Sunday, November 18, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
London 2012
Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremonyPicture: Rob Carr/Getty Images
Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium at the end of the closing ceremony
The Spice Girls perform during the closing ceremony
Picture: EPA/DIEGO AZUBEL
Lily Cole, Karen Elson, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell perform in the Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony
Picture: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages
Jamaica's triple gold medallist Usain Bolt and Britain's double gold medallist Mo Farah adopt each other's celebratory poses in the Olympic Stadium
Picture: JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/GettyImages
Mo Farah poses with his two Olympic gold medals
Picture: Martin Rickett/PA
Tom Daley is thrown into the pool by the British diving team after he won the bronze medal in the men's 10m platform final at the Aquatics Centre
Picture: REUTERS/Michael Dalder
The Bulgarian team compete in their group all-around rhythmic gymnastics final at Wembley Arena
Picture: REUTERS/Mike Blake
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Gopher finds home near Soyuz rocket launch pad in Kazakhstan
Video of a gopher living under the rocket launch pad at Baikonur has become an
internet sensation.
A video of a gopher living under the rocket launch pad at Baikonur cosmodrome
in Kazakhstan has become an internet sensation in the former Soviet Union.
The footage was shot by TSENKI Baikonur - a department of Russian official
space agency responsible for Baikonur launches.
The YouTube clip, called "He lives at Baikonur cosmodrome", has been watched
by more than 140,000 people to date.
A trio of Russian, Japanese and US astronauts blasted off from Baikonur aboard
a Soyuz spaceship for a four-month mission on the International Space
Station only last Sunday.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
This image of the sun provided by NASA'a Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory shows gigantic sunspot AR 1520. One of the biggest sunspots
in years, AR1520, is turning toward Earth. Forecasters estimate an 80%
chance of M-flares and a 25% chance of X-flares during the next 24
hours.Picture: NASA/SOHOHO/AFP/GettyImages
Bizarre plans to transform the The Gherkin into The Penguin could see a
giant Humboldt penguin towering over Londoners this summer. Bosses at
ZSL London Zoo commissioned a production team to draw up a dramatic
redesign of the landmark to remind visitors to the capital not to miss
the zoo's Penguin Beach in 2012.Picture: Construction Photography
Traffic fence in China collapses like row of dominoes
China's state broadcaster has released surveillance video showing a fence
dividing traffic in the city of Jinhua falling like a giant row of dominoes.
2:47PM BST 12 Jul 2012
The almost mile-long fence on Shuanglong Bridge tumbled over in just 30
seconds on Tuesday.
It was the second time in ten days that it had collapsed, according to the
deputy head of Jinhua traffic police, Shao Zhichang.
"The main reason is the strong wind as the dividing fences are not fixed to
the ground," Mr Shao said.
Police had to lift the fence back up section by section.
The municipal administration said it plans to install a new barrier with a
wind-resistant design by the end of July.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Homeless couple hand in £6,500 found in rubbish bag
A homeless Brazilian couple who live under the bridges of Sao Paulo found a
rubbish bag filled with 20,000 reals (£6,500) on a sidewalk on Monday – and
promptly turned it into the police.
Officials said the pair were out for a dawn stroll when they heard an alarm.
They walked closer to see what was going on and stumbled on a briefcase and a
rubbish bag full of money. The pair alerted a nearby security guard, asking
him to call the police.
"When we arrived, the couple gave us the money. It might be the money
stolen last week from a Japanese restaurant," said Bruno dos Santos, a
Brazilian military police spokesman.
The homeless pair "had the opportunity to flee with the money, but they
called a security guard and asked him to call the military police. What they
did is commendable," the spokesman said.
Jesus Silva Santos, the man who found the money, told the press that he earned
a little more than £5 a day from recycling rubbish.
"My mother taught me never to steal," he said.
Source: agencies
Source: agencies
Thursday, July 5, 2012
An underground shopping centre car park in Tianjin has introduced a
ladies-only parking zone. The area is clearly marked with neon signs,
bright pink shopping-themed decor, and hazard bumpers in each space.
Other car parks in China have designed special ladies-only parking zones
- with extra wide bays, added lighting, and female parking attendants.Picture: China Foto Press / Barcroft Media
Chou Zhu the dog apparently loves walking upright on his hind legs.
According to owner Ho Wei from Mianyang, southwest China's Sichuan
Province, every time he takes Chou Zhu outside he walks on his hind
legs. He says: We once walked straight for three hours and he walked all
the way on two hind legs.Picture: Quirky China News / Rex Features
Girls, 16, turn up in helicopter for school prom
Two teenage girls have stunned classmates by turning up for their school prom
in a helicopter.
