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Euro rebellion grows as more Tories look to support move referendum topic

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Dozens of MPs are planning to defy the government and vote in favour of a referendum on leaving the EU.

EU referendum — Prime minister David Cameron: Facing mutiny over EU vote? (Picture: PA)

A eurosceptic rebellion grew on Thursday with a further 18 MPs signing a backbench motion calling on the government to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership, bringing the total to 76.

Ministerial aide Stewart Jackson became the first member of the government to say he was willing to resign in order to vote Yes in Monday’s Commons poll.

‘I will vote in favour of the motion and, in so doing so, I will very likely relinquish my position as parliamentary private secretary to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland,’ he told BBC Radio 4.

Other ministerial secretaries are thought to have made an agreement to do the same if the government whips the vote, to make government members toe the coalition line. It is potentially the biggest rebellion to have faced Mr Cameron in his premiership.

Downing Street is planning to put a three-line whip on the vote but could declare it a ‘free vote’ or a ‘one-line whip’, meaning MPs could vote with their consciences without having to resign.

However, the rebellion is unlikely to succeed as Labour leader Ed Miliband said he will push his MPs to vote with the government on the issue.

He accused the prime minister of failing to control backbench MPs, adding: ‘ David Cameron should show some leadership. He should not be spending the next few days negotiating with his backbenchers but negotiating for Britain to sort out the eurozone crisis.’

Mr Cameron said it was the wrong time for a referendum ‘when we have so much to do to get Europe to sort its problems out’.

Lockerbie families: Chance to get truth is lost with Gaddafi death topic

Relatives of Lockerbie victims have hailed
Gaddafi’s death but warned that the dictator may have taken secrets of the atrocity with him to the grave.

gaddafi dead, Lockerbie bombing — The remains of Pan Am 103 in Lockerbie in 1988 (Picture: AP)

Dr Jim Swire, whose 24-year-old daughter Flora was killed when Pan Am 103 was blown up over the Scottish town, said Gaddafi’s death could set back the effort to find the truth.

The former dictator had accepted Libya’s responsibility for the 1988 bombing that killed 270 but never admitted ordering the attack.

However, new Libyan leader Mustafa Abdel-Jalil – the regime’s former justice minister – has said he could prove Gaddafi personally ordered the atrocity.

Dr Swire said: ‘There is much still to be resolved and Gaddafi, whether he was involved or not, might have been able to clear up a few points. Now he is dead, we may have lost an opportunity for getting nearer to the truth.

‘Although we have not a scrap of evidence that Gaddafi himself was involved in causing the atrocity, my take was that he would have at least known who was.

‘In 1988, he was plugged into the terrorist networks of the world. I’m sure he would have known it was going to happen and I feel sure he would have approved of it if he did know.’

Dr Swire has always maintained that former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi – the only person convicted of the bombing – was innocent.

Briton Pamela Dix, who lost her 35-year-old brother Peter, said: ‘It might be the case that Gaddafi knew a great deal about what happened.’

Lockerbie expert Peter Biddulph said there was ‘a great deal of evidence’ that Iran paid a Palestinian group to carry out the atrocity in revenge for the US shooting down an Iranian civilian jet.

But he added: ‘He would have known if the Palestinian group did it along with Syria at the behest of Iran.’

David Cameron: It’s time to mourn all Gaddafi’s victims topic

David Cameron urged the world to remember ‘all of Col Gaddafi’s victims’ as he welcomed the death of the Libyan dictator.

Gaddafi dead — David Cameron arrives to make a statement in Downing Street about the death of Col Gaddafi in Libya (Picture: PA)

The prime minister was ‘proud’ of the role Britain played in Nato air strikes in the uprising against the 69-year-old.

‘We have been waiting for this moment for a long time – Muammar Gaddafi has been killed,’ he said.

