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By . Sadie Whitelocks . PUBLISHED: . 08:34 EST, 18 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:35 EST, 18 May 2012 . He's conquered the music charts and now Justin Bieber is taking the perfume world by storm. Last night the 18-year-old beat David Beckham and Kim Kardashian as his debut scent Someday was branded Best New Celebrity Fragrance 2012 by the Fragrance Foundation UK. And the Canadian will also be receiving the highly coveted Elizabeth Taylor award at the 40th annual FiFi event held in New York next week, which honours those who have helped promote the world of perfumery. Justin Bieber's debut secnt has been regonised globally by industry experts . His female scent described as 'playful, fresh yet flirty and anything but ordinary', smashed records back in June 2011, raking in $3 million in just three weeks at Macy’s in U.S. And this month in the UK it sold out instantly, after the star himself  deemed it 'irresistible'. Commenting on his cluster of awards, Bieber said: 'I am honoured to be named Elizabeth Taylor Fragrance Celebrity of the Year. It means a lot to me that my fans and The Fragrance Foundation support all my accomplishments. 'The best part is that my favorite charities are sharing in the success; it is important to pay it forward. Plus, I have the girls smelling great!' Last year, Halle Berry responsible for a trio of scents - Halle by Halle Berry, Pure Orchid and Reveal - took home the title. Bieber is also in the running for the luxe women gong, competing against Beyoncé's Pulse, Bottega Veneta, Prada Candy and Tom Ford Violet Blonde. According to reviews, Bieber's fragrance starts off with notes of mandarin, pear and wild berries and ends with warm hints of vanilla and soft musk . Proceeds from perfume sales have benefited Pencils of Promise, an education-based charity organization that helps helps build schools all over the world. Explaining the thought behind Someday, Bieber said it is about hope and dream. 'It explains a dream. Someday I will drive a BMW. Someday I will be an astronaut. In the commercial, (co-star Dree’s) Someday was meeting me. 'So when she sprayed on the perfume, I appeared in the room and we floated off into this place. That’s what I perceive it as.' According to reviews, the fragrance starts off with notes of mandarin, pear and wild berries and ends with warm hints of vanilla and soft musk.

Someday named Best New Celebrity Fragrance 2012 beating scents from David Beckham and Kim Kardashian .

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The mixed-race population is among the fastest growing in Britain and is already the largest ethnic group among under-16s. Data from the 2011 census, released tomorrow, will suggest there are now more than one million people born to parents in interracial relationships. But academics believe the true figure could be more than double this, because many of mixed-race are believed to define themselves as a single race on official forms. Mixed race: Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis, 26, of Sheffield, is pictured (left with her MBE) with her fiancee Andy Hill in November 2011, while her parents Alison Powell and Vinnie Ennis are seen (right) in August 2009 . It coincides with a poll which suggests prejudices towards mixed-race relationships are waning. Think-tank British Future found just 15 per cent would feel uncomfortable if their child was in an interracial relationship, compared with 40 per cent two decades ago. Among the 18 to 24 category, this fell to 5 per cent, with the younger generation claiming they would be more concerned if their child married someone from a wealthier background. The prominence of mixed-race celebrities has been partly credited with helping to change attitudes. Born to a white British mother and Jamaican father, Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis, 26, was heralded as the unofficial poster girl of the London 2012 Games. When Ennis’s parents Alison and Vinnie met in Derbyshire in the 1980s, the majority of the population were opposed to mixed-race relationships. The survey by British Future ask 2,000 adults to think about their children or grandchildren being in a serious relationship . Champion: The British Future survey also found only 42 per cent of people could correctly identify Jessica Ennis (pictured winning gold in the London 2012 heptathlon in August) as mixed race . Sunder Katwala, director of British Future, said: ‘Jessica Ennis was not just the face of the Olympics this summer; she could stake a fair claim to be the face of the census, too.’ Other mixed-race stars include Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon, born to a Jamaican father and white-British mother. The latest census results are expected to rank British Indians as the largest ethnic minority group.Islam will also be identified as the fastest-growing faith, with more than two million Muslims. According to the 2001 census, 677,177 classified themselves as mixed race, equating to 1.2 per cent of the UK population. The 2011 census is expected to show that one million Britons are mixed race, which equates to 1.6 per cent of the population. British Future, which asked more than 2,000 adults to think about their children or grandchildren being in a serious relationship, found that race was largely not an issue. However, the poll found 56 per cent felt uncomfortable about the partner having a criminal record. A third felt uncomfortable about their offspring dating someone of the same sex or someone more than 15 years older or younger. The survey found 87 per cent of people from mixed-race backgrounds were open to mixed-race relationships compared with 60 per cent of whites. Many struggled to identify a mixed-race person with only 42 per cent correctly guessing Ennis was of dual ethnicity. Rob Ford, an expert in diversity and migration at Manchester University, said: ‘Britain’s minorities seem to be following a similar path of integration trodden by many immigrants, such as the Irish, Poles and Italians, in America – gradually merging with the majority group until ethnic differences are no longer noticed or relevant.’

Olympic heptathlete Jessica Ennis hailed as 'face of the census' according to think-tank director . Her father Vinnie is from Jamaica and her mother Alison is from Derbyshire . Census expected to reveal at least 1m people born to mixed race parents . Only 42% of people in survey could correctly identify Ennis as mixed race . Women more . comfortable with mixed race marriages than men by 66 to 58% .

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By . Guy Walters . One shot, one kill: Since World War One snipers have gone from hate figures to heroes . When the fresh-faced 19-year-old arrived on the Eastern Front in August 1943, his new comrades were delighted. For several days, the entire company of the 144th Mountain Troop Regiment of the German Army had been pinned down by a solitary Russian sniper. It was the job of the new arrival ‘to get him off our backs’. The young man, an Austrian by the name of Sepp Allerberger, was led to a parapet of logs that formed the edge of the trench. Squinting through a gap, he could see nothing suspicious in No Man’s Land. He rolled up a tent and placed a cap on its top — then raised the cap above the level of the logs. After no more than a few seconds, the cap was shot off its perch. The sniper’s impetuousness would prove to be an error, because the flash from his rifle revealed his position to Allerberger. Gingerly, he eased the muzzle of his rifle through the gap in the logs. He estimated the enemy sniper to be about 100 yards away — so well within range. However, as he lined up his target, Allerberger was seized by nerves. His heart was racing and the rifle shook. He knew the cause: it would be the first time he had killed in cold blood. This, he thought, felt more like murder than combat. ‘What are you waiting for?’ hissed one of his comrades. ‘Let him have it!’ Somehow, those words helped Allerberger to calm down. He squeezed the trigger and fired — hitting the Russian right between the eyes. Despite earning many pats on his back from his comrades, Allerberger still felt a sense of revulsion at what he had done. Austrian sniper Sepp Allerberger, who was sent to the Eastern Front as a fresh-faced 19-year-old and went on to kill 257 men . During the course of the war, he would kill 257 men — a tally that makes him one of history’s deadliest snipers. However, none of his kills can match what was achieved in Afghanistan last year by an unnamed lance corporal in the Coldstream Guards. On December 14, British troops in Central Helmand had spotted a suspected Taliban suicide bomber on the move and were sent to intercept him. A firefight ensued, during which the British sniper observed a Taliban fighter armed with an AK47 climbing out of a ditch. A British sniper team patrolling Sangin, Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2006. The sniper that killed six Taliban with one shot was on one of the last missions carried out by UK troops in Afghanistan . At a range of half a mile, the lance corporal took aim with his £25,000 L115A3 bolt-action sniper rifle, and hit the Taliban in the torso. Unknown to the marksman, the terrorist was wearing a suicide vest, which was detonated by the high-velocity round. Not only was the bomber vaporised, but so, too, were five of his fellow Taliban. With just one shot, the British sniper had killed six of the enemy. Yesterday, when news of this shot broke, it made headlines around the world, revealing our enduring fascination with snipers. The role of the sniper is very different to that of most military men. While the majority of soldiers work in units, the sniper usually works alone. 'Unsportsmanlike': An American sniper takes aim from the trenches during World War One . Camouflaged American snipers during World War One. For the first year of the war, German snipers, equipped with weapons with advanced sights, wrought havoc in the trenches . It is this notion of the sniper as the deadly lone wolf, clinically picking off the enemy from his hiding place, that so fires our imagination. However, the sniper has not always been held in such high regard. A century ago, sniping was viewed as being against the ‘rules’ of warfare. Though the British had raised a sniper unit, the Lovat Scouts, during the Second Boer War, there were many in the Army who saw sniping as underhand. It took the horrors of World War I to make the top brass realise that it was an essential part of modern warfare. For the first year of the war, German snipers, equipped with weapons with advanced sights, had wrought havoc in the trenches. As one British general ruefully admitted: ‘Certainly we were slow to adopt — indeed, our souls abhorred — anything unsportsmanlike.’ American soldier Private Charles P. Coopers peers through the telescopic sight of his modified M1 Garand rifle during World War Two . Red Army sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko was the most successful of many female World War Two snipers with 309 confirmed kills . After the Great War, nearly every army in the world developed specialist sniper schools. Marksmanship is just one of the skills that is taught, as snipers also have to perfect the art of concealment. They also act as scouts and can learn much about enemy formations through their telescopic sights. However, despite their obvious usefulness, by the outbreak of World War II, snipers were still poorly regarded by all sides. Art of camouflage: A Russian sniper at the Finnish front in 1940 . In his memoirs, Allerberger recalls how many young officers regarded snipers as ‘loathsome assassins’, and would decline their signatures when a sniper needed a kill confirmed for his record book. The most successful sniper ever was a Finn called Simo Hayha, who shot 505 Russians during 100 days of the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union from 1939 to 1940. His achievement is all the more extraordinary because he did not use telescopic sights. He didn’t appear to have been troubled by his deadly achievement, and claimed never to lose a night’s sleep over his killing of so many men. ‘I only did what I was told to do, as well as I could,’ he said. Though sniping is often viewed as ‘man’s work’, World War II also  saw many female snipers, most of whom served in the Soviet Army. The most celebrated was Lyudmila Pavlichenko, with 309 confirmed kills. Killing did not come easily to her. ‘I knew my task was to kill human beings,’ she said. ‘In theory, that was fine, but I knew the real thing would be completely different.’ As with many snipers, she appeared to hesitate before her first kill. However, after witnessing the death of a comrade, she soon grew hardened — and ‘after that nothing could stop me’. Those such as Pavlichenko, Allerberger and Hayha were lucky to have survived. On the Eastern Front, the average sniper managed to fire his rifle no more than 15 to 20 times before being killed. Snipers are much less likely to die in today’s wars. Thanks to the astonishing range of their rifles, they can be more than a mile from their target and still have a chance of making a kill. With state-of-the art weaponry like the British-made L115A3 rifle which can kill from well over a mile, snipers are much less likely to die in today's wars . British Army front line sniper holding his armour piercing L115A .338-calibre sniper rifle . The longest sniper kill on record was made by a British corporal in the Blues and Royals called Craig Harrison, who in November 2009 killed two Taliban machine gunners at a range of just over one-and-a-half miles (2,475m). To make a kill at such a range requires more than just a steady hand and a good eye. Modern snipers can be equipped with laser rangefinders, instruments that measure wind direction and speed, and even computers known as ‘ballistic support devices’ that can help the sniper work out where to aim. Of course, as many snipers would tell you, some kills also require luck. Craig Harrison acknowledges that the weather conditions were near perfect for his long-range shot, with little or no wind and a lack of haze. Despite their transformation from hate figures to heroes, sniping remains a tough role for any soldier. Through their sights, snipers can see all too clearly the gory results of their work. On occasion, some kills, though necessary, make them feel very uncomfortable. The late U.S. Navy Seal sniper Chris Kyle, who found himself looking down the sights at a woman combatant carrying a grenade during his first tour in Iraq . In late March 2003, Chris Kyle, a Navy Seal sniper, found himself in Nasiriya in Iraq about to make his first sniper kill. Looking through the sights, he saw that his target was a woman carrying a hand grenade. Just like Sepp Allerberger six decades before, Kyle paused. He had never killed a woman before. ‘Take a shot!’ his platoon chief hissed. Kyle squeezed the trigger on his .300 Winchester Magnum rifle and the woman dropped to the ground before she could throw the grenade. ‘It was my duty to shoot and I don’t regret it,’ Kyle later recalled. ‘My shots saved several Americans, whose lives were clearly worth more than that woman’s twisted soul.’ But, like all snipers, for Kyle killing became chillingly routine. ‘After the first kill, the others come easy,’ he said. ‘I don’t have to psych myself up or do anything special mentally.’

Record-breaking shot was fired by a Coldstream Guards marksman .

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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has insisted he will serve his full term at Old Trafford — even if the club fail to qualify for the Champions League. Bookmakers drop their odds on Van Gaal leaving Old Trafford every time United concede, and that has happened 13 times in seven games so far. But the 63-year-old promised he will be in his post until 2017 despite their poor start, which sees them play Everton on Sunday outside the top six and eight points behind leaders Chelsea. VIDEO Scroll down for Sportsmail's Manchester United Vs Everton preview . Louis van Gaal insists he will see out his three-year contrat at Old Trafford . ‘I have signed a three-year contract. Believe me, I shall finish that,’ said Van Gaal. ‘The target is Champions League, but not at once. There is a trajectory and a process of three years.’ They face Everton without Wayne Rooney, who was sent off against West Ham last weekend. Darren Fletcher is expected to step in as captain and Paddy McNair could continue in defence, with Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans all out. United will be without captain Wayne Rooney against Everton on Sunday after being sent off last week . But youngster Patrick McNair could continue in defence after his impressive debut aganst West Ham .

Van Gaal insists that he will serve out his full term at Manchester United . And he will do so even if they fail to qualify for the Champions League . Manchester United set to face Everton on Sunday at Old Trafford .

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By . Lizzie Parry . A cancer-stricken bride married her sweetheart in hospital after fearing her big day would be cancelled because of her treatment. Joann Howells, 46, had resigned herself to postponing her wedding to partner Neil Ward, 45, after starting treatment for lung cancer. But when the 46-year-old told nurses and staff at Worthing Hospital in West Sussex of her disappointment at delaying her big day, they set about ensuring her dream wedding could still go ahead on the planned date. Cancer patient Joann Howells married her sweetheart Neil Ward after staff at Worthing Hospital rallied round to ensure the 46-year-old did not have to postpone her big day after being diagnosed with lung cancer . An emergency licence was granted to enable them to wed in the hospital chapel, and an appeal on a local radio station led to flowers, decorations, food and drink being donated by businesses. Hospital chefs baked the wedding cake and supplied canapes and sandwiches for the reception, which was held in a day room at the hospital. And nurses and other staff worked through their lunch breaks to ensure the rooms were transformed, including scattering rose petals on the chapel floor. Ms Howells, from East Preston, said: 'It was so special, just overwhelming, with everybody helping to make our day come together.' She added: 'I wanted to go home so I could get married, and I was just thinking I was stuck in hospital, and then they just did it all for us.' An emergency licence was granted to enable the couple to wed in the hospital chapel, and an appeal on a local radio station led to flowers, decorations, food and drink being donated. Hospital chefs baked the wedding cake and supplied canapes and sandwiches for the reception, which was held in a day room at the hospital . The service was led by assistant chaplain, the Reverend Linda Rowlinson, whose theme for her address was 'love is kind'. The Rev Rowlinson said: 'It was a very special day, especially because the bride is so poorly, and knowing the great challenge they are facing in their marriage.' Mr Ward said: 'We cannot thank people enough to be honest. 'You don’t realise how kind people are until something like this happens. It is really, really amazing.' Ms Howells went home last Thursday following eight days in hospital. Her daughter, Jessica Kelleway, 23, said: 'They could not have put a bigger smile on her face.'

Joann Howells married her sweetheart Neil Ward at Worthing Hospital . 46-year-old told nurses of her disappointment at missing her big day after starting treatment for lung cancer . An emergency licence was granted so the couple could marry in the chapel, hospital chefs baked the cake and the reception was held in a day room . Ms Howells said: 'It was so special, just overwhelming'

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By . Ryan Lipman . The head coach of Australia's athletics team has been suspended indefinitely for slamming the country's biggest track and field star, plunging the team into a 'crisis of unprecedented proportions'. Eric Hollingsworth launched an extraordinary attack on Olympic champion Sally Pearson on the eve of her Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles title defence. He said Pearson had set a 'bad example' as team captain by declining to attend a pre-Games training camp in Gateshead, England. Athletics Australia said on Thursday morning: 'We condem in the strongest terms his disparaging comments about Sally Pearson and his timing'. Scroll down for video . Australian athletics head coach Eric Hollingsworth has called track and field star Sally Pearson a bad example after she missed a pre-Commonwealth Games training camp . 'He acted without the authority of Athletics Australia and in contravention of the specific instructions of the chief executive officer,' a statement given to ABC added. They confirmed they have suspended Hollingsworth until the board can consider the matter. Hollingsworth said of Pearson: 'What's lost here is she's the team captain and there's a reasonable expectation she'd be in the camp ahead of something as major as the Commonwealth Games. 'Her no-show sets a bad example to the entire national team.' Hollingsworth also defended his right to criticise Pearson's inability to defend the world indoors 60m hurdles title in March, after which their relationship broke down completely. The comments about Pearson have sent Australian Athletics into a crisis . Former Commonwealth Games track and field medallist David Culbert said the comments had sparked a 'crisis of unprecedented proportions' The comments have caused outrage among Australia's biggest sporting identities who are rallying behind Pearson. Former Commonwealth Games track and field medallist David Culbert said the comments had sparked a 'crisis of unprecedented proportions', reported The Australian. 'I've seen plenty of stuff before in Australian athletics in the last two decades or so but this is the top of the tree I reckon,' he said. 'Having a head coach who leaks his statement on behalf of himself, when competition is underway, describing Sally Pearson, who everyone admires, as being a bad example is one of the most extraordinary things I have ever seen. 'If Eric Hollingsworth is still an employee of Athletics Australia or a member of the Australian Commonwealth Games team by the end of the day then I think the ramifications will continue.' Pearson's manager Robert Joske confirmed on Twitter that the 27-year-old was ignoring the fiasco caused by the controversial comments. 'Sally is not following the drama! She is concentrating on her prep... Professional!', he tweeted. Pearson's coach Robert Joske took to Twitter to say the track and field star was focusing on her games campaign . Nova Peris, the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal, has slammed Hollingsworth's comments as a 'disgraceful attack' and called Pearson an inspiration and a leader on Twitter. Support for Pearson has also come from former U.S Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson, who weighed in by telling Channel 10 the timing of the comments was 'out of bounds'. He added that Pearson would be able to remain unaffected in the lead up to her games campaign. 'When she's competing I don't think that anything else that happens on the planet really matters to her other than what's going on in the race. So I don't think this will affect her, but that's not the point,' he said. 'The point is that you don't make the comment the day before the competition. I think that was just absolutely out of bounds and it could affect an athlete, and it could affect Sally. I don’t think it will, but I think that should have been taken into consideration before the statement was released.' There are now calls for Commonwealth Games chef de mission Steve Moneghetti to try and stop the athletics team's derailing before its campaign starts. Nova Peris also took to Twitter to rally behind the track star following the 'disgraceful attack' International and Australian track and field athletes have responded to the comments including former U.S sprinter Michael Johnson, pictured left, and former Australian Olympian Nova Peris, pictured right . Senior Athletics Australia officials are also furious with the timing and nature of Hollingsworth's comments. The body has distanced itself by stating the comments do not reflect the views of Athletics Australia (AA). 'This statement was not made on behalf of Athletics Australia but by Hollingsworth as an individual and in no way should it be read as the opinion of Athletics Australia,' AA chief executive Dallas O'Brien said in a statement. 'Given Hollingsworth's current role as a head coach of athletics on the Australian Commonwealth Games Team, we will be meeting with the Australian Commonwealth Games Association urgently to formulate a strong response, as is appropriate.' Senior AA executives were locked in an emergency meeting with Australian Commonwealth Games Association officials on Wednesday to decide whether Hollingsworth's position with the Games team remained tenable. Hollingsworth made the comments on the eve of Pearson's 100m hurdles title defence . Hollingsworth's contract with AA runs out at the conclusion of the Games. Pearson was furious that she was fined by AA for not attending the pre-Games training camp after deciding she would be better served by competing at an extra meet in London, having had her preparation interrupted by a hamstring injury. Hollingsworth also took issue with claims from Pearson's camp that she had received less medical support from AA than had been the case in the past. 'We've had a team physio travelling with Sally for the past three months, following her around Europe,' he said. 'Since May we've provided this service, and there may have been one day or so where there's been an overlap when we've changed over personnel. Senior Athletics Australia officials are angry about the timing and nature of Hollingsworth's comments . 'To say we've withdrawn support is factually incorrect and a little disappointing.' Hollingsworth said he felt compelled to speak out due to what he said was as 'a negative and incorrect picture of the events leading up to the Commonwealth Games'. He insisted he asked 'legitimate questions' of Pearson after she was beaten into second place by American Nia Ali in the defence of her world indoor title in Poland. 'She didn't like the line I was taking,' said Hollingsworth. 'So via her agent she (sought) a meeting with Athletics Australia's president, CEO and High Performance Director, which I was not aware of until the day of, or day before the meeting. Pearson was fined by Australian athletics for not attending the pre-Games training camp . 'While I thought at the time it was curious that I wasn't involved in that process in any form, Sally raised her issues, and the powers-that-be found no problems with my actions, and there was no case to answer. 'Subsequently Sally dug her heels in, as is her right, and asked for what is a new athlete performance advisor which is the conduit between the athletes and Athletics Australia.' Hollingsworth said that was the role he played with most athletes, but he had no issue with it being re-assigned to high performance director Simon Nathan in Pearson's case. 'We had a good working relationship for nearly a decade, but she decided my challenging style wasn't what she was looking for, which is her prerogative,' he said.

