Eden Hazard signing contract with Chelsea FC

        Today Hazard shocked everyone by tweeting "I'm signing for the champion's league winner". As Drogba is goin out of chelsea and senior players like Lampard reaching their mid 30s Chelsea need some young talents as soon as possible. Arrival of Hazard to Chelsea may satisfy this need. Next season of English Premier League will be more exciting than ever.

Queen prepares to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee; support for Royal Family is at its highest

Support for the royal family is at its highest for more than a decade as the Queen prepares to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, a poll indicates.

           Sixty-nine per cent of Britons think the country would be worse off without the monarchy compared to 22 per cent who would like to see it abolished, according to an ICM poll. The 47 percentage point margin is the widest since the same questions were first put to Britons by the research company in 1997. Despite the support, the poll suggested people are more divided over who should succeed the Queen.
            Asked what should happen when the Queen dies or if she abdicates, 39 per cent said the Prince of Wales should become king, while 48 per cent believed the it should skip a generation and his son, the Duke of Cambridge, should be crowned William V. The research, commissioned by The Guardian, also suggests royalist attitudes spread equally among the social classes, and across the regions of England and Wales.  
            However, in Scotland 36 per cent said the country would be better off without the monarchy, while 50 per cent supported it. Support is stronger among the older, and among Conservative voters, in whose ranks it reaches 82 per cent.

Guinness World Records ; The most bowling balls juggled is 3

          (Dan) Strong arms and great coordination required here! - The most bowling balls juggled is 3 and was achieved by Milan Roskopf (Slovakia). Weighing 4.53 kgs (10 lbs) each, Milan juggled these balls for 28.69 seconds at the Prague juggling marathon!

Fox News viewers worst-informed, study finds

Fox News viewers are less informed than those who watch other programmes, or no TV news at all, research has found

         A study conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey, found that on average, the average American was able to correctly answer 1.8 out of four questions on international news and 1.6 out of five on domestic. Fox News followers however only answered 1.04 domestic questions correctly, which is worse than those who said they watched no media at all – which stood at 1.22.
         The study, which surveyed 1,185 people, found that in comparison, those who listened to National Public Radio fared best, answering 1.51 questions correctly, while those watching The Daily Show, which mixes current affairs with humour, scored 1.42. "These differences may be small, but even small differences are important when we're talking about millions of people," said Dan Cassino, political scientist and poll analyst. "We expect that watching the news should help people learn, but the most popular of the national media sources – Fox, CNN, MSNBC – seem to be the least informative."
          Fox News responded by focusing on Fairleigh Dickinson's academic record – Forbes ranked it 585 out of 650 US colleges. "Considering FDU's undergraduate school is ranked as one of the worst in the country," a Fox News spokesman said, "we suggest the school invest in improving its weak academic program instead of spending money on frivolous polling – their student body does not deserve to be so ill-informed."

Aspirin: The Anti-Aging Pill

        Studies suggest it lowers cancer and heart disease in you. The bonus: it could grant you clearer, younger-looking skin, too. Yup—there is some risk, but here’s how to minimize. Aspirin, the little pill that packs a punch against heart disease and stroke, boasts another health claim: reducing your chances of having a cancer and of dying from a cancer if you get one. Another plus? It can help your skin look younger, longer, and fight acne to boot!

The Real Deal With Aspirin & Your Heart

         Aspirin is a blood-thinner by nature, so keeping your vessels clearer of clots puts you at a lower risk for heart attack and stroke. But a slew of recent analyses have looked at aspirin’s effects on several cancers. In one, University of Oxford researchers reported that the risk of getting cancer (and dying from cancer) of the breast, ovaries, prostate, esophagus, colon and rectum (both genders) and brain dropped substantially—like 30 to 60 percent less—for those taking daily aspirin for three years or more. Aspirin’s protective effects held up for various kinds of cancer and kept them from spreading, too: breast, lung, brain, esophageal and colon cancer to name just a few. And never take hormone therapy or birth control pills without aspirin.

Are You Leading Your Healthiest Life?

        There are two suspected ways it may help battle cancer. For one, aspirin hinders an enzyme that’d otherwise promote tumor growth. It also has a big inflammation-quelling component—and too much of this kind of irritation compromises cells, leaving them vulnerable to abnormal growth. It’s this inflammation-fighting effect that helps aspirin slow aging—a huge favor for your complexion. Inflammation takes its toll on the skin in a variety of ways—including acne, rosacea, and visible signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging skin. High levels of inflammation cause a faster rate of collagen breakdown, which can accelerate the aging process. Collagen helps give your skin structure, helping it to look full, smoother and elastic. When it breaks down, skin starts to sag, wrinkle, and look less vibrant.

Claim: A Pill to Erase Aging

         Another aspirin plus? Fighting breakouts. The acetylsalicylic acid in aspirin is a close relative of salicylic acid, which is a dermatologist favorite to treat acne. Though the compounds aren’t quite the same, some people swear by aspirin masks to calm that big, red zit. Simply make a paste of crushed aspirin, and spread it on your face to reduce inflammation, and remove oil and dead skin cells. If you’re not a candidate for daily oral aspirin, give this topical do-it-yourself beauty treatment a try! Who should take a daily aspirin? Not everyone. But a major risk is GI upset and GI bleeding. You can minimize those by taking a half glass of warm water before and after your two baby aspirin’s a day (the dose we recommend you discuss with your doc). Now we hate to tell you to see your doc—but here you should. Only your doctor can help you decide if the benefits of daily aspirin will truly outweigh your risks, so consult with yours before adding aspirin to your daily routine.

Gary Connery: stuntman completes 2400ft skydive without a parachute

       The 42-year-old daredevil plunged from a helicopter in a death-defying feat before landing in an area containing 18,600 cardboard boxes. The father-of-two, a veteran of 880 sky dives, 450 base jumps and dozens of film and television roles, jumped this afternoon above Ridge Wood, Bucks to become the first person to jump from such a height and live without deploying a parachute. The entire flight of nearly a mile took less than a minute and was only given the green light because the weather conditions were “perfect”. Mr Connery, from nearby Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, dropped for three seconds before reaching speeds of more than 80mph in a specially developed wing suit that "started to fly". He landed on a strip measuring about 350ft (100m) by 45ft (15m) - and at its highest point 12ft off the ground - at Temple Island Meadows, on the Buckinghamshire and Berkshire border.

