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London 2012 Olympics: Jessica Ennis's heptathlon team-mate Louise Hazel also told she was overweight

2012-05-25T23:48:00.003+07:00

Hopeful: Louise Hazel is certain to compete alongside Jessica Ennis in the heptathlon at London 2012 Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Exclusive: Jessica Ennis's team-mate Louise Hazel has labelled remarks about Ennis's weight a disgrace and said she has been subjected to the same treatment.

Hazel's comments come after Ennis's coach Tony Minichello claimed that an unnamed "high-ranking person" within UK Athletics had described the World No 2 as fat.

Hazel called the behaviour "disgraceful" and said that she had also been subjected to negative comments about her weight by people in positions of authority, including being told she was overweight.

The revelations come soon after promising triathlete Hollie Avil retired having admitted to an eating disorder brought on by a comment about her weight from a coach.

Hazel, 26, said in relation to Minichiello’s claims: “I have experienced it first hand, also from people within the organisation that was supposed to be supporting us and I just think to a certain extent it is very disgraceful.

"When it comes to your weight there are certain ways to deal with it and there are certain ways not to deal with it.

“Obviously there are a lot of young girls out there who would take this on board as a real critique of their physical wellness and that has really detrimental effects

She added: “It’s not a nice feeling to be called overweight or things like that”

Entertainer: Louise Hazel impressed at the World Athletics Championships recording a personal best in the hurdles Photo: GETTY IMAGES

“Some people think that you have to look like you are completely emaciated to actually be in physical shape and that’s not the truth.”

Hazel said that the comments had upset her, and she feared for other young girls who are aiming to become top athletes.

"My warning is that coaches, people in positions of authority need to choose their words very carefully when they are bringing up a subject like that," she said.

Hazel said she thinks the problem stems from ignorance, and that attitudes within athletics need to change.

“I think more than anything it’s just ignorance. I just think it is a shame that those issues of females and their weight is dealt with in a negative way as opposed to support in a positive way”

"They maybe need to look at measures and mechanisms to make sure that people don’t fall into bad eating habits .

"There needs to be more support rather than more criticism and it is as simple as that.”

Hazel, who won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, said that Hollie Avil’s story was not unheard of among elite athletes.

She said: “There are a lot of girls even at the top of their sport that I think struggle with eating disorders but I think a lot of the time they are kept very much under wraps. How can you be seen to have an eating disorder and be an elite athlete?”

Photogenic: Louise Hazel posing for artist Rankin Photo: PA

Hazel backed her team-mate to shake off the criticism.

“When Jessica is a world champion and performing as well as she does on a daily basis I don’t honestly think you can question what she does because whatever she does works.

"Jessica is an amazing role model and has got the perfect physical physique”.

On Friday Ennis laughed off the reports and said she was not going to let them bother her preparations for this weekend's World Combined Events Challenge in Gotzis.

"I think I came into this year expecting different things to happen, different articles and things like that," said Ennis.

Pride: Louise Hazel won gold for England at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games Photo: GETTY IMAGES

"So I think if you come into it expecting those kind of things then it's not such a shock when you read things like that.

"I obviously see things. Things come up on Twitter and I read things. But I try not to focus too much on reading all the articles; just kind of get on with it, laugh it off really.

"It's not something I worry out. It's not something that's stressing me at the moment so I can kind of just brush it off and ignore it really."

Toned: Jessica Ennis shows off her physique Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Weekend Picks: ‘Men in Black 3,’ ‘Chernobyl Diaries’ & ‘Moonrise Kingdom’

2012-05-25T23:36:00.001+07:00

(Photo: Columbia Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures/Focus Features)

Industry insiders are saying "Men in Black 3" will push "Marvel's The Avengers" out of the winnner's circle this Memorial Day weekend to claim No. 1 at the U.S. box office.
Since it appears everyone on the planet has seen "The Avengers" at least once, I agree the MIB3 bet is a sound one.
Here are highlights of this weekend's new releases:

Men in Black 3

Sony Pictures

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, action and destruction, and for language.

What's the Story?

Agent J and Agent K are back, but this time with the addition of a young K (played by Josh Brolin, who, by the way, does a dead on impression of Tommy Lee Jones). Monowheel chases and aliens ensue as well as the need to unlock certain kept secrets to the universe to save K and mankind.

Who Will Dig it?
People who still like to get jiggy with it a/k/a Will Smith fans. Sci-fi and action fans with a sense of humor. Former fans of both (but not at the same time) "Flight of the Conchords" and the Pussycat Dolls should be keen on villains played by Jemaine Clement and Nichole Scherzinger.

Chernobyl Diaries

Warner Bros.

Rated R for violence, some bloody images and pervasive language.

What's the Story?
A group of young and attractive travelers find themselves at the site of the world's most devastating nuclear accident to date -- Chernobyl (in the Ukraine). They become stranded in the deserted city and make the excruciating discovery that they are not alone.

Who Will Dig It?

Horror and suspense fans (think "Paranormal Activity" and "The Blair Witch Project"). People who are too young to remember the real 1986 Chernobyl disaster (because for those of us who do, the premise may seem in poor taste.)

Moonrise Kingdom

Focus Features

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and smoking.

What's the Story?
According to the buzz at Cannes and early reviews, Wes Anderson is in top form with this release (which will continue to widen in the weeks to come for those of you who are not in L.A. or New York). This film, of course, starring Bill Murray -- along with Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, and, of course, Jason Schwartzman -- takes place at a kids camp circa 1965 where two 12-year-olds fall in love and run away, making their surrounding community frantic for their return.

Who Will Dig It?
Did you like "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums"? You'll like "Moonrise."

Nissan simplifies tire inflation with its new warning system

2012-05-25T23:15:00.001+07:00

Nissan will install tire-pressure-measuring systems on its Quest and Altima vehicles that alert the driver filling the tire when it reaches an acceptable level.

Most people don't carry a tire-pressure gauge in their car. A new federal study shows that underinflated tires triple the risk of an accident. Low tires affect braking, accelerating, cornering and fuel economy.

People might be overconfident, considering that almost everyone has a tire-pressure-monitoring system in their car, as long as it's less than five years old. The government mandated the technology in 2005, but it wasn't required until September 2007. Unfortunately, those systems only tell the driver when the tire is low. Most don't say how low, or let the driver know whether he's overfilled the tire.

Nissan's system uses the car's four-way flashers to let the driver know air is coming in. Once the tire is full, the horn beeps once. If the driver puts in too much air, the lights blink faster and the horn beeps three times. When the tire is deflated to a proper level, the horn chirps one more time.

“It's one of those simple slap-your-forehead moments, as to why someone has not thought of it before,” said Vishnu Jayamohan of Nissan product planning and advanced strategy.

Formula One fans rise: Hellmund vs. Circuit of the Americas in session, likely for a while

2012-05-25T23:11:00.001+07:00

Circuit of the Americas - The legal battle surrounding the Circuit of the Americas continues to heat up, with the scheduled Formula One race in Austin just six months away.

Judging from the bloody legal battle under way in Austin, Texas, between Circuit of the Americas principal Tavo Hellmund and his former business partners in the creation of the road-racing course, a good bet for sponsorship for the Formula One race--which is now less than six months away--might be the American Bar Association.

Hellmund has a legal team, the circuit partners have a legal team, the City of Austin and the State of Texas have legal teams, and all are participating in some aspect of the muddy litigation under way. There is a good chance that it will extend up to and past the drop of the green flag for the race in November.

The latest development came on Thursday. Hellmund is asking for the buyout and back salary that he says his contracts specified. Circuit of the Americas' position is that Hellmund violated the contracts. Hellmund sued, and the fight was on.

Many of the partnership and procedural documents were sealed, and the Austin American-Statesman requested access to them, based in part on the idea that taxpayer money could eventually be earmarked to help bolster the circuit's bottom line, largely through a special-event trust fund that pays the promoter a percentage of the extra tax dollars the event brings in. It has been used for events such as the Super Bowl.

To help get the project launched, Hellmund engineered a tentative agreement that the fund's projected percentage, approximately $25 million, would be advanced to the group, rather than paid well after the event. But as negotiations turned sour between Hellmund and his company, Full Throttle Productions, and the rest of Circuit of the Americas, nervous government officials withdrew that potential pay-it-forward policy, and--based on considerable taxpayer input and ancillary legal aspects--the fund itself appears in jeopardy. This was one of multiple developments that left the circuit scrambling for backers.

So, on Thursday, District Judge Scott Jenkins unsealed many of the records in question, which was considered a win by Hellmund's team. The documents outline financial participation in the project from Circuit of the Americas' major players, including Red McCombs, the legendary Texas businessman who has been one of the most active--and often successful--financiers across the state for decades. Earlier in the week, McCombs, whose financial stake in the $400 million project may be substantially smaller than originally suggested, held a press conference where the 84-year-old McCombs stressed his long-term commitment to the project.

Hellmund, who says he owns 20 percent of the project, reportedly the same as McCombs, has cited a contract that allows one of them to buy out the other. McCombs has declined to participate.

The court decision led to the inevitable battle of press releases. Circuit of the Americas' response, in part: “Circuit of The America's attorney Michael Whellan noted that, 'We believe the facts made public through today's filing strongly support our position that Mr. Hellmund's claims and accusation--and his misrepresentations to Circuit representatives and the public about his ability to assign Formula 1™ race contracts--only serve to undermine his case.

'We believe the tactics Mr. Hellmund and his legal team have employed to date are meant to purposely generate negative public sentiment about Circuit of The Americas in hopes of extracting a large settlement. Unfortunately, we do not expect these tactics to end anytime soon. Nonetheless, we are prepared to arbitrate this dispute as the parties have agreed to do in writing.'"

Hellmund legal team spokesman Eric Wetzel's response, directed at Bobby Epstein, the project's central financier: “If Bobby Epstein truly desires an efficient resolution of his dispute with Tavo Hellmund, as he now claims, he can simply honor the $18 million buyout agreement that he signed in September of 2011. If not, Tavo is prepared to amend his pleadings to include charges of fraud and other misdeeds, based on newly discovered evidence. We believe this evidence demonstrates that Mr. Epstein intended to force Tavo out of the F1 project from the beginning. As required by the September agreement signed by Mr. Epstein, these new claims will be litigated in the Travis County, Texas courts--not in a secretive arbitration proceeding.”

Bottom line: Hellmund wants his contract honored, and Circuit of the Americas wants it settled in private arbitration.

While the November Formula One race appears safe so long as Circuit of the Americas can finish construction on the track and the grounds that meets F1 inspection, the future of the announced MotoGP motorcycle race--the two-wheeled equivalent of Formula One, and a lynchpin of the circuit's original business plan---remains unclear. MotoGP can, for the dollars spent, return a higher percentage of investment than F1. But the current MotoGP contract is assigned to Hellmund, and whether or not he will assign it to Circuit of the Americas or take it elsewhere--a Mexican publication recently suggested that Hellmund may find another venue for the race, which probably would not be difficult--is still unresolved.