Chloe Webb and Lauren Huggett, both 16, had hoped to arrive in style by limousine but were disappointed to discover that all the chauffeur-driven cars were booked up.
Fortunately for them, Lauren's father stepped in, paying for a £500, half-hour flight to the end-of-year event to ensure they made a spectacular entrance.
The flight on Friday took the girls from their homes near Stroud, Gloucestershire, to the venue in Gloucester eight miles away on Friday.
Chloe said: "It was really exciting. I'd never been in a helicopter before."
The special trip, in the Robinson R44 twin-engine chopper, was organised by Lauren's father Jason Huggett - who also went along for the ride.
Chloe said: "It was a fantastic trip - really good fun. We got in the helicopter and flew around for half-an-hour before being dropped off at our prom.
"All our friends were really shocked - they could not believe it. We landed on a patch of grass right next to the tent where our prom was taking place.
"We had wanted to get a limousine to the venue but they had all gone by the time we went to book it - but this was even better. The prom was brilliant too."
The girls, from Archway School in Stroud, were attending the Year 11 prom
Chloe now plans to study beauty therapy at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. Lauren, from Cashes Green, near Stroud, will stay on to study in Archway's sixth-form department
US hot dog champion chomps to sixth straight victory
Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut scoffs 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes in front of a crowd of
nearly 40, 000 people at the annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog
Eating Contest in New York.
Equalling his personal record, the 28-year-old from San Jose, California,
bested his main rival this year by 16 dogs at the Coney Island contest.
In all, 15 male eaters from the US
and Canada
attempted to capture the celebrated Mustard Yellow Internaitonal Belt.
Mr Chestnut, the number one ranked eater in the world according to Major
League Eating, made a name for himself in 2007 when he halted then reigning
champion Takeru Kobayashi's streak of six wins.
He holds the titles of World Wonton Eating Champion, with 390 wontons in eight
minutes and World Bratwurst Eating Champion, gobbling up 35 bratwurst in 10
minutes.
Like any professional athlete, Mr Chestnut said he was aware the strain he was
putting his body under in the pursuit of sporting excellence.
"No joke. I was eating like a madman. It's like a marathon runner in the
26th mile, " he said.
"I was pushing my body to the absolute limit and the last minute is the hardest. Right now it's all settling and I'm starting to feel better and better.
"Eventually I'm just going to have to take a nap."
In the women's competition, reigning champ Sonya 'The Black Widow' Thomas took home the top prize with 45 hot dogs, beating the record of 41 she set in 2009.
Asked about the secret to her success, the 44-year-old said it is all about being mentally prepared.
"I know that I can do 45 and 50 hot dog buns but not in ten minutes. But it's more mental control. Mentally, I say I'm going to eat and today I set my goal and I don't want to disappoint myself and I push myself. I'm really fighting with me and it worked."
Like Mr Chestnut, Ms Thomas competes in several disaplines. She holds a total of 25 world records, including Clam Eating Champion, which she took with 26 clams in six minutes, World Cheesecake Eating Champion and Jalapeno Eating Champ, which she won eating 274 jalapenos in 10 minutes.
"I was pushing my body to the absolute limit and the last minute is the hardest. Right now it's all settling and I'm starting to feel better and better.
"Eventually I'm just going to have to take a nap."
In the women's competition, reigning champ Sonya 'The Black Widow' Thomas took home the top prize with 45 hot dogs, beating the record of 41 she set in 2009.
Asked about the secret to her success, the 44-year-old said it is all about being mentally prepared.
"I know that I can do 45 and 50 hot dog buns but not in ten minutes. But it's more mental control. Mentally, I say I'm going to eat and today I set my goal and I don't want to disappoint myself and I push myself. I'm really fighting with me and it worked."
Like Mr Chestnut, Ms Thomas competes in several disaplines. She holds a total of 25 world records, including Clam Eating Champion, which she took with 26 clams in six minutes, World Cheesecake Eating Champion and Jalapeno Eating Champ, which she won eating 274 jalapenos in 10 minutes.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
A scavenger bobs around on a giant ocean of rubbish on one of the
world's most polluted waterways. The makeshift vessel carves a path
through rubbish on the River Sentiong in Jakarta, Indonesia. The river,
which winds through the capital city, has been dubbed the 'River of
Refuse'.Picture: Sinar Sakti Images / Barcroft Media
Aerial photographs by Jason Hawkes show the Olympic Park in November 2007...