        In order to survive the audacious stunt, he had to flare his wing suit about 200ft from his target in order to bring his gliding speed down to 50mph and his vertical falling speed to 15mph. He landed to cheers from thousands of people who watched his feat and was met on the ground by his wife Vivienne, who gave him a kiss. He celebrated his achievement with champagne on the ground. Mr Connery, whose films include Die Another Day, The Beach, Batman Begins and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, said it had been an "amazing feeling". "I feel absolutely wonderful, I am overwhelmed," he told reporters afterwards. "I am in a strange zone at the moment. It is an amazing feeling. I feel incredible, just completely elated. "I am so choked with the turnout. It was so comfortable and so soft. I got my calcualtions absolutely right. There was some turbulence."

        He added: "The fear comes before you get into the helicopter. You don't get in before you have dealt with that. "These suits are amazing. There is so much support in them. I could just go with it. "I have been training and planning for this record attempt for many years now and I am so proud to have achieved a world first." He continued: "I want to thank everyone involved for their support and belief in me because this really has been a team effort." Tonight will be all about celebrating with friends and family, tomorrow I will be plotting my next daring challenge." Mrs Connery, 45, who owns a cafe in Henley, added: "I am just so relieved it is all over." Before the jump he insisted he would survive, as performing stunts was "his life" but admitted to being “a bit scared”.

         “I'm 100 per cent confident I can achieve this jump,” said the former paratrooper, who has trained for the jump in the Swiss and Italian alps. “I know I can fly, I know I can hit the target, I feel I've assessed the risk that I'm presented with and I've put everything in place to minimise that risk. "This stunt will get great recognition and will be a post in the runway of aviation history. I'm sure plenty of people will think I'm bonkers but that's OK, I take that as a compliment." He added: "Now we have the green light, I can't wait to go for it. "The last few days have been a whirl of activity making sure everything is in place for flight. "There has been so much interest in my world first attempt and a huge amount of support from the British public." He admitted his wife and children Kali, 15 and Lydia, 19, were worried. He made his first parachute jump as an Army recruit at the age of 23 and has since become a professional stuntman. He has leapt from the top of London’s Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Nelson's Column and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Patrick De Gayardon, the French aristocrat inventor of the modern wing suit, died when his parachute malfunctioned over Hawaii in 1998.

US cuts $33 million in aid to Pakistan over Osama bin Laden doctor sentence

      The US is to cut $33 million from the aid it sends Pakistan over the jailing of the doctor who helped the CIA hunt for Osama bin Laden, in a fresh blow to the battered relations between the two states.

      Congressmen on the powerful Senate appropriations committee voted to cut $1 million from the $800 million annual budget for each of the 33 years that Dr Shakeel Afridi has been told he must serve in jail for working with a foreign intelligence agency. Dr Afridi set up a fake vaccination campaign in Abbottabad in an attempt to obtain blood samples from bin Laden's family, as the CIA tried to confirm the al-Qaeda chief's presence in a nearby villa. Lindsey Graham, a Republican of South Carolina who helped push through the measure, said: "We don't need a Pakistan that is just double dealing." Senators including John McCain, the former Republican presidential nominee, have described Dr Afridi as "courageous, heroic, and patriotic," and demanded that he be pardoned. Their intervention came as a retired Pakistani army officer familiar with the case told The Daily Telegraph that Dr Afridi had told his interrogators that his handlers never disclosed their target's identity. Shaukat Qadir, a retired brigadier who has been given access to interrogation transcripts, said yesterday that Dr Afridi was initially asked to work in two neighbourhoods.

      However, after being ordered to focus his efforts on one house in the days before the May 2 raid to kill bin Laden, he asked his CIA handler "Peter", via satellite phone, for a payment of $10,000. "He knew they were looking for someone. When the search homed in on one house he asked for more money, which he was paid," said Brigadier Qadir. "So he knew it was someone important and he may have had suspicions but he was never told it was bin Laden." Dr Afridi is expected to appeal against his sentence, which was handed down under Pakistan's tribal justice system, a hangover from British colonial rule. The handling of the case has been criticised by the US, where many suspect that at best Pakistan has dragged its feet over seeking out foreign militants and at worst has protected al-Qaeda figures. Dr Afridi is being held in solitary confinement at Peshawar Central Prison, in north-west Pakistan. Officials said he was "weak and depressed", and was given medicine for a stomach complaint by doctors.
      Samad Khan, a prison official, said: "He has been kept away from other prisoners to avert any danger to his life." Dr Afridi's wife and three children have disappeared from their home in the Khyber tribal area and are believed to be in hiding. Congressman Peter King, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the Obama administration had doomed Dr Afridi by leaking details of the vaccination ruse to the media. "They put him out there," said Mr King. "I'm focused on that they disclosed his identity." The countries also remain at loggerheads over allowing Nato supply convoys to use Pakistani roads to reach Afghanistan. Pakistan has blocked passage since a US air strike killed 24 of its soldiers in November. A Pakistani government spokesman yesterday insisted that the US should respect the conviction because "it was in accordance with Pakistani laws and by the Pakistani courts".

Egyptians choose their leader for first time in 5,000 years

       It never used to be like this. The moment Egyptians finally lost their respect for President Hosni Mubarak, whose joyless grin dominated their lives for three decades, came when a state newspaper carried a photograph of Middle East leaders at the White House grotesquely photoshopped to show him standing not behind but in front of President Obama. Now men like Amr Moussa, used to receiving sheikhs and monarchs with due pomp and ceremony as head of the Arab League, and Mohammed Morsi, whose Muslim Brotherhood have waited decades for their chance at power, had to wait behind their fellow citizens, like everybody else. There were few overt signs of celebration on this, the first of two days of voting in Egypt's presidential elections, at how everything had changed. There was enthusiasm that voters would get to choose their leader for the first time in 5,000 years of glorious history, but no whoops or fireworks. Some of the excitement of the Tahrir Square revolution last year has undoubtedly worn off, and voters are nervous too about what lies in store.

