Ariana Grande becomes first honorary citizen of Manchester

Ariana Grande has been made an honorary citizen of Manchester for organising a concert to raise money for the victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack.

Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese put forward the motion and described the singer as "a young American woman for whom it would have been understandable if she never wanted to see this place again."

"But no -- instead she, as an artist, a performer, was determined that she would not perform again until she had returned to Manchester to perform," Leese said.

 "In doing so, she brought comfort to thousands, she raised millions for the We Love Manchester emergency fund and became the first patron of that fund," he added.

"And that's why I propose that Ariana Grande is made the first honorary citizen of the city of Manchester."

 On her Instagram page Grande said:"I don’t know what to say. Words don’t suffice. I’m moved and honoured. My heart is very much still there. I love you. Thank you."

 On 22nd May a concert held by Grande resulted in 22 people who were killed and dozens more injured after a lone suicide bomber detonated a device inside the foyer at the arena, shortly after the concert had finished.

 The 24 year-old returned to Manchester two weeks later and organised the One Love Manchester concert to raise money for the victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack.

 Music artists including Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell and Manchester's own Liam Gallagher performed along with Ariana Grande as almost £3 million for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund.

 Honorary citizenship is the highest honour that can be awarded by a city, apart from the "freedom of the city" award, which has only been handed out four times since 2000.

Grand Theft Auto V Makes $1 Billion In Three Days

Rockstar Games latest release in the Grand Theft Auto series has made $1 billion in just three days.

In a statement Take Two Interactive said: "Grand Theft Auto V, the critically acclaimed latest release from the iconic interactive entertainment series, has achieved worldwide retail sales of more than $1 billion during its first three days on sale, according to Company estimates. We believe this marks the fastest that any entertainment property, including video games and feature films, has reached this significant milestone."

Chairman and CEO of Take Two Strauss Zelnick said: "Grand Theft Auto is a cultural phenomenon and Rockstar Games continues to redefine what can be achieved in interactive entertainment. We are incredibly proud of the extraordinary critical and commercial response to Grand Theft Auto V."

Grand Theft Auto V allows gamers to play as three different characters called Michael, Franklin and Trevor in the fictional American city called Los Santos.

Gamers have to complete a number of different missions which involves shooting, driving, flying, stealing amongst other things as well doing other activities outside of missions such as playing tennis and golf.

The game released on Tuesday to critical acclaim with reviews of the game giving five stars and 10 out of 10 ratings.

More than 1.5 million copies were sold in the UK on its first day of release of a game which took more than five years to develop at a cost of around £170 million.

 

Ben Affleck To Play Batman In Man Of Steel Sequel

Ben Affleck has been cast as the new Batman for the sequel to Man of Steel which will see Batman and Superman in the same movie.

Warner Bros announced actor/director Affleck, 41, will succeed Christian Bale as the man wearing the famous cape and cowl.

Zack Snyder who directed Man of Steel will be directing the sequel which will also see Henry Cavill back wearing the famous red cape as Superman. 

"Ben provides  an interesting counter-balance to Henry's Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne" Snyder said.

Affleck isn't new to the superhero genre as he starred in Daredevil in 2003 playing the blind lawyer Matt Murdoch as well as his alter-ego Daredevil.

Affleck follows Bale as well as other actors such as Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney who have portrayed Batman on the big screen.

 

 

  

Royal Baby Named George Alexander Louis

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate Middleton have named their new born baby boy George Alexander Louis.

From now on the baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.

Prince George who is third in line to the throne after his grandfather Prince Charles and his father Prince William was born on Monday afternoon at 4.24pm weighed in at 8 pounds and 6 ounces.

In an official statement from Kensington Palace: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce they have named their son George Alexander Louis. The baby will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge."

The announcement from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge just two days after the baby was born was quick by royal standards.

Prince Charles and Diana took a week before deciding to name Williams' name and it took the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh a month before settling on Charles' name.

There have been six previous kings called George with the last one being the Queen's father George VI who died in 1952.

George was the bookies favourite name to be chosen ahead of other names like Henry, James and Arthur.

Sony Reveal The Playstation 4 For £349

Sony has announced that its next-gen console will be available later this year for the extremely reasonable price of £349.

This news comes off the back of Microsoft’s announcement that its own next-gen effort Xbox One would hit shelves for £429 in November.

Many had expected a high price point due to the decision to bundle the machine with the new Kinect sensor, though the upshot is that Sony’s significantly more powerful hardware will be £80 cheaper than its rival.

"This is a completely new platform and, in many ways, represents a completely new PlayStation," said Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House.

"We are more than ever capitalising on the vast network of Sony divisions."

The PS4 will launch with beefed up offerings at Sony online movie and music services as the console moves to expand into a complete home entertainment centre while remaining true to hardcore gamers.

Sony will use the technology of recently acquired cloud gaming company Gaikai to launch a service next year that lets people use PS3 or PS4 consoles to play blockbuster games in the cloud in real time.

More than 140 games are in development for the PS4, with at least 100 of the titles due out in the year following the consoles release, according to Sony Computer Entertainment US president Jack Tretton.

He promised that Sony had no plans to stop people from being able to play used games, and that PS4 consoles did not need to be connected to the internet if people preferred to go it solo.

"When a player buys a PS4 disk they have the right to use that game; trade it in; lend it to a friend, or keep it forever," Tretton said.

The official PS4 release date is currently pencilled in for "Holiday 2013", which most likely means Thanksgiving in America so a mid-November release is more than likely. The launch has been confirmed as worldwide, with the USA, Japan and European countries all getting the console on the same date.

Microsoft Announce The Xbox One

Microsoft unveiled it's eagerly awaited next generation games console called the Xbox One in Redmond, Washington today.

The Xbox One will be Microsoft's third games console after the Xbox was released in 2001 and the Xbox 360, which was released in 2005.

