New York City Bans The Sale Of Supersize Fizzy Drinks.

New York City has become the first place in the United States to ban the sale of supersize sugary drinks.

The new law will make it illegal to sell fizzy drinks in cups bigger than half a litre.

The city's Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, wanted to bring in the ban to tackle obesity but lots of people aren't happy about it.

One New York business owner said: "We are smart enough to make our own decisions about what to eat and drink."

Groups who are against the new law say they'll continue to fight against it being introduced.

Diet drinks and fruit juices aren't included in the ban so can still be sold in bigger sizes.

Restaurants who break the rules could be fined up to £120.

Last Words

Tarbu, a 55-year-old parrot, has died and he squawked his last words 'Cheerio'.

The domestic African Grey, believed to be one of the oldest domesticated parrots in the world, said his last words before his owner went to bed. The next morning he was so weak that he couldn't even say 'Good Morning' to his owner and sadly he dropped dead from his perch. His owner Mrs Morgan believes that his long life was due to the fact that she spoilt him and let him munch on his favourite food, Kit Kats.

Before living with Mrs Morgan, he had an eventful life due to being rescued from and animal trader in 1957 and was even taken into police custody after going missing. Every time his owner left the house he would shout 'Cheerio, bye, see you soon'. He would even 'woof, woof' at dogs and 'miaow, miaow' at cats that passed the window.

He even alerted partially-deaf Mrs Morgan to the doorbell by shouting "cooeee" and her name "Nina", as she could not hear it ring. Mrs Morgan, who lives alone, said she was distraught after the death of her pet who has been with her for 55 years. "He was a very intelligent bird. We never taught him to speak, he just seemed to pick up words here and there" She said. "The night before he died I went up to bed and he said 'cheerio' to me from his cage. It was the last thing that he said.

"The next morning he was on the top perch of his cage with both of his wings hanging down. I talked to him as usual and he gave me one or two little squeaks.I went to make a cup of tea and when I came back he was dead at the bottom of the cage. I cried for two days and I just miss him so much."

New Guinness World Record’s Announced!

 

Take a look at these brilliant new Guinness World Record holders!

 

Asako Kanda from Japan has the largest Hello Kitty collection ever - over 4,519 different items!

 

Zeus the 3 year old Great Dane is the tallest dog on record. The humongous hound is 111.8cm and weighs 70.3 kg.

Bettina Dorfmann from Germany owns 15,000 barbie dolls! She has been collecting the dolls since 1993.

 

Meet Archie, the world’s shortest Bull. He is only 76.2 cm tall!

 

The largest drum set in the world has 340 pieces! It is owned by Dr. Mark Temperato from the USA.

Take a look at these bulging biceps. At 25.5 cm, Mostafa Ismail from Egypt has the largest arms in the world.

 

Sam from Oklahoma is the tallest donkey in the world. The dazzling donkey towers over his owner at a massive 155.45 cm.

The heaviest rideable bicycle weighs 750 kg and was built by Wouter van den Boschin from the Netherlands.

 

The tallest Mohican measures 113.5cm and belongs to Kazuhiro Watanabe from Japan.

Johanna Quaas from Germany is 86 year old and is the world’s oldest gymnast. She is a retired PE teacher and she took part in her first competition at the age of 56.

 

This is a 9 year old Belgian Gelding horse, who measured 20 hands (210.19 cm), lives in the USA and is the world’s tallest horse.

Sharran Alexander from London is known as the heaviest sports woman, weighing in at 32 stone. She is the only female sumo wrestler on the UK team.

 

The Most Advanced Operating System in the World

 iOS 6 is finally here! Well, it will be available as a free download on the 19th of September. The worlds most advanced mobile operating system will get a long anticipated update, making it even better.

Apple have gone solo ending their partnership with Google, meaning that Google Maps and YouTube will no longer be available for iOS 6. But don't worry, Apple have created their own Maps application featuring a 3D view of buildings and turn-by-turn navigation. (YouTube is available for free on the App Store). Speaking of the App Store, it will get a fresh new look alongside iTunes and the iBook Store. Mail will have a new VIP mail option where you can mark certain people as VIPs and have their mail separately. iOS 6 will also come with Guided Access to help people with disabilities get the most out of Apple devices. Siri will be able to make restaurant reservations, check what movies are showing in cinemas around you and even open apps for you, hands free. This personal assistant will now be available for the New iPad.

Good news for all you Facebook lovers out there as it will be integrated into iOS 6, the ability to like apps and songs will be there and Siri will even post things for you. Onto Photo Stream. Now you will be able to select which people you want share photos with, brilliant. iCloud tabs will be added to Safari so you can pick up where you left off whichever Apple device you are using. An offline reading list will enable you to read web pages on the go, without wi-fi. Better still, iOS 6 will work all over the world, with new features included for China and other countries.

iOS 6 will be available for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPod Touch 4th Generation, iPod Touch 5th Generation, the iPad 2 and the New iPad. Don't forget to update!

