Superman star Henry Cavill has been cast alongside Tom Cruise in Paramount's upcoming Mission: Impossible 6.
The proposal came via Instagram on Thursday, by the hand of director Christopher McQuarrie, who posted a photo of himself asking the actor if he'd be interested in the project.
"Say, @henrycavill. Had a thought," the Mission Impossible director wrote.
"Curious if you're interested in a role in the 6th instalment of Mission: Impossible. No pressure."
Comments started pouring in from excited fans, asking for Cavill to accept.
"How can I say no to a man with such perfect hair," Cavill finally wrote, mocking a user's comment on McQuarrie's "perfect hair".
"Excellent. Just a few caveats," McQuarrie wrote.
"Must enjoy extreme heights, high speeds, motor vehicles of all varieties (especially aircraft), practical stunts, firearms, and sporadic exposition. All good?," he asked.
The Superman star said he would accept, but "only if I get to fly for real".
"I do believe I specified practical stunts. You in?," McQuarrie replied.
After Cavill finally writing "I'm in!", the director wrote: "Outstanding. Welcome aboard. Your social media account will self destruct in 5 seconds."
McQuarrie is known for directing most Tom Cruise-starred films since 2012's Jack Reacher.
Friday, March 17, 2017
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge head to Paris after 'work shy' claims
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive in Paris later for a two-day official visit following accusations that Prince William has been neglecting his royal duties.
William has faced criticism because he didn't attend a Commonwealth service in London on Monday after he spent the weekend skiing in Verbier with friends.
Videos have appeared online this week of him dancing and laughing with his friends in a nightclub in the Swiss ski resort.
Some newspapers have accused him of being work shy.
:: Royal duties on 13 days for Prince William so far this year
Emily Andrews, royal correspondent for The Sun Newspaper, said: "I'm sure they're very innocuous and very innocent, but those pictures don't suggest a 34-year-old father of two, very responsible heir to the heir to the throne - they suggest more of a young man, letting his hair down, on a boozy holiday with his Hooray Henry pals."
William and Kate are carrying out their two-day visit to France at the request of the Government and Foreign Office.
They are seen as important ambassadors for maintaining Britain's links with European countries as the UK prepares to leave the European Union. In July they will also visit Germany and Poland.
This week Prince William has been back working as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
He will only become a "full-time" working royal later this year when he gives up his job in the summer.
Maud Garmy, journalist at Voici magazine in Paris, doesn't believe the videos of the prince, enjoying time with his friends, have done him any harm.
She told Sky News: "Of course he's the future king of England, but in France we also consider that he's just a normal human being, so yeah let him have fun sometimes.
"It hasn't ruined his reputation. We've seen his brother naked in Vegas, what else can be that bad?"
During their visit the Duke and Duchess will attend a reception at the British Embassy called "Les Voisins", or cousins in English, highlighting the important ties between the two countries.
It will be Prince William's first official visit to the French capital since his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, died there in a car crash on 31 August 1997.
William and Kate will also meet survivors of the Bataclan and Nice terrorist attacks, as well as watch the Wales v France Six Nations rugby match.
William has faced criticism because he didn't attend a Commonwealth service in London on Monday after he spent the weekend skiing in Verbier with friends.
Videos have appeared online this week of him dancing and laughing with his friends in a nightclub in the Swiss ski resort.
Some newspapers have accused him of being work shy.
:: Royal duties on 13 days for Prince William so far this year
Emily Andrews, royal correspondent for The Sun Newspaper, said: "I'm sure they're very innocuous and very innocent, but those pictures don't suggest a 34-year-old father of two, very responsible heir to the heir to the throne - they suggest more of a young man, letting his hair down, on a boozy holiday with his Hooray Henry pals."
William and Kate are carrying out their two-day visit to France at the request of the Government and Foreign Office.
They are seen as important ambassadors for maintaining Britain's links with European countries as the UK prepares to leave the European Union. In July they will also visit Germany and Poland.
This week Prince William has been back working as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
He will only become a "full-time" working royal later this year when he gives up his job in the summer.
Maud Garmy, journalist at Voici magazine in Paris, doesn't believe the videos of the prince, enjoying time with his friends, have done him any harm.
She told Sky News: "Of course he's the future king of England, but in France we also consider that he's just a normal human being, so yeah let him have fun sometimes.
"It hasn't ruined his reputation. We've seen his brother naked in Vegas, what else can be that bad?"
During their visit the Duke and Duchess will attend a reception at the British Embassy called "Les Voisins", or cousins in English, highlighting the important ties between the two countries.