       It has not been a clean transition of power, and there is not even as yet a constitution laying out what powers the new leader will have. Many voters are disappointed with the choice of candidates, even though there are 13 of them - none would be said even by their supporters to have both the hoped-for charisma and a detailed plan to rescue Egypt from poverty and chaos. But many also seemed to realise this was not such a bad thing - that having a choice at all was as important as how to exercise it; and that, barring some new dictatorship, they would have second chances, to vote out the man they now vote in should he disappoint them. Some of the young liberals who brought this day about by fighting the police, their rifles and their tear gas, chose to boycott the vote, complaining it had become a contest between "felloul" - remnants of the old regime - and Islamists who did not share their modern values. They also feel that, whoever wins, the military will not give up its power lightly. Though there were no official figures, turn-out was reported to be significantly lower than at the parliamentary elections in December and January.
        The performance of parliament, which often appears to television viewers to be little more than an argumentative rabble, has been held to damage the chances of the Brotherhood, which is the largest party. It may have dented democratic confidence altogether, and certainly far more voters than last year's revolutionary fervour would suggest said they were voting for Ahmed Shafiq, the "felloul" candidate, a former air force general and Mr Mubarak's last prime minister. But most who did turn out thought a boycott a wasted opportunity. "If you boycott the elections now, when will you participate?" asked Bassem Mohammed Sayed, 38, an accountant. "This is something we have never seen before - the first time we have had an election and we don't know the winner in advance." Mohammed Abdul Aziz, a teacher, said it was a celebration. His main concern was that whoever won, the choice would be respected. "I think the election will be fair," said Omar al-Sioufi, 25, at a polling station in the middle class Cairo district of Mohandessin. "I don't trust the army, but the Egyptian people know how to protest." No-one thought the vote would be perfect.
        There have been several reports of vote-buying, particularly by the campaigns of Mr Shafiq and Mr Morsi. There were breaches of an election law banning active campaigning in the two days of voting, with Mr Shafiq giving press conferences and interviews in his own cause. Farouk Sultan, the head of the presidential election commission, said these two campaigns and that of the "moderate Islamist" Abdulmoneim Aboul Fotouh would be referred to the prosecutor's office, though he also stressed the alleged breaches were not serious. People often did not know what to do.
        One complainant to Mr Sultan was an elderly man whose hand was shaking so much he asked the polling station's presiding judge to mark his ballot for him - and then claimed the man had ticked the wrong box. Oliga Yusef, 80, coming out of a polling station in Cairo, said: "I cannot read or write. I asked the man inside what to do, and he said I should mark whoever I liked - so I ticked a box, but I have no idea who I voted for." By no means perfect, then. But even those who did not know how to vote, knew why it was important. "I came here for my sons, so that they can have a better future," Mrs Yusef said, walking off proudly.

US Cargo ship saved from pirates by Iran Navy

Iran's navy says it has saved a US-flagged cargo ship that was under attack from pirates in the gulf.

          An Iranian warship responded to a distress signal from the US-flagged Maersk Texas, a cargo ship of 500 feet and 14,000 tons, which was besieged by "several pirate boats," the navy said in a statement reported by the official IRNA news agency. The cargo vessel "was saved by the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran" on Wednesday, IRNA added. The pirates "fled the scene as soon as they spotted the presence" of the warship. Maersk Texas "thanked the Iranian navy and sailed towards its destination safely," it added. It was the first time the Iranian navy protected a US ship from pirates. Maersk had sailed from the UAE port of Fujairah, south of the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance of the Gulf, and was headed for the United States.
         Iran's navy keeps a presence in Gulf of Oman to protect cargo ships and transiting oil tankers and also defend the country against potential threats. According to Iranian commanders, Iran's navy have carried out hundreds of antipiracy operations, engaging in hundreds of armed clashes with pirates in the past three years. The US navy patrolling the area have on a number of occasions rescued Iranian ships. The latest incident was in January when a US warship secured the release of 13 Iranian fishermen near the entrance to the Gulf who had been held captive by pirates for 45 days.

UK falls deeper into recession

       UK GDP has been revised down to -0.3pc after a sharp drop in construction output, putting pressure on the Bank of England to restart its quantitative easing programme.

The Bank of England looks set to pump more money into the economy, having paused its £325bn quantitative easing programme earlier this month

Analysts say;

Simon Hayes, Barclays Capital: We were expecting the downward revision because of the ONS's announcement a couple of weeks ago about the weak construction data but I think the interesting thing is looking at the spending side of the equation. In actual fact, final demand for supply to consumers, business investment and government were all actually reasonably firm and the weakness seems to have been in stock building, which is a very erratic item, and probably indicates that the weak first-quarter number isn't so much a reflection of weak demand but rather firms becoming very cautious about the outlook for demand and so running down their stocks.


Amit Kara, UBS: I think the numbers were disappointing but expected. As far as policy is concerned the MPC was aware of the risks to the Q1 GDP print at the time of its decision and as such, we do not expect them to embark on a further QE programme at the next meeting at least. That's not to say that the committee will not expand on QE but I think the key will be the state of the wholesale funding markets for banks and any flare up in the euro area. But for now we expect the MPC to stay on hold.

Jane Foley, senior currency strategist at Rabobank: The downward revision to UK Q1 GDP, yesterday's dire retail sales data, the downward trend in UK CPI inflation, worrying German survey data and strengthening headwinds from the euro zone all suggest the case for more QE from the BoE is mounting. Sterling will remain well supported vs the EUR for now given the even worse risks facing the euro, but downside potential in cable is opening up some more.

 Marc Ostwald, Monument Securities: While we note a large drag from inventories on first-uarter GDP, which tends to indicate that ONS statisticians are struggling to identify the source of some spending (be that expansion or contraction), we still think the really striking element is the clear lack of austerity that is evidenced by a whopping 1.6pc quarter-on-quarter increase in government spending.


Philip Shaw, Investec Given the recent construction data it's not surprising to see GDP having been revised down a touch to down 0.3pc in Q1. Our reading is the construction sector was not as weak as the official data suggests, implying that overall the economy performed better than today's release shows. Nonetheless the economy is not recovering properly and with the uncertainty over Europe hanging over the outlook as well our suspicion is the MPC will sanction further QE at some point later on this year.


Nikesh Sawjani, economist at Lloyds: Looking forward ... As a precursor of (second-quarter figures) it's not looking too great. The (Bank of England) minutes suggested the committee is firmly leaving the door open on more QE. The trigger point could be further weakness in the euro or lack of action from EU policy makers. (The GDP revision) probably makes QE a little bit more likely. I think it does raise the prospect of QE marginally, but to be honest i think it was on the table anyway.

Source : www.telegraph.co.uk

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg sued by shareholders over IPO

       Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been sued by the social media network's shareholders over its disastrous IPO.

       The lawsuit accuses Mr Zuckerberg, Facebook and several banks led by Morgan Stanley of hiding the company's weakened growth forecasts ahead of its $16bn initial public offering. The defendants are claimed to have concealed from investors during the IPO marketing process "a severe and pronounced reduction" in Facebook revenue growth forecasts. The news comes as Morgan Stanley, the bank in charge of the IPO, is being investigated over possible securites fraud. The US bank has been accused of failing to warn smaller investors of a more negative assessment of Facebook's future profits. It is claimed that several major investors had been pre-warned that a Morgan Stanley analyst had cut the amount of money he expected Facebook to make.

