Monday, 26 July 2010

Hoy to mark 2012 two-year countdown with velodrome ride

Amazingly fit people,these cyclists!
clipped from news.bbc.co.uk
The velodrome (pictured in April) and Sir Chris Hoy with his three Beijing gold medals
Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy will be the first to cycle in the 2012 velodrome on Tuesday, marking two years to the start of the Games in London.

Hoy, who won three track cycling gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, will be joined by other sporting stars at the event at London's Olympic Park.

American Michael Johnson, who won four Olympic titles, will be sprinting on a temporary track in the Olympic Stadium.

And Britain's John Amaechi will be shooting hoops in the basketball arena.

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Saturday, 24 July 2010

Dispersal order granted in Leeds city centre

Will this help?
clipped from www.bbc.co.uk

Police have secured a dispersal order to deal with anti-social behaviour and disorder in the centre of Leeds.

The order, which came into force on Saturday and runs for six months, allows police to order people out of the city centre for up to 24 hours.

If they ignore the order they face a fine of up to £5,000 or a prison term.

People under the age of 16 are also not allowed to be within the area between 2100 and 0600 BST unless they are with a parent or responsible adult.

Insp Grant Stead, of West Yorkshire Police, said anti-social behaviour was not a "major problem" in the city centre.

He said: "However, a dispersal order gives us a really effective tool which we can use at our discretion to ensure that the very small minority who involve themselves in behaviour which spoils everyone else's enjoyment of the city centre can be ordered to leave, and receive a strong punishment if they ignore the order."

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Friday, 23 July 2010

BBC News - BBC News iPhone and iPad app launches in the UK

23 July 2010 Last updated at 11:57

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BBC News iPhone and iPad app launches in the UK

BBC News app on ipad Versions of the apps are already available worldwide

A BBC News app for the iPhone and iPad has been launched in the UK, the BBC has announced.

The free-to-download apps for Apple products were originally due to be made available in April 2010.

The UK launch was delayed while the BBC Trust, the corporation's governing body, assessed the proposals and their impact on the rest of the industry.

Apps for other devices such as Android phones will launch later in the year.

Similar apps for BBC Sport and iPlayer will also be coming soon.

The apps do not "represent a significant change to the BBC's existing public services," ruled the BBC Trust, meaning that further scrutiny was not required.

BBC Trustee Diane Coyle said that the body would continue to monitor the launch.

Many news organisations already offer apps that give people a quick and easy way to keep up with events.

Earlier in 2010, the Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) said it feared the corporation would "damage the nascent market" for apps by entering the market with a free product.

"The concern the newspaper industry has is that the survival of our big independent news organisations largely depends on them being able to make money from new platforms other than print," said Dominic Ponsford, editor of Press Gazette.

"Mobile is a massive part of that and there is concern that the BBC could blow their fledgling apps out of the water by being such a dominant brand."

However the apps market was a space that the BBC could not ignore either, he added.

"The other side of it is that the BBC is also doomed unless it can embrace new readers on new platforms."

The Beeb surges ahead!

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Thursday, 22 July 2010

Coronation Street cat's ashes smash auction target

Sad,sad,sad!
clipped from www.bbc.co.uk
Frisky with Ken Barlow on the street
The lot included postcards of Frisky with Coronation Street stars

The ashes of the Coronation Street cat, Frisky, who died ten years ago, have been sold at auction for almost six times the expected price.

Furious bidding by soap fans meant the wooden casket carrying the cat's remains fetched £844 at an auction in Gloucestershire.

The tabby cat starred in the starting sequence of more than 1,000 episodes of the Manchester soap.

The ashes had been predicted to fetch no more than £150.

The lot, which was sold to a private bidder, also included a cremation certificate and postcards of Frisky with other Weatherfield stars.

His owner, John Rimington, from Leeds, said before the auction he hoped the ashes would go to an "avid Corrie fan".

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Monday, 19 July 2010

BBC Sport - Rugby League - Five Super League players charged by RFL

Five Super League players have been summoned to a Rugby Football League disciplinary committee following incidents in last weekend's games.

Hull KR duo Ben Cockayne and Liam Watts and Hull FC's Danny Tickle and Sam Moa have been charged for fighting during Rovers' 20-16 defeat on Thursday.

Wigan's Joel Tomkins has been charged for late contact on Warrington's Richie Myler during Friday's match.

