ROSELL OPENS THE DOORS FOR MESSI PAY RISE

"The best player in the world should be the best paid in the world"

Sandro Rosell assured at midday on Thursday that he has not held a meeting with Messi regarding an improved contract, but the 'Azulgrana' president did open the doors for the Argentinean star to take a seat at the negotiating table: "I haven't talked to him about it, but the club's offices are open. I have no doubt that the best player in the world should be the best paid in the world."

Messi's contract with Barcelona ends on 30th June, 2018 and his release clause is set at €250 million. If his new contract is confirmed, the Argentina international will sign his seventh contract with the club in the past eight years.

Rosell also talked to the media regarding the referendum on independence which the Catalan government is planning. As for the leanings of FC Barcelona, the Catalan president remarked that his personal position is clear, but that "Barça will not take a position, because it does not vote; it has no right to an opinion as an institution".

Finally, Rosell defended the need to build a new stadium, "because the process of repairing and repainting is not sufficient if we don't want to get left behind and want to generate income".

Mohammed Amir to return sooner than expected

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has agreed to review the ban of Pakistani fast bowler Mohammed Amir.
The youngster was an up and coming talent in the world of cricket and sport until he was implicated in a match fixing scandal uncovered by the now closed News of the World. Amir’s ban currently is set to end in 2015, however it is looking more likely this may be reduced by a year. The Pakistani nation will be hoping for an early return to add pace and precision to their line up. Amir was tipped to become the next Waqar Younis, however with such a long period out of the sport it is now difficult to determine just how well he will be able to settle back into the sport.

The ICC are currently reviewing their anti corruption laws where the matter of Mohammed Amir’s five year ban is also being discussed. The discussion has been going on since July and is expected to produce a finalised new anti corruption law by January 2014. The possibility of Amir returning to international cricket will then be reviewed after the new laws have been finalised and adopted. The fast bowler is already getting ready to return to training with the Pakistanis and ‘warm up’ domestic games.
Once a great prospect in cricket, Pakistani cricket fans will be eagerly awaiting confirmation of his return to the sport.
Mohammed Amir commented on his ban; “I have learn my lessons and it has been frustrating not being able to play cricket which I love so much.”

Hosni Mubarak most ‘googled’ politician in Egypt during 2013

Ousted presidents Hosni Mubarak and Mohamed Morsi, followed by army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Muslim Brotherhood deputy leader Khairat El-Shater were the most searched for politicians in Egypt during 2013, according to Google Zeitgeist.  

Google Zeitgeist also showed the most trending people on Google in 2013 were Bassem Youssef, Armenian belly dancer Safinar (aka Safinaz), and Arab idol winners Mohamed Gamal and Mohamed Assaf.

When it comes to the most searched for events in Egypt, Tamarod (Rebel movement), Mohamed Morsi's trial and General Abdel-Fattah’s speech topped the list.

According to Google trends these are the most searched for politicians in Egypt:

1-    Ousted president Mohamed Hosni Mubarak

2-    Ousted president Mohamed Morsi

3-    General Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi

4-    Muslim Brotherhood deputy chairman Khariat El-Shater

5-    Sheikh Safwat Hegazy

6-    Interim President Adly Mansour

7-    Mohamed ElBaradei

8-    Former PM Hisham Qandil

9-    Brotherhood leading member Essam El Arian

10- Deputy PM Ziyad Bahaaeddin

The most trending people in 2013 are:

1-    TV host Bassem Youssef

2-    Belly dancer Safinaz (Safinar)

3-    Arab idol runner-up Ahmed Gamal

4-    Arab idol winner Mohamed Assaf

5-    General Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi

6-    Sheikh Safwat Hegazy

7-    Deputy PM Ziyad Bahaaeddin

8-    Adly Mansour

9-    Farah Youssef

10- Paul Walker

The most searched for events in 2013 are:

1-    Tamarod movement (Rebel)

2-    Mohamed Morsi trial

3-    El-Sisi’s speech

4-    30 June revolution

5-    World Cup qualifiers

6-    Murder of soldiers in Rafah

7-    Sinai operations

8-   Republican Guards headquarters clashes

9-   Mubarak’s trial

10-Support Egypt Fund

SPORTS:

Most searched for athletes in 2013 are:

1- Mohamed Salah

2- Lionel Messi

3- Cristiano Ronaldo

4- Neymar

5- Shikabala

6- Emad Meteb

7- Kaka

8- Mohamed Barakat

9- Gareth Bale

10- Hazem Emam 

Bassem Youssef was also the most searched for celebrity and his show 'El-Bernameg', which was suspended one episode into its third season, was the most searched TV show in 2013. 