The new Xbox has been described as a "all-in-one" entertainment hub which will include a brand new Kinect sensor, a slightly revised controller with a redesigned D-Pad and other new features such as a blu-ray drive which isn't available in Microsoft's current games console, the Xbox 360.

"Today, we put you at the centre of a new generation in the living room," said Don Mattrick, head of Microsoft's interactive entertainment business.

"This is the beginning of a new generation of games and entertainment and a new generation of smart TV," said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft entertainment unit executive.

Microsoft has confirmed that it will be bringing eight brand new franchises and seven other exclusive franchises to the Xbox One within the first year of release.

Forza Motorsport 5 which is an exclusive franchise to Microsoft will launch on the same day as the Xbox One along with a new game called Quantum Break.

A release date as well as a price for the next generation console wasn't announced but Don Mattrick did confirm the Xbox One will be arriving this year. Microsoft are likely to announce a release date and price at the upcoming E3 event next month.

   

Gran Turismo 6 Announced For PS3

Sony and Polyphony Digital held a 15th anniversary Gran Turismo celebration at the Silverstone race track in the UK to announce Gran Turismo 6 for the PS3.

The game will be launched this holiday season and it will have 1,200 cars, 33 locations and 71 different layouts to race those cars on.

Although an exact date hasn't been confirmed beyong holiday 2013, PS3 owners will only have to wait until July to play the game as Sony are going to release a demo.

Polyphony Digital president Kazunori Yamauchi stated that a PS4 version is "in mind for the future." Sony and Polyphony just decided to release the game on the PS3 first along with a load of DLC content, which they felt would work best.

This suggests that Gran Turismo 6 would be released on the PS4 when Sony and Polyphony release a Game of the Year Edition next year.

Sony has sold 70 million copies of its famous driving game, which first went on sale 15 years ago. 

Sir Alex Ferguson To Retire As Manchester United Manager

Sir Alex Ferguson is set to retire at the end of the season after 26 years in charge at Manchester United Football Club.

Rumours surfaced on Tuesday that the Scot was considering retiring after learning that the hip replacement surgery he is to undergo in July is likely to force him to miss the start of next season.

In a statement on Manchester United’s official website Ferguson said:

“The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time.

“It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so. The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one.

“Our training facilities are amongst the finest in global sport and our home Old Trafford is rightfully regarded as one of the leading venues in the world.

“Going forward, I am delighted to take on the roles of both Director and Ambassador for the club. With these activities, along with my many other interests, I am looking forward to the future.

“I must pay tribute to my family, their love and support has been essential. My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career,providing a bedrock of both stability and encouragement. Words are not enough to express what this has meant to me.

“As for my players and staff, past and present, I would like to thank them all for a staggering level of professional conduct and dedication that has helped to deliver so many memorable triumphs. Without their contribution the history of this great club would not be as rich.

“In my early years, the backing of the board, and Sir Bobby Charlton in particular, gave me the confidence and time to build a football club, rather than just a football team.

“Over the past decade, the Glazer family have provided me with the platform to manage Manchester United to the best of my ability and I have been extremely fortunate to have worked with a talented and trustworthy Chief Executive in David Gill. I am truly grateful to all of them.

“To the fans, thank you. The support you have provided over the years has been truly humbling. It has been an honour and an enormous privilege to have had the opportunity to lead your club and I have treasured my time as manager of Manchester United.”

Ferguson has enjoyed unprecedented success at Old Trafford since his arrival from Aberdeen in 1986, becoming the club’s most successful manager of all time.

Though it took the new United boss four years to seal his first trophy success, the 1989-90 FA Cup, that served as a springboard to the club, as they subsequently dominated the English football landscape for over 20 years.

The Scotsman has since added four further FA Cups, 13 Premier League titles, four League Cups and two UEFA Champions Leagues to the club’s major honours list. Manchester United’s title win this season was the 20th in their history, taking them two clear of arch rivals Liverpool.

Amazon Enters The UK Tablet Market With The Kindle Fire HD

After its release a year ago in the USA Amazon have decided to release their Kindle Fire tablet in the UK along with their new Kindle Fire HD tablet.

Both tablets run on a customised Android based platform, with Amazon integrating their own products and services.  Users get the likes of Whispersync, including games and access to a number of apps, music, books, magazines and movies from Amazon. 

The 7-inch touchscreen tablet offers 1280 x 800 pixel resolution display and it will come with 16GB and 32GB internal storage and a front-facing camera with 11 hours of battery life with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor.

The Kindle Fire HD tablet is available at £159 with 16GB storage and £199 with 32GB storage for pre-order right now and will be released before Christmas where it will battle it out with the iPad 3 and the Google Nexus 7 to see which tablet comes out on top in the fall.

Amazon are also releasing an updated version of the Kindle Fire tablet which was released in the USA last year. 

The Kindle Fire tablet offers a 1.2GHz processor and 1GB RAM for 40% faster performance than the original Kindle Fire with a 7-inch 1024 x 600 pixel resolution display. It measures 189 x 120 x 11.5mm and weighs 400g. It has 8GB of internal memory and offers 9 hours of battery life.

The Amazon Kindle Fire tablet will cost £129 and is available for pre-order right now for consumers to reserve to get before Christmas.

Neil Armstrong, The First Man On The Moon Dies At 82

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon has died aged 82.

The American astronaut had been hospitalised recently with heart surgery and his family said in a statement that he had died following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.

Armstrong became famous around the world in 1969 with the Apollo 11 mission to the moon where he was joined on the mission by Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

In his greatest act Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon on July 21, 1969 when he stepped off the lunar lander and said "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said: "On behalf of the entire NASA family, I would like to express my deepest condolences to Carol and the rest of the Armstrong family on the passing of Neil Armstrong. As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them, remembered for taking humankind's first step on a world beyond our own."

