Sunday 31 March 2013

Facebook hacked in 'sophisticated' attack - Telegraph.co.uk

Facebook said that it took immediate action to repair all infected computers once the malware was discovered and added that it had informed law enforcement authorities.

It is the latest in a number of sophisticated hacking attacks on high-profile websites and companies.

Twitter reported earlier this month that 250,000 user details, including usernames, passwords and email addresses, were stolen by hackers. It said it was "not the work of amateurs".

The New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal have all accused China of attacking their computer systems.

Earlier this week a report by US intelligence community concluded that the country was being targeted by a massive cyber-espionage campaign.

The National Intelligence Estimate, a classified report compiled by the US intelligence services, identified energy, finance, information technology, aerospace and automotive companies as the most frequent targets of hacking campaigns that appear state sponsored, according to The Washington Post earlier this week.

Facebook said that the malware that attacked its own systems used a previously unseen loophole, taking advantage of a flaw in Java software made by Oracle, a mobile developer.

The company said the malware attacked its employee laptops despite running up-to-date antivirus software. It added that it was continuing to investigate the threat.

A statement on its website said: "Facebook, like every significant internet service, is frequently targeted by those who want to disrupt or access our data and infrastructure.

"Foremost, we have found no evidence that Facebook user data was compromised."

It was unknown whether the cyberattack on San Francisco-based Twitter was related to the Facebook breach.

Blackpool boss Appleton tells Liverpool to up their offer for Tom Ince - Goal.com

Blackpool boss Michael Appleton has warned Liverpool that they must improve their offer for Tom Ince if they wish to sign the highly-rated winger.


The 20-year-old has been in fine form for the Championship side this season, scoring 13 goals in 24 games, prompting interest from the club he left 18 months ago.

Goal.com exclusively revealed on Saturday that Liverpool are close to reaching an agreement with Blackpool over a fee for the winger, and Appleton has called on the Reds to up their offer if they wish to land the England Under-21 international.

"They [Liverpool] made an offer two weeks or so ago, we haven't received anything else since," Appleton told reporters.

"It's not enough, it'll need to be better to secure the service of Tom and until that changes he'll stay here.

"Why would any manager want to sell and get rid of his best players? I'd love to keep Tom.

"We need reinforcements big time and bring in four or five new faces in by the end of January, I've asked a 39-year-old to play 90mins today and I can't keep doing that.

"Everyone has got a price but we want to keep our best players and add to them and have a right go in the league."

 

UFC London "I think it'll be fun": Michael McDonald breaks down his UFC title ... - Mirror.co.uk

The cerebral American Michael McDonald has impressed everyone in the buildup to this weekend's UFC interim bantamweight title bout with Renan Barao.

His understated, yet matter-of-fact, approach to the bout, coupled with his superb boxing and mixed martial arts skills, has led to many tipping him to upset the defending interim beltholder Barao, who is undefeated in his last 29 fights.

That streak, however, doesn't faze McDonald, who acknowledges his opponent's superior athleticism, but states: "But to use that athleticism, you first have to get past my martial arts."

The American comes into Saturday night's main event bout on an eight-fight win streak, with his most recent victim being the former WEC world champion Miguel Torres, who he dispatched via first-round knockout, in April last year.

And rather than adapting his game to suit Barao, McDonald simply plans to step inside the Octagon and fight off the cuff, playing out the entire bout as he sees it at the time.

"I feel the best way to perform at your best is just to  be yourself, enjoy it [and] don't look at the even and how big it's going to be.

"He is unique. I think he does what he does very well, and different from other people. So I definitely think it'll be a challenge. I think it'll be fun."

McDonald's bout with UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao is the main event of UFC London, which takes place at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.

 

Prelims start on www.facebook.com/ufc from 5:15pm on Saturday night.  The main card kicks off live on ESPN UK from 8:00pm.

Secrets of a viral ad campaign on Twitter: visualisation - The Guardian


Irn Bru's TV ad caused some pre-watershed controversy when first aired in June. More interesting, though, was the Twitter campaign behind the ad, illustrated in these visualisations. Agency Blonde picked a low-profile Irn Bru fan, @larachie, and seeded the link to the new ad on YouTube through her account after helping her double her followers. Using the Topsy API, the agency tracked Twitter activity, and sister agency Face created these visualisations. This image shows what happened in the four weeks after @larachie's first tweet, with red dots showing each Twitter user and white lines illustrating retweets and mentions. The further away from the centre, the more influential the activity.


Eventually the ad was shown on national TV. This image shows the 'wide reach' of people, shown in the centre, who mentioned the ad after the broadcast, but didn't generate any retweets or mentions. Those on the outside are the most influential, especially Rachie, who first tweeted the link, amongst dozens of other influentials.


Reactions: Each person in grey tweeted the YouTube link, and this image shows the tweets and mentions between different users before the ad aired on TV. From @larchie's first tweet, the YouTube ad had been viewed 100,000 times in 24 hours. After the TV ad aired, the YouTube ad recorded an extra 300,000 views in 48 hours.


This image plots different types of mentions, some longer exchanges and others single mentions. Blonde said the combination of social networks and the conventional TV campaign was essential, but the activity of small, connected and very active groups on Twitter was what helped build momentum, pushing YouTube views to 650,000 in three weeks. To date, the ad has been viewed more than 1.6m times.

