The Strange and Weirdest smuggling attempts

We can only imagine how they can go through security check!

The worst tackle ever?

Newcastle midfielder Kevin Nolan saw a straight red for his shocking tackle on Everton's Victor Anichebe but was that one of the worst challenges you have seen?
Let's takes a look at other shocking challenges.

Keane takes his revenge at Haaland

KEANE'S X-RATED REVENGE

Keane missed most of the 1997-98 season with a cruciate ligament injury, caused by an attempted tackle on Alf Inge-Haaland, but what really upset the Manchester United skipper was Haaland's claim he was faking it.

In 2001 he took his revenge on the player, by now playing for City. He was handed a massive ban and fine after admitting in his autobiography: 'I'd waited long enough. I fu***ng hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you ****. And don't ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.'

DURRANT SHOCKER

Rangers midfielder Ian Durrant was one of Britain's brightest football prospects before he suffered an horrific leg break in 1998.

Durrant was ruled out for three years after his leg was broken by Neil Simpson in an explosive encounter at Pittodrie and was never the same player again. The bad blood between the two clubs continues some 20 years later.

SOUNESS LEADS BY EXAMPLE

The Rangers player-manager was never one to shirk a challenge, but even he must wince when he watches a re-run of this shocker.

In a 1988 European Cup clash with Steaua Bucharest Souness connects with a Bucharest opponent's groin before claiming to have been the victim himself.

Harald Schumacher

FRENCH FARCE

For some, this remains the most brutal foul in the history of the game.

The wonderful French side of 1982 had the better of the typically-efficient Germans in the World Cup semi-final and had a great chance to take a giant step towards the final when Patrick Battison raced clear through.

He nudged the ball past keeper Harald Schumacher, who turned his back on the French star and ploughed straight into him, leaving him unconscious and sending half his teeth flying out.

Not even a free-kick was awarded and Germany went on to win on penalties.

metro

Online risks: from cancer to autism?

A number of reports have recently linked online networking and computer games to a host of health risks.

Susan Greenfield, the eminent neuroscientist and head of the Royal Institution, is the latest to weigh into the debate, warning that young people's brains may be fundamentally altered by internet activity. While concerns about children and computers have usually focused on their forging inappropriate relationships online, or failing to get enough exercise as a result of being glued to a screen, the baroness suggested the consequences may be more profound.

Read more

Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce

Lamborghini Murcielago is one of the most extraordinary super sports cars of all time. Automobili Lamborghini has now expanded its model range with a new, exceptionally purist and even more extreme top model – the Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is even more powerful, lighter and faster than the Murcielago LP 640. With the output of the 6.5 liter V12 increased to 670 hp and a weight reduction of 100 kg (220 lbs), the Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 2.3 kg (5.1 lbs) per hp. This catapults it from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a breathtaking 3.2 seconds and powers it on to a top speed of around 342 km/h (212 mph). Distinctive design refinements ensure that each of this 350-unit limited edition series conveys its full potential from the very first glance.

With its outstanding performance, razor-sharp precision and exceptional high-speed stability, the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is the ultimate performance car for advanced sports car drivers. The super sports car has been extensively redesigned with a new front and rear, an innovative engine bonnet and a choice of two aerodynamic set-ups featuring either a small or large rear spoiler.

Want designer babies?

A clinic with offices in New York and Los Angeles advertised that it has been able to help couples to choose the sex, eye or hair color of their child.

Genetic counseling usually helps couples avoid passing a genetic disorder or disease onto a child, but now designer babies are not science fiction any more, according to Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg of the Fertility Institute as quoted by reports Wednesday.

"Can they say to me, 'We would prefer to have blue eyes,' and can we offer them an increased chance of blue eyes? Absolutely." said Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg of the Fertility Institute.

Such idea has given rise to disagreement.

“I would try to talk (couples) out of it. I don’t know what in the world they’re thinking that we should be spending our time picking out eye color and hair color," said Dr. Elizabeth Kennard, who practices in Central Ohio and helps couples who have trouble conceiving.

Agency

50 canditates announced for world's "best job"

A list of 50 candidates has been announced for "the best job in the world" -- being well paid while enjoying the life on a tropical island in Australia, according to media reports Wednesday.

From the United States, Britain, Russia, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Kenya, they were selected from a total of 34,684 applicants from some 200 countries and regions.

"Yesterday, a team of Tourism Queensland marketing and international staff along with a professional recruitment company made the very tough decisions necessary to cut the shortlist to the Top 50," said state Tourism Minister Desley Boyle.

