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Oldest bones from modern humans in Asia discovered

2012-08-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

Newfound pieces of human skull from "the Cave of the Monkeys" in Laos are the earliest skeletal evidence yet that humans once had an ancient, rapid migration to Asia.

Anatomically modern humans first arose about 200,000 years ago in Africa. When and how our lineage then dispersed out of Africa has long proven controversial.

Archaeological evidence and genetic data suggest that modern humans rapidly migrated out of Africa and into Southeast Asia by at least 60,000 years ago. However, complicating this notion is the notable absence of fossil evidence for modern human occupation in mainland Southeast Asia, likely because those bones do not survive well in the warm, tropical region.
Now a partial skull from Tam Pa Ling, "the Cave of the Monkeys" in northern Laos, helps fill in this mysterious gap in the fossil record.

"Most surprising is the fact that we found anything at all," researcher Laura Lynn Shackelford, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Illinois, told LiveScience. "Most people didn't think we'd find anything in these caves, or even in the region where we're working in mainland Southeast Asia. But we're stubborn, gone where no one's really looked before, or at least in almost a century."

Rough terrain, persistent scientists
The fossils were discovered in 2009 in the limestone cave, which is located at the top of the Pa Hang Mountain 3,840 feet (1,170 meters) above sea level.

"The cave is surrounded by lots of papaya and banana trees, so a troop of monkeys likes to come and forage there, therefore its name," Shackelford said. There were many challenges working in this area.

"It's incredibly difficult to access the site — it's only 150 miles (240 kilometers) from the capital, but it takes us two days to drive there because of the rough terrain," Shackelford said. "We have to hike up the side of a cliff, do a bit of rock-climbing to get to the mouth of the cave, and then going in, we have to go 60 meters (200 ft) down a slope of wet clay. We also have to carry a generator and lights with us to see in the cave. We have to push pigs out of the way to get through the jungle — there are just pigs wandering around there."

"Every bit of clay has to be removed and taken back up by hand, trowel and bucket, so work is incredibly slow," she added. "We only go in the dry season in the winter, so we don't really have to deal with insects and snakes — well, we did have snakes fall into the pit while excavating. And in the cave, we've had more than our fair share of spiders and bats."

Oldest bones of modern humans
No artifacts were found at the site, nor were signs of human occupation.

"We think this fossil was outside with other fauna and flora, and during the rainy season, rain washed it into the cave," Shackelford said. "In subsequent seasons, more sediment washed into the cave and covered it."

The shape of the bone and teeth is distinctly anatomically modern human, not like those of an extinct lineage such as the Neanderthals. A variety of dating techniques of the sediments surrounding the fossils suggests they are at least 46,000 to 51,000 years old, and direct dating of the bone suggests a maximum age of about 63,000 years. This makes these fossils the earliest skeletal evidence for anatomically modern humans east of the Middle East.

These findings "change the thinking regarding modern human migration routes into Asia, that there were more routes of dispersal than previously thought," Shackelford said "The typical thinking was that once modern humans hugged the coastline to go from India to Southeast Asia, they went southward into Indonesia and Australasia (the region comprising Australia, New Zealand and neighboring Pacific islands)," she explained. "We think they absolutely did that, but we're also suggesting other populations probably went north or northeast toward China, and some went through the mountains into mainland Southeast Asia, taking advantage of river systems. Beforehand, no one thought they would have gone into the mountains of Laos, Vietnam and Thailand."

The researchers are now attempting to extract DNA from these fossils to see how related they may or may not be to later humans that once lived or currently live in the area. In the future, "the work we have is pretty boundless — there are literally thousands of limestone caves we can work on in this area to look for early modern humans," Shackelford said. "We can work here for the rest of our careers or lives and not see all the caves."

The scientists detailed their findings online Monday in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Arsenal footballer Andre Santos arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving following '130mph police chase'

2012-08-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

Brazilian defender, 29, was arrested on the A1 in Hertfordshire, only a couple of miles from Arsenal's training ground

He is believed to have been behind the wheel of a powerful £110,000 sports car when he was apprehended

Scotland Yard: Man arrested and bailed to return to a North London police station in September

A Premier League footballer has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after allegedly speeding away from chasing police at up to 130mph.

Arsenal defender Andre Santos, 29, is believed to have been behind the wheel of a powerful £110,000 sports car, a Maserati GranTurismo, when he was apprehended by officers only a couple of miles from his club's training ground.

The officers had reportedly noticed a car being driven erratically by a motorist who failed to stop.

Santos, from Sao Paulo in Brazil, was picked up by officers close to Arsenal’s training ground in London Colney in Hertfordshire, just inside the M25 motorway, last Friday morning.

The next day, the father of one was on the substitutes' bench for Arsenal's first match of the season against Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium.

The Sun newspaper reported that a car was driven for several miles at speeds of up to 130mph.

Santos, who joined Arsenal last year from Turkish club Fenerbahce, could be jailed if found guilty of dangerous driving.

A police source told the Sun: 'The allegation is that he was travelling at speeds up to 130 mph.

'Further enquiries are ongoing to verify the speed using on-board police cameras and technical equipment.'

A witness who saw the footballer after he was stopped told the newspaper: 'Two police cars were there and two or three officers were talking to the driver.'

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Shortly after 9.30am on Friday August 17, a 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and failing to stop for police on the A1, near to Junction 22 of the M25.
'Officers’ attention was drawn to the vehicle due to the manner of its driving.

'The man has been bailed to return at a date in mid-September to a North London police station.'

The man was not breathalysed, police added.

Britney Spears posts photo in a sexy LBD... to wish her uncle happy birthday

2012-08-22T02:43:00.001-07:00

Since joining Twitter, Britney Spears often delights her fans by posting candid, sexy photos online.

But while her latest foxy image on the micro-blogging site may please many fans, some may be confused as to who its directed to.

Wearing a fitted LBD and with blonde hair hanging loose, the 30-year-old singer posed for a photo captioned: 'Wishing my uncle happy birthday.'

It wasn't clear whether the uncle in question was a sibling of her father Jamie or mother Lynne.

The picture comes just a few days after Britney posted an image of her in a white bikini on her Pininterest page.

Standing on a beach in the sunlight, she wrote: 'Y'all ready for summer to end? I'm definitely not.'

Meanwhile, Britney speaks about her new appointment on X Factor USA in the new issue of U.S. magazine TV Guide.

She said: '[Simon Cowell] was absolutely adorable on the phone, and he is so sweet. My make-up artist used to do his make-up, and we were joking around about me doing it.

‘So I guess it was one of those meant-to-be things.’

She also praised Demi Lovato for being a 'tougher' judge than she is.

She explained: 'She toughens me up! Sometimes I listen to you and I'm like, "Oh, God, I've got to be a little stronger."'

Britney and her fellow X Factor judges Simon, Demi and Antonio 'LA' Reid are busy promoting the new series, which starts in the U.S. on September 12.

After hiring Britney and Demi to replace Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul, Simon is hoping the second season's ratings will trump the first.

The British girl, 5, swept to her death with her grandfather by a wave as they walked along the beach in Portugal

2012-08-22T02:30:00.000-07:00

The girl's grandmother was also swept away but was pulled from the sea by fishermen in a boat

The grandparents had been walking on the beach with their two grandchildren

The younger child, a three-year-old, managed to stay on the beach and raise the alarm

Horrified parents were on the beach but were unable to reach pair

Neighbours said the family were very happy and well-known in the area

Authorities said the waves were between six and ten feet high

These are the touching pictures of tragic five-year-old Lara Lewis, who was swept out to sea and killed along with her grandfather as they walked along a Portuguese beach.

The happy family photos show Lara smiling sweetly at the camera, eating cereal and being read to from a book, her blonde curls pushed back by a headband.

Lara and her grandfather Brian O'Dwyer drowned yesterday while on holiday with their family.

The girl's grandmother was also swept away by the rough seas but was later pulled out alive by fishermen sailing nearby.

Paramedics tried unsuccessfully to revive Lara for almost an hour, while Mr O'Dwyer was already dead when he was recovered from the water.

A younger, three-year-old grandchild who was walking with them managed to stay on the beach and raised the alarm.

The girl’s distraught parents, who were standing on the beach, were unable to reach their relatives in time to help.

