Mario Balotelli’s house catches fire after firework stunt topic

Manchester City’s controversial striker
Mario Balotelli has been involved in yet another unusual incident after setting his home on fire during some firework fun last night.

The Italian forward and friends were said to have been setting off fireworks from an upstairs window before disaster struck.

Mario Balotelli’s house caught fire when his firework japes went wrong (Picture: Reuters)

A number of bathroom towels belonging to the player caught light and led to a ‘substantial’ blaze in the property in Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire.

The accident is sure to anger Blues boss Roberto Mancini , as it comes just a day before his side are due to face bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford in a top-of-the-table Premier League clash.

A Fire Service statement read: ‘Four breathing apparatus and two hose reel water jets were used to deal with the fire and a large fan was used to clear the smoke from the property. Crews managed to put out the fire within half an hour of arriving.’

However, the house was left with significant damage to its interior from smoke and flames.

After escaping the inferno, Balotelli is said to have returned to the burning building in order to collect cash and possessions.

He later checked into a Manchester hotel for the night, before joining up with his team-mates for training as normal this morning.

 

Murder victim Stuart Walker – believed to have been beaten and burned – did not die in a random attack, police have said topic

Murder victim Stuart Walker – believed to have been beaten and burned – did not die in a random attack, police have said

Stuart Walker’s burned body was found in an industrial park in Ayrshire (Picture: Strathclyde Police/PA Wire)

Although there was nothing to suggest the ‘extremely violent attack’ on Stuart Walker was a homophobic assault, as had been suggested, police were keeping an open mind, said divisional commander John Thomson.

‘I do not believe this was a random attack and I would like to reassure the public that I do not anticipate a recurrence of this attack,’ he added.

The 28-year-old’s body was found on a road in the Caponacre industrial estate, Cumnock, East Ayrshire, on Saturday.

Officers denied reports the popular hotel worker was tied to a post before his death.

Hundreds of tributes have been left on a Facebook page set up in Mr Walker’s memory. Scottish MSP Adam Ingram said he was ‘very popular and well-known within the community’.

Cheryl Fergison shocked by Heather Trott’s EastEnders exit topic

EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison has said she was ‘shocked’ to find her character Heather Trott was being written out of show.

Cheryl Fergison was ‘shocked’ to learn Heather Trott was being axed from EastEnders (Picture: BBC)

The cheese loving character will make her exit from Albert Square next year after soap bosses decided not to renew Cheryl’s contract after five years on the show.

She told The Sun newspaper: ‘I have to be honest, I was shocked when EastEnders told me they weren’t renewing my contract.

‘I don’t know why they did it. I love playing Heather, but I guess she is like Marmite – people either love her or hate her.’

‘I know everyone’s going to ask me and I won’t be able to keep quiet, so I just want to find out when I get the script.’

Bosses are planning a dramatic’ exit for Heather, and she hopes to have a romp with hunk Jack Branning before she exits.

She added: ‘I think Heather’s exit should involve her running away to tour with George Michael. That should definitely happen. I’d also like her to romp with Jack before she goes. He’s had everyone else in the Square so it’s about time he had Heather!’

When she leaves the show, Cheryl has her sights set on appearing on ballroom show Strictly Come Dancing, and would like to be one of the contestants who provides a little comic relief to the otherwise serious show, like former politician Ann Widdecombe.

She said: ‘I’d like to do other things, maybe some presenting, maybe Strictly. I think I’d be the Ann Widdecombe of the contest, but there’s definitely no harm in trying.’

EastEnders behind the scenes topic

EastEnders behind the scenes
The famous EastEnders road sign.
An EastEnders kitchen set.
Walford East tube station.
The Albert Square market.
A Walford fruit 'n' veg stand.
Dot's laundrette.
Ian Beale's chippie.
The Masoods' Indian restaurant.

Adel Taarabt warns QPR to expect new PSG transfer offer topic

QPR forward
Adel Taarabt has revealed Paris Saint Germain promised they’d be making a renewed attempt to sign him in January, although he’s not holding out much hope of any deal materialising.