Aside from the Australian V8 Supercars event that supposedly is to run next season at the Circuit of the Americas--a series untested in the United States--the circuit has yet to sign any major motorsports series, such as NASCAR, IndyCar, Grand-Am or the American Le Mans Series. It seems likely that until the legal wrangling is resolved, major series might be wary of casting their lot with Circuit of the Americas.

It is getting close to crunch time for the circuit--the period during which general-admission tickets go on sale, likely at prices unfamiliar to many regional motorsports enthusiasts and certainly higher than the $30 general-admission tickets for Sunday's Indianapolis 500. The track and the team need to present a united, professional front as they try to attract fans and, presumably, sponsors, unless it's too late.

The track's preliminary parking plans have also come under criticism, especially from local landowners with vacant property expecting to be able to sell parking spots on their land offering walking-distance fan access to the track. Circuit of the Americas has suggested that a very limited number of on-site parking passes will be sold to owners of "Personal Seating Licenses," and all other attendees must arrive and leave on shuttle buses that will travel closed-down roads, and which presumably won't be free to fans unless they are underwritten.

Circuit of the Americas has a lot of work to do in a relatively short period--both on track construction and in convincing fans, potential sponsors and the motorsports community that they know how to stage a motorsports event, even though none of the top management team ever has.

Certainly first-timer teething pains will be tolerated, even expected, but if the race and the race experience is substantially subpar, 2014 and beyond could make for some bleak seasons, as the New Jersey F1 race will offer an alternative for 2014, and rumors persist of a very high-profile Mexican Grand Prix by 2016.

According to Circuit of the Americas' own countdown clock posted on its Web site, it has 177 days.

2013 Nissan Altima: Drive review

2012-05-25T22:59:00.001+07:00

The redesigned 2013 Nissan Altima..

What is it?

Nissan's design objective for the 2013 Altima was to create a car that was "a class above" the actual category in which this model plays. Sure, it sounds like a glib promotional line, but we had several people come up to us during the initial drive experience and ask if this was a new Lexus.

Clearly they thought they were looking at a premium brand and we won't argue with that. The sheet metal now has a more sophisticated character, and even the joker-grin grille that Nissan favors doesn't detract much from the expensive look.

Although the rear end looks familiar, the deep-draw trunklid stamping produces interesting contours, and the prominent chrome accent bar's subtle shape was influenced by styling from a Shinto temple. The car's profile is clean, and the strategic creases in its sides are right up to date with current design trends.

All in all, the new Altima is a good-looking piece, and it even weighs less now thanks to the use of aluminum for the hood and bumper reinforcements, along with an expanded use of high-tensile steel. Overall, total vehicle weight has been reduced by around 80 pounds.

The new car's dimensions are much as they were for its predecessor, but the new unibody benefits from a front strut-tower brace and an additional structural support at the rear parcel shelf to improve solidity.

What is it like to drive?

The various structural tweaks appear to have worked because the new car feels taut and quiet, with manifestly good front-end integrity abetted by a new multi-link rear suspension featuring what Nissan calls connect-bushings.

These apparently maintain a high level of lateral rigidity, yet allow helpful rear-wheel toe-in when cornering. Sure enough, the Altima feels utterly stable in a straight line, yet it is nimbly responsive to steering inputs. Instead of an all-electric steering-assist system, Nissan bucked the trend and chose electro-mechanical assist for the Altima, where an electric pump provides hydraulic pressure when needed.

As a result, the wheel feels alive and communicative despite a commendable degree of isolation from vibration and road shock. For keen drivers, this is a unique selling point in the Altima's impressive list of assets. Obviously, heading that list has to be the customer's choice of two engines.

The base engine is a massaged version of the existing 2.5-liter four-cylinder, now producing 182 horsepower and promising 38 mpg in concert with a new continuously variable transmission named X-tronic. The new transmission has a wider gear-ratio range than before and is said to have had its internal friction reduced by 40 percent. Nissan says the CVT redesign has resulted in an improvement in fuel economy of more than 15 percent with the four-cylinder engine and 10 percent with the 3.5-liter V6 engine when compared with the 2012 Altima.

Nissan retained the 3.5-liter V6 despite the prevailing flight to all inline fours for midsized sedans by much of the industry, noting that there is still a group of drivers who like V6s. Predictably, the four-cylinder car feels lighter in the nose, able to turn in a fraction quicker than its V6 sibling, but the six-cylinder model rules in the throttle-response stakes.

Some people might not like the unusual engine cadence one experiences with a CVT but you can't beat it for instant response. Need to move into a gap on the freeway? Step on the gas and hold on. Then, on the open road, you can dial back and let the revs drop to a discreet purr as the CVT spools to its long-striding high ratio.

All that's left is to sit back on the new NASA-inspired "zero-gravity" seats (designed to reduce muscular load) and enjoy the trip. Looking ahead, one sees an appropriately space-age instrument panel with a center info screen that offers virtual three-dimensional displays.

The car is loaded with all the usual modern electronic stuff, including a back-up camera that provides not only a rearward peek but also lane-departure and blind-spot warnings, plus moving-object recognition to deal with toddlers and shopping carts.

Along with navigation and cell-phone integration (allowing streaming audio and text-message services), the Altima has available remote start and easy-fill tire pressure monitoring, where the car beeps to tell you when the correct pressure has been reached.

Do I want one?

Nice as those convenience technologies are, the Altima's major attraction for us is its performance on the road. Both engines are strong and responsive, and the CVT has some brilliant features to help the driver. For one, it stays at the current ratio if you lift off the gas momentarily, such as when trying to merge. For another, it shifts to a lower ratio when you're braking, to be ready for a strong drive off the corner.

And when you do hammer off that corner, there's an active understeer control (which brakes the inside front wheel) to keep you on the right line. With features like that, we can live with a bit of motor-boating from the drivetrain.

With the four-cylinder model priced from $21,500 and the V6 starting at $25,360, we find the Altima an attractive alternative to the other big players in the class.

2013 Nissan Altima

On Sale: Late June

Base Price: I4, $21,500; V6, $25,360

Drivetrains:

2.5-liter I-4; 182-hp, 180 lb-ft, FWD, CVT

3.5-liter V6; 270-hp, 258 lb-ft, FWD, CVT

Curb Weight: 3,108 - 3,355 lb

0-60 MPH: 7.8; 6.2 sec (est)

Fuel Economy: 27/38; 23/30 mpg (est)

Gallery

The steering wheel of the 2013 Nissan Altima..

The rear seats of the 2013 Nissan Altima..

The dashboard of the 2013 Nissan Altima..

The gauge cluster in the 2013 Nissan Altima..

The center control stack in the 2013 Nissan Altima..

The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the 2013 Nissan Altima..

The 3.5-liter V6 in the 2013 Nissan Altima..

The 2013 Nissan Altima's CVT.

A rear view of the 2013 Nissan Altima..

A side view of the 2013 Nissan Altima..

Latest holiday deals

2012-05-25T22:49:00.000+07:00

Save 58 per cent on a superior room at St Lucia's romantic Anse Chastanet resort

The best late deals on UK cottages, hotel stays, package holidays, flights, cruises and luxury breaks.

Telegraph Hand-Picked deals
Hand-Picked, our travel club, provides members with exclusive rates on luxury holidays.

Romantic St Lucia - 58% off

Save 58 per cent on a hillside superior room at the romantic Anse Chastanet resort in St Lucia. Valid for stays until September 15. Book by June 3. telegraph.co.uk/handpicked1184.

Yorkshire hotel - 50% off

Save 50 per cent on two nights at the Yorkshire Hotel in Harrogate. Includes breakfast and one two-course dinner. Valid for stays until July 30. Book by June 3. telegraph.co.uk/handpicked1204.

Cyprus hideaway - 25% off

Save up to 25 per cent on a seven-night stay in the Seaview Cottage Suite at the Hideaway Club in Cyprus. Includes flights, buffet breakfast and dinner. Valid for stays from July 1 to September 9. Book by June 3. telegraph.co.uk/handpicked1189.

Cruises

Norway - £499

A seven-night cruise on board P & O’s Oriana costs from £499 per person. Departs from Southampton on July 7, with ports of call including Stavanger, Geiranger and Bergen. telegraph.co.uk/oriana8.

Caribbean - £999

A seven-night cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas costs from £999 per person, including return flight. Departs from Port Canaveral on November 25. Ports of call include Jamaica and Mexico. telegraph.co.uk/royal8.

Amsterdam mini-cruise - £359

A four-night mini-cruise on Celebrity’s Celebrity Constellation to Amsterdam costs from £359 per person, including flights and two-nights’ pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam. Departs from Gatwick on September 3. telegraph.co.uk/celebrity8.

These offers can also be booked on 0800 107 1133. Prices based on two sharing, including transfers, flights (unless otherwise stated) and meals.

Sun, sea and adventure

Golf in Egypt - £579

Seven nights’ b & b at the five-star Maritim Jolie Ville Golf & Resort in Egypt costs from £579 per person. Valid for stays from now until June 28. Includes return flight from Heathrow with EgyptAir. Book by May 31. (destinology.co.uk; 0800 634 2866)

Antiguan garden suite - £1,669

Seven nights at Carlisle Bay in Antigua costs from £1,699 per person. The offer is valid for select departures from May 30 to June 30. Includes return flight with Virgin Atlantic. Book before May 31. (vhiphotels.co.uk; 0844 573 2460)

Zante studio - £275

A seven-night self-catered stay at the Princess Studios and Apartments in Tsilivi costs from £275 per person, based on three adults sharing a studio. Departs June 28 from Gatwick. (cosmos.co.uk; 0844 573 4261)

Ras al Khaimah - £549

Three nights at the Hilton Ras al Khaimah Resort & Spa in Ras Al Khaimah costs from £549 per person. Includes return flights with Virgin Atlantic. Valid for departures from July 3 to 10. (virginholidays.co.uk; 0844 557 3870)

St Lucia escape - £899

Seven nights at the four-star Smugglers Cove Resort & Spa in St Lucia costs from £899 per person. Departs on June 18 and includes return flight with British Airways from Gatwick. (hayesandjarvis.com; 0844 415 1918)

Luxury Costa del Sol - £385

A seven-night stay at the five-star Blue Sea Gran Hotel Cervantes in Torremolinos on an all-inclusive basis costs from £385 per person. Departs from Stansted on June 12. (lowcostholidays.com; 0800 1116271)

Greek getaway - £545

Seven nights at San Agostino resort near Kalamata in the Peloponnese on half-board basis costs from £545 per person. Includes return flight. Departs from Gatwick on June 9. (markwarner.co.uk 0844 273 7397)

Morocco - £905

Four nights at Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco from £905 per person. Valid for departures until August 31. Includes return flight. (baileyrobinson.com; 01488 689777)

Got a great holiday deal? Email: traveldeals@telegraph.co.uk

UK cottages

Welsh seaside - £1,218

This detached stone cottage (sleeps six) with sea views over Cardigan Bay costs from £1,218 per week. It features a terraced garden with patio, barbecue and patio furniture. Shops, pub and restaurant are one mile away. The price is based on stays from July 7. Ref WN73.

