row over the move.

Cole gave evidence for his Chelsea and England team-mate during the trial and told the court that the case should not have gone ahead.

Anton Ferdinand, pictured leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court after giving evidence accused Terry of racially abusing him

‘We shouldn’t be sitting here,’ Cole said.

He said that while racism should never be tolerated, saying back what you thought someone said was ‘completely different’.

Cole said he did not hear what Terry said to Ferdinand despite being only about a car-length away from the row.

But he said he saw Ferdinand shouting either the word ‘black’ or ‘Bridgey’ – an apparent reference to Wayne Bridge – and make a lewd gesture at Terry.

Cole said he told Ferdinand: ‘What you’re doing to JT [Terry] is out of order’. He added that he did not shake Ferdinand’s hand after the game.

The left-back said abuse towards Terry over his affair with Miss Perroncel was commonplace during games, but he had never seen him react to it, explaining: ‘He would probably laugh about it, it’s part and parcel of the game and you get used to it.’

Cole was supported by a host of football stars, Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard and the club's former manager Jose Mourinho, who vouched that Terry was not racist.

Cole described Terry as a good friend and a great captain.

Not present: QPR footballer Anton Ferdinand, pictured leaving Heathrow for a tour of the Far East, was not in court for the verdict

He said: ‘He’s one of the best, very inspirational. He gets the team going in big games. He’s cool, calm and collected.’

Terry was acquitted on Friday. Ferdinand was not at the hearing as he was flying from Heathrow with the QPR squad for a pre-season tour of the Far East.

Chief magistrate Howard Riddle, who is also a district judge, said there was not enough evidence to prove ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that Terry was guilty.

He said TV footage did not show the complete exchange, meaning it was impossible to be sure exactly what was said.

‘In those circumstances, there being a doubt, the only verdict the court can record is one of not guilty,’ the magistrate said.

He added: 'There is no doubt that John Terry uttered the words 'f****** black c***' at Anton Ferdinand. When he did so he was angry.

'Mr Ferdinand says that he did not precipitate this comment by himself, accusing Mr Terry of calling him a black c***.

'Even with all the help the court has received from television footage, expert lip readers, witnesses and indeed counsel, it is impossible to be sure exactly what were the words spoken by Mr Terry at the relevant time.'

Both Terry and Anton Ferdinand could face disciplinary action after the FA decided to reopen its inquiry into the incident.

The FA, who had a lawyer attending every day of the trial, said they would look at the findings of the court case before deciding whether or not to bring any proceedings against the players.

The FA will decide whether Terry should still be charged with using abusive and insulting words and with making reference to Ferdinand’s ethnic origin and colour.

Ferdinand could be charged with bringing the game into disrepute for the comments he made during the exchange.

Court scene: Chief magistrate Howard Riddle, who is also a district judge, said there was not enough evidence to prove 'beyond reasonable doubt' that Terry was guilty

Charges can still be brought by the FA against Terry even thought he was acquitted in court because they have a lower burden of proof - Liverpool's Luis Suarez was banned last season for racially abusing Patrice Evra but that case never went to court.

In a brief statement an FA spokesman said: 'The FA notes the decision in the John Terry case and will now seek to conclude its own enquiries.'

Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, says revelations about the obscene remarks which are exchanged during matches have damaged the game's reputation.

Taylor has urged the FA to ensure that players understand their responsibilities as role models next season.

He also suggested the FA are in 'a difficult position' over whether they charge Terry.

Taylor said: 'It has been an unedifying process and the game has been damaged as a result of the dirty linen being washed in public.

Even if he had been convicted, Terry would have faced a fine of just £2,500, a fraction of his reported £130,000 weekly wage.

But taxpayers will pick up a bill of up to £500,000 for the prosecution.

Sourced: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2173750/John-Terry-racism-row-Rio-Ferdinand-accused-row-Twitter-attack-Ashley-Cole.html

Eastenders party girl Shona McGarty suspended from soap without pay following repeated lateness

2012-07-15T15:12:00.000+01:00

Eastenders star Shona McGarty has been suspended from the soap following repeated lateness.

The actress, 20, will cool her heels for four weeks having been sent home on Thursday.

Shona, who plays Whitney Dean, has also been fined thousands of pounds to cover the cost of paying crew overtime when her behaviour has delayed filming.

Suspended without pay: Eastenders star Shona McGarty has been sent off set for four weeks following repeated lateness

Other cast members have reportedly found Shona's tardiness irritating, as it has often held up progress on important scenes.

According to the Daily Star a BBC source revealed: 'Shona failed to turn up on time on more than one occasion and was really laid back about why she was late.'

'People are understanding when it’s once or even twice but her lateness was becoming a huge problem.'

Disruptive: Shona's tardiness regularly held up progress filming vital scenes

'It regularly held up the filming of vital scenes and angered fellow cast and crew members who were forced to work late because of her.'

'Like all soaps, everyone works long, hard days so when things are prolonged because of one person it doesn’t go down well on set.'

Shona was sent to see executive producer Lorraine Newman, who gave her the news that she was suspended without pay.

