Mayweather Jr. won over Victor Ortiz

Mayweather, still undeafeated, just won over Ortiz. But for me it is not a good win, he did not show good character of a fair fighter. Though Ortiz didn't too but he was apologetic about it and Mayweather took advantage of it while Ortiz was apologizing to him. Gave 2 hard blows to Ortiz while his guard was down because he was apologizing. This has ended the fight and gave win to Mayweather.

Republican debt plan faces close vote in Congress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bill to cut the deficit faced a nail-bitingly close vote in Congress on Thursday as the top Republican lawmaker sought to quell an internal revolt and push his plan to avoid a ruinous default.

Approval of a plan by House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner would break the inertia in Washington over a debt crisis that has spooked markets and raised the prospect that the government of the world's largest economy will run out of money to pay its bills in less than a week.

President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the bill and a majority of the Democratic-controlled Senate has vowed to vote against it.

But a successful vote in the House would give the bill legitimacy and make it a crucial element of the legislative chess game that is likely to play out up to August 2.

That's when the Obama administration says it will run out of funds to pay the country's bills unless a $14.3 trillion borrowing limit is increased.

A defeat of the bill could deepen the crisis, swinging the momentum toward a rival Democratic plan in the Senate but leaving no clear way to overcome entrenched opposition from fiscally conservative Tea Party Republicans in the House.

As the brinkmanship over the ideologically charged dispute looks like it will go on through the weekend, investors and ordinary Americans are increasingly nervous that a previously unthinkable U.S. default could spark a new financial crisis.

Asian stocks slid more than 1 percent in thin volume on Thursday as investors nervously watched the clock tick down toward the debt ceiling deadline. European shares followed suit, sliding half a percent.

The Treasury says it will run out of spending money next Tuesday unless Congress agrees to raise the debt ceiling. Even if an 11th-hour compromise emerges, the United States could lose its top-notch credit status if ratings agencies are not convinced it has done enough to address its bulging debt burden.

The White House has warned of "catastrophic" consequences if a deal is not reached by August 2, rejecting the idea that Obama could invoke an obscure constitutional clause to raise the debt limit.

Several House Democrats planned to hold a news conference on Thursday to urge Obama to take that option if necessary.

"The only option here is for Congress to do its job," said senior White House adviser David Plouffe on the PBS television show "NewsHour."

"We've run out of excuses and we're running out of time."

After weeks of bickering and setbacks, some common ground has emerged between rival Republican and Democrat plans to cut the deficit and raise the debt limit.

A bill being pushed by top Senate Democrat Harry Reid and backed by the White House would cut $2.2 trillion from the deficit over 10 years without raising taxes.

Reid has said Boehner's plan would be "dead on arrival" but that he could incorporate elements of it in a way that could win support from both parties.

TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Boehner's two-step plan contains a crucial sticking point -- it would only extend the Treasury's borrowing authority by a few months, something Obama has said is unacceptable.

Democrat Obama is facing a major test of his leadership over the debt crisis as he seeks to remove the debt-ceiling issue as a threat to the weak economy ahead of his bid for re-election in November 2012.

Boehner's bill needs 217 votes and its chances appear too close to call even after he bluntly told fellow Republicans to "get your ass in line" behind his plan.

While some conservatives appeared to be reluctantly backing the bill, Tea Party groups are urging Republicans to reject any compromise, including Boehner's plan.

Investors have raised their holdings of safe-haven assets such as gold but have reacted relatively calmly to the prospect of an unprecedented U.S. default and a damaging credit downgrade, holding out hope that a late deal will be struck.

The dollar rebounded from recent losses on Wednesday and the Treasury managed to sell $12 billion in short-term bills and $35 billion in five-year notes, showing that bond investors still have faith in the U.S. government.

Still, ordinary Americans scarred by the 2008 financial crisis are growing more worried. They bombarded leading Congress members with telephone calls at the urging of Obama on Tuesday and financial advisers report a rise in calls asking about what to do if the government defaults.