The tourism promotion campaign -- finding a caretaker of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef was run by the Queensland state government. The winner would get 150,000 Australian dollars (about 100,000 U.S. dollars) for six months and includes free airfares from the successful candidate's home country to the island.

"There's everything from action and adventure, comedy, animation and a choreographed musical number that just stays with you," Boyle said.

The Top 50 will be narrowed down to a final 11, 10 of whom will be chosen by Tourism Queensland with an 11th "wild card" applicant chosen by popular vote.

They will be flown to Hamilton Island in early May to take part in the final selection process with the successful candidate announced on May 6.

AP

Brunei to launch survey on eating habits nationwide

Brunei is expected to launch a survey on eating habits nationwide soon in a bid to formulate the country's strategic plans on health and food consumption.

This will be the second time that the sultanate to launch its National Health and Nutritional Status Survey, according to the Borneo Bulletin on Tuesday.

The survey aims to identify the public's eating habits, food intake and health status, and gather information which will be used to formulate the country's strategic plans on health and food intake.

The survey will be conducted until the year 2011.In some researches conducted in the mid 1990s, obesity remained one of the concerns in the country. About 8.7 percent to 17.8 percent of schoolchildren were found to be obese, while 11.2 percent of men and 12.8 percent of women were obese.

The researches also showed that 36 percent of men, aged between20 and 39, were smokers, and 11 percent had high-blood pressure. 　

BB

All you need is love - and tuition

A university in Liverpool has launched a Master of Arts degree in The Beatles, the city's most famous sons, and called the qualification the first of its kind.

Liverpool Hope University says on its website that the course entitled "The Beatles, Popular Music and Society" consists of four 12-week taught modules and a dissertation.

"There have been over 8,000 books about The Beatles but there has never been serious academic study and that is what we are going to address," said Mike Brocken, senior lecturer in popular music at Hope.

"Forty years on from their break-up, now is the right time and Liverpool is the right place to study The Beatles.

"This MA is expected to attract a great deal of attention, not just locally but nationally and we have already had enquiries from abroad, particularly the United States."

The university said it was the first postgraduate taught course on The Beatles in the United Kingdom, and possibly the world.

The Fab Four were born and raised in Liverpool and went on to become arguably the most successful pop band of all time.

Liverpool 2 - Sunderland 0

Liverpool bounced back from their recent league upsets to claim an important 2-0 victory at home to Sunderland. In a game where the Reds found it hard to break through the Mackems’ defence, they triumphed thanks to second half strikes from David Ngog, making his full home debut, scored one goal and helped create the second for Yossi Benayoun as Liverpool cut Manchester United’s lead at the top to four points.

Benitez made four changes from the side that lost to Middlesbrough. And he chose to use Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano at right-back. Left out were Sami Hyypia, Fabio Aurelio, Ryan Babel and Nabil El Zhar, with Albert Riera, Yossi Benayoun, Emiliano Insua and David Ngog in the starting line-up.

Sunderland made only one change from the side that drew at Arsenal last time out, with Grant Leadbitter taking over from the injured Teemu Tainio.

The results keeps the Reds in third place, now only four points behind league leaders Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson’s men have two games in hand.

Geneva 2009: Ferrari 599xx

Ian Rush - Liverpool FC must show passion tonight

The Liverpool players can go out and give their magnificent supporters something to really feel good about. Heaven knows, they need to see a performance and a result at Anfield which will help ease the sense of disappointment and frustration at seeing our title challenge seemingly evaporate. Nobody should be giving up yet though - there is still hope and anyway there is so much to play for.

There are plenty of points still to play for despite the gap Man United have opened up, and even if the league has gone now, it's vital we finish in a top three spot, as high as we can, and ensure automatic qualification for the Champions League.

But there is no doubt just now that after that great win over Real Madrid, we've slipped up badly at Middlesbrough and everyone has been left down in the dumps.

There has been yet more turmoil surrounding the club last week. So tonight's game gives the players a chance to lift the supporters - and count me in as one - who are fed-up of all this off-field strife.

Read more..

Greek carnival conducts colorful "flour-fight"

Revellers celebrate Clean Monday by participating in a colorful "flour-war", a traditional activity marking the end of the carnival season, in the port town of Galaxidi, some 200km (125 miles) northwest of Athens Mach 2, 2009.