The tragedy happened shortly before 2pm at the Salgado beach in the town of Nazare, which is 80 miles north of Lisbon.

Locals said that water was often rough off the beach and that waves were between six and ten feet high when the tragedy happened.

Neighbour David Mason, a translator, said he had known Lara since she was a baby.

He said: 'I remember them bringing her home in her dad's arms and they were such a happy family.

'She was a very happy girl who would always say "hello Dave" when she saw me.

'This is terribly sad news and for a lot of people it's still sinking in.

'They were well known across the community and a lot of people are very upset by the news.'

Pictures of the scene showed firefighters crouching down in the sand in the afternoon sunshine, about to move the victims. Mr O'Dwyer's body was covered in a blue sheet.

Port Authority commander Albuquerque e Silva said: ‘An English couple were walking along the beach at Salgado by the sea with their two grandchildren.

‘They left the area watched over by lifeguards and it appears they were surprised by a wave which hit them and dragged them out to sea.

'There were two children with them, a girl of five and another child aged three. It was the three-year-old who managed to raise the alarm.'

He added: ‘The grandfather was pulled from the water but he was already dead.

‘Officers from the National Institute of Medical Emergencies also tried to revive the child, but without success.’

One report said the grandfather, 66, drowned trying to save his granddaughter’s life.

Emergency services raced to the beach, which is popular with surfers, and gave first aid to the grandmother.

PayPal founder Elon Musk gives his British actress wife just $4.2million in divorce... despite being worth $2BILLION

2012-08-22T01:54:00.000-07:00

Elon Musk has is divorcing Talulah Riley, a 26-year-old British actress, after two years of marriage
Mr Must -- called Tony Stark without the Iron Man suit -- has founded four successful companies including Telsa Motors and Space X
Ms Riley gets to keep her Cartier and Gucci watches, diamond jewelry and her $110,00 Tesla Roadster

Talulah Riley is getting $4.2million in her divorce from PayPal founder and Silicon Valley golden boy Elon Musk.

It's not a bad sum for the 26-year-old British actress, considering the marriage lasted just two years.

The divorce deal looks a little less generous in light of Mr Musk's net worth, which is an estimated $2billion -- the result of a fantastically successful career in the tech industry.

Mr Musk -- whom the New York Times called 'Tony Stark without the Iron Man suit' -- is paying off his second wife over the course of nine years, TMZ reports

But, in the interim, Ms Riley gets to keep her Cartier and Gucci watches, an assortment of diamond jewelry and her $110,000 Tesla Roadster.

She received $1.4million up front as an initial payoff, according to court documents.

Mr Musk, a South African who attended the University of Pennsylvania, made his fortune by founding a series of highly-successful ventures -- beginning with Zip2, which produced online content publishing software that was purchased in 1999 for nearly $340million.

Later, for his next venture, Mr Musk helped create PayPal, the online money transfer and payment service. Ebay bought PayPal for $1.2billion in 2002.

He founded Space X later that year -- a outer space exploration company. In 2009, the company launched the first privately-owned liquid-fueled rocket ever to enter space. Space X now has a contract to deliver cargo to the International Space Station that is worth between $1.6billion and $3.1billion.

Mr Musk also founded Tesla Motors, an electric car company that had a $226million initial public offering in 2010.

For all his wealth, Ms Riley seems content with the $4.2million figure. Her lawyers haven't contested the offer from Mr Musk, age 41 -- which amounts to little more than pocket change for a man who spends a reported $200,000 a month on personal expenses.

In 2010, Mr Musk finalized the divorce with his first wife, Canadian fantasy novelist Justine Musk, who is the mother of his two sons.

He had been with Ms Riley for four years before they separated in July 2011.

Will DNA study of the Elephant Man's skeleton reveal the cause of his extreme disfigurement 122 years after his death?

2012-08-20T05:00:00.002-07:00

They will extract DNA from his bones which could reveal his condition
Merrick agreed to in sideshow which exhibited him as 'human curiosity'

For over a century scientists have been baffled by what caused the terrible disfigurement of the Elephant Man Joseph Merrick.

But now they will attempt to unlock the secret of his suffering by analysing DNA from his bones - and hope to finally diagnose his condition.

Researchers intend to carry out tests next month to discover, if possible, Merrick's genome sequence which will highlight any gene alteration.
Constant bleaching to keep it clean has degraded the bones, so scientists are facing a difficult task to get enough DNA from the abnormal area of his skull.

Professor Richard Trembath, vice principal and executive dean at Queen Mary, University of London is responsible for Merrick's remains and is in charge of the research.

He told the Sunday Independent: 'This is going to be extremely demanding. We need to know whether we can get sufficient [genetic material] from what we believe to be abnormal bone as well as sufficient from normal bone.

'In doing it, we have an absolute regard to make sure we preserve the skeleton. We can't just mash a whole amount of it up. We have to preserve it for future generations because it's an important historical record.'

Merrick's earned his nickname because he was believed to be suffering from Elephantiasis, a condition caused by a parasitic infection leading to thickening and enlargement of the skin and tissue.

But in 2001,there was speculation that Merrick suffered from a rare disease called Proteus syndrome which causes skin overgrowth and abnormal bone development.

Merrick was born apparently health in Leicester 1862, but as he grew up his lips thickened and a bony lump grew on his forehead. He had to sleep sitting up because of the weight of his head.

There was a significant difference between the size of his left and right hand and both his feet became enlarged. His speech became difficult to understand.

Finally, his parents and stepmother rejected him and forced him out onto the streets when he was 17.

Because of his deformities, he wore a hat and hood to hide his scary looks. To earn money he agreed to appear in a sideshow exhibited as a 'human curiosity'.

By chance surgeon Frederick Treves who worked at London Hospital opposite the show, saw Merrick and invited him to be examined and photographed.

Merrick later lived his final years at the hospital where he became a celebrity and no longer shunned by society. He was even visited by Alexandra, Princess of Wales.

The official cause of his death was asphyxia, although Treves, who dissected the body, said he had died of a dislocated neck.

He believed that Merrick had been attempting to sleep lying down, to 'be like other people'.

In death, the Elephant Man's story has fascinated the world. He was played by John Hurt in the 1980 film Elephant man and Hollywood heart-throb Brad Cooper is currently starring on Broadway in an adaptation of the screenplay.

Rihanna accused of 'sanctioning' violence after defending Chris Brown

2012-08-20T04:19:00.000-07:00

Rihanna has been accused of sending out a dangerous message to other victims of domestic violence after admitting she still 'misses' her ex-boyfriend who was charged with assaulting her three years ago.Rihanna's turbulent two-year relationship with rapper Chris Brown ended after he attacked her on the eve of the Grammy Awards in 2009.
But in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, due to be broadcast in the U.S. tonight, the Bajan beauty says Brown 'made a mistake' and 'needed help' adding that she misses him.

Charities have criticised the comments claiming they could reduce the seriousness of abusive relationships.Vivienne Hayes, chief executive of the Women's Resource Centre, told The Independent: 'Rihanna's case demonstrates the emotional complexities felt by women locked in abusive relationships.

Whatever the nature of the argument, [Brown] chose to beat her up. And we need to stop society allowing us to normalise such behaviour.'Rihanna has admitted she 'was more concerned about' her 'best friend' Chris Brown after the singer's vicious attack on her three years ago.

The pop star revealed: 'I'm reminded by a lot of things. A lot of good memories we had. By the slightest things; hotel rooms, tour venues, any little thing, music, songs, and I do miss him at times.'In the clip, shot for Oprah's Next Chapter, the 58-year-old presenter revealed the Umbrella singer 'talks a lot, a lot, a lot about you know who, Mr. Chris Brown.'Brown was sentenced to five years probation and six months of community labour after his attack of Rihanna.In the previously-released preview of the highly-anticipated interview, Rihanna also admitted that she had 'felt protective' of Brown following the 2009 beating.

'I lost my best friend. Like, everything I knew switched - switched overnight,' she tearfully said of the 'embarrassing' incident.'Who’s gonna help him? Nobody’s gonna say he needs help. Everybody’s gonna say he’s a monster without looking at the source. I was more concerned about him.'Brown and his lawyer Mark Geragos are currently fighting a $16million lawsuit filed by Entertainment Enterprises this week alleging that the hip-hop star and Drake caused the W.i.P. bar brawl which left several injured in June.