Australian athletics head coach Eric Hollingsworth criticised Sally Pearson . He was angered the athlete did not attend a pre-Games training camp . Officials are outraged at the timing and nature of the comments . He was suspended indefinitely on Thursday by Athletics Australia . Pearson is currently preparing to defend her 100m hurdles title .

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By . Wills Robinson for MailOnline . A woman who kept her life savings hidden in a cupboard because she didn't trust banks has been left heartbroken - after the pile of notes was eaten by termites. Cai Hou went to check on the pile of notes she had spent decades building up at her home in the city of Jinjiang, in eastern China's Fujian province, only to find it had been chewed to pieces. The thrifty 70-year-old - who had saved 10,000 Yuan (£1,000) - at first thought she had been burgled. Scroll down for video . Cai Hou, 70, said she was heartbroken after she discovered her life savings had been eaten by termites . But she then spotted the insects next to the shredded notes and realised what had happened. 'I was heartbroken,' she said. 'I'd never trusted banks and I always thought it would be safer to hide the cash in a safe place at home. How wrong could I be?'. Cai's family painstakingly managed to piece together 5,900 Yuan (£570) in nibbled notes and took them to two local banks. Bank officials managed to verify notes worth only 1,950 Yuan (£190) and rejected the rest as too damaged. Cai said: 'They said so much was missing that they couldn't be certain they had ever been banknotes at all let alone the value of them. 'I suppose we are lucky to get anything back. It's certainly taught me a lesson and all the money I have left went straight back into the bank in my new account.' The woman from the city of Jinjiang, in eastern China's Fujian province, had hidden the cash in a 'safe place' because she didn't trust banks - but now she admits she has learned her lesson .

Cai Hou, 70, spent decades squirreling away 10,000 Yuan (£1,000) in China . First thought she had been burgled, but then she noticed the insects . Only 1,950 Yuan (£190) could be salvaged - and it's now safely in a bank .

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By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 11:32 EST, 11 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:31 EST, 11 April 2013 . A grandmother-of-five quite literally danced a jig of delight after realising she had scooped $40million on the lottery - rather than the $40,000 she thought she had won. Maria Carreiro, 51, only realised she had become a millionaire after her daughter went online to double-check what the jackpot was on Canada's Lotto Max. Ms Carreiro, of Toronto, said she plans to use some of her vast winnings to take a holiday in Hawaii - but that she first wanted to enjoy a meal in a local buffet restaurant with her family. Scroll down for video . Shocked: Canadian grandmother-of-five Maria Carreiro only realised she had won $40million on the lottery after her daughter double-checked the jackpot . Excitement: Mrs Carreiro, of Toronto, said she ran back to the shop where she bought the ticket 'like a crazy woman' to double check . Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation . identified Ms Carreira as the winner of last Friday’s Lotto Max jackpot draw. She told the media that she was delighted when she thought she had won just $40,000 and that she had excitedly told her daughter about her luck. But later her daughter double checked the jackpot on the internet and told her she had actually won tens of millions. 'I run up the stairs, and me and her run down the stairs, and she went on the computer. and said, 'Mommy, you're $40 million richer,' and I said, 'No way,' ABC News reported Ms Carreira as saying. Plans: She said she wanted to spend part of her winnings on a holiday in Hawaii - but that first of all she wanted to visit a local buffet restaurant with her family . Lucky: Mrs Carreiro gave an animated performance when celebrating her winnings in front of the media . She told the media that she had run . back to the store 'like a crazy woman' where she bought the ticket to . check it for a second time. When . asked what her immediate plans were she said: 'I am going to go for . dinner with my whole family at The Mandarin [buffet chain], all you can . eat!,' CBS News reports. 'That’s what I'm going to do and then I am going to go home, take a shower and go to sleep.'

Maria Carreiro realised she was millionaire after daughter checked online . 51-year-old plans to use some of vast winnings to take holiday in Hawaii . Ms Carreiro, of Toronto, said first plan was to visit local buffet restaurant .

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By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 06:23 EST, 13 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:30 EST, 13 February 2013 . This daring athlete is pictured testing out a new extreme sport - riding mammoth 30ft waves on a pair of water skis. Chuck Patterson is believed to be the first person to ever attempt wave skiing and he seems to have perfected the sport already. In contrast to water skiing, where you are always towed along by a motorboat, wave skiers are released at the peak of a wave to ski 'freestyle'. Scroll down for video . World first: Chuck Patterson is thought to be the first person to ever attempt wave skiing - riding waves on a pair of skis with poles . In action: Chuck Patterson is pictured riding huge waves up to 30ft high at an offshore reef near Santa Barbara, California, America . After letting go of the rope from the jet ski, Patterson can reach speeds up to 30mph as he rides the huge waves. Photographer Greg Huglin captured these incredible images of Patterson catching huge waves at an offshore reef near Santa Barbara, California, America. Patterson, who is already at professional level in orthodox skiing and surfing, even uses ski poles when wave skiing. The poles are of no real use in the water except to help him maintain the same balance and positioning as he would when skiing on snow. He has also had a pair of custom made skis to use which are a combination of water skis and the skis used on snow. The extreme athlete, 43, who lives in California, said: 'The unpredictability of the water is what makes wave skiing so difficult. 'The sport feels similar to skiing on snow in warm temperatures when the snow is soft. Adrenaline seekers: Wave skiers are towed along by a powerboat - similar to water skiing - but are then released at the crest of a wave so they can ski it 'freestyle' Dedicated: Photographer Greg Huglin went to great lengths to secure these astonishing images - taking pictures from helicopters, boats and the shoreline . Challenging: Chuck Patterson is released by the motorboat at high speeds on to the crest of the wave which he can then ski . 'You have got to have knowledge of the ocean and the energy of the water to be able to do it. 'The feeling when you drop in off a wave is a bit sketchy at first just because you're going so fast. 'I . don't think there is anyone else in the world doing it but for me it is . just a bit of fun alongside my surfing and snow skiing. 'I've . tried it without the ski poles and it felt very strange - they help me . with balance and keeping my body in the correct position.' Mr Huglin also put together a composition of shots to help show how Patterson catches the waves on a pair of skis. The . photographer will shoot from a variety of places, including on board a . helicopter, on a boat or on the shore, to get the best pictures. Mr Huglin, 60, from California, said: 'What Chuck is doing is unique and I don't know of anyone anywhere who can do this on waves. 'I think he has invented a new sport and I believe he will ride larger and larger waves on his skis and perfect the technique. 'It is pretty ridiculous how good he is and I think he is capable of dropping in off waves as big as 50ft tall. 'I've been photographing Chuck for eight years now and you can't help but like the guy, he is such a tremendous athlete too. 'Wave skiing is pretty dangerous as you are travelling at such a speed - you have to be a pro surfer as well as pro skier to have the ability to do it. 'To imagine how difficult it is, I think you would have to compare it to skiing in an avalanche. 'I really enjoy filming him catching the large waves but I'm not at all tempted to risk my life doing it!' Balancing act: Patterson, who is at a professional level in orthodox skiing, uses ski poles to help him balance . Daring: Patterson believes he is the only person in the world to currently be wave skiing .

Chuck Patterson is believed to be the first person to attempt wave skiing . A tow boat releases a skier at the peak of a wave so they can ski it 'freestyle' Patterson has a pair of custom made skis and also uses poles for balance . Patterson photographed catching waves near Santa Barbara, California .

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Mick Jagger's former Brazilian lover has told her country to stop 'cyber-bullying' him after he was branded a national curse for backing Brazil in the World Cup. The Rolling Stones singer, 70, was spotted in a VIP box at the Mineirao stadium on Tuesday night as the host nation was thrashed 7-1 by Germany in one of the worst defeats of the tournament's history. His support came to the dismay of fans who had nicknamed Jagger 'pe frio' - the jinx - for lending his backing to a string of doomed sides earlier in the tournament. Scroll down for video . The jinx! For weeks Mick Jagger has been dubbed a World Cup curse for backing several doomed sides - culminating in his appearance in a VIP box with his son (centre) for Brazil's 7-1 trouncing by Germany . Watching on: Mick Jagger and his son Lucas watch the game in Belo Horizonte . No satisfaction: Dismayed fans believed the 70-year-old Rolling Stones frontman was such a curse that they made cardboard cut-outs of him in Germany's team kit and declaring his support for the rival side . In all three cases the teams lost immediately after Jagger declared they would win, mostly at Rolling Stones concerts in the countries themselves. Brazil fans had even made cardboard cut-outs of Jagger . supporting rival teams as a good luck charm after his branding as 'pe frio', which literally means 'cold feet'. But last night he was spotted cheering on Brazil for the crucial match in Belo Horizonte - wearing an England cap for good measure. He shared a VIP box with Lucas, his 15-year-old son by the Brazilian model and celebrity Luciana Giminez, who watched the humiliating defeat wearing a signed Brazil team shirt. Also in the box was Kia . Joorabchian, the Iranian agent for a number of Brazil squad players. Leave him alone! Jagger's former lover Luciana Giminez took to Instagram to defend him from 'cyber-bullying' Curse: The World Cup has coincided with a Rolling Stones world tour (pictured) in which Jagger has offered words of support to whichever country his band entertains - often with seemingly disastrous results . Slurs: One Brazilian news network, R7, called the Rolling Stones frontman 'the biggest jinx in history' Brazilian news network R7 ran a large photo of Jagger in the VIP box declaring he was 'invincible!' and 'the biggest jinx in history'. The mockery was so huge it pushed Ms Giminez, who had Jagger's child in 1999, to launch an impassioned defence of him on her Instagram account. National figure of fun: Jagger has made headlines . 'Mick has been successful for 50 years, he's a good friend and GOOD FATHER to my 15-year-old son. 'He is suffering cyber bullying .... and I would like to ask you guys who do this kind of bullying to think before you do it. 'Even though it only seems like a small thing, Mick is a person like us all, and he does not deserve to be treated this way by Brazilians.' She also posted videos of herself in a Brazil shirt describing how sad she was in French. The World Cup has coincided with a Rolling Stones world tour in which Jagger has offered words of support to whichever country his band entertains - often with seemingly disastrous results. Jagger . earned his nickname after he told fans during a show in Rome that Italy . would beat Uruguay and advance to the knockout stages, but the Italians . lost and were eliminated. He then told fans in Lisbon that Portugal would win the World Cup - and they too were eliminated. He reportedly joined Bill Clinton to cheer on the United States, who lost to Ghana in the second round. And after rooting for England against Uruguay, they too were humiliated by two Suarez goals. It is not the first time Brazilians have described Jagger as a curse for the national side. During . the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, some parts of the Brazilian media . claimed their team lost to the Netherlands in the quarter finals because . Jagger wore a Brazil shirt to the game. He's got history: Brazil fans before the quarter-final match. Jagger has been blamed for national defeats before . Anyone but us: Fans used the same cardboard cut-out trick before Brazil's quarter-final clash against Colombia .

Rolling Stones star dubbed 'pe frio' - the jinx - after backing several losers . Brazil fans made talisman cardboard cut-outs of him supporting opponents . But to their dismay, 70-year-old rocker decided to back host nation instead . He sat in VIP box watching Germany trounce Brazil 7-1 in semi-final disaster . Jagger has since become a figure of mockery in the shamed host nation . Former lover Luciana Giminez defended him against 'cyber-bullying'

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Just ten helpings of tomatoes a week could help men reduce the risk of prostate cancer by almost a fifth, according to a study. Researchers think that protection against the illness comes from a key chemical inside the fruit known as lycopene. Tomato-based pasta sauce, tomato juice and even baked beans and the tomato puree topping on pizza were all found to have a beneficial effect. Tomatoes are rich in the compound lycopene, which has previously been linked to good prostate health . And men who doubled their intake of fruit and vegetables to the recommended five portions a day reduced their risk by nearly a quarter, say scientists. In the first study of its kind, researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford examined the diets and lifestyles of nearly 14,000 men aged 50 to 69. They found that those who ate at least ten portions of tomatoes a week were 18 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer compared to those who had none, or very few. One portion counted as 150g of tomatoes, half a tin of baked beans, a portion of pizza with tomato puree, tomato-based pasta sauce or a glass of tomato juice. However, the researchers urged men not to overindulge in baked beans, pizza and pasta sauce as they can contain high levels of salt. Prostate cancer is the most common form of the illness in men, with 41,700 new cases and 10,700 deaths in the UK every year. Experts suspect it may be linked to the Western diet because it is far less common in countries of the developing world. Research leader Vanessa Er, of the University of Bristol, said: ‘Our findings suggest that tomatoes may be important in prostate cancer prevention. ‘We also found men who ate more fruits and vegetables had a reduced risk of prostate cancer. The risk reduction figure for men who ate five or more portions of fruit or vegetables, compared to those who ate less than two and a half portions, was 24 per cent.’ She urged men to rely on whole foods rather than supplements and stick to a diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as staying healthy and active and maintaining ‘an ideal weight’. Portions of tomatoes can also include tomato juice and baked beans, say the researchers . However, experts said there was not enough evidence for conclusive proof that tomatoes protected against prostate cancer. Dr Iain Frame, of Prostate Cancer UK said: ‘Studies like these are notoriously difficult to interpret and should be done so with extreme caution. ‘It is difficult to separate the effects of one type of food from another, and we still don’t have nearly enough evidence to make concrete recommendations on which specific foods men should eat to reduce their risk of prostate cancer. The study says men should aim for: . * 10 or more portions of tomatoes a week . *  Between 750mg and 1,200mg of calcium a day . * Between 105mcg to 200mcg of selenium daily. ‘What we do know is that men shouldn’t rely too heavily on one type of food, such as tomatoes. ‘A healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables together with regular exercise is by far the best option.’ Commenting on the study, Dr Iain Frame, Director of Research at Prostate Cancer UK said: 'Studies like these are notoriously difficult to interpret and should be done so with extreme caution. 'It is difficult to separate the effects of one type of food from another, and we still don’t have nearly enough evidence to make concrete recommendations on which specific foods men should eat to reduce their risk of prostate cancer. 'What we do know is that men shouldn’t rely too heavily on one type of food, such as tomatoes. A healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, together with regular exercise is by far the best option. 'Increasing awareness of the key known risk factors for prostate cancer - age, black ethnicity and family history of the disease - is also crucial if we are to reduce the number of men who lose their lives to the disease every year. 'Any man who is worried about his risk of prostate cancer should discuss his concerns with a GP.” I .

British researchers drew conclusions after analysing diets of 1,800 men . Eating five portions of fruit and veg a day also decreased risk by 24% . Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, previously linked to good prostate health . Researchers: Daily servings of selenium and calcium also reduce cancer risk .

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Company have battled for one year to win trademark company name . By . Richard Shears . UPDATED: . 08:01 EST, 18 January 2012 . A nutty snack company in Australia has won the right to call itself Nuckin Futs, despite an official ruling that it was offensive. A solicitor representing the Gold Coast company argued that the name was not offensive because the words it suggested were commonplace in everyday Australian language. The Trade Marks Examiner had ruled a year ago that Nuckin Futs had to be rejected because it was scandalous and offensive due to its close resemblance to the common phrase f--king nuts. Must be nuts: An Australian snack firm has won the right to market itself as Nucking Futs . The examiner, who has not been named, ruled that Nuckin Futs was an 'obvious spoonerism' and therefore was ineligible for registration under section 42 of the Trade Marks Act. The Act states that anything that is regarded as shameful, offensive or shocking to ordinary people had to be rejected. Solicitor Jamie White did not agree with the finding and began a 12-month campaign on behalf of the company to get the name registered. The suggested words were part of the everyday language of Australians, he considered, and drew up a five-page legal document cataloguing the history of controversial product names. He argued that the words 'f--k' and 'f--king' were 'now part of the universal discourse of the ordinary Australian.' Solicitor Director Jamie White made the case on behalf on Nuckin Futs . While there might be a sentimental objection or mere distaste to Nuckin Futs, he said, this was not sufficient ground for rejection of the Trade Mark. He added that 'a substantial number of people would not find the words shocking.' 'Over the passage of time, certain words which may have caused major offence in earlier times would now be acceptable as trade marks in certain markets, namely the Australian market,' Mr White told Sydney's Daily Telegraph. It has taken almost a year but after rejecting the initial application, the Trade Marks Examiner has now agreed to accept the Nuckin Futs trademark - as long as the company does not aim its marketing at children.Mr White said that would not happen. He explained that the snack, which is made up mostly of nuts, would not be marketed to children as it was intended to be sold only in pubs, nightclubs and other entertainment venues. Australians writing to a comment page said they found it strange that Nuckin Futs had to fight for registration, while French Connection UK- which carries the brand name FCUK - was widely accepted in the community. 'Really, people need to lighten up and stop being so politically correct all the time,' said one man. Another, Rob Lapaer, used his own Spoonerism by describing the affair as being 'mucking afazing.' But Andrew Baker of Sydney said: 'It's people like this that are responsible for the moral decay in society these days. Not only should the company name not be registered but the man should be fined heavily as well.'

Company have battled for one year to win trademark company name .

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By . Darren Boyle . It is the world's most expensive skateboard coated in pure gold and is on sale for a staggering £9,000. The board has been plated in pure gold and still works normally despite its precious paint job. According to the board's creator, the lucky buyer will have to wear special gloves to avoid smudging the mirror-finish. This is the world's most expensive skateboard and is on sale for £9,000 . Each of the board's eight components works normally despite being plated in pure gold . The board was created for New York skateboard shop SHUT by designer Matthew Willet. He said it was important that the skateboard was fully functional especially because of the price tag. As a result, all six of the components are in working order despite being electroplated in gold and weighing 80 percent more than a traditional board. After each component was covered in gold it was hand polished to a mirror finish. This means that the lucky buyer will have to wear special cotton archival gloves to avoid damaging the surface. However, the gold plating means the board is 80 percent heavier than a normal board and may make it more difficult to control . Mr Willet said: 'The board took a lot of trial and error, but it the end came out amazing and everyone learned a lot. 'The process is top secret, but we now know what we are capable of. 'I've been skateboarding my whole life so making this was kind of a no brainer. 'People have been really excited about the board as well - we've had some great responses and a lot of interest. 'When you are in the same room as the board, you can't miss its glowing effect.' The board has been created by SHUT skateboards in New York who came up with a top-secret process to coat the board in gold . Although the new buyer is warned that they will need special gloves if they do not want to damage the board's mirror finish .