Scottish borders - £398

Three nights in this peaceful hillside cottage (sleeps six) with a secluded garden in Wamphray costs from £398. The cottage is between Moffat, with its choice of shops, pubs, hotels and restaurants, and Lockerbie in Dumfriesshire, with the Borders also accessible. The offer is valid from June 1. Ref 90138

Rural Bedfordshire - £438

This old converted stable (sleeps four to five) in Broom, Biggleswade costs from £438 per week. It offers a cosy base from which to explore the local villages, including Bedford, Royston and Stevenage. It has easy access to Luton Airport, Cambridge and London. The offer is valid from August 10. Ref 16069.

To book, call 0844 871 2117 or see telegraphcottages.co.uk. Prices based on full occupancy. Offers are subject to availability.

Packages

Downtown Dubai - £439

British Airways is offering three nights at the Radisson Blu Dubai Downtown from £439 per person, departing June 15. The price includes return British Airways flight from Heathrow. See ba.com/dubai or call 0844 493 0758.

Paris tour - £389

A “Paris by Eurostar” four-day escorted tour costs from £389 per person, including three nights at the Mercure Paris Terminus Nord hotel and return Eurostar travel. Valid for July 20 departures. See pageandmoy.co.uk or call 0844 567 6625.

Four-star Brussels - £169

Three nights at the four-star Thon City Centre in Brussels travelling on the Eurostar from St Pancras International costs from £169 per person. The offer is valid for departures on August 6. See crestaholidays.co.uk or call 0844 879 8014

Rome break - £197

Three nights’ b & b at the La Luna Hotel in Rome costs from £197 per person. The price includes return flight from Heathrow with Alitalia. The offer is valid for departures on June 9. See skyscanner.net/offers.

Orlando - £599

Save £60 on a seven-night stay at the four-star Wyndham Orlando Resort, now from £599 per person. The price includes return flight with Virgin from London Gatwick . The offer is valid for departures from November 1 until November 30. Book by June 30. See netflights.com or call 0871 703 8000.

Flights

Bangkok - £426

Flights from London Gatwick to Bangkok cost from £426 for travel between April 1 and December 8. Book by June 30. See flightcentre.co.uk or call 0800 587 0058.

Delhi - £455

Flights with Swiss Airlines from London Heathrow to Delhi cost from £455. Prices are valid for travel before Sept 29. Book by June 15. Call 0871 230 0040.

New York - £493

British Airways has return fares from London Heathrow to New York from £493 for selected dates in June. See britishairways.com or call 0844 493 0787.

Tokyo - £655

Return Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow to Tokyo costs from £655 for departures until June 13. Book by May 31. Call 0844 209 7310 or see virgin-atlantic.com.

The best retirement money-spinners

2012-05-25T22:34:00.001+07:00

Location: Belford, Northumberland
Guide price: £199,995
Agent: Smiths Gore, 01289 333030; smithsgore.co.uk.
A chance to live in (and modernise) a slice of stately home. This apartment, in Grade I listed Belford Hall (27 acres of grounds), needs some updating.

Location: Blockley, Gloucestershire
Guide price: £995,000
Agent: Jackson-Stops and Staff, 01386 840224; jackson-stops.co.uk.
Built in 1824, Northwick Mill still has its original mill wheel and mill stream, plus a guest annexe for when the family visit. There is an outlying workshop to escape to when they do.

Location: Bicester, Oxfordshire
Guide price: £298,000
Agent: Hamptons International, 01865 512332; hamptons-int.com.
Stable conversion, one of eight apartments in the same Grade II listed block, vaulted ceiling, original horsey features.

Location: Windlesham, Berkshire
Guide price: £2.4m
Agent: Barton Wyatt, 01344 843000; bartonwyatt.co.uk.
A five-bedroom gated home with its own private island and (fish-stocked) lake, plus an indoor heated swimming pool.

Location: Chieveley, Berkshire
Guide price: £895,000
Agent: Strutt and Parker, 01635 521707; struttandparker.com.
Converted stable block in need of a facelift, with five bedrooms, annexe and large gardens. Plenty of active pottering areas, too: log store, tractor store and wine store

Location: Ramsey, Essex
Guide price: £590,000
Agent: John D Wood, 01245 344222; johndwood.co.uk.
Five-bed mill house, left, with ancient windmill in garden, sails still intact. There’s an old coach house in the 2.2-acre grounds, currently used for storage.

Location: Chiddingfold, Surrey
Guide price: £795,000
Agent: Hamptons International, 01483 417222, hamptons-int.com.
One that’s already undergone extensive renovation is this characterful Gothic chapel, pictured top right. It has four bedrooms, a courtyard garden and a terrace. Well located right in the heart of the village.

Location: Downton, Hampshire
Guide price: £995,000
Agent: John D Wood, 01590 677233; johndwood.co.uk.
Five-bedroom Apple Court can be divided into a main house (three bedrooms) and guest annexe (two bedrooms). There’s a holiday cottage in the grounds (rental £450-£700 per week), plus a barn with potential for development into holiday lets, say the current owners. Walled gardens and a commercial nursery too.

Location: Dartmouth, Devon
Guide price: offers in excess of £2m
Agent: Savills, 01392 455755; savills.co.uk.
Perfect for the nautically minded retiree, The Keep (built 1856) is a stunning five-bedroom fortress, offering sea views, huge gardens and high stone walls.

Location: Paston, Norfolk
Guide price: £475,000
Agent: 01603 605510; abbotts.co.uk
This three-bedroom cottage comes with its own tourist attraction, a 19th century windmill. Stow Mill has been restored and is currently open to the public, complete with a gift shop. The potential is there for a vibrant business as well as a quirky place to live.

Male contraceptive pill hopes after gene discovery

2012-05-25T22:22:00.000+07:00

Male contraceptive pill could be a step closer after gene discovery

Scientists are a step close to developing a contraceptive pill for men, after identifying a new gene critical in the production of healthy sperm.

Researchers have found the gene, Katnal 1, controls the final stages of sperm development and could result in temporary infertility if blocked.

The discovery could lead to the development of medicine to interrupt the production of fertile sperm without causing permanent damage, scientists believe.

The study, at the Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh, is thought to make the successful production of a contraceptive pill for men more likely in the near future.

Dr Lee Smith, from the university, said if the gene was blocked the testes would continue to produce sperm, only releasing immature, ineffective sperm which had not developed into the final stages.

He told the BBC: "If we can find a way to target this gene in the testes, we could potentially develop a non-hormonal contraceptive.

"The important thing is that the effects of such a drug would be reversible because Katnal1 only affects sperm cells in the later stages of development, so it would not hinder the early stages of sperm production and the overall ability to produce sperm.”

He added it would be "relatively difficult" to do as the protein lives inside cells, but there was "potential" to find another substance that protein worked with as an easier target.

The research, funded by the Medical Research Council, was based on altering the genetic code of mice to discover mutations which led to infertility.

Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield, told the BBC there was "certainly a need" for a non-hormonal contraceptive for men and that this had been a "Holy Grail" of research for many years.

"The gene described by the research group in Edinburgh sounds like an exciting new possible target for a new male contraceptive, but it may also shed light on why some men are sub-fertile and why their sperm does not work properly,” he said.

Sepp Blatter calls on Franz Beckenbauer and his panel of soccer experts for an alternative to penalty shootouts

2012-05-25T22:17:00.003+07:00

Heartbreak: Bayern Munich players gutted after losing Champions League final on penalties Photo: AFP

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has called on Germany's World Cup winner Franz Beckenbauer and his panel of soccer experts to try to come up with an alternative to penalty shootouts to settle drawn matches.

Blatter was speaking to delegates at the Fifa Congress on Friday less than a week after Chelsea beat Bayern Munich on penalties to win the Champions League final.

"Football can be a tragedy when you go to penalty kicks. Football is a team game, when it goes to one against one football loses its essence," Blatter said.

"Perhaps Franz Beckenbauer, with his Football 2014 group, can show us a solution, perhaps not today but in the future."

Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup with Germany as both a player and manager was among the delegates at the congress, was not immediately available for comment but his views are well known on the matter.

The German has said he would rather have penalties than either a golden or silver goal which were used briefly to determine matches.

Tinkerman: Sepp Blatter wants to see an end to the dreaded penalty shootout as a means of deciding a drawn game Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Blatter has been calling for reforms to the game for a while and this is not the first time he has said he wanted to see penalty shootouts replaced.

But the fact he made the comment in his speech to delegates underlines his desire for the Football Committee to take some action on the issue.

Dozens of high profile finals, including the 1994 and 2006 World Cup finals, European Championships and Champions League finals have all been decided on penalties since they were introduced in their modern format in 1970.

The Congress was also told the British privileges which guarantees the four home nations their own Fifa vice-president were outdated, and that a decision on this will be made at next year's Congress.

Theo Zwanziger, the German in charge of revising Fifa's statutes, said: "I have a lot of respect for what the British have done for more than 100 years, but football has moved on and it is our duty and obligation to decide if the privileges are still justified in our time and age.

"This question has been raised in relation to the British vice-presidency."

He also said the composition of the International FA Board, the law-making body made up of the four British home nations - who have one vote each - and Fifa, who have four votes, should be changed.

Zwanziger added: "We believe that IFAB should renew itself from within, but perhaps the composition should change.

"It should be more modern and more democratic, more transparent and not allow for blocking other views. We should know clearly and publicly why something has been rejected."

Fifa also confirmed they will put aside 75million US dollars (£48m) to cover the cost of insuring players on international duty.

The insurance for injured players will cover the salary for the second to 12th month of his absence, with a maximum pay-out of 9.75m US dollars (£6.2m)

2013 Cadillac XTS: Drive review

2012-05-25T22:06:00.001+07:00

The 2013 Cadillac XTS brings back a roomy, full-size front- or all-wheel-drive sedan to the company's lineup, undoubtedly satisfying the brand's tradi.

What is it?

The 2013 Cadillac XTS brings back a roomy, full-size front- or all-wheel-drive sedan to the company's lineup, undoubtedly satisfying the brand's traditional shoppers who might have wondered what all of that high-speed Nürburgring-lapping was about. In case you wanted to know, it was to prove Cadillac's global high-end car competence. But that preoccupation left obvious gaps in the product portfolio.

The XTS helps take care of that. Along with gobs of passenger and luggage space (18 cubic feet of it), the XTS showcases Cadillac's suite of safety and convenience technologies, including a seat that vibrates to alert the driver of potential hazards and a flexible telematics interface called Cadillac User Experience (CUE).