Warning against excess jubilation, he added: ‘I think today is a day to remember all of Col Gaddafi’s victims, from those who died in connection with the Pan-Am flight over Lockerbie to Yvonne Fletcher in a London street and obviously all the victims of IRA terrorism who died through their use of Libyan Semtex.

‘We should also remember the many, many Libyans who died at the hands of this brutal dictator and his regime.’

Labour leader Ed Miliband said Gaddafi’s death ‘marks the end of a tragic period in Libyan history marked by brutality and repression’.

He added: ‘We should all hope this day also marks the end of the armed conflict and the start of a period of stability where we see a transition to democratic government.’

Foreign secretary William Hague insisted Britain would ‘still be working hard in Libya’ but added it ‘brings much closer the end of the Nato mission’.

‘Libya now has the chance to be a free and democratic country,’ he said.

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said the death ‘closes a dark, 42-year-long chapter in the country’s history’.

And caretaker Libyan ambassador to London, Mahmud Nacua, said: ‘It is a glorious victory against the tyranny of Muammar Gaddafi, his sons and cronies.’

PICTURES:See photos of graffiti depicting Col Gaddafi’s demise

Bloody end for Gaddafi as body shown to the world topic

The body of
Muammar Gaddafi was paraded through the streets hours after he was captured hiding in a drainage pipe in his hometown.

Gaddafi dead photo — Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is pulled from a truck by NTC fighters in Sirte (Picture: Reuters)

Jubilant rebels used a vehicle to carry the dead dictator through Misrata, the town where hundreds of protesters were slaughtered at the start of the rebellion.

PICTURES:See photos of graffiti depicting Col Gaddafi’s demise

Hours earlier the 69-year-old former leader was found cowering in a concrete pipe in his hometown of Sirte and begged not to be shot when he was found by National Transitional Council troops.

Gruesome images emerged showing the ousted dictator being dragged through the streets, bloody but apparently still alive.

He is seen in a blood-soaked shirt with a bloodied face, standing upright and shoved along a crowd of fighters at a roadside.

Gaddafi appeared to struggle against them, stumbling and shouting as they pushed him on to the bonnet of a truck.

A man was heard shouting, ‘We want him alive,’ before the despot was dragged away towards an ambulance.

Later footage showed his apparently lifeless body being rolled over on the pavement and stripped to the waist with a pool of blood under his head. A doctor said Gaddafi died from two bullet wounds to the head and chest.

His death came almost exactly two months after rebel forces effectively ended his 42-year rule by sweeping into Tripoli and forcing him from his huge compound.

Rumours about his whereabouts followed, including claims that he was hiding in a vast underground network of tunnels beneath the capital, but he was finally captured and killed in the Mediterranean town where he was born in a tent in 1942.

Thursday’s developments were said to have started when Gaddafi and a few dozen loyal bodyguards tried to break out of Sirte.

They escaped an air strike on their convoy and hid in two concrete drainage pipes, with government forces on their tail, according to one account.

Libya’s transitional authorities plan to bury Gaddafi in a secret location, according to Al-Arabiya TV.

PICTURES:See more photos from the day Col Gaddafi was killed in Libya

Wayne Rooney in running for Olympic call-up topic

England striker
Wayne Rooney could play for Great Britain at the Olympic Games in London next summer.

Wayne Rooney Olympics — Wayne Rooney: Set to play for Great Britain at the Olympic Games? (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Rooney is banned for the first three matches of Euro 2012 but, on the day Stuart Pearce was named the head coach of Team GB men’s team, it was suggested he may be available for the Olympics.

The Football Association has previously intimated no players involved in Euro 2012 would be picked for the Games.

But, asked if Rooney might figure if England don’t make it out of their group, Club England managing director Adrian Bevington did not rule out the idea.

‘Our real hope and aspiration is that Wayne can be available for the European Championships,’ he said.

‘Once we know where we stand there, it is one for Stuart with Fabio Capello.’

Capello is likely to pick Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Phil Jones, all of whom are eligible for the Olympics.