Germany orders changes to Facebook real name policy - BBC News

A German data protection body has ordered Facebook to end its policy of making members use their real names.

The policy violates German laws that give people the right to use pseudonyms online, said the data protection agency in Schleswig-Holstein.

The agency has issued a decree demanding that Facebook let people use fake names immediately.

Facebook said it would fight the decree "vigorously" and that its naming policy met European data protection rules.

"It is unacceptable that a US portal like Facebook violates German data protection law unopposed and with no prospect of an end," said Thilo Weichert, head of the regional data protection office in Schleswig Holstein, in a statement.

The ability to use a pseudonym on Facebook was "reasonable" said Mr Weichert and would allow people to use the service "without fear of unpleasant consequences".

Facebook's long-standing policy of making people use their real names did nothing to prevent people using the social network to throw insults or to hamper identity theft, he added.

Schleswig Holstein is piloting the action against Facebook and if it is successful the decision is likely to be adopted by the nation's other data protection agencies, it said, adding that the social network now has two weeks to oppose the decree in a German court.

The decree issued by the Schleswig Holstein office was "without merit" a Facebook spokeswoman told tech news site IT World adding that it planned to fight the order.

Liverpool target Lewis Holtby's reported wage demands are false, states agent - Goal.com

EXCLUSIVE
By Hassan Haji Talib

Lewis Holtby's agent has confirmed that his client has not demanded €6 million [£4.8m] per year from Schalke, as is being reported.


The 22-year-old, whom Goal.com exclusively revealed is a transfer target for Liverpool, will be out of contract in June and, despite negotiations dragging on for longer than the player is happy with, his representative is adamant that there is a disparity between reports and fact.

"These numbers have been plucked from the air," Markus Noack told Goal.com.

"Ultimately, it was only myself, Horst Heldt and [Schalke sporting director] Gerhard Zuber sitting at the negotiating table. To my knowledge, no media representatives were there, so how would they know?

"The press are building it up more than they should. It could be the club trying to add some pressure because, if I put myself in their position, then I can understand that they might want to panic both the player and his agent. We have seen this in the past."

When asked how Holtby is dealing with the circumstances, Noack explained that, although he is affected by the breakdown, his mind is still very focused on playing for the club.

"I would be lying if I said that does not affect him. Lewis and I both know what we spoke about with the club and I am fully convinced that he can be professional about the situation and focus on the his job," he replied.

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Facebook promotes engineering veep to CTO - Register

Facebook promotes engineering veep to CTO

'Unique and important' bloke kicked upstairs

Free whitepaper – EMA advanced performance analytics report

Facebook has promoted its engineering veep Mike Schroepfer to the job of chief technology officer.

The role had been left vacant since June 2012 when Bret Taylor quit the free content ad network within weeks of the company's public debut on Wall Street to do his own biz thing.

Schroepfer now steps into Taylor's shoes, after working at Facebook since 2008 when he joined Mark Zuckerberg's firm from browser-maker Mozilla.

A Facebook spokesman said that one-time Sun Microsystems' man Schroepfer played a "unique and important role" at the network.

He recently claimed that London was "rapidly emerging as a global technology hub". Late last year Facebook finally decided to hire a handful of engineers in Britain after previously only having salespeople on its books in the UK. ®

Free whitepaper – Enabling efficient data center monitoring

Footballer Shane Duffy denies posting IRA message on Twitter - BBC News

A Premiership footballer has denied responsibility for a message that appeared on his Twitter account, apparently in support of the IRA.

Shane Duffy, an Everton defender and Republic of Ireland international, said someone took his phone and retweeted the message without his knowledge.

The message appeared on his account during the earlier hours of Monday.

He later apologised for any offence caused and tweeted: "cant leave ur phone anywhere now!!" (sic).

'Mess'

Duffy, 21, is originally from County Londonderry.

As a teenager, he played for Northern Ireland at Under 16, 17, 19, and 21 level.

In February 2010, he switched his international allegiance to the Republic of Ireland.

The footballer has more than 48,000 followers on the micro-blogging site.

Later on Monday morning, Duffy reiterated his denials and said he was getting "abuse" from many Twitter users for something he did not do.

He posted: "The retweets and tweets was not me. Got to accept the hate. Really am sorry for this mess! Sorry guys!"

Controversy

Everton FC has not yet made a comment on the matter.

It is not the first time a Republic of Ireland international has been involved in controversy on Twitter.

Last month, Duffy's Irish team-mate and fellow Derry native James McClean closed his Twitter account after a row over an Irish rebel song.

McClean, who plays for Sunderland AFC, named The Broad Black Brimmer by The Wolfe Tones as his favourite song.

The song tells the story of a boy whose father is killed fighting for the IRA.

Liverpool can still make Europe this season, insists Jordan Henderson - The Guardian

The Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has said that the club's bid for European football is far from over despite the defeat at Southampton.

The Reds' three-match winning run in the league, which had raised slim hopes of sneaking into the Champions League, was brought to a shuddering halt with the 3-1 loss on Saturday.

However, while the top four – now nine points away – may be out of reach, Henderson believes seventh-placed Liverpool can still secure a place in European competition next season.