Striking it rich - footballs top ten highest earners are revealed

The global financial crisis clearly hasn’t had much of an impact on the world’s best players if the most recent figures for players’ salaries are anything to go by. Barclays Premier League stars John Terry, Frank Lampard and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the top ten best paid footballers on the planet with combined weekly earnings of nearly £500,000-a-week. Money men: Cristiano Ronaldo is among the world’s top ten earners, yet his salary is still dwarfed by Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s £166,000 per week. But the world’s best paid players strut their stuff on the continent. Kaka and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are both paid £166,000-a-week by Milan giants AC and Inter, while Barcelona’s Lionel Messi earns just £10,000 less per week. Here’s a table of the top ten salaries in world football, according to online analysts Football Finance. Who’s got the biggest salary?

1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter Milan) - £166,000 per week

2. Kaka (AC Milan) - £166,000

3. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - £156,000

4. John Terry (Chelsea) - £140,000

5. Frank Lampard (Chelsea) - £140,000

6. Thierry Henry (Barcelona) - £138,000

7. Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona) - 138,000

8. Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd) - £125,000

9. Ronaldinho (AC Milan) - £120,000

10. Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan) - £120,000

fooball.co.uk

Mini-skirts and midfielders: America launches new football league

The new Womens Professional Soccer League have come up with a novel new idea to boost ratings ahead of their first-ever season.

The women will be given the option of wearing a special mini-skirt style wrap – although we're not convinced how popular that will be with the players.

Mind you, the male fans won't have too many objections. The seven-team league starts next month with five England internationals, encluding star player Kelly Smith, signed up.

England's Three Lions crest given a makeover

England's players will walk out against Slovakia later this month with a new version of the Three Lions crest on their shirts.

The new lighter-blue crest has the three lions and the Tudor roses re-drawn to stand out more. Jonathan Hill, the Football Association's group commercial director, said: 'The new designs have been modernised for today's digital world, while also ensuring they reflect the rich heritage and traditions of the crest.'

The new crest will be worn by England players for the first time on March 28 at Wembley against Slovakia.

metro

Italy planning bid to host Euro 2016

Italy is planning a bid to host the 2016 European Championships, after a surprise loss to Poland and Ukraine for the 2012 tournament.

Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete said Italy would present an official declaration of interest by next week, according to UEFA's rules.

UEFA will let prospective hosts know April 1 if they can go forward with their bids, with the winner to be chosen on May 27, 2010.

While it was considered the pre-vote favorite, Italy attributed its loss to Poland and Ukraine to a desire by UEFA and new president Michel Platini to move the game into Eastern Europe.

"UEFA decided to give a chance to new countries rather than countries with a long football tradition," Abete said at an Italian federation meeting Monday. "Our candidacy was the best, but a political decision was taken."

France is also likely to bid for Euro 2016, while Scotland and Wales abandoned its plans Sunday for a joint bid due to the global economic downturn. Sweden and Norway are also said to be considering a joint bid.

UEFA has announced plans to expand the tournament to 24 teams for 2016.

Italy hosted the 1968 and 1980 Euros and has not hosted a major soccer tournament since the 1990 World Cup.

AP

Reds eye up Valencia ace

Liverpool are keeping close tabs on Spain international Raul Albiol, according to reports.

The Valencia defender is rated amongst the best in La Liga, but money problems at The Mestalla could see them lose a number of their top stars. And Albiol may be one of the first to depart with a host of clubs checking on his progress.

Real Madrid are long-term admirers of the 24-year-old, who can play in central defence or as a holding midfielder, but Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has now dispatched his scouting network to follow Albiol. Albiol is currently contracted to Valencia for another two years and has a huge buy-out clause of nearly £50million - although reports in Spain now suggest they could be willing to do a deal at £13million.

Valencia's sporting director Fernando Gomez has admitted the club would have to consider any reasonable offers, and also confirmed they were aware of scouts from Liverpool tracking Albiol.

This summer could be most important ever

This summer could prove to be the most important in Liverpool FC’s history. The off-the-field issues that have yet to be resolved are potentially so important that they could make even the decision over Rafael Benitez’s contract of secondary importance.

On the pitch, Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Middlesbrough was a bizarre way to end a bizarre week.

There had been the rumours that Rafael Benitez was about to leave Anfield but for now he insists he’s staying.

Amongst all this there was the terrific 1-0 win at Real Madrid in the Champions League but then it emerged that long-serving chief executive Rick Parry is to quit the club in the summer.

Obviously none of us know the finer details of all the ins and outs when it comes to running the club but it seems to me that Parry’s position had become untenable with co-owner Tom Hicks.