The dysfunctional gridlock in Washington has also raised concern over the long-term decline of U.S. economic power and the status of the dollar as the world's reserve currency.

"The U.S. is experiencing an 'end of empire' moment and the dollar share of global reserves is likely to fall gradually," said Jim Leaviss, head of retail fixed income at M&G Investments in London.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn' Trailer: a Surprise Cameo, Bella's Baby Bump Is Revealed & More Squeal-Worthy Moments

After months of bated anticipation, “Twilight” fans have their first glimpse at "Breaking Dawn – Part 1." We can now set our countdown clocks for November 18 when the movie hits theaters.

In the trailer for the fourth installment in the "Twilight Saga" franchise, we get a sneak peek of a handful of juicy and surprising moments from the film: from Edward and Bella's lavender-bordered wedding invitations and the reactions of each of its recipients (the Volturi coven and Bella's mom, Renee, are pleased, while Bella's dad, Charlie, and her best friend, werewolf Jacob Black, are not so thrilled) to a first look at Edward and Bella's fancy, white-flowers-everywhere wedding day followed by their intensely romantic tropical honeymoon on the Isle of Esme.

There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo by "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer along with the film's screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and producer Wyck Godfrey. The three turn up about a minute into the preview as wedding guests. Meyer previously appeared in the first "Twilight" movie in one of the diner scenes sitting at the counter typing on her laptop as a waitress hands her food saying, "Here's your veggie plate, Stephenie."

By far one of the best moments in the two-minute trailer is the reveal of Bella's mysterious pregnancy. "That's impossible," Bella nervously whispers as she checks her slightly protruding belly in the mirror. Suddenly Bella's stomach convulses as she feels the baby's first kick. Edward looks on shocked, terrified, and helpless. Talk about baby bump alert!

Check out the "Breaking Dawn – Part 1" trailer here.

Skype sold at $8.5 Billion to Microsoft?

Image via CrunchBaseThe rumors that appeared overnight have turned out to be true. Microsoft has confirmed the purchase of Skype for $8.5 billion in cash.

Microsoft has been very clear in that it sees Skype’s technology and services being applied across the board to both its consumer and business customers. That means enterprise customers will receive a new way to communicate over voice and video, but more excitingly, those who own an Xbox and Kinect will also benefit from its introduction, as will Windows Phone 7 owners.

With Skype now a wholly-owned branch of Microsoft there may be worries that the service could disappear from non-Microsoft platforms. But Microsoft has been quick to state that Skype will continue to be supported across all devices going forward.

With guaranteed billions coming their way, investor group Silver Lake, who previously owned Skype, were delighted. Both Skype and Microsoft boards of directors approved the purchase and only regulatory approval is now required to finalize the deal.


Matthew’s Opinion

With the news of an acquisition now official, the next question to ask is what Microsoft intends to do with Skype beyond integrating it into existing services and platforms?

$8.5 billion is a lot of money to spend, and you have to wonder how much of that is a premium to ensure Google or Facebook weren’t chosen partners instead. But now further investment is required to ensure Skype stays in the number one spot for VoIP communications.

Facebook may now come up with its own voice and video service, while Google can continue to develop its existing services. Skype has to keep innovating even if it does already have hundreds of millions of existing users, and it’s now Microsoft’s responsibility to see that happens.

Reposted from Geek!

Obama refused the release of Bin Laden's death photos

Image via WikipediaPresident Barack Obama decided not to release photos of Osama bin Laden's corpse, citing national security risks and saying the United States should not brandish "trophies" of its victory.

Obama's war cabinet had been debating whether to publish gruesome post-mortem photos of the Al-Qaeda terror chief, who was gunned down by US special forces in a covert raid inside Pakistan on Sunday.

"It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence, as a propaganda tool," Obama told the CBS show 60 Minutes.