      The advance notice allowed the investors to either avoid the stock completely or sell immediately after they floated at $38. Facebook shares opened up 1.35pc at $31.42 on Wednesday. Within five minutes they were up 3.6pc. Prior to Wednesday they had fallen every day since the flotation last Friday, closing at $31 on Tuesday. "The allegations, if true, are a matter of regulatory concern," said Rick Ketchum, the head of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Mary Schapiro, head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, said: “There is a lot of reason to have confidence in our markets and the integrity of how they operate, but there are issues we need to look at specifically with regard to Facebook.”
      It was reported that Morgan Stanley analyst Scott Devitt cut his estimate for Facebook’s revenue this year to $4.85bn (£3.1bn) from a previous figure of more than $5bn, adding that the business faced multiple problems. He claimed that growth in revenues could be hit by the increase in the use of mobile devices to look at Facebook, a medium the company’s advertising system has so far failed to crack. William Gavin, the securities regulator for Massachusetts, issued the bank with subpoenas. It comes amid accusations Morgan Stanley valued Facebook too aggressively. "If the goal of the underwriters was not to leave a penny on the table, then it was a success," said Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Reserch Group. "But if it was to ensure that the shares had a favourable market to trade in, then it wasn't." "What they [the underwriters] succeeded in doing was milking market sentiment," said Andrew Caldwell, a valuations partner at BDO. "You've got a problem that if you price it high, you've got nowhere else to go." As the shares started to fall after the float last Friday, Morgan Stanley was forced buy up stock to support the company's value above the $38 listing price. The shares hit the float price a number of times during the day's trade, but didn't fall through it. The slump has left some unsurprised. "We find Facebook's current valuation unappealing," said Richard Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG, said. Many analysts have not issued research on the company as they were involved in its IPO. Although Morgan Stanley has not revealed how much it spent propping up the share price it is possible that the mis-pricing could have wiped out almost all of the banks fees from the deal. The investment bank, as the lead underwriter, is likely to have received the lion's share of the $176m (£111m) in fees bankers charged for the float.
       However, 33 Wall Street banks were also in on the listing including JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs. Morgan Stanley said IPO procedures used were “in compliance with all applicable regulations”. “After Facebook released a revised S-1 [IPO] filing on May 9 providing additional guidance with respect to business trends, a copy of the amendment was forwarded to all of MS’s institutional and retail investors and the amendment was widely publicised in the press at the time,” the bank said. “In response to the information about business trends, a significant number of research analysts in the syndicate who were participating in investor education reduced their earnings views to reflect their estimate of the impact of the new information. These revised views were taken into account in the pricing of the IPO.“ Nasdaq was also left with egg on its face after technical glitches delayed the start of trade in the biggest IPO the bourse has ever seen. The exchange has earmarked $13m to cover bad trades, which it blames on faulty software.

Skydiver Aims To Land Without Parachute

        A stuntman will attempt to make aviation history later by becoming the first skydiver in the world to land without the use of a parachute. Gary Connery, 42, from Oxfordshire, will leap from a helicopter a mile above Henley then glide towards a field using a specially adapted wing suit which will allow him to fly. Moments before reaching the ground he will "flare" his suit to slow his descent to land safely on a "runway" of 18,000 cardboard boxes.

To prepare for the jump he has undergone weeks of intensive training in Switzerland and Italy, leaping from mountains and cliffs to perfect his wing suit glide angle. Mr Connery will approach his target at a glide-ratio of two-to-one - for every metre he falls, he flies forward two metres. The landing strip will be 350ft-long, 40ft-wide and 12ft-deep. If he miscalculates his approach he will have a split second to abort the jump and deploy an emergency parachute. If the jump goes wrong and he fails to react in time, he will miss the boxes and hit the ground. But Mr Connery insists he will be successful.

He said: "I'm 100% confident I can achieve this jump. I know I can fly, I know I can hit the target, I feel I've assessed the risk that I'm presented with and I've put everything in place to minimise that risk." As part of his training, Mr Connery studied the flight of kite birds and how they use their tail to control their flight direction.              
             "Kites steer by twisting their tail one way or another and I'll be doing the same," he explained. Mr Connery said his wife, Vivian, was a tower of strength while he was preparing for the jump. She said she was excited about the attempt."Doubts - maybe not," she said. "But I am feeling anxious about the project and the reality of what he is going to be doing." Mr Connery made his first parachute jump aged 23 after joining the Army. He went on to become a professional stuntman, completing 880 skydives and 450 base jumps. He has acted as stunt-double for the likes of Gary Oldman, John Hurt and Rowan Atkinson and appeared in films such as The Beach, Die Another Day, Batman Begins and Indiana Jones. He also leapt from the Eiffel Tower, Nelson's Column, Tower Bridge and the London Eye.
             "This stunt will get great recognition and will be a post in the runway of aviation history," Mr Connery. "I'm sure plenty of people will think I'm bonkers but that's OK, I take that as a compliment." Landing a wing suit without a parachute has been a dream of skydivers since the modern wing suit was invented in 1997 by French skydiver and aristocrat Patrick De Gayardon. The unique design of his suit enabled "pilots" to barrel-roll, swoop and fly in formation. Tragically, Mr De Gayardon died a year later in a skydiving accident in Hawaii after a modification to his suit caused his parachute to malfunction. US skydiver Jeb Corliss planned to become the first to land a wing suit without a parachute but his plans were suspended after he was seriously injured during a recent jump in South Africa.

Source : www.news.sky.com

Surge in Japanese tsunami debris washing up on Alaska

        An "unprecedented" surge in debris from last year's Japanese tsunami is washing up on Alaska's coastline, according to environmentalists.

        Floating material including buoys and styrofoam has washed up on Montague Island, some 120 miles southeast of Anchorage, in volumes that clearly suggest a wave of debris from the March 11, 2011 killer tidal wave. Patrick Chandler of the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies said debris from Asia has been washing up on Alaska shores for years, so "it is incredibly difficult to say with complete confidence that a given piece of debris is from the tsunami." "However, we have never seen the amount we see now.
        In the past we would find a few dozen large black buoys, used in Japanese aquaculture, on an outside beach cleanup. Now we see hundreds," he said, before the start of a planned 12-day cleanup operation, set to start Thursday. "There is no other possible source for this increase besides the tsunami, so our conclusion is that is where it must be from." Millions of tonnes of debris are expected to wash up in the coming months and years from the Japanese quake. Researchers in Hawaii have developed computer models to forecast where and when it could come ashore.
        In early April, the US Coast Guard sunk a deserted Japanese trawler that had appeared off the coast of Alaska more than a year after being set adrift by the tsunami. Also last month, a Japanese schoolboy heard he was getting his ball back, after it was spotted by an observant beachcomber on Middleton Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Canadian media reported in early May that a Harley-Davidson, with Japanese plates from one of the hardest hit areas, was found by a beachcomber on the Haida Gwaii islands off the coast of British Columbia. 