Read more..

Survey: Young Germans prefer Web to spouses

A survey shows that German twenty-somethings can't bear life without Web when asked to choose among choices of living without their spouses, or Internet access or mobile phones, according to media reports Tuesday.

In a survey by German broadband association Bitkom, 98 percent people said they found useful information online, and around 84 percent of respondents aged 19-29 said they would rather do without their current partner or an automobile than for ego their connection to the Web. People under 30 would rather do without their cars or their current partners than the Internet or their mobiles, according to the reports.

One in two people taking part in the survey admitted they had made new friends thanks to chat forums and Internet communities. Around 8 percent said they had found a new partner thanks to online relations.

Nearly a third of respondents said social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace and their German equivalents had helped them expand their circle of friends. The study shows that the Web is not an anonymous medium that leads to coldness in society.

"Slumdog" actress struggles to adjust to newfound celebrity status

Actress Freida Pinto

"Slumdog" actress Freida Pinto is trying to remember to breathe since becoming famous.The Indian actress, who plays Latika in Oscar-winning movie "Slumdog Millionaire," is struggling to adjust to her new found celebrity status.

She said: "It's a blessing and I need to learn to relish and savour each moment, so that's what I'm doing. And, most importantly, I have to breathe!"

Freida, who appears on the cover of India's Cosmopolitan magazine this month, also revealed she is still left star-struck when she is introduced to big Hollywood stars.

The 24-year-old beauty added: "The baffled look Dev Patel's character Jamal had when he won the money in 'Slumdog Millionaire' is pretty much my expression any time I see an A-lister on the red carpet!

"I am trying to enjoy it all as much as I can, because this is an once-in-a-lifetime experience." It was recently revealed Freida will appear in Woody Allen's upcoming as-yet untitled film. It is believed the star-studded cast will also include Sir Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts and Josh Brolin.

Job hunters armed with umbrella

Job hunters queue at the job fair venue at International Exhibition Center, in Hangzhou China, Feb. 28. A spring job fair was held on Saturday with 26,000 job vacancies for different job hunters including over 10,000 for graduating university students, attracting tens of thousands of job hunters despite the rainy day.

Sleep better than sex, say exhausted Brits

Almost 80% of Britons prefer a good night's sleep to sex, a survey has revealed.

Researchers also found seven out of 10 have trouble sleeping and almost a quarter claimed they suffered from insomnia.

The study of more than 8,500 people revealed 79.2% admitted they preferred the thought of extra sleep to sex.

Only 12% of those surveyed admitted to getting eight hours sleep although almost 40% believed that was how much they needed.

Dr Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, said: "Disrupted sleep not only impacts on quality of life, but there's an increased risk of higher blood pressure and its consequences - heart attacks and strokes.

"Many people have jobs that demand a lot of attention - and attention is the first mental ability to deteriorate after a poor night's sleep.

"Some people think they can manage on less - but really they aren't performing or feeling as well as they might. The average for adults is around 7.5 hours, so those 40% are right - they understand that they're not functioning properly."

The survey of 8,511 people was carried out this month on the GMTV website.

Smurf heads balloon parade in Brussels

Balloons in the shape of a comic figure is displayed during the Balloon Day Parade in Brussels, capital of Belgium,Saturday 28. Gigantic helium balloons mainly featuring comic strip characters paraded in central Brussels Saturday, marking the beginning of the Brussels 2009 BD Comics Strip year

Wake up to a crocodile at your door

A one-meter-long crocodile, its jaws sealed, escaped from a local restaurant and climbed up to the 4th floor in the same building, sending scared residents to call police for help in Quanzhou, China.

CFP

Party leader robbed during interview in East Malaysia

A Malaysian political party leader was robbed in Miri town when he was doing an interview with a journalist, the New Straits Time reported on Tuesday. Sarawak National Party President Edwin Dundang was forced out of his car by two armed men on Monday in Miri, Sarawak, when he was having a telephone interview with the journalist from a local daily.
Dundang was talking about the preparations for a local by-election in his car when the robbers approached the car and speed off with it. Miri police said that Dundang was not hurt.

Just for reminder to all Bruneian not to stay alone in your car as we heard stories in recent months our local folks had encounter the same fate.

Drinking milk could help prevent Alzheimer's

Drinking two glasses of milk a day could help protect against Alzheimer's disease.

Oxford University scientists believe that vitamin B12, which occurs in milk, can reduce the brain damage that leads to dementia.