Besides being one of America's greatest explorers, Neil carried himself with a grace and humanity that was an example to us all. When President Kennedy challenged the nation to send a human to the moon, Neil Armstrong accepted without reservation.

"As we enter the next era of space exploration, we do so standing on the shoulders of Neil Armstrong. We mourn the passing of a friend, fellow astronaut and true American hero."

During his lifetime, Armstrong was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Space Medal of Honour along with the historical status of being the first man to walk on the moon.

 

Football Enters The 21st Century With Goal-Line Technology

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has unanimously approved the use of goal-line technology after months of exhaustive tests were carried out on two systems called Hawk-Eye and GoalRef.

The technology, which has also been signed off by world football's governing body, FIFA, will first be used at December's FIFA Club World Cup and, if successful, at the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup.

The English Premier League, the world's richest football league, welcomed IFAB's decision.

"The Premier League has been a long-term advocate of goal line technology," the EPL said in a statement.

"We will engage in discussions with both Hawk-Eye and GoalRef in the near future with a view to introducing goal-line technology as soon as is practically possible."

Hawk-Eye is already used in other sports such as tennis and cricket. It uses high speed cameras to track the ball on the pitch, then triangulation to pinpoint its exact location. It can report exactly where a ball has landed and create a record of the path it has taken.

GoalRef which was developed by researchers from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute uses antennas to create low intensity magnetic fields in and around the goals. A tiny electronic device is embedded in the ball so whenever it passes the goal line it changes the magnetic field. This is detected and analysed by a processing unit which can precisely locate the ball to see if it fully crossed the line.

Both systems send an encrypted radio signal to alert game officials, with each process taking less than one second to complete.

Pep Guardiola To Leave Barcelona In The Summer

Pep Guardiola is set to leave his post as FC Barcelona manager in the summer after winning 13 trophies in four years.

The former Barcelona player turned manager lost at the Camp Nou to Real Madrid for the first time as manager. Then the club got knocked out of the Champions League Semi-Final to Chelsea three days later meaning the Copa del Rey is the only trophy Barcelona can win when they play Athletic Bilbao in the final on 25th May.

In a press conference held today at the Camp Nou Guardiola explained his decision to leave the club.

"The reason to leave is simple," he said."Four years are long and they wear you down."

"Every day during those four years, the demands are very high, the pressure, the necessary energy to push the players and enjoy it," he said. "I need to rest and move away."

"In  December I told the president and sport director that I saw the end of my stint here, but I had the problem that I couldn't tell my players. That is why I took so long," said Guardiola who's players were present at the press conference. 

Barcelona wasted little time in announcing Guardiola's successor confirming that assistant manager Tito Vilanova will step up from his current position and become the manager next season.

"Why Tito?" sorting director Andoni Zubizarreta asked. "Because he represents the game, the analysis, the preparation. He puts the extra hour into preparation, he has the capacity and the personality to be here, because we know him. We decided to look inside our house and it was easy."

Fabio Capello Resigns As England Manager

Fabio Capello has resigned as England manager.

An FA statement read: "The Football Association can confirm that Fabio Capello has today resigned as England  Manager.

This follows a meeting involving FA chairman David Bernstein, FA General Secretary Alex Horne and Fabio Capello at Wembley Stadium.

The discussions focused on The FA Board's decision to remove the England team captaincy from John Terry, and Fabio Capello's response through an Italian broadcast interview.

In a meeting for over an hour, Fabio's resignation was accepted and he will leave the post of England Manager with immediate effect."

FA Chairman David Bernstein said: "I would like to stress that during today's meeting and throughout his time as England Manager, Fabio has conducted himself in an extremely professional manner. We have accepted Fabio's resignation, agreeing this is the right decision. We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future."

A media conference with David Bernstein and the Club England Management team will take place at Wembley on Thursday at 12 noon to announce who will be the England Manager for the international friendly against Holland on February 29 at Wembley Stadium.

Golden Oldies Prove Youngsters Are Not Yet Good Enough

With the return of Thierry Henry to Arsenal and Paul Scholes to Manchester United it makes you wonder about the plight of the younger players at not only these two clubs but at clubs around the country.

Henry scored the only goal in 3rd round FA Cup tie against Leeds coming on from the bench replacing teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Paul Scholes scored the first in a 3-0 win for Manchester United against Bolton Wanders at Old Trafford in the Premier League after coming out of retirement to come on as a substitute against Manchester City in the FA Cup a week ago.

Robbie Keane is another player who has come back to the Premier League on loan to Aston Villa where he will play when a chance can be given to England U21 striker Nathan Delfouneso to prove he can score goals in the Premier League.


One reason youngsters would give as to why they are perceived not to be good enough is that they don't get enough chances in the first team. Oxlade-Chamberlain is an example of this as he moved to Arsenal in the summer for £12 million and has not even started two consecutive games for the North London club. Theo Walcott on the other hand is a first team regular and after he has said that he would prefer to play as a striker than a winger he has only scored four goals this season showing he isn't ready to replace Robin Van Persie as Arsenal's first choice striker. Add to that contract negotiations continuing where the England international wants a reported £80,000 a week shows that young players are demanding more than what they are supplying.


This is the case of Manchester United youngsters Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison who both were instrumental in the club winning the FA Youth Cup last season. Pogba, a French youth international who is similar in playing style to Michael Essien has recently changed his agent to Mino Raiola who's clients include Mario Balotelli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic which isn't a group you want to be a part of since Zlatan has a black belt in taekwondo and Balotelli does fireworks in his bathroom. Both however would make interesting party guests though so you would be sure of a good time off the pitch but on the pitch they are likely to let you down when it matters.


Ravel Morrison who has been lauded as the best player to come out the Manchester United Academy since Paul Scholes has the talent but not the clean life off the pitch which is led by the returning midfielder. The England youth international has already been in court and although the club have stood by him he has rejected a new contract offered by the Manchester club.