Bigger. Better. Brighter.

As the title states, it's bigger and better, the new iPod Nano.

It comes in a beautiful colour range. The device is 5.4mm thin, 39.6mm wide, 76.5mm high and it ways just 31 grams. Oh, and it's the size of a credit card. The new iPod Nano has a 2.5" display and a home button below it. You can now watch videos, connect to other devices via bluetooth and listen to the radio as well as listening to your favourite tunes downloaded straight from iTunes. This device also comes with Nike+, photos and Podcasts. All of this rounded off with the new Apple EarPods and the Lightning connector. It can't get any better than this.

And it costs just £125 for the 16GB model. Wow.

View of Earth For Under £200

Adam Cudworth, a 19-year-old student, captured incredible footage of the Earth with a £30 camera from eBay.

Whilst NASA spend millions of pounds each year building high-tech satellites Adam, whose only scientific background is a Physics A-Level, managed to do the same thing but on a £200 budget. He spent 40 hours working on a home-made device consisting of a box with a GPS, radio and a microprocessor. The balloon soared to and incredible height of 110,210 ft.

The miniature video camera he used was purchased from eBay for a mere £30. It took a total of two-and-a-half hours for it to float over 20 miles into the atmosphere giving out-of-this-world images of space and earth.

Harsh Floods Strike In Pakistan!

Not so long ago, a severe and heavy monsoon struck in Pakistan, causing major floods that has killed at least 78 innocent people in the past three days. A tragedy for all relatives and friends of the people who sadly died from the horrific flood.

All together there have been dozens of people that were seriously injured and at least 78 people that have sadly passed away from the torrential sudden down pour of rain and floods. This flood has caused absolute havoc throughout Pakistan said a government spokesman on Monday (10^th September 2012).

As a result of the horrific monsoon, thousands of houses have been destroyed, some completely wrecked meaning their house has gone completely. One official said that the majority of the deaths have been caused by houses collapsing while people were still inside.

RIP to the people who sadly passed away from the horrendous  floods and down pours of heavy rain.

Yellow, Red and Blue, It's All New

As well as the iPhone 5, Apple have updated the iPod Touch, creating the ultimate music and gaming experience. It's the iPod Touch 5th generation.

It now comes in funky new colours, yellow, red and blue as well as black and white. This device has an aluminium body, 6.1mm thin, 58.6mm wide, 123.4mm high and it weighs just 88 grams! Just like the new iPhone, the iPod Touch now has the 4" retina display and it comes with the one and only, Siri.

The iPod Touch also has the 5MP iSight camera with panorama pictures, 1080p HD video recording and an LED flash. There is also a loop at the bottom of the device making sure that you never drop it, no matter what. All you have to do is press the little button on the back and attach the loop. Simple. The iPod comes with the new Apple EarPods giving greater sound quality to your music. Now onto gaming. With the larger screen, retina display and the Dual-Core A5 chip the gaming experience is just as good as the real world. 

However, all this comes with a price tag. There are two models, the 32GB - £249, and the 64GB model costing £299. Apple have created another amazing product which will get a lot of attention soon.

The X Factor

The X Factor is a television music competition created by Simon Cowell. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is now held in various countries. It is a very popular show and it's basically a competition to find a new singing talent. The show began in September 2004 and since then it has aired annually from August/September through to December. It is presently (2012) in its ninth season. In the United Kingdom it broadcasts on the ITV network, you can also watch The Xtra Factor screened on ITV2. The original judging panel was Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, plus Dannii Minogue joined the panel in the 4th series. Later on in series 5 Cheryl Cole replaced Osbourne after her departure. Now in 2012 the judges are Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Contostavlos, Louis Walsh and Gary Barlow.

So far on The X Factor there has been eight winners: Steve Brookstein, Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson, Alexandra Burke, Joe McElderry, Matt Cardle and Little Mix. Winners receive a recording contract with record label Syco Music with a stated value of 1 million pound. 

The show is the biggest television talent competition in Europe and is hugely popular with the public.

The X Factor 2012 - Favourite Auditions... 
Sadly The X Factor 2012 auditions are almost over with the final two episodes airing this weekend. So far there’s been plenty of great and unique auditions on the show this year, and certainly quite a few not-so-great! This year is a different one for The X Factor, with a lot more original artists and performers than in previous series, thanks to the new rules.

Here are six acts we can't wait to see more of at bootcamp...