But asked whether players could now play at both, Bevington said: ‘What we don’t want to do is lock ourselves in.

‘We are not going to lock ourselves into a situation which says no one who goes to the Euros can go to the Olympics.

‘Any of those situations would have to be managed sensibly and sensitively.’

Reese Witherspoon ‘wants to make out with Jennifer Aniston’ topic

Reese Witherspoon has joked that she wants to get her nails done with
Jennifer Aniston and then ‘make out’ with the actress.

Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston — Reese Witherspoon admires Jennifer Aniston’s sex appeal and lovability (Picture: Getty)

The 36-year-old made her joke at an event honouring Hollywood women earlier this week.

She praised the 42-year-old’s ‘combination of sex appeal and complete lovabililty’, adding: ‘You just want to get your nails done with her and you want to make out with her at the same time – at least I do.’

Reese revealed how she first bonded with Jen during a guest appearance in Friends as her little sister in 1999.

She said: ‘I was super-duper excited. But I forgot something crucial… I had never been on TV in front of a live audience and I totally froze. I couldn’t remember my lines.’

Aniston came to the rescue with some words of wisdom. ‘You’re going to flip your line and whatever and the audience is going to love it – don’t try to be perfect, just try to be yourself,’ Aniston told Reese.

‘That’s the story that sort of captured Jen for me,’ Reese said. ‘On one hand, she is this gorgeous breathtaking beauty that men lose their thought process and their speech patterns over. And, on the other hand, she is a woman who lets you in.’

Pictures: Check out Jennifer and Reese at the Hollywood Women’s tribute here

Muammar Gaddafi’s loyal son Mutassim died with desperate dictator topic

One of
Muammar Gaddafi’s sons Mutassim, who was hiding with the cornered dictator in Sirte, was also killed yesterday, it has been revealed.

Mutassim Gaddafi found hiding with father Muammar — A picture of Mutassim Gaddafi from September 2009. The 34-year-old was found hiding with his father Muammar (Picture: AFP/Getty)

Mutassim Gaddafi, a senior army officer and security adviser, was shown lying dead on a stretcher.

PICTURES:See photos of graffiti depicting Col Gaddafi’s demise

The new Libyan government’s TV channel broadcast a close-up showing Mutassim, stripped to the waist, in what appeared to be a hospital.

‘Mutassim is dead. I can confirm it,’ said government information officer Mahmoud Shammam.

There were also conflicting reports as to the fate of Gaddafi’s most high-profile son and erstwhile heir-apparent Saif al-Islam.

He was variously reported to be captured and wounded, killed or at large.

The French security agency Interpol repeated its demand that Saif, wanted for crimes against humanity, be handed over to The Hague.

Another of Gaddafi’s sons, Saadi, a former footballer who is also the subject of an Interpol arrest warrant, has sought refuge in Niger.

Gaddafi’s widow, daughter and two other sons fled to Algeria in August while another son Saif al-Arab Gaddafi was killed by a Nato air strike in April.

PICTURES:See more photos from the day Col Gaddafi was killed in Libya

Firefighters called in to rescue horse trapped in farmland bog topic

Firefighters in Manchester were called to an unusual rescue this week after a horse called Pedro became stuck in a ditch.

Horse rescue, Urmston, Manchester — Sticky going: Fire crews worked for an hour to free Pedro from the ditch in Urmston, Manchester (Picture: MEN Syndication)

Crews from Eccles and Stretford fire stations had to wade through waist-deep mud to reach Pedro, a 15-year-old cob, after he slipped down a bank at Newcroft Farm, Urmston.

Eccles station manager Paul Smitham revealed that crews took over an hour to get Pedro back on his feet.

‘The horse had slipped down a muddy bank that had been churned up during the bad weather and was in a very distressed state,’ he said.

‘Working together, we used special animal rescue gear – including boards and ropes – and sheer muscle power to remove the horse from the bog, lifting it over steep banking onto firmer ground.

