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week in review Massive virus targets systems in Iran, Windows 8 inches closer to launch. Also: A peek at iPhone 5?

week in review A massive and complex virus has been discovered to be lurking in the Middle East, stealing data from targeted systems.

The malware -- dubbed Flame -- is designed to steal information about targeted systems and stored files as well as computer display contents and audio conversations. The malware appears to be state-sponsored, but experts are not sure what country is behind it.

Iran was the central target for the virus, but it also impacted machines in the West Bank, Syria, and other Middle East countries, as well as Sudan. And although some media reports have linked Israel to the attack, the country has denied all involvement. Flame virus could attack other nations Behind the 'Flame' malware spying on Mideast computers (FAQ) Meet the little box that could stop Flame and Stuxnet

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Also of note Twitter usage doubled since late 2010, Pew study finds Facebook's traffic from Google and Bing takes a nosedive

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Flame malware grills Mideast computers

The federal government has announced more funding for Hendra virus research after two horses died in Queensland.

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said in a statement $3 million would be dedicated to eight projects tackling different aspects of the bat-borne virus.

She said the money was going into the development of vaccines, diagnostic tools, drugs and research that examines how animals react to the virus.

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The investment follows calls for more research by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

The council has identified areas for research and subjected grant applicants to rigorous review, resulting in eight proposals being selected.

Two horses have died recently in separate cases in Queensland - one at Ingham, north of Townsville, and another near Rockhampton.

Eleven people are believed to have had a low level of exposure.

The virus is believed to pass from bats to horses and from horses to humans.

It has killed four people, the latest being Rockhampton vet Alister Rodgers in 2009.

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More federal funds to research killer Hendra virus

June 02, 2012 01:50:21 GMT The 'Snow White and the Huntsman' leading lady reveals her favorite British word and how she likes to say it.

got quite candid during a press junket for her new movie "" recently. When asked what her favorite British slang word was, the Snow White depicter gave a "way too honest" answer that might be shocking for some.

The actress, who practiced her British accent for the Rupert Sanders-directed flick, said her favorite slang was "c***." Although it might be a rude word for many, she defended it, "You go over there [to England], and it's a very different effect. It's fun. It's good."

She, however, didn't just say a plain "c***" word. The girlfriend of British heartthrob dished on, "Add an '-ing' to it. .. I heard some really down English crazy guy, on our crew actually, really angry, adding the '-ing'." She additionally insisted, "It's a really good word."

Her co-star , who plays Prince William in the movie, chimed in, "['C***']'s become the new 'mate'." As for his own favorite American word, the British actor had a long list. "Aluminum. Garage. Trash," he laughed before adding, "The list is endless."

AceShowbiz.com

Read more from the original source:
Kristen Stewart's Favorite British Slang Is 'C' Word With 'Ing'

TRENTON When is a Republican not a Republican?

When Gov. Chris Christie put up his two doomed state Supreme Court nominees Mayor Bruce Harris of Chatham Borough and First Assistant Attorney General Phillip Kwon he insisted Kwon was an unaffiliated voter.

Although Kwon had been a Republican in New York for more than a decade, after moving to New Jersey he subsequently registered as an independent last spring.

In the end, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected Kwon in March after questions arose about his familys business dealings.

Then at a news conference on Thursday in which Christie lambasted Democrats for turning away Harris, he first referred to Kwon as an independent. But in subsequent references, the governor called him a Republican.

"Before I made the nominations, diversity was all they talked about," Christie said at one point. "Then once I reached the bar of diversity, then they had to change the rules. Because Uh oh, he found two Republicans that are diverse? We didnt think hed be able to do that. So alright now weve got to change the rules."

Less than two minutes later, he did it again. "I think what happened here is they never thought I would come forward with two diverse candidates who happened to be Republicans," he said. "And once I ruined their plans, they had to come up with reasons to knock these guys off."

And toward the end of the news conference, when referring to Democrats delays in holding the hearings, Christie said: "They went, Oh no, he actually found two candidates with diversity who were Republicans. Now what are we going to do? "

A spokesman for the Republican governor dismissed the turns of phrase as a nettlesome press corps itching for a story. Yet it is at the heart of the debate between Christie and Democrats in the Legislature. They claim the governor is trying to tilt the partisan balance of the court more than his predecessors.

If two Republicans were to join the seven-member court, there would be four Republicans, two Democrats and one independent, Jaynee LaVecchia.

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What's in a name? Gov. Christie word choice draws attention from Democratic lawmakers

A word of warning that silence is golden

By Liam Mackey

Saturday, June 02, 2012

We got the full monty here in Montecatini this week, from earth tremors to a minor eruption by Mt Trap.

The humour and novelty and inflated hysteria associated with feeling the earth moving beneath our feet quickly gave way to guilty embarrassment that an event whose most dramatic effect here in Montecatini was one colleagues shaving cream falling off his bathroom shelf, had actually caused death and destruction and wreaked havoc with the lives of people elsewhere in northern Italy.

Not a moment too soon, we in the travelling hack pack were back on our more familiar terra firma and dealing with rather more mundane matters, if that is a word which can properly be described to Kevin Foleys dropping from Irelands Euro 2012 panel. Yes, we all know that the disappointments of sport are put into an altogether different perspective by something like Italy s lethal terremoto, yet it would do a serious disservice to Foley to underplay the considerable emotional impact on his personal and professional life of the sudden termination of his Euro dreams

It ought to be recorded that Giovanni Trapattoni too was visibly sad on Tuesday talking about the decision to leave Foley behind but, as the manager was at also at pains to point out, it was a call he felt duty-bound to make "disregarding personal feeling."

To the extent that he was finally forced into making an entirely professional but, for Foley, deeply painful decision, Trapattoni was only being true to his own footballing principles. And he deserves no criticism for that.

From what, admittedly with hindsight, was the premature announcement of the Euro 2012 squad, to the ambiguous references to "knocks" and "recovery" in the quotes attributed to Trapattoni about Foley in an FAI statement released just after Tuesdays midday deadline, two conditions were in place which helped ensure that, when it finally came, the shock and upset for the unfortunate player and, indeed, for his team mates could hardly be more destabilising or more acute.

Even had it been a bumpy ride thus far in terms of Irelands Euro preparations, the Foley story would still have been big news at home. But in the context of an otherwise controversy-free build-up, it played across all media outlets almost as a mini well, okay, miniscule Saipan 2.

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A word of warning that silence is golden