...and in June 2012. The London 2012 Olympic Games start on 27 July.
...and in June 2012. The London 2012 Olympic Games start on 27 July.
Marat Dupri sits on the edge of a skyscraper in Dubai. The 19-year-old
student travelled from his native Russia to Dubai after being enticed by
the spectacular high-rise buildings. Together with his fearless friends
the teenager scaled the buildings without safety harnesses to produce
these stomach-churning images...Picture: MARAT DUPRI / CATERS NEWS
..Russian student Marat Dupri stands on a railing at the edge of a skyscraper in Dubai. The fearless 19-year-old, who bought his first camera just two years ago, started by climbing onto the roofs of houses before setting his sights even higher and opting for skyscrapers.Picture: MARAT DUPRI / CATERS NEWS
..Russian student Marat Dupri stands on a railing at the edge of a skyscraper in Dubai. The fearless 19-year-old, who bought his first camera just two years ago, started by climbing onto the roofs of houses before setting his sights even higher and opting for skyscrapers.Picture: MARAT DUPRI / CATERS NEWS
Mass bungee jump off bridge in Russia
Around 135 people reportedly jumped off a bridge at the same time in front of
a roaring crowd.
Onlookers scream and cheer as 135 people bungee jump simultaneously from a
railway bridge in Russia.
A video uploaded to YouTube
of the stunt then shows the jumpers proceeding to swing for a while high up
above the river below.
The family with £50,000 of breast implants - and the sister rebelling by saying no to silicon
A 14-year-old schoolgirl is refusing to conform with a cherished family
tradition - saying she has no interest in having a breast enhancement like
her mother and four older sisters.
Britney Marshall works hard at school and dreams of going to university but
has perplexed her mother Chantal with her wish not to have her body altered.
Mrs Marshall, a 53-year-old mother-of-nine, believes the teenager is going
through a "funny phase".
The mother and her four other girls, of Kirkby in Ashfiield, Notts, boast a
total of £50,000 worth of silicone breasts, the Daily Mail reported.
Mrs Marshall has had four operations since 1996, which have increased her bra
size from 34B to 32GG while daughters Emma, 30, Terri, 27, Tara, 26, and
Ripley, 21 have also had enhancements.
But Britney said: "I'm too young to be thinking about having a boob job -
I just want to work hard at school. I believe a girl should do what she
wants and at the moment I don't want to get a boob job.
"I've talked to my mum and sisters about it a lot, and they really love
their new boobs and the attention they get from them. In the past I thought
I have wanted fake boobs, but then sometimes I look at them and think they
look ridiculous.
"I have a thick skin and make up my own mind. I know Mum thinks I will change my mind but right now it's not important."
Mrs Marshall said: "Britney is going through a funny phase at the moment and saying she doesn't want to get her boobs done. But I know my daughters, and I know Britney is no different from the rest."
She said Britney "idolises" her older sisters and that she would like her to follow in their footsteps.
Mrs Marshall, a psychic medium, is now a grandmother but says her breasts make her feel young. She often joins her daughters at nightclubs and loves being mistaken for one of their sisters.
She added: "I really love the fake look of my girls and I know that Britney will go that way when she's a bit older. I love the idea of us all looking similar and glamorous."
"I have a thick skin and make up my own mind. I know Mum thinks I will change my mind but right now it's not important."
Mrs Marshall said: "Britney is going through a funny phase at the moment and saying she doesn't want to get her boobs done. But I know my daughters, and I know Britney is no different from the rest."
She said Britney "idolises" her older sisters and that she would like her to follow in their footsteps.
Mrs Marshall, a psychic medium, is now a grandmother but says her breasts make her feel young. She often joins her daughters at nightclubs and loves being mistaken for one of their sisters.
She added: "I really love the fake look of my girls and I know that Britney will go that way when she's a bit older. I love the idea of us all looking similar and glamorous."
Monday, July 2, 2012
'Professor Splash' dives record 11m into paddling pool
Darren Taylor's dive from 11 metres into 30cm of water, breaking the record
for the Highest Shallow Dive, is just one of the feats that feature in the
new Guinness World Records e-book.
Darren Taylor, known as Professor Splash, has over 25 years’ experience in
shallow diving.
In November 2011, the 50-year-old from Colorado broke his own record for the
Highest Shallow Dive.
Taylor made the plunge from a height of 11.20m (36ft 8.94 in) landing into
just 30cm (12in) of water.