"His agent has been working hard to get him another club. We've offered him terms which he has refused. His demands are unrealistic as far as we're concerned." said Ferguson


How can a player like Ravel Morrison demand unrealistic terms when he hasn't done anything at the club who have shown him loyalty? How can Paul Pogba do the same when  like Morrison he hasn't done anything for the first team? How can Walcott demand £80,000 a week when he hasn't helped Arsenal win a trophy since he arrived at the club?


Paul Scholes would never have demands that were deemed unrealistic like Morrison and Pogba. Henry did much more than Walcott had to be rewarded with a £80,000 a week contract. Are the players too greedy or is it there agents who are trying to get their clients a  unrealistic deal or it could be a bit of both.


What young players should realise is that when they get a chance they should take it and if they don't then they should knuckle down and work hard so that next time they will take there chance and they will be rewarded with a new contract which leads to more money and former players remaining as former players.

The F.A. Reveal Reasons For Luis Suarez's Eight Match Ban

The Football Association last night released a 115 word document giving details of why Luis Suarez was given an eight match ban for racist abuse towards Patrice Evra.

The Liverpool striker was given a eight match ban and fined £40,000 after the F.A. claimed he racially abused Evra by calling him a "negro" during the 1-1 draw at Anfield on October 15th 2011.

The report states that, after being tackled by the Uruguayan, Evra asked Suarez why he had kicked him, to which the forward replied in Spanish: "Because you are black."

When Evra challenged him to repeat the answer and said he would "punch him", Suarez said: "I don't speak to blacks."

Suarez is said to have used the term "negro" seven times in around two minutes.

In giving the reasons for the length of the ban, the report said: "Given the number of times that Mr Suarez used the word 'negro', his conduct is significantly more serious than a one-off use of a racially offensive term and amounts to an aggravating factor."

The report states in its summary: "Mr Evra was a credible witness. He gave his evidence in a calm, composed and clear way. It was, for the most part, consistent, although both he and Mr Suarez were understandably unable to remember every detail of the exchanges between them.

"Mr Suarez's evidence was unreliable in relation to matters of critical importance. It was, in part, inconsistent with the contemporaneous evidence, especially the video footage.

"For example, Mr Suarez said that he pinched Mr Evra's skin in an attempt to defuse the situation. He also said that his use of the word 'negro' to address Mr Evra was conciliatory and friendly. We rejected that evidence.

"To describe his own behaviour in that way was unsustainable and simply incredible given that the players were engaged in an acrimonious argument. That this was put forward by Mr Suarez was surprising and seriously undermined the reliability of his evidence on other matters.

"There were also inconsistencies between his accounts given at different times as to what happened."

Liverpool have been strong in their support of Suarez criticising the F.A. and claiming Evra should also face charges after he admitted insulting Suarez during the altercation.

The club's players and Reds boss Kenny Dalglish also wore T-shirts in support of the Uruguayan before their draw with Wigan on 21st December.

The F.A. and Liverpool were given the findings on Friday by the Independent Regulatory Commission. Both parties have the right to an appeal and must reply by 13 January.

Grand Theft Auto V Locations Announced By Rockstar

After showing the first ever trailer for Grand Theft Auto V on Tuesday, developers Rockstar released a statement giving more details about the game which will succeed Grand Theft Auto IV.

 The statement read: "We are very proud to officially announce that Grand Theft Auto V is in full development.

Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto V heads to the city of Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created.

 A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present day Southern California".

 Los Santos is one of three cities located in GTA's fictional West Coast state of San Andreas, featured in 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Rockstar pioneered the open world genre with the Grand Theft Auto series, one of the most successful entertainment properties of all time. With more than 114 million copies sold-in worldwide, Grand Theft Auto games have helped propel video games into the cultural mainstream.

 A release date for Grand Theft Auto V has yet to be announced by Rockstar.

Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs Dead At 56

Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple has died died aged 56 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," read a statement by Apple's board of directors. "Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."

Jobs was a visionary who saw gaps in markets which he took advantage of to make Apple one of the most profitable companies in the world. He was behind Apple creating products such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

The iPod, essentially a pocket-sized computer hard drive with elegantly simple controls and a set of white earbuds so that one could listen to the hours of music one saved on it. He set up the iTunes online music store, and persuaded major recording labels to sell songs for 99p each. No longer did people have to go out and buy a CD if they liked one song from it. They bought a digital file and stored it in their iPod.

The iPhone with its iconic touch screen, was a handheld computer, music player, messaging device, digital wallet and a mobile phone. Major competitors, such as BlackBerry, Nokia and Motorola, struggled after it appeared.

Apple's iPad began to cannibalize its original business, the personal computer. The iPad was a sleek tablet computer with a touch screen and almost no physical buttons. It could be used for almost anything software designers could conceive, from watching movies to taking pictures to leafing through a virtual book.

Steve Jobs was a man who didn't want to own the world, he wanted to change it fo the better, which like his devices he was successful in doing.

Sir Alex Ferguson Lifts Ban On The BBC

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has lifted his ban on talking to BBC media outlets.

United's next game is against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday where Sir Alex Ferguson will be heard giving a post match interview to the BBC for the first time in seven years.

Ferguson imposed a lifetime ban on the BBC in 2004 in protest at a TV documentary about his son, Jason, who was then working as an agent.

The Manchester United manager has said he would only speak to the corporation again if it apologised for the documentary, called Fergie and Son, which aired on digital channel BBC3 and was repeated on BBC1.

A statement said: "Sir Alex and the BBC have put behind them the difficulties which led to Sir Alex feeling unable to appear on BBC programmes."

The joint statement, released on Thursday, follows a meeting between Sir Alex and the BBC's director general, Mark Thompson, and BBC North director Peter Salmon.