It is believed the violent row erupted over the artists' alleged relationships with Rihanna.The Talk That Talk star is also said to have dated Shia LaBeouf, Josh Hartnett, and Los Angeles Dodgers star Matt Kemp, but she shared with Oprah the qualities she's yet to find in her ideal man.'If I had it my way I want a man that loves me, cherishes me, values me, but they have to know my value in order to value me,' she said.'They have to know my worth and they can only know my worth if I know my worth. I want them to respect me.'

Rihanna continued: 'But I want fun times! I want fun, fun times. I want laughs. I want laughs more than everything. I have everything else, all I want is a partner in crime to enjoy it with me.'Speaking to camera in the preview, Oprah said: 'I went there with my own ideas about who she was from watching her videos and listening to her music.'I thought she was gonna be kind of a bada**, a kind of hard edged, rocker, pop woman. Nothing could have been farther from the truth.'But the provocative singer admitted: 'I am super duper terrified of the pedestal that comes with fame... It's amazing how lonely you can feel.'

China finally beats the USA at something! After second place at the Olympics Chinese stunner overcomes California beauty to win Miss World 2012

2012-08-20T03:30:00.001-07:00

The United States may have thrashed China at the Olympics, but the Asian powerhouse has got its own back, with Miss China overcoming Californian beauty Claudine Book to win Miss World 2012.

In front of a home crowd, China's Yu Wenxia was crowned this year's Miss World at the international beauty pageant held today.Malibu-raised Book didn't even place, with Sophie Elizabeth Moulds of Wales coming first runner up and Australia's Jessica Michelle Kahawaty securing third place.

This is the second time Miss China has been awarded the title, which differs to the more well-known Miss Universe pageant, owned by Donald Trump.The last time was in 2007 when Zhang Zilin took the honour.

Book, a stunning University of California Los Angeles student who studies film and Italian and collects exotic birds, was not expected to win the sought-after crown after failing to make the cut as a finalist for the swimsuit competition.Book, 20, also stumbled in the talent category, which was dominated by Miss World Philippines, Quenerich Rehman, whose beat-boxing performance of 'Teach Me How to Dougie' has gone viral
Wenxia, 23, is a music student who wants to become a music teacher and secured the title at the pageant held for the first time in the Inner Mongolian city of Ordos -- one of the richest regions in China thanks to its abundant natural resources.In her spare time, Wenxia enjoys hiking, travelling, singing, dancing and playing the piano, according to the Miss World website.She describes herself as someone who follows her dreams with a smile and says her favourite food is dumplings.Book, who minors in business at UCLA, would like to focus on acting in the future.In her Miss World profile, she describes herself as an optimistic and driven person who wants to make people happy.She enjoys hiking, running and surfing, and says she likes anything sweet, especially chocolate.

Miss World differs to Miss Universe as contestants don’t just compete in swimwear and evening wear -- they also compete in talent, fitness, and 'Beauty with a Purpose,' where contestants’ charitable efforts are rewarded.Fashion designers from each country are also able to showcase their work on their respective contestants.Miss World flies under the radar in the U.S. though some former contestants have found fame after their reigns, including actress Halle Berry and Wonder Woman Lynda Carter.According to The Washington Post, Miss World Unites States is not even selected through a national pageant, rather she is a model chosen to represent the country by a modeling agency.

Watching pornography 'could make men better weightlifters' study says

2012-08-20T03:13:00.000-07:00

A study has shown that male weightlifters can lift heavier objects after watching erotic videos.Scientists showed different types of video clips to male athletes and then studied their workout performances afterwards.

They discovered changes in salivary testosterone samples and subsequent squat performance after the weightlifters watched the pornographic clips, Discover Magazine website reported.

It said looking at different types of videos produced incredibly different reactions in saliva.The male athletes found pornography helped them lift heavier weights after they had viewed the sexual clips.Erotic, aggressive, funny, training and motivational clips prompted a noticeable increase in testosterone.

Sad and neutral videos sparked a significant dip in testosterone samples.Quoting an unnamed scientific study, it said: 'We explored the acute effects of video clips on salivary testosterone and cortisol concentrations and subsequent voluntary squat performance in highly trained male athletes.'Saliva samples were collected on six occasions immediately before and 15 min after watching a four-minute long clip.

The male athletes then performed a squat workout aimed at producing a 3 repetition maximum (3RM) lift.A significant improvement in 3RM performances were noted after the erotic, aggressive and training clips versus control clips.It quoted: 'In conclusion, different video clips were associated with different changes in salivary free hormone concentrations and the relative changes in testosterone closely mapped 3RM squat performance in a group of highly trained males.

'The study contributes to the recent idea that sex improves an athlete's performance.CNN quoted Antonio Miguel, head of medical services at the Club Universidad Nacional Pumas, one of the Mexican first division's top soccer clubs, and a former football player, who said that the myth that sex before competing had been debunked.He said that during the 1950s and 1960s, people thought that sex had a negative impact on the players' performance.Juan Carlos Medina, general coordinator of the sports department at the Tecnologico de Monterrey, a Mexico university, said it has benfits for the athletes.

Sex can help wipe out mental fatigue to leave them feeling refreshed and confident, he claims.'It helps you feel relaxed and sexually, mentally and physically satisfied,' he said.Other ways of improving weightlifting techniques are including cardio exercise into the athlete's regime, consuming protein after a workout and avoiding over-straining themselves.

Nicki Minaj forced to cancel V Festival appearances due to 'vocal cord issues'

2012-08-20T02:32:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week she defied doctor's orders to rest her bruised vocal chords, but it seems that Nicki Minaj has finally seen sense.

The 29-year-old rapper cancelled her appearance at this weekend's V Festival in order to rest her voice.Her representative confirmed that she would have to back out of the shows because of 'strained vocal cords.'

The Starships singer was set to take to the 4 Music stage, but clearly decided to take her doctor's advice instead.According to Digital Spy, festival organisers released a statement that read: 'Miss Minaj's band and crew have all arrived in the UK ahead of the performance at the festival this weekend, however as the artist herself boarded her flight from New York on Friday 17th August, she felt unwell again.'This is despite having thought she had overcome her vocal cord issues from earlier in the week.

Having revisited her doctor she has now been advised to rest for a week, which unfortunately means that she is no longer able to perform at V Festival.'Minaj tweeted earlier this week that her voice had 'gone' following two gigs in New York which she decided to go ahead with.V Festival have instead brought in fun duo LMFAO to replace Minaj's slots at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park in Staffordshire.

Twins whose courage will break your heart: For 13 years, their bond has been unbreakable. Now Rachel is battling one of the world's rarest cancers - and her brother's fighting her corner with a devotion to humble any adult

2012-08-17T00:59:00.001-07:00

Seeing my twins Rachel and Jordan snuggled up on the sofa together watching TV, our Labrador pup Fizz at their feet, I am suffused with the most extraordinary range of emotions: pride, contentment and terrible sadness.Jordan has his arm draped protectively around Rachel. Aged 13 and already 5ft 10 in tall, he dwarfs his twin sister, a tiny 4ft 6 in. And the look in his eyes is of such love and devotion, I have to glance away so he won’t notice the tears welling behind my eyes.Because, as I watch them snuggle up in the living room of our home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, I can’t help but remember the moment 13 years ago that I brought them home for the first time.

As I put them down to sleep together in their cot, my precious twin babies, I naturally imagined they would be linked together for ever. I pictured them growing up side by side, always looking out for one another.And that’s the way it always has been. Of course, like most young brothers and sisters, they have taken each other for granted and, as the years rolled on and hormones kicked in, they have often fought like cat and dog.

But their bond is palpable and unbreakable.But now their paths have diverged in the most tragic way imaginable. Rachel has cancer. She was diagnosed last September with an incredibly rare brain tumour.

While Jordan is fit and healthy, we don’t know what the future holds for her. All we can do is hope and pray.While Jordan races off to play with friends, Rachel is so weak that she needs a stairlift just to get upstairs. When we go shopping, she’s in a wheelchair. She can’t even walk to the end of the road, let alone ride a bike or do any of the sports she once loved.I have tried to keep the seriousness of her condition from them and am determined to stay positive. But moments like that gentle embrace remind me how precious their physical closeness is.Sadly their father and I parted before they were born in July 1999. We weren’t married and he decided to play no part in their lives. As a single mother, I was determined my children wouldn’t miss out on a thing.I gave up my highly-pressured job as a paramedic when they were toddlers, only returning to work, part time, in 2007.