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

In defence of capitalism and entrepreneurs

             There are many drawbacks to capitalism. But capitalism and entrepreneurship are proven to still be the best way people around the world can progress forwards. A handful of greedy people (mainly within banks) have fundamentally created the financial mess that we are in. But what people have got to be careful of (and I’m not biased!) is not dismissing every single entrepreneur out there - the restaurant owners, the street vendors, the start-ups, even the airline owners, because of the actions of the unscrupulous few.
             It is through the capitalist system that people get paid, hospitals get built, innovative ideas become reality and young people get educated. Yet the way some of the press and some politicians talk, there is a danger of a complete dismissal of capitalism and a complete swing in the other direction. Luke Johnson, a brilliant entrepreneur who also happens to be a great writer and thinker, wrote on this subject in the Financial Times recently, and I agree with him wholeheartedly.
              He said: “Possibly, capitalism is poor at promoting the cause and explaining its merits. “No doubt most highly successful entrepreneurs are tough individuals. Some break the rules, but damning an entire class for the high-profile errors of the few is destructive and ill-judged.”
              It is becoming fashionable now to try to knock entrepreneurs, the very people who are going to create the jobs of the future. Just being an entrepreneur, making a difference to other people’s lives is a tremendous thing to do, but on top of that, ideally each company should become a force for good, as I explained in my recent book. Let’s continue to screw business as usual.

   By Richard Branson. Founder of Virgin Group

   Source : www.virgin.com

Didier Drogba: I would not have decided to leave Chelsea if we had lost the Champions League final

Didier Drogba is leaving Chelsea but he leaves as a champion, a club legend, a role model for millions with his extensive work for good causes and his wonderful refusal to give up in his beloved team’s quest for the Champions League.

              “I would have stayed if we hadn’t won the Champions League,’’ he reflected on Tuesday, his watch still on Munich time. “We’ve been chasing this trophy for eight years. We even saw the cup in Moscow [in 2008], walking by it, and we could not touch it.
              "That was the challenge for the guys who were in Moscow. We wanted to go back and win it. We did everything to do that. It cost us the league. But it was worth it.
              “Saturday was my last Chelsea game and it has been a fantastic eight years. To finish on a high with this Champions League final was the best of the best, la crème de la crème as we say in French.
              "The last two days I was feeling more 40 than 24! To play a final at 34, and play extra time, and to give what I gave, I can be proud of myself.
              “To play for Chelsea was the best thing that could happen to me in my life, not only as a player but as a person. I made a lot of friends here which is very difficult normally in football, and they will be my friends for life because we made history here.”

               So what’s next? Chelsea tried to keep him. “To stay here was not a question of money, as people claimed. I’ve always been happy with what I have here with contracts and my family were happy.
                "It’s not like they don’t want me any more. We sat down all together and the boss [Roman Abramovich], Ron Gourlay [chief executive] and everyone on the board respected my decision. I know what I did for them and they know what they did for me.
                “I will take time to make the right decision. My wife and I will go and relax a bit, even though there are national team games. I won’t play for another English club. I owe too much allegiance to Chelsea.              
                “My blood is blue. I will really miss the fans but they will always be in my heart.”
                 He has been linked with a reunion with Nicolas Anelka at Shanghai Shenhua. “Obviously I played with him for many years. It was difficult to see him leave but that’s part of football and life. He is happy there. He is trying to do his best to help the club. But I really want to keep thinking about what happened on Saturday rather than talking about China, America, wherever.
                  “Since I was a kid I was dreaming of this kind of moments, the scenario was just perfect. It’s like a movie. Even today I still want to be in Munich in that stadium, cheering and celebrating with the fans. It was too quick the first time. I wanted it to be longer.’’
                    As well as Saturday, Drogba listed two other cherished moments: “Winning the first title at Bolton [in 2005] and the best goal was in the [2007] FA Cup against Manchester United, the first one at the new Wembley, scoring in extra time.’’
                   He is proud of his legacy. “I would not say we created Chelsea, but we started a new era. We built something really strong in terms of identity. Now we go everywhere in the world and everyone knows about Chelsea. You go to Africa and people speak about Chelsea. I see kids wearing Chelsea shirts in the streets. India, everywhere, Chelsea is a brand.”
                  Chelsea can build on the victory over Bayern Munich. “Of course. The expectation from the fans and the owner himself will be the same as we did on Saturday. Now we set up something when you come to Chelsea you have to try as a minimum to do the best. You have to get into the Champions League final or win it.
                 "That’s what the club has to do to be a Barcelona, AC Milan or Real Madrid in Europe. We only have one Champions League and we need more.’’ Could Atlético Madrid’s Falcao fill his boots? “I know he’s a very good player but that’s not for me to decide. The only thing I know is we have very good strikers here already. Everybody knows Fernando [Torres] is a very good player. He’s been through difficult moments here. It happens to everyone.
                 "My first few seasons here were difficult. The good thing is he has our support. I know next season he’s going to improve. Chelsea is in good hands with Fernando. Of course we will need new strikers but Torres will do the job.’’ In saying his farewells, Drogba was paying tributes. “None of this would have been possible without the big boss, Roman Abramovich. So the best way to repay him was to win the Champions League.
                 "The boss gave so much for this club. Everybody speaks about buying expensive players but nobody speaks about the facilities at Cobham, one of the best in the world, and improving the academy. “He said that he understood my feelings, he respected my choice and I told him that I would be a Chelsea player forever. He’s a very good man. He gave everything to my family, gave them the chance to have a nice lifestyle which is fantastic when you remember I came from the Ivory Coast where I didn’t have all these things.
               “This Champions League is for all the managers who’ve been here chasing this trophy. Everybody knows the man who gave me the strength and the man I’ve learnt a lot from was Jose [Mourinho]. He gave me this winning attitude, this desire to make history. He’s a winner and we have it in our DNA now. “I speak about Jose because he was very important to me but the one who spent less time as a manager here is the one who won the Champions League [Roberto Di Matteo]. He is a Chelsea legend. The way he managed to change the mentality of the players is enormous because we were not in good shape mentally.” Things had not worked out under Andre Villas-Boas. “Andre is a friend. It’s difficult. It feels strange to know that he’s gone and he didn’t give to Chelsea what he really wanted to. When you don’t win, it’s easy to point the finger at the manager. But we all know inside that we are responsible for this.” Drogba dismissed the suggestion that “senior players run” Chelsea. “When a manager comes here, he’s sat with the owner, with the board, and they’ve decided they have some targets, some objectives, to achieve. "If they don’t do it, that gives a reason to the boss to do what he has to do. But never a player. I’d never want some players to have an influence on a manager. It’s not good for the team.” Di Matteo restored confidence.
                “You can put a player on the pitch and give him 30 games but if he doesn’t feel the belief or the communication is right he’ll never perform. "Robbie talked to us individually and collectively when he took charge and then we had to do everything to save our season. Everybody had to look at himself and change the way we behaved for the good of the group. “Robbie is in the same situation as me because he’s going to speak to the board and the owner and see what is good for him and for the club. No matter what happens now, he has made history. "If he stays or he goes now then he is even more of a Chelsea legend. The job he did was great and exceptional. From the worst season in my Chelsea career we got to the best ever.’’ Drogba has experienced some difficult times like “when we lost in the Champions League semi-final against Liverpool in the first season, the ghost goal’’ in 2005. He admitted that during the brief Luiz Felipe Scolari era in 2008-09 “there were a few moments in my head that I thought I’d have to go.’’ Drogba also felt “bad” about his rant about the Norwegian referee, Tom Henning Ovrebo, after the controversial 2009 defeat to Barcelona. “It was a bit difficult for him after this game and it is only football. Sometimes we attach too much importance to it as I did that day. I wanted to achieve the win so much that when it went wrong the emotions got the better of me.”
                  Drogba has also faced accusations of applying Newton’s law of gravity too readily, most recently against Barcelona. “I feel people were not really happy that Chelsea beat Barca and they were expecting us to lose at the Nou Camp and that was why they were focusing on me being on the floor. "We deserved to win that game not because we dominated the game – we didn’t – but our desire was stronger than their qualities. I was a bit surprised with the critics, even if it is true that I went on to the floor. Someone touched me and there were fouls that the referee didn’t give.” Asked who he would like to play him in a film of his life, Drogba replied wryly: “Jupp Heynckes [Bayern’s coach] said I’m a good actor so maybe me!” Drogba leaves England a truly respected sportsman, even asked to carry the Olympic torch through Swindon today. “My only disappointment is that I can’t do the Olympics.
                 I wish with the Ivory Coast we could come and play. If it was at Wembley I’m sure we’d win!’’ He usually does. Throughout it all, Drogba has stayed humble, “trying to save lives and reduce poverty” with his UN work. “I have to say thanks to my parents for the way they educated me and also to my friends – my real friends. They never see me as a star.” But he leaves England as a champion of Europe.

Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Porto striker Hulk wants to replace Didier Drogba at FC Chelsea

Porto striker Hulk is keen to open talks with Chelsea with his agent confirming "interest" in the Brazilian from the Champions League winners.

The 25 year-old scored 21 goals in 38 appearances this season and has attracted the interest of Manchester City, AC Milan and Bayern Munich. Chelsea, who beat Bayern on penalties in Munich to be crowned kings of Europe, are in the driving seat for the player's signature, with reports suggesting they are keen to pair him up front with Atletico Madrid forward Radamel Falcao. Porto have previously stated Hulk can only leave if his astronomical £80 million release clause is met. However, his determination to move means bidding could start at around £35m. Hulk's agent, Teodoro Fonseca, was at Saturday's Champions League final in Munich, and he said: "We are open to talks with Chelsea at any time, any place.

Insect repellent clothing.... i wish i have one.... ;-)

        Permethrin-based Insect Repellent Clothing
          Insect Shield Insect Repellent Apparel is a revolutionary new line of Permethrin-based Insect Repellent Clothing that prevents insect bites. This innovation in bug and insect repellency provides the benefits of an insect repellant spray without the constant reapplication, so the number of insect bites is dramatically reduced without ever having to coat (and recoat) with an insect spray or cream, because the Permethrin is IN the clothing, not on the skin. Permethrin-based Insect Repellent Clothing provides effective protection against mosquitoes and mosquito bites, ticks, ants, SaveCancelCloseEdit flies, chiggers and more. It is odorless, effortless and effective.
      Do you wish to have one?

Map of Europe with schematic diagram detailing planned missile defence system.

Map of Europe with schematic diagram detailing planned missile defence system.

Hey! Dude... design your Facebook Cover photo and express yourself's like theeeeeeeeeeeeese.....

            Just if you didn’t know, Facebook Timeline is the latest feature that was introduced in the recent Facebook Conference, F8. It’s generally a complete overhaul of the profile page with the new ability to view your status updates in a list sorted by time, hence the name. With this new feature comes a new way of introducing yourself though graphic other than profile photo, and we call it Timeline Cover. And yes, what you can expect is thousands of facebookers try to be creative with their new timeline cover, spawning the hype all over the web.

             Buddy..... transform your cover pic like those given below. Just use any search engine(like google, yahoo, bing etc...) to find a facebook cover designer. There are many cover designers available but some of them are not free. But don't be upset buddy! Free ones are also avilable. For example go to these websites: http://coverphotobook.com/
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/creative-facebook-timeline-covers/
http://www.myfbcovers.com/

  Check these out....

12-year-old Bihar boy cracks IIT-JEE

          A 12-and-a-half-year-old boy from Bihar has cracked the highly competitive Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE). Satyam Kumar of Bakhorapur village in Bhojpur district qualified from the Mumbai zone with an all-India rank of 8,137. "I am happy to crack IIT-JEE but I will not join IIT this year because of my poor rank. I will attempt next year for a good rank," Kumar told on Saturday. Kumar said he was keen to develop a software company on the lines of Facebook. Kumar's father, Sidhnath Singh, a farmer, is proud of him. 

          "It is a matter of pride that my son is the youngest to qualify for IIT-JEE," he said. Kumar is still awaiting his class 12 results. According to the father, Kumar passed the Class 10 board exam from Modern School in Kota, Rajasthan. He said his son was intelligent since early childhood. "He used to impress everyone with his talent even when he was barely five years old." This is why, the father said, he sent the boy to Kota for higher education. "The entire village celebrated his success bursting firecrackers and consuming sweets," Singh said.