To be made available in either Premium or Platinum trim levels, the XTS has styling that is noticeably more subtle and less edgy than some of its stablemates. The interior, in particular, has an elegant simplicity that integrates the high-tech switches and displays in a way that convincingly blends modernity and tradition.

The powertrain will be a 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 hooked to a six-speed automatic for the foreseeable future. “We're not supposed to tease journalists with speculation about future engine upgrades,” a Cadillac engineer we questioned said.

For the role the XTS will play—fielding a more traditional Caddy and replacing the current DTS, at least temporarily—the power and refinement offered by the new car is an important step forward. And the sophisticated electronic instrumentation and telematics interface goes hand-in-hand with the stylish look to underline Cadillac's approach to luxury.

What is it like to drive?

The powertrain combination is calibrated to provide good initial response, so the car moves off smartly as you step on the gas. It is similarly muscular around town, with enough torque to hold its own in aggressive urban traffic. The limitations of the 3.6-liter engine become more evident in hilly environments, where the need to rev all the way to 6,800 rpm to achieve maximum horsepower makes passing a carefully considered affair.

It's not that 304 hp is inadequate. It's just that two tons is a lot of car for an engine that size to push around. In the more likely combination of urban and open-road environments that this model will mostly inhabit, we're sure drivers will be content with what the engine can deliver.

They'll surely appreciate the so-called HiPer strut front suspension, which has a dual-path top mounting to separate spring and damper loads to the body that reduces torque steer while also improving ride and steering. The steering-assist system is, surprisingly, hydraulic, with General Motors' Magnasteer variable weighting. It is a welcome change from the current epidemic of all-electric mechanisms.

So the car steers nicely, with no significant interference from the driveline. The chassis has Cadillac's magnetic-ride variable-damping shock system to broaden the bandwidth and make available both a comfortable ride and taut ride-motion control when needed. Our brief drive route suggested that the XTS is never going to be a sports car, nor even a hard-edged sports sedan, but confirmed that it works pretty well in all situations.

As is customary in the luxury realm, the XTS has a full complement of safety systems, with low-speed object recognition with auto-brake, high-speed collision warning and lane-keeping and other vehicle warnings via vibrations (left, right or combined) in the driver's cushion bolsters. Talk about seat-of-the-pants driving!

Do I want one?

The XTS fills an important role in the company's product portfolio, catering to the Cadillac client looking for a traditional large luxury car. Yet its tidy packaging and intelligent design cleverly understate the car's size.

Plus, for those not well disposed to Cadillac's recent origami body styling, the XTS strikes a less radical pose. And its pricing structure—ranging from about $45,000 to $59,000—presents a tempting alternative to the substantially more expensive Audi A8, BMW 7-series and Lexus LS models that share the XTS's 200-inch length.

No wonder Cadillac's staffers look so happy to see it.

2013 Cadillac XTS

On Sale: July

Base Price: $44,995

Drivetrain: 3.6-liter V6; 304-hp, 264 lb-ft; FWD or AWD, six-speed automatic

Curb Weight: 4,006/4215 lb (FWD/AWD)

0-60 MPH: 6.7 sec (est)

Fuel Economy (EPA): 17/28 mpg (est)

Gallery

The powertrain will be a 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 hooked to a six-speed automatic for the foreseeable future..

To be made available in either Premium or Platinum trim levels, the XTS has styling that is noticeably more subtle and less edgy than some of its stab.

As is customary in the luxury realm, the XTS has a full complement of safety systems, with low-speed object recognition with auto-brake, high-speed co.

An elegantly simple and clean interior reside in the 2013 Cadillac XTS..

Speaker-laced seats inside the new 2013 Cadillac XTS..

The interior, in particular, has an elegant simplicity that integrates the high-tech switches and displays in a way that convincingly blends modernity.

The powertrain combination is calibrated to provide good initial response, so the car moves off smartly as you step on the gas..

The dash and console in the new 2013 Cadillac XTS..

And the sophisticated electronic instrumentation and telematics interface goes hand-in-hand with the stylish look to underline Cadillac's approach to .

Illuminated door-sills on a Platinum package equipped 2013 Cadillac XTS..

And its pricing structure—ranging from about $45,000 to $59,000—presents a tempting alternative to the substantially more expensive Audi A.

For the role the XTS will play—fielding a more traditional Caddy and replacing the current DTS, at least temporarily—the power and refinem.

A rear view of the 2013 Cadillac XTS..

Along with gobs of passenger and luggage space (18 cubic feet of it), the XTS showcases Cadillac's suite of safety and convenience technologies, inclu.

The XTS fills an important role in the company's product portfolio, catering to the Cadillac client looking for a traditional large luxury car. Yet it.

For those not well disposed to Cadillac's recent origami body styling, the XTS strikes a less radical pose..

A light-colored interior of the 2013 Cadillac XTS..

Monaco Grand Prix 2012: bomb disposal experts detonate suspect package in Formula One paddock

2012-05-25T21:45:00.000+07:00

Better safe than sorry: a bomb disposal unit was summoned to the paddock

A bomb disposal expert was last night called in to carry out a controlled explosion of a suspect package in the paddock for the Monaco Grand Prix.

A small white plastic box was found discarded outside the entrance to the media centre, the Salle d'Exposition near to La Rascasse.

Local police initially closed off the entrance to the media centre at around 9.45pm local time, forcing journalists leaving to exit through a back door.

The area was then sealed off to allow the bomb disposal expert to check the package over before he eventually declared it suspect.

A small crowd that had gathered, including a handful of journalists and photographers, were pushed back to a distance of around 50 yards in between the motorhomes belonging to Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA.

As the expert prepared to detonate, the group was asked to retreat a further 20 yards near to the entrance of the McLaren motorhome.

Finally, after 20 minutes working on the package and wiring it up, it was eventually exploded, creating a considerable noise and leaving shards of white plastic strewn across the floor.

It is the second time in successive years a bomb disposal unit has been summoned to the paddock ahead of the Monaco race.

French Open 2012: Andy Murray faces Japan's Tatsuma Ito in opener and could meet Rafa Nadal in semi-finals

2012-05-25T21:40:00.001+07:00

Paris calling: Andy Murray will face Tatsuma Ito in the first round of Roland Garros

British No 1 Andy Murray has drawn Tatsuma Ito of Japan in the first round of the French Open, which gets under way on Sunday.

Murray has never faced the world No 69 with Ito's best grand slam showing coming at this year's Australian Open where he suffered a second round defeat to Bernard Tomic.

A second-round match against either Jarkko Nieminen or Igor Andreev would await Murray, but from there things get considerably tougher for the world No 4.

Australian teenager Tomic and unorthodox Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov could await in rounds three and four, and tough Spaniard David Ferrer would have definitely been a man to avoid in the quarter-finals.

Murray must get through all that just to set up a semi-final rematch with Rafael Nadal, who beat him in straight sets 12 months ago.

Nadal, meanwhile, who warmed up for the second grand slam of the year with victory over Novak Djokovic at the Rome Masters, faces Italy's Simone Bolelli in his opener.

Djokovic will take on Italy's Potito Starace and could face former world No 1 Lleyton Hewitt in the second round as he bids to become the first man in 43 years to hold all four grand slam titles at the same time.

In the women's draw, British No 1 Elena Baltcha faces a tough opener against 2011 US Open champion Sam Stosur while Anne Keothavong will take on Hungary's Melinda Czink.

World No 1 Victoria Azarenka begins against Italian Alberta Brianti while Maria Sharapova starts against Alexandra Cadantu of Romania.

Defending champion Li Na starts against Romania's Sorana Cirstea.

Osama bin Laden doctor to appeal treason sentence

2012-05-25T21:36:00.003+07:00

Pakistani surgeon Shakeel Afridi, who was working for CIA to help find Osama bin Laden

Pakistani lawyers will appeal the conviction for treason handed to Shakeel Afridi, the surgeon recruited by US intelligence to help find Osama bin Laden.

The archaic form of justice that governs Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt on Wednesday jailed Afridi for 33 years for agreeing to try and collect DNA for US intelligence in their bid to locate bin Laden.

Afridi ran a fake vaccination programme designed to collect bin Laden family DNA from the compound in the town of Abbottabad, where the al-Qaeda leader was shot dead in a US raid in May 2011.

"We have requested the Khyber administration to provide us with the documents related to the trial and conviction, and once we get them, we will file an appeal in the office of the commissioner of the Frontier Crimes Regulation," lawyer Samiullah Afridi told AFP.

The lawyer, general secretary of the Peace Movement, a civil society group against militancy, said his organisation did not believe the doctor committed any crime, but had instead worked "to help eliminate terrorism".

The surgeon Afridi's jailing has exasperated the US, where the Senate Appropriations Committee has voted to cut US aid to Pakistan by a symbolic $33 million – $1 million for each year of jail time.

The measure, an amendment to the $52 billion US foreign aid budget, passed in a 30-0 vote in a sign of growing frustration with Pakistan.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the sentence was "unjust and unwarranted", saying Afridi was "instrumental in taking down one of the world's most-wanted murderers".

Source: AFP

John Ruddy ruled out of Euro 2012 with broken finger as Jack Butland replaces goalkeeper in England squad

2012-05-25T21:34:00.001+07:00

Sidelined: John Ruddy is out of England's squad for Euro 2012 with a broken finger

Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy has been ruled out of the European Championships after breaking a finger in training on Thursday.

Birmingham's Jack Butland, who was one of four replacements named in England coach Roy Hodgson's original squad, has been called up to replace him. Butland has spent most of the season on loan at Cheltenham.

Ruddy, 25, had been one of two uncapped players included in Hodgson's 23-man squad, alongside Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

"The FA can confirm that Norwich City goalkeeper John Ruddy broke his finger in training on Thursday and has been ruled out of Uefa Euro 2012," a statement said.

"Ruddy was assessed by the England medical staff and will not be able to be part of the tournament. He will travel with the squad to Norway on Friday and watch the game on Saturday evening, but return to his club after arriving back in England."

The Norwich goalkeeper had initially been given special dispensation to miss England's final warm-up against Belgium at Wembley next weekend to get married.

The news comes as a huge setback to a player who was hoping to stake his place as a regular in the England squad.

“As long as I continue to develop in the same manner I have for the last two seasons, this is a step I want to stay on,” he said earlier this week. “I want to continue to be involved in England squads. It’s up to me to continue to play as I have this season and keep my foot in the door.

“There are the European Championships now and the World Cup qualifying coming up, so it’s an aim of mine to maintain this level. You saw it with Joe Hart, once he got the opportunity, he took it with both hands and I’m hoping to do the same and make sure I can stay at the top level of the game.

“I think Joe Hart is the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment, Robert Green is world-class. I know a lot was made of the last time he played for England but he still has so much to give and he’s still a world-class goalkeeper, so to be able to have the opportunity to work with those, along with Ray Clemence and Dave Watson, is an opportunity I’m relishing."