The £9,000 skateboard has been electroplated in gold to create mirror finish . It weighs 80 percent more than normal skateboard due to gold paint job . Each of the board's eight components is fully functional despite coating . The lucky buyer will have to wear special gloves to avoid damaging coating . The board's creator Matthew Willet said 'you can't miss it's glowing effect'

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By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 07:07 EST, 16 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:43 EST, 17 January 2014 . These heartwarming images of newborn babies were captured thanks to a photographer's knack of getting them to sleep so she can snap them dreaming. Karen Wiltshire, 46, soothes her subjects to sleep by making sure the babies have eaten before they arrive before swaying the tiny infants and gently stroking their eyelids. She also plays the sound of a hairdryer . through a mobile phone app as she has found that youngsters are used to . the noise from their mothers drying their hair. Adorable: Karen Wiltshire, 46, soothes her subjects to sleep by making sure the babies have eaten before they arrive before swaying the tiny infants and gently stroking their eyelids . Prop forward: Parents often bring in sentimental props for the babies to pose with, such as this rugby ball . Sweet dreams: Ms Witshire takes pictures of the sleeping tots' cute expressions as they dream during the shoots, which usually take around four hours . Once they are fast asleep, which can . take anything from a few minutes to half an hour, Ms Wiltshire . positions the babies for the images on comfy throws, lying on their parents' hands and wrapped in blankets. She then takes pictures of the sleeping tots' cute expressions as they dream during the shoots, which usually take around four hours. The mother-of-two from Poole, Dorset, has now won an award in Studio Children Photography by the Guild of Photographers (GoP) for her work. Snuggled up: Once they are fast asleep, which can take anything from a few minutes to half an hour, Ms Wiltshire positions the babies for the images on comfy throws . What a racket: Ms Wiltshire plays the sound of a hairdryer through a mobile phone app to the babies as she has found they are used to the noise from their mothers drying their hair . Maestro: The mother-of-two from Poole, Dorset, has now won an award in Studio Children Photography by the Guild of Photographers (GoP) for her work . This means she has achieved 'Master Craftsman' status, an award given to less than 10 per cent of the GoP's members. Ms Wiltshire said: 'The main reason I picked up a camera was the birth of my son 10 years ago, I just love children's expressions and emotions. 'The newborn photography started two years ago when I discovered I had a talent in soothing and calming babies in order to pose them completely asleep. Inspiration: The photographer first picked up a camera after the birth of her son 10 years ago . Talented: Ms Wiltshire started taking phtographs of newborns two years ago when she discovered she had a talent in soothing and calming babies in order to pose them completely asleep . Gorgeous: When babies go into deep sleep they start to dream and Ms Wiltshire says that if you wait you can be lucky and capture a fantastic smile or a gorgeous pout . 'I have also attended numerous workshops on newborn posing so I can create sleepy newborn art, with the babies' safety being paramount. 'When babies go into deep sleep the start to dream, if you wait you can be lucky and capture a fantastic smile or a gorgeous pout. 'I love the expressions they pull in their sleep.' Ms Wiltshire is often handed meaningful props by the parents for the portraits such as guitars, footballs and tennis rackets for their babies to pose with. Safety first: Ms Wiltshire has attended numerous workshops on newborn posing she can create the sleepy newborn art while making sure the babies are safe . Sleepy head: This tiny newborn looks angelic as is drifts off to sleep on a cosy blanket . Blissful: Many parents love watching Ms Wiltshire at work, and are amazed at how the baby can remain asleep while being moved into the poses . 'Parents love to watch the whole process and are amazed at how the baby is asleep when being moved into the curled sleepy newborn poses,' she said. 'I have lots of top requests with the poses, parents just love the baby in the hand pose that's very popular. 'Parents often bring things that are personal to them as props to pose the baby with, I've had crash helmets, guitars, footballs, and snow boots. 'Also popular is baby wrapped snugly, they look beautifully warm and cosy when wrapped.' Family bond: Photographs of babies curled up in their parents' hands are popular suggestions . Snugly: Photographs of the babies wrapped up in blankets as they snooze are also a hit with Ms Witlshire's clients .

Karen Wiltshire, 46, sends the babies to sleep by stroking their eyelids and playing them the sound of a hairdryer . It can take anything from a few minutes to half an hour for the tiny newborns to drift off to sleep . Mother-of-two from Poole, Dorset, has won an award in Studio Children Photography for her work .

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By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 20:05 EST, 15 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:51 EST, 16 May 2013 . When her five-year-old daughter began complaining that her legs hurt, her GP put it down to growing pains. But when the pain became so terrible that weeks later her mother had to carry her around the house, it became clear that something was terribly wrong. Doctors discovered that Alyssia Clayton-Minta had juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) - a rare and serious form of arthritis. Brave youngster: Charlotte Clayton and her daughter Alyssia, who suffers the rare condition . Alyssia was so poorly that her mother had to carry her around the house and even had to carry her into school . Alyssia was in so much agony that her . mother Charlotte Clayton had to carry her around the house and even had . to carry her into school. After . Ms Clayton, 41, became so concerned that in January she took Alyssia to . see a specialist and after a series of tests, the youngster was . diagnosed with JIA. Now, five months later, after treatment and an operation, Ms Clayton said Alyssia is a changed child. The . youngster is still undergoing treatment and physiotherapy at Alder Hey . Children's Hospital in Liverpool but she is able to ride a bike again . and, two weeks ago, she took part in PE for the first time since being . diagnosed. Alyssia, who has . arthritis in both knee joints and her ankles, has a 30 per cent chance . that she could have the condition for life. Doctors do not know what caused the condition, but said it could be genetic or it be related to stress after Alyssia's parents broke up last year . The condition usually develops in youngsters much older than Alyssia . Although JIA affects about one in every 1,000 children, it usually develops in youngsters much older than Alyssia. Doctors do not know what caused the condition, but said it could be genetic or it be related to stress after Alyssia's parents broke up last year. Ms Clayton said: 'I had to carry her from room to room and carry her into school - it was horrendous. 'She was that stiff that she was coming down the stairs on her bottom and she was in a lot of pain. 'Alyssia is quite tough and resilient, but it was frustrating for her because she is quite active and she wanted to be playing with her friends in the snow.' Ms Clayton, a beautician from Bolton, Greater Manchester, said everyone had rallied around and helped Alyssia, and she praised her daughter's school for their support. Staff at Ladybridge Primary School let Ms Clayton park next to the school office so she could carry Alyssia inside, and they organised a rota of staff and Year Six children to come and sit with the Year One pupil at break time. Teaching assistant Claire Acton and class teacher Gemma Bendelow even took it in turns to carry Alyssia in a class trip to Smithills Farm to make sure she did not miss out. Ms Acton said: 'She is a lovely little girl and we are so glad she isn't in pain any more.' Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a chronic form of arthritis that affects children under 16. Idiopathic means that there is no known cause. In the UK, between 10,000 and 15,000 children are affected by juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The most common symptoms for all types of juvenile idiopathic arthritis are swollen, painful and stiff joints that are usually worse in the morning. The joint areas may look red and feel hot to touch. The exact cause of juvenile idiopathic arthritis isn’t known, but it’s thought to be an autoimmune disorder - which means that the immune system attacks the body instead of defending the body against infection and other harmful substances. SOURCE: BUPA .

Alyssia Clayton-Minta was in so much pain her mother had to carry her . Five-year-old suffers arthritis in both knee joints and her ankles . Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) affects one in 1,000 children .

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By . Stephen Mcgowan for the Daily Mail . Scott Brown says he feels fit and ready to complete his first 90 minutes of the season in Salzburg on Thursday night. The Celtic skipper sustained a damaging hamstring injury against Rapid Vienna in a pre-season friendly in Austria in July. He now returns to the same country - having made his first-team comeback three weeks ahead of schedule against Aberdeen last Saturday - hoping to reverse a poor run of European results for the champions this season. Scott Brown has been injured since a pre-season match against Rapid Vienna in July . Brown made his comeback three weeks ahead of schedule against Aberdeen last Saturday . Brown has trained this week and says he is ready for his first 90 minutes of the season on Thursday . An energising force for the Scottish champions as he managed an hour in the 2-1 victory over the Dons at Parkhead, Brown says his hamstring now feels strong and pain free after his muscle tore off the bone. ‘It ripped apart,’ reflected the Scotland midfielder. ‘That’s what happens. I shouldn’t try to stretch at 29. ‘I had done a good warm-up and I can’t blame the temperature, it was 35 degrees. It was just one of those freak accidents that happen, you overstretch and it just snaps. ‘I have to be honest, it was the sorest pain I’ve ever had but in the few days afterwards I felt good, I thought I was going to be back. I just kept pushing myself as far as possible. ‘I thought it was maybe just a wee tweak of the hamstring or something, it was a couple of days later I was walking and feeling fine. It was only when you get the MRI scan, until then you don’t really know what’s going to happen.’ The diagnosis was for a three-month absence. In the event, he returned earlier than anyone anticipated. Celtic captain Brown was in good spirits in training in training last week . Brown (centre) gets his back cracked in training by team-mate Kris Commons . Brown collects the ball during a passing drill in training at Lennoxtown . Asked if he can last the full game in Salzburg, Brown shrugged: ‘I’ll take it as it goes. I feel good just now and that’s three days after the game. ‘I trained today so everything’s feeling good and I’ll just try to push myself as far as possible and test the boundaries - but my hamstring is feeling as good as it’s ever felt so long may that continue. ‘It was a relief to come through the first training session, let alone the first game. Especially when it was coming to 35, 50 minutes on the clock and I had a look up and I was breathing hard. ‘You think: “Ten minutes still to go here, Scott, try to get a touch of the ball and try to kid on you’re still looking forward to passing.” But it was hard. ‘Everyone’s first game back is always exactly the same, it takes five, 10 minutes to get into the game and then you have to get your second breath and then you can kick on from there.’ Manager Ronny Deila still has his injuries to contend with. Mikael Lustig, Adam Matthews and Charlie Mulgrew remain worries, but with a raft of new signings in the transfer window Brown says there are now no excuses for Celtic in Europe. ‘We are in the Europa League and it’s going to be a hard group as well. Salzburg on Thursday is going to be a really hard game. They’ve just signed someone for £11-£12million so that just shows you what a good squad they have. Brown was a welcome return to Celtic's side last weekend, where his side ran out 2-1 winners . Celtic's Scott Brown (left) alongside Aberdeen striker David Goodwillie (right) ‘But I think we have to qualify. That’s what we have to try to do. ‘Salzburg will be a hard game, they have a good squad. We have been watching videos of them. ‘It will be a tough task for us but I think we have to try to go there and get three points and show that we can get the ball down and play football and do really well in the competition. The aim is to try to get out of the group.’ Brown appeared to disagree with suggestions the Europa League is closer to the current level of this Celtic team than the Champions League. ‘Each to their own opinion. I think we are good enough to play in the Champions League, we’ve shown that over the last two or three years when we’ve done really well in it, beat Barcelona and stuff like that. People underestimate us, but each to their own.’ VIDEO: Watch Scott Brown take the Ice Bucket Challenge .

Scott Brown sustained a hamstring injury against Rapid Vienna in July . His first game back was three weeks ahead of schedule, last Saturday . Brown is now ready for the first 90 minutes since his pre-season injury . Celtic take on Salzburg in their first Europa League game on Thursday .

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MIT has revealed the latest version of its running robo-cheetah - and pledged it will one day outrun Usain Bolt. The team has recently written an algorithm that allows the cheetah to 'bound' like a real animal. On an indoor track, the robot sprinted up to 10 mph, even continuing to run after clearing a hurdle - and researchers say it will eventually hit 30mph. Scroll down for video . The robo-cheetah can 'bound' like a real animal . Speed and agility are hallmarks of the cheetah. The predator is the fastest land animal on Earth, able to accelerate to 60 mph in just a few seconds. As it ramps up to top speed, a cheetah pumps its legs in tandem, bounding until it reaches a full gallop, the MIT team say - and now their robo-cheetah can do the same . The MIT team have built a sleek, four-legged assemblage of gears, batteries, and electric motors that weighs about as much as its feline counterpart. The team recently took the robot for a test run on MIT's Killian Court to show it can run on rough terrain. In experiments on an indoor track, the robot sprinted up to 10 mph, even continuing to run after clearing a hurdle. The MIT researchers estimate that the current version of the robot may eventually reach speeds of up to 30 mph. The key to the bounding algorithm is in programming each of the robot's legs to exert a certain amount of force in the split second during which it hits the ground, in order to maintain a given speed: In general, the faster the desired speed, the more force must be applied to propel the robot forward. Sangbae Kim, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, hypothesizes that this force-control approach to robotic running is similar, in principle, to the way world-class sprinters race. 'Many sprinters, like Usain Bolt, don't cycle their legs really fast,' Kim says. The team have even given their robo-cheetah the markings of its animal counterpart . 'They actually increase their stride length by pushing downward harder and increasing their ground force, so they can fly more while keeping the same frequency.' Kim says that by adapting a force-based approach, the cheetah-bot is able to handle rougher terrain, such as bounding across a grassy field. In treadmill experiments, the team found that the robot handled slight bumps in its path, maintaining its speed even as it ran over a foam obstacle. 'Most robots are sluggish and heavy, and thus they cannot control force in high-speed situations,' Kim says. 'That's what makes the MIT cheetah so special: You can actually control the force profile for a very short period of time, followed by a hefty impact with the ground, which makes it more stable, agile, and dynamic.' Kim says what makes the robot so dynamic is a custom-designed, high-torque-density electric motor, designed by Jeffrey Lang, the Vitesse Professor of Electrical Engineering at MIT. These motors are controlled by amplifiers designed by David Otten, a principal research engineer in MIT's Research Laboratory of Electronics. The combination of such special electric motors and custom-designed, bio-inspired legs allow force control on the ground without relying on delicate force sensors on the feet. Kim and his colleagues — research scientist Hae-Won Park and graduate student Meng Yee Chuah — will present details of the bounding algorithm this month at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Chicago. The team say the act of running can be parsed into a number of biomechanically distinct gaits, from trotting and cantering to more dynamic bounding and galloping. In bounding, an animal's front legs hit the ground together, followed by its hind legs, similar to the way that rabbits hop — a relatively simple gait that the researchers chose to model first. 'Bounding is like an entry-level high-speed gait, and galloping is the ultimate gait,' Kim says. 'Once you get bounding, you can easily split the two legs and get galloping.' As an animal bounds, its legs touch the ground for a fraction of a second before cycling through the air again. The percentage of time a leg spends on the ground rather than in the air is referred to in biomechanics as a 'duty cycle'; the faster an animal runs, the shorter its duty cycle. Kim and his colleagues developed an algorithm that determines the amount of force a leg should exert in the short period of each cycle that it spends on the ground. That force, they reasoned, should be enough for the robot to push up against the downward force of gravity, in order to maintain forward momentum. 'Once I know how long my leg is on the ground and how long my body is in the air, I know how much force I need to apply to compensate for the gravitational force,' Kim says. 'Now we're able to control bounding at many speeds. 'And to jump, we can, say, triple the force, and it jumps over obstacles.' In experiments, the team ran the robot at progressively smaller duty cycles, finding that, following the algorithm's force prescriptions, the robot was able to run at higher speeds without falling. The team with their robo-cheetah at MIT . Kim says the team's algorithm enables precise control over the forces a robot can exert while running. By contrast, he says, similar quadruped robots may exert high force, but with poor efficiency. What's more, such robots run on gasoline and are powered by a gasoline engine, in order to generate high forces. 'As a result, they're way louder,' Kim says. 'Our robot can be silent and as efficient as animals. 'The only things you hear are the feet hitting the ground. 'This is kind of a new paradigm where we're controlling force in a highly dynamic situation. 'Any legged robot should be able to do this in the future.'

MIT has created algorithm to allow robot to 'bound' like a real cheetah . Can reach 10mph on track - and researchers say it will soon hit 30mph . Future versions could outrun human sprinters . Electric motors mean robot is virtually silent .

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By . Rob Waugh . PUBLISHED: . 14:00 EST, 19 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:01 EST, 19 March 2012 . The early history of civiilisation has been 'filled in' a little as scientists have found settlements up to 8,000 years old dotted across Syria. The area is thought to have been critical for the growth of civilisation - and thought to have been one of the first places where early man domesticated cattle. MIT scientists have created software that scans satellite images for towns and settlements - looking for telltalle lighter soil and mounds from the collapse of mud huts. The software has found 9,000 settlements - which Harvard Professor Jason Ur describes as a 'lifetime's worth'. The MIT software looks for signs of ancient settlements including earth disturbed by collapsing mud huts, and lighter areas of earth created by disturbed soil . The new sites might reveal clues to the earliest complex human societies - although the instability of the region might hinder investigation. Jason Ur, Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard . University, worked with Bjoern Menze, a research affiliate in MIT's Computer . Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, to develop a system that . identified settlements. The software scans for telltale signs including soil . discolorations and the distinctive mounding that results from the collapse of . mud-brick settlements. Prof Ur used a computer to examine . satellite images of a 23,000 square-kilometre area of north-eastern Syria, and . turned up around 9,000 possible settlements, an increase of ‘at least an order . of magnitude’ over what had previously been identified. Prof Ur said: ‘I could do this on the ground, but it would . probably take me the rest of my life to survey an area this size. ‘With these computer science techniques, however, we can . immediately come up with an enormous map which is methodologically very . interesting, but which also shows the staggering amount of human occupation . over the last 7,000 or 8,000 years. The sofware looks for distinctive mounds created by collapsing huts, and uses the traces to identify likely settlements . ‘What's more, anyone who comes back to this area for any . future survey would already know where to go. ‘There's no need to do this sort of initial reconnaissance . to find sites. This allows you to do targeted work, so it maximizes the time we . have on the ground.’ The research was published in the Proceedings of the . National Academy of Sciences.

MIT software finds 9,000 settlements dotted across Syria . Satellite images scanned for telltale mounds and lighter patches of soil . Could reveal clues to early origins of complex society .

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By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 16:16 EST, 15 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:56 EST, 15 March 2013 . Guilty: Casey Fury, pictured, was sentenced to a little more than 17 years in federal prison on Friday . A shipyard worker who set fire to rags aboard a nuclear submarine because he wanted to go home was sentenced today to 17 years in federal prison for the blaze that transformed the vessel into a fiery furnace, injured seven people and caused about $450 million in damage. Casey James Fury also was ordered to pay $400 million in restitution by a judge who weighed his lack of criminal record and the severity of the fire before imposing a 205-month prison sentence. The 25-year-old Fury, formerly of Portsmouth, N.H., pleaded guilty to setting the May 23 fire while the USS Miami was undergoing a 20-month dry dock overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery. The civilian painter and sand blaster told authorities that he wanted to go home because he was suffering from an anxiety attack. He told them he never envisioned such extensive damage when he used a lighter to set fire to a plastic bag of rags that he left on a bunk in a state room. The blaze quickly grew into an inferno spewing superheated smoke that billowed from hatches. It took 12 hours and the efforts of more than 100 firefighters to save the submarine. Seven people were hurt, the Navy has said. Eric Hardy, a shipyard firefighter who suffered back and shoulder injuries fighting the blaze, called it the worst fire he had ever seen. 'The best way I could describe it, sir, is fighting a fire in a wood stove and climbing down a chimney,' Hardy told the judge. Fury, who had been working in the . torpedo room, fled to the safety of the pier, prosecutors said, and . watched as firefighters went down hatches and into the burning Los . Angeles class-attack submarine, staying inside for only minutes at a . time because of smoke and blistering heat. Inferno: Fury admitted lighting the blaze on the USS Miami nuclear submarine, pictured, which caused $400 million worth of damage . Hardy said the smoke inside the sub was so thick he couldn't see more than a foot and his flashlight was virtually useless. Firefighters had 20-minute air packs, but it was so hard to get aboard sub and move around inside that they were limited to two to three minutes of actual firefighting. About three weeks later, Fury set a second fire outside the crippled sub, again because of anxiety. That fire caused no damage. He pleaded guilty to two counts of arson in November. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee said it was telling that Fury set a second fire after the extensive damage caused by the first one. But the defense lawyer David Beneman . contended Fury suffered from depression and anxiety and that he never . intended to harm anyone. Beneman described a 'spin cycle' caused by . Fury's failure to receive adequate treatment. Fury spoke briefly Friday, apologizing to the people who were hurt and saying he meant no disrespect to the Navy. 'From . the bottom of my heart, I'm truly sorry for what I have done,' he said. When he's release from prison, he'll have to serve five years of . probation. Faced life: Fury pictured, could have been sentenced to life in prison . Depressed: Fury, pictured, was taking sleeping pills and medication for anxiety and depression . U.S. District Judge George J. Singal weighed the extreme damage caused by the fire against Fury's lack of criminal record, which consisted of one drunken driving arrest, in finding a sentence in the middle of the 235 months sought by prosecutors and 18 months sought by the defense. He said he was troubled that Fury set the second fire. 'One of the lessons is that a small fire can cause tremendous damage,' Singal said. 'Yet within a month he starts another one.' The first blaze damaged forward compartments including living quarters, a command and control center and the torpedo room. It did not reach the rear of the Groton, Conn.-based submarine, where the nuclear propulsion components are located. Metallurgists who examined the hull found no major damage and the Navy determined it was cost-effective to repair the vessel with a goal of returning it to service in the middle of 2015. But its future is now uncertain. Repairs have been postponed under mandatory budget cuts known as sequestration. Rear Adm. Richard Breckenridge, a submarine group commander, said the ship's extensive damage had ripple effects around the Navy, delaying repairs on other vessels and leading to longer deployments for thousands of sailors.

Casey James Fury was sentenced today after the May 23, 2012, fire that injured seven people and caused $450 million in damage at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, New Hampshire . He was also ordered to pay $400 million in restitution by a judge .