"It was a big disappointment against Southampton but Europe's not gone yet," he said. "We've still got eight games to play and that's a lot of points to play for. We've still got to play some of the teams above us so we have to keep going. We have to pick ourselves up from this and ensure we respond positively against Aston Villa after the international break."

Henderson's playing time in the league has been limited since his last start since Liverpool took on West Bromwich Albion but he accepts it has been difficult to break into a winning side. However, he is hoping for an opportunity with Joe Allen set to have an operation on a shoulder injury seemingly sooner rather than later after pulling out of Wales' squad on Sunday.

"I've just got to keep working hard," he told the Liverpool Echo. "Before Saturday the team had been playing brilliantly so I can't complain. You can't really change a winning team so I've understood why I've not played. I just have to make sure that when the manager needs me I'm ready to take my chance."

Dedication or insanity? Norwegian super-fan writes his name into Liverpool history - Daily Mail

By Frank Foster

|


Proving your love for your football team can inspire some very odd behavior - and one Liverpool fan from Norway seems to have upset his mother in the process.

Axel Gogstad spent his youth admiring Robbie Fowler, Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard, and decided to take his support to the next level when he turned 18.

In a moment of spontaneity, the youngster set off to write his name into Liverpool history - by changing it to Anfield.

True Red: Axel Gogstad decided to change his name to 'Anfield'

True Red: Axel Gogstad decided to change his name to 'Anfield'

Now known as Axel Gogstad-Anfield, the 27-year-old studies sports journalism in Southampton and is proud of his actions to this day.

'I come from Norway. I changed my name to Anfield when I turned 18, I've had it for nine years now,' he told Liverpoolfc.com.

'It was quite a spontaneous thing, really. I've always been proud of my name but I thought if I put 'Anfield' to it I'd be even more proud of it and I can carry Liverpool wherever I'm going.'

Axel may be proud but the decision not to tell his mother of his plans threatened to cause a bit a domestic.

Dodgy looks: The Norwegian says his passport can cause a stir at airports

Dodgy looks: The Norwegian says his passport can cause a stir at airports

'When I came back home, I had dinner with my family,' he recalled. 'My mum said "What have you been doing today?" and I said "I changed my name to Anfield". She said "No, you haven't", and I said "Yes, I did".

'We went back and forth for half an hour, and then I showed her the papers. She said "No really, you didn't?"'

It's not all plain sailing for Axel though - especially when travelling through Manchester.

He said: 'I get a little stick from Manchester United fans, obviously. When I'm in the airport in Manchester, customs give me a shake of the head - but it has been good.'

 

Snow forecast as weather stays cold - Belfast Telegraph

Another dumping of snow has covered the north of the UK overnight as persistently cold weather keeps an unusual grip on March.

Up to 10cm was predicted to settle in parts of Scotland and north England, with more expected to fall throughout the day as temperatures hover around a bitter three degrees.

The Met Office has issued a number of amber weather warnings across north-east England and central and eastern Scotland urging people to be prepared for disruption.

But regions south of Cumbria and Yorkshire have escaped the snowy weather, instead set to enjoy a dry day with relatively warmer temperatures, of up to nine degrees in London, with a risk of scattered showers.

Matt Dobson, a forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "It's a real north-south split. Over high ground up to 10cms could have fallen over night, with the potential for the same amount again. Even down to sea level there could be a covering of between one and four cms, very likely in Edinburgh.

"In the north of England there will be up to six cms overnight and a few more falling throughout the day, along with higher parts of north Wales. But south of the country there will be few showers but a lot of dry weather and some sunshine breaking through."

He added that the cold weather and snow storms across the north were likely to linger throughout the week and could even lead to blizzard conditions in Scotland.

It continues a cold month across the UK which has brought an unwelcome delay to Springtime weather.

Mr Dobson said that while snow is not uncommon for March, the continued cold weather is. He said: "Whether you think that Spring officially starts on March 1 or March 21, this is certainly unusually cold for this time of year. It's very cold for mid-March when we should expect much higher temperatures. It's not unusual for it to snow in March, in fact we are far more likely to see snow at Easter than at Christmas. What is unusual for March is how persistent the cold weather and snow is."

He added that it is too early to predict a white Easter.

* Lego to build its first factory in Asia - Financial Times (blog)

* Russia attacks Cypriot bank levy

* Tehran faces cut in Asia oil exports

* Vale doubles cost of Argentine project

* Dark times for China's Suntech

* ICC to consider Kenyatta case

* HDFC banks on a measured approach

* Xi to meet Lew on cyber row and trade

* Argentina asks pope for help on Falklands

* Emerging markets need greater due diligence

* Lego to build its first factory in Asia

Markets: up

Russia attacks Cypriot bank levy
Russia on Monday blasted a proposed €5.8bn levy on Cypriot bank deposits by the EU, warning that a planned €10bn bailout is not big enough to restore confidence in Cyprus, while the mandatory tax on deposits could cause a bank run and a prolonged financial crisis.
http://on.ft.com/148cARz

Tehran faces cut in Asia oil exports
Iran is facing the loss of a significant chunk of its oil export revenues as some of its largest trading partners in Asia plan to reduce their imports because of thepressure of US and European sanctions.
http://on.ft.com/YMGh5S