How to have quality sex

2012-05-25T21:28:00.003+07:00

Quality sex ... how to make your partner happy in the bedroom

WE have great expectations of our sex lives these days and worry when things don’t seem to work out as hoped.

I can't just say, "Do this and do that, and I promise you great sex." I can suggest some things to try which please many people, but you are much better placed than I to say what in particular will give you pleasure.

Before I say any more, though, I do want to stress that you owe it to yourself to be immensely responsible about who you have sex with.

Sex is valuable, you are valuable, not to be squandered on someone you do not know very well, or who does not care for you. Casual sex brings increased risk of sexual infection and HIV, and of getting your feelings hurt. This applies to men as well as women.

You must also be very responsible about contraception. It is cruel to create babies who aren’t wanted, and by wanted I mean wanted by both of you.

It's important to use a condom even if the girl is on the Pill, unless you are 100 per cent sure neither of you could be carrying HIV or any other sexual infection.

Now - how to have great sex.... First of all, don’t be afraid to explore your own body and responses - masturbation, in other words. If you learn what type of caresses thrill you, you are much better able to help your partner to give you pleasure.

Assuming that you are making love in a very real sense of the word, then you and your partner should feel comfortable enough together to tell one another what feels good, what turns you on.

There are no firm do's and don'ts in sex. Nothing is abnormal, or perverted between a loving couple, as long as both enjoy it and neither is hurt, either physically or emotionally.

If you're not sure what your partner would enjoy, ask. Being in love doesn't mean you can be a mind-reader. However, it can often help to imagine yourself in the other person's body and think what you would enjoy now. You'll probably be right!

You want to bring your partner's body alive all over. You may well like to start with kissing and caressing, but do not feel that you must move straight on to the obvious sexual areas.

Caress arms, back, legs, experimenting with firm, smooth strokes and light, feathery movements. Kiss face, mouth, ears, neck.

When both of you feel that your skin is alive all over, you can move on to the more obviously sexual areas of stimulation. Caress breasts, stomach, bottom, thighs, particularly the sensitive inner thighs.

Make an occasional quick dash to the outer lips of the vagina, or to the penis, and away again, and then gradually start to linger longer. The man is usually ready for this sort of stimulation some time before the woman is ready for him to move on to her genital area. An erect penis can take quite firm handling. The man can explain what caresses feel best.

The part of women's anatomy which brings most of them the most pleasure is the clitoris, a little bud tucked away in front of the vagina. It is very, very sensitive. Some women find direct stimulation of it soon makes them feel sore. You must experiment. The flat of your hand massaging the whole genital area may be what feels best.

Many couples love oral sex best. Some religions regard it as taboo but most people these days would agree that there is nothing morally wrong with a loving couple giving each other pleasure this way.

Obviously normal rules about hygiene must be followed and oral sex is not safe sex if one of you has any sort of sexually transmitted infection, or active herpes (of the mouth or genitals), or is HIV positive. (If you want more detailed guidance, email problems@deardeidre.org for my Guide To Oral Sex.)

This build-up may take half an hour or so before the woman, especially, feels ready to think of intercourse. A woman is ready when her vagina is moist and relaxed, open in expectation, and - most important of all - she knows that is what she wants.

A man is ready for intercourse when his penis is sufficiently erect - though this doesn't mean that he has got to be as hard as a rod of iron - and he feels ready.

The position or positions you choose for intercourse are up to you - there are no rights or wrongs.

Some couples have a wonderful sex life never varying from the traditional "missionary”. But it really can help love-making stay exciting and pleasurable to remember that it doesn't always - or ever - have to end in intercourse.

Couples can give each other tremendous satisfaction with other caresses of fingers or tongues, if they want to. Such variety can stop sex seeming predictable, and stop either of you feeling pressured that every time you start showing physical affection it must end with intercourse.

Only a minority of women reach orgasm during intercourse - most of those who climax do so as a result of other stimulation. For them intercourse should naturally be just a part of sexplay, not the be-all and end-all.

Some women and a few men never climax at all, but still enjoy making love. It certainly doesn't matter whether you both climax at the same time. All that matters is that each partner enjoys the shared physical experience without feeling pressured to fit in with some fixed notion of successful sex.

Some couples do find they have problems - in fact, most couples run into one problem or another at some time during their lives. I can send you my free leaflets on Premature Ejaculation, Find It Hard To Climax?, Solving Erection Problems, Women And Orgasm, How To Revive Sex Drive, and Sex Too Painful?

Australia and South Africa to share SKA super telescope

2012-05-25T21:22:00.001+07:00

Artists impression of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope project

Australia and South Africa will share the location for the SKA, the world's most powerful radio telescope, strong enough to detect extraterrestrial life.

"We have decided on a dual site approach," said SKA (Square Kilometre Array) board chairman John Womersley at a press conference held at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, following a meeting of the organisation's members in the Dutch capital.

Both South Africa and Australia were competing to win the $2 billion contract for the SKA, an instrument that will be 50 times more sensitive than today's most powerful radio telescopes.

Scientists hope the SKA, a massive radio telescope, will shed light on fundamental questions about the Universe including how it began, why it is expanding and whether it contains life beyond our planet.

The eagerly awaited decision now means that engineers can connect antennas at Australia's core site at Mileura station 60 miles west of Meekathara in Western Australia. Other antennae are distributed across Australia and New Zealand.

South Africa's site in the arid Karoo region will now also be connected by a remote link to a network of dishes stretching across southern and eastern Africa and as far away as Ghana.

Its construction is scheduled to start in 2016, becoming fully operational in 2024.

Scanning the sky 10,000 times faster and with 50 times the sensitivity of any other telescope, it will be used to study the origins of the universe and will be able to detect weak signals that could indicate the presence of extraterrestrial life.

The lobbying has been intense and at times acrimonious, with the Australians raising concerns about the security of such an expensive project in South Africa, which suffers from high rates of violent crime.

South Africa has accused the other side of dirty tricks and selectively leaking data to boost its bid in what are supposed to be secret deliberations.

The Absence, Melody Gardot, review

2012-05-25T21:02:00.000+07:00

Sultry: Melody Gardot’s voice smoulders

Melody Gardot's sultry third album The Absence, plays like a late-night, gipsy travelogue spiced with world music influences reflecting, writes Helen Brown.

While so many of today’s retro-styled chanteuses look and sound the part when they’re singing, they often break the spell when talking (or, bless her, in Adele’s case, when laughing). But 27-year-old Melody Gardot doesn’t just deliver her smoky, speakeasy jazz like a vintage vixen – she also wisecracks like Lauren Bacall.

“When people compare me to Norah Jones,” she once remarked, “I say that she wins Grammys and I act like one. I move slowly and I’m a bit of an old soul.” Referring to her trademark look she said, “Musicians are a bit strange and bizarre anyway, though, so the cane, glasses and moon boots are a bit of a hit.”

If you missed Gardot’s remarkable story when she released her debut, Worrisome Heart, in 2006, or the bestselling My One and Only Thrill in 2009, then here’s the quick version. She was knocked off of her bicycle when she was 19, suffered a broken pelvis and severe head and spinal injuries which have left her with memory problems, an unusual sense of time and a hypersensitivity to light. She had begun playing the piano in Philadelphia bars when she was 16 so one of her doctors suggested music therapy. She taught herself the guitar in hospital and – unable to tolerate the louder music she’d enjoyed before her accident – began writing quiet, jazzy songs.

Her sultry third album plays like a late-night, gipsy travelogue spiced with world music influences reflecting, we are told, “time spent in the deserts of Morocco, the tango bars of Buenos Aires, the beaches of Brazil and the streets of Lisboa”.

Produced by Brazilian composer and guitarist Heitor Pereira, and woven from wafts of intricately picked acoustic guitar, heat-hazy flutes and silky strings, it’s music that moves with the soft, supple drama of a flamenco dancer’s fan. Songs of wandering souls and aching hearts are embroidered with klezma clarinet, moody drifts of harmonica and castanet flourishes. Gardot’s dusky voice smoulders as it slinks and scats through the mix – never breaking a sweat but always in control as she sings in English, French and Portuguese.

Vocally, she’s closer to Madeleine Peyroux than to Norah Jones – she’s got the loner’s spirit of a wiley alley cat. Bird calls, church bells and backing vocals that sound like they’re drifting in from the next street add to the holiday mood, allowing the listener to fantasise about muzzy afternoons spent swaying in a hammock and late nights in pavement cafés. When you rouse yourself from Gardot’s dream, it can be hard to recall any individual song, but the reverie is beautiful.

Download this If I Tell You I Love You

Hovis Hill: is this the greatest street since sliced bread?

2012-05-25T20:48:00.001+07:00

Rise to the occasion: Gold Hill was an ideal backdrop for the Hovis ad

The chance to own a piece of Hovis Hill, featured in Britain’s best-loved television commercial, is likely to lure nostalgic house-hunters, says Max Davidson.

The chances are you recognise the street in this picture. But you might not realise why. It is Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset, and it was the setting for one of the most famous British television adverts ever.

Remember that 1973 Hovis commercial starring a bread delivery boy pushing his bike up a steep cobbled hill, with Dvoˇrák’s New World symphony throbbing in the background? It was the cheesy voiceover, in a thick Mummerset accent, that lodged in the memory. “Last on my round was Old Ma Peggotty’s house. ’Twas like taking bread to the top of the world.”

In 2006, the Hovis ad was voted viewers’ all-time favourite. Not, one suspects, because people were mad about the wholesomeness of Hovis, but because they were mad about the wholesome images of village life. Nothing tugs as hard at the heartstrings as nostalgia.

Directed by Ridley Scott, who later found fame with Alien and Gladiator, the ad evoked a forgotten England of morning mist and thatched roofs, an England in which everyone had time to talk to one another and there was fresh-baked bread on every table. It gave Shaftesbury the kind of publicity most towns can only dream about.

Gold Hill had already been used as a movie location in John Schlesinger’s 1967 classic Far from the Madding Crowd, starring Julie Christie and Terence Stamp. But Hovis took it to another level altogether as an “I-know-that-street address” – good news for anyone lucky enough to own a property there.

“The television ad will certainly give the property a lot of recognition,” agrees Giles Wreford-Brown of the local agent Symonds & Sampson, which has just put number 8 Gold Hill on the market for £360,000. “Perhaps it will also add value, although it is too early to say. When the ad first came out, people assumed it had been shot somewhere in the north of England. To find a street like this in a town within commuting distance of London comes as a nice surprise. It has helped make Gold Hill a much sought-after address in a popular town.”

“Gold Hill was already known locally as Hovis Hill when I bought the cottage,” says Sue Keeling, who paid £55,000 for it in 1987. “Everyone remembered that ad.” She later sold it to her mother, who lived in the house until this January, when she moved into residential care.

For both women, it was a happy home, with rich associations. To the pleasures of living on a picture-postcard street were added the offbeat delights of owning a house on a part-time film set.