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By . James Salmon . PUBLISHED: . 19:07 EST, 11 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:23 EST, 11 May 2012 . He owns a £7million home, earns £1.2million a year running a bank bailed out by the taxpayer and reluctantly bowed to pressure and declined a £963,000 bonus. But Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester says ‘life is not about money’. Mr Hester told pupils at a South London school that life ‘is about doing things that make you feel valuable, not necessarily measured by money’. Controversial: Stephen Hester, 51, who hates this picture being used, has been criticised for his fat-cat pay . But he added: ‘Like it or not, money is one of the things that motivates people.’ Mr Hester, 51, has become a lightning rod for anger over fat-cat pay, attracting criticism for his lavish lifestyle despite presiding over a bank that was bailed out with £45.5billion of taxpayers’ money. Last month he invited the public to see the manicured 350-acre gardens of his £7million home, just outside Banbury in Oxfordshire. In January, after weeks of holding out, the controversial bank boss waived his bonus for last year after intense media and political pressure. Asked by a pupil at Dunraven School in Streatham whether he declined his bonus because he thought it was immoral, Mr Hester replied: ‘I want to be paid well – I have no hesitation about saying that. ‘There’s no morality involved and it allows me to pay a large amount of tax for other things to be done.’ Mr Hester branded criticism of his pay ‘unfair’ and said he ‘came within inches of quitting’ during the row over his bonus. Anger: A string of companies, including Barclays, insurance giant Aviva, . publishing group Trinity Mirror and Britain's biggest car dealer . Pendragon, have faced rebellions from shareholders over boardroom greed . He added: ‘We are in a time of high emotion, people looking for things to blame. ‘If you have a high-profile job as I have, at times you get caught in the swirls of politics. ‘It was a tsunami at the time, I think it caught me unfairly, but nevertheless I’m a volunteer in this job; you have to deal with what it throws you.’ A string of companies, including Barclays, insurance giant Aviva, publishing group Trinity Mirror and Britain’s biggest car dealer Pendragon, have faced rebellions from shareholders over boardroom greed. Liberal Democrat peer Lord Oakeshott says RBS should lend small businesses money so they can employ young people . RBS, which is 82 per cent owned by taxpayers and plunged to a £2billion loss last year, will face its shareholders at its annual meeting later this month. Asked whether the reputation of bankers could be restored, Mr Hester said: ‘People have hated money lenders for thousands of years.’ The RBS chief’s unapologetic words resulted in a fresh salvo from his critics. Liberal Democrat peer Lord Oakeshott said: ‘What would make small businesses feel  valuable is if RBS could lend them the money so they can employ young people.’ High Pay Centre chairman Deborah Hargreaves said: ‘It’s a bit rich of Hester to say this when he employs eight gardeners to keep his 350-acre landscaped garden. ‘He should remember he is talking to people who won’t earn in a lifetime what he earns in a year. He makes a strong case for cutting pay across the board.’

Stephen Hester is target for anger over fat-cat pay . Tells school pupil 'I want to be well paid' Says he came within inches of quitting due to bonus row .

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By . Lucy Thackray for Daily Mail Australia . A four year old boy believed to be responsible for an attack on a two-year-old girl has been suspended from the club. But the parents say the centre should be closed down until a full investigation is completed into the attack. The toddler's mother, Kristel Ness, posted pictures of her bruised two-year-old daughter Eva on Facebook on Saturday, after she was allegedly attacked in the crèche at a Virgin Active Health Club in Frenchs Forest, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. ‘What is quite beyond belief is that not only could his occur while at a care facility, but that all staff claim they did not see the incident. How is that possible at any care facility which is meeting its duty of care?' said Eva's father, Rob Ness. ‘My personal opinion is the day care facilities at this particular club should be closed until a full investigation is done and the club procedures, staffing ratios and skill levels are properly assessed.’ Scroll down for video . A photograph of Eva on the day of the attack shows a bite mark on the two-year-old's face and neck . Two-year-old Eva Ness also has a black eye and bruises on her forehead and cheeks, believed to have been suffered whilst at the creche at Virgin Active health club in Frenchs Forest on Sydney's northern beaches . Eva Ness also has big red welts on her back, which appear to be bite marks, after the alleged incident at a childcare facility . The club has confirmed that the four-year-old boy has been suspended from the creche and the section of the 'Club V' creche where the incident took place, known as 'Big A', has been temporarily closed. Kristel Ness told Daily Mail Australia that her daughter, Eva, suffered extensive injuries when she was attacked by a four-year-old boy while in childcare at the health club on Sydney’s Northern Beaches on Saturday morning. The club confirmed they are investigating the incident and say they have contacted the family to ‘apologise unreservedly’. Local police have also visited the parents, the club and confirm that investigations are ongoing. Virgin Active say no staff members witnessed the incident, which Ms Ness says left her daughter with ‘a black eye, bites, hematomas, and scratches on her head and face’. Ms Ness also claims that when she arrived to pick up Eva, her daughter was not wearing pants. ‘It would have taken a while for Eva to receive the extensive injuries. I cannot believe that no one saw,’ Ms Ness told Daily Mail Australia. Kristel Ness posted on the 'Northern Beaches Mums' Facebook group, but the post, which included photos of her daugher's injuries, was removed by someone else. The Virgin Active Health Club in Frenchs Forest where it is believed the two-year-old was attacked by another child. ‘When I arrived at the crèche she was so upset but wouldn’t come to me. When we got home she was still screaming, so I gave her some Panadol and let her sleep instead of taking her straight to the doctor, so she could calm down. ‘I then took her to the doctor and he couldn’t examine her properly, she was hiding in the corner. Normally she loves the doctor. She wears her own stethoscope and loves it.’ ‘Eva has bounced back a little but gets teary when I ask her about it and says, “no, no, no”. ‘ . The club told Mail Australia: ‘We had an unfortunate incident occur between two young children at our Frenchs Forest club. 'On Saturday 23 August, a 2-year old girl was playing in our kids club, Club V, at our club in Frenchs Forest, when she suffered bruising to the face and bite marks on her face and back, following an altercation with another child in the facility. 'Our staff were nearby, but did not witness the incident, and were not able to prevent it. ‘We are currently undertaking a full investigation to understand, exactly what took place, how it could have been prevented, and what can be done to prevent a similar incident happening in the future. ‘We are extremely sorry that this incident has taken place, and have apologised unreservedly to the little girl and her family.' Kristel Ness says her daughter was crying and unsettled when they came home from the health club. Ms Ness gave her daughter Panadol so she could sleep, at which point she took this photo to document the injuries, before taking her daughter to the doctors. Ms Ness took her children to the crèche at 10.30am and left at 10.45am. She says was called about the incident an hour later. Her husband Rob then emailed the club to claim: ‘My wife was contacted by a staff member & told Eva had been bitten by a baby, but was okay & there was no need for her to come straight away. Regardless she did go to check on Eva immediately & slowly we began to realise the terror our daughter must have been put through.’ Eva and her one-year-old sister Mia have attended the day care four to five times a week for two months. ‘She’s unsettled, it seems like she’s having nightmares and she’s waking through the night. I’ve been sleeping by her side,’ Ms Ness said. ‘The police came over and then went to the crèche but I don’t know the outcome, I won’t know until I see the police report.’ The incident report filled out by the head of the crèche states that: ‘Eva was playing with another child who retaliated and hurt her.’ The health club, Virgin Active, says they are extremely sorry about the incident and apologise unreservedly to the parents. ‘We are still getting weird conflicting stories. We are so disappointed with how Virgin has responded,’ Ms Ness told Daily Mail Australia. ‘When the club’s operations director came to our home last night, I was so unhappy (with what was being said) I soon asked him to leave. Ms Ness says she received an anonymous letter from the mother of the child who is believed to have attacked Eva. The mother wrote that the child involved has had 'his superhero costumes have been taken away and he has been made to do more chores' to reprimand him. ‘The club put a message out on Facebook saying that they were concerned for our family before contacting us. They posted a long message but from what I’ve seen I believe none of it is true. They are just trying to hush it all up. ‘One of the things that makes me most angry was that Eva didn’t have pants on when I arrived. I saw them carrying the pants out of the area, called the Big A (where Eva was found after the attack),’ she said, adding that the pants weren’t returned to her until last night.’ A NSW Police spokesman said an investigation was continuing. Eva's parents do not feel that the incident is being taken seriously by the club and are dissatisfied by their conversations with the club, who say they are launching a full investigation.

Two-year-old was allegedly attacked by four-year-old boy at Sydney crèche . The child's mother posted photos of the horrific injuries on Facebook . The four-year-old responsible has been suspended from the crèche . Eva Ness was being minded at Virgin Active health club in Frenchs Forest . The club has confirmed they are investigating the incident and have 'apologised unreservedly' Eva's mother says she doesn't understand how minders did not see incident . Eva suffered a 'black eye, bites, hematomas & scratches on her head & face'

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By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 9 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:22 EST, 9 August 2013 . A study has found people who are dating, in a serious relationship or co-habiting, are the most frequent sexters . Approximately 80 percent of 21-year-olds have received 'sext' messages, while just under 50 percent of young adults have shared nude or semi-nude photos of themselves using a smartphone, scientists said. While some people might send a sext in the hope it will lead to a hook-up, a study has found people who are dating, in a serious relationship or co-habiting, are the most frequent sexters. The results could mean couples are either spicing up their sex lives or cheating by sexting several people, but the research did find that single people and married couples sext least frequently. The study said: 'Single individuals had significantly . stronger negative expectancies about sending and receiving sexts . compared to others who were in some romantic relationship.' Scientists found sexting behaviour and the outcome people expect from sexting may differ depending on a person's gender, relationship status, and sexual identity. The study, published in Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking, said 80 percent of 21-year-olds have received sext messages, while 67 percent have sent them. Around 46 percent of young people have sent revealing or nude photos of themselves to another person using a mobile phone, while 64 percent have received them. Men were found to send more sexts, more frequently to more people, compared with women, according to the research by Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, which questioned 611 university students, 42 percent of which said they were in serious relationships. The study suggests women are less engaged with the joy of sexting than men. Allyson Dir, author of the study, said females may be more pressured into sexting by male peers. Men were found to send more sexts, more frequently to more people, compared with women, according to the research by Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. The study suggests that women are less engaged with the joy of sexting than men . She believes more needs to be understood about the . reasons for sexting and how these reasons influence participation in . sexting behaviours for different individuals. Writing in the journal, Ms Dir said: 'Much of our understanding about sexting comes from media and anecdotal reports about the dangers of sexting.' 'Negative beliefs about sexting include . the potential for legal ramifications the risk of sexts being shared . with others and the resulting cyberbullying social humiliation, and . psychological distress.' However as sexting is a prevalent behaviour among young people, there are potentially a number of positive outcomes from the activity, she said. The study found 27 percent of people said sending sexts makes them feel desirable and excited, and the study found  young people mainly felt they were 'fun and flirataceous' or said sexts are a way of experimenting with their sexuality. However,16 percent of people admitted to being embarrassed by sending sexts, perhaps indicating a level of peer pressure was involved. The study found 27 percent of people said sending sexts makes them feel desirable and excited while 16 percent of people admitted to being embarrassed by sending sexts, perhaps indicating a level of peer pressure was involved . The study suggests that women were less thrilled at receiving texts than men and had stronger negative experiences of sending and receiving sexts. Approximately 37 percent of people said receiving a text made them feel 'uncomfortable' but 17 percent said it gave them confidence. Interestingly, despite the fact the vast majority of the young people surveyed had received a sext message, individuals are not sexting frequently, with most sending less than three sexts a month. Ms Dir said: 'These frequency rates are similar to . what has been shown in previous samples of young adults, suggesting that . while many have experimented with sexting at least once, most . individuals do not sext regularly.' 'Although individuals who sext more often . might be at a higher risk for negative outcomes simply due to . probability, this does not mean that those sexting infrequently are not . prone to risk.' The study claims to be the first cross-sectional research of how sexting expectancies influence sexting behaviours, but its author admits the field has yet to fully understand expected sexting outcomes.

A U.S. scientist has said just under 50% of young adults have shared nude or semi-nude photos of themselves using a smartphone . The Indiana University-Purdue University study found men send more sexts, more frequently to more people, compared with women . People who are dating, in a serious relationship or co-habiting are more frequent sexters than singletons and married couples, the research said .

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By . Paul Harris . PUBLISHED: . 04:10 EST, 9 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:57 EST, 9 August 2012 . Shattered: Keri-Anne just misses out on Olympic glory . What a splendid day for a dip in the lake. The sun was shining and the water was warm. A perfect setting, it seemed, for double world champion Keri-Anne Payne to win an Olympic medal in the Serpentine. But despite the roars of the crowd, and a formidable turnout by her mates from Team GB, she just couldn’t manage to refloat Britain’s swimming pride. The 24-year-old from Stockport came fourth in the gruelling ten-kilometre event, crossing the line just four tenths of a second away from bronze after a race lasting nearly two hours. But hey. The girl did her best. And . from what she was saying afterwards about being caught in a scrum which . swam only inches apart for much of the course, this wasn’t exactly . sports day at Cheltenham Ladies’ College. ‘It was a little bit violent,’ she . said with a smile. ‘It seemed to be a pretty tough, violent race from . the start. I’m not really a fighter – I’m more of a lover I guess. ‘I struggled in the pack with all the . fighting that happened and I got hit quite a few times in the face. I . tried to deal with it as best I could but it just took a lot more energy . out of me than I was expecting.’ Her failure to gain a medal after . being tipped for success mirrors a disappointing Olympics for our . swimmers, all of whom were trying to cheer her to victory yesterday from . the sideline. Every time she swam past, they jumped, . wriggled, shimmied and cheered her on. Sir Steve Redgrave joined . Keri-Anne’s bridesmaid-to-be Rebecca Adlington in the throng, as did her . fiancé and team-mate Dave Carry. Before the race Keri-Anne found time . to text Carry to remind him to put some sun-screen on. They are getting . married in Aberdeen next month and a panda-eye suntan for the wedding . photos would be a definite no-no. Perhaps in anticipation, the official . Olympic factsheet already has him listed as her husband. Keri-Anne said later that she was . caught off guard by the fast pace of the race, which, incidentally, she . normally sets. Heartache: Kerri-Ann Payne finishes fourth, just seconds behind her rivals in the 10km swimming marathon in Hyde Park today . Britain's Kerri-Ann Payne (foreground) leads the field away from the start pontoon in the The Serpentine, Hyde Park . Members of the British swimming team lend their support to Payne from the banks of The Serpentine . But she also admitted making a mistake when she stopped . off at the feeding station on the third lap. In open water races, . swimmers tuck gel packs into their suits and are handed drinks on long . sticks as they go by the feeding areas, usually flipping over on their . backs, like an otter, to take a few sips before flipping the bottles . away. But at one point she dropped the bottle. TV cameras caught the . green liquid spewing into the water. This is a tough race, and not just because of the pain and endurance involved. There are other potential difficulties, too. In the 2007 world championship in . Melbourne Keri-Anne was stung in the mouth by a jellyfish. Swimming in a . Chinese river before the Beijing Olympics, she found herself competing . against floating dead dogs. And the 282-year-old Serpentine didn’t . meet with universal approval. One swimmer inspecting the water . described it as ‘murky’. American broadcasters delighted in telling . folks back home that the 28 acres of water was widely known as the . Turpentine, despite strenuous efforts to clean it. Furthermore, GB performance manager . Mark Perry’s assertion that the royal swans had been rounded up and sent . to a holiday camp for the day with their families proved not to be the . case. Payne was just unable to keep up with the race leader, Eva Risztov of Hungary, and ultimately finished fourth in an exciting finish . Payne (right, number 15) tussles with Yumi Kida of Japan during the 10km open water swim . Five minutes before the athletes . walked on, 11 of the blighters glided by for a peek at the start line. They got a big cheer when they tried to return but were herded up and . driven off by Locog cowboys in kayaks. By the time the race was an hour . old, Keri-Anne was among nine swimmers who had started to put a gap . between themselves and their increasingly flagging opponents. And on the . last turn, with 1,000 aching, tortuous, exhausting metres still to go, . the front four began to create a vast space of clear water behind them. Keri-Anne’s tank was clearly running . low. Still, however, she refused to give up. In the end, fractions of a . second counted for everything. Little wonder she looked exhausted . afterwards. Touchingly, however, the first thing she did when she pulled . herself out of the water was to take a deep bow towards each side of . the lake, where thousands of spectators had loyally cheered every stroke . of the way. The swimmer is handed a drink on the end of a stick by her coach during the race . ‘Fourth in the world is not too bad but not really what I wanted,’ she said rather glumly afterwards. Her fiance said: ‘Yes, it was . disappointing but the thing is I’m going to be getting married to her, . so I’m just so very proud of her, and to see her smiling all the way . through the interviews as well has made me feel a lot better.’ Rebecca Adlington tweeted: ‘Absolutely . so proud of @KeriannePayne can’t believe I get to call her a friend!’ she gushed. ‘She’s amazing! 4th in the world at such a tough event!!’ All true, all very flattering. But GB . swimmers know they’ll have to do better than this to safeguard the . future of the sport’s £25.1million annual funding. VIDEO: Keri Anne-Payne talks through the mental and physical training that she has undergone on her Olympic journey .

Medal hopeful Payne, 24, fourth in gruelling open water event in Hyde Park .

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By . Sophie Borland . Last updated at 5:25 PM on 18th October 2011 . Patients are being banned by their GPs simply for making minor complaints. Entire families are being unfairly removed from practice lists and barred from making appointments following trivial disagreements with  doctors or staff. One complaint concerned a woman who had merely replaced a flat battery in a device administering anti-sickness medicine to her terminally-ill mother. Shocking: Entire families are being unfairly removed from practice lists and barred from making appointments following trivial disagreements with doctors or staff (picture posed by models) The woman - who is a trained nurse - said she did not want her mother to suffer while they waited for the practice nurse to arrive for a home visit. Do NHS GPs have too much power? But the surgery claimed her actions had undermined the  doctor-patient relationship and the woman and her dying mother were told they would no longer be treated by the practice. A report by Health Service Ombudsman Ann Abraham warns that increasing numbers of patients are being removed from doctors' lists 'without fair warning or proper explanation'. Once a patient has been taken off a surgery's list they are not allowed to make any other appointments, forcing them to find another doctor. Last year 2,581 complaints about GPs were made to the Ombudsman, an average of seven a day. Of the 48 complaints deemed serious enough for the Ombudsman to investigate fully, ten - or 21 per cent - concerned patients who felt they had been unfairly removed. This is more than three times higher than the proportion recorded last year when only 6 per cent of the complaints properly investigated concerned patients being taken off surgery lists. Warning: A report by the Health Service Ombudsman said increasing numbers of patients were being removed from doctors' lists 'without fair warning or proper explanation' In one case, an elderly woman and her husband were removed after she wrote to the practice manager to complain that receptionists did not answer the phone while she was trying to book an appointment for their seasonal flu jabs. In a telephone call the practice manager warned them he would ‘get you struck off for this’. In my work as an addiction specialist, I received - and still do receive - complaints all the time. One man believes that I, together with the KGB, was involved in the murder of his sister and his aunt. Another man, whom I saw twice, believes that I was responsible for his divorce - and the distress caused to his child - when I did not take his side against his wife, whom I had never met. That's just the way it is in my line of work and I would offer them my help again if they asked for it. But all these patients must have GPs somewhere and I would not blame those doctors at all if they said that enough is enough, says DR ROBERT LEFEVER . Read more here . Shortly afterwards they were removed from the surgery’s list. And a mother was barred by her GP after complaining to receptionists who had failed to find her an appointment to get her baby vaccinated before the family went on holiday. Katherine Murphy, chief executive of campaigning charity the Patients  Association, said: ‘Far too often patients tell us that they have been removed  from their GP list without warning or explanation. ‘Now the Ombudsman says that over a fifth of complaints in the last year were about patients being removed from GP lists, which is more than three times  higher than previous years.’ The report also warned that hospitals, GP surgeries and other NHS services were failing properly deal with complaints. The Ombudsman added that the NHS was ‘still not dealing adequately with the most straightforward matters’. Last night Health Minister Simon Burns said: ‘Our ambition is for a modern NHS, which is more accountable for the quality of care it provides and gives patients a stronger voice. ‘That’s why we need a culture of learning and listening in the NHS, so that mistakes are not repeated.’

Patients removed from doctors' lists 'without fair warning or proper explanation' 2,581 complaints - seven a day - made about GPs last year .