It added: "The issues have been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.

"Sir Alex will now make himself available to the BBC for Match of the Day, Radio 5 live and other outlets as agreed.

"No further comment will be made by either party on this issue."

Steve Jobs Resigns From Apple

Steve Jobs on Wednesday resigned as chief executive of Apple Inc in a stunning move that ended his 14-year reign at the popular technology company.

Jobs who has been on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since January 17, announced he will be replaced by COO and long-term successor Tim Cook.

Although a definitive reason for Jobs’ departure from Apple has not been made, many speculate that his resignation is do to ongoing health problems that have plagued the former CEO for quite some time. Over the span of the last 7 years, Jobs has undergone surgery for pancreatic cancer and received a liver transplant. Jobs has not confirmed, however, that he is stepping down due to health.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come," said Jobs.

Even those who aren’t fans of Apple products are sad to see such an icon depart. Apple’s recent innovations led by Steve Jobs created many of the vast and great technologies that we have come to depend on today. Without Jobs, iPods may never have existed and we could all still be walking around with Walkmans.

Rupert Murdoch Axes The News of the World

Rupert Murdoch shut down the News of the World on Thursday, Britain's biggest selling Sunday newspaper.

After allegations increased that the journalists hacked the voicemails of thousands of people, from child murder victims to the families of Britain's war dead Murdoch has decided that Sundays edition of the News of the World will be its last leaving around 200 staff members redundant.

"News International today announces that this Sunday, 10 July 2011, will be the last issue of the News of the World", read a statement from Murdoch's son James, who chairs the British newspaper arm of News Corp.

"The good things the News of the World does ... have been sullied by behavior that was wrong. Indeed, if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our company. The News of the World is in the business of holding others to account. But it failed when it came to itself" said James Murdoch.

The main accusations are that journalists, or their hired investigators, took advantage of often limited security on mobile phone voicemail boxes to listen in to messages left for celebrities, politicians or people involved in major stories.

Disclosure that the practice involved victims of crime came when police said a private detective working for the News of the World in 2002 hacked into messages left on the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler while police were still looking for her.

Police have also been criticized over allegations officers took money from the News of the World for information. London's Evening Standard newspaper said on Thursday that police officers took more than £100,000 in payments from senior journalists and executives at the paper.

It was unclear whether the company would produce a replacement title for the lucrative Sunday market, in which, despite difficult times for newspaper circulations, the News of the World is still selling 2.6 million copies a week.

One option might be for its daily sister paper the Sun to extend its coverage to a seventh day - an option that some commentators said was already in train. The website www.sunonsunday.co.uk was registered on Tuesday this week but the party who registered it opted to keep their identity secret.

Osama Bin Laden Killed By U.S Forces In Pakistan

Osama Bin Laden is dead, President Obama announced Sunday night, in a televised address to the nation.

His death was the result of a U.S. operation launched in Abbottabad, Pakistan, against a compound where bin Laden was believed to be hiding, according to U.S. intelligence. After a firefight, a small team of American forces killed bin Laden and took possession of his body, the president said.

“Tonight I can report to the American people and the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden,” Obama said during brief remarks at the White House.

“Justice has been done,” he said, in comments that marked a formal end of the manhunt for the most visible and emotionally-charged symbol of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The president said U.S. intelligence operatives received a tip in August on bin Laden’s whereabouts, which ultimately led to Sunday’s attack. Obama said he determined last week that the U.S. had enough reliable information to take action; by Sunday morning, he had authorized “a small team of Americans” to conduct an operation targeting bin Laden.

“After a fire fight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body,” the president said. “No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties.”

Obama said the 9/11 attacks that bin Laden and his lieutenants orchestrated nearly 10years ago remain “the worst attack on the American people in our history” and said the images of the crumbling Twin Towers “are seared into our national memory.”

The president emphasized that Americans “did not choose this fight” against al Qaeda, but rather, “it came to our shores.” He praised U.S. military and intelligence professionals for working “tirelessly to achieve this outcome.” To the families of 9/11 victims, he noted that the U.S. has “never forgotten your loss.”

“Tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11,” Obama said. “I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.”

Reports have suggested that the now former al-Qaida leader's body is in the possession of the U.S whereas other reports have suggested that he was buried at sea after his death.

Royal Wedding Sealed With A Royal Kiss

Prince William and Kate Middleton married with a mix of glittering pageantry and spontaneity, kissing twice in front of the watching public and breathing new life into Britain's monarchy.

A million people lined the streets and two billion TV viewers worldwide watched as Kate swept up the aisle of Westminster Abbey on Friday, resplendent in an ivory and white satin dress with a veil and flowing train.

The future king and queen briefly kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace then repeated it when the crowds begged for more -- going one better than William's parents Prince Charles and Diana when they wed in 1981.

Tourists and Britons alike flocked to London to see the culmination of a romance that began eight years ago when the second in line to the throne and his "commoner" bride were university students. The couple are now known officially as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - the titles were a wedding gift from William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Among 1,900 guests in the abbey were musician Sir Elton John, footballer David Beckham and his wife Victoria, and Australian swimming icon Ian Thorpe, along with 40foreign royals and hundreds of dignitaries.

All eyes were on 29-year-old Kate's dress, and there were cheers when she emerged from her hotel in a robe by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, the British designer who committed suicide last year.

Led by her father Michael, Kate took four minutes to walk down the aisle of the abbey which was lined with trees to create the feel of an English garden.

William waited for her accompanied by his brother and best man Prince Harry, wearing the red tunic of the Irish Guards infantry regiment, the uniform of his highest military rank, despite his day job as a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot.

Prince William smiled and mouthed "you look beautiful" to his bride. The couple both said "I will" before repeating their vows, while William briefly struggled to fit the ring, made from Welsh gold, over her finger.