                    

The Wait is Over

It's finally here, Apple released the all new iPhone 5 yesterday in San Francisco. It has a beautiful design which is 20% lighter and 18% thinner than before. 7.6mm deep, 58.6mm wide 128.8mm high and it weighs just 112 grams. The iPhone 5 holds a 4" retina display, with a 1136x640 pixel resolution; which makes the whole experience of using this device even better. It is taller than the previous model, making typing even easier. The performance is much better than before as Apple have built in a new A6 chip which will give a two times better experience alongside faster graphics and improved battery life. The iPhone 5 also features the new 4G LTE networks making web browsing even faster.

The most noticeable thing is that the dock connector has changed in size drastically giving more room for the headphone jack and better speakers on the bottom of the iPhone 5. Apple have called it Lightning. As well as that they have redesigned the earphones, now called the EarPods. They are designed to fit every ear in the world and have better sound quality than the ones before. The camera is now better too with enhanced video recording, the ability to take panorama snap shots, a HD front facing camera and now you can even take a photo when you are recording a video. Siri has had an update aswell, you can now ask it to show you sports results, restaurant reviews and book an evening movie at a cinema. All just for you.

Furthermore, you will no longer have to keep loosing boarding passes or forgetting where you put you Starbucks voucher because Passbook is here. This in built app stores all your passes, tickets and more so you don't have to panic when you can't find your Apple gift voucher. It's location based so a notification will show up on your lock screen when you are near your airport or if your gate number has changed. The Phone application now allows you to reply to a call with a message whenever you can't answer. There is also an improved call clarity, reducing background noise and making the sound clearer. With Facetime you can now make video calls to other Apple devices using your data network; great when you are on the go with no wi-fi nearby.

All this comes with a hefty price tag. Prices start from £529 for the 16GB model. Apple have certainly lived up to their breath-taking standards, bringing a brighter future to the iPhone; and it is as they say:

'The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone'

Nintendo Wii U will be released in December 2012

On the 8^th of December the new Wii U will be released in Japan. There will be two different versions available; a premium version costing about £250 and a basic edition that will cost around £210. The main difference between the two will be the premium version having more memory than the basic edition. If you wish to buy the extra controllers, it is thought that they will cost just over £100 each but it's not yet known when the console will be out in the UK.

What is the Nintendo Wii U?

The big difference between the Wii U and the Wii is the controller. Even though you play on a big screen like a PlayStation or an Xbox, the Wii U's controller has its own amazing touchscreen in the middle. The touchscreen will be used to carry out in-game tasks while the main action continues on the television. It also has a joystick and trigger button but you can still control the games by moving the touchscreen on the new controller. As well as all this, it has a camera that faces whoever is playing the game.

The Wii U is more than a game machine. Wii is social and active entertainment that brings the whole family together.

CHICKEN!

Who came first... The chicken or the egg? That's the question no one knows, but every one wants to know the answer! While your pondering about it here's a few chicken jokes to lighten the mood...

Q: Why did the chicken cross the park?
A: To get to the other slide.

Q: Why did the duck cross the road?
A: Because the chicken was having a day off.

Q: Why didn't the baby chick go to the haunted house?
A: Because he was a little chicken.

Q: Why did the turkey cross the road?
A: To prove he wasn't a chicken.

Only In America!

At the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona,California there were a lot of quirky food stalls selling even more quirky food. The artery-clogging fair on offer includes:

The maple bacon donut

Deep fried frogs legs

Chocolate covered bacon and deep fried snickers.

Deep fried avocados and deep fried oreos

And deep fried Kool-Aid balls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 Trailer

Frankenweenie Set Tour

Click on the link for a really cool set tour for the new film Frankenweenie - http://frankenweenie360.com/

Thor 2 set photos

Cancer Awareness!

Cancer is a broad group of various diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells grow uncontrollably, forming nasty tumours and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the body through the lymphatic system or bloodstream. However not all tumours are cancerous.

Nobody expects you to know every little detail about every cancer, but knowing the key symptoms of common cancers can make a HUGE difference.

Changes in the body are the best indicator of something not being right. The best way of knowing is whether you feel 'normal' compared to what someone is used to. Some of the symptoms of common cancers are:

• A persistent cough which lasts for longer than 3 weeks
• A change in bowel movements that last for longer than 4 to 6 weeks
• Any unusual lumps
• Difficulty in passing urine
• Unexplained weight loss
• Changes to moles or freckles
• A white or red patch in the mouth which doesn't heal within 3 weeks
• Unexplained pain
• Feeling tired all the time

Types of cancers:

BLADDER CANCER is the 7th most common cancer in the UK, with more than 10,000 people in the UK diagnosed each year. It is the 4th most common cancer for men and the 11th most common for women. It takes a long time to develop and is the most prevelant in older people. Most bladder cancers develop on the inner layer of the bladder, although some can grow into the deeper layers. How far the cancer has spread into the layers will influence its severity and how it is treated. The 2 biggest risk factors for bladder cancer is smoking. The most effective way of reducing the risk of bladder cancer is to give up smoking. You can also prevent it by eating a healthy diet, not drinking more than the recommended daily alcohol limits (3-4 units for men, and 2-3 units for women), and taking regular exercise.