Chelsea Football Club won Champions League 2012

         Chelsea beat Bayern Munich 4-3 on penalty shoot-out to win the Champions League on Saturday after the two sides had been locked at 1-1 at the end of extra-time. German international Thomas Mueller had headed Bayern into a deserved lead in the 83rd minute from a left wing cross before Didier Drogba levelled with a bullet header with just two minutes remaining of full time.
          Drogba conceded a penalty in the third minute of extra-time for a foul on Franck Ribery, but former Chelsea player Arjen Robben saw his penalty saved by Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal. In the shootout, Drogba was the hero when he buried the winning penalty.

Movie about Barcelona football Club comming soon

            Great news for fans of Green Street, Bend It Like Beckham and Soccer Dog: European Cup — the rich and illustrious canon of soccer in the cinema is set to be expanded with a Hollywood movie about FC Barcelona. Paul Greengrass— the Oscar-winning British director of United 93, The Bourne Ultimatum and Green Zone — is currently at the Cannes Film Festival looking for international backers for "an epic cinematic portait of FC Barcelona", which will focus primarily on the four years in which Pep Guardiola guided the Catalan giants to 13 trophies.
             The LA Times reports: Titled "Barca," the movie will examine the process and legacy of one of the world's most famous sports franchises, looking at a team as it prepares for the 2012-2013 campaign, in which it will seek to reclaim its title in Spain's La Liga, with a particular emphasis on its successful run over the last several years. Greengrass aims to begin shooting the movie later this year, after he wraps his newest feature. Much like Soccer Dog: European Tour, the movie has a strong potential for excellence, with Greengrass being joined by executive producer John Carlin (script writer who has also won awards in Spain for journalism) and editor Chris King (who worked on the stupendously good documentary Senna). Greengrass is actually a fan of South London's very own Blaugrana, Crystal Palace.
             While promoting The Bourne Ultimatum on BBC radio in 2007, he attempted to tease Spurs-supporting host Simon Mayo by claiming he would only make another Bourne film when Tottenham finished in the top four. Seeing as the Lilywhites have achieved that feat twice since then, we are owed another two (non-Jeremy Renner) Bourne outings when the Barca project is complete.

Chinese hardware in Indian Army's combat system Proj Shakti; a security threat

             Indian Army's combat system could be seriously compromised as defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has used Chinese hardware in the systems. The Army's Deputy Chief Lieutenant General VS Tonk has raised the issue of Chinese hardware being used in the combat systems with the Ministry of Defence. The Indian Army has told the Central Government that major components used by the force in Project Shakti have Chinese IT hardware, which makes the entire communication network extremely vulnerable. Project Shakti is the command, control and communication lifeline of the Indian Army and is fielded in about two thirds of the force. The letter written by the Deputy Chief clearly outlines how major components used in the system made by BEL re of Chinese origin.
             The Army fears that if a thorough systematic investigation of the Project Shakti hardware was carried out the extent of the vulnerability would further be identified. The presence of electronic Trojans, the Army says has very serious ramifications. It is important that the components used to develop combat networks be indigenous and under no circumstances can such systems have modules manufactured in countries inimical to national interests especially at a time when BEL is involved in several other projects.
              The China threat in combat hardware was raised at top levels of the government with the Vice Chief in a strongly worded letter dated March 23, 2011 told the Defence Secretariat that the use of Chinese hardware tantamount to a dilution of trust the armed forces depose in the PSU. The integrity and traceability of its supply chain has to be ensured especially since BEL Bangalore in May 2010 had issued a letter confirming that no components used in Project Shakti were of Chinese origin. BEL offered no comments to questions posed by CNN-IBN on whether remedial measures were carried out or not. After Bharat Earth Mover Limited (BEML) another controversy involving a defence PSU has only raised further questions on just show these organisations are carrying out their business and sometimes sourcing components compromising security issues.

AirCraft News Feed Generator: American Airlines considering a livery update

AirCraft News Feed Generator: American Airlines considering a livery update: American Airlines is evaluating a possible update to its more than four-decade-old livery, as part of its preparations for the delivery...

AirCraft News Feed Generator: Bombardier launches new Learjet business jets

AirCraft News Feed Generator: Bombardier launches new Learjet business jets:              Bombardier Inc. launched two new entry-level business jets Monday as Qatar Airways said it would purchase 10 of its lar...

"Paa" famed actress Taruni Sachdev died in a plane crash

                 A plane crashed in western Nepal in 14-May-2012, killing 15 people. Taruni Sachdev was among them when a 20 seater Agni Air Dornier plane slammed into a cliff in western Nepal. The plane was flying from Pokhara, Nepal, a major tourist destination, to Jomsom which is about 60 km away. Her mother Geetha Sachdev, who was with her on the flight, also died in the crash.
                She acted in several advertisements of Rasna, Colgate etc. She also worked in some Malayalam movies (Vellinakshatram-2004, Satyam-2004). She was a part of film "Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?"(Hindi). One of the noted films of her is "Paa", along with Bachans.

Hug Shirt ; send hugs over distance

            The "Hug Shirt" is a shirt that makes people send hugs over distance! The HugShirt was invented by Francesca Rosella and Ryan Genz the co-founders of CuteCircuit, the London based award-winning design company. Embedded in the shirt there are sensors that feel the strength of the touch, the skin warmth and the heartbeat rate of the sender and actuators that recreate the sensation of touch, warmth and emotion of the hug to the shirt of the distant loved one.
            The Hug Shirt has been awarded as one of the Best Inventions of the Year by Time Magazine. The Hug Shirt is a Bluetooth accessory for Java enabled mobile phones. Hug Shirts don’t have any assigned phone number, all the data goes from the sensors Bluetooth to your mobile phone and your mobile phone delivers the hug data to your friend’s phone and it is seamlessly transmitted Bluetooth to his or her shirt! Sending hugs is as easy as sending an SMS and you will be able to send hugs while you are on the move, in the same way and to the same places you are able to make phone calls (Rome to Tokyo, New York to Paris).
             The system is very simple: a Hug Shirt (Bluetooth with sensors and actuators), a Bluetooth java enabled mobile phone with the HugMe™ java software running (it understands what the sensors are communicating), and on the other side another phone and another shirt. If you do not have a Hug Shirt™ but know that your friend has one you can still send them a hug creating it with the HugMe™ software and it will be delivered to your friend’s Hug Shirt™!