‘Having done this, the horse righted itself and trotted off which was quite gratifying for the crews to see.’

Mr Smitham added that Pedro was not injured in the incident.

Siri security flaw allows iPhone 4S to be controlled even if locked topic

A security flaw has been discovered with Apple’s new iPhone 4S which allows anyone to send e-mails and text messages using the handset’s voice-activated personal assistant Siri, even if the phone is locked.

Apple's iPhone 4S — Apple’s new iPhone 4S comes with a voice-activated personal assistant called Siri (Pic: Getty)

The issue was first flagged up last week by Macworld contributor Scott McNulty and has since been confirmed by a number of leading tech sites.

Even if the phone is locked with a passcode, you can still hold down the Home button on the iPhone 4S to activate Siri and begin composing and sending text messages or emails.

The feature was no doubt implemented to help the user send messages as quickly as possible, but unfortunately Siri isn’t programmed to respond to only one voice, so anyone can use the phone to create emails and texts.

To stop Siri reacting to the commands of anyone who picks up their iPhone 4S, users need to set a passcode lock which in turn will allow you to turn off Siri access in the locking settings.

Writing on the subject, Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos, said: ‘What’s disappointing to me though is that Apple had a clear choice here.

‘They could have chosen to implement Siri securely, but instead they decided to default to a mode which is more about impressing your buddies than securing your calendar and e-mail system.’

Apple has yet to comment on the reports.

Video: Watch the security flaws with Siri being demonstrated :

X Factor bosses tell contestants they’re ruining the show as ratings slip topic

X Factor bosses have reportedly given contestants like
Frankie Cocozza,
Janet Devlin and
Kitty Brucknell a talking to after they felt the finalists were ‘ruining the show’ by not working hard enough.

X Factor Rhythmix — Rhythmix are amongst those who have been accused of being ‘slobbish’ around the hosue (Picture: XPosure)

This year’s X Factor hasn’t been without its problems. After a number of controversial performances and decisions, ratings for the ITV1 stalwart began to slip, as the progamme dipped to a two-year low for viewing figures last weekend.

Next, the X Factor house in Hertford Heath was deemed to be a fire risk and producers faced the possibility of having to move the contestants from the costly mansion to another location.

X Factor Devlin — The contestants were accused of not looking their best and not putting enough effort into rehearsals (Picture: XPosure)

Now, X Factor bosses have decided that the contestants themselves are also a source of trouble for the show and have accused the final 11 of being complacent and ‘slobbish’ about the competition.

‘The acts were told, “If you want to be a star, you’ve got to start acting like one”‘, a source told the Mirror. ‘The lack of effort from some contestants has been disgraceful.

‘It was a pretty fiery talking to from some of the senior production staff. The acts were told in no uncertain terms what was expected of them.

Misha Bryan X Factor — Misha, seen here carrying a pillow around, is often pictured in her pyjamas (Picture: XPosure)

‘The producers are worried about the criticism the show has faced this series, and they worry the acts this year are not keeping the audience entertained.’Viewers can’t even remember the names of several acts, and too many of them seem disinterested. They arrive at the studios for rehearsals half asleep, looking bored and still wearing their slippers.’Bosses have told them to buck their ideas up and start behaving like future pop stars, before the public ignore them completely.’The X Factor continues on Saturday at 8pm on ITV1.

Queen re-wears dress from Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding topic

It seems even the Queen is tightening her purse strings after attending a church service wearing the dress she wore to her grandson’s wedding.

Her majesty fished out the primrose yellow single crepe wool dress and hat for the second time in six months, having last worn it on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s big day in April.

This time, the monarch left the outfit’s matching coat behind when she travelled with the Duke of Edinburgh, 90, to Canberra’s oldest church for a traditional service, as temperatures almost hit 30C (86F) during the royal couple’s tour of Australia.

While she may be getting the most out of her wardrobe, the Queen, 85, put an undisclosed amount of money into the collection tray.

