The Startup2.0 ten finalists were announced on May 21, 2008 in Barcelona. In the same event the judges voted for the top three web 2.0 European sites.

The Startup 2.0 is a competition in which 10 European startups are presented by their founders. These startups are chosen out of many that were suggested by their founders.

Our future prediction : The winners of the Startup2.0 are Zilok, the online rental marketplace, Bubok the self publishing website and iFoods, the video recipes site.

So It Be? Maybe…

The championship round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in the Independence Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Friday, May 30, 2008.

The Spelling Bee’s starting roster included 288 spellers; the number was progressively whittled down through the quarter-final and semi-final round to a small number of spellers in the championship round. Mayee Zhu from Hope Middle School in Winterville, North Carolina was the 2008 Scripps Spelling Bee champion. Spelling Bee prediction: Mayee Zhu is the winner of the 2008 Scripps Spelling Bee.

Students come from across the United States, American Samoa, the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Guam, Jamaica, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Europe participate in this long-standing educational competition.

So it be? Maybe . . .

Top male tennis players met this week for the 2008 ATP Masters Series - Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany at Rothenbaum Tennis Stadium. The tournament ran 11 May through 18 May 2008.

Players competed on Hamburg’s outdoor clay courts. Top seeded Swiss tennis star Roger Federer repeated last year’s victory, walking away with the tournament championship. Tennis prediction: Roger Federer is the winner of the 2008 ATP Hamburg.

The ATP Masters Series includes five tournaments in Europe and four in North America. The season finishes with the Tennis Masters Cup, an event that features the top eight players in the world.

So it be? Maybe . . .

The Seattle International Film Festival ran May 22 through June 15, 2008 in McCaw Hall at Mercer Street and 3rd Avenue in Seattle’s Theatre District.

This year, the French documentary film, Combalimon, directed by Raphaël Mathié, was the winner of the Festival’s Documentary Competition. Film Festival prediction: Combalimon is the winner of the Documentary Competition at the 2008 Seattle International Film Festival.

This year, the Seattle International Film Festival paid tribute to its roots and featured a special showing of In the Land of the Headhunters in cooperation with The Burke Museum and the Seattle Theatre Group. Filmed in 1914, this film by director Edward Curtis was the first to star native North Americans.

So it be? Maybe . . .

The final event of the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix was held in Monte Carlo on 25 May 2008; drivers raced through the winding streets of Monte Carlo to victory.

British driver Lewis Hamilton, driving for McLaren, was the winner of the 263 km, 78-lap Monaco Grand Prix. Formula One racing prediction: Lewis Hamilton is the winner of the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix.

The Monaco Grand Prix is considered by many race enthusiasts to be the epitome of Formula One racing. The Automobile Club de Monaco organizes the prestigious annual event. The race circuit winds its way through Monte Carlo and La Condamine. Tight turns, ups and downs, and a narrow course make it an extremely demanding course.

So it be? Maybe . . .

Parliamentary elections in the European nation of Georgia were held Wednesday, 21 May 2008; a large percentage of the nation’s nearly 3.5 million voters went to the polls.

Many voters expressed their preference for the National Movement Party of President Mikheil Saakashvili, which won the majority of seats in Georgia’s new Parliament; the Christian Democratic Alliance and United Opposition Council drew sizable but smaller numbers. Parliamentary election prediction: the National Movement Party is the winner of the majority of seats in Georgia’s Parliament.

Amendments to Georgia’s constitution created a 150-member Parliament; two-thirds of the members are elected nationally by proportional representation. A number of watchdog groups monitored the election following recent political unrest in Georgia.

So it be? Maybe . . .

The Cannes Film Festival ran May 14 through May 25, 2008 in Cannes, France, on the French Riviera’s beautiful Cote d’Azure.

This year, the Caméra d’Or prize was awarded to Annemarie Jacir for her feature length film, Milh Hadha Al-Bahr (Salt of This Sea). Filmed in Palestine, the romantic drama tells the story of a young woman returning home. Film award prediction: Annemarie Jacir is the winner of the Caméra d’Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

The Camera d’Or is awarded during the Festival’s closing ceremony to the director presenting his or her best first film. In awarding a prize to a debuting feature film director, the Jury hopes to encourage further work.

So it be? Maybe . . .

The 61st Cannes International Film Festival met for 12 days, from 14 to 25 May 2008 in Cannes, France.

The Feature Films Jury included a number of international film figures, actors, directors and authors. American actor Sean Penn served as its president this year.

This year, the highly coveted Palme d’Or, awarded to the Best Director, went to Argentinean film director Lucrecia Martel for her thriller, La Mujer Sin Cabeza (The Headless Woman). Film award prediction: Lucrecia Martel is the winner of the Palme d’Or award at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

The Palme d’Or trophy is a 24-carat palm mounted on the finest crystal. The jury awarded a number of prizes, including best screenplay, best actor, and best actress.

So it be? Maybe . . .

The Dominican Republic held its presidential election on Friday, May 16, 2008.

The ballot included the names of six main contenders for the office. In the weeks prior to the election, incumbent President Leonel Fernández Reyna, representing the Dominican Liberation Party, led in the polls, followed closely by Miguel Vargas Maldonado of the Dominican Revolutionary Party.

Voters went to the polls for the presidential election, and the majority cast their votes in favor of Fernández. Presidential election prediction: Leonel Fernández Reyna is the winner of the 2008 Dominican Republic election.

The president of the Dominican Republic is elected by popular vote and serves a 4-year term.

So it be? Maybe . . .

The UEFA Cup Finals championship was held Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England. The game kicked off around 7:45 p.m. local time.

Scottish Football’s Rangers from Glasgow faced off against Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia) for the European title. A Scottish club last won a European title in 1983, so the Rangers were due, and they came through, winning the UEFA Cup. European football prediction: Rangers are the 2008 UEFA Cup winners.

European football’s governing body, the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) was founded in the 1950s to bring together the members of the European football community. Over the past several years, the organization has experienced dramatic growth.

So it be? Maybe . . .