Although money has always been tight, I took Rachel to ballet classes when she was four. She showed real flair, rapidly progressing to jazz and tap. Jordan, meanwhile, is an all-round sportsman, passionate about football, cricket and rugby. When I wasn’t sitting with the other mums watching a tap class, I would be on the touchline, cheering Jordan on.Rachel was always the sensible, more cautious one. When I took them to school for the first time, it was Rachel who clung to my hand and Jordan who raced off without a backward glance.It was Jordan who was forever in and out of hospital. He was just three when he made his first visit to casualty.

He’d cut his chin open, racing out of the car so he would be first into the swimming pool. You couldn’t ever imagine Rachel being so daft.Another time, he was pelting around the school playground when he ran straight into Rachel. She ended up with two black eyes. Jordan was devastated. He couldn’t bear the thought he had hurt his sister.It was the first time I realised just how protective he was of her. After that, no one dared upset her at school or they’d have to answer to him.As they got older, inevitably, their interests diverged. A few years ago, Rachel developed a love for clothes and an enthusiasm for everything pink. Jordan was utterly baffled.

But they have always shared a love of sport. Last summer was typically action-packed. I took them on a Bear Grylls-style camping holiday in North Yorkshire. The highlight was cooking sausages over a fire they’d built themselves. They rode mountain bikes and went puddle-jumping.We then hired a narrowboat and pootled up and down the Bedfordshire canals for a week. Rachel learnt to steer, while Jordan operated the locks. Then, just after their 12th birthday in July, Rachel went to a Christian summer camp in Suffolk with a girlfriend.

It was the first time she’d been away without me and Jordan. She missed us but blossomed. When I picked her up, she seemed somehow more confident and outgoing.I was delighted to see my little girl turning into a poised young woman. She had been back at school — Wickersley Sports College, near Rotherham — for two weeks when she started suffering crippling headaches that made her physically sick. I put it down to hormones, at first, but then she just kept getting them.I was asleep in bed after a night shift when the school rang me. It was September 23. I could hear Rachel’s worried little voice in the background at the other end of the line: ‘Please don’t wake Mummy. She needs her sleep.’Rachel had been found with her head down on her desk, crying. I jumped out of bed and raced to pick her up.

As she walked to the car, she started weaving from side to side. As a trained paramedic, alarm bells rang. I knew this was serious.I took her straight to the doctor’s. He took one look at her and arranged for her to be admitted to Rotherham District Hospital for neurological tests. By now panic was mounting, but I tried to stay calm for her sake. ‘You will be fine, sweetheart,’ I promised.It was a mantra I kept repeating as scans showed she had a brain tumour. It was so large, fluid was unable to flow freely around her brain, hence the headaches. This was potentially deadly. Rachel was taken by ambulance to Sheffield Children’s Hospital, too sick to understand what was going on. I held her hand all the way.

My parents live nearby and are very close to the children. I broke the news over the phone. They’re in their 70s but rushed straight to the hospital with Jordan.Together we explained to Jordan that Rachel had a lump which needed to be removed — I wanted to be honest but protect him from the full details.‘Will she be all right Mum?’ he asked.‘She will need a lot of operations but it will all work out,’ I promised.The following morning Rachel had life-saving surgery to drain the fluid from her brain. The surgeon also took samples of the tumour for biopsy.With the pressure relieved, Rachel looked instantly better. Although she had to stay in hospital, I began to hope the tumour would be benign. Jordan visited every day. He missed his twin desperately and constantly asked when she was coming home.But then, on October 4 — two weeks after the biopsy — the results came back and my world fell apart.Rachel had a papillary tumour of the pineal gland — a gland of the endocrine system, which produces several important hormones including melatonin. No one else in Britain has been diagnosed with a tumour like it and there are believed to only be around 40 other cases in the world.Apparently, the tumour had been growing undetected for years. Rachel would need surgery to remove the tumour, which was now as big as a grapefruit, followed by intense radiotherapy.As the surgeon spelled out the risks — from death to brain damage — it seemed unbelievable that I was going to have to put my little girl through such suffering. But there was no choice. Surgery was her only hope.Rachel’s courage astounded me. Although I didn’t go into details, she understood this was a huge and dangerous operation. By now she had named her tumour Gertrude — she refused to use the word ‘cancer.’‘It’s time for Gertrude to go,’ she said firmly. The operation was scheduled for the following day.I tried to hide my terror but, as Jordan said goodbye to his sister, he held on to her hand just a little longer than normal and I knew they both sensed this might be the last time.The operation took 13 hours. Rachel pulled through. But she was terribly ill and, despite their best efforts, the surgeons only managed to remove half the tumour.

The weeks that followed were a nightmare. I was lucky enough to have a room in Treetop House — a home from home in the hospital for families of sick children. It meant that, when I wasn’t with Rachel, I could get some rest. Meanwhile Jordan went to stay with friends. I felt torn in two. Both my children needed me.Rachel was terribly sick. But the effect on Jordan of seeing his sister so poorly was heartbreaking.One day he found me feeding Rachel because she was too weak to raise a spoon to her lips. He ran out of the room, unable to bear seeing his sister so ill.

For the first time ever, he couldn’t protect her. ‘Is she going to die Mum?’ he asked one day.‘Darling, we are all going to die some time,’ I said. ‘The doctors are doing all they can. And we both have to be strong for her.’What else could I say when the truth was so stark and so terrifying? On November 9, Rachel had a second major operation to remove the remainder of the tumour. It was a success. But there was yet more treatment to come.

Three weeks later, once the scars had healed, Rachel started a six-week course of intense radiotherapy to kill off any stray cancer cells. The effects were devastating. Rachel was so sick, she couldn’t even keep the anti-nausea medicine down and was so weak, she could only stagger a few steps before collapsing in my arms. Nevertheless she was determined to get to the end.And she was thrilled when she was discharged from hospital just before Christmas.

We were together as a family at last. Finally on January 24 the treatment ended. Thankfully, a scan eight weeks later showed she was cancer-free.Two more scans at three-month intervals showed the same. It’s the best we can hope for. Because the cancer is so rare, it’s impossible to predict the future or say for certain that Rachel has beaten it.Rachel started school again in February. She finds it hard — her short-term memory is very poor. We hope this is just a temporary effect of surgery.She is still terribly weak. She lost nearly four stone while she was in hospital, but every day brings a new improvement.Her maturity has astounded me. She has never once complained that Jordan can do the things she can’t. To cheer her up, I bought a puppy. Jordan walks Fizz while Rachel does all the cuddling.

It seems fair.Meanwhile, Jordan shows compassion way beyond his years. He’s experienced a whole spectrum of emotions. He’s been angry that his sister is ill, jealous that she’s been getting more attention than him and guilty that he’s well and she’s not.It’s been incredibly tough but he’s worked through it all. It was the twins’ 13th birthday last month. We had a family barbecue. And as I watched Jordan rush to get plates of food for Rachel, I couldn’t help but feel that — however hard the last year has been and whatever the future holds — they are so lucky to have each other.

It’s my life, my damage – Tonto Dikeh

2012-08-16T10:50:00.001-07:00

Despite the controversy and buzz that seemed to have followed the yet-to-be-released blockbuster movie, My Life, My Damage was simply phenomenal and one of her best performances till date. Complimenting on her character in the movie, Dikeh before to the Damage trilogy, showed to many why she is one of the actresses of tomorrow’s Nollywood.

Written and produced by vivacious and amiable actress cum producer, Uche Jombo, My Life, My Damage deals with the consequences of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. A young lady who lives a reckless life abroad as a drug addict is given a rude shock when she discovers that she’s HIV positive and now has to seek redemption for herself. The movie tells the ugly story of young Dora I whose dream of becoming a medical doctor takes her on a roller coaster of missed steps that eventually defined her life.

A life she wishes could be reversed. Dead to her brother and alien to the world around her, Dora (Tonto Dikeh) choice of relationship brought about reversed romance, one filled with fun but with grave consequences. With an arresting plot, gripping story line and a commendable picture quality, My Life, My Damage showcases an array of international stars including Thomas H. Altman, Dani Palmer and Biola Williams, whose delivery and collaboration with two of Nollywood’s best, Tonto Dikeh and Bukky Wright gave an award-winning performance that made the message in the movie a compelling; delight to follow and easy to comprehend .