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By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 05:53 EST, 18 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:12 EST, 19 September 2012 . A collection of fascinating private and public photos of the Kennedys have been revealed in a book and exhibition exploring the legacy of one of the most famous couples of all time. The images - half of which have never been seen before - were captured by Life magazine's Mark Shaw, who was both the unofficial photographer for John F. Kennedy and wife Jackie, as well as a close friend and confidant. Shaw's beautiful shots encapsulate the vibrant life of the pair, who are seen in a variety of situations, dazzling on the campaign trail or sharing a warm family moment with their daughter on holiday. Love story: John F. Kennedy campaigning to become president, with stylish and cultured wife Jackie by his side . Special access: More than half of Shaw's photos have never been seen before and his work was treasured by the Kennedy family . Rich and famous: The fashionable couple pose in formal outfits for this charming official portrait . Shaw met the charismatic Massachusetts senator and his elegant wife in 1959, six years after their marriage, when he photographed them for Life magazine. He developed a close friendship with the glamorous, all-American couple, allowing him extraordinary and informal access to the family. Over the following four years, Shaw captured the couple and their children Caroline and John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr at their most relaxed. They are pictured in Nantucket, Hyannis Port, Mass., Mrs Kennedy's family home in Merrywood, Virginia and on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. American dream: The couple relax in Massachusetts fishing village Hyannis Port with first child Caroline . He also photographed the couple as . they shone in public, with stylish Jackie supporting her husband on the . campaign trail and at his star-studded inauguration gala. On November 8, 1960, JFK beat . Republican . Richard M. Nixon in a very close race to become the 35th president of . the United States, with his graceful wife standing by his side . She made the White House . into a home, creating a kindergarten and working to restore and preserve the historical . building while Shaw photographed the family's unique daily life . By now a fashion icon, she hosted glittering events and travelled the world gaining admiration for her elegance and goodwill. New images: Mrs Kennedy with daughter Caroline at Hyannis Port in 1959 and later that year in Georgetown . Effortless grace: The attractive and powerful couple look at ease as they take a moment away from the strain of their heavy responsibilities . Long-lasting relationship: Shaw met the charismatic young Massachusetts senator and his elegant wife in 1959 when he photographed them for Life magazine . President's wife: Mrs Kennedy in her husband's office at the old Senate building in Washington D.C., 1959 . There was a grittier side to their outwardly perfect lifestyle, however. JFK . reportedly had numerous affairs with pretty young girls at the White . House, and his wife responded by having several affairs of her own. In 1963, the couple's third child, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy was born, but he developed a lung problem and died two days later. While still . recovering from this loss, another tragedy shocked the world. On . November 22, 1963, the President and his wife were in Dallas, Texas. As . their car drove slowly past cheering crowds, shots rang out. President Kennedy was killed and Mrs Kennedy became a widow at the age of 34. Unforgettable: Jackie shows off her inimitable style while holidaying in Ravello, Italy . Height of sophistication: The couple relish a beautiful day in the garden, while Shaw captures them in their most unguarded moments . JFK's . state funeral was broadcast around the world and millions of people . shared in his wife's grief and mourned over the premature end to the . intriguing tale of this unique and powerful couple. In a . grateful note, Mrs Kennedy later thanked Shaw for his natural, exuberant . photographs, comparing him to a modern-day Caravaggio and vowing to . treasure them always. Shaw was renowned for both his pictures of the Kennedys and for his fashion work in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the . first photographer to shoot backstage and in colour at the couture shows . and produced groundbreaking work during the Vanity Fair lingerie . campaign. Artistic study: The Kennedys: Photographs by Mark Shaw (pictured right) is available now . The Kennedy photos are now on display at MILA Kunstgalerie in Berlin until October 6, 2012. They appear in new book The Kennedys: Photographs by Mark Shaw, RRP £45. To order online visit www.reelartpress.com.

John F. Kennedy and Jackie's most memorable moments were captured by friend and photographer Mark Shaw, from Life magazine . Pictures show couple holidaying in Hyannis Port, Mass and Ravello, Italy . Combination of glamorous scenes and peaceful family moments . Half of photos in new book have never been seen before . The Kennedy photos are now on display at MILA Kunstgalerie in Berlin until October 6, 2012. They appear in new book The Kennedys: Photographs by Mark Shaw, RRP £45. To order online visit www.reelartpress.com.

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Bookies slash odds of a number one to 5/6 with X Factor finalist second in line with odds of 11/10 . By . Nadia Mendoza . Last updated at 5:06 PM on 5th December 2011 . All eyes will be on Little Mix, Marcus Collins and Amelia Lily next Saturday night to see which finalist will win X Factor and go on to have the Christmas No1. However, if choirmaster Gareth Malone has it his way, a different song may be topping the charts. The Bafta-winning star is hoping his group Military Wives will triumph over the festive period, with the 100 vocalists currently smashing pre-order records. Coming together: Military Wives look set to rival The X Factor Christmas No1 . Wherever You Are - a tribute to soldiers with lyrics taken from . love letters written by the women to their partners in Afghanistan - has stormed Amazon’s bestseller chart, two weeks before its release. The overwhelming response has led bookmakers to . slash the odds on it beating the X Factor winner. Paddy Power have slashed the odds to just 5/6 and the unknown X Factor singer is the second favourite in the betting at 11/10. Chris Evans is supporting the single, saying: 'With a fair wind it’ll be a Christmas . No1, one that actually means something.' The radio presenter is even urging Simon Cowell to do his bit for charity and let the wives perform on the X Factor final this weekend and the odds of them doing so are currently 3/1. Soloist: Samantha Stevenson performs in the video for Wherever You Are and also at the Royal Albert Hall in front of The Queen and other members of the Royal family on Remembrance Sunday . The 100 singers, from military bases in Devon, touched the nation’s hearts on BBC2 show The Choir. Malone, 36, has even been plugging the song across the Atlantic, writing on Twitter: 'Hello America. UK Military Wives are singing to raise money for military charities (whilst taking on XFactor!)...' The Royal Academy Of Music graduate first appeared on reality series The Choir in 2007, with the series teaching choral singing to people who had no experience or were reluctant to learn. Proud of their men: The women sing lyrics they wrote in love letters while their partners were at war . How tweed! Gareth Malone will bring some fierce competition to the charts against the winning X Factor star . Last month, The Choir Military Wives was . broadcast with Malone visiting Chivenor Barracks in Devon to meet women . at a 'family day' before the troops were deployed to Afghanistan. He later recruited more wives from Plymouth and 42 Commando Royal Marines, before the final group performed at The Royal British Legions Remembrance parade at the Royal Albert Hall. Gareth asked the ladies to donate parts of letters to their loved ones to become a song, with Paul Mealor (who also wrote for Prince William and Kate's wedding) to come up with an appropriate track. Profits from the single will go to the Royal British Legion and Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Forces Help.

Bookies slash odds of a number one to 5/6 with X Factor finalist second in line with odds of 11/10 .

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By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 05:34 EST, 4 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:57 EST, 4 March 2013 . It has always been said a few stiff drinks make the plainest face more inviting - but ‘beer goggles’ do not make us think people are more attractive than they are, experts have claimed. It is rather a fluke of nature that alcohol closes down the section of the mind that stops us acting on impulse long before it deadens the ‘reptilian’ part responsible for our sexual urges, says Dr Amanda Ellison. The area of the brain that makes us want to mate is the oldest part - and sited so far down it keeps functioning however much we drink - until we are ready to pass out. 'Beer goggles' do not make us think people are more attractive than they are, brain expert Dr Amanda Ellison claims . Dr Ellison says it is a myth that beer goggles fool us into thinking someone is more attractive than they really are. But even relatively small amounts of alcohol will stop the various parts of the brain working properly together. Dr Ellison, senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Durham University, has been pulling together a range of research into how alcohol affects the brain, as the nation’s drink problem increases. She says that while evolution had made women more choosy about who they go to bed with, both sexes are looking for a soul mate - and personality is just as important as looks in selecting a partner. However, all this goes out of the window when we drink because of the sequence in which alcohol acts on areas of the brain. She said: ‘Alcohol switches off the rational and decision making areas of the brain while leaving the areas to do with sexual desire relatively intact, and so this explains beer goggles. ‘We still see others basically as they are. There is no imagined physical transformation - just more desire.’ However, a number of previous studies have suggested we start seeing things when the opposite sex and alcohol are involved. Alcohol affects the part of the mind responsible for impulse before the part responsible for sexual urges, claims scientist . A Bristol University experiment claimed people do appear more attractive to both sexes after they have had a drink. American research maintained that men rated pictures of women more highly after looking at alcohol-linked words and London’s Roehampton University claimed men and women had problems rating faces for attractiveness after drinking. However, Dr Ellison’s book, Getting Your Head Around the Brain, argues men and women do not see each other any differently no matter how much they drink. But after as little as half a pint of beer alcohol starts bonding with the receptors of the upper lobes which control decision-making. The more primitive section of the brain in the cortex below which governs our sex drive is carrying on unaffected. Normally, this part of the brain is kept in check by the upper lobes. So, while sober we are constantly weighing up questions of looks versus personality in our search for the right soul mate. When sober you would look at a member of the opposite sex and decide you were not attracted to them. But that decision making process was impaired by alcohol. However, a bag of crisps or peanuts could stop things getting out of hand, Dr Ellison says. ‘You would have some food in your stomach and the salt would aid rehydration by retaining water and stopping you pee-ing it all away,’ she said. The first area of the brain to be affected by alcohol is cerebellum - the motor control area. Next to go is the frontal lobes which control our rational decision-making. Sexual desire is in the reptilian section of the mind under the cortex. Even though women use both sides of the brain to make sexual decisions this was no defence against alcohol. 'Beer goggles' affect both sides of the brain, particularly the frontal lobes which we use to make decisions and recognise the consequences of our actions. The other thing which informs sexual desire is pheromones which we can smell and cause us to be attracted subconsciously to people with different immune systems so off-spring will have elements of both and be stronger. Once the brain started rehydrating and the alcohol loosened its grip on the receptors of the brain it had bound to and rational thinking returned. Dr Ellison said: ‘Memory may not come back but rationality does. As the brain rehydrates and the toxins are flushed away the alcohol ceases to bind to the brain receptors and the frontal lobes kick back in.’ She believes that the booze culture needed more research before a whole new generation was born to couples who could not stand each other. While love-hate relationships have now been largely explained away by pheromones - which trigger the basic instinct to mate - drink-fuelled romance was being driven by social change. Traditionally, it was the man who - having had one too many - made the advances while the more sober woman decided whether to accept or reject. But with more and more men and women being flung together by booze, Dr Ellison argues it is vital to understand how the rules of attraction are bent by over indulgence: ‘We have got to try and work out what the social effect alcohol is having now in an era when contraception is widely available and we have a culture where drinking is the norm,’ she said. ‘New studies are going to be very interesting in how it affects the rules of attraction. ‘Pheromones may be turned off by beer goggles. It’s entirely possible they are - but we don’t know.’

'Beer goggles' do not make us think people are more attractive, says Durham University expert Dr Ellison . Alcohol closes the part of the brain responsible for impulse before the part responsible for sexual desire .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:52 EST, 16 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:49 EST, 17 September 2013 . A bumblebee species reintroduced after being driven to extinction in the UK has nested and produced its first offspring. The short-haired bumblebee vanished in the 1980s, having declined over 60 years as its wildflower-rich grassland habitat was lost. It was officially declared extinct in 2000. Seven of the UK’s 27 bumblebee species are in decline and two have become extinct. The short-haired bumblebee has nested and produced its first offspring in the UK since it became extinct here in the 1980s . Short-haired queens were brought over from a healthy population in Sweden, and after two releases at the RSPB’s Dungeness reserve in Kent, worker bees have been discovered for the first time. Nikki Gammans, who led the project, said: 'This is a milestone for the project and a real victory for conservation. 'We now have proof that this bumblebee has nested and hatched young, and we hope it is on the way to become a self-supporting wild species in the UK. 'It’s been a long journey to get here, from creating the right habitat for them, collecting queens in the Swedish countryside, scanning them for diseases and then eventually releasing them at Dungeness. 'Seeing worker bees for the first time is a fantastic reward for all that hard work but we still have a long way to go to ensure this population is safe and viable.' A first generation of queens collected and released last year struggled in the cold wet conditions last summer, but a second generation brought over from Sweden and released this summer bolstered the colony. Seven of the UK's 27 bumblebee species are in decline and two have become extinct . Further releases are planned to help build the population at Dungeness. The reintroduction project has involved work with farmers to create flower-rich meadows and field margins in Dungeness and Romney Marsh, which have boosted populations of other threatened bumblebees. Sightings of rare bees, including the ruderal bumblebee, the red shanked carder bee, the moss carder bee and the brown-banded carder bee, have increased. Nationally, seven of the UK’s 25 native bumblebee species are in decline and two have become extinct, including the short-haired bumblebee. The project to reintroduce the bee is backed by government agency Natural England, RSPB, Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Hymettus.

Short-haired bumblebee was driven to extinction in the UK in the 1980s . It has now nested and produced its first offspring after reintroduction . Seven of UK's 27 bumblebee species are in decline and two are extinct .

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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 03:30 EST, 16 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:23 EST, 16 October 2013 . For millions of online shoppers, customer product reviews have become one of the most popular and useful aspects of buying from online retail giant Amazon. But as well as finding helpful advice on pretty much every conceivable object which could be sold online, shoppers can also often stumble across creative appraisals of some of the more bizarre or obscure products. To celebrate its 15th anniversary in the UK, Amazon has rounded-up what it believes to be some of the funniest product reviews in its relatively short history. One of the funniest reviews on Amazon includes this helpful tip found at the bottom of this canvas print of Paul Ross . Amazon has rounded-up what it believes to be some of the funniest product reviews to mark its 15th anniversary in the UK. Pictured is the Amazon warehouse at Milton Keynes . Some of the products, and their reviews, have already become the stuff of legend, inspiring their own internet memes, such as the three wolf moon T-shirt, which sparked hilarious comments on the site. One such comment, as picked out by Amazon, was: 'Don't get me wrong, this T-shirt is ace. I just can't help thinking an additional Wolf wouldn't go a miss. '(P.S I've rated this 4 stars. 1 for each Wolf and 1 for the moon. If the seller wants another star, then I want another Wolf....or another moon)' Other well-known reviews include this effort for a box canvas print of Paul Ross: 'If you only buy one 20 inch canvas print of Paul Ross this year, this is the one to get.' A canvas clock of Eastenders actress Pam St Clement also received some memorable reviews, including: 'After purchasing this, time has taken on a whole new meaning in our house. As I type this, it is currently 5 past Pat's chin. Lovely.' The Kitchen Craft Banana Slicer is another product which has gained notoriety through its advert on Amazon. This canvas clock of Eastenders actress Pam St Clement received some memorable reviews . This t-shirt of three wolves howling at the moon has become so famous it has sparked its own internet meme . It's design and function inspired one customer to write this glowing review: 'Thanks to this revolutionary idea I can now purchase bananas free of fear. 'I used to stare longingly at bananas in my local supermarket, but I was afraid to add them to my shopping basket knowing I wouldn't know what to do with them when I got them home. 'Clearly too big to put into one’s mouth in one go, I couldn't for the life of me work out how to eat it. Now it is as clear as day, and I have joined the happy banana eating ranks. Thank you so much! 'I would have given this great product 5 stars if there had been banana peeling instructions included.' The children's book Mr Tickle inspired this rather long-winded literary analysis . To many customers, Amazon's product reviews have become one of the site's most useful tools. Pictured is Amazon's one million sq ft fulfilment centre in Fife . Elsewhere, Mr Men book reviews have attracted some of the most in-depth reviews of all the products to be found on the site. One review for Mr Tickle begins: 'Hargreaves' first work, and regarded by many as his masterpiece, Mr Tickle is something of a rarity amongst the Mr Men books. Elsewhere, we see much exposition on the pitfalls of excess - such as in Mr Greedy and Mr Messy, for instance - but a distinct lack of discourse on personalities that are over- rather than under-regulated... 'So what a glorious anomaly we find in Mr Tickle - a breath of fresh air from the unrestrained id.' One of the most famous reviews in the history of the site however, has to be incredibly detailed analysis of a Bic Crystal Ballpoint Pen, Medium Point, Black. The review begins: 'Since taking delivery of my pen I have been very happy with the quality of ink deposition on the various types of paper that I have used. On the first day when I excitedly unwrapped my pen (thanks for the high quality packaging Amazon!) I just couldn't contain my excitement and went around finding things to write on, like the shopping list on the notice board in our kitchen, the Post-it notes next to the phone, and on my favourite lined A4 pad at the side of my desk.' This review of the catering aluminium foil is probably not 100 per cent true .

Some products and their reviews have already become stuff of legend . A number of products have already inspired their own internet memes . Amazon has rounded-up funniest reviews to mark 15th anniversary in UK .

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By . Craig Hope . Follow @@CraigHope01 . Newcastle United will not be re-signing Loic Remy this summer. The Queens Park Rangers striker spent last season on loan at St James’ Park, where he top scored with 14 goals. Manager Alan Pardew and the club’s hierarchy made it clear to Remy and his representatives they wanted to sign him on a permanent deal, but the player had Champions League aspirations. VIDEO Scroll down for Brendan Rodgers talks about 'disappointing' Loic Remy saga . Goal machine: Loic Remy scored 14 goals in 24 games for Newcastle last season . Uncertain future: Remy is in limbo after his proposed £8.5m move to Liverpool collapsed . He subsequently agreed terms with Liverpool and was on the verge of an £8.5million move only for the deal to collapse when the 27-year-old failed a medical. That triggered talk of a return to Tyneside but Pardew has confirmed that United have moved on from their pursuit of the France international, and will instead bring in Shakhtar Donetsk’s 23-year-old forward Ferreyra Facundo on a season-long loan deal. On the subject of Remy, the United boss told BBC Newcastle: ‘I think he’s had plenty of chances to come to us. ‘We made it very clear that we would like to have him and it hasn’t really happened and therefore sometimes you have to say where’s the line drawn for us as a club as we have our own respect and our own professionalism. New man: Ferreyra Facundo (right) will join Newcastle on a season-long loan deal from Shakhtar Donetsk . Moving on: Alan Pardew will sign Ferreyra Facundo from Shakhtar Donestk instead of Loic Remy . ‘So maybe that one has gone away but like all transfers they’re never, ever over so we’ll keep our finger on the pulse.’ Newcastle, meanwhile, face Malaga in the Schalke 04 Cup on Saturday afternoon where they will be without summer signing Siem de Jong who has a calf injury. Dutch internationals Tim Krul and Daryl Janmaat have travelled with the squad to Gelsenkirchen but will not feature.

Pardew admits he would have liked to sign Remy but striker is not interested . Remy was set to join Liverpool but move collapsed due to failed medical . Facundo will join from Shaktar Donetsk on a season-long loan deal . Newcastle face Malaga on Saturday but new signing Siem De Jong is injured .

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By . Chris Pleasance . He was one of the greatest engineers of British history, designing and building 25 railway lines, over 100 bridges and three ships including the Great Western and Great Britain. She is an award-winning mechanical engineer, a star graduate from the University of Bristol, and one of a few women in her field. And now, Morwenna Wilson, the great-great granddaughter of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, has been charged with renovating the area around King's Cross station, built by Brunel's contemporaries in 1851-52. Morwenna Wilson, 31, the great-great granddaughter of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, has been put in charge of a team of architects and engineers renovating the area around King's Cross Station . At just 31 years old, Ms Wilson will lead a team of architects and engineers tasked with giving a modern-day twist to the old  Victorian structures around the station and bringing them back to life. Brunel was one of the greatest engineers of his time, building 25 railway lines and more than 100 bridges . Speaking about her ancestor to The Times, she said: 'He was an inspiration. It definitely runs in the family. My grandfather was also an engineer.' Studying at the University of Bristol, she was perfectly placed to admire the brilliance of great-great grandfather. In 1833 Brunel was commissioned to work on the Great Western Railway linking London to Bristol, and accomplished many engineering feats during its construction, including the viaducts at Hanwell and Chippenham, the Maidenhead Bridge, the Box Tunnel and Bristol Temple Meads Station. Earlier, in 1931, his designs won a competition to build the Clifton Suspension Bridge across the River Avon which flows through the city. While he was responsible for several architectural feats in London, such as Thames Tunnel from Rotherhithe to Wapping, he wasn't actually the genius behind King's Cross. The station was in fact designed by his contemporary, George Turnbull, and later details were added by Lewis Cubitt. Brunel would be proud to know that, 155 . years on from his death, his descendent is carrying on with the work he . and his contemporaries started. When the work on King's Cross is completed it will house more than 18 restaurants, 2,000 new homes, 23 office spaces and a collection of outdoor venues. Women are woefully under-represented in the construction industry, making up just 11 per cent of the workforce, compared with 50 per cent in finance, 46 per cent of doctors and 27 per cent of police. Among one of his most spectacular achievement is the Clifton Suspension Bridge over the River Avon . While most of his work was completed in the west of England, he designed bridges across the UK inlcuding this one across the River Dee in Balmoral, Scotland . It's something she is keen to change. She said: 'It's not just about being a builder on site. It's about celebrating practical achievements. 'One of the things I enjoy most about my job is that I am creating tangible things. I can show people and say "I was part of this."' Another female engineer keen to engage women is Roma Agrawal, a 30-year-old structural engineer who worked on the Shard skyscraper in London and appeared as one of the inspirational women on the recent M&S poster campaign. She said there was still an element of everyday sexism on building sites, but added: 'As the number of women on site is steadily increasing, it's only a matter of time before that gets stamped out.' Brunel was a stand-out even in a field of greats, accomplishing a huge amount in a relatively short lifespan . Over the course of his relatively short life, from 1806 to 1859, Brunel was responsible for building over 25 railway lines, more than 100 bridges, eight piers and docks, and three enormous steamships. He was a stand-out even in a field which included greats like George Stevenson - so-called father of the railways - and Thomas Cubitt - who helped build large parts of London, including Finsbury, Islington and Belgravia. He constructed the Great Western Railway, linking London to Bristol, built the famous Bristol Meads Station, and designed five revolutionary suspension bridges including the Clifton Suspension Bridge over the River Avon. While he is best known for his work on the railways, he was also an accomplished ship builder. He built the the 'Great Western', which launched in 1837 and was the first steamship to ferry regular passenger journies across the Atlantic Ocean. The 'Great Britain', launched in 1843, was the world's first iron-hulled, steam-powered passenger liner to use a screw-propellar, which made ti far more efficient. The 'Great Eastern', launched in 1859, was designed in cooperation with John Scott Russell, and was by far the biggest ship ever built, but was so expensive it drove its owner into bankruptcy.