"That's not who we are. You know, we don't trot out this stuff as trophies," Obama said, arguing that DNA and facial recognition testing had established beyond doubt that the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks was dead.

Focus: Secrecy was bin Laden's protection
"There's no doubt among Al-Qaeda members that he is dead. The fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking on this earth again."

A Pakistani intelligence official said one of bin Laden's children, now in custody along with a Yemeni wife of the Saudi-born Al-Qaeda leader, saw her father shot dead.

His daughter, reported to be 12 years old, "was the one who confirmed to us that Osama was dead and shot and taken away," said the Pakistani official.
Obama's top security aides had debated whether to publish a photo of bin Laden to prove he had been killed, but feared a backlash in the Muslim world, possibly targeting US troops or interests.

Some senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill said they had seen the pictures, and described them as graphic, but later reports suggested the images circulating on Capitol Hill were not authentic.

Three US senators retracted their claims of having seen a graphic photograph of Osama bin Laden's corpse, apparently the victims of a fake picture of the slain Al-Qaeda chief.

Senator Saxby Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, had told reporters he had seen photos from the raid inside Pakistan, which led to the death of the terrorist mastermind by US special forces commandos.

Focus: White House calls halt to bin Laden disclosures
"They're what you would expect from somebody's been shot in the head. It's not pretty," he said, hours before it became clear that inauthentic photos had circulated among US lawmakers.

Asked whether Chambliss, who is also a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, had in fact seen an official photo, spokeswoman Bronwyn Lance-Chester told AFP late in the day that "he has been very clear about this: He has not seen the official photo."

Two other members of the armed services committee, Republican Senators Kelly Ayotte and Scott Brown, also backed off claims that they had seen gruesome photos of bin Laden's corpse.

Three days after a team of elite US Navy SEALS avenged the 2001 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, national security experts combed a haul of evidence from the Pakistani mansion that served as bin Laden's lair.
The trove, including about five computers, 10 hard drives and 100 storage devices, represents a dramatic intelligence breakthrough for the United States in its fight against Al-Qaeda, said the experts.

"I'll be very surprised if this isn't a gold mine for us," said John McLaughlin, a former CIA deputy director.

"I think we're probably going to find reports of potential plotting.
"We'll probably find something about funding. We may learn something about whatever relationship he did or didn't have with Pakistan. We'll learn about key aides," he told CNN.

The top US law enforcement official defended the legality of the special forces swoop, after it emerged on Tuesday that bin Laden had been unarmed at the time he was shot.

Focus: Bin Laden computers a 'gold mine' for US
The operation "was lawful and consistent with our values," Attorney General Eric Holder told Senate lawmakers.

Senator Lindsey Graham asked whether a Navy SEAL "had to believe" the world's most wanted man "was a walking IED" or bomb.
"Exactly," Holder agreed.

US authorities insist US commandos were not on a kill only mission but have come under pressure to explain the apparent contradiction that bin Laden "resisted" capture but was unarmed.

"If he had surrendered, I think -- attempted to surrender -- I think we should, obviously, have accepted that," Holder said. "But there was no indication that he wanted to do that. And, therefore, his killing was appropriate."

And Senator Dianne Feinstein said she was told bin Laden was about to grab a weapon when he was shot dead.

"I believe he was preparing to resist. And that's why the shots were taken," she told CNN in an interview.

"There were arms directly near the door and my understanding is he was right there and going to get those arms. So, you know, you really can't take a chance. This is the number one target.

Scene: Shrine to bin Laden victims
"This is the mastermind that killed 3,000 of our citizens. And there had to be justice. And the only way to achieve that justice is a life for a life in this case," the California senator added.

The White House released more details of the president's Thursday trip to the Ground Zero site of the World Trade Center towers, which nearly ten years ago were turned into an inferno and toppled by airliners hijacked by Al-Qaeda operatives.