Speaking on the movie, the producer, Uche Jombo, said it’s high time Africa began to make movies that can best address some of the ills that has long affected it. “…Yea I agree that My Life, My Damage addresses a social phenomenon that is common to people the world over but like they say “Charity begins at home”. The earlier we begin to inform our children of the dangers of keeping bad company, the better so as to avoid future regret. The HIV/AIDS scourge and drug abuse has devastated many families the world over.
While some contacted the disease through ignorance, others were innocently infected. Set to begin its American tour with its first screening at the Nollywood Film Festival New York (NEA Awards) on September 1, 2012, the movie, directed by Moses Inwang, was set in modern day America. It got its good scenery from the state of Minnesota with some scenes shot in some choice locations in Lagos, Nigeria.

Now Facebook wants to put adverts in your NEWSFEED

2012-08-16T03:40:00.002-07:00

Will allow ANY firm to advertise on newsfeeds for the first time
Social networking giant already testing new scheme with 'tiny' number of users
Could eventually be forced on all users of the site
Comes as employees are to be allowed to sell stock for the first time on Thursday

Facebook has started to test putting adverts directly into people's newsfeeds.The changes allow firms to target 'non fans' for the first time, and the feature is expected to eventually be forced on all users of the site if the test is deemed a success.

The latest plans are expected to anger users who believe the site already has too many ads.

Today it emerged Mark Zuckerberg's company, still desperate to prove to investors it can make money, has been testing the new feature.It will see ads placed into users news feeds regardless of whether they have 'liked' the firm.According to TechCrunch, these tests are part of new department within the firm set up to deliver ads to web and mobile users.Currently, a firm can only buy advertisments that are displayed in Facebook's sidebar or Sponsored Stories.

The new system would let firms simply pay for an ad to be displayed without having to first attract 'fans' to its site.'We think this will make it easier for businesses to reach more people,' a Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch.The social network also said that it was approaching this new ad idea cautiously.'We want to be thoughtful about how we introduce ads in news feed, so we have limits in place to ensure that people's news feeds are not filled with advertising,' the spokesperson said

The move comes as Facebook is facing yet another crisis over its stock price.Insiders will be free to sell off about 271 million shares on Thursday after their 'lock in' period ends.Many are expected to sell as the stock is doing badly, closing on Tuesday at $20.38, its second-lowest close ever and a 46 percent drop in 12 weeks.

It also comes just weeks after it was revealed Facebook users are becoming increasingly fed up with adverts on the website.Researchers found 53 per cent of the sites UK users now believe that sponsored posts, brand pages and ads have become too intrusive.The study, conducted by www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, polled a total of 1,996 Facebook users from across the UK as part of research into Britons’ feelings about the social networking site.Facebook also recently came under fire when it emerged revealed today there are now more than 83 million fake users on its social network.The astonishing figure makes up 8.7 per cent of all Facebook's 995 million active users

The true scale of the problem was hidden in a company filing published this week, the first since the firm went public.The problem is so bad that some believe the fake users issue could affect Facebook's ability to attract advertisers.The largest group of fakes were duplicate accounts, such as those set up by people to keep their activities from their partner.The firm defined them as 'an account that a user maintains in addition to his or her principal account.'Others imaginary users were described as 'user-misclassified' where, Facebook said 'users have created personal profiles for a business, organisation, or non-human entity such as a pet'.A BBC investigation last month concluded that a rash of fake profiles was a major cause for concern for Facebook advertisers, although the firm told the BBC it had 'not seen evidence of a significant problem,'The BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones set up a fake company called VirtualBagel to investigate allegations of fake 'likes'.His investigation found that the large majority of 'likes' for the fake firm originated from the Middle East and Asia.

'He made that mistake because he needed help': Rihanna breaks down as she opens up to Oprah about Chris Brown assault

2012-08-16T02:53:00.002-07:00

Fans of Rihanna are eagerly awaiting her upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which the star will open up about her relationship with Chris Brown.And what she has to say about her ex-boyfriend, who was convicted of assaulting her three years ago, in the prerecorded interview will come as a surprise to some.The 24-year-old tells the host: 'I felt like the only person they hate right now is him. It was a weird, confusing space to be in.

'Because as angry as I was - as angry and hurt and betrayed - I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help. And who's going to help him? Nobody's going to say he needs help, everybody's going to say he's a monster, without looking at the source. And I was more concerned about him.'Previously released preview clips of the upcoming TV special Oprah: The Next Chapter, showed Rihanna describe the fall-out from the horrific night after a pre-Grammy party.She said: 'It was embarrassing it was humiliating... I lost my best friend.'

Oprah is then seen asking series of probing questions concerning Rihanna's past and present relationship with Brown, including 'Do you think Chris Brown is a true love for you?' and 'Where does your relationship stand today?'While producers saved Rihanna's answers for the actual episode, her replies managed to shock the talk show queen.Oprah exclaims: 'I would have never thought that.

You just shocked me.'In one of the promos ahead of the episode, Oprah, 58, reveals she had a pre-conceived idea of what to expect when she travelled to the singer's home country of Barbados.During the documentary, which was filmed on August 5, Rihanna went back to her childhood home in the island capital Bridgetown.

'It's amazing how lonely you can feel.'As well as crying, Rihanna also burst into laughter when Oprah commented on her frequent use of the F-word.Oprah also praised Rihanna for her skills behind the wheel: 'First of all I'm surprised by what a good driver she is.'Visiting her former home, Rihanna appears down-to-earth and humble as she chats to her old neighbours and embraces local children.

Teasing viewers to watch the interview, she said: 'She pushes the edge a lot, and there’s a reason for that.'Rihanna's appearance on Oprah's OWN channel comes three years after the talk show queen made a public appeal to the singer to leave her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown.Oprah spoke out a month after Rihanna was assaulted by the R&B singer, amidst rumours at the time they were still together.

The TV presenter said in 2009: 'If a man hits you once, he will hit you again. He will hit you again. It makes me so sad. Love doesn't hurt.'Both Chris Brown and Rihanna, if I were your friend, I would call you up and say give it some time. Get yourself some counseling. Take care of yourself. Heal yourself first.'Winfrey is hoping the Rihanna special will help her struggling network continue its comeback.

Olympic ballet girl's boyfriend killed himself after Viagra row: She dedicated her closing ceremony dance to tragic writer

2012-08-16T02:23:00.003-07:00

James Andrews was hit by train on railway line between Bristol and Bath
He posted message on Twitter to tell his friends he loved them

A ballet dancer who appeared in the Olympics closing ceremony dedicated her performance to the boyfriend who killed himself after they argued about his use of Viagra.

Writer James Andrews, 24, was hit by a train after Eleanor Sharpe discovered he had lied about his use of the drug, an inquest heard.Before she performed with Darcey Bussell at the Olympic stadium on Sunday, Miss Sharpe, 20, posted on Twitter a photograph of a note written by her late boyfriend which read: 'The whole world will watch you one day. With all my love, James x.'.

Mr Andrews committed suicide on Valentine's Day this year – the day he had planned to take Miss Sharpe, a member of the English National Ballet, on a trip to Paris.

After his death, Miss Sharpe said on her Twitter account that she was 'completely devastated'. She told a friend a few days later: 'I'm about to go on stage now, I hope he's watching somewhere xx.'Before his death Mr Andrews had written a message on the social networking site –

where he is believed to have met Miss Sharpe – saying: 'I wish every single one of you a long and happy life. I love you.'Another message posted less than four hours before he died read: 'For the past few months I've been really down and I'm so sorry for not asking people for help. Please no [sic] that I love you all. I'm so sorry.'At an inquest in Bristol on Tuesday, Miss Sharpe said that the two had been in a 'normal physical relationship' after meeting in January. Mr Andrews, from Finsbury Park, North London, had been staying in Bristol because Miss Sharpe was performing at a theatre in the city.His body was found on the railway line between Bristol and Bath, but it was not made clear why the taking of Viagra had been a contentious issue for the couple.