Vale doubles cost of Argentine project
Vale has almost doubled the estimated cost of its suspended potash project in Argentina to $11bn as the Brazilian miner becomes the latest company to halt investments in the country.
http://on.ft.com/143Nlja

Dark times for China's Suntech
Things are going from bad to worse for Suntech Power, the Chinese solar panel maker. The company, which has been fighting to stay afloat amid falling panel prices and slowing demand, became the latest company from mainland China to default on its international bonds.
http://on.ft.com/ZnHa4S

ICC to consider Kenyatta case
The International Criminal Court in The Hague will hold hearings on Monday afternoon on whether to proceed with its case against Uhuru Kenyatta, who was declared Kenya's president-elect this month but faces charges of crimes against humanity stemming from post-election violence in 2007.
http://on.ft.com/WyJYfK

HDFC banks on a measured approach
News of an investigation into money laundering has forced India's second-largest privately run bank by assets to confront an unusual problem: negative publicity.
http://on.ft.com/15koSm2

Xi to meet Lew on cyber row and trade
US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday at a critical time in relations between the world's two largest economies, with cyber hacking, the Chinese currency and market access high on the agenda for talks.
http://on.ft.com/YOR93i

Argentina asks pope for help on Falklands
Cristina Fernández, Argentina's president, has asked her compatriot, Pope Francis, to lobby Britain to negotiate sovereignty of the Falklands.
http://on.ft.com/15Wcs5X

Emerging markets need greater due diligence
Caterpillar of all companies ought to know a thing or two about digging. Even the world's best known maker of mechanical shovels and earth movers, however, appears to have been caught out by not doing its digging properly in China.
http://on.ft.com/WA5phQ

Lego to build its first factory in Asia
Lego is to build its first factory in Asia as the toymaker taps into surging demand in the region and continues its push to add production in low-cost countries.
http://on.ft.com/147vMyT

Emerging Markets
MSCI Emerging Market Index up +0.42% at 1,034

Americas
DJIA down -0.43% at 14,452
S&P 500 down -0.55% at 1,552
Bovespa up +0.18% at 56,973

Asia
Nikkei 225 up +1.94% at 12,457
Topix up +1.65% at 1,045
Hang Seng up +0.51% at 22,196
Shanghai Composite up +0.27% at 2,246
MSCI Asia ex-Japan up +0.70% at 540.34
S&P CNX Nifty Index up +0.08% at 5,840

Currencies
€/$ 1.30 (1.30)
$/¥ 95.57 (95.17)

Commodities
Brent Crude (ICE) down -0.13 at 109.38
Light Crude (Nymex) up +0.05 at 93.79
100 Oz Gold (Comex) unchanged 0.00 at 1,605

Liverpool join growing list of admirers for Celtic midfielder Wanyama - Daily Mail

By John Edwards

|

Liverpool have joined the chase for Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has had the 21-year-old watched extensively and is ready to make a move in the summer window.

Rodgers has made strengthening his defence a priority and wants at least one more attacking player. Yet Kenya holding midfielder Wanyama fits the player profile desired by the club's owners and he can also provide cover at centre back, which is a bonus.

Targeted: Victor Wanyama has caught the eye of Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers

Targeted: Victor Wanyama has caught the eye of Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers

Wanyama has been watched by both Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Everton and Sunderland this season as he has proved one of the stars of Celtic's Champions League campaign.

He has one year left on his contract and Celtic would want around 10million.

Liverpool want four new players in the summer but are also likely to offload some of their big earners to help offset the cost and lower their wage bill.

Leaking defence: Liverpool's back four has been a weakness this season, with Martin Skrtel particularly criticised

Leaking defence: Liverpool's back four has been a weakness this season, with Martin Skrtel particularly criticised

The comments below have not been moderated.

Liverpool will mess this guy up like they do every other defensive midfielder who steps foot in the club, might have a good system but implementing midfielders is defo a weakness, he'd be better off staying at Celtic, least hell avoid channel 5

That's it, another midfielder. We can survive with 2 decent strikers.... That was sarcasm by the way

crap journalism. no proof. they should fire you for this.

Can't be any worse than Joe Allen

Liverpool are £87m in debt and lost £40m last year so it's ludicrous that they should be able to buy any players. It's absurd that most of the English Premier League clubs float along using other people's money. - Eurodreamer, Glasgow, United Kingdom, 2013-03-19 1:0 Get your facts straight those figures are from last year and includes getting rid of old managers and pay offs for players released. Hate when idiot come on talking rubbish about things they know nothing about. Next seasons figures will show a profit from lfc

Will be more than 10m for Wanyama when he goes and his contract has 2 years to run. Maybe do proper research before writing nonsense lol.

Would be a quality signing if Rogers can bring him in, so much consistency and strength shown at Celtic this season and at 21 he has bags of potential. See more potential with him playing a CDM role though.

Liverpool are 87m in debt and lost 40m last year so it's ludicrous that they should be able to buy any players. It's absurd that most of the English Premier League clubs float along using other people's money.