Where Ridley Scott had led, others followed. “People were always knocking on the door to ask if they could film the front door of our house,” says Sue. “Television production companies became part of street life. It made us appreciate how fortunate we were to live somewhere genuinely unique.”

The Grade II listed two-bedroom cottage, with a sloping wild garden at the back, is thought to date back to the 14th century. The building was then added to in the 17th and 20th centuries. Overlooking Blackmore Vale, with the beautiful Purbeck Hills shimmering in the distance, the dressed sandstone property would grace any town, even without the Hovis connection.

Number 8 is at the top of the steep, winding hill, which might deter some buyers. Yet the climb is worth it for the unspoilt panoramic view of one of England’s most distinctive landscapes – Hardy’s Wessex. Shaftesbury itself, thinly disguised as Shaston in Jude the Obscure and Tess of the d’Urbervilles, is on the very outer fringes of modern commuter-land. Only a very small proportion of the residents travel daily from nearby Gillingham to London’s Waterloo, which takes about two hours. But there are plenty of weekly commuters, and the town’s shops and cafés have a cosmopolitan sophistication.

You would think that fresh-baked bread would be a distant memory on Hovis Hill, and that the residents would order sliced loaves online, to be delivered to their doorstep in a supermarket van. Well, you would be wrong, certainly as far as number 8 is concerned. Until shortly before her mother moved out, Sue Keeling brought her a daily loaf of bread which she had baked herself.

With its crooked houses and cobblestones, Hovis Hill might seem like olde England, remote from the real world, but the passions that animate it are very much alive. For a romantic, it could just be the best address in Dorset.

8 Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset, is on the market for £360,000 with Symonds & Sampson (symondsandsampson.co.uk; 01258 473766)

The hill as featured in the famous Hovis ad Photo: PA

The view from Hovis Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset

Hovis Hill also featured in Far from the Madding Crowd starring Julie Christie

Campaign for Scottish independence launched in Edinburgh

2012-05-25T20:41:00.000+07:00

First Minister Alex Salmond, one of the key speakers at the launch in Edinburgh, said: "We unite behind a declaration of self-evident truth"

The formal campaign for Scottish independence has been launched at a celebrity-endorsed event.

Organisers of the Yes Scotland movement vowed to stage the "biggest community-based campaign in Scotland's history" in the run-up to the independence referendum which could take place in October 2014.

First Minister Alex Salmond, one of the key speakers at the launch in Edinburgh, said: "We unite behind a declaration of self-evident truth.

"The people who live in Scotland are best placed to make the decisions that affect Scotland.

"We want a Scotland that's greener, that's fairer and more prosperous.

"We realise that the power of an independent Scotland is necessary to achieve these great ends."

A message of support from actor Sir Sean Connery, a long-standing supporter of independence, was read out to the crowd.

Alan Cumming, the Scottish film, television and stage actor, also attended.

Mr Salmond continued: "We don't start from scratch. We have a parliament which has earned its spurs for more than a decade. If the parliament can run education, then why can't it run the economy? If it can be trusted to run the health service, then why can't it represent Scotland internationally?

"If it can be trusted to protect our old people, then why can't we protect the country, and do so without the obscenity of nuclear weapons?"

After a round of applause, the Scottish National Party leader said: "I want Scotland to be independent not because I think we are better than any other country but because I know we're as good as any other country.

"Like these other nations, our future, our resources, our success should be in our own hands."

The campaign will be built "brick by brick" across communities, he said.

"We intend to take our case to the people by community activism and online wizardry," he said.

"By the time we enter the referendum campaign in autumn 2014, our intention is to have one million Scots who have signed the independence for Scotland declaration.

"Friends, if we achieve that, then we shall win an independent Scotland."

The message from former James Bond star Sir Sean was read out by Martin Compston, who starred in the Ken Loach film Sweet Sixteen.

"This is a historic day for Scotland," it said. "The Yes campaign has centred on a positive vision for Scotland. It is rooted in inclusiveness, equality and that core democratic value that the people of Scotland are the best guardians of their own future."

Online piano star Valentina Lisitsa gets Albert Hall debut

2012-05-25T20:37:00.000+07:00

Valentina Lisitsa will play at the Royal Albert Hall in June 2012

YouTube star and virtuoso pianist Valentina Lisitsa signs record deal and will play a concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

One of the internet's great musical sensations, Kiev-born virtuoso pianist Valentina Lisitsa, is about to break into the big time with a major record deal and a concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Predictably marketed as 'The Justin Bieber of the classical world', the talented 39-year-old has been a star on YouTube, with various online performances of Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Schubert attracting more than 44 million views in total.

Lisitsa, who started playing the piano at the age of three, has previously been self-managed and self-promoted but has now joined the Decca stable of musicians and will play in London on June 19th. The concert will be recorded and released first as digital-only download and then as a CD. The concert will also be streamed live via YouTube.

Lisitsa, who trained at the Kiev Conservatory, said: “I could not have done this without all my online fans around the world. Their reactions tell me every day that I am doing the right thing and that’s the best reward for my hard work. Now I want to say thank you and give them a great concert live and online.”

Jasper Hope, Chief Operating Officer of the Royal Albert Hall, said: “Valentina is a force of nature and an extraordinary talent. I don’t know anybody else who has done this before.”

Although she will now be playing in one of the world's most renowned venues, it won't be her first London gig. Last October, she played a concert at St Mary's Church, Perivale, near Ealing. The concert, at the small 12th-century church, was attended by around 130 people who paid £10 (wine included) for the special fundraiser. She used the church piano and the creaky old piano stool giving a dazzling display that included an encore featuring Ave Maria.

Lisitsa fans will be able to vote online to decide what she will play in the slightly grander setting of the Royal Albert Hall.

England v West Indies: live

2012-05-25T19:43:00.001+07:00

Skittled: Kirk Edwards (left) was clean bowled by James Anderson for just seven runs Photo: ACTION IMAGES

Over-by-over commentary of the first day of the second Investec Test match between England and West Indies at Trent Bridge.

Latest

Can Stuart Broad become England's all-time highest wicket-taker? Would he deserve to sit atop that illustrious pile? Is Twitter for idiots? Email me alan.tyers@telegraph.co.uk with your views

13.25 Steve Finn's being interviewed on the telly; he seems a bit down not to be in the team today, but as Broady points out, "Finn would get into any other Test side in the world." There's no doubt it's hard to get into this eleven. They showed Finn earlier on the balcony. Would he be better off bowling for Middlesex against Lancashire at Aigburth? Another fellow on the fringes of the England team, Ajmal Shahzad, took two wickets in his first five balls as a Lanky yesterday...

LUNCH: WI 84/4 (Chanderpaul 19* Samuels 9*) West Indies won the toss and batted, but must have regretted it right away. England were excellent. James Anderson bowled beautifully and took two wickets. He also clung onto two catches at slip off his buddy Stuart Broad; the first of them was a beaut. Broad bowled very well, as did Tim Bresnan; and the West Indies top order, sorry to say, was outclassed. Anderson had two chances go to ground between second and third slip, while Marlon Samuels was given out lbw and (correctly) reprieved on review, so it could have been even worse. Such hope as there is for Windies lies with the current partnership of 21* between Shiv Chanderpaul and Samuels, but this was England's morning beyond any question. Join me shortly and we'll see how things go after lunch.

OVER 27: WI 84/4 (Chanderpaul 19* Samuels 9*) In what I imagine will be the last over before lunch, Broad bowls a very rare poor ball, too legside, and Samuels helps it on its way to long leg for four. A single, then Shiv blocks one and West Indies have limped through to lunch without further damage.

Geoffrey Lippitt: "I agree with Andrew Holgate at over 23, it seems to be used to for exactly the purpse he says. Now Broad, yes he could become the highest wicket taker if he remains fit but I would rather it were Jimmy. He is inspirational a lot of the time and if the selection for a place were between the two of them I would want Jimmy."

OVER 26: WI 79/4 (Chanderpaul 19* Samuels 9*) Good start from Swann, on the button right away, and bowling with a nice shape. But Samuels plays the over impressively, using the bat and moving his feet. He strokes a drive through mid -off for four, and then hits hard down the ground to pinch the strike off the last ball of this over as well.

OVER 25: WI 74/4 (Chanderpaul 19* Samuels 4*) Well, no change in this over as Broad bowls a niggardly, remorseless set of pacy line and length. Samuels gets a single off the last ball.

OVER 24: WI 73/4 (Chanderpaul 19* Samuels 3*) Bres keeps Samuels honest with another tight over. Just one off it. Time to get Swann on before lunch to the left-handed Chanders?

OVER 23: WI 72/4 (Chanderpaul 19* Samuels 2*) More excellence from Broad, he pushes Shiv back and Der Crabber doesn't quite get a hold of a hook. Single, then Broad beats Samuels outside offstump and this pair are clinging on by their fingernails as England hunt what would surely be the killer wicket. Still, this pair showed a lot of fight and class at Lord's, so West Indies are not done yet. Shiv drives for a coulpe.

Andrew Holgate says: "I don't see the point of Twitter. I just seems to allow people, who would normally be largely ignored for being stupid, to air their views and cause controversy. Take Joey Barton (please someone take him!). He's an idiot yet the media go mad over his comments on Twitter. They shouldn't. They should just ignore him and let him be the small fool that he is. On another note, strange how the days of hoping for rain have gone away for England. Now we just want solid sunshine to batter all who stand before us. I say us, I mean them, but a childish part of me still believes I could make it as a Test player."

OVER 22: WI 68/4 (Chanderpaul 16* Samuels 1*) This is an excellent spell from Tim Bresnan. He's dragging Samuels across the stumps, most of the balls seaming back in, but there's the odd one that nibbles away. Quality maiden and the pressure is right on for Samuels.

OVER 21: WI 68/4 (Chanderpaul 16* Samuels 1*) England have got a plan for Shiv, and they are going about it well. Broad's banging it in from around the wicket, and then slipping in the occasional full one. Shiv now edges said delivery through where fourth slip would be. England have got Belly stationed at leg gully; Shiv hooks the ball into the ground and straight to him.

OVER 20: WI 64/4 (Chanderpaul 12* Samuels 1*) Marlon Samuels hit on the pads by a straight one. He shuffles across and tries to work it to leg. Hit on the pads and given out by Aleem Dar. He asks for the review - and quite right too. That looked high, to me. Decision overturned. The ball was going well over the stumps, good use of technology.

OVER 19: WI 64/4 (Chanderpaul 12* Samuels 1*) Marlon Samuels comes to the crease, wearing a jumper. Standard. It looks boiling out there, to these English eyes at least. He gets off the mark right away. And now poor old Shiv is hit in the...well... "in the Chanderpauls" as my colleague Giles Mole puts it. It looks a nasty one. As if there could be a nice one. Long delay as he gets such treatment as medical science has devised for being hit in the plums with a 85mph hard rock. Broad all over these West Indians.