Miss Sharpe, the last known person to have seen Mr Andrews alive, said in a statement which was read at the hearing: 'I found out that he had lied to me about taking Viagra.'We met outside the Bristol Hotel [where Mr Andrews was staying] and he said he was sorry.'He had given me a gift which I found on Monday morning. I asked that we meet up to give it back.'He would not speak to me and hung up on the phone.'Mr Andrews, who was said by a friend on Twitter to have 'loved his ballerina', was found dead near the former St Anne's Park railway station the following day – February 14.Miss Sharpe said she went to his hotel, where staff told her that there had been an incident involving the police. She said: 'I messaged one of his friends and he told me what had happened.'The dancer also told the inquest that Mr Andrews's previous girlfriend had cheated on him and he had had to leave his last job after a breach in confidentiality.

John Wilson, of British Transport Police, told the inquest: 'The driver first saw him about 15 yards away and, despite his best efforts, the weight and speed of the train meant it was too late.'Found clenched in his right hand was a note and a plastic medal.' Numerous other notes addressed to family and friends were later discovered in his hotel room.Assistant coroner Terrence Moore recorded a verdict of suicide.

He said: 'We can be sure that he took his own life.'Notes which Mr Andrews left at the scene and at his hotel room indicate that he had intended his actions following a break-up of a short six-week relationship.' Following Mr Andrews's death, his friend Scott Bryan posted a tribute which read: 'A brilliant writer, photographer and journalist – an up-and-coming talent.'A man who had so much potential and was destined to do absolutely brilliant things.'

The Hairiest teenager

2012-08-15T09:23:00.001-07:00

The hairiest teenager is Supatra "Nat" Sasuphan (Thailand) according to the Ferriman Gallwey method of evaluation of Hirsutism. She was measured on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy, on 4 March 2010.
Meeting Nat was one of the many highlights of the show for on-screen adjudicator, Marco Frigatti. "She's a remarkable little girl," says Marco. "She's proud of who she is and wants to be treated just like everyone else. She's not the one with the problem - it's only those who treat her differently who've got the problem."

And Nat agrees. "I don't feel any different to anyone else, and I've got lots of friends at school." Now a celebrity, she's starting to enjoy her fame, and was thrilled by the chance to visit a foreign country. "It's really fun and exciting," she told us, "and it's my first time on a plane. I've never been outside Thailand." But her most exciting experience was the moment she was crowned Hairiest Child. "Being hairy makes me special," she said, adding: "This the happiest day of my life!"

Summer Jam Fest with Rick Ross is this Friday August 17th

2012-08-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

St. Eve Magazine in collaboration with Trace Urban presents Summer Jam Fest featuring Rick Ross. Check banner for details.

Michelle Obama joins President Obama to wrap up Iowa bus tour

2012-08-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

First lady Michelle Obama—vastly more popular than her husband—joins President Barack Obama in Iowa on Wednesday as he wraps up a three-day campaign bus tour of the Hawkeye State. The Obamas will also sit down for a joint interview with People magazine.

The Obamas will hold rallies in Dubuque and Davenport before leaving this potentially pivotal battleground state and heading back to Washington.

Several polls in late May found that 2 out of 3 Americans say they have a positive opinion of

Michelle Obama. That's about 10 points higher than her husband's favorability ratings—and 20 points higher than his job approval numbers.

The Iowa bus tour has highlighted some of the president's other political assets and tactics: It opened with his announcement of a major aid package for farmers and ranchers hit hard by the worst drought in a half-century, showcasing the power of incumbency.

And Obama has cast newly minted Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan in the role of villain in his stump speech, telling every audience he's had in Iowa that Ryan is "the ideological leader" of House Republicans. A new Gallup poll found that just 10 percent of Americans say they approve of the way lawmakers are doing their job, fueling the president's efforts to run against Congress. Obama has also seamlessly integrated Ryan into his chief campaign narrative on the economy: that the Republican ticket will fight for the very rich, not the middle class.

The president has made no secret that he hopes to rekindle his love affair with voters in Iowa, the cradle of his long-shot victory over Hillary Clinton four years ago. Iowa holds a paltry six electoral college votes out of the 270 needed to win, but Obama and Mitt Romney have been running neck and neck here and the state is considered a potentially crucial toss-up.
[Political junkie? Sign up for the Yahoo! News Daily Ticket newsletter today]
"I'm going to need your help. I'm going to need you fired up again," he told supporters in a middle school gym in Marshalltown on Tuesday.
Obama, who freely acknowledges on the stump that the magic of 2008 has faded, has made it a point to focus on his campaign's get-out-the-vote efforts. His campaign has bet the outcome in November on its lavish "ground game," the unprecedented machine that helped him capture the White House four years ago and never really went away. At each stop, he has urged supporters to visit the voter registration site gottaregister.com.
"That's g-o-t-t-a. I'm sorry, teachers, but it's 'gotta.' It's not 'got to,' it's 'gotta.' Gottaregister.com," he said in Marshalltown.
Obama spoke mostly to small crowds in Iowa—4,300 in Council Bluffs, 2,200 in Boone, 852 in Oskaloosa, 555 in Marshalltown and 1,800 in Waterloo. But campaign stagecraft results in pictures and television footage in which he seems mobbed by well-wishers.
The president has also sought to polish his "regular guy" credentials with stops at coffee shops, Iowa's famous state fair, and the Pump Haus brewery. Perhaps fighting for rumored "who would I rather have a beer with?" voters, Obama has played up his fondness for that all-American beverage.

"Hey everyone who's over 21, you gotta buy a beer!" he said while visiting the Bud Tent at the state fair. (The establishment's Republican owner later complained that the tight security required for the president's visit had cost him $25,000.) Some supporters chanted "four more beers," according to a pool report. (Hey, it's catchier than "a thousand pints of light.")

On Tuesday morning, Obama stopped at the Coffee Connection in Knoxville. At one point, he sent at aide back to his black Ground Force One armored bus to get a patron a bottle of the White House's home-brew. (News outlets have been writing about that first-of-its-kind operation since at least September 2011.)

This is no campaign conversion: In addition to launching the White House's home-brew efforts, Obama quaffed a Guinness during a St. Patrick's Day outing at an Irish pub earlier this year. And, perhaps most famously, his response to a clash between a white Cambridge police officer and an African-American Harvard professor was to invite the two men to a "beer summit" at the White House in July 2009.

Vice President Joe Biden—who, like Mitt Romney, doesn't drink—joined the group, but consumed a nonalcoholic beer.

Dear Readers: How do I get my in-laws out of my home?

2012-08-15T08:17:00.002-07:00

Dear Readers, I married my husband in December 2010 and moved into a four bedroom duplex he owns but shares with other members of his family. My husband's mother, sister and brother lives with us. They've been living with him long before I married him but after I moved in he promised me he would eventually get them their own place.

It's been over one year and a half now and they are all still living with us. It is not like they give me any problems but I want my own space, my own home. I've tried to get my husband to ask them to leave but he hasn't done anything about it. He's too attached to them and it's making married life very difficult for me. How do I get my in-laws to leave my house? Should I confront them since my husband has refused to do himself? Please help!

Zaaki Azzay's 8 year marriage ends; wife claims years of battery!!!!

2012-08-15T08:02:00.001-07:00

After 8 years and three children together, Zaaki Azzay's marriage to Hadiza Azzay has ended. The marriage actually ended four months ago but we are all getting to know about it now because the ex-couple are involved in a bitter custody battle. The police are even now involved.

29 year old Hadiza told me she packed out of her husband's house on April 17th after being badly battered the day before by Zaaki. She was able to leave with two of her children, but the third one, her eldest child, is still living at home.

She said he had been battering her for years, sometimes he would beat her so much she would faint, but her family kept telling her to go back to him for the sake of their children. She said she left him twice last year but returned to him after much pressure from family and friends. But when the battery continued, she made up her mind to end her marriage for good because she didn't want to be another dead wife.

Hadiza was a housewife, so since leaving her husband she has been under the care of an NGO that takes care of battered women. They've given her and her children shelter and are taking up her case.

She will issue an official press statement telling her side of the story in the coming days...right now she's dealing with the police who arrested her for allegedly 'kidnapping' her own children. She says Zaaki has been using the police to harass her. More on this later...

Photos Of Mr Ibu With Female Fans In Houston

2012-08-15T03:37:00.002-07:00

Mr Ibu, the most finest guy in .........