It will be Prince William's first official visit to the French capital since his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, died there in a car crash on 31 August 1997.
William and Kate will also meet survivors of the Bataclan and Nice terrorist attacks, as well as watch the Wales v France Six Nations rugby match.
Search for Irish helicopter crew after crash
Three men missing since their search and rescue helicopter crashed off the west coast of Ireland may be strapped in their seats in the wreckage.
The Irish Coastguard, which is co-ordinating the search from Blacksod Lighthouse in County Mayo, said it suspected the crew members could still be on board.
Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, 45, a long-serving search and rescue pilot, was located in the water but pronounced dead in hospital.
Her colleagues remain unaccounted for.
Declan Geoghegan, from the Irish Coastguard, said: "The maritime community in this country is a small, close-knit community.
"Whether it's commercial or whether it's search and rescue, we would all know each other.
"They are friends, they are colleagues.
"There is an emotional aspect to it all.
"It is difficult."
The alarm was raised in the early hours of Tuesday morning when the Rescue flight 116 disappeared from radar while coming in to re-fuel at Blacksod.
Twelve miles offshore, search teams have detected a signal from the helicopter's black box, fuelling hopes that the wreckage and crew will be located soon.
Relatives of captain Mark Duffy, winch operator Paul Ormsby and winchman Ciaran Smith have been privately maintaining a vigil at a house on the coast.
Local garda superintendent Tony Healy said: "We have trained family liaison officers with the family. They're being kept fully up to date with developments.
"They're coping as best as any family could in these circumstances."
Recovery efforts have been hampered by poor weather conditions - a 6ft swell in the sea around Blackrock has been preventing divers from carrying out underwater investigations.
But last night, the Air Accident Investigation Unit confirmed personnel brought to the site by an Air Corp helicopter had found a section of the missing aircraft.
The discovery confirms that the search and rescue helicopter, which did not send a mayday signal before vanishing, encountered difficulties at its last known location.
The Irish Coastguard, which is co-ordinating the search from Blacksod Lighthouse in County Mayo, said it suspected the crew members could still be on board.
Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, 45, a long-serving search and rescue pilot, was located in the water but pronounced dead in hospital.
Her colleagues remain unaccounted for.
Declan Geoghegan, from the Irish Coastguard, said: "The maritime community in this country is a small, close-knit community.
"Whether it's commercial or whether it's search and rescue, we would all know each other.
"They are friends, they are colleagues.
"There is an emotional aspect to it all.
"It is difficult."
The alarm was raised in the early hours of Tuesday morning when the Rescue flight 116 disappeared from radar while coming in to re-fuel at Blacksod.
Twelve miles offshore, search teams have detected a signal from the helicopter's black box, fuelling hopes that the wreckage and crew will be located soon.
Relatives of captain Mark Duffy, winch operator Paul Ormsby and winchman Ciaran Smith have been privately maintaining a vigil at a house on the coast.
Local garda superintendent Tony Healy said: "We have trained family liaison officers with the family. They're being kept fully up to date with developments.
"They're coping as best as any family could in these circumstances."
Recovery efforts have been hampered by poor weather conditions - a 6ft swell in the sea around Blackrock has been preventing divers from carrying out underwater investigations.
But last night, the Air Accident Investigation Unit confirmed personnel brought to the site by an Air Corp helicopter had found a section of the missing aircraft.
The discovery confirms that the search and rescue helicopter, which did not send a mayday signal before vanishing, encountered difficulties at its last known location.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Teenager finds 7.44-carat diamond among rocks in Arkansas park
A teenager stumbled across a large 7.44-carat diamond on the edge of a stream while walking through a state park in Arkansas.
Kalel Langford, 14, spotted the rock at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro. It is the seventh largest diamond discovered since the park was established in 1972.
The teenager has nicknamed the stone Superman's Diamond because of his love of the Man of Steel and plans to keep it.
He said: "It was just a few inches from a stream of water, with a bunch of other rocks that were about the same size."
The park has not provided an estimated value for the diamond.
But a 3.85-carat diamond which was found in the park by another teenager in 2014 was reportedly later sold for $20,000.
Another found at the park a year later, a 8.52-carat white diamond, was valued at $500,000, the park said.
Waymon Cox, park interpreter, described the stone as the size of a pinto bean and the colour of coffee.
He said: "This diamond is a truly extraordinary find.
"It was Kalel's dream to visit the Crater of Diamonds State Park, and now he will always be part of this park's remarkable history. We are all very happy for him."
The largest diamond ever found in the US - the 40.23 carat Uncle Sam - was also found in the park in 1924.
