TOP STORIES

CRIMINAL CREDIT CARD WEBSITES SHUT DOWN

THE BEST

Dozens of criminal websites offering credit card details and other private information have been taken down in a global police operation in Australia, Europe, the UK and US. The scheme had been in practise for over two years offering credit card numbers or bank account details of millions of unsuspecting victims. These were sold for as little as £2. According to the news reports, two british men and one from Macedonia were arrested, with 36 sites shut down, but more arrests are expected. Joint operations in Australia, the US, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Romania and Macedonia led to the websites being closed down this Thursday.

Criminal gangs try to recruit the smartest hackers or code-writers to both steal data from unsuspecting internet users, and make their own websites as secure and hard to trace as possible. But many senior figures at the big internet service providers and domain name registration companies are traditionally anti-establishment and can be suspicious of police interference. They are often reluctant to agree to anything that could be perceived as curtailing the freedom of the web, such as preventing anonymous domain registrations.

The authorities say traditional "bedroom" hackers were being recruited by criminal gangs to write the malware or "phishing" software that steals personal information. Other IT experts are used to write the computer code that enables the websites to cope, automatically, with selling the huge amounts of data.

Automated computer programs can register thousands of similar, but different domain names, and it can be difficult to trace them back to their owner. That's the reason authorities are trying to influence the industry to introduce more secure systems so they do know who is registering these sites and they have a more comprehensive customer database, and do more aimed at preventing criminals buying websites and using them for criminal ends.



NO TRUCE IN SYRIA

THE WORST

It became clear this Thursday that the truce in Syria is not holding up. It is estimated that 70 people have been killed in an attack on several houses in the Masha at-Tayyar district in southern Hama, which  were destroyed by a big explosion. The violence comes despite a UN-brokered ceasefire - part of a peace plan proposed by the joint UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan.

Searching for survivors after the blast in Hama

Following the blast in Hama, activists posted video on the internet showing a scene of devastation, with bodies being pulled from the rubble. It has been said that the the blast was caused by government shelling or even a Scud missile attack, but no one seems to be sure.

The opposition Syrian National Council has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting "so that it can issue a resolution to protect civilians". It says nearly 100 people have been killed in Hama in recent days. A UN Military intervention is again being required.

MOVIES

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (2011)

THE BEST

The most impressive example of an excellent low budget movie. It required not only a poignant script but also a set of perfect artistic performances. It challenges ones dark emotions as it fails to provide a simple answer... about the essence of Kevin's diabolic behaviour and actions.

Eva (Kevin's mother) soon realises her soon is a dangerous and manipulative boy, with the sadistic pleasure of hurting others. No one sees this except her. Her husband (John C. Reilly) thinks he's a normal boy but soon tragic events will change all of their lives.

A powerful psychological thriller, this significantly atmospheric, foreboding, unsentimental and constantly intriguing mystery is a profound cinematic achievement which is reinforced by the versatile and accomplished acting performance by British actress Tilda Swinton in an emotionally complicated role, the unrelenting and expressive acting performance by American actor Ezra Miller, the fine supporting acting performance by American actor John C. Reilly and the impressive acting performance by Jasper Newell as the young Kevin in his debut feature film role.

An incisive, metaphoric and horror-ish psychological drama.




MIRROR MIRROR (2012)

THE WORST

For time to time, some more gifted writers, producers and directors come up with a brand new fairytale. Let's not forget the fabulous lapidary work of Tim Burton, the most prolific contemporary creator. But even him was unable to resist in recreating a famous fairytale (Alice in Wonderland) which proved to be just interesting and not the usual high standard. A set back. Indian director Tarsem Singh falls in a different category and tries to make his way to some sort of epic tales (his previous movie was the Immortals, but the most promising work has been The Fall).

Mirror, Mirror could only generate some box-office success, as it did, due to Julia Roberts' participation. The Queen takes over the movie shrinking Snow White Lily Allen's performance. Overall, it's an incredibly lame, simplistic and predictable movie I'm not sure even little children will enjoy

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TV SERIES

GAME OF THRONES (SEASON 2)

THE BEST

Based on the novel book A Song of Ice and Fire, from George R.R. Martin, the story has a huge club of fans all over the world. But you don't have to particularly be a fan of this type of narrative to enjoy this powerful TV adaptation. In short, it's about a medieval dispute. Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros.