Morwenna Wilson great-great granddaughter of Isambard Kingdom Brunel . 31-year-old is engineer is in charge of renovating area around King's Cross . Station built by Brunel's contemporaries George Turnbull and Lewis Cubitt . Wilson is an award-winning engineer who says ancestor 'inspired' her .

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A former Marine was arrested on Sunday after leading police on a 35 mph chase on his moped, footage of which was captured on a passer-by’s cell phone. Police in Norton Shores, Michigan, were dispatched after Richard Shear, 28, allegedly threatened his mother and girlfriend, 33, with a sledgehammer and a knife and tried to set their house on fire. Shear’s 62-year-old mother called the cops after Shear allegedly slashed window blinds with a knife and punched a hole in a wall with a sledge hammer. Scroll down for video . Former Marine Richard Shear was arrested on Sunday after leading police on a 35 mph chase on his moped, footage of which was captured on a passer-by’s cell phone . According to the Norton Shores Police Department, officers spotted the suspect in the city of Muskegon and gave chase . According to police he then went outside and allegedly poured gasoline on wood chips and bushes next to the house and tried unsuccessfully to set them on fire. Neither woman was injured. Next Shear slashed the tires of a SUV in the driveway before fleeing on his moped. According to the Norton Shores Police Department, officers spotted the suspect in the city of Muskegon and gave chase. An eight-mile pursuit followed at speeds up to 35 mph, according to police. The cell phone footage shows 11 cop cars giving chase. Shear was eventually taken into custody in front of his home after he jumped off the moped and tried to run back into the house, authorities said. Richard Shear, 28, of Norton Shores, Michigan, has been charged with six crimes including eluding a police officer and driving while intoxicated. He is said to be suffering from PTSD after eight years in the Marines . He has a history of drunk driving arrests, and is suffering from PTSD after fighting in Iraq during his eight-year career as a Marine, reports Fox 17. Shear has been charged with six crimes including third-degree fleeing and eluding a police officer; arson-preparation to burn property; resisting and obstructing a police officer; third-offense driving while intoxicated; and two counts of domestic violence. His bond has been set at $100,000 and he remains in the Muskegon County Jail. Shear is alleged to have poured gasoline on wood chips and bushes next to this house in an unsuccessful attempt to set it on fire .

Richard Shear, 28, was arrested on Sunday after leading police on a 35 mph chase on his moped . Police in Norton Shores, Michigan, were dispatched after he allegedly threatened his mother and girlfriend and tried to set their house on fire . He then jumped on his moped and an eight-mile pursuit followed at speeds up to 35 mph . Shear has a history of drunk driving arrests, and is suffering from PTSD after fighting in Iraq during his eight-year career as a Marine .

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By . Sam Webb . A Government agency is accused of opening flood gates to protect a town's shops and businesses - at the expense of a village full of family homes. The Environment Agency issued an order to open the sluice gates of a dam near Tonbridge, Kent, in order to save the town's post-Christmas sales shopping and industrial units, it has been reported. However, the resulting surge of 1.25m gallons of water into the River Medway led to the deluge of the village of Yalding eight miles away. Workmen clear water from a home in Yalding, Kent, after it was flooded during the recent bad weather. It has been claimed the village was deluged in order to save businesses in nearby Tonbridge . Swamped: The Beult river near Yalding is still swollen with water five days later . One of those affected was Erika Olivares, 49, who met Prime Minister David Cameron when he visited the flood-hit village on Friday. She accused him of failing to deliver on a promise to ensure those living in flood-threatened areas would be able to get affordable insurance cover. Mrs Olivares, who lives in a £275,000 three-bedroom cottage with husband Pablo, told the Sunday Times she was 'furious' with the EA. She added: 'We were told on Christmas Eve that the gates were going to be opened and we were going to be flooded. 'By that time we didn't have a hope in hell of getting prepared. They said they would rather sacrifice 1,000 homes here than risk Tonbridge.' Other villagers said they were given just six minutes warning about the coming flood. However, an Environment Agency spokesperson denied a decision between Tonbridge and Yalding had been made. Some villagers said they were given just six minutes warning about the coming flood . Taking stock: Rob Woolley looks at the damage to his 1971 MG Midget at his home in Yalding, Kent, after it was flooded during the recent bad weather . He added: 'Operating the Leigh Barrier to store 5.5million cubic . metres of water protected Tonbridge without having any adverse impact on other . communities. 'Had the barrier not been in operation Kent communities would have . experienced flooding comparable to the devastation in the county during 1968.' He is referring to the floods which hit large areas of Kent after a deluge of continuous rain. Cars were swept away and people were trapped in their houses. Tonbridge was particularly badly hit. Flooding fears continue to plague Britain as another band of persistent rain and heavy wind heads towards the UK. The latest storm pushing in from the Atlantic will arrive in the west this evening before spreading north-eastwards overnight, causing Monday morning disruption. It will add to the misery of thousands who have been left without power and endured flooded homes over the Christmas period. Sean Matthews clears Christmas decorations and personal belongings from his home in Yalding after it was flooded . Homeowners along the River Medway and Stour are being warned that their properties are at risk of flooding . Some 1,300 properties have been flooded during the recent storms in England, the Environment Agency said, while flood defences have protected more than 80,000 properties. It warned the predicted rainfall meant there is a 'continued heightened flood risk' across southern England, especially south west England where river levels remain high and the ground is already saturated. Large rivers such as the Thames, Severn and Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire are most at risk of flooding, while high water levels on the River Medway and Stour in Kent will cause continued flooding and travel disruption, the EA said. A Downing Street spokesman said ministers held a COBRA meeting yesterday where it was agreed financial assistance will be given to local authorities facing an undue financial burden because of the storms through a process known as the Bellwin scheme. Unrelenting: More heavy downpours and violent winds are due tomorrow, bringing further risk of flooding across southern England .

Agency accused of choosing businesses over homes in Kent . Villagers said they were 'sacrificed' to save shops in Tonbridge . Environment Agency denies it chose one or the other .

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The head of the European Commission provoked scorn last night by claiming the euro was out of the danger zone. Despite the economic slump across the region, Jose Manuel Barroso said the single currency was no longer at risk of collapse. ‘I think we can say that the existential threat against the euro has essentially been overcome,’ he told a conference in his native Portugal. ‘In 2013, the question won’t be if the euro will or will not implode.’ Things are looking up: Jose Manuel Barroso at the Portuguese diplomatic meeting where he announced that the threat against the survival of the eurozone was over . However, Neil Mellor, a currency expert at Bank of New York Mellon, said Mr Barroso was ‘simply not in a position to make such predictions’. He added: ‘2013 will be a tougher year than 2012 for Germany and by extension, the euro area as a whole. The crisis is most certainly not over.’ David Buik, an analyst at City spread-betting firm Cantor Index, said: ‘With the level of austerity that must be implemented, there can be no growth in Mediterranean countries or, for that matter, France for years to come. ‘The day of reckoning will come and many of these economies will be staring in to the economic and financial abyss. The crisis is far from over.’ And Louise Cooper, a leading financial analyst, said: ‘Of course Mr Barroso is going to talk up the survival of the euro as he is the EC president. ‘In every financial crises going back to the beginning of time, politicians lie to us. They almost have to. Civil unrest: An Italian protester holds a stone during clashes with riot police at a students' demonstration against austerity measures in downtown Rome last November . ‘It is their job to pretend that the situation is better than it is in order that they do not make the situation worse by talking it down. ‘But that does not mean that we need to believe what they say.’ The eurozone has enjoyed a period of relative calm since Mario Draghi, the head of the European Central Bank, pledged to do whatever it took to save the currency – and in particular stand behind the debts of cash-strapped governments such as Spain. It has boosted confidence in the euro and few analysts are now predicting a break-up of the single currency this year. Rise of extremism: Members of the Greek extreme-right ultra nationalist party Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avghi) light flares in a street protest in Thessaloniki last summer . But it is feared the region is in for further hardship as unemployment soars and recessions deepen – stoking public anger amid mounting opposition to the flawed currency union. The crisis will play a central role in crucial elections in Germany and Italy – the biggest and third biggest economies in the eurozone. In her New Year message, German chancellor Angela Merkel last week warned that 2013 will be a tough year for Germany and the eurozone. Even though the consensus has swung towards the euro staying intact, economists still fret about the wider long-term effects of austerity. A possible explanation for Europe's relative social peace to date is that the burden of adjustment has fallen mainly on the young. In Spain, for example, the number of under-25s in work fell from 39.1 per cent in 2007 to 18.3 per cent in 2012, a fall of 20.8 percentage points.  For the 35-49 age group, who are better protected against layoffs, the drop over was 8.9 percentage points. This mix of 'youth sacrifice' and relative economic security for the bulk of the population might be why street protests have failed - except in Greece - to translate into a big shift in votes for radical parties, according to Gilles Moec, a Deutsche economist. But the potential economic cost is huge. With fewer youngsters working, Italy and Spain have suffered a loss in productivity of about 2 per cent, Mr Moec estimated. The textbook answer is to push policies to end the divide between hard-to-fire 'insiders' and typically young 'outsiders' on precarious short-term contracts. But the risk is that such structural reforms become discredited because voters associate them with declining living standards and rising inequality, said Simon Tilford, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform in London. 'The consequences are likely to be far-reaching. Not only will governments struggle to push through the needed reforms, but there is a risk of a broader backlash against the market economy and the European Union,' he said. ‘The crisis is far from over,’ she said. ‘The economic environment will not in fact be easier but rather more difficult next year.’ The latest forecasts from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, a leading global financial watchdog, suggest the German economy will grow by a paltry 0.6 per cent this year. The French economy is set to grow by just 0.3 per cent, according to the OECD, while a further year of recession is expected in Italy and Spain. Unemployment is over 25 per cent in Spain and Greece and more than half of all youngsters there who want to work cannot find a job. French unemployment has soared to its highest level since the country adopted the euro – piling pressure on socialist president Francois Hollande. The Economist, the highly-respected financial magazine, recently warned that France is ‘the time-bomb at the heart of Europe’ – sparking fury in Paris. The eurozone crisis has been brewing since late 2009 before exploding to life in 2010. So far it has led to a change of government among eight of the 17 single currency zone member states. Asked about Mr Barroso’s latest comments yesterday, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said Mr Draghi’s pledge to prop up the euro ‘had temporarily diverted the markets’ attention’ but added that ‘fundamentally nothing has changed’. He said: ‘There are still massive economic flaws which will take more than words to cure.’ Erik Britton, a director at financial experts Fathom Consulting, said Mr Barroso was ‘not right and it’s not over’. He said: ‘It’s been pronounced over many times over the last few years, incorrectly, and this is just the latest such pronouncement. ‘It’s not dead, though it’s been lulled to sleep by the soothing melodies issuing from the ECB and elsewhere. ‘But there is always a risk it will wake up again – some shock like a bank failure, or another Greek default, or a surprise result in the Italian or German elections, or something like that.’

European Commission President spoke at diplomatic conference in Portugal . Comments come as shares make soft landing from New Year's rally . Research shows an improvement in euro sentiment among investors . But others claim unwinding of global debt will be apocalyptic .

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By . Tim Shipman . and Becky Barrow . One in four voters trust Miliband to run the economy, a survey shows . Ed Miliband’s economic credibility took another tumble yesterday after his lacklustre response to the Budget. A new survey found that fewer than one in four voters say they trust the Labour leader to run the economy. Mr Miliband’s support has dropped 10 points since January to 23 per cent while 21 per cent said the Budget had reduced their trust in his ability to manage the economy. Mr Miliband polls even worse than his party with 31 per cent of voters backing Labour to run UK Plc. The telephone survey of 1,600 voters after the Budget by public affairs firm Edelman found that 37 per cent trust the Tories and 23 per cent said the Budget had increased their trust in Conservatives to manage the economy. The data came amid growing disquiet among Labour MPs that Mr Miliband and shadow Chancellor Ed Balls have now botched their response to the Budget and George Osborne’s Autumn Statement last December. There were also signs of tension between the two men yesterday after Mr Balls said Mr Miliband had a ‘difficult’ time because he relied on Twitter to predict the contents of the Budget and revealed that he had spent much of Mr Osborne’s speech trying to wake up Communities Secretary Eric Pickles. An ally of Ed Miliband told the Mail: ‘We always knew it was going to be a difficult Budget with the economy on the turn. It was not made easier by Ed Balls.’ Another said ‘the problem’ for Labour is that ‘we don’t have a strong enough economic policy’ - a barely coded jibe at Mr Balls. Friends of the shadow chancellor claimed he wanted to go further in contesting the Budget but was overruled by Mr Miliband, who used well-worn attacks on Mr Cameron’s Etonian background and membership of the Oxford University Bullingdon Club rather than respond to the Chancellor’s announcements in his speech. Support for Mr Miliband pictured during a visit to the Rosyth Dockyard, Dunfermline, has dropped 10 points since January to 23 per cent while 21 per cent said the Budget had reduced their trust in his ability to manage the economy . A Labour MP summed up mood of frustration about Mr Miliband’s performance on the backbenches: ‘The best you can say is that it was better than Ed Balls’ awful speech after the last Autumn Statement. I’ve no idea why he didn’t talk about anything that was actually in the Budget.’ Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said it seemed as if Mr Miliband had been “thinking about the football for an hour” instead of listening to what Mr Osborne was saying. Former Lib Dem minister Jeremy Browne said: ‘His speech was the worst speech I have ever seen in the House of Commons.’ ‘I want to have an intelligent critique of the budget and the state of the public finances, rather than lots of shouting about which clubs at Oxford University he did or did not belong to, and which ones David Cameron didn’t do. ‘I think it was demeaning for British politics. It is important for the health of our democracy that we have an official opposition that has an economic policy, and there was no evidence of that yesterday.’ Tory MP Douglas Carswell added: ‘The real significance is that you’ve got a leader of the opposition who wants to run the country but he is pretty vacuous when it comes to economics.’

Fewer than one in four voters say they trust Labour leader to run economy . Support for Miliband dropped 10 points since January to 23 per cent . 21 per cent said the Budget had reduced their trust in his economic ability .

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By . Erin Dean . PUBLISHED: . 19:24 EST, 6 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:21 EST, 7 January 2014 . Rachel suffers from aura migraine, which causes her vision to partially disappear for about 20 minutes . Rachel Paskin has suffered from migraines for almost 30 years but rarely has a headache. Instead, a bright, flashing line appears across her eyes, causing her vision to partly disappear. The 42-year-old has suffered up to five such attacks a day, severely affecting her work and ability to drive. What she experiences is known as a silent migraine - a type of migraine that comes without the severe headache typically associated with the condition. Instead, those affected experience visual  disturbance, co-ordination problems, and pins and needles (symptoms known as migraine 'aura'). 'The first time it happened I was about 14 and thought I was having a stroke or going blind - it was terrifying,' says Rachel, a Birmingham City University administrator who lives with her husband Neil, 44, a heritage building restorer, in Aldridge, West Midlands. She saw an optician, who reassured her there was nothing wrong with her eyes, but after doing her own research she realised what was causing her symptoms. She put up with the silent migraines and realised she would feel OK again after they passed, usually after about 20 minutes - although during that time she couldn't see properly and her co-ordination was compromised. On average, she had about five attacks a year but two years ago she started having the attacks four or five times a day so she sought medical help. In the aftermath, she felt 'spaced out' and tired for a few hours. Migraine aura can have a wide range of different symptoms, including seeing flashing lights, zigzag lines and blind spots, stiffness or a tingling sensation in the neck, shoulders and limbs, problems with co-ordination, difficulty speaking, and occasionally loss of consciousness. Aura often strikes just before a crippling headache, which usually sets in under an hour after the aura finishes. Experiences of aura varies. Some people never have a headache, and just experience aura, while others will initially  experience just aura symptoms, but then go on to experience severe headaches. Some people's migraines change as they age, so the headache can fade, while the aura remains. Around a third of the eight million people in the UK who suffer from  migraines experience the symptoms of aura, with an estimated 1 per cent - around 80,000 - having silent migraines, according to the Migraine Trust. However, the real number may be much higher, suggests Dr Mark Weatherall, a consultant neurologist at Charing Cross Hospital, London. He believes silent migraine cases are significantly under-reported, as many people will experience them infrequently and not seek help. The estimated number of migraine attacks that occur every day in the UK . But he warns it is important to rule out other causes if the symptoms suddenly start, particularly in the over-60s, as such symptoms are also linked with stroke and a detached retina (when the light-sensitive area at the back of the eye detaches from blood vessels, potentially causing blindness). 'It can even be difficult for a healthcare professional to tell the difference between the symptoms of a stroke and a  prolonged attack of aura,' he says. Indeed, people experiencing silent migraine for the first time often dash to A&E or their GP practice, frightened they are having a stroke - that's because they don't also have the headache symptom that might suggest it's a migraine, says Dr Andrew Dowson, director of headache services at King's College Hospital, London. 'Auras can be worrying,' he adds. The key point is that migraine aura symptoms develop relatively slowly, and then spread and intensify, while stroke symptoms are sudden, according to the Stroke Association. Migraines also involve acquiring symptoms, such as seeing flashing lights - stroke is characterised by losing abilities, such as muscle strength or speech. It's important to get the correct diagnosis of migraine with aura as it's linked to a higher risk of stroke and heart problems. Auras can happen without any of the traditional pain associated with migraine, but are distressing . A 15-year study into the health of 28,000 female health professionals at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the U.S. found migraines with aura were the second highest risk factor for heart attack and stroke, after high blood pressure. A review of 25 studies published in the British Medical Journal in 2009 found risk of stroke for people with migraine with aura was twice as high as the rest of the population, while there was no extra risk for those with migraine without aura. For women with aura the risk of stroke was double that of men with aura. And a French study found that women who suffered migraine with aura who took the contraceptive Pill had a 16 times greater risk of stroke; if they smoked as well it led to a 34 times higher risk. For this reason, women with aura should not be on the combined Pill and should stop smoking, says Dr Fayyaz Ahmed, a consultant neurologist at Hull Royal Infirmary. 'Stroke risk is higher for those with aura, but it is still small, until you factor in smoking and taking the combined Pill. It is important doctors are aware of these risks to give correct advice.' Meanwhile, the British Heart Foundation says that people with aura should reduce their risk of heart trouble by keeping physically active, eating a healthy diet and not smoking - and advises anyone concerned by the risks to consult their GP for more advice. When Rachel was formally diagnosed two years ago, her GP prescribed propranolol, a beta blocker used for angina and high blood pressure, also found to be effective in reducing migraine (it's thought the medication, which reduces blood flow and opens blood vessels, helps by reducing electrical activity in the brain during migraine). After taking it for three months, her migraines subsided, and have since gone back to the usual rate of about five a year. Susan Haydon, from the Migraine Trust, says: 'No one is really sure why migraines can change. They tend to be worse in younger people, and may ease off in the 50s and 60s - 40 per cent of sufferers no longer have migraines by age 65. 'Attacks of migraine aura can cause a lack of confidence in leaving the home, because not being able to see properly can cause vulnerability. If a person drives for their job such attacks could mean a change of career.' If it interferes with driving safety, aura may need to be reported to the Driving and  Vehicle Licensing Authority. Triggers include foods such cheese or chocolate, alcohol, exercise, lack of sleep and stress . Migraine sufferers can usually identify triggers, and keeping a diary to record when attacks happen can be helpful. Triggers include foods such cheese or chocolate, alcohol, exercise, lack of sleep, and stress - avoiding them can reduce attacks. When attacks occur once a week or more, preventative medication, including beta blockers , antidepressants and epilepsy medication, can be prescribed. However, particularly with epilepsy medication, there can be unpleasant side-effects such as nausea, tiredness and depression. Some patients take supplements such as magnesium. Studies have suggested migraine patients may have low levels of the nutrient and two trials, one in Germany the other in Italy, have shown magnesium supplements helped reduce the number of migraines people suffered, although other trials have had mixed results. Meanwhile, the nutrient co-enzyme Q10 reduced the number of migraines people experienced by 50 per cent, in a study at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, while patients taking vitamin B2 (riboflavin) for a Belgian study also reported a 59 per cent drop in migraine activity. The Migraine Trust says many studies suggest mild regular aerobic exercise can help reduce attacks. As stress is a common trigger, deep breathing exercises, yoga, acupuncture and physiotherapy are also recommended. While Rachel's silent migraines have stopped taking over her life, she says they are of ten misunderstood. 'While I have always had good care from doctors, for a lot of people it is hard to understand aura and its impact,' she  says. 'For most people, a migraine involves a throbbing headache that lasts days. For me, the aura is always the worst symptom and while it is happening there is nothing that you can do but wait it out.'