The service, at St John the Baptist church, was attended by a 100-strong congregation, which included former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd. The Rev Paul Black described it as a ‘great joy and delight’.

Club Bruges 1-2 Birmingham: Chris Wood’s late show gives Blues victory topic

Birmingham boss
Chris Hughton felt his side enjoyed ‘two results’ last night after fears over the health of Pablo Ibanez were allayed following Blues’ superb victory in Belgium.

Birmingham City's Chris Wood — Dramatic winner: Wood (Picture: Action Images)

Ibanez was knocked out in a sickening clash of heads with Bruges goalscorer Joseph Akpala in the 83rd minute which left the defender needing urgent medical attention as horrified team-mates looked on.

But despite the drama the Championship club – who had equalised through David Murphy in the 26th minute – kept their heads to score a dramatic winner through Chris Wood in the tenth minute of stoppage time.

Akpala had given the hosts the lead with three minutes gone to silence the 5,400 travelling Birmingham fans.

But they had plenty to celebrate at the end when Wood converted Marlon King’s near-post cross to secure Hughton’s men a win which puts them level with their hosts at the top of the group and boosts hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

‘Pablo was a real concern for us so we’re very happy it was just concussion and he’s okay,’ said Hughton.

‘It is as big for us as the win. It’s always a difficult moment.

‘We’ve had two results today. One is the scoreline and the other is the fact he is okay.

‘It showed great professionalism to do what we did after a stoppage of six minutes.’

The Zombosium: One-day conference in Hampshire for zombie fans topic

Blood, flesh and walking corpses – not your average subject matter for a serious lecture. But a university is to do just that on Friday when it holds an international conference… about zombies.

Hundreds of people are expected for The Zombosium, at which 17 speakers will give talks on how the living dead have infected popular culture.

‘The conference has a serious purpose,’ said organiser Dr Marcus Leaning, lecturer in the school of media and film at The University of Winchester.

‘You should study popular culture if you want to understand society. Zombies reflect the anxieties and concerns people have. One idea is that it’s due to austerity, another that it stems from the ‘‘climate of fear’’ after al-Qaeda. No-one really believes in zombies but it’s a way of thinking about big scary things such as a terrorist attack. It’s cathartic.’

The one-day conference in Hampshire on Friday follows the recent success of US TV show The Walking Dead, which has broken audience records.

Zombosium’s keynote speaker is Dr Ian Conrich, editor of the Journal of British Cinema and Television and an expert on contemporary horror cinema.

Other topics include discussions on regulation censorship and zombie flesh eaters – and zombie apocalypse survivor communities on Mumsnet and YouTube.

Arsenal await Carl Jenkinson injury news as defensive worries deepen topic

Arsenal face a nervous wait for news on the injury to full-back Carl Jenkinson, as yet another defensive injury crisis looms.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger revealed that the former Charlton right-back has a knee problem, after he had to be replaced by Johan Djourou in the 62nd minute of last night’s Champions League game in Marseille.

Wenger said after the game: ‘It is a knee injury and no-one knows what he has.

‘He overstretched his knee. We have to check that tomorrow.’

The Frenchman will be desperately hoping that Jenkinson’s injury is not too serious, as the 19-year-old is currently his only fit right-back.

First choice Bacary Sagna broke his leg in the recent north London derby against Tottenham and will not return until the new year.

Wenger will be forced to press one of his centre-backs into cover at full-back if Jenkinson does not recover in time for Sunday’s Premier League encounter with Stoke.

However, Djourou has only just returned from injury himself, while Thomas Vermaelen is out with an ongoing Achilles problem.

Wenger will be hoping that injury problems in defence do not undermine the gradual improvements being made by his squad, which continued with a last-gasp 1-0 victory in France last night.

‘We have made a little step forward but we have to be humble. We are a team who has to continue to grow,’ he said.