As is always the case he will go to the highest bidder

he wont joing liverpool if a prem side playing CL football comes in

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Cech sensation: Arsenal target Chelsea keeper as patience with out-of-form ... - Daily Mail

By Sami Mokbel

|

Petr Cech is the surprise name on Arsenal's six-man shortlist to replace goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny next season.

The Chelsea keeper has been watched extensively by Gunners scouts.

Cech remains Chelsea's first-choice keeper and a move across London would be one of the most unexpected transfers in recent memory but there are continued suggestions that highly rated Thibault Courtois, who is on loan at Atletico Madrid from Chelsea, could replace Cech next season.

Transfer sensation: Arsenal hope to sign Petr Cech at the end of the season

Transfer sensation: Arsenal hope to sign Petr Cech at the end of the season

The Gunners are manoeuvring themselves into a position to strike if Cech makes way for Courtois, 20.

Chelsea are convinced Courtois is Cech's long-term successor after his two successful loan spells in the Spanish capital.

Cech's deal expires in the summer of 2016 and the chances of Chelsea agreeing to sell the goalkeeper to one of their biggest rivals seem remote.

Out of favour: Wojciech Szczesny has been left out of Arsenal's line up for their last two games

Out of favour: Wojciech Szczesny has been left out of Arsenal's line up for their last two games

But the fact Arsene Wenger has his eye on such an audacious signing illustrates his intention to spend heavily this summer.

Pepe Reina, Asmir Begovic, Victor Valdes, Rene Adler and Michel Vorm also appear on the club's goalkeeping hit list.

Overrated? Stoke's Asmir Begovic

Overrated? Stoke's Asmir Begovic

Needs new challenge? Liverpool's Pepe Reina

Needs new challenge? Liverpool's Pepe Reina

Surprise target: Swansea's Michel Vorm

Surprise target: Swansea's Michel Vorm

Szczesny is facing a fight to save his Gunners career after a string of below-par displays. The Pole was dropped in favour of countryman Lukasz Fabianski for Arsenal's last two games against Bayern Munich and Swansea.

The Gunners kept two clean sheets, which is likely to result in an extended spell on the bench for Szczesny.

First choice: Lukasz Fabianski has kept two straight clean sheets for Arsenal

First choice: Lukasz Fabianski has kept two straight clean sheets for Arsenal

In an interview with Poland daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza ahead of Arsenal's win at the Liberty Stadium, Szczesny said: 'I am too happy [here] to go somewhere else. I believe in the philosophy of the club and that Arsenal will start to win again. I have a debt to pay here for the club. I do not want to go anywhere else. As long as they want me here, there is no "somewhere else". I have a contract until June 2015.'

The comments below have not been moderated.

Why would Cech go to arsenal? It would be a backward step, the last player to go to Arsenal from Chelsea was Gallas (to win trophies hahahahaha), now if my memory serves me right i think in the last Eight years its Chelsea 11 tropies and Arsenal 0 hahahahahaha.

"The Chelsea keeper has been watched extensively by Gunners scouts."As if someone has to scout Petr Cech.

April Fool's day is still 12 days away.

ech and Reina are both dodgy and past their best. Chelsea will be laughing if they get a few million for ech when they already have the superior Courtois to replace him.

Your comments:Everyday a new name pops up on Arsenals short (long) list, better to publish the names not on it - it might be shorter!!

The only things missing from this wonderfully written piece of journalism are: 1) the word "Exclusive"...oh & 2) a small matter of the truth. DM you've already proven beyond all doubt that your "stories" about Arsenal are fictional...Why continue? Seriously...why? As a paper you harp on about the fact that there is no need for press regulation and yet you come up with utter drivel on AFC on a daily basis.

Oh boy! No comment!

DM high again ?

Seems like someone was popping Mali and sweating while they wrote this article (whoo)

is it April 1st yet ?

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Monday 18 March 2013

London fire station closures day of action - BBC News

Firefighters have held a day of action against proposals to close 12 fire stations in London which could see the loss of more than 500 jobs.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) wants to make the changes to save nearly £29m over two years.

The Fire Brigades' Union (FBU) said the cuts were "reckless" and would jeopardise public safety.

Its members handed out leaflets and collected signatures for a petition against the closures.

The FBU had asked members both on duty and off to take part.

But London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson said: "Attempts by the FBU to divert on-duty firefighters away from their work are irresponsible.

"London firefighters are professionals and I am sure that those on duty today will be working as usual, ready to provide a normal emergency response."

The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA), the body which governs the fire service, has recorded its opposition to the station closures.

The authority had rejected London Mayor Boris Johnson's order to hold a public consultation but after he threatened legal action, members voted to authorise it.

FBU regional secretary for London Paul Embery said: "These cuts are dangerous and wrong. No-one wants them, apart from Boris Johnson.

"Public safety is playing second fiddle to crude economic ideology, and that is inexcusable."

Last year the LFB was told it must save more than £65m in two years.

Mr Dobson said: "A public consultation on the future of London Fire Brigade started on 4 March, and will run for at least 12 weeks.

"The brigade is encouraging all Londoners to take part."

Stranded Farne Islands ship: Weather delays rescue bid - BBC News

A local RNLI crew got close to the stricken ship

An attempt to rescue a cargo ship which ran aground off the Northumberland coast on Saturday has been postponed because of bad weather.