All five will appear in front of the committee on Tuesday.

Hull FC full-back Jordan Tansey and Hull KR second row Jason Netherton were cautioned for running into the fight and pushing opponents.

Moa also received a caution for a high tackle on Michael Dobson in the 31st minute of Warrington's 23-16 victory.

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Mmm...is this stuff getting worse?

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Thursday, 15 July 2010

BBC Sport - Golf - The Open 2010: St Andrews low scoring surprises Woods

Decent 1st round for Tiger,but he looks like being 4 or 5 shots behind the leader going into day 2.

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Tuesday, 13 July 2010

BBC News - Drought could close part of Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Nearly half of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal could be closed as the north west struggles with its worst drought since 1929.

British Waterways has announced that a 60-mile stretch will be shut from 2 August unless there is significant rainfall in the next two weeks.

The closure would run from Wigan in Greater Manchester to Gargrave in North Yorkshire.

It would affect up to 2,000 boat owners and several businesses.

Water supplies from the seven reservoirs that feed into the 127-mile long thoroughfare would be cut off.

The remainder of the canal would stay open for navigation, but there would be a restricted lock schedule to reduce the affect on neighbouring waterways.

A British Waterways spokesman said the closure would be a "highly unusual step" but the lack of rain and the unusually high temperatures left it with little choice.

'Impact on wildlife'

Vince Moran, operations director for British Waterways, said: "We have been doing all we can over the last three months to conserve water levels within what is a popular and 200-year old working canal, and we would only close it as a last resort.

"However, our reservoirs are expected to have fallen to 10% of their capacity by the start of August, at which point we must close off the water supply so as to be better able to manage the impact on navigation and wildlife.

"We anticipate the restrictions continuing through the current drought but will reopen the canal as soon as sufficient water supplies become available.

"In the meantime we are contacting all affected customers, including boaters, hire boat companies and angling clubs and will do all we can to minimise the impact on them during this difficult period."

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is Britain's longest manmade waterway. It was used to carry coal, limestone, wool, cotton, grain and other farm produce.

It is now primarily used for leisure boating, walking, angling and cycling.

Serious stuff!

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New airships to protect British troops

Every bit of help will be welcome out there!
clipped from www.bbc.co.uk
Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle

A brand new, 21st century-style airship could soon be patrolling the skies above Afghanistan, helping protect British and other Nato troops serving there.

A £350m contract's been awarded to American military contractor Northrop Grumman, one of the world's largest defence companies.

The deal will see three Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicles (LEMV) built for the US Army within 18 months and ready for operations by early 2012.


Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle
The LEMV's will be able to endure a small amount of small arms fire

They will be able to stay in the air for up to three weeks at a time and provide what designers describe as an "unblinking eye" of surveillance for forces on the ground.

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Monday, 12 July 2010

BBC News - Facebook unveils child safety 'panic button'

Admitting it is not the safest of sites?
clipped from news.bbc.co.uk
The social network unveils a
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Friday, 9 July 2010

Eng v Bangladesh-1st of 3 one-day games!

BBC News - 'Psychic' octopus predicts Spain to win World Cup

Paul the 'psychic' octopus picks the Spain box

An octopus credited with psychic powers has predicted that Spain will defeat the Netherlands in the World Cup final.

He also predicted a win for Germany against Uruguay in the third place match. He has so far correctly forecast every World Cup game involving the national team.

The tip for Spain was his first for a game not involving Germany.

He predicts by choosing a mussel from one of two boxes bearing the flags of the competing nations.
Paella threat

The two-year-old cephalopod has become an international celebrity.

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Saturday, 3 July 2010

Leeds fight back!

clipped from newsimg.bbc.co.uk
Ryan Hall
Leeds moved up to fourth in the Super League table as they came from behind to beat St Helens 28-24 at Headingley.

After St Helens held the early lead thanks to a Chris Flannery try, Chris Clarkson, Brett Delaney and Danny McGuire gave Leeds a 16-6 advantage.

ry with his second and efforts from Jonny Lomax and L

But McGuire's second closed the gap and Leeds won it with a Ryan Hall try.

St Helens scored three tries in 14 minutes to open an eight-point lead, Flannery with his second and efforts from Jonny Lomax and Leon Pryce.



Leeds Rhinos 28-24 St Helens


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