She is said to be very unhappy, and have apologised for her lack of professionalism.

Sees the error of her ways: Shona is said to be unhappy with the news and to have apologised

Shona has seen her character Whitney involved in some of the show's most controversial storylines since her arrival in 2008.

Whitney has been groomed by her mother's paedophile boyfriend, her own pimp lover, and seen her boyfriend die from alcohol poisoning.

The actress has previously been in hot water after she and her boyfriend, fellow cast member Matt Lapinskas- who plays her on-screen boyfriend's Anthony Moon- were asked to leave an Asda when he smeared her with yoghurt.

Sourced: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2173789/Eastenders-Shona-McGarty-suspended-soap-repeated-lateness.html

Nicole Scherzinger to ditch Lewis Hamilton over penthouse party?

2012-07-15T14:10:00.000+01:00

Watch out Lewis: Nicole Scherzinger arrives back in London (Picture: PA)

She may have just touched down in London for the boot camp phase of the upcoming series of X Factor, but singing is the last thing on the former Pussycat Doll's mind.

Sources close to Nicole say that she is gunning for Lewis and is unsure whether she wants their romance to continue in light of his penthouse shindig with a bevy of babes.

Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, the source said: 'Nicole has been humiliated and she’s not going to be a pushover. To say she is livid is an understatement.

Lewis Hamilton was spotted appearing to kiss a mystery female (Picture: Xposurephotos.com)

'She’s not sure there’s any point continuing with the relationship and believes his heart isn’t in it. Lewis’ behaviour this week could be the final nail in the coffin'.

This week, reports surfaced that Lewis invited ten ladies back to his penthouse suite at the Mayfair Hotel after partying in London for eight hours.

Hamilton was also pictured in the lobby of a Central London hotel kissing a woman as a male friend and another mystery female looked on.

Lewis (far left) waits in a lobby of a hotel after partying the night away (Picture: Xposurephotos.com)

A spokesman for the F1 star explained at the time that the pair are ‘very good friends’ and that there was ‘nothing in it’.

The former Pussycat Dolls singer has not been pictured with Hamilton since they celebrated her 34th birthday in London on June 30.

The couple have been on and off since they started dating in 2007, splitting for a short time in 2010 and 2011 to focus on their respective careers

Plug pulled on Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney at Hard Rock Calling

2012-07-15T13:09:00.000+01:00

Photo: PA

Bruce Springsteen was joined onstage by Paul McCartney as he brought the second night of Hard Rock Calling to a close yesterday evening (July 14), but their set was cut shot when organisers turned off their microphones after they broke the venue's sound curfew.

McCartney joined the rock legend onstage for 'I Saw Her Standing There' and 'Twist And Shout', the final songs in Springsteen's 29-song set, which lasted three and a quarter hours in total. But organisers pulled the plug on the encore while The Boss and Macca were trying to address the crowd, rendering them inaudible to the disbelief of the audience.

Springsteen guitarist Steve Van Zandt took to Twitter after the show to voice his disapproval:

The guitarist wasn't alone in voicing his disapproval of the decision; writing on Twitter, actor Simon Pegg said: "Can't believe they pulled the plug on Springsteen and Macca last night in Hyde Park. What joyless, bitter killjoy made that decision? #shame", while his fellow comedian Stephen Merchant added: "Ashamed to be British right now. Springsteen and McCartney playing Twist & Shout in Hyde Park and council pulled the plug cos of curfew. WTF"
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Before the controversial ending, the show had also featured appearances by John Fogerty and Tom Morello. Fogerty played on 'The Promised Land' and Morello joined in on the songs from the 'Wrecking Ball' album he's featured on, as well as 'The Ghost Of Tom Joad'.

The show also included a version of rarity 'Take 'Em As They Come', from 'The River' era, which was requested by a fan in the front row. Springsteen has only played this song live nine times before, with the last occasion being on June 14, 2003 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Earlier in the day, Bruce had also joined John Fogerty during his support set on 'Rockin' All Over The World' (a song Fogerty wrote).

As well as the pulling of the plug early, the triumphant show was also marred by extremely quiet sound throughout, with many of the 70,000-strong audience complaining that they could not hear the show properly. Many of the disgruntled punters took to Twitter after the show to express their disappointment:

Bruce Springsteen played:

'Thunder Road'
'Badlands'
'We Take Care of Our Own'
'Wrecking Ball'
'Death To My Hometown'
'My City Of Ruins'
'Spirit In The Night'
'The Promised Land'
'Take 'Em As They Come
Jack Of All Trades'
'Empty Sky'
'Because The Night'
'Johnny 99'
'Darlington County'
'Workin' On The Highway'
'Shackled & Drawn'
'Waitin on a Sunny Day'
'Raise Your Hand'
'The River'
'The Ghost of Tom Joad'
'The Rising'
'Land of Hope And Dreams'
'We Are Alive'
'Born In The USA'
'Born To Run'
'Glory Days'
'Dancing In The Dark'
'I Saw Her Standing There'
'Twist And Shout'

Sourced: http://www.nme.com/news/bruce-springsteen/64923