The 262ft (80m) MV Danio is caught on rocks on the Farne Islands about 3 miles (5km) from the mainland.

The vessel has 27 tonnes of diesel fuel and 1,500 tonnes of timber.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it was aware of the potential impact on the islands, which are home to wildlife and sea birds.

About 80,000 pairs of seabirds and a large grey seal colony reside on the islands.

It was hoped an attempt to free the ship, which was heading from Perth in Scotland to Antwerp, Belgium, could have been made on Monday, but MCA spokesman Hugh Shaw said weather conditions were too bad.

'Potential damage'

He said: "We have been monitoring the weather over the past 24 hours and the conditions have been getting steadily worse. The forecast is for the situation to potentially get even worse still.

"The master and crew of six are still on board and are getting a bit of shelter where they are, but we are closely monitoring the situation.

"We are very conscious of the wildlife situation with the seal and bird population.

"We know the bird population is going to increase significantly over the next few weeks, so we are doing everything we possibly can in these conditions to minimise any potential damage to the environment.

"We're now in a waiting game. We have all the resources and personnel in place and just need a break in the weather."

Seahouses Lifeboat Station received a distress call from the Danio's crew of four Poles, a Russian and a Filipino, at about 04:30 GMT on Saturday.

There had been concerns of environmental damage caused by oil spillages, but no leaks have so far been reported.

Arsenal play down Wilshere injury fears and confirm England star will be fit ... - Daily Mail

By Frank Foster

|

Arsenal have confirmed Jack Wilshere is expected to return from an ankle in injury for their clash with Reading at the end of the month.

The England midfielder has not played since Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Tottenham and has already been ruled out of his country's crucial World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro.

It was claimed by some outlets that Wilshere could be missing for a further six weeks and that manager Arsene Wenger had ruled out the possibility of using him again this season.

Road to recovery: Arsenal expect Jack Wilshere to be fit to face Reading on March 30

Road to recovery: Arsenal expect Jack Wilshere to be fit to face Reading on March 30

Precaution: Arsene Wenger has claimed that Wilshere's latest injury does not require surgery

Precaution: Arsene Wenger has claimed that Wilshere's latest injury does not require surgery

The club was quick to deny any such setback for the 21-year-old as he continues his rehabilitation in London.

'Nothing has changed in Jack's recovery, there's no setback or further damage to his ankle and no concern about any long-term problems,' said an Arsenal spokesperson.

'Jack was told to rest and we are still on course for him to resume training and be available for selection for the home game against Reading.'

Blow: Wilshere has emerged as one of England's most consistent performers but will miss the qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro

Blow: Wilshere has emerged as one of England's most consistent performers but will miss the qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro

The news will come as a relief for Gunners fans who are well acquainted with the fitness issues that have plagued Wilshere for the past two years.

What should have been a routine operation on his right ankle in 2011 forced him to miss 17 months of action after suffering various setbacks on his road to recovery.

Arsenal's win at Swansea on Saturday has thrown Wenger's side back into the mix of teams challenging for fourth place and entry into the Champions League next season.

The Gunners currently lie four points behind North London rivals Spurs with a game in hand.

If Wilshere progresses as Arsenal expect then he will be available for the run-in as Arsenal look to salvage their season following another campaign without a trophy.


EasyJet launches cheap flights from London to Moscow - The Guardian

Ministers have welcomed the introduction of low-cost flights between London and Moscow as a boost to trade and investment, as the first easyJet service for the Russian capital departed on Monday.

EasyJet started its no-frills flights between London Gatwick and Moscow on the day it made its debut on the FTSE 100 index of Britain's biggest companies, after its shares more than doubled in the last year.

The airline, which beat off competition from Virgin Atlantic to secure the limited rights to the route, expects to fly more than a quarter of a million passengers between London and Moscow annually.

Carolyn McCall, the chief executive of easyJet, said: "Moscow is a landmark route and one we are delighted to be able to serve. Russia is the world's largest country with a growing economy. Offering frequent and affordable flights enables easyJet to play a key role to aid trade links between the two countries."

EasyJet started officially trading on the FTSE 100 on Monday after its entry was confirmed earlier this month, less than 20 years after the airline with its distinctive orange-liveried aircraft was founded by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou with two borrowed planes.

McCall said the soaring share price was down to the "strategy of sustainable growth and returns and our disciplined approach to capital allocation" – a strategy that Haji-Ioannou, now the largest single shareholder, has attributed to his broadsides against the board and "always being on their case".

McCall said bookings for both of easyJet's Russian routes – direct flights from Manchester start on 28 March – had surpassed expectations, particularly from the Russian end. "We are already well known to Muscovites".

A trade mission was on board the first flight, with representatives from UK companies in sectors including food, technology and manufacturing.

Transport minister Simon Burns welcomed the launch of the services, saying: "I am certain it will help to deliver tremendous benefits to business and leisure passengers. It also demonstrates the ongoing capability of London's airport network to attract new, direct services with the world's largest markets."

Gatwick's chief executive, Stewart Wingate, said the route not only provided an essential new link to a key emerging market, but was "significant because it offers passengers greater choice in terms of price, flight times and which airport they fly from" and would "enable businesses in both countries to make the most of the vast opportunities available for bilateral trade".