Visitors can pay $10 to search for diamonds at the park.
Kalel Langford, 14, spotted the rock at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro. It is the seventh largest diamond discovered since the park was established in 1972.
The teenager has nicknamed the stone Superman's Diamond because of his love of the Man of Steel and plans to keep it.
He said: "It was just a few inches from a stream of water, with a bunch of other rocks that were about the same size."
The park has not provided an estimated value for the diamond.
But a 3.85-carat diamond which was found in the park by another teenager in 2014 was reportedly later sold for $20,000.
Another found at the park a year later, a 8.52-carat white diamond, was valued at $500,000, the park said.
Waymon Cox, park interpreter, described the stone as the size of a pinto bean and the colour of coffee.
He said: "This diamond is a truly extraordinary find.
"It was Kalel's dream to visit the Crater of Diamonds State Park, and now he will always be part of this park's remarkable history. We are all very happy for him."
The largest diamond ever found in the US - the 40.23 carat Uncle Sam - was also found in the park in 1924.
Visitors can pay $10 to search for diamonds at the park.
Brexit: Queen gives Royal Assent to Article 50 bill
The Queen has given Royal Assent to the Brexit bill, clearing the way for Theresa May to start talks to leave the European Union.
The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was passed by MPs and peers on Monday.
It allows the prime minister to notify Brussels that the UK is leaving the EU, with a two year process of exit negotiations to follow.
Mrs May says she will trigger the process by the end of the month.
It is unlikely to happen next week to avoid a clash with an informal summit of EU countries.
The meeting will mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, and in turn became the European Union.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said: "By the end of the month we will invoke Article 50, allowing us to start our negotiations to build a positive new partnership with our friends and neighbours in the European Union, as well as taking a step out into the world as a truly Global Britain."
The European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill was passed by MPs and peers on Monday.
It allows the prime minister to notify Brussels that the UK is leaving the EU, with a two year process of exit negotiations to follow.
Mrs May says she will trigger the process by the end of the month.
It is unlikely to happen next week to avoid a clash with an informal summit of EU countries.
The meeting will mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, and in turn became the European Union.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said: "By the end of the month we will invoke Article 50, allowing us to start our negotiations to build a positive new partnership with our friends and neighbours in the European Union, as well as taking a step out into the world as a truly Global Britain."
Kim Jong-Nam's killing a 'US plot', North Korea claims
North Korea says the recent "incident" involving the death of leader Kim Jong-Un's half-brother was a plot by South Korea and the US to bring the regime down.
Kim Jong-Nam was poisoned with the lethal nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur airport on 13 February.
Police are trying to trace seven North Korean suspects, four of whom left Malaysia on the day of the murder.
Referring to North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (DPRK), diplomat Pak Myong Ho told reporters: "The recent incident that occurred in Malaysia was clearly a political scheme by the US and South Korea aimed at hurting the DPRK's reputation and overthrowing the DPRK regime.
"The only parties that will benefit from this incident are the enemy countries."
Investigators in Malaysia have put out a wanted notice through Interpol for four diplomats sought in connection with the killing.
Police believe the four fled to Pyongyang, while the other three suspects are thought to be hiding in the North Korea embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
The Interpol red notice alerts police in countries that are members of Interpol to share information and intelligence on suspects with a view to arresting and then extraditing them. North Korea is not a member.
The Interpol notice names four North Korean men aged between 32 to 56 years old: Hong Song Hak, Ri Ji Hyon, O Jong Gil and Ri Jae Nam.
Two women - Vietnamese Doan Thi Huang and Indonesian Siti Aisyah - have been arrested and charged with the murder.
CCTV footage at the airport shows them approaching the victim and apparently smearing his face with a piece of cloth.
:: How can the world deal with North Korea nuclear threat
Mr Kim's family have now given consent to Malaysia to decide what to do with his body, police in Kuala Lumpur said.
Police confirmed his identity using the DNA of one of his children after he was found to be holding a diplomatic passport in the name of Kim Chol when he was killed.
Deputy national police Chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim said: "I was made to understand that they are leaving it to our government to deal with it (the body) ... yes, they have given their consent."
Pyongyang has denounced the Malaysian investigation as an attempt to smear the secretive regime, insisting that the most likely cause of the 45-year-old's death was a heart attack.
The killing sparked a massive row between Malaysia and North Korea, which have expelled each other's ambassadors.
Kim Jong-Nam was poisoned with the lethal nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur airport on 13 February.
Police are trying to trace seven North Korean suspects, four of whom left Malaysia on the day of the murder.
