Brett Ratner: Facebook

French President Nicolas Sarkozy Dept: It s still two months off, but the 2012 Oscar ceremony is already flush with controversy. In November, director Brett Ratner uttered a homophobic slur at the premiere for his latest film, Tower Heist. After complaints from gay groups, Ratner resigned as producer of the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony; in solidarity, Tower Heist star Eddie Murphy resigned as host of the Oscars. The evening will now be hosted by perennial favourite Billy Crystal. Judging by early award buzz, he is likely to be joined by fellow Hollywood stalwarts Martin Scorsese for the children s fantasy Hugo , Steven Spielberg Warhorse and Woody Allen Midnight in Paris . French elections April 22 French President Nicolas Sarkozy will face stiff competition in his country's national elections, which take place in April. Georges Gobet/AFP/Getty Images, according to CBC. According to a well-sourced report in the Wall Street Journal, Facebook is slated to go public in the second quarter of 2012. Initial estimates suggest that the IPO could raise as much as $10 billion US for Mark Zuckerberg and his social media company, giving it a total estimated valuation of $100 billion. Despite ongoing concerns about the site s privacy policy, Facebook continues to pull in users as of July 2011, it had more than 800 million. UEFA Euro 2012 June 8-July 1 After an eventful 2011, in which she saw her grandson William marry Kate Middleton, Queen Elizabeth has two major events to celebrate in 2012. She turns 86 on April 21, but on Feb. 6, she will mark the 60th anniversary since her ascension to the throne. She and Prince Philip will mark the Diamond Jubilee on the home front, touring Britain; the rest of the royals will fan out across the globe. Prince William and Kate are set to visit countries like Malaysia and Singapore, while Prince Harry makes a solo trip to the Caribbean. Prince Charles and Camilla s itinerary includes Australia, New Zealand and a May tour of Canada. The Academy Awards Feb. 26 Nicolas Sarkozy has undertaken a proactive foreign policy, vocally championing NATO s intervention in Libya and being a key voice in the attempts to defuse Europe s sovereign debt crisis. At home, however, the French president is deeply unpopular, with an approval rating of only 26 per cent. Sarkozy hasn t officially announced his candidacy for the April presidential elections, but he undoubtedly will, and observers say that his low ratings, coupled with divisions in the political left, could result in significant gains for the National Front party, which has faced criticism in the past for its anti-immigrant policies. Facebook to go public sometime between April and June (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.