They found that elderly patients with low levels of B12 suffered from twice the amount of brain shrinkage as those with higher levels.

Prof David Smith, whose team's findings are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, said: "There are 550 people who come down with dementia every day in the UK - it is a major epidemic.

"It is unlikely we are ever going to find ways of repairing that damage. We have to look at preventing it in the first place."

Samsung NX Series Hybrid Camera

Samsung's NX Series could be the first hybrid camera in the world, with the Korean company's top priority being revolutionizing the overall Bridge concept while offering actual DLSR image quality in a body that is more suited for point-and-shoot purposes. Just like conventional DSLRs, the NX Series will rely on an APS C-sized image sensor for a larger surface area to gather light which results in higher-quality images. There is no mirror box with the NX Series though, as it will use an ultra-precise Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) instead. This enables Samsung engineers to reduce the size and weight of this new system significantly as the distance between the lens and image sensor is decreased by around 60% in comparison with standard DSLRs.

Facebook under fire after latest viral attacks

The latest in a series of viral attacks on Facebook take advantage of slack policing of new applications to exploit users' trust in the prominent social networking website.

Five separate security problems have hit the site over the last week. As well as four new applications which try to steal information from users' profiles, a variation on the "Koobface" virus is reported as seeing a resurgence of activity.

The virus, first seen in December 2008, targets users by claiming they need to download a plugin to view a video sent to them by a friend, when it in fact installs a piece of malware which could be used to allow a hacker to take control of infected computers. It also reads any stored login details on infected computers and uses the information to send itself to user's contacts on a range of social networking websites including MySpace and Bebo.

The four Facebook applications which have concerned security experts over the last week have led commentators to criticise the company's laissez-faire approach to the vetting of new utilities on the site. While the rogue applications do not directly harm a user's computer, they can be used to steal users' data.

Guys prefer girls to wear football kit over lingerie

Men would prefer to see their partners wearing their favourite football team's shirt in the bedroom than sexy lingerie, a survey has revealed. More than 1900 men were quizzed by, leading women’s celebrity fashion website, MyCelebrityFashion.co.uk on their favourite female fashion turn-on in the bedroom.

And rather than kinky knickers or a Princess Leia costume, the most popular answer given was for their wife or girlfriend to sport their team's colours.

34 percent of men asked said they would prefer their partner to wear their favourite team’s football or rugby top in bed, with 23 percent opting for lingerie.

While 21 percent of the no-nonsense males asked replied 'nothing' with 16 percent saying they would plump for a fantasy role-play outfit.

“I think women everywhere always had a sneaking suspicion that blokes like their football or rugby team more than they should but to find out that they find women more attractive in bed when they are wearing a football or rugby top is maybe taking it a little too far,” said Jilly Tovey, Managing Director of MyCelebrityFashion.

“Not only do the results strike a blow for women’s wardrobes it also causes us at MyCelebrityFashion a huge headache as we don’t stock any football related sporting wear and have no plans to do so in the immediate future.”

Londoners finished behind their male counterparts from the North West in the wanting-to-see-their-missus-in-their-favourite-strip stakes.

However, the thought of their other-half sporting a football strip was not an idea that appealed north of the border.

Just 17 percent of men quizzed in Scotland were keen on the idea, with Scottish chaps far more in favour of their women being in the buff.

Fourfourtwo.com

Torres to miss Sunderland clash

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres will be sidelined again when the Reds face Sunderland in Tuesday's Premier League match at Anfield.

The Spaniard missed Saturday's defeat at Middlesbrough with an ankle injury, which has not healed sufficiently for him to return for a game Liverpool have to win to keep their faint title hopes alive.

Manager Rafa Benitez, whose side are seven points behind leaders Manchester United having played a game more, will also be without defenders Alvaro Arbeloa, who has a hamstring problem, and Daniel Agger, who has a back injury.

Middlesbrough 2 - Liverpool 0

Liverpool's Premier League title hopes suffered a crushing setback on Saturday as Rafael Benitez's men slumped a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough. Three days after beating Real Madrid in the Bernabeu, Liverpool were brought back down to earth with a painful bump by opponents who had not won a league match since November 9.
The defeat allowed Chelsea who claimed a last-gasp 2-1 win over Wigan to reclaim second place in the table courtesy of their superior goal difference. Liverpool have now won just two of their last seven league matches, which was compounded by the sight of skipper Steven Gerrard limping off midway through the second half.