Teacher, 65, loses home and £120k life savings to an internet conman she met while looking for love online

2012-08-15T02:35:00.004-07:00

When Alison Peters’ 42-year marriage hit a rocky patch, she sought comfort with a man she met on a dating website.

But unbeknown to Alison, 65, a teacher, her new romance was an internet scammer – who was to cruelly fleece her of £120,000.

Today, Alison who is now living in a caravan and trying to piece her life back together said: 'I can’t believe I was so stupid. I thought I was an intelligent woman. But I have lost my savings, my home – and almost completely lost my marriage.

'My life has been left in ruins.'

Alison’s nightmare began last year after she decided to try online dating.

She says: 'I’d recently moved out of the home I shared with my husband David, 68. We were going through a rocky period in our 42 year marriage.

'“David said he wanted a fresh start. He wanted to sell our house. He wanted to buy a boat and go sailing round the world without me. I was devastated. I hoped he was having a mid-life crisis but then he put our house on the market and we’d both seen solicitors and decided to divorce.'

A few weeks earlier Alison, a mum of two and grandmum of four, had been to a friend’s wedding.

'She was marrying a wonderful man she had met on the internet,' she recalls, 'and so as my marriage was over I thought why not. My profile said, "Woman going through divorce... I am looking for friendship, good conversation and companionship".

'I put up a photo and was amazed when a few days later I had seven replies.'

One was from Steve Myers. Claiming to be a widow aged 55, he said his wife had died twelve years ago. Half English and half Hungarian, he’d lived in America for a long time but he now had houses in Virginia, the U.S. and Croydon.

Says Alison from Basingstoke, Hants: 'Steve claimed he worked as a self-employed petroleum engineer earning £100,000 a year and travelled the world.

'Within an hour of messaging, I found myself pouring my heart out to him: "You deserve better," he wrote sympathetically after I’d said how devastated I was about my marriage.
'He sent me a photo and when I saw his kind face, I couldn’t help but warm to him.'

The next day Steve rang explaining away his unusual accent with the fact that he travelled so much.

Over the next few days Alison could barely wait until the evening when they would chat online.

And over the next couple of weeks his emails became affectionate.

'He would write, "You’re someone I could marry" and when I said I was a Christian, back came another email full of bible quotes.'

Within five weeks the pair had agreed to meet. But as the big day arrived there was a problem.

Recalls Alison: ‘He told me he’d been called to the US. He said, ‘"There’s an oil contract in Malaysia that my company bid for – a $5.2 million dollar contract. I need to go to a conference in the US run by a large energy company."

'On his way to the airport, I got another surprise phone call: "You couldn’t top up my mobile phone credit could you?" he asked, "Only I’m not going to be able to do it while I’m away."

'I said, "Of course not," What was £50 pounds between friends…

Over the next couple of weeks, Steve continued to email. It was agreed Alison would pick him up from the airport and Steve sent his flight details.

'My stomach tingled as I imagined us running into one another’s arms,' says Alison, who booked a hotel for him.

Only the day before he was due to return her mobile rang. She expected to hear Steve’s voice but it was another man on the end of the phone.

'The Asian sounding man had a message for me. There had been a big explosion and accident on the site in Malaysia. Unfortunately Steve had to cancel his flight to the UK and fly to Malaysia that day.

'The news hit me in the stomach. I’d been so excited to meet Steve at last. I’d even already paid for his hotel room.'

A few days later, in November, Steve rang, this time asking for $12,000 to buy equipment.

Alison admits: 'A tiny part of me nagged that it wasn’t genuine. But he told me he was going to give me a share of the 5.2 million dollar contract. And when tenatively I mentioned about scams Steve was so offended.'

Over the next few weeks she wired over the rest of her £23,000 savings.

'Once my daughter Catherine overheard me talking about money with Steve but I assured her I wasn’t sending him money,' she says.

However, she was still paying £50 a month for his mobile phone bill and Steve had promised her he’d soon be back in the UK.

And by now January 2012 she’d taken out two bank loans on the internet and sent over another £20,000 for more equipment.

'But when Steve asked me for more money to pay tax I told him he’d have to wait until the house I shared with David was sold.;

Then in February Alison rang husband David to discuss the house. 'Just hearing his voice made me realise how much I wanted to be with him, she recalls, 'and David felt the same about me.

'I told Steve from now on our relationship could be on a business footing.'

In February the house was sold and Alison moved into a caravan until she could afford another property. But Steve needed more money.

'Steve had so many bills to pay and was under so much strain, he’d been diagnosed with prostate cancer. So I sent him £70,000. It was terrible news but at last the contract was finished.

This is one of the pictures that the scammers pretending to be a man called 'Steve' sent to Anne

‘At the same time I received an email from an organisation called Crown Third Party Finance to let me know 5.2 million dollars was waiting to go into my account.

'The only snag was before it was to be released, I’d have to pay £10,000 for a special certificate.'

Alison had no money so went to David, who thought it was a scam – but Alison showed him documents and convinced him to hand over the money.

She says: 'I expected to see millions in my bank account soon.'

But, of course nothing ever arrived.

On her daughter’s advice, Alison went to the Police – who believed she’d been part of an elaborate sting. They promised to investigate but warned Alison she was unlikely to get the money back.

'As soon as I got home, I emailed Steve,' says Alison, 'I was in a terrible state. I said, "You’re a scammer and I’ve gone to the Police. Because of you I’ve lost everything …"

'Incredibly, Steve emailed back denying it was a scam. But by then I knew it was. I put my head in my hands and wept. When I found Steve wasn't real, but a person made up by some scammers to dupe me I felt so betrayed.

'At the time I had liked him so much. At my lowest my confidence was bolstered. At the time I truly believed I'd found a true companion, someone who understood me.

'To find out he wasn't real and just concocted for me was terrible.'

She adds: 'Thankfully David has stood by me. And in fact he has helped me through this terrible time. In a way it's brought us both closer together and it's made us realise we don't want to throw away 42 years of marriage.

'We still have our ups and downs but we're determined to make our relationship work.

'A few weeks ago he moved into the caravan with me and has bought a boat. We are hoping to buy a little bungalow together.

'But I will never get over losing so much money. I still wake up every morning and ask myself how I could have been sucked into a scam like this. I still feel incredibly foolish for believing all those lies.

'But the lies were clever and I was at a vulnerable stage in my life. Even the Police said I was "ripe for the picking", I only hope telling my story will warn others.'

Largest natural breasts

2012-08-14T11:04:00.001-07:00

The largest breast belongs to Annie Hawkins-Turner (aka Norma Stitz) (USA) who has an under breast measurement of 109.22 cm (43 in) and an around chest-over-nipple measurement of 177.8 cm (70 in).

Mysterious snake disease decoded

2012-08-14T10:31:00.003-07:00

A novel virus has been identified as the possible cause of a common but mysterious disease that kills a significant number of pet snakes all over the world, thanks to research led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)—and three snakes named Juliet, Balthazar and Larry.

The virus, previously not thought to infect snakes at all, appears to cause “inclusion body disease.” Long the bane of zoo officials and exotic pet owners, the deadly illness spreads among boas and pythons in captivity, causing micro clumps of clustered proteins to form inside the snake, leading to bacterial infections, neurological problems, anorexia and withering, leading to death.

The new work, described this week in the American Society for Microbiology’s new open-access journal mBio, paves the way toward developing diagnostics and treatments, which may make it possible to eradicate the disease from snake collections worldwide.

“It’s a devastating disease when it gets into a collection, zoo or aquarium because it’s essentially fatal every time,” said Joe DeRisi, PhD, the senior author of the study, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator (HHMI) and vice chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UCSF.

Surprisingly, he said, the cause of the illness appears to be a completely new set of viruses of a type known as an arenavirus. The discovery came as a complete a shock to the team of scientists because, while arenaviruses are common in rodents and cause extremely nasty infections in other mammals, nobody knew they could infect reptiles.

“Now we have found that they infect snakes, as well,” said Mark Stenglein, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at UCSF who is the first author on the paper.