The Xperia ZL enters the Guinness Book

Sony Mobile Gains Guinness Entry for largest animated mobile phone mosaic.

What do you get when you sync up a massive 196 Xperia ZL smartphones into one tell-all display piece? An entry into the Guinness Book of World Records is all yours. Sony Mobile Communications today announced its entry into the Guinness Book for the world’s largest animated phone mosaic.

This happened during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 in Barcelona, Sony Mobile took 196 Xperia ZL smartphones and synched them together to create a 14/14, 6 ft 2 inches display.

The Sony Xperia ZL features a Full HD 5-inch touchscreen display with an impressive 443ppi pixel density, using a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 processor clocked at 1.5GHz under the hood. This is paired with 2GB of RAM on the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. An update to 4.2 Jelly Bean is due to arrive shortly.

23 militants killed in North Waziristan

MIRANSHAH: Security forces killed 23 militants during a clash in North Waziristan, Geo News reported on Thursday.

Security sources said the militants attacked forces convoy while returning from Khajori check-post last night. In exchange of fire 23 militants were perished.

Attack On Security Checkpoint

A suicide bomber on Wednesday rammed his explosive-laden mini-truck into a roadside military checkpoint in the Khajori area of Mir Ali subdivision in the North Waziristan Agency and caused massive damage.

Officials in Mir Ali said that five soldiers were killed and 42 others were injured.

The Ansarul Mujahideen militant group claimed responsibility for the suicide attack on the security checkpoint in North Waziristan, and said it was planned to avenge the death of the TTP head Hakimullah Mehsud.

In a phone call from an undisclosed place to reporters in Kohat and elsewhere, the Ansarul Mujahideen spokesman Abu Baseer claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing and said as threatened by them earlier, it was meant to take revenge for Hakimullah Mehsud’s killing.

Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a US drone strike in Danday Darpakhel village near Miranshah in North Waziristan. Ansarul Mujahideen is an affiliate of the TTP

Speed caused Paul Walker’s crash?

Mechanical error was not a factor in the car crash that killed Paul Walker.
The 'Fast and the Furious' star and pal, Roger Rodas, were involved in a fatal accident after the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT they were travelling in crashed into a lamppost in Santa Clarita, California, on November 30, and investigators believe that 'speed alone' caused them to veer off the road.
A law enforcement official, who asked to remain anonymous, said they found no evidence that the car had mechanical problems or that debris or other road conditions caused the car to go out of control.
The source said: 'We're looking at speed and speed alone.'
The car appeared to have spun out of control after Roger, who was driving, negotiated a curve in an industrial park, and the official added: 'They were well out of the curve when they lost control.'
Officials have already calculated the speed range at which they believe the car was travelling but the figure won't be released until Porsche engineers from Germany fly out to Los Angeles next month to analyse the brakes, engine and body of the wreckage, which will help them determine the exact speed at the time of impact. 
The 40-year-old actor's death certificate ruled he died from 'combined effects of thermal and traumatic injuries'.
Paul's body was cremated last Thursday (12.12.13) and he was laid to rest at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills on Saturday (14.12.13).

Khloe Kardashian staying ‘strong’ after filing for divorce

Kris Jenner insists Khloé Kardashian is staying 'strong' after she filed for divorce from Lamar Odom last week. 
The 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' star is adamant her daughter is doing fine after terminating her four-year marriage with the basketball hunk, citing 'irreconcilable differences'.
She said: 'Khloé really is so great. She's strong and ... the good news is that she's busy and you know, keeps her real busy. But she's good.
'She's got such a big heart but she also is very sensitive. She's got that tougher exterior and sensitive inside, but she's good. She's got all of us all around her and I'll see her later, and yeah, she's good. I was with her yesterday and she's a gift. She's one of my biggest blessings.'
The 29-year-old star has been spotted without her wedding ring on for three weeks following allegations earlier this year that Lamar, 34, cheated on her with multiple other women and has also battled a cocaine addiction. 
Speaking to E! News, Kris added: 'I think that when you have a tough decision to make and you finally make it, it's always a relief to come through that process, but it is a process. So we'll see.'
Khloé has also reportedly asked for her surname to be changed from Kardashian-Odom back to Kardashian. 
The couple have no children together and have reportedly signed an 'ironclad' prenuptial agreement, which will help to divide all their significant assets.