Rachel Paskin, 42, from Aldridge, suffers from silent migraines - auras . Rarely has headache but bright, flashing line appears across her eyes .

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By . Kerry Mcdermott and Mario Ledwith . PUBLISHED: . 04:58 EST, 30 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:39 EST, 30 November 2012 . The . photograph of a 19-year-old aspiring lingerie model from Colorado who . has been missing since October appeared on a Las Vegas escort website, . the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said. The photograph of Kara Nichols was likely lifted from another source . and added to the website MyRedBook.com, Detective Cliff Porter said. The . ad promised that the girl in the picture was the actual escort, but . Porter said that claim was clearly not true. "We have no evidence that supports the claim that she's in Las Vegas," he said. Those close to the investigation said that calls were made to the . number posted in the advertisement, and family members confirmed that . the voice of the woman who answered the call did not match Nichols'. It . is not uncommon for prostitutes to use random pictures of beautiful . women in their ads and misrepresent themselves in photos to solicit . potential clients, Porter said. Missing: A photograph of missing Kara Nichols, 19, appeared on a Las Vegas escort website but police said that Miss Nicols did not post the picture . A photograph of missing teenager Kara Nichols has appeared on a Las Vegas escort website. The picture of the 19-year-old aspiring model appeared on MyRedBook.com but police said the photograph was taken from another source and that Miss Nichols did not post it. The advert promised that the girl pictured was the actual escort. But when officers called an accompanying phone number, members of Miss Nichol's family confirmed it was not her voice on the other end of the phone. Police leading the search for the model said that claims she was in LA were untrue. El Paso County Sheriff's Detective Cliff Porter told Fox News that escorts and prostitutes often use random pictures lifted from the Internet to advertise online. He said: 'We have no evidence that supports the claim that she's in Las Vegas.' She went missing after leaving her Colorado Springs home on October 9 and was last seen with a brown-haired woman who detectives believe may have information about the young woman's whereabouts. El Paso County Sheriff's Office previously called the case suspicious and said that Miss Nichols may have been exploited by an individual or group claiming they could further her modelling career. Police are thought to have interviewed . one woman who travelled with Miss Nichols but have not have not released . her name. They are still looking for second woman. Scroll down for video . Aspiring model: Police called a number linked to the advert but Miss Nicols's family said the voice was not hers . 'Even if this young lady has no information, just the simple fact that she could tell us how they parted, what her parting words might have been, could be huge,' Detective Cliff Porter previously told ABC News. Police are also seeking a second brunette who they said associated with Nichols, however they would not elaborate on the nature of their relationship or frequency of their contact. Mystery: Police in Colorado say it is 'really uncharacteristic' for Kara Nichols not to be in contact with friends and family . Miss Nichols told her roommate she might go to Denver on the day she vanished but left behind her purse. Friends and family said the woman was active on social media and regularly used her cell phone, but neither have been used since she went missing. 'All of a sudden that stopped -- no communication since then, especially from a person who was an extrovert, who was always reaching out to people,' Sheriff Terry Maketa said, adding that this made the case 'more concerning'. According to ABC News, images of the unnamed brunette released yesterday have resulted in numerous leads and the El Paso Sheriff's Office has recruited the help of external investigators to help with the case. 'Tuesday's press conference has resulted . in a number of valuable leads, and we are working tirelessly to follow . up on these leads. They are labor and manpower intensive, and we have . called on other units to assist us,' Detective Porter told the . station. Police said there was a strong possibility Ms Nichols was targeted by an organised group designed to exploit wanna-be models. Vanished: There has been no trace of the 19-year-old lingerie model since she made a call from her mobile phone at 11.45pm on October 9 . 'These . aspirations, we believe, have caused Kara to fall prey to a subculture . of modeling-business fronts that many times involve illicit drugs and . prostitution,' Sheriff Maketa said. This subculture could have exploited . a teenage girl who may have lacked the life experience to see the . inherent risks.' The 19-year-old lingerie model disappeared more than a month ago on her way to work. Police searching for the missing teen . said the young woman never made it to her job, and added that it was . 'really uncharacteristic' of her not to get in touch with family and . friends. There has been no trace of Ms Nichols since she made a call from her mobile phone at 11.45pm on the day she vanished. Person of interest: Police have been searching for an unnamed brunette, pictured, who was last seen with Ms Nichols . 'What causes us concern is that it is really uncharacteristic of her not to be in contact with her friends and family,' Sergeant Joe Roybal, from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office said earlier this month. Officers' attempts to reach Ms Nichols on her phone or to establish the phone's location have proved unsuccessful. The teenager's devastatedfamily have set the 'Help Us Find Kara Nichols' Facebook page and teamed up with the National Women's Coalition Against Violence and Exploitation to raise awareness of her mysterious disappearance. Friend Rachel Buster told KKTV News she was 'very scared' for the 5ft 8in 19-year-old, who is understood to have taken up underwear modelling in February of this year. Her Model Mayhem profile says that, while she is new to the profession, she is 'very passionate' about modelling. 'Currently I'm working on building my portfolio so I'm always looking for modelling opportunities in my area,' it reads. 'I've done mostly lingerie shoots so far but I'm extremely open-minded.' Search: Police are hoping somebody will come forward with clues as to the 19-year-old's whereabouts . Sgt Roybal earlier said there was nothing to indicate that a crime had been committed or any evidence of foul play though they are now calling the disappearance suspicious. 'We really don't have any indication as to why she hasn't been in contact,' he said. 'The only thing that concerns us is that she has not been in contact with anybody.' The officer said police want to raise awareness of the case in the hope that somebody might come forward with information on the whereabouts of the teenager. 'We're hoping for a best case scenario,' he added. Ms Nichols is 5ft8ins tall and weighs 120lbs. She has blonde hair and green eyes, and tattoos on her wrist and ankle. Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.

Photo of missing Kara Nichols appeared on MyRedBook.com . Police said that the picture was taken from another source . The phone number was called but family said voice was not Kara's . The 19-year-old vanished on October 9 on her way to work in Denver . Believed she's been targeted by crime group exploiting aspiring models .

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By . Sarah Griffiths . Many people risk life and limb on a daily basis scrambling across pedestrian crossings before the traffic lights turn green. But a new technology means people will have longer to cross the road if there are large crowds. Pedestrian crossing sensors will be tested for the first time in the world in London, in a bid to make it easier and safer for people walking in the capital to cross the road. The new technology means that traffic signal timings can be adjusted automatically so that pedestrians can cross the road for a longer period of time if they are in large crowds (illustrated) The introduction of Pedestrian Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique, or 'Pedestrian SCOOT', is the first of its kind in the world. The system uses video camera technology to automatically detect how many pedestrians are waiting at crossings. It means that traffic signal timings can be adjusted automatically so that pedestrians can cross the road for a longer period of time when a large number of people are waiting. The idea is that vast numbers of people walking in quickly in opposite directions to beat the ‘red man’ will be less likely to crash into each other mid-way across the road. The first trials of Pedestrian SCOOT will take place outside Balham and Tooting Bec Underground stations in south west London this summer so that TfL can test the pedestrian sensors and how well they interact with other smart traffic control systems. SCOOT systems are is already used in traffic lights, to help control traffic congestion in London as well as other cities around the world, such as Beijing. The introduction of Pedestrian Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique, or 'Pedestrian SCOOT,' is the first of its kind in the world and uses video camera technology to automatically detect how many pedestrians are waiting at crossings . Commenting on the SCOOT technology, Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ‘I am delighted that London is the first city in the world to be trialling this cutting-edge equipment, which will benefit pedestrians across the city. 'This really is a fantastic example of how London is leading the way by using 21st century technology to help make it easier for people to get around our great city. ‘Innovation like this is key to keeping London moving efficiently and making our roads safer for everyone to use.’ While Pedestrian SCOOT might be slightly annoying for impatient drivers, Transport for London (TfL) has revealed that it is developing a 'call cancel' technology. This will detect when a pedestrian who has pushed the crossing button has either crossed before the signal goes green or walks away and will therefore lets traffic continue uninterrupted. TfL has recently rolled out ‘pedestrian countdown’ technology across 200 locations in London that tell people who long they have left to cross the road, in a bid to prevent last minute dangerous dashes.

New pedestrian crossing sensors will be tested for the first time in the world in Balham, south west London this summer . Pedestrian SCOOT uses video camera technology to automatically detect how many pedestrians are waiting at crossings . It means that traffic signal timings can . be adjusted automatically so that pedestrians can cross the road for a . longer period of time .

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By . Ben Spencer . A new blood test could tell women if their lifestyle is putting them at risk of developing breast cancer. Scientists say the test could identify those who are in danger ten years before any symptoms appear. This would give them time to take preventative action – which can be as simple as exercising regularly or losing weight – long before the disease gets a hold. The breakthrough could see women in their 50s and 60s having regular tests to monitor their risk level by the end of the decade. If the scientists’ hopes are realised, the test could lead to dramatic falls in  the number of women who suffer from breast cancer. A new blood test could tell women if their lifestyle is putting them at risk of developing breast cancer. Current tests that gauge your chance of breast cancer rely on identifying those with high-risk DNA, and they only work in 10 per cent of cases. Posed by model . The finding, by scientists at University College London, involves the first breast cancer screening tool that monitors the scale of  damage to genes from environmental factors such as smoking, diet, alcohol  consumption and the chemicals we come across in everyday life. Current tests that gauge your chance of breast cancer rely on identifying those with high-risk DNA, and they only work in 10 per cent of cases. They are useful in flagging up women with a faulty BRCA1  gene such as Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who last year had a  preventative mastectomy. But until now scientists had no early screening method for non-inherited breast cancer, which makes up 90 per cent of cases. The new test could be used in regular screening sessions for post-menopausal women. Around 50,000 British women develop breast cancer each year – four out of five of them in the post-menopausal years. Last year, Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie had a preventative mastectomy . The UCL researchers have now identified a ‘signature’ or ‘tag’ on the DNA of blood cells which is a reliable way of predicting those women who may go on to develop the disease. The blood test, which they are developing, works by assessing how far environmental factors have affected the body’s genes. It is not clear what proportion of women at increased risk of breast cancer display the signature, but the scientists hope the test could be used to assess a large proportion of women. Professor Martin Widschwendter, the study’s lead author, said the test could identify those who are at risk of breast cancer ten years before any symptoms appear. ‘The main application would be in post-menopausal women,’ he said. ‘We would do this blood test every five years and then define a specific risk for individual women. ‘Depending on the risk we could tailor the prevention regime. ‘For example, for some women that could mean a change in  lifestyle, for others it could mean intensified screening. For those at highest risk it could be to use chemotherapy or other treatments for prevention.’ More work will be needed to develop the test for clinical use, but Professor Widschwendter is confident the additional research can be completed in five to seven years so the test could be ready for clinical use by 2020. The UCL study, published today in the journal Genome Medicine, was welcomed by breast cancer charities. Dr Matthew Lam, senior research officer at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: ‘These results are promising and we’re excited to learn how further research could build on these findings.’ He added: ‘This could mean that in the future a woman may be able to have a simple blood test to look for this DNA signature. ‘If she does have this signature, she could work with her doctor to explore the options available to help her take control of her risk.’ Dr Kat Arney, of Cancer Research UK, said: ‘Looking at changes in the “tags” on DNA in blood cells taken from people before they develop cancer is an exciting area of breast cancer research. ‘It’s an intriguing finding but we need to understand much more about how these changes influence breast cancer risk before this knowledge can be turned into a screening test.’

It would give them time to take . preventative action – as simple as exercising regularly or . losing weight – long before disease takes hold . Finding by scientists at University . College London involves first breast cancer screening tool to . monitor scale of damage to genes from environmental factors . Around 50,000 British women develop breast cancer each year – four out of five of them in the post-menopausal year .

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By . Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:50 EST, 22 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 22:51 EST, 22 August 2013 . Vice President Joe Biden's son, Beau, has returned home with his father and other family members after undergoing a complicated brain biopsy procedure at a Houston cancer center. A small motorcade arrived at Vice President Biden's home just before 4pm on Thursday, shortly after Air Force Two arrived at New Castle County airport from Texas. Beau Biden, the Delaware attorney-general, tweeted: 'On our way home! Can't wait to get back. Thank you, Houston,' and uploaded a photo of him with his wife and parents. Happy farewell: Beau Biden posted this picture of him standing with his wife, stepmother Jill and father Joe as he was about to leave the Houston hospital . Back home: Beau Biden, pictured with his father, Vice-President Biden earlier this week, has returned home from hospital . He also tweeted a photo of himself and his wife Hallie in Houston, saying: 'Touched by all your well wishes - thank you. Nice evening in Houston w/ Hallie; will share update when we have it.' The 44-year-old was admitted to University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center for a brain biopsy earlier this week after becoming weak and disoriented during a vacation in Indiana. 'You can read from that that it's likely that there was a tumor or some kind of tissue left behind from this mass that was biopsied,' Dr Nancy Snyderman told NBC News. She added that it can takes weeks for results of biopsies to arrive. The father-of-two's hospital stay came two weeks after emergency dispatchers received a call from the vice-president's home regarding a report of a possible stroke. Mr Biden, who was staying at his father's Delaware home while his home is being renovated, suffered a minor stroke in 2010. Vice President Biden and his wife Jill released a statement through the White House on Wednesday to say their son was returning to Delaware after 'a successful procedure'. 'He is in great shape and is going to . be discharged tomorrow and heading home to Delaware,' they said in the . statement, adding: 'He will follow up with his local physicians in the coming weeks.' The . White House declined to answer questions about what procedure was . performed, and whether it was diagnostic or therapeutic in nature. Support: Beau Biden with his wife Hallie in Houston before he flew home on Air Force Two . Pattern: Beau Biden was taken ill last week. It has now been revealed that 911 was called to his house weeks prior . Mr Biden was initially admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago last week. He traveled the following . day to the Philadelphia hospital where he had been treated after his . stroke in 2010 to consult with his doctor. He spent last weekend at home . in Wilmington before going to Houston. Delaware . Department of Justice spokesman Jason Miller said the attorney-general . had spoken to his chief deputy on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday . morning. Mr . Miller declined to provide information about Mr Biden's health and said he . did not know when the attorney-general would return to work. 'He'll continue to be in regular touch with the office, as he has been this week,' Mr Miller said. The White House announced yesterday that Vice-President Biden has canceled scheduled appearances in Rhode Island and Maine to be with his son and other family members. Records from a county dispatch center log indicated . that someone at the vice-president's home was reported to be possibly . having a stroke and apparently not alert. What's wrong? The Vice President's son had a stroke in 2010. The White House released a statement from Joe and Jill Biden Wednesday announcing Beau had undergone an unnamed procedure . Mr Biden then arrived on Monday in Houston for tests at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Emergency . responders were also called earlier this month to the home where he had . been staying, two weeks before he was taken to hospital during a family . vacation, authorities said on Wednesday. Rickie Clark, a staff supervisor with the Cranston Heights Fire Co., confirmed on Wednesday that county dispatchers received a call for help from the vice-president's home. However, he refused to provide further details. The dispatch log on the fire department's website showed two references to the vice-president's home on August 1, one at 9:25pm and another about a minute and a half later. All clear: The Biden's motorcade was seen leaving the Houston hospital Thursday morning . Procedure: A police officer stands guard at an entrance to the renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas where Beau Biden underwent testing and a procedure Tuesday . Both cite ‘Cva-Not Alert,’ indicating . that a person was in distress and apparently not alert or responsive to . his or her surroundings. Mr Clark said ‘Cva’ is shorthand for . cerebrovascular accident, or stroke. Mr Biden was initially admitted to . Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago last week and traveled the . next day to the Philadelphia hospital where he had been treated for his . 2010 stroke to consult with his doctor. He spent last weekend at home in . Wilmington before going to Texas. The younger Biden has posted two . photos of himself in recent days - one of him smiling with his father on . Sunday, the other of him smiling with his wife, Hallie, on Tuesday.

Emergency responders were sent to help vice-president's son weeks before he was admitted to Texas hospital . Attorney General of Delaware has undergone a brain biopsy . Joe Biden says his son is 'in great shape' 44-year-old Biden also had a stroke in 2010 .

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By . Emma Glanfield . Eric Craggs, 68, of Stockton, County Durham, pictured arriving at court, is accused of asking for the 'Laserstar' device to be fitted to his car in 2009 . A driver attempted to evade the law by having a piece of equipment knowingly fitted to his Aston Martin which stops police speed guns from taking an accurate reading, a court heard. Eric Craggs, 68, is accused of asking for the device, known as a ‘laser jammer', to be fitted to the front of his car during a service in 2009. It is alleged that Craggs, of Stockton, County Durham, has been driving the car with the device activated for the last four years and has managed to evade police detection on two occasions. The device interferes with the lasers used in police speed camera devices and stops officers from being able to take a reading - instead issuing an error message. Prosecutor Andrew Walker told the jury at Teesside Crown Court today how Craggs was caught by PC Lorraine Williams after she failed to get a reading from his Aston Martin during a routine speed check in August last year. He said: ‘She aimed the camera at the front of the Aston Martin car with a view to record the speed. ‘However the device could not record a speed and displayed an error code. She tried again but again an error code showed.’ He told the court how PC Williams then noticed an object under the front number plate of the car which was part of the ‘Laserstar’ device. Mr Walker said PC Williams also remembered a similar instance with the same car in April 2011. The prosecutor told the court how Craggs asked for the 'Laserstar' device to be fitted to his car while getting it serviced at Stratstone garage in Houghton-le-Spring in 2009. He said Stratstone contracted the work to be done at Turners Alarm and Audio in Sunderland and an invoice for around £450 was sent to Craggs. Mr Walker . said: ‘Its purpose is to alert the driver of the vehicle that is being . targeted by a police laser speed meter allowing the driver to slow down . the vehicle. ‘At the same time police are prevented from acquiring the true speed of the vehicle. The pensioner, who appeared in court wearing a pinstripe suit and white shirt, denies a charge of perverting the course of justice between July 15, 2009 and August 12, 2013 . ‘The laser effectively interferes with the laser sent by the police device for typically between four and eight seconds.’ Mr Walker said Craggs denies asking anyone to fit the device and says he had no knowledge of it being there. The pensioner, who appeared in court wearing a pinstripe suit and white shirt, denies a charge of perverting the course of justice between July 15, 2009 and August 12, 2013. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Eric Craggs, 68, accused of asking for 'Laserstar' device to be fitted to car . Device interferes with lasers in speed guns and stops reading being taken . Police officer found device attached to front of his Aston Martin last year . Prosecution claim Craggs has been driving around with it fitted since 2009 . Craggs denies asking for it to be fitted and perverting the course of justice .