Stenglein, DeRisi and their colleagues isolated at least two strains of the arenaviruses from half a dozen snakes afflicted with inclusion body disease. They could find no traces of the same viruses in snakes that were free from disease.
Arenaviruses infect mostly rodents but occasionally people, and can cause fatal hemorrhagic diseases like Lassa fever, which kills thousands of people every year in Africa. There is no evidence, however, that a snake has ever transmitted an arenavirus infection to a person despite the fact that snake owners and veterinarians handle infected snakes all the time, said DeRisi.
Three Snakes That Shook the World

For years, many experts have hypothesized that a virus or some other infectious pathogen might cause inclusion body disease because of evidence that it spreads easily from snake to snake. No definitive cause has been identified until now, and the discovery may never have occurred if not for a random sequence of events, including cases of inclusion body disease in an aquarium collection, a friendly DNA sequencing competition among scientists, a postdoctoral researcher who was looking for a project, and a snake owner worried about her favorite pet.

The story began with a snake named Larry, and his owner, Taryn Hook of San Jose, California. Before Larry, Hook had lost two snakes to inclusion body disease, and, in early 2009, she became convinced Larry had it as well. He was developing bacterial infections similar to what Hook had seen with her two other snakes. Knowing there was no treatment or cure, she was desperate to find anyone who might save her snake.

Hook took Larry to see the exotic pet veterinarian Chris Sanders, DVM, owner of the nearby Wildwood Veterinary Hospital. Sanders had just attended a conference at which he had heard DeRisi talking about his Virochip DNA microarray technology and its ability to identify viruses, fungi and other pathogens—including at least one exotic pet disease, a mysterious parrot virus—when no other gene probing technology could. The parrot virus was discovered by DeRisi and Don Ganem, MD, at the time an HHMI investigator and professor of microbiology and medicine at UCSF, in 2008.

Could DeRisi help save Larry the snake as well? Sanders suggested to Hook she had nothing to lose by asking.

DeRisi was in his office one morning in early 2009 when he spied a hand-written letter in his stack of daily mail. Inside was a plea from Hook describing Larry’s illness. She had heard he had found the cause of a mysterious parrot disease. Would he do for snakes what he did for parrots? She enclosed a picture of herself with Larry.
Having never heard of the disease, DeRisi set the letter aside and it was lost under a pile of paper. Only months later, while cleaning his office, did he stumbled across it again. He was about to toss it away, but in scanning the letter again he noticed Hook mentioned the local exotic pet veterinarian Sanders. So he called, they spoke, and DeRisi decided to take on the project.
“It satisfied all the criteria as an interesting disease,” DeRisi said. But first he had to find samples to test from infected snakes.

Around the same time, inclusion body disease was diagnosed in a snake at the Steinhart Aquarium in the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Also discovered were snake mites, which are believed to be a possible vector for passing the disease from snake to snake.

Academy veterinarian Freeland Dunker decided to test all of the boas exposed to the infected snake for the disease—a complicated procedure requiring a surgical biopsy of the liver. He discovered a few more were infected, and all of them had to be euthanized to prevent any spread of the disease. Dunker asked his pathologist, Drury Reavill DVM if she knew of any current research being done on inclusion body disease for which tissues from the euthanized snakes could be used. As it turned out, Reavill had already been in touch with DeRisi’s group and knew they were looking for samples.

The effort to find the virus went into overdrive after Stenglein joined the DeRisi laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow and took on the project. But before he and DeRisi could find traces of the virus they needed to know the sequence of the boa constrictor genome so they could distinguish snake DNA sequences from viral sequences in the diseased animals. The problem was that there were no snake genomes available.

Thus, their first step was to sequence the entire boa constrictor genome, and they had to start with a snake that they were sure was free of inclusion body disease. At the Academy, Dunker helped in this effort by collecting blood from a boa constrictor named Balthazar, an education animal which was housed separately, had no contact with the rest of the boa snake collection and tested negative for the inclusion body disease.

Substantial help in the sequencing effort came from scientists participating in a friendly competition called the Assemblathon 2, which was sponsored by UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis. Balthazar’s DNA was sequenced and a number of groups around the country competed to build (assemble) the most complete genome sequence possible using the raw data.

Characterizing Balthazar’s genome paved the way for finding the arenavirus in the midst of millions of other sequences of the snakes’ DNA. This “needle in the haystack” problem was solved using custom software written in the DeRisi lab, and made available for free on his website.
This is where the shock came.

The team found two arenavirus strains in the snakes—a surprise in itself; but in addition, they observed that theviruses did not look like your ordinary arenaviruses. They looked like distant relatives of other arenaviruses but had protein coats that were more similar to those of Ebola viruses. Like arenaviruses, Ebola virus can cause fatal hemorrhagic fever when transmitted to humans. Neither of those viruses has ever been known to infect reptiles, and although it had been postulated that they share a common ancestor, no such virus linking them had ever been discovered.

Once the virus was computationally identified, the team had to find a way to grow the virus so that it could be studied further. Because the virus infects boa constrictors, the ideal way to grow it, the team reasoned, would be to infect boa constrictor cells, but no such cell line existed. So DeRisi and Stenglein turned to a third snake, named Juliet.

Juliet was a red tailed boa owned by Chris Sanders, who’d had her since his days as a young veterinary student. She was about 20 years old when Balthazar’s genome was being assembled and was dying of lymphoma. When she ultimately succumbed to the cancer, Sanders harvested her kidneys and the DeRisi laboratory was able to use them to make a boa constrictor cell line.

The scientists took virus from diseased snakes, added it to Juliet’s kidney cells growing in petri dishes and showed that the snakes accumulated exactly the same “clumps” of proteins as had been observed in the sick snakes from the Academy. Antibodies raised against the virus showed that these clumps were formed from arenavirus protein, further strengthening the association of this new virus and the deadly disease.

In solving this longstanding veterinary mystery and setting the stage for treatments, vaccines, and perhaps even eradication of this disease, the scientists also discovered an unexpected new branch of virus biology: The viruses they found appear to be a combination of arenaviruses and filoviruses, neither of which has been known to infect reptiles.

Record-breaking 17ft Burmese python bursting with 87 eggs is found in Florida...and authorities let it roam free for a MONTH on purpose

2012-08-14T04:18:00.000-07:00

A monstrous Burmese python measuring 17 feet, 7 inches and carrying a record-breaking 87 eggs has been captured in Florida.

Weighing in at a colossal 164.5 pounds, the giant female is the largest snake of its kind found in the state and serves as further evidence of how the foreign predator is threatening local wildlife, say researchers.

'This thing is monstrous, it's about a foot wide,' said Kenneth Krysko, from the Florida Museum of Natural History. 'It means these snakes are surviving a long time in the wild, there's nothing stopping them and the native wildlife are in trouble.'

The massive constrictor snake was first caught by researchers in the Everglades National Park in March. After being fitted with radio transmitters, it was returned to the wild as what scientists call a ‘Judas snake.’

Scientists tracked the snake's movements to learn about how the species are invading the area - using the bugged reptile to locate other snakes as they congregated for mating.

Burmese pythons, native to southern Asia, arrived in the U.S. three decades ago as part of the exotic pet industry. Although the species are not poisonous they are powerful enough to kill humans by suffocating them.

The researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey recaptured the predator in April and it was euthanized using isoflurane gas.

The snake was taken to the Museum of National History for examination where a staggering 87 eggs and feathers were found in its stomach. The feathers will now be identified by the museum’s ornithologists.

Researchers believe that the Burmese python population ranges from the thousands to the hundreds of thousands.

It is believed that the increasing population of Burmese pythons found in southern Florida is partly due to people no longer wanting them as pets and releasing them into the wild.

Burmese pythons are carnivores, primarily surviving on small mammals and birds. Rabbits and foxes in the Everglades have reportedly disappeared and the sightings of raccoons and opossums have diminished by more than 90 per cent, according to researchers.

A Burmese python kills by constriction, grasping victims with their teeth and then coiling their bodies around them, squeezing until the prey suffocates. Ligaments in their jaws allow them to swallow their prey whole.

Although they are nervous of humans, the snakes can kill children and adults using this constriction method.

'By learning what this animal has been eating and its reproductive status, it will hopefully give us insight into how to potentially manage other wild Burmese pythons in the future,' Krysko said.

He said that 25 years ago it would be a challenge to capture a Burmese python in the Everglades but now researchers can find up to 14 of them in just one day.

Previous state records for Burmese pythons found in the wild were 16.8 feet and 85 eggs, according to researchers.