Strop: Taarabt claims Leonardo didn’t want him at PSG (Picture: AFP/Getty)

The Moroccan schemer was the subject of a bid from the Ligue 1 giants in the summer, but with Rangers reportedly unimpressed with their offer, Taarabt was forced to remain with the Loftus Road outfit.

Now the 22-year-old claims he’s still wanted by PSG, but says sporting director Leonardo may stand in his way of completing a ‘dream’ move.

Taarabt told Canal+: ‘He (Leonardo) called Flavio Briatore in the summer,  but the first thing he said was: “OK, but there is Adel’s temper…”

‘Flavio just replied: “It is up to you to know how to manage it. We could manage it last season he helped us back into the Premier League.”

‘That is just an excuse from Leonardo not to sign me because he had other priorities. He preferred (Jeremy) Menez, (Javier) Pastore and even wanted Ganso.

‘The Qatar officials told me “Do another great six months and in January we will be back”.

‘However, I am under no illusion. I know I am not Leonardo’s priority.’

Taarabt then seemed to inadvertently back up Leonardo’s concerns over his mental attitude by hinting he’d be unable to gear himself up for the smaller games in the Ligue 1 fixture list.

‘Paris makes me dream, but there are only four big matches to play against Marseille,  Lyon,  Lille  and maybe Rennes, ’ he added.

‘Without being disrespectful, playing at Evian or Dijon would not be very exciting.’

Lufthansa plane forced to divert due to ‘undefinable smell from kitchen’ topic

Air passengers are used to being subjected to lengthy delays and unscheduled stops, but this may be the first time a plane has been grounded with a smelly kitchen.

German airline Lufthansa has revealed that one of its planes has been forced to land after cabin crew reported an ‘undefinable smell’ from the kitchen.

A Lufthansa flight was forced to make an unscheduled stop after a strange smell began emanating from the kitchen.

The plane was en route from Frankfurt to Madrid when on-board staff noticed the strong odour, which was reported to the pilot.

It was decided the plane should be landed for further investigation, and the Airbus 320 touched down in Zurich at 8.25am local time (07:25 BST), airport spokeswoman Jasmin Bodmer confirmed.

While Lufthansa spokesman Peter Schneckenleitner says the move was ‘purely precautionary’ and all 85 passengers and six staff left the aircraft normally, three members of the cabin staff were then taken to hospital complaining of respiratory irritations.

They are being kept under observation by doctors, while the passengers were booked onto other – hopefully less pungent – flights to Madrid.

Earlier this year, the pilot of a flight from Paphos to Gatwick had to make an unscheduled stop after seeing a rat in the cockpit of his aircraft.

British tourists were left stuck in Cyprus for 24 hours while the plane was searched for stowaway rodents.

 

David Cameron is told to stop ‘interfering’ in eurozone topic

David Cameron was accused of ‘interfering’ in the eurozone during an angry clash with French president
Nicolas Sarkozy at the euro crisis summit, it was claimed on Sunday.

Crisis talks: David Cameron arrives (Picture: EPA)

Mr Sarkozy is believed to have tried to block the prime minister from attending talks on pumping cash into Europe’s struggling banks.

Diplomats claimed he told Mr Cameron: ‘We’re sick of you criticising us and telling us what to do. You say you hate the euro, you didn’t want to join and now you want to interfere in our meetings.’

But Mr Cameron insisted that the eurozone crisis was having a ‘chilling effect’ on Britain despite not being in the single currency.

He said it was vital for Britain that the euro was ‘strong and healthy’ and said European leaders must unite to deal with the crisis.

‘The eurozone countries must come together and take responsibility and produce a comprehensive and credible package which puts the success of the eurozone beyond doubt,’ he said after a six-hour meeting in Brussels, where EU leaders have  gathered for three days.

‘While the UK is not in the eurozone and has no intention of joining, it is in Britain’s interest to have a strong and healthy euro.’

As well as discussing the way out of the current difficulties,  leaders at the summit talked about the prospect of another EU treaty change to deliver the kind of economic changes needed to steady the  eurozone.

‘Any treaty change is an opportunity for Britain to advance our national interest,’ Mr Cameron added.

Potential changes would need the unanimous agreement of the 27 leaders.