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One hand clinging to his boat's gunwale, Harun Muhammad submerges himself, eyes and ears wide open underwater as he ‘listens’ for fish sounds emanating from the blue depths. Mr Muhammad is one of Malaysia's last ‘fish listeners,’ and he and his apprentice son Zuraini are believed to be the only active practitioners of this mysterious and dying local art. ‘When you listen, it is like through a looking glass - you can see mackerel, sardine,’ said Mr Muhammad, 68, who has fished the Setiu lagoons on Malaysia's rural east coast his whole life. Reel mysterious: Fish listener Harun Muhammad clings onto his fishing boat at sea near the Setiu lagoons off the east coast of Malaysia . Dying art: Other fish listeners have passed away, retired or turned to modern fish-detection technology . ‘For us, we only look for gelama (a type of croaker). But in the schools of gelama, there will be other fish. The gelama is the king of fish.’ Other fish listeners have passed away, retired or turned to modern fish-detection technology as the traditional practice has retreated in the face of dwindling catches and proliferating undersea noise. Studies show Malaysian waters lost 92 per cent of fishery resources between 1971 and 2007 due to overfishing. ‘You can't copy our technique. You must gain the skill and learn the lay of the waters,’ said Mr Muhammad. Distinct: Mr Muhammad says that all fish have 'a voice' ‘The wholesalers tell me “if you're gone, there will be no more gelama”, which fetches up to 10 times the price of similarly sized fish. ‘Pak Harun’, as he is known locally - ‘Pak’ is a Malay honorific similar to ‘Uncle’ - finds it hard to describe exactly how fish sound, but likens it to pebbles being dropped into water. ‘They have a voice. This sound is this fish, that sound is another. When someone is new, they can't tell one fish song from another.’ Mr Muhammad and his crew of a dozen can go nearly a week without hearing gelama - which invites scepticism about the claimed fish-listening ability. But experts in sonifery (fish sounds) say sailors have long heard sounds of whales and fish through boat hulls. Hunting: Mr Muhammad mainly hunts for schools of gelama . Dedicated: Mr Muhammad has fished the Setiu lagoons on Malaysia's rural east coast his whole life . ‘Scuba divers often do not hear anything because their breathing and bubble exhaust makes so much noise. However free divers, or divers using quiet re-breathers, can hear much better,’ said US-based marine ecologist Rodney Rountree. Former fish listeners describe a range of techniques. Some claim they can feel changes in water temperature. For Mr Muhammad, it is a multi-sensory experience requiring eyes wide open. ‘After a while, it is as if you can see. Even though the fish is very far, you can sense it in that direction and you go there. Only when you get close, you can hear the fish clearly,’ he said. Though he sports a slight paunch on his sun-darkened frame under a spiky white head of hair, Mr Muhammad remains sprightly despite his years, deftly clambering in and out of his boat in search of fish sounds. Once he pinpoints a school of gelama, his crew - who have hung back with engines off - motor forward, drop their nets and strike the sides of their boats to spook the fish into the mesh trap. ‘You think it's just stupid fish but they can see you coming. When they hear the sound of the boat, they run. The fish cry or shout and then their friends swim away,’ he said. Landing a rich catch was easy when stocks were abundant, Mr Muhammad said. But after decades of overfishing, he now ‘listens’ up to several dozen times under the scorching equatorial sun before catching a snippet of gelama song. Modernisation, including sand dredging, aquaculture, factories and fishing trawlers has transformed the Setiu wetlands, a rich but threatened coastal ecosystem centering on a nine-mile (14-kilometre) long lagoon along the South China Sea. The state of Terengganu is seeking to make it a protected park. Now Mr Muhammad's catch is increasingly unpredictable, averaging about $2,000 per week gross, leaving little left over after all crew are paid, and fuel, maintenance, and other costs are deducted. ‘Each year, the catch has reduced. But I'm not good at anything else, so I still have to do this,’ said his son and apprentice Zuraini. Malaysia ranks among the top consumers of seafood in the world. Intergovernmental industry researchers Infofish say Malaysians eat an average of 56.5 kilogrammes of seafood per person annually, more even than Japanese. The global average is 20 kilos. WWF-Malaysia chief Dionysius Sharma said overfishing threatens to leave Malaysian waters ‘vast and barren’. The organisation warns Malaysia's waters could run out of seafood by 2048. Despite the long odds, Zuraini, 44, said someday he will train one of his own sons. ‘I don't want to see this practice die off,’ he said.

Harun Muhammad 'listens' for fish sounds emanating from the depths . He and his apprentice son in Malaysia are the last remaining 'fish listeners' He likens the sound of the fish to that of pebbles being dropped into water . Muhammad uses his art to pinpoint where his crew should cast their nets .

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By . Mark Prigg . Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc will start mass production of Apple first smartwatch in July, and the much anticipated timepiece will be revealed in October, it has been claimed. Rumours still differ as to whether the watch will be round or rectangular. It could also come in both mens and womens sizes, will help track user's health. Scroll down for video . Google announcement comes just a week after sources revealed Taiwan's Quanta Computer Inc will start mass production of Apple first smartwatch in July, and the much anticipated timepiece will be revealed in October. Pictured is a concept design of what the iWatch may look like . Speculation . around Apple's iWatch began at the end of 2012 and a rumoured release . date was initially set for the fourth quarter of 2013. Chinese websites reported in December 2012 that the computer giant was working with chip-maker Intel on a wrist-worn gadget. It was said to have a 1.5inch screen and use Bluetooth to communicate with other devices, including an iPhone. Other . rumours suggest the iWatch will feature Siri voice controls that let . users dictate messages, rather than use the tiny screen. The watch could also be used as a remote control to change music tracks or pause video, on the phone or tablet. In July last year, reports in the Financial Times said Apple was hiring outside help to tackle design problems with its iWatch. It is claimed Apple will produce upto 5 million of the gadgets per month. The production will be a boost to Quanta, given that its work for Apple till now has focused on laptops and iPods, product lines that are in decline. While the watch is widely expected, the start date of its mass production and the extent of Quanta's involvement were not known until now. Mass production will start in July and the commercial launch will come as early as October, according to the source and another person familiar with the matter. Apple will introduce a smartwatch with a display that likely measures 2.5 inches diagonally and is slightly rectangular, one of the sources said. The source added that the watch face will protrude slightly from the band, creating an arched shape, and will feature a touch interface and wireless charging capabilities. The source said Apple expects to ship 50 million units within the first year of the product's release, although these types of initial estimates can be subject to change. The watch is currently in trial production at Quanta, which will be the main manufacturer, accounting for at least 70 percent of final assembly, the source said. Like many other smartwatches, Apple's watch will be able to perform some functions independently, but tasks like messaging and voice chat will require a paired smartphone, according to the source. The device will only be compatible with gadgets running Apple's iOS, like its flagship iPhone, one of the sources said. A third source said LG Display Co Ltd is the exclusive supplier of the screen for the gadget's initial batch of production. It also contains a sensor that monitors the user's pulse. Singapore-based imaging and sensor maker Heptagon is on the supplier list for the feature, two other sources said. But the market is growing fast, with data firm IDC saying that worldwide shipments of wearable computing devices - a category that includes smartwatches - will triple in size this year over 2013. Apple has already dropped hints of its plans in this arena, hiring the former chief executive of French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, a unit of Kering SA, and proclaiming that it will introduce 'new product categories"' this year. Many are hoping that Apple's entry into the field of so-called smart wearables will be a game-changer that transforms the industry like the company's iPhone did in 2007. Some are foreseeing that smartphone sales, the current cash cow of the consumer tech world, will lose momentum in the years ahead as the market reaches saturation. IDC predicts that worldwide smartphone sales will increase 23 percent this year, a slowdown from the 39 percent growth of last year, and that growth will average only 12 percent annually from 2013 to 2018. Apple VP Eddy Cue’s recently hinted at the launch, saying: 'Later this year, we’ve got the best product pipeline that I’ve seen in my 25 years at Apple.' According top Nikkei, the watch will run a version of Apple's iOS software currently found on the iPad and iPhone. 'The new watch-like wearable gear will run on this OS, which will be equipped with a centralized function to manage users' biometric information via smartphones,' it said. During a trip to Taiwan, a New York tech analyst recently said an Apple supplier revealed a number of features of the much-rumoured device, including a rounded face and slim design. This would resemble how the Moto 360 looks -  and contradicts previous reports the watch would have a curved, or square screen. New York analyst Brian Blair claims an Apple supplier has revealed the iWatch will have a rounded face, similar to the Moto 360, pictured, come in male and female versions, and will go into production in July. Previous reports suggested it would have a curved, or square screen like the G Watch and Samsung's Gear range . The reports were made by Brian Blair from Rosenblatt Securities. According to his supply chain sources, the iWatch will be designed to look like a traditional watch, and move away from the chunky, square look of the G Watch and Samsung’s Gear range. Motorola announced its own plans for a round, Android-powered smartwatch earlier this year and Blair's sources claim Apple’s version will be almost identical, if not a little thinner. As Business Insider noted, Apple’s icons have rounded edges and this would suit a circular face. Blair’s source also confirmed previous rumours that the iWatch would be available in ‘his’ and ‘hers’ models, and will go into production from July. The design is similar to concepts created by Mark Bell from Belmdesigns. Bell’s concept incorporates the rumoured . Healthbook fitness features that leaked in March, but experts believe . Apple could additionally be working on a separate wristband specifically . designed to track health. By comparison, the LG G Watch, pictured, has a square, 2-inch display and runs Android Wear - a streamlined version of Google's current operating system seen on phones and tablet. The Samsung range of Gear devices similarly chose a square, rather than rounded design . The Moto 360, pictured, is expected to launch at Google's I/O in June, followed by the iWatch in September . Earlier this week, during the unveiling of its latest G3 handset, LG gave a sneak peek of its square Android-powered G Watch. All three - the Moto 360, the G Watch and the iWatch - are expected to launch later this year. It’s likely the Moto 360 will be announced at Google’s I/O in June, and go on sale for £180 in July, followed by the iWatch during Apple’s annual September event. Price-wise, an Apple iWatch may follow the same pattern as Apple’s handsets and sit at the top end of the market. Reports last month even stated it could cost ‘thousands’ of dollars. Although the smartwatches of Samsung and Sony haven’t been as popular as analysts predicted, Blair said orders for the iWatch are surpassing expectation and he forecasts 18 to 21 million iWatches will be sold before Christmas. Samsung also recently revealed a new smart wristband and announced plans to let manufacturers use the same core components - much like the mobile phone market. The new claims about a rounded design contradict previous reports the iWatch would have a curved screen, as seen in this concept by Todd Hamilton . Tag Heuer, part of luxury goods group LVMH, said on Friday its vice president for sales, Patrick Pruniaux, who had been with the brand for seven years, was leaving on Monday to join Apple - and is expected to work on the iWatch. There . is widespread speculation Apple has been working on wearable . devices, and its products tend to use proprietary technologies. However, an open system would be a departure for Samsung as well. Its Gear wristwatches and fitness devices currently work only with Samsung phones. Smartwatches from Sony and other manufacturers tend to work with a wider range of Android phones. Last night, Samsung revealed a new smart wristband and announced plans to let manufacturers use the same core components - much like the mobile phone market. Ram Fish, Vice President of Digital Health for Samsung is pictured displaying the Simband .

Special event expected in October to announce watch . Will be made by Taiwan's Quanta Computer . Rumours state the watch will have a round face and come in two versions . Set to include health sensors .

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By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 4:07 PM on 23rd August 2011 . They’ve been buried for more than 200 years around 5,000 miles away from home - but it could finally be time for 13 U.S. sailors to come back. A veterans' group wants Congress to return the remains of the Americans buried in Libya after they died in 1804 during the First Barbary War. The American Legion has been lobbying since the Libya uprising began six months ago for the crew, who died when their explosives ship blew up. Coming home? The crew who died in 1804 when their explosives-packed ship blew up was led by Master Commandant Richard Somers . Different location: Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia could be a more fitting final resting place than Tripoli, if the American Legion gets its way . The crew was led by Master Commandant Richard Somers and Lieutenant Henry Wadsworth, whose nephew was poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. ‘It's the best chance we've had in a long time,’ Tim Tetz, of the American Legion, told the Huffington Post. ‘We've got a change of politics in Libya. ‘We've got family members who have stood up and said: “We want to have our family members brought home.” ‘We've got the will and might of America to say: “Let's respect those who fought our wars for us, and that includes all wars”.’ The phrase 'to the shores of Tripoli' in the official U.S. Marine Corps song has its origins in the First Barbary War, which ran from 1801 to 1805. Battle: This oil panting, Decatur Boarding the Tripolitan Gunboat, by Dennis Malone Carter, shows the bombardment of Tripoli in August 1804 . Ship shape: This oil painting, the Bombardment of Tripoli by Commodore Preble's squadron, was by Michael Felice Corne and is also set in August 1804 . The American Legion secured the backing of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, reported the Huffington Post. U.S. President Thomas Jefferson ordered American Navy vessels to the Mediterranean Sea in 1801. It followed regular raids against American ships by pirates from the Barbary states of Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripolitania. American sailors were abducted and ransomed back before sustained action begun in 1803. A U.S. victory came in 1805 and a peace treaty was drawn up. It got an amendment to a House bill telling the Defense Secretary to ‘exhume and transfer the remains’ of some servicemen buried in Tripoli. But the Senate has not followed suit - and the group is concerned that ex-serviceman Senator John McCain could get in the way. ‘He has expressed some concern that he doesn't want to see it pass, which is disconcerting to us, and we've tried to influence him,’ Mr Tetz said. The U.S. Navy is also known to be opposed to the American Legion's desire for the bodies to be returned. Film: To The Shores Of Tripoli was a 1942 war movie which took its name from the Marines song lyric that was inspired by the First Barbary War . Uprising: Libyan rebels raced into Tripoli in a lightning advance on Sunday that met little resistance as Colonel Gaddafi's defenders melted away . However an American Legion spokesman told the Huffington Post that it is unacceptable for the sailors to be buried in a ‘hostile land’. ‘It's the best chance we've had in a . long time. We've got a change of politics in Libya' Tim Tetz, the American Legion . He said some are buried under Green Square, where Colonel Gaddafi’s government has held protest rallies. The resting place of others is a Protestant cemetery that he described as a 'shambles'. ‘So this is not the way to treat those who serve America,’ he said, adding that there is space for the bodies in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

13 sailors died in 1804 after explosives ship blew up . First Barbary War was started over piracy problems . Master Commandant Richard Somers among dead crew . Current uprising gives group chance to ask for return .

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By . Victoria Woollaston and Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 11:20 EST, 26 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:42 EST, 27 June 2013 . Microsoft has officially released Windows 8.1 - an update to its Windows 8 operating system - during a keynote speech at its annual developers conference in San Francisco. The free test version of the update is available to download now and the full version will be released to Windows 8 users later this year. Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer also confirmed that the start button has been reinstated in Windows 8.1 after it was controversially removed from Windows 8 last October. Scroll down for video . Microsoft has officially released an update to its latest operating system called Windows 8.1 during a keynote speech at its developers conference in San Francisco. A preview download is available now and the full version will be rolled out to Windows 8 users later this year . The lock screen is being turned into a 'cloud-powered photo frame' that will shows photos stored on the device and in SkyDrive. Windows 8.1 also includes a vastly improved 'search' function, which allows a user to search for documents, apps, or items on the Internet from a single search bar. It also allows users to see all their applications immediately in a grid by swiping down or pressing a button on-screen. There are new personalisation options for tiles including colours and fonts. Users can also customize the start screen much more easily; changing sizes of app icons or controlling which apps appear. For the first time, it will be possible to open two windows simultaneously in the new-look interface. Windows 8.1 includes Microsoft's latest browser, Internet Explorer 11, and lets the user restore the address bar and tabs to the screen view. ‘Let’s make it easier to start applications in the way we . are used to,’ said Ballmer, to cheers from the audience. ‘We will bring back the start button, and you can boot . straight to the desktop if you want to.’ ‘We have refined the blend of our desktop experience and . our modern app experience.’ The firm came under fire for its controversial ‘start . screen’ in Windows 8, which gave users a series of tiles instead of a traditional desktop PC . menu with a start button. This left many confused, and caused a slower than . expected uptake of the new software -  which also faced increasing competition . from Apple and the tablet market. However, Ballmer said the firm was not abandoning its . start menu and said it was slowly beginning to attract app developers to . Windows 8. ‘Within this month we’ll pass the 100,000 app mark in the . Windows store,’ said Ballmer. Flipboard, Facebook and the NFL all revealed new apps. The new Windows 8.1 includes a . vastly improved 'search' function, which lets users search for . documents, apps, or items on the Internet from a single search bar. The feature resembles Apple's Spotlight feature. Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer, pictured, announced the Windows 8.1 update at the Build developers conference in San Francisco. He also unveiled a new range of Windows Phone handsets and touchscreen Windows 8 laptops and notebooks . Another new feature in Windows 8.1 also allows users to easily see a list of all their apps simply by swiping up on the screen. ‘This update shows how much more responsive our engineering has become,’ said Julie Larson-Green, head of Windows at Microsoft. ‘We’ve had over 800 updates to Windows 8 since we launched it.’ Larson-Green showed off a new Acer 8.1inch tablet running Windows 8.1 - designed to take on the iPad mini. It uses new gestures such as being able to slide along the screen's space bar to select menu items. Larson-Green also showed off a range of touchscreen PCs running Windows 8.1. ‘Pretty much every screen you own is going to be touch,’ she said. She demonstrated a convertible Windows 8 laptop that also works as . tablet, and large touchscreen machines. There were also laptops with touchscreens plus an 18inch tablet from Dell that doubles as a desktop computer when docked. Speaking at the developer conference, Microsoft's head of Windows, Julie Larson-Green, pictured, announced that the Xbox Music app has been redesigned. The music-streaming service is now available for all versions of Windows 8 . A screenshot of the new Xbox Music app. The app lets owners stream and buy music from anywhere in Windows. Users can also create playlists and listen to radio stations based on artists and genres. A web version is expected to launch 'next week' Microsoft has additionally built direct support for 3D printers and even Lego robotic kits into Windows 8.1. During her speech, Larson-Green unveiled a redesigned the Xbox Music app, a music-streaming service, integrated into all versions of Windows 8, too. The Spotify-killer app lets owners stream and buy music from anywhere in Windows. Elsewhere, users can customise the start . screen much more easily, changing sizes of app icon 'tiles' or . controlling which apps appear. For the first time, it will be possible to open two windows simultaneously in the new-look interface. Ballmer promised the firm would continue tweaking the software to make it easier to use. A preview video earlier this month suggested that the update would reinstate the Start button, pictured. The button was removed from Windows 8 . ‘Rapid release is the new norm for everything we do, from Windows to hardware,’ he said. Windows . 8.1 includes Microsoft's latest browser, Internet Explorer 11, and lets . the user restore the address bar and tabs to the screen view. Earlier this month Microsoft released a preview video showcasing all these new features. Microsoft . removed the button from the Windows 8 operating system when it was . released last year but many customers complained and demanded it was put . back. Screenshots leaked in May suggested that Microsoft would be reinstating the button and an official preview video at the start of June confirmed it - albeit not directly. During the preview demonstration, Harris swipes between screens and lands on the Desktop view. A Windows logo is shown in the bottom left-hand corner. Although it will not be labelled . 'start', the leaked screenshots suggested that Windows logo would takes . the user straight to a grid of applications. To catch a glimpse of the button, skip to 2.11 in the video above. That . feature was missing in the initial version of Windows 8, which was . designed to make the most of limited screen space on a tablet but tended . to disorient traditional mouse and keyboard users. Executives say the plan is now to update Windows periodically, rather than waiting three years or so between big releases. The world's largest software company is . hoping to kickstart sales of its latest Windows version, which has not . made the splash with computer users it was hoping for. The lock screen on Windows 8.1 is being replaced by a 'cloud-powered photo frame' that automatically pulls in images from SkyDrive accounts . Although . Microsoft has sold more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses since . October, broadly in line with Windows 7 three years ago, the company . must tackle a dwindling PC user base and its inability to make a mark in . the exploding tablet market. Shipments . of traditional PCs - the most reliable gauge of Windows' popularity - . are expected to fall almost 8 percent this year, while Microsoft's . Surface has taken less than 2 percent of the tablet market. Windows 8 was designed to be used both on touch-screen tablets and traditional PCs. But while touch-screen users tend to . like the new 'tile'-based interface, many mouse and keyboard users . complained that the new design was confusing. Windows 8 was launched in October last year. Microsoft chose to remove the start button as part of the interface overhaul. This angered many users who said the new software was too complicated to use. In response to this backlash, Microsoft is reinstating the button into Windows 8.1 and making sorting apps and searching simpler .

A test version of Windows 8.1 is available to download now . The full version will be released to the general public later this year . Microsoft confirmed the start button is definitely making a comeback . Other new features include changes to app sizes, improved search and a redesigned Xbox Music app .

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