If you haven't read the book nor have watched the first season, it will take some time do understand which sides are which, but you'll surely be surprise by the pervasive political and sexual intrigue. Even if it seems to have lost some of the initial magical and mystical strengh and intensity, Game of Thrones remains as one of the best on the air.

NYC 22 (SEASON 1)

THE WORST

The structure of the first episode of NYC 22 takes us back to the old Hill Street Blues, a famous TV series of the 80ies, but after 30 years of cops running and driving like crazy in pursuit of the bad guys, we are now presented with six rookie cops fresh out of the academy.

Brand new cops in action on NYC 22

The don't run nor drive. In fact they walk as they talk with each other. Not in the pace of New York, it's more Malibu rhythm without the music.
After all, they are dropped on a street corner to patrol a foot beat and they don't really know what they are doing there. Neither do we (waiting for the next job, i suppose).

Unconvincing acting in a surrealistic presentation from CBS.
It's also not the line of work director's James Mangold is used to.

FEARS

IMAGES OF TISSUES IN 3D MAY HELP TREAT CANCER

THE BEST
Scientists from the University of Leeds, in England, have created a technique to generate hi-resolution, colour 3D images of a piece of tissue. The images can be rotated on a computer screen and examined from any angle. Cancer Research UK said the technology could help researchers understand how cancer grew and spread, and learn how to treat it more effectively. These findings have been published in the American Journal of Pathology.

In many applications this three-dimensional nature is important as it will help provide much more information than a simple 2D scan, creating a realistic image that a researcher can manipulate and spin around. This may help spot small tumours that could be missed by conventional approaches and if there is a major blood vessel fairly nearby, it will be possible to see if a tumour has reached it. And if it has not, it can be probably cut out safely.

It is the same with organs. If a surgeon wants to remove a tumour near a very sensitive organ, the main question is about the safety of the procedure. A tumour is a complex three-dimensional 'organ' made of cancerous and healthy cells, including blood vessels, immune cells and other 'normal' cells.
In the past, there have been attempts to create 3D images of tissue samples. But the images were low resolution and hence not very detailed, generated after taking photos of slides on a microscope with a camera, one by one, and then assembling them digitally.

But the Leeds University team said that their approach was the first time a standard digital scanner had been used to produce high-resolution images.




CHILDREN CONTROLLED BY MICROCHIP

THE WORST

And now it's in Brazil. The microchip technology that allows schools and parents to know students whereabouts in real time has begun in a college of Vitoria da Conquista, State of Bahia. This outrageous experiment has been already released in several private companies to control their worker and now extended to schools in a worldwide phenomena that threats to become universal. In Victoria, students have to wear shirts which carry a chip that allows monitorization of the frequency of each student and generates the record of the time in real time to parents via SMS.

Initially, there will be about 25 000 children and adolescents between 6 and 14 years, haunted with the project. By 2013, it is planned to include all current 42,725 students in the municipal. They can always undress their uniforms, and try a taste freedom.

But soon there will not exist such possibility as this so-called project will evolve to microchips implanted in the body.  For the control, was applied to radio frequency identification technology called RFID, developed by a core of Senai and generally adopted by private companies for workers' control. All parents have the phones registered and receive alerts via cell phone on the entry or exit from school. The system does capture through sensors that are installed in the units. They are automatically read the chips and pass the information via text message parents.

SPORT

BORUSSIA DORTMUND CROWNED AGAIN

THE BEST

German side Borussia Dortmund were crowned German league champions for the second consecutive season after a win at home to Moenchengladbach which leaves them eight points clear with two games to go. Jurgen Klopp's team suffered the last of their three league defeats back September and have now extended their record for the longest unbeaten run in a single German league season to 26. Having amassed 75 points, they can still beat the record of 79 for the most league points won in a season which Bayern achieved twice in the early 1970s.

This is the first time for 16 years Bayern have been denied the German title for two seasons running when Dortmund last earned back-to-back titles in 1994/95 and 1995/96 before winning the 1997 Champions League title. Bayern still have the chance for revenge when the teams meet for a third time this season in the German Cup final on May 12 at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

With Bayern on the verge of the Champions League final after their 2-1 first-leg semifinal win over Real Madrid last week, Dortmund's group stage exit proved to be a helping factor in Klopp's team defending their title.