After the service, they travelled in an open carriage to Buckingham Palace along The Mall, as the crowds cheered and mounted soldiers in their finery rode alongside.

When the couple appeared on the balcony Kate could be seen mouthing "Wow" at the ocean of people. William then appeared to ask "Shall we kiss?" before briefly embracing his bride and blushing, following it up with another shortly afterwards.

Scotland Yard said at least one million people thronged the procession route, with 500,000 of them watching the balcony kisses. There was one more surprise after the wedding reception at the palace.

William and Kate appeared in a vintage Aston Martin sporting bunting and balloons and the registration number "JU5T WED", and drove to Clarence House, his father's residence, nearby.

One surprise remains intact after the wedding, however -- the couple's honeymoon destination is still a mystery.

Sony Apologise Over Playstation Network Being Hacked

Sony have released a statement on the latest news about its Playstation Network being hacked. The statement reads:

Thank you for your patience while we work to resolve the current outage of PlayStation Network & Qriocity services. We don’t have an exact date to share at this moment as to when we will have the services turned on, but are working day and night to ensure it is as quickly as possible. We are currently working to send the following message via email to all of our registered account holders regarding a compromise of personal information as a result of this malicious attack on our servers, so please look for this information via email as well. Please note that we are as upset as you are regarding this attack and are going to proceed aggressively to track down those that are responsible.


Valued PlayStation Network/Qriocity Customer,

We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network. In response to this intrusion, we have:

1) Temporarily turned off PlayStation Network and Qriocity services;

2) Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened; and

3) Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure by re-building our system to provide you with greater protection of your personal information.

We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable.

Although we are still investigating the details of this incident, we believe that an unauthorized person has obtained the following information that you provided: name, address (city, state/province, zip or postal code), country, email address, birthdate, PlayStation Network/Qriocity passwords and login, and handle/PSN online ID. It is also possible that your profile data, including purchase history and billing address (city, state, zip), and your PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may have been obtained. If you have authorized a sub-account for your dependent, the same data with respect to your dependent may have been obtained. While there is no evidence that credit card data was taken at this time, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, to be on the safe side we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may also have been obtained.

For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security, tax identification or similar number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your PlayStation Network or Qriocity user name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well.

To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant to review your account statements and to monitor your credit or similar types of reports.

We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at uk.playstation.com/psnoutage should you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

Sony Network Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment Teams

Sony Network Entertainment Europe Limited (formerly known as PlayStation Network Europe Limited) is a subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited the data controller for PlayStation Network/Qriocity personal data.

India Beat Sri Lanka To Become The 2011 Cricket World Champions

India completed an epic journey beginning in Dhaka 43 days ago and culminating in a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka on Saturday after they had appeared to be down and out in the World Cup final.

Two thunderbolts from Lasith Malinga accounted for Virender Sehwag (0) and Sachin Tendulkar (18) after India set out in pursuit of a challenging target of 275.

Only two sides had previously won the trophy batting second and a crowd of 33,000 at the Wankhede Stadium sat in stunned silence after Tendulkar edged a catch to a jubilant Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara behind the stumps.

Tendulkar had scored centuries against England and South Africa to take his tally of international centuries to 99 and all Mumbai had been willing him to score the 100th in his native town.

Malinga had other ideas after an assured start by Tendulkar, who at the age of 37 is unlikely to play in another World Cup. But Tendulkar, the ultimate team man, was just happy to be part of a winning outfit at his sixth World Cup and he was carried on the shoulders of his team mates around the ground after the best final since Pakistan beat England in 1992.

"He's carried the burden of the nation for 21 years so it's time we carried him on our shoulders," said Virat Kohli, summing up the feelings of a billion of his compatriots.

In a reminder, if it were needed, that no individual is bigger than the team, Tendulkar's early exit gave an opportunity to Gautam Gambhir and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to take their side to victory. India became the first nation to win the event on home soil.

Gambhir scored an assured 97 while Dhoni, who had looked leaden-footed throughout the tournament, recaptured his form to score an unbeaten 91, finishing the game with a theatrical six.

Sri Lanka's 274 for six after Sangakkara had won the toss was largely the result of a masterly 103 not out from Mahela Jayawardene.

But after Malinga's opening burst, Sri Lanka's decision to drop spinners Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath backfired and Sangakkara always seemed a bowler short.

Muttiah Muralitharan, determined to bring the trophy to Sri Lanka for a second time, did his best to overcome the effects of a hamstring and a knee injury in his final international match.

Although the competitive fires still burned bright, he was understandably tentative in his run-up, the ball did not spit and turn as it once did and he failed to add to his record of 534 one-day wickets.

Dhoni, who joins Kapil Dev as the only two Indian captains to lift the World Cup, said the team had set their sights on the World Cup 18 months to two years ago.

"Whatever we were doing on the field we had a long-term goal," he said. "Just by having a target in mind doesn't mean you will win the World Cup.

"We prepared well for the World Cup, we tried to keep each and every individual fit. We tried to keep the best XI in the best form.

"We peaked at the right time, we wanted to win it for each other."

Yuvraj Singh was named as the man-of-the-tournament, after his consistency with the bat and his invaluable contribution with his left-arm spin.

"This is unbelievable," he said. "Tonight is going to be good night. Thank you India!"

Gary Neville To Become Sky Sports Pundit

Gary Neville insists he will not be scared to criticise Manchester United when he begins his new role as a Sky Sports pundit next season.

Neville stopped playing football at the beginning of the year, after netting himself an impressive eight Premier League titles and a Champions League victory during his career at Old Trafford.

However, from next season, Neville will be on the other side of the camera as Sky fill a position created following the axing of Andy Gray in January.

And that raises the potential for Neville having to criticise the club he has supported all his life and made over 600 appearances for during a stellar playing career.

The prospect of a conflict of views with Sir Alex Ferguson is clear.