Titanic Ship to be rebuilt ; Australian Billionaire announces to rebuilt liner

titanic 2

         As a way of drawing attention to one's election campaign, it is – if nothing else – unique. Clive Palmer, one of Australia's wealthiest businessmen, has unveiled plans to build a replica of the Titanic, which he hopes will sail from England to New York in 2016. He has also announced he is standing for federal parliament in the seat held by the deputy prime minister and treasurer. In separate press conferences on Monday, the mining billionaire first surprised the political world by declaring he would be contesting the Labor politician Wayne Swan's seat in parliament. Hours later, Palmer managed to outdo himself by announcing a second shock bid: this time to harness the latest technology and build Titanic II. "It will be every bit as luxurious as the original Titanic but of course it will have state-of-the-art 21st-century technology and the latest navigation and safety systems," he said. Asked if Titanic II could meet the same fate as its predecessor, Palmer told reporters: "Of course it will sink if you put a hole in it." He added: "Of course, if you are superstitious … you never know what could happen." Palmer said he had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese state-owned company CSC Jinling Shipyard to build the replica ship, which he said would be as close as possible in size to the original.

 

Clive Palmer said the new Titanic would be as close as possible in size to the old one. Asked if it would sink, he said: 'If you put a hole in it.' Photograph: Dan Peled/EPA

        He also said he had invited the Chinese navy to escort Titanic II on its maiden voyage from Britain to the US. He did not say how much the project would cost. Titanic II, in Palmer's eyes, will be a tribute to the men and women who built the original ship. "These people produced work that is still marvelled at more than 100 years later and we want that spirit to go on for another 100 years," he said. Palmer, who made his money in real estate and then mining, is also a major donor to the Liberal National party and conservative opposition.
        Announcing he was running for parliament, he accused Swan of believing in "the redistribution of wealth and making the economy smaller". He said: "We live a democratic society, and I intend in [sic] exercising my democratic rights to put my views against the treasurer in his home seat." Swan responded by saying he relished the chance to stand against a magnate who – he said – had used his fortune to not only distort public policy debates but also public policy outcomes. The row between the two men centres on the mining industry's opposition to a new tax on their operations, due to come into force this year. The government says it wants the tax to help spread the wealth of Australia's huge mining boom. The miners plan to oppose it in the high court. Palmer's surprise announcement followed another unexpected intervention in politics last month in which he accused the CIA of being behind political attacks on the mining industry in Australia. He said its objective was to make the US coal industry more competitive.

Scoville Scale ; measure for heat of a chilli pepper

           The Scoville scale is a measurement of the spicy heat (or piquance) of a chili pepper. The number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the amount of capsaicin present. Capsaicin is a chemical compound that stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes; pure capsaicin has a Scoville rating of 16,000,000 SHU. The scale is named after its creator, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville. His method, devised in 1912, is known as the Scoville Organoleptic Test. The modern commonplace method for quantitative analysis uses high-performance liquid chromatography, making it possible to directly measure capsaicinoid content.

        List of Scoville ratings
 Scoville heat units                 Examples
 16,000,000,000                   Resiniferatoxin
 5,300,000,000                     Tinyatoxin
 16,000,000                          Capsaicin
 15,000,000                          Dihydrocapsaicin
 9,200,000                            Nonivamide
 9,100,000                            Nordihydrocapsaicin
 8,600,000                            Homocapsaicin
 160,000                               Shogaol
 100,000                               Piperine
                                                                      60,000                                 Gingerol
                                                                      16,000                                 Capsiate

Scoville Organoleptic Test

In Scoville's method, an alcohol extract of the capsaicin oil from a measured amount of dried pepper is added incrementally to a solution of sugar in water until the "heat" is just detectable by a panel of (usually five) tasters; the degree of dilution gives its measure on the Scoville scale. Thus a sweet pepper or a bell pepper, containing no capsaicin at all, has a Scoville rating of zero, meaning no heat detectable. The hottest chilis, such as habaneros and nagas, have a rating of 200,000 or more, indicating that their extract must be diluted over 200,000 times before the capsaicin presence is undetectable. The greatest weakness of the Scoville Organoleptic Test is its imprecision, because it relies on human subjectivity. Tasters taste only one sample per session.

Airbus planning stretched A380

            The director of Airbus's A380 program has told an Australian television station that the company intends to build a stretched version of the world's largest airliner, adding about 100 seats. Richard Carcaillet told a local news channel the super super jumbo is an "environmentally more responsible" answer to airport congestion because it will enable fewer aircraft to serve the burgeoning demand for airline seats worldwide. "It is a way to grow without adding to congestion," he told the TV station. Airbus is planning first deliveries in 2020 according to the report.
            In the usual configuration mixing economy, business and ultra premium first class, the A380 now carries from 400 to 600 passengers but if it was set up for economy-only seating the stretched version could conceivably pack in more than 900 people. The technical details of how the increased capacity would be achieved were not discussed in the brief news report.

Leonardo Da Vinci's life

           A painter, a sculptor, an architect and an engineer, Leonardo Da Vinci's numerous skills have earned him the title of renaissance master. Da Vinci's fascination with science and his in-depth study of human anatomy aided him in mastering the realist art form. While Leonardo's counterparts were known to create static figures in their works, Leonardo always tried to incorporate movement and expression into his own paintings. All the personages in his works are painted with great accuracy and detail that it is sometimes said that Da Vinci painted from the bones outward.
           Having lived until the age of 67, Leonardo experienced a very long career that was filled with times during which the painter was celebrated, but at times he was also humiliated and cast away. His life experiences all influenced his works and often, his paintings never left the sketchpad, or were only partially completed, as Leonardo often abandoned his commissions in order to flee from social situations.
             Today, there are records of only few Da Vinci paintings, and 20 notebooks. Thankfully, these works have been preserved over the hundreds of years since Leonardo's time, and while his works are scattered in different areas of the globe, everyone can enjoy Da Vinci through the numerous books detailing his life, or through any of the many Da Vinci posters that have been printed.

             A well known master in the history of art, Leonard Da Vinci is renown by people all over the map, and those of us who cannot travel to view the true works that the genius created can at least bring home a piece of him when we buy Da Vinci posters or prints. His most famous paintings, and the most popular Da Vinci posters around, are those of The Last Supper, The Mona Lisa and Vitruvian Man: The Proportions of the Human Figure.These works, displayed in Milan and Paris respectively, are among the most influential works ever created.
                Beyond the purchase of a book of paintings or Da Vinci posters or prints, there are many resources and much literature detailing Leonardo's life. But for those who want a quick study, The Leonardo Timeline offers a glance through the artist's life.