Wingate has recently embarked on a more aggressive public dispute with rival airport Heathrow over the need for greater "hub airport" capacity, with Heathrow claiming that only a single hub can effectively deliver links to emerging markets.

British Airways is the only other UK airline to fly to Moscow, with three daily services from Heathrow. Russian airlines Transaero and Aeroflot also fly from the west London hub.

Lord Green, minister for trade and investment, said the launch showed the "strengthening relationship" between the UK and Russia. "Russia is currently our fastest growing major export market and its recent accession to the World Trade Organisation is making it easier for UK businesses to trade and invest there," he said.

McCall dismissed suggestions that a slowdown in the Russian economy would hurt the route. She said: "Slamming into reverse for Russia is just slowing growth really. We've demonstrated our model succeeds even when times are tough."

Leisure and business travel to Russia is likely to grow with the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and the football World Cup in 2018. Travel website TripAdvisor said searches from the UK for Moscow hotels had doubled since the cheaper flights went on sale.

In April, EasyJet will increase its current daily return flight from Gatwick to Moscow to two daily return flights, with fares under £100 for a one-way trip. Its Manchester service will be the first direct scheduled link from the city to Moscow.

McCall made a pre-budget plea to the chancellor, George Osborne, to scrap air passenger duty, claiming it would "create jobs and drive growth". Burns, said it was a matter for the chancellor and "he didn't want to get into trouble or queer his pitch".

Szczesny vows to battle on at Arsenal despite fears his fragile mental state ... - Daily Mail

By Jim Van Wijk, Press Association

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Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny maintains he has no thoughts of leaving Arsenal 'as long as they want me here'.

The Poland international was dropped for the Champions League game against Bayern Munich last week as manager Arsene Wenger felt the 22-year-old had been 'mentally affected' by the number of games played, and again took him out of the firing line for Saturday's trip to Swansea where Lukasz Fabianski kept a second consecutive clean sheet.

Despite maintaining he could offer no players a guarantee of a place in his side - not even captain Thomas Vermaelen, who also sat out the last two Gunners matches - Wenger insists Szczesny remains part of his long-term plans, having taken a chance on the young Pole who came through Arsenal's youth ranks after joining the club's academy from hometown side Legia Warsaw in 2006.

Benched: Wojciech Szczesny (right), seen here with Thomas Vermaelen, has been dropped from Arsenal's last two matches against Bayern Munich and Swansea City

Benched: Wojciech Szczesny (right), seen here with Thomas Vermaelen, has been dropped from Arsenal's last two matches against Bayern Munich and Swansea City

Speaking to Poland daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza in an interview conducted before the Swansea game, Szczesny said: 'I am too happy to go somewhere else. I believe in the philosophy of the club and that Arsenal will start to win again.

'I have a debt to pay here for the club, I owe them. I just do not want to go anywhere else.

'As long as they want me here, there is no 'somewhere else', and I have a contract until June 2015.'

Arsenal beat Swansea 2-0 away on Saturday as they battled back into contention for a top four finish, with Tottenham's 1-0 home defeat by Fulham leaving them four points behind their local rivals, with a match in hand and a superior goal difference.

Goalkeepers' Union: Szczesny congratulates Lukasz Fabianski at the end of the 2-0 win at Swansea on Saturday

Goalkeepers' Union: Szczesny congratulates Lukasz Fabianski at the end of the 2-0 win at Swansea on Saturday

Szczesny feels it is unthinkable for Wenger's men to miss out on playing in the Champions League next season.

'It is halfway through March and we have lost everything. There are still 10 matches left to save the club against the humiliation of all times.

'It would be disaster not to be in the top four and without Champions League next year.

'We have the 10 most important games in our careers. We are going through the most difficult time since I came here.'

First choice: Szczesny was Arsenal's top goalkeeper until a fortnight ago, but now he looks like being sold in the summer

First choice: Szczesny was Arsenal's top goalkeeper until a fortnight ago, but now he looks like being sold in the summer

Defender Carl Jenkinson feels Arsenal need to focus on delivering consistent performances from their own remaining nine matches, following the win at Swansea, rather than worry about the shortcomings of others.

Speaking to Arsenal Player, Jenkinson said: 'We just need to concentrate on ourselves. Other teams are going to drop points.

'We want to win every game and we are capable of doing that.

'Our form hasn't been bad. It can be better of course. From now it's just about now until the end of the season. That's going to be what makes or breaks us, so it's almost like a little season in itself.

Focus: Carl Jenkinson believes Arsenal need to take the positives from their last two games and push on for a Champions League place

Focus: Carl Jenkinson believes Arsenal need to take the positives from their last two games and push on for a Champions League place

'We just need to get on a good run and keep it going. If we do that, we'll end up where we need to be.'

Arsenal beat Swansea without England midfielder Jack Wilshere, who is nursing an ankle problem, independent of the injury which sidelined him for more than a year.

Reports this afternoon suggested the 21-year-old, who has been allowed time away in Dubai to aid his rehabilitation, is set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

However, Press Association Sport understands there has been no setback in the midfielder's recovery process, as Wenger expected to see him return after the international break, with Arsenal's next Premier League game against Reading on March 30.