After the feat Taylor said: “Yes, it hurts, but the pain lasts for a minute,
while the glory lasts a lifetime!”
The new Guinness World Records e-book, which is available on Kindle, iPad, and
Nook, gathers together the wackiest feats ever achieved in the world of
alternative sport.
If you thought mermaids were just the lively imaginings of lonely
sailors then think again. Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida is training
ordinary women to be real-life sea goddesses
They have begun offering in-depth training to ladies who want to become underwater performers - including swimming with a tail.
Women from across America have flocked to the tiny town of Weeki Wachee -
which is home to just nine people - to learn the trade of a mermaid.
Above, a mermaid camper floats over the deep hole of Weeki Wachee
Ami Ji Schmid (right) helps mermaid Mikki Schulze with her make up
Mermaid Camper Mikki Schulze feeds a friendly turtle
They have begun offering in-depth training to ladies who want to become underwater performers - including swimming with a tail.
Ami Ji Schmid (right) helps mermaid Mikki Schulze with her make up
Mermaid campers Guesna Dohrman (left) and Susan Smiley-Height
For a $350 (£225) fee they will be taught to perform underwater ballet
Mermaid Camper Mikki Schulze feeds a friendly turtle
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Fans of body art attend tattoo festivals and conventions across the US
The hobby of collecting tattoos has exploded into the mainstream of
society in the US with tattoo conventions and festivals held year-round
across the country. Above, artist Greg French works on his client,
Brittany Keylon at the Hampton Roads Tattoo Festival in Virginia.
Brittany has recently separated from her husband, overcame a battle with
cancer and the death of her father. She considers Greg her "therapist"
during their sessions and says that each piece of work done on her
represents her life story.
A group of women from an adjacent quilting fair sneak into the National
Tattoo Association Convention in Cincinnati to take a picture of a
heavily-tattooed convention-goer in Ohio.
Keisha Holcomb shows the Mom and Dad tattoos she had applied to her feet
as she participates in the National Tattoo Association Convention in
Cincinnati, Ohio
A tattoo artist works on the shoulder of a client at the Hampton Roads Tattoo Festival in Virginia
A tattooed participant in the Hampton Roads Tattoo Festival holds her baby in Virginia
A visitor shows off his neck tattoo at the Hampton Roads Tattoo Festival in Virginia
A female full-body tattoo contestant is judged during the National Tattoo Association Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio
Keisha Holcomb (2nd R), 31, from Fort Collins, Colorado, waits in line
to have her tattoos judged in a contest during the National Tattoo
Association Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. Holcomb, the product of a
military family upbringing, was 16 when she got her first tattoo and is
now a budding tattoo artist herself. She wants to have a full-body
tattoo eventually, with the exception of her hands, throat and head. Try
to keep it classy, she says.
Male full-body tattoo contestants including Jeff Bitting (R) wait in
line to be judged at the National Tattoo Association Convention in
Cincinnati, Ohio. In his 33 years of getting tattoos, Bitting says he
has had about 500 hours of work and will complete his other leg in his
bid to win more full-body contests.
Shannon Toohey, 23, works on one of her clients during the National
Tattoo Association Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. Toohey, who has been
surrounded by tattoo artists during most of her young life, drew her
first tattoo on her mother at the age of ten and now works at a tattoo
shop on Long Island, New York.
Artist Sean Karn applies a tattoo of Captain America on the leg of Ron
Raucci during the Hampton Roads Tattoo Festival in Virginia. The tattoo,
completed from start to finish in just one five-and-a-half hour
session, won the prestigious tattoo of the day prize at the festival.
A tattoo artist works on the head of a client during the second annual Hampton Roads Tattoo Festival in Virginia
Robert Seibert, 62, from Burlington, Kentucky, shows off his full body
of tattoos, including the tribal-inspired designs he has accumulated
over 40 years, during the National Tattoo Association Convention in
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Of his art, Seibert says, I'm one of the people that can't have a
favorite tattoo, each is like a certain phase of my life. To me it's a
picture history of what I have gone through, through the years.
A contestant has her tattoos judged at the National Tattoo Association Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio
David Billings, from Abingdon, Maryland, wears a full-back tattoo
featuring all nine members of his favorite band, Slipknot, as a woman
admires the art at the Hampton Roads Tattoo Festival in Virginia.
Billings says he has had over 150 hours of tattoo work done over a 12
year period, now covering over half his body. He says tattoos are now as
mainstream as Coca Cola.
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