But Neville is adamant he will speak his mind the same way he has always done.

"Everybody who knows me will accept that I will speak honestly on what I see," he said.

"I have experience of playing in the Premier League, Champions League and for England.

"I understand what goes on in those matches, so I have the ability to speak about them. That is whether it is Manchester United or not.

"I am sure people are going to be looking and asking how he can remain impartial. The reality is the game is the game.

"If they play well and win, they play well and win. If they don't play well, they don't.

"You never see Alex Ferguson trying to shy away from how the team has performed. That will be the same with me next year."


"I am thrilled to be joining Sky Sports. It has always been leading the way in football coverage. Now I have retired this feels like the perfect way for me to stay involved in football and I am looking forward to bringing my 19 years of match experience into television." said Neville.

Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said Neville will bring his 'vast experience' to the team, giving viewers 'great insight' when he joins.

Brazilian Striker Ronaldo Retires From Football

In modern football when the name "Ronaldo" is mentioned people think about the £80 million portuguse international Cristiano Ronaldo. However when you say the name Ronaldo to those who have watched football for more than the last ten years then they they tell you about the first Ronaldo, the original Ronaldo, the one and only Ronaldo.


Former Brazil striker Ronaldo who scored a record 15 World Cup goals announced his retirement on Monday, ending one of the most successful careers in football. The 34-year-old three-times FIFA World Player of the Year, a twice World Cup winner, said injuries and fitness problems prevented him from playing to his best form.


"I came here to say today that I'm ending my career as a professional player," Ronaldo, with his two sons at his side, told a packed news conference at Corinthians' training complex in Sao Paulo. "Everyone knows about my history of injuries...and those pains made me bring forward the end of my career."


Ronaldo, who had a contract with Corinthians until the end of the year, said his fitness problems were the overriding reason for his decision. He said he discovered while playing for AC Milan in Italy that he was suffering from a thyroid problem.


"Four years ago at Milan I discovered I was suffering from a complaint called hypothyroidism, which slows down your metabolism and to control it I would have to take some hormones that are not permitted in football because of anti-doping," Ronaldo said.


"I wanted to clarify this on the last day of my career," added Ronaldo, who has struggled to keep his weight down and often suffered the jibe of "fatty" during his career.


"It's very hard to leave something that makes you so happy, to which you gave so much, which you love so much and could even continue doing, because mentally I still want to, but one also has to accept some defeats. I lost to my body. "This is the time, I'll do other things in my life, I'll be tied to Corinthians for ever."


During a brilliant career riddled with goals for European clubs such as PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan. Ronaldo was voted FIFA world player of the year three times and also won the European footballer of the year award twice.


He won two World Cup winners medals with Brazil. He was an unused squad member when Brazil won the title in 1994 and their top scorer when they won their record fifth in 2002 after he recovered from a serious knee injury that had threatened a premature end to his career.


Ronaldo's career can be looked at in two parts, one before his knee injury and one after his knee injury. The Ronaldo before the knee injury was unbelievable, unstoppable, unique and unrivalled. He was the best striker in the world, he was the best player in the world and hadn't even reached his prime. He went past defenders in a flash, he scored goals for fun and he played with that famous smile on his face enjoying his football.


Then there was the Ronaldo after the knee injury who became the top goalscorer at the 2002 World Cup leading Brazil to become World Champions. Then he move to Real Madrid from Inter Milan and the the Spainish title. Then came the famous match in the Champions League at Old Trafford in 2003 wher Ronaldo scored a hat-trick and left the pitch to a standing ovation.


After that Ronaldo's career went downhill with problems with his weight he started to be called the fat Ronaldo and seemed to have lost interest in the game he loved. During this bad period another Ronaldo was emerging at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano Ronaldo helped Portugal get to the Euro 2004 final and became World and European player of the year in 2008. By this time he was the only Ronaldo people were talking about and Bralian one was a distant memory.


But fooball fans especially those above the age of twenty won't forget Ronaldo. After all how many opposition players at Old Trafford leave to a standing ovation? Hardly any. And who was the last player to score a hat-trick at Old Trafford for the opposition? Ronaldo. Eight years later and nobody has matched what Ronaldo did and it will be a very long time when somebody does match the feat of the one and only Ronaldo.

Keys Resigns After Gray Sacked By Sky Sports

Richard Keys has resigned from Sky Sports following the day after the sacking of Andy Gray for sexist comments both men made about lineswoman Sian Massey on Saturday.
Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: “It is disappointing that Richard’s career at Sky should end in these circumstances. However, Richard recognises that his comments at the weekend were unacceptable and we note that he has made a full and public apology. We thank him for his time in helping make Sky Sports the success it is today.”


Richard Keys said: “I am deeply sorry for my remarks and the offence they have caused; it was wrong and should not have happened. I have thought long and hard and reached the decision that it is time to move on. Going forward without Andy would have been almost impossible. I am and will remain proud of our work with football at Sky Sports and grateful to the many people who have worked with me. I wish Sky Sports continued success in the future."


The resignation of Keys, 53, follows Andy Gray's public apology. Gray said: "I am very sorry that certain comments made by me have caused offence. Such comments were made off air to work colleagues, and were of course never intended to be broadcast.


"I was very upset when the comments were brought to my attention, and it was my intention to apologise on Monday night when I was back on air for the Bolton v Chelsea game. Sadly I was unable to do so as I was suspended from the show by Sky Sports and have now been sacked.


"Football is my life and I am devastated by losing the job that I love. I am equally upset that third parties have been dragged into this issue."


Gray, 55, was given his marching orders after more embarrassing footage of him asking Sky Sports presenter Charlotte Jackson, 33, to tuck his microphone pack down his trousers. He says: "Charlotte, can you tuck this in here for me, love? Just tuck that in for me, love."