WICKET! Powell c Anderson b Broad 33 Broad comes on to give Jimmy Anderson has a rest, and that's bad news for the West Indies, because it means he goes into the slip cordon at third slip... which is exactly where Powell now edges a good length ball. Jimmy pouches another one and West Indies are all over the place like an Essex girl on a hen do. That's a shame for Powell, who had played well so far, but the warning signs were there that his concentration was starting to go. FOW 63/4

OVER 18: WI 63/3 (Kieran Powell 33* Chanderpaul 12*) Bit of a silly pull from Powell, he doesn't really get in the right position and ends up just flicking the ball up in the air over the keeper/slips via the top edge. Strauss runs back from slip but it lands safe. Shiv clips a full one off his pads for four.

OVER 17: WI 58/3 (Kieran Powell 33* Chanderpaul 8*) Oooh, the best laid plans.... Jimmy Anderson comes around the wicket to Shiv Chanderpaul. Shiv gets off the mark with a drive, aided and abetted by some village fielding by Ali Cook. After a couple of bouncers, against which Shiv does not look too comfortable, Jim plays his ace: that one that angles in and nibbles away. It finds the edge of the great stonewaller's bat, but it flies between second and third slip, with neither Swann nor Bresnan getting a hand to it. I'm marking that up as a drop, the second off Anderson's bowling this morning in that second/third slip area. That's the delivery England have been searching for against Chanderpaul, so frustration for bowler, captain and coach. Can Shiv make them pay?

OVER 16: WI 50/3 (Kieran Powell 33* Chanderpaul 0*) Well played by Powell in that over. Leaves the good ones, and when Bresnan gets too full, he dinks the ball off his legs to bring up the West Indies fifty with a boundary.

OVER 15: WI 46/3 (Kieran Powell 28* Chanderpaul 0*) Jimmy Anderson greets Shiv with a snorting bouncer that flicks his arm guard and just flies over the slips. Wow, that would have been a disaster for West Indies if HE had gone first ball. Another brilliant over from Jimmy Anderson, who is just too good for these West Indies boys I am afraid. Now it's time for a round of Cricket Legend Weather Trivia, Sir Ian Botham versus David Ivon Gower..... where's the hottest place in the UK today? Fort William, according to Sir Ian.

DRINKS West Indies 42/3 We have a drink after that wicket. 14.3 overs. After the brief interval, it'll be Shiv Chanderpaul to face three more balls of Anderson's over, with West Indies once again needing him to save their bacon.

WICKET! Bravo c Swann b Anderson 7 Oh dear. Now it's officially a bad morning for West Indies. Anderson comes around the wicket, Bravo drives loosely at a wide one, it pings to Swann chest-high at second slip and he does the necessary. FOW 42/3

OVER 14: WI 42/2 (Kieran Powell 28* Darren Bravo 3*) Another lovely shot from Powell, this time off Bresnan, this time through the offside to give him another four. He's got some shots this fellow. Can he stick around long enough to hurt England with them? Looks like Jimmy Anderson is going to bowl the next one, that'll be his eighth over of the morning. Fitness as well as everything else.....

OVER 13: WI 37/2 (Kieran Powell 24* Darren Bravo 2*) Anderson continues. Nasser Hussain has a theory, about Jim having developed a new delivery with a scrambled seam. I think the idea is that it looks like an inswinger, but isn't. Scrambled seam or not, Kieran Powell shows his talent there with a sweet flip of the legs for four when Jim gets too straight.

OVER 12: WI 33/2 (Kieran Powell 20* Darren Bravo 2*) England make their first bowling change of the morning as Tim Bresnan comes on. He starts with a maiden, ball six of which is a snorter that nips away from Bravo and beats him.

OVER 11: WI 33/2 (Kieran Powell 20* Darren Bravo 2*) Touch of good fortune for Powell in that over when he inside edges Anderson past his stumps, picking up a streaky four.

OVER 10: WI 29/2 (Kieran Powell 16* Darren Bravo 2*) Broady continues, and Bravo's off the mark as he drives to mid off for two. Broad round the wicket. Pressure on this young pair. Powell's 22, Bravo 23. A lot of talent on display, but little experience. Come on West Indies! Dig in fellers.

Millfield's own Tony Blackburn. As a boy.

OVER 9: WI 26/2 (Kieran Powell 16* Darren Bravo 0*) Jim slants the ball across Bravo to start with, then makes him play. Windies one more wicket away from a full-blown crisis here. I'll tell you who else went to Millfield School. Tony Blackburn. Sophie Dahl. Police drummer Stewart Copeland. Victor Chandler. It's a dream eleven waiting to happen.

WICKET! Edwards b Anderson 7 Oh man, you can't say that didn't look likely. Edwards doesn't get his stuff together at all, leaves a great big gap between bat and pad, and Jimmy Anderson seams the back ball through it. For breakfast. Edwards prodded forward half-heartedly, the bat wasn't really coming down straight, and that is the end of that. Shame, I hate to say it, but Mr Edwards does not look a Test number three to my eyes. FOW 26/2.

OVER 8: WI 26/1 (Kieran Powell 15* Kirk Edwards 7*) As well he might, having seen the batsman's weakness against the short stuff at Lord's, Broad tries Powell out with a couple of bouncers. The proud son of the West Country is not tempted.

OVER 7: WI 24/1 (Kieran Powell 13* Kirk Edwards 7*) Nice couple from Edwards, punch through mid off. Anderson is hard to get away this morning.

OVER 6: WI 22/1 (Kieran Powell 13* Kirk Edwards 5*) Lovely shot there from Powell as he creams Broad away for four, no foot movemenet, all timing. Hey, how about this? Powell went to Millfield School, where he was a contemporary of Surrey skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown. According to our sources, Powell did not play cricket at the school! Anyone confirm this?

Here's this from the school's website: "Many Millfieldians go on to play at county level, and the School can count among its alumni David Graveney, England stars Simon Jones, Ben Hollioake, Craig Keiswetter and West Indies' Kieran Powell."

Leetle beet of zee news: "The ECB today announced that Yorkshire wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow has been awarded an England increment contract for 2011-12." Well done young'un. I hope he trains on.

OVER 5: WI 18/1 (Kieran Powell 9* Kirk Edwards 5*) Edwards is in rotten form on the tour so far, and he looks in a right pickle here. He edges Anderson. Tim Bresnan, diving to his left at third grabber, cannot hang on. Drop. Shame Jim can't field there off his own bowling. Kirk Edwards' set up looks all wrong: feet pointing to mid off, and sure enough, Jimmy Anderson tries him out with the inswinging yorker. It hits the pads alright, but going down leg. And the ball runs away for four leg byes.

OVER 4: WI 10/1 (Kieran Powell 9* Kirk Edwards 1*) Edwards leaves a ball perilously close to his stumps, then tries to leave another and finds the ball hit his bat. Looks a nervy customer, but he's off the mark at the end of that first over.

WICKET! Barath c Anderson b Broad 0 Just back of a length from Broady, and the ball seams away. Adrian B fences at it, not toally convincing. Well, not at all convincing, because he's edged that to third slip. Anderson takes a blinder, one-handed! He and the rest of the cordon have come in close due to the slow nature of the pitch, which makes that even more impressive. Splendid reactions. Best-fielding England fast bowler ever? Must be. Adrain Barath, who promised so much with that ton on debut at the Gabba but has failed again here. FOW 9/1

OVER 3: WI 8/0 (Barath 0* Kieran Powell 8*) Several indippers to Barath in this maiden over from Jim; perhaps he likes him more for the lbw than the nick. Struck on the pads several times in that over, albeit no major appeal as yet.

Oliver Budniak writes: "Twitter + KP = one massive headache, luckily it is a well known fact Ibuprofen was invented in Nottingham." I'm not so sure that's well-known, or even true, but fair enough.

OVER 2: WI 8/0 (Barath 0* Kieran Powell 8*) Short leg for Broady, and he bowls nice and full. It prompts a delish cover drive from Powell that purrs away for four. But the next ball, Broad finds an outside edge that drops a yard short of Strauss at slip. At least a yard, in fact. Further indications that this is a slow old deck, because that was a genuine 'snick'. It ran away for four, though. Puddingy bouncer in the over, too.

Gareth Butler writes: "I would like to say that there is something disconcerting about the picture of Jimmy at the top of the page. It feels like he is looking into my soul." I agree. It is disturbing, which is why I picked it. I'm messing with YOUR MIND Mr Butler.

OVER 1: WI 0/0 (Barath 0* Kieran Powell 0*) Anderson is bowling his outswingers agasinst the breeze, which is odd. Maybe Broad called dibs on ends on this, his home patch. The pitch looks really slow, some of these hardly carried through to the keeper. Ball four swings a bit, into right-handed Barath, who is hit on the pad. No run in the over.

10.58 So the players are out, Jerusalem blares. Jimmy has the new pill in his hand. Will he get it to swing?

10.56 Here's Derek Pringle on the KP business; and on the television, David Lloyd is quoting Donovan. Lovely.

10.55 Wow it looks nice at Nottingham. Have we been following the row involving KP and Nick Knight? Poor Knighty. What it is about sportsmen and Twitter? IT has a siren call for making a berk of themselves, doesn't it? Who wants to be our first emailer of the day. You can slag off KP, or Nick Knight, if you like. Or regale us with tales of Nottingham days of yore. It's a broad church here.

10.45 Mikey Holding identifies Greg Chappell, Javed Miandad and Sir Geoff as the three batsmen he least enjoyed bowling to. For Shane: Sachin. Sir Beefy: Sir Viv, obviously. Who would you least like to bowl to/bat against in Tests? Among current players, I reckon I'd least like to face Steve Finn.
10.41 It looks a lovely day for a bat at Trent Bridge. But Anderson won't be too worried about that; he is now the complete bowler, who can take wickets in any conditions. Here's our man Oliver Brown's interview with him.

10.40 Yay! Shane Warne is working for Sky.

10.36 West Indies win the toss and will bat. They include Shillingford and Rampaul for Edwards and Gabriel. England are unchanged. Can TT Bresnan make it 13 from 13? Yes, I reckon.

10.35 I quoted the Jimmy Anderson stat at you, but how's this for a record? West Indies have played eight at Nottingham, won four, drawn four. Yeah, but philosopher's axe, innit? Should this West Indies team even be called the same thing as the iteration with Viv, Malc, Gordon, Curtly etc in it?

10.30 Good morning all and welcome to our live coverage of the second Test at Trent Bridge.
West Indies put up a game fight for almost all of the match at Lord's, and a lot of people are hoping that they can build on that to be even more competitive in this game. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but I don't see it panning out like that. I reckon it might be the ole one-step forward... routine for West Indies, and on a ground where England have an excellent recent record, I fancy the home side to give West Indies a good old fashioned doing in this game.