‘This result will help our confidence. If you look back at the last five or six games, you will see only one defeat. We are slowly getting there.’

Wrong time for EU vote, David Cameron tells rebel Tories topic

Now is not the time to vote for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union,
David Cameron has told rebel Conservative MPs.

David Cameron, EU referendum — David Cameron said he will seek to restore Britain’s powers as he attempted to undermine a Conservative rebels who are calling for an EU referendum (Pic: Reuters)

As many as 100 Tories are expected to defy a three-line whip and back a Commons motion for a referendum.

The proposed ballot would also give voters the option of staying in the EU or renegotiating its terms of membership.

Speaking at the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels, Mr Cameron said: ‘I don’t think this is the right time to legislate for an in-out referendum.

‘I think this is the right time to sort out Europe’s problems, sort out the eurozone problem, defend your national interest and look to the opportunities in the future to repatriate powers back to Britain.

‘I’ve argued that this crisis means that greater fiscal and economic integration of the eurozone is inevitable. But this must not be at the expense of Britain’s national interest.’

Arch Eurosceptic backbencher John Redwood said a three-line whip was unnecessary.

Nicole Scherzinger and Lewis Hamilton ‘split up after four years’ topic

X Factor judge
Nicole Scherzinger has split from her F1 racing driver boyfriend
Lewis Hamilton after four years together, it has been reported.

The couple have been battling relationship woes for months after work commitments put a strain on their romance – but it has now been revealed they have finally split for good.

A source told The Sun: ‘Nicole and Lewis have tried to make it work but realise it’s just not happening so have called it a day once and for all.’

It is thought to be down to their hectic work schedules which often see them on opposite sides of the world.

As well as being tied up with her duties on X Factor US, 33-year-old Nicole has this year been promoting her debut solo album Killer Love and filming her cameo role in Men In Black III.

Meanwhile, Hamilton has been touring all ends of the globe with his F1 racing team McLaren.

The source added: ‘Although they came to an amicable decision, Nicole is actually devastated about it. She thought Lewis was the one.’

Nicole Scherzinger, X Factor — Nicole’s X Factor US commitments may be part of the reason the pair have decided to go their separate ways (Picture: Getty)

The couple met at the MTV Awards in Munich in 2007. They have been together since but split briefly in January last year because they weren’t getting to see each other enough.

It seemed Nicole and Lewis, 26, were destined to marry having previously spoken of having children together .

Nicole was last year reported as saying: ‘I’m mega broody. So is Lewis. Seeing young kids at the auditions makes you ponder your own life.

‘It made me wonder whether I would make a good mother. Lewis tells me I would be the perfect mum.’But last month cracks were visible as when asked about the prospect of having kids with Scherzinger, Lewis said: ‘I’m still young. It’s a long way away.’Further strain on their relationship also came when rumours emerged surrounding Nicole and X Factor US presenter Steve Jones, who openly admitted to having a crush on the former Pussycat Doll singer.

However, Lewis played down the reports, insisting he was relaxed and had no need to worry about the pair working together.

X Factor: Frankie Cocozza’s wild night with Geordie Shore’s Holly Hagan topic

X Factor wild child
Frankie Cocozza spent a night with Geordie Shore’s Holly Hagan, it has been reported, despite his mentor
Gary Barlow’s calling for a banon booze and sex.

Frankie Cocozza and Holly Hagan — Frankie and Holly are said to have spent a night together over the weeeknd (Picture: Rex/MTV)

The X Factor contestant, who during auditions showed off his bum tattooed with a list of ladies he has bedded, will need to get inked up again it seems after spending a night with the star of the MTV show.

The singer, who has come under attack for his dodgy vocals, was said to have hit the town on Saturday night after his improved performance on this week’s live show.

Frankie, 18, performed Primal Scream’s 1994 hit Rocks on Saturday’s show - however the performance didn’t go down well with the band, who are unhappy their song was performed .