BOWEL CANCER is the 3rd most common type of cancer with around 40,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is the 3rd most common cancer for women and the 3rd most common cancer for men. A strong family history of bowel cancer can increase your own risk. The symptoms of bowel cancer are unexplained changes in bowel habits such as diarrhoea or constipation, blood in your faeces/poo, pains in your stomach or rectum or unexplained weight loss. The preventions for bowel cancer is to keep track of your bowel movements, eating a healthy diet, no drinking more than the recommended daily alhohol limits (3-4 units for men, and 2-3 units for women), taking regular exercise and to give up smoking.

BREAST CANCER is an extremely common cancer. In the UK about 46,000 women  are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and 8 out of 10 of these women are aged over 50. Breast cancer is the name given to a maligant tumour that has developed from cells which are housed without the breast. If you have family relatives who have had breast cancer then you may have a higher risk of developing it. The most common symptoms of breast cancer are: a change in the size or shape of the breast, dimpling of the skin of the breast, thickening in the tissue of the breast, swelling or lump in the armpit, a rash in the breast area or lump or thickening behind the nipple. Possible ways of preventing breast cancer are: to replace animal fats with polyunsaturated fats, eat more isoflavones, eat more fibre, make sure you have enough calcium in your diet and to eat foods with high carotenoids.

CERVICAL CANCER is a relatively rare type of cancer. In the UK around 2800 women are diagnosed with it each year. Cervical cancers form in the tissues of the cervix or neck of the womb. There are certain factors that can increase the rick of developing cervical cancer, they are: unprotected sex, a weakening immune system, smoking, taking the Pill could increase a womans risk of cervical cancer and women who have had a large amount of children. The preventions of cervical cancer are to consider having a HPV vaccination and to quit smoking.

LUNG CANCER is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. Cases are rare in people under the age of 40, the most common age of diagnosis is people aged 70-74. People who smoke put themselves at a higher risk of lumg cancer. The common symptoms of lung cancer are: a continuing cough usually for 3 weeks or more, a chest infection that does not get better, increasing breathlessness, a dull ache or a sharp pain when you cough or take a depe breath, loss of appetite, loss of weight, difficulty swallowing or excessive tiredness and lethargy. The prevention of lung cancer is to stop smoking.

PROSTATE CANCER is a walnut sized gland found only in men. 30,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer annually and around 10,000 men die from prostate cancer each year making it the second most common cause of cancer deaths in men. Prostate cancer can grow slowly and may never cause any problems or issues. Black men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men. The symptoms of prostate cancer are: having to rush to the toilet to pass urine, difficulty in passing urine, pain in passing urine, passing urine more than usual and blood in the urine. You can prevent prostate cancer by going on a diet and to reduce your intake of animal fat.

SKIN CANCER. There are 2 main types of skin cancer, Malignant melanoma which is less common but more serious and non-melanoma skin cancer which is very common but not as serious. Having a family history of melanoma doubles the risk. Also fair skinned people with light coloured hair and eyes or those who are more likely to burn are more at risk of skin cancer. The preventions of skin cancer are: to not expose yourself to much to the sun, apply sunscreen 20-30 minutes before going out in the sun, re-apply sunscreen to children more often, ever use a sun bed and to cover up with loose fitting clothes on sunny days.

Ther are over 200 different types of cancers so if you think you are showing signs of any of the symptoms then go and talk to your GP/doctor about it. Don't leave it too late! Its better to be safe than sorry...

Todwick A57 Work Begins.

Construction work has started on a £14.7m scheme to improve a notorious accident blackspot in South Yorkshire.

More than 30 people have been injured on the A57 at Todwick, near Rotherham, between 2006 and 2011.

The scheme includes a dual carriageway on a part of the 2.5km stretch of road, crossroads and a roundabout.

A reduced speed limit is in operation until the work is finished. The project is expected to be completed by early 2014.

The council said the new road scheme would also reduce traffic congestion and delays.

Councillor Gerald Smith, from Rotherham Borough Council, said: "This road carries high levels of traffic so it needs to be as safe as possible. It has been troubled by road safety and congestion problems for years."

"It is also vital for the continued re-generation within the Dinnington area."

The council said it would maintain access to residents properties while the construction is taking place.

Murray's Grand Slam Win.

Andy Murray has spoken about how he felt after realising he'd made history.

The tennis star, the first man to win the Olympic title and US Open in the same year said he was shocked to have won the final against Novak Djokovic.

After the big disappointment of losing the Wimbledon final, the Scotsman said it was unbelievable to win the US Open.

He also joked that it was great to finally pick up a Grand Slam title so that the press could stop asking him when he was going to win one!