Referring to North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (DPRK), diplomat Pak Myong Ho told reporters: "The recent incident that occurred in Malaysia was clearly a political scheme by the US and South Korea aimed at hurting the DPRK's reputation and overthrowing the DPRK regime.
"The only parties that will benefit from this incident are the enemy countries."
Investigators in Malaysia have put out a wanted notice through Interpol for four diplomats sought in connection with the killing.
Police believe the four fled to Pyongyang, while the other three suspects are thought to be hiding in the North Korea embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
The Interpol red notice alerts police in countries that are members of Interpol to share information and intelligence on suspects with a view to arresting and then extraditing them. North Korea is not a member.
The Interpol notice names four North Korean men aged between 32 to 56 years old: Hong Song Hak, Ri Ji Hyon, O Jong Gil and Ri Jae Nam.
Two women - Vietnamese Doan Thi Huang and Indonesian Siti Aisyah - have been arrested and charged with the murder.
CCTV footage at the airport shows them approaching the victim and apparently smearing his face with a piece of cloth.
:: How can the world deal with North Korea nuclear threat
Mr Kim's family have now given consent to Malaysia to decide what to do with his body, police in Kuala Lumpur said.
Police confirmed his identity using the DNA of one of his children after he was found to be holding a diplomatic passport in the name of Kim Chol when he was killed.
Deputy national police Chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim said: "I was made to understand that they are leaving it to our government to deal with it (the body) ... yes, they have given their consent."
Pyongyang has denounced the Malaysian investigation as an attempt to smear the secretive regime, insisting that the most likely cause of the 45-year-old's death was a heart attack.
The killing sparked a massive row between Malaysia and North Korea, which have expelled each other's ambassadors.
Oil tanker hijacking: Somali pirates release ship and crew after gunfight
Somali pirates who hijacked an oil tanker on Monday have released the ship and its eight Sri Lankan crew, officials say.
It came after a gunfight between naval forces from the semi-autonomous state of Puntland and the gang, followed by negotiations involving local elders.
An unnamed former British army officer said: "The Puntland maritime police force freed the ship. They made (the pirates) an offer they couldn't refuse and the pirates have left."
The reported offer was not disclosed but a pirate confirmed the Comoros-flagged Aris 13 was released without a ransom being paid.
The gang said they agreed to forego a ransom after finding out that Somali businessmen had hired the tanker.
Pirates have traditionally been wary of getting caught up with the country's powerful businessmen.
Aris 13 had been anchored a few miles off the Somali coast near the town of Alula.
Naval forces have now boarded it and were escorting the ship to Bossaso port, the region's commercial hub.
The pirates were not arrested and were allowed to leave.
On Thursday, there were clashes between maritime forces and the hijackers who started shooting at each other. Local residents said four civilians were injured by stray bullets.
Three days earlier, the ship was taken over by the gang who arrived in two small boats. Most of the crew were held captive in a locked room.
It was the first hijacking in the region for five years, and maritime experts have accused ship owners of becoming complacent after a long period of calm.
The tanker, which was making its way from Djibouti to the Somali capital Mogadishu, had changed its course, heading towards the coastline of the northeastern tip of Somalia.
The cost and time saving route, paired with the ship's slow speed and lack of armed escort, left it vulnerable to attack.
It came after a gunfight between naval forces from the semi-autonomous state of Puntland and the gang, followed by negotiations involving local elders.
An unnamed former British army officer said: "The Puntland maritime police force freed the ship. They made (the pirates) an offer they couldn't refuse and the pirates have left."
The reported offer was not disclosed but a pirate confirmed the Comoros-flagged Aris 13 was released without a ransom being paid.
The gang said they agreed to forego a ransom after finding out that Somali businessmen had hired the tanker.
Pirates have traditionally been wary of getting caught up with the country's powerful businessmen.
Aris 13 had been anchored a few miles off the Somali coast near the town of Alula.
Naval forces have now boarded it and were escorting the ship to Bossaso port, the region's commercial hub.
The pirates were not arrested and were allowed to leave.
On Thursday, there were clashes between maritime forces and the hijackers who started shooting at each other. Local residents said four civilians were injured by stray bullets.
Three days earlier, the ship was taken over by the gang who arrived in two small boats. Most of the crew were held captive in a locked room.
It was the first hijacking in the region for five years, and maritime experts have accused ship owners of becoming complacent after a long period of calm.
The tanker, which was making its way from Djibouti to the Somali capital Mogadishu, had changed its course, heading towards the coastline of the northeastern tip of Somalia.
The cost and time saving route, paired with the ship's slow speed and lack of armed escort, left it vulnerable to attack.
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