Frisky Frankie hooked up with 18-year-old Holly Hagan, who was at an X Factor party at Kensington Roof Gardens in London, the Daily Star reported.

The double F fake-breasted reality TV star slipped away from the party around 1am to a nearby apartment with Frankie, it was reported.

The pair didn’t emerge until around 6am and were seen to kiss and grope in view of passers-by.

In recent weeks Frankie has reportedly been sending Holly naughty texts messages .

In a recent interview with Heat magazine, Holly said that she knows Frankie likes big boobs.

She added: ‘He’s 18 and has seven names tattooed on his bum. I wouldn’t be surprised if he cheated, but I cheated on the telly. We’d make the perfect couple.’

Frankie’s latest antics are said to be making Gary Barlow furious.

‘Frankie’s out of controI,’ said Gary. ‘I get to the house and he’s got in at seven in the morning. He’s 18, all his Christmases have come at once.’

Google launches Android film rentals in the UK with prices starting at £2.49 topic

Google’s domination of the entertainment market in the UK has taken another step forward with the launch of its Android film rentals.

For as little as £2.49, Android phone users can rent a title with their video app and watch it within 30 days of purchase, although they only have 48 hours to complete it once the viewing has begun.

Fast Five is currently among the top titles on Android's film rental service — Fast Five is currently among the top titles on Android’s film rental service

Alternatively, the films can be rented using Android’s online site and streamed to any device the user is logged on to while the rental is valid.

UK users will originally have access to around 1,000 titles, although it is possible that this will rise in the future if the service proves popular. Current top rentals include Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge, Fast Five, Green Lantern, Senna and Inside Job.

The move comes shortly after Google announced it was launching its eBook service on British shores as it looks to challenge the dominance of both Amazon and Apple.

Speculation has also been roused that the tech giant could be planning on bringing its Music By Google service over to the UK in the not too distant future.

Google stepped up its efforts to rival Apple recently with the opening of the first Apple-style store on London’s Tottenham Court Road, which is currently focusing on selling Chromebooks and headphones.

Paranormal Activity 3 breaks box office records as it storms to No. 1 topic

Paranormal Activity 3 has recorded the biggest ever opening of all time for a horror film after raking in million.

The horror sequel, directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, topped the US box office with its impressive haul knocking Real Steel into second place.

The sci-fi action film, about robot boxing, took a further .3 million after topping the chart for two weeks,

The remake of Footloose took .8 million adding to its total haul of .9 million while The Three Musketeers limps in at four with takings of .8 million.

One of the film’s stars Milla Jovovich slated the film’s distributor Summit Entertainment recently for failing to promote the movie properly.

She tweeted: ‘I think ‘summit’ have swept ‘3 Musketeers’, a great family adventure film, under the rug in the US. Shame on them. SHAME ON YOU ‘SUMMIT’.’

Meanwhile, political thriller The Ides of March, directed by George Clooney rounds out the top five with takings of .9 million.Top 10 films at the US box office1. Paranormal Activity 3 – million2. Real Steel – .3 million3. Footloose – .8 million4. The Three Musketeers – .8 million5. The Ides of March – .9 million6. Dolphin Tale – .2 million7. Moneyball – million8. Johnny English Reborn – .8 million9. The Thing – .1 million10. 50/50 – .8 million

Micah Richards calls for ferocious tackling to return to Manchester derby topic

Micah Richards has turned up the temperature ahead of the City’s clash with United, by calling for ferocious tackling to return to the Manchester derby.

Micah Richards of Manchester City — Full-blooded: Richards wants tough-tackling to return at Old Trafford (Picture: Getty Images)

The England defender reckons the heat on the pitch between the two neighbours has been on the slide in recent years, and wants to crank it up a notch when the Premier League’s top two meet at Old Trafford on Sunday.

‘The last four derbies have not been that ferocious really,’ said Richards.

‘Three or four years ago it was ridiculous, some of the tackling.