All of this follows sexist comments made by Keys and Gray before the football game between Wolves and Liverpool which they covered for Sky Sports that lineswoman Sian Massey, 25, didn't understand the offside rule.

Catwoman And Bane To Play Villians In The Dark Knight Rises

Warner Bros. Pictures have announced that Anne Hathaway (pictured) has been cast as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.


Christopher Nolan stated, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story."


In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, "I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman's most formidable enemies."


Catwoman is potrayed as a high class cat burglar of questionable moral character who forms a complex love/hate romance with Bruce Wayne/Batman. Bane on the other hand is actually a genius military strategist and fearsome soldier driven insane by the super soldier serum 'venom' which increases his physical strength.


The Dark Knight Rises is the third and final installment of Christopher Nolan's portrayal of Batman and it is due to release on July 20, 2012.

Prince William to Marry Kate Middleton Next Year

Prince William is to marry long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton next year, Clarence House has announced.

A brief statement released by Clarence House said: "The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton. The wedding will take place in the spring or summer of 2011, in London. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course. Prince William has informed the Queen and other close members of his family. Prince William has also sought the permission of Miss Middleton's father."


William and Kate revealed they will wed next year after the Prince proposed on a romantic holiday in Kenya last month. The Prince said he had been working up the courage to ask Kate for her hand in marriage before they went away.

He said: "I'd been planning it for a while but as any guy out there will know it takes a certain amount of motivation to get yourself going. I was planning it and then it just felt really right out in Africa. It was beautiful at the time. I had done a little bit of planning to show my romantic side."


Wearing the blue sapphire and diamond engagement ring that the prince's father gave to Princess Diana in 1981, Middleton said:"It's quite a daunting prospect but hopefully I'll take it in my stride, and William's a great teacher so hopefully he'll be able to help me along the way. I'm really looking forward to spending my time with William."


Prince William said the ring "was very special to me" as was his bride-to-be. Giving it to her was "my way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on today".

Vettel Becomes Youngest F1 Champion

Sebastian Vettel won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to steal the Drivers World Championship from Fernando Alonso by four points.

The Red Bull driver becomes the youngest ever F1 Champion at 23 years and 135 days with Lewis Hamilton now demoted to second youngest at 23 years and 307 days.


'I’m a bit speechless, to be honest, I don’t know what I’m supposed to say at this moment. An incredibly tough season physically and mentally but we always kept believing in the team and the car and I kept believing in myself.


Today was a special day all around. This morning I got up and just tried to be calm and avoid contact with people. As you say, we’ve only led this championship once, but when it matters. I’m speechless, as I said, the car was phenomenal. The start was close with Lewis and we then had a bit of graining, but car stabilised from then.


It was good that Lewis got up behind Kubica and got held up, so I could make a gap but, yeah, to be honest I didn’t know anything unless I crossed the chequered flag.(Race Engineer) Rocky was always trying to give me some advise, I was thinking, ‘Why is this guy so nervous? We must be in a bloody good position!’After crossing the line Rocky said, ‘It’s looking good but we have to wait’ and then he came on screaming that we’d won the World Championship.


I have to thank all of the mechanics, all of the engineers…sorry, I’m making this a bit long!…all the guys in Milton Keynes are pushing like hell enjoying this moment and back in Austria, all the guys who have been supporting me from the beginning. It’s unbelievable; I can only say things to all the people from karting in Kerpen and my hometown Heppenheim. I don’t know how many times we’ve had a different leader in this championship. Ferrari were there, McLaren came back, Lewis was leading the championship, Lewis had a retirement in Hungary, myself in Australia and Korea and I think all of us had to go though ups and downs. A tough season mentally, but sometimes you just need to be able to ignore what people are saying and get things done. I’m very proud.'


Vettel's status as F1's youngest champion is the latest in a line of such accolades he has acquired. Having made his debut as reserve driver for BMW Sauber at the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, be became the youngest driver to score a championship point the following year at Indianapolis. Joining Toro Rosso, Vettel then became the youngest driver to win a grand prix in Italy in 2008 before joining Red Bull.

Wayne Rooney Signs Five-Year Contract To Stay At Manchester United

Wayne Rooney performed a spectacular U-turn and signed a new five-year contract to stay at Manchester United until 2015 ending speculation of a move away from Old Trafford.

After refusing to sign a new contract to stay at Manchester Untited on Tuesday, Rooney sentionally done a U-turn after extended talks with the hierarchy at United including the owners (Glazer family) and Chief-Executive David Gill on Thursday.

A delighted Sir Alex Ferguson told United's official website:"It’s been a difficult week, but the intensity of the coverage is what we expect at Manchester United. I said to the boy that the door is always open and I’m delighted Wayne has agreed to stay.

“Sometimes, when you’re in a club, it can be hard to realise just how big it is and it takes something like the events of the last few days to make you understand. I think Wayne now understands what a great club Manchester United is.

“I’m pleased he has accepted the challenge to guide the younger players and establish himself as one of United’s great players. It shows character and belief in what we stand for.

“I’m sure everyone involved with the Club will now get behind Wayne and show him the support he needs to produce the performances we know he is capable of.”

After signing his new five-year contract to stay at United Rooney said:"I’m delighted to sign another deal at United. In the last couple of days, I’ve talked to the Manager and the owners and they’ve convinced me this is where I belong. I said on Wednesday the Manager’s a genius and it’s his belief and support that have convinced me to stay.

I’m signing a new deal in the absolute belief that the management, coaching staff, board and owners are totally committed to making sure United maintains its proud winning history – which is the reason I joined the Club in the first place.

I’m sure the fans over the last week have felt let down by what they’ve read and seen. But my position was from concern over the future. The fans have been brilliant with me since I arrived and it’s up to me through my performances to win them over again.”

This week at Manchester United Football Club can be described exactly how Ferguson described winning the treble in 1999, Football - Bloody Hell!