Looking at old pictures of yourself on Facebook can boost your mood - Daily Mail

  • Researchers found users typically post positive pictures and status updates on the social networking site
  • Teams says discovery could be used to develop new forms of therapy

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Looking at old photographs of yourself on Facebook can boost your mood - and be as soothing as a walk in the park, a new study found.

Researchers found users typically post positive pictures and status updates on the social networking site.

And looking back over these snaps and wall posts when upset or depressed reminds us of happier times.

Cheer up, Zuck: Researchers say looking at your own page on Mark Zuckerberg's site can improve your mood - and could be used as therapy for the depressed

Cheer up, Zuck: Researchers say looking at your own page on Mark Zuckerberg's site can improve your mood - and could be used as therapy for the depressed

HOW WE LOG ON

The report also looked at ways of accessing Facebook, with phones being the most popular method.

Eighty percent of the survey had a smart phone and 94 percent of people surveyed always carried their phone with them.

Around 70 per cent prefer to access Facebook using their phone over more conventional methods, such as a PC or laptop.

This suggests people have a desire for immediacy, both in accessing the site as well as for viewing photos.

Almost 90 per cent of users access the site to look at their own wall posts, and three quarters do this when they are 'feeling low'.

Dr Alice Good, from the University of Portsmouth's School of Computing, found this 'self-soothing' use of Facebook is beneficial to our mood.

The more prone somebody is to depression, the more effective this browsing is, the study found.

The findings contradict previous research, which suggested looking at Facebook can be bad for your mental health.

Dr Good said: 'We were very surprised by these findings, which contradict some recent reports.

'The results indicate we could use self-soothing as a form of treatment for low moods.

'Although this was only a small study, we will go on to study larger groups to see if the results remain consistent.'

Dr Good questioned 144 Facebook users and found they often use the site to reminisce, using old photos and wall posts as a form of comfort.

The group had an average age of 34 and had slightly more men than women. Of these, 39 per cent had a history of mental health problems.

A staggering 86 percent of participants visit Facebook more than once a day, with 75 per cent looking at photos and 86 per cent wall posts each time.

These were the most popular activities, and also those that made them happiest.
Psychologist Dr Clare Wilson, also from the University of Portsmouth, said: 'These findings are fascinating.

Researchers say that looking at old pictures of yourself on line can boost your mood. The University of Portsmouth team found users typically post positive pictures and status updates on the social networking site.

Researchers say that looking at old pictures of yourself on line can boost your mood. The University of Portsmouth team found users typically post positive pictures and status updates on the social networking site.

'Facebook is marketed as a means of communicating with others, but this research shows we are more likely to use it to connect with our past selves, perhaps when our present selves need reassuring.

'The pictures we often post are reminders of a positive past event.

'When in the grips of a negative mood, it is too easy to forget how good we often feel, and our positive posts can remind us of this.'

The survey found that people who have experienced mental health issues are particularly comforted by the site.

Furthermore, it concluded that looking at comforting photos - known as reminiscent therapy - could be an effective method of treating mental health.

Scientists already knew that reminiscent therapy helps older people with memory problems.

The use of old photos, items and films can provide a way for people with short-term memory loss to feel comforted by objects that are familiar to them.

This new research shows that it could also an effective treatment for people with depression or anxiety.

Facebook recently redesigned its pictures pages. Now researchers say looking at your own page could boost your mood

Facebook recently redesigned its pictures pages. Now researchers say looking at your own page could boost your mood

The act of self-soothing is an essential tool in helping people to calm down, especially if they have an existing mental health condition, researchers say.

If a patient 'self-soothes' there is less chance of a problem escalating, the study found.

The report also looked at ways of accessing Facebook, with phones being the most popular method.

Eighty percent of the survey had a smart phone and 94 percent of people surveyed always carried their phone with them.

Around 70 per cent prefer to access Facebook using their phone over more conventional methods, such as a PC or laptop.

This suggests people have a desire for immediacy, both in accessing the site as well as for viewing photos.

This study is published in the journal 'Lecture Notes in Computer Science: Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction'.

The comments below have not been moderated.

I'd shout down my FB for 3 months now coz when I am a bit down I don't want people keep asking me non sense question.

Well, I don't go there any more because far from lifting me, the place depresses me. I want to talk about something serious but that just upsets people. They just want to make posts like "Eating pizza lol" or "Happy Monday". Sorry I can't derive enjoyment from such banality.

What a load of rubbish. I'm suffering from depression and I deleted my Facebook as I just made me more depressed and annoyed at the utter rubbish people write.

I wonder how much suckerburg is paying them to say this.

who pays for these dumb researchers.

Whatever!?

Boost your ego more like

When I get depressed, I look at pictures of Tulisa, then look at my bird, and realise how lucky I am.

absolutely rubbish

Felt a bit low this morning, so just logged in to my Facebook account and already feel so much better for it ! I fondly looked at my 225 friends - although I'm not exactly sure who they are. I then looked back at pictures from my last holiday in Basingstoke where you can see me eating in McDonalds and pulling funny faces. Not to mention me and my buddy proudly standing in front of Greggs ! After that I 'poked' another five people who I don't know and NOW I FEEL OVER THE MOON :)

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