Large parts of that belief are formed by the record of Jimmy Anderson at this ground: the Burnley swing king has four five-wicket hauls in his five Tests at Trent Bridge. His last three Test matches here? 25 wickets at 12. That's going to be far too good for the West Indies flaky top order. And never mind Jimmy, here's MP Vaughan tipping Stuart Broad to become England's all-time leading wicket-taker. Not in this match, obviously.

It is not just his skill levels but his competitive nature. He had a fire in his belly that I like in a bowler. All bowlers need to have that desperation to succeed. He hates being hit for runs and it is good to see a bowler show passion even to the extent of questioning the umpire when he doesn’t give runs as leg byes.

Team news and toss as soon as I have it.

Fire crews demolish walls to release Britain's fattest teen from house after she posted plight on Facebook

2012-05-25T19:31:00.002+07:00

Georgia, of Aberdare, South Wales, was declared Britain's fattest teen when it was revealed in August 2008 that she weighed 33st at just 15 Photo: PA

Britain's fattest teenager was in a mammoth rescue operation to get her out of her own home with 30 builders, scaffolders, police, fire service and ambulance crew.

Georgia Davies, 19, had to two walls in her house demolished to get her to hospital after reaching a reported 63 stone.

Georgia was trapped in her home after abandoning the latest extreme diet which doctors put her on to try and save her life.

The teen needed medical treatment after becoming standed in her own bed.

And emergency services had to rip down an internal and external wall to free her from the bedroom of her semi-detached council house - with scaffolding and a crane used in the mission.

Just days before, Georgia had told her Facebook friends: "I'm in bed but problem is can't get up"

"Earlier I was blocked in the toilet for like 20 minutes and if you sit on the loo for that long it bloody hurts.

"My legs hurt and so do my back though my knees will give out if I stay seated any longer."

Traffic was diverted after the street in Aberdare, South Wales, was closed while scores of specialists struggled with the demands of freeing her from her home.

One local mum said: "It is a major operation and there's loads of people here just to get Georgia out of the house.

"She's too big to get out herself and they've had to take the walls down.

"It is tragic for her. She's done all sorts to lose weight with fatcamps in the States and a thousand diets.

"But nothing has worked and she is now up to about 63 stone according to people who've spoken to her family."

It was a high security procedure with a large police barricade was erected in order to protect passersbys.

The mammoth operation involving 40 scaffolders, fire fighters, policemen, paramedics and social workers who jostled for space in the sleepy suburban street.

It started just after 9am - and the builders took nearly eight hours before she was finally freed just after 5pm.

Georgia was seen leaving in an ambulance on her way to hospital.

Builders had to remove a window before ripping out the internal and external walls of her home.

A huge bridge was then build and a crane was used to manoeuvre through a 10 feet hole and out into the street.

Huge dust sheets and tarpaulins were put up in order to protect her dignity from curious locals.

One police officer said: "We want to keep people away - this is not a freak show."

When the rescue team finally got her out of the house Georgia was crammed into an ambulance and rushed to hospital suffering from massive organ failure.

Georgia's body is under huge pressure after years of binge eating and not properly exercising.

Georgia, of Aberdare, South Wales, was declared Britain's fattest teen when it was revealed in August 2008 that she weighed 33st at just 15.

Doctors said she would die if she didn't lose the pounds and she was sent to an American fat camp were she shed half her body weight.

But after returning to the UK the 5ft 6ins teen ballooned after returning to her bad habits and putting 16 stone back on.

Georgia continued with her diet of cake, chocs, crisps and endless loaves of bread - washed down with bottles of Coke.

She also glugs down masses of booze and smokes her way through pack after pack of cigarettes.

The dangerous diet has seen her become heavier than ever and locals say she is over 63 stone.

Rory McIlroy's bogey six lands him in trouble at Wentworth

2012-05-25T19:19:00.002+07:00

Fired up: Rory McIlroy in action during his troubled first round in the BMW PGA Championship

The fine will not bother Rory McIlroy but what probably will are the replays of his frustration boiling over. The club flew out of his hand in anger here yesterday and some rare criticism duly headed in the direction of the young Northern Irishman.

McIlroy is famous for the boyish smile and the unaffected nature with which he approaches a profession for which he is born and, to be fair, this was a highly uncharacteristic reaction. Lest we forget, there is a fierce competitor behind everyone’s favourite golfer.

As he watched his second shot fly towards the out-of-bounds on the par-five 12th, the fury at an attempted fade becoming a ruinous pull burned deep. And then his provisional headed into a bunker. Farewell, seven-iron.

The bogey six led to a 74 which left him eight off the pace after the first round of the BMW PGA Championship. After missing his third cut in a row at the Players Championship a fortnight ago, the world No 1 was threatening to double up at another course which does not bow to his majesty.

McIlroy’s last two visits to Surrey have yielded a tie for 24th and a tie for 48th. Strangely, the admiral-elect of golf turns into a midshipman come the flagship events of the European and PGA Tours. The Tour’s usual policy is not to publicise fines. But McIlroy should expect a bill.

McIlroy was a picture of despondency after signing for a card which featured an eagle, three birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey on the 16th. “It was a bit of déjà vu from last year,” he said, thinking back to his five-over beginning in 2011.

“I struggled with the pace of the greens. On the 12th, I was trying to hold it up against the wind and double-crossed it. I ended up out-of-bounds by an inch.”

However unfair it may be to over-state the misguided passion of a 23 year-old, it was inevitable McIlroy’s response to adversity would be compared to that of his compadre Graeme McDowell. McIlroy threw a club, McDowell had the rulebook thrown at him. The latter provided an exhibition in chin-taking, although not everyone here was so magnanimous.

“Obviously a lot of gin-swigging goes on up there.” That was the classic quote delivered by Ernie Els when informed of the two-shot penalty. A reference to the rulemakers?

McDowell’s punishment came as a result of him daring to step to within six feet of his ball. And so his bogey six at the 18th became a triple bogey eight and a 72 turned into a 74.

McDowell’s drive into the trees nestled on a bed of leaves with branches underneath. As he peered through to consider his options, he later discovered “the ball moved a few dimples”. He felt there was something wrong with the scenario, but crucially he did not call an official. He should have replaced his ball at the cost of one shot, but as he did not the sanction was doubled.

“How are you supposed to attempt to place the ball when you’re not sure it’s moved in the first place?” McDowell said. “It’s a harsh one – one of those freak scenarios in golf.”

Harsh, indeed. Els’s bemusement very neatly and rather wryly summed up the mood. Yet, typical of the man, McDowell refused to blame anybody but himself and certainly not the armchair vigilante who so courageously rose from his cushions to phone the Tour.

“It’s my fault. I should have called in a referee,” said McDowell who, in effect, called it on himself by asking for the video to be checked. “I’ve cost myself by getting careless.”

Still, it does not seem right for a player to be penalised simply for venturing close enough to look at his ball. It is another rule for the lawmakers to analyse. It would not have even been an issue if those “high def, super slo-mo” replays did not exist.

But they do, and so McDowell, like McIlroy, must try to make up the eight-stroke deficit. For both the first challenge is to make the weekend. If McIlroy fails, then Luke Donald need only finish in the top eight to claim back the world No 1 tag.

The Englishman shot a highly-controlled 68 to stand two off Scotland’s David Drysdale and Ireland’s Peter Lawrie. Donald’s playing partner, Justin Rose, fired a 67 and seems in ominous nick. But golf takes as much as it gives. Yesterday reminded it can get to the very best of them.

'Friends and family’ test for hospitals

2012-05-25T16:11:00.002+07:00

In a letter to David Cameron, the forum made several suggestions for improving basic care

Patients will be asked whether they would want their friends or family to be treated at their NHS hospital, with the results published to put pressure on the worst performing institutions, David Cameron will say today.

Ministers are trying to improve standards after warnings from watchdogs that too many patients, especially the elderly, experience poor standards of basic care, including insanitary conditions and inadequate nutrition.

NHS staff are already asked to take the “friends and family” test, but the Prime Minister will say that extending it to patients will bring benefits to the service.

The Prime Minister will also reveal a list of recommendations from nursing advisers on improving the quality of basic care patients receive.

“In every hospital, patients are going to be able to answer a simple question: whether they’d want a friend or relative to be treated there in their hour of need,” Mr Cameron will say. “By making those answers public we’re going to give everyone a really clear idea of where to get the best care – and drive other hospitals to raise their game.”

The Care Quality Commission last year found that one in five hospitals failed to meet basic standards of care for elderly patients.

The test was recommended by the Nursing and Care Quality Forum, which Mr Cameron set up in January to suggest improvements.

In a letter to Mr Cameron, the forum made several other suggestions for improving basic care.

Ministers should ensure that nurses are “recruited for their caring nature and compassion as well as their knowledge and skills”, it said.

Hospital managers should also look at how nurses and their teams could use technology to free more time for caring, and to avoid patients being asked the same questions repeatedly.

Ward sisters and other senior nurses should be made more accountable for their clinical area, the panel added.

Our favourite Cannes hair do's and how to do them

2012-05-25T16:08:00.002+07:00

Kirsten Dunst's Heidi halo

It's been a vintage year for beauty at the Cannes film festival so we've picked our four fave hair looks, all perfect for you to try out this weekend. From model Natasha Poly's sexy tousled plait to Kirsten Dunst's super cute braids there's something for you no matter what you're up to!

You can make this as easy or as complicated as you like- anything from a clip in fake braid to a basic pinned plait or a more tricky French plait would work. For a super pretty twist you could even weave fake flowers, perfect if you’re a bridesmaid this summer.

Jessica Chastain’s elegant updo

Unless you’ve got a friend to help you and you’re confident with tricky styles this might be one that needs a visit to the hairdryer but if you’re a dab hand with tongs give it a go. Using a medium barrelled tong, curl your whole had of hair, getting it quite close to the roots for an extra bit of lift.

Section your hair into three, leaving the bulk in a pony tail at the nape of your neck and two smaller strands either side. Twist the side strands loosely, pinning as you you, stop when you get to the ponytail and add them to that. Then twist that whole new section into a tousled bun (if you have thinner hair you could use a doughnut). Finish with light hold hairspray.

Marion Cotillard’s mega bun

Unless you’ve got a mane chances are you’re going to have to fake a bun of such gargantuan proportions. Find good value clip in buns at www.beautyworks.com. For an extra touch of glitz pin an old necklace around the join.

Natasha Poly’s tousled fishtail plait

Start with freshly washed hair and a volumising mousse, rough dry , getting as much movement into the roots as possible. Backcomb at the roots before collecting hair into a side ponytail just below your ear. Then do a basic plait if you’re (like us) a bit clumsy or attempt a fishtail – to do this divide hair into two sections and then pull a thin strand of hair from the outside of the first section.

Pull this strand over the first section, and add it under the second section on the other side. In other words, the strand of hair has gone over the first section and finishes under the second section.Repeat on the other side, alternating til you get to the end of your hair then secure with a band.