‘I’d like to see that again, that ferocity, as it makes it more special. We all like to see nice football, but everyone loves a good tackle.

‘It’s harder these days, as if you tackle someone hard you get questioned. I preferred those ferocious derbies – if it’s a foul obviously the referee has to pull it up, but with those 50-50 challenges he should just let the game flow.’

Richards insists City are finally ready to shrug off their noisy neighbours tag, and even believes United are ‘a bit frightened’ of Roberto Mancini’s new-look side.

‘United now know, much as they won’t say it, that we are a genuine threat to them,’ added the 23-year-old.

‘To get that banner down is quality – we have got the last laugh.

‘We are not going out and saying we will win this game or that game, but they call us the noisy neighbours. I think they’re a bit frightened.’

Robin van Persie shows he’s appy with a flash of his Apple icon pants topic

Robin van Persie showed he was feeling
appy as he helped Arsenal to a win over Stoke on Sunday, dressed in some rather snazzy pants covered in Apple app icons.

Robin van Persie Apple pants — Robin van Persie shows off his Apple app icon pants during Sunday’s game with Stoke (Picture: AMA Sports Photo Agency)

The Dutch striker, who came off the bench to bag a brace in a 3-1 win, flashed his eye-catching boxers during the tense game at the Emirates.

The 28-year-old wouldn’t have had a chance to show off his new briefs if Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger’s original plan to rest him for the match had gone ahead.

Wenger said: ‘He had muscular tightness. I was not even sure he would be on the team sheet but we checked him [on Sunday] morning and he was medically all right to be on the bench.

‘Before you leave him out you think always 15 times “do I really do it” but I felt at some stage, and looking at the number of games he has played and with his history, you have to be cautious.’

Van Persie came on with 25 minutes to go while the game was locked at 1-1, and scored twice within a quarter of an hour to grab victory for his team.

He has now scored 29 goals in his last 34 games for the Gunners.

Mummifying Alan: Egypt’s Last Secret is one man’s life of science topic

TV review: Mummifying Alan: Egypt’s Last Secret was a refreshing look at a man’s acceptance of death as a new beginning, as Alan Billis devoted his body to the Science of modern-day mummification.

It was the bit with the maggots that did it. My stomach had been holding up pretty well through Mummifying Alan: Egypt’s Last Secret (C4) but when it got to a bit with creepy crawlies wriggling around a corpse, it was time for a quick toilet break.

We don’t like to think about that kind of stuff, do we? But that’s what happens when we die: flies and worms and decay, eventually dust. Yet it doesn’t have to be that way – the ancient Egyptians cracked the art of mummification and now, thanks to archaeological chemist Stephen Buckley and Torquay taxi driver Alan Billis, modern science may well have unlocked how the Egyptians did it.

With admirable pragmatism, Billis, who’d been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, volunteered his body to be mummified once he’d died. Why? Well, he was a curious type. ‘If it doesn’t work, it’s not the end of the world, is it?’ said his ghostly voice-over. ‘Still, it’s bloody interesting.’

What brought Billis’s bloody interesting documentary alive was the backstory. Interviews with both him and his philosophical wife, Jan – ‘he could always make a joke about anything’ – allied with his skilfully edited voice, seemingly reflecting on the action from beyond the grave, elevated what could have been a dry research project into an illuminating study of the way we look at life and death.

Billis had been a happy-go-lucky sort of chap, rolling with life’s punches. But, at the end, he looked on mummification as a last shot at adding a layer of meaning. ‘It’s for the grandchildren more than anything,’ he said. ‘They can tell kids at school: “My grandad’s a Pharoah.” That’s my legacy, I suppose.’

It was a quote that resonated louder than the scientific motives, which ran along academic ‘to see if we can do it’ lines. ‘It’s as if we’re seeing the rebirth of Alan,’ said one excitable Egyptologist, which was stretching the mummy wrap a touch. No, this was a man embracing death before the end of life: respect to him for that.