Dortmund failed to make it past the group stages of Europe's top club competition this season, but have won 23 of 32 matches in the German league and will face Bayern in the final of the German Cup on May 12. Croatia midfielder Ivan Perisic opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with a header from Marcel Schmelzer's free-kick, while Japan international Shinji Kagawa settled any nerves of the 80,720 sellout home crowd at Signal Iduna Park with the second goal on the hour mark to seal the club's eighth title since forming in 1909.

PLAYERS STRIP FOR GENOA FURIOUS FANS
THE WORST

Spotlight for the Italian football for the wrong reasons once more. This Sunday, in Genoa, there were trouble in historical city of Genoa, as home football hooligan fans fire smoke bombs into the pitch and forced the referee to halt the match against Siena side. A large group of Genoa fans accumulated around the tunnel area at Luigi Ferraris Stadium and threatened to invade the pitch early with their side was 4-0 behind. After a break of 20 minutes, the match officials and the Siena team left the field with the furious fans applauding them, but not letting the Genoa players approach.

Home captain Marco Rossi spoke with the group, who demanded the Genoa players took off their shirts before leaving the field. The club's ultras wanted the players to hand their jerseys over on the grounds that they were not "worthy" of the colours.

All of the Genoa players incredibly co-operated, except loan striker Giuseppe Sculli, with tears in his eyes, confronted the supporters, making it clear that he would not cave in to their demands, while wing-back Giandomenico Mesto also broke down in tears.

After several more minutes, Rossi went round and collected his team mates' shirts, but Giuseppe Sculli refused to take his off and, with tears in his eyes, confronted the supporters, making it clear that he would not cave in to their demands.

In the meantime, referee Paolo Tagliavento managed to enter the dressing room, while club president Enrico Preziosi also made his way to the pitch and gathered the players in a huddle.

Sculli then appeared to try to negotiate with his shirt still on, along with Sebastien Frey, who tried to pull his back and was quoted in the Italian media as saying: "This is my shirt, we are all for Genoa."

Frey seemingly played the role of peacemaker between the ultras and players, as he then pleaded Siena to come back out onto the pitch and complete the game, which still had 37 minutes remaining.

Play finally resumed after a 40-minute delay, with the Bianconeri eventually winning 4-1. The home side’s only goal was scored by a Siena player, Grosso, on his own goal. His team mates Brienza (2), Destro and Giorgi score the goals that enraged ultrafans. Many tiffosi abandoned the stadium when Siena reach the fourth goal.

FEARS

NEW HOPE IN BREAST CANCER TREATMENTS

THE BEST

 

A landmark scientist research study identified 10 categories of breast cancer and by doing so brought new hope for the treatment of each type.
 In this early stage, the findings will not have an immediate impact on breast cancer cases but sets out a new field of research which will allow investigation to follow more precise paths.
It means it’s now possible to predict survival more accurately, to draw a map of the disease.


Hopefully, this will also help doctors to have a more precise information of their patients needs.

For the moment, only one of these 10 breast cancer types have a targeted treatment (Hercepin).

The new findings will open new fields of medical research to the other nine types of the disease, which are dealt with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

The majority of breast cancers (more than 70 per cent) respond to hormone therapies, but the reaction to the treatment varies wildly. But there’s hope of more efficient treatments in a few years. 

TYCOONS’ TAKE OVER

THE WORST

Twelve of the richest people on the planet joined an initiative which consists in giving at least half their fortunes to humanitarian causes.
The campaign baptised by one of the mentors, Warren Buffet, as “Giving Pledge” is announced as the result of a common understanding of the need for positive changing in the world.  Buffet, Bill Gates, Steve Bing, Elon Musk and John Sobrato are some of the names of this campaign, also subscribed by Michael Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg, David Rockfeller, among others.
We should be aware some of these men’s fortunes is high above gross national product of most of world countries.

They are more powerful than most of worlds political leaders and they certainly have for a long time the technological and financial resources to operate “positive changings” in the world. Not to mention their huge capacity to lobby interests.
So, the question is: why did they come forward with this marketing campaign. Are they trying to look as the saviours of humanity, our guardian angels?
Are the funds they say they’ll give away the same disappearing in real state speculations, financial and stock markets and increasing national debts all over? Let us keep an eye on tycoons. They are a lot more than meets the (common man’s) eye.