Obama will lay a wreath in memory of the victims and meet relatives of those who perished, but will not make a speech, in an apparent sign he is wary of his visit being seen as an overtly political affair.
New opinion poll data Wednesday showed Obama is enjoying a boost in popularity after hunting down America's public enemy number one.
His approval rating surged 11 points to 57 percent in a CBS/New York Times poll while 72 percent approved of the way he is handling terrorism.
Pakistan, meanwhile, sought to deflect some of the embarrassment of bin Laden being found on its soil -- and of its failure to heed US calls to find him in a purpose-built garrison.

Officials said the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency had no idea bin Laden was holed up in the compound in Abbottabad, home to Pakistan's equivalent of the West Point and Sandhurst military academies.
But Salman Bashir, the top civil servant in Pakistan's foreign ministry, told the BBC Wednesday the ISI had alerted the United States to its suspicions about the imposing compound "as far back as 2009".

But it was not known at the time that bin Laden was there and there were "millions" of other suspect locations, Bashir said.

Pakistani intelligence officials said agents raided the bin Laden compound in 2003 when it was still being built, looking for then Al-Qaeda number three Abu Faraj al-Libbi, who escaped and was eventually captured two years later.

In Pakistan itself, conspiracy theories have proliferated after bin Laden's body was buried at sea off a US warship to forestall the prospect of a grave on land becoming an extremist shrine.

Police on Wednesday sealed off the Bilal suburb of Abbottabad, after crowds gathered outside the bin Laden compound, with hundreds of officers stationed around the area.

Justin Bieber Egg Attack During Sydney Concert

Justin Bieber has been pelted with eggs in Sydney.

The 17-year-old pop star was attacked with six eggs from two directions during his performance at the city’s Acer Arena on Friday 29, April.

Bieber fans were outraged after first two, then a further four eggs smashed within a metre of the Canadian superstar.

But according to onlookers Bieber barely missed a beat and a helper had soon cleaned up the mess.

The response from Justin’s True Beliebers was swift as they took to the Internet to condemn the unprovoked incident.

One fan wrote on Twitter: 'Dear person who threw eggs at @justinbieber in Sydney, you now have over #9millionbeliebers after you, be afraid! We go harder than hard!'

Bieber has since jetted to Melbourne where he will be performing on Monday and Tuesday night in the next leg of his My World Tour.

Meanwhile, Fighter actor Mark Wahlberg has revealed that he is set to star with Bieber in a new movie.

Wahlberg was reportedly so impressed with the singer’s basketball skills that he has asked him to appear alongside him in a film about the game.

The Hollywood star told MTV: "Justin Bieber and I are going to do a movie together. We're putting it together… We talked to him about doing it and he loved the idea. He sent me a video of himself and yeah, I think he's really talented."

Bieber has been keen to get back in front of the cameras since his turn in US crime drama CSI. He said recently: “I definitely want to do more acting, and further my career in that area, that's something I would love to do.”

© Cover Media

Taylor Swift and Garrett Hedlund dating?

Taylor Swift and Garrett Hedlund have been on a dinner date.

The country musician and Hollywood actor met up for a relaxed meal last week, dining in Nashville. The pair have been in contact for some time and decided sharing some food would be the perfect way to get to know each other better.

“It was their first time going out,” a source told Us Weekly. “They've been emailing for a while, and she hinted they should get together.”

The pair met up at 8pm, with Garrett, 26, returning to his hotel at 12.30am. Although he has starred in some of the biggest movies of the last few months, such as TRON: Legacy and Country Strong, Garrett apparently amazed Taylor by being so down to earth.

She found him fun and easy to talk to, but is not said to be in any hurry to settle down. Taylor, 21, has been single since splitting from Jake Gyllenhaal last year and wants to make sure her next romance lasts the distance.

“She has actually spent time getting to know Garrett,” the source added. “He's cute - and he's into country music! [She] likes that he's a normal guy.”