Daily Diamond - Rare pink star diamond fetches record amount at auction

A huge flawless pink diamond known as the “Pink Star” has sold for a record price at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction: an astonishing 76.3 million Swiss francs, £52 million.
Mounted on a ring, the oval-shaped diamond measures 1.06 inches by 0.81 inches (2.69cm by 2.06cm). The......
Read the full story at: Rare pink star diamond fetches record amount at auction

Daily Diamond - China to relax one-child policy

China boasts the largest number of people in the world with almost 20% of the population, and since the 1970s have tried to curb this amount with a “family planning policy”, which restricts each family to only one child each. Now, China’s government has said it will be making some long......
Read the full story at: China to relax one-child policy

Daily Diamond - First dog to climb Mount Everest is former stray

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, first people in 1953; Junko Tabei, first woman in 1975; Rupee the dog, first canine in 2013. Climbing Mount Everest is still an amazing achievement, and these names were the first of their kind to do it, and no, you didn’t read that wrong. Rupee the dog has......
Read the full story at: First dog to climb Mount Everest is former stray

Daily Diamond - Hawaii legalize same-sex marriage

In another victory for gay rights, Hawaii has become the fifteenth state to legalise same-sex marriage in the US.
The move was strongly supported by the Governor, and former member of Congress, Neil Abercrombie, who said the law is a basic human right. Supporters are also well aware of the......
Read the full story at: Hawaii legalize same-sex marriage

Daily Diamond - Nelson Mandela

The word “hero” is thrown about freely these days, but if there is one person who has truly earned the title it is Nelson Mandela. The remarkable man who carved his way into the history books by saving the world and destroying apartheid has passed away at the age of 95, after a full life of......
Read the full story at: Nelson Mandela

Daily Diamond - Francis Bacon painting sells at auction for record high price

A painting by Dublin-born, English artist Francis Bacon of his good friend Lucian Freud has obliterated the world record for the amount a piece of art has fetched at auction after it sold for nearly $60 million more than it was estimated at.
Three Studies of Lucian Freud sold earlier last month......
Read the full story at: Francis Bacon painting sells at auction for record high price

Daily Diamond - Nursery toothbrushing scheme saves £6m in dental costs

Glasgow University have carried out an evaluation of a plan that encourages nursery children to brush their teeth, and found the programme has saved more than £6 million in dental costs.
Childsmile is a scheme that encourages and guides young children to look after their teeth properly,......
Read the full story at: Nursery toothbrushing scheme saves £6m in dental costs

Daily Diamond - Miracle baby born amid chaos from super typhoon Haiyan

In the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, it’s understandable that many people will struggle to smile for a little while, so we wanted to focus on the heart warming stories to come out of the country.
One of these stories involve heavily pregnant, 21-year-old Emily......
Read the full story at: Miracle baby born amid chaos from super typhoon Haiyan

Daily Diamond - Passengers do squats to pay for tickets

The Russian Olympic Committee and Moscow city officials have come up with a great new way to encourage metro riders to exercise: paying for their train tickets by doing 30 squats.
Throughout November, subway passengers can choose to perform 30 “Olympic standard” squats in two minutes. If......
Read the full story at: Passengers do squats to pay for tickets

Daily Diamond - Independent Living Fund here to stay

Five people have succeeded in a legal challenge to the government’s decision to abolish the Independent Living Fund.
The £359 million Independent Living Fund (ILF) provides support for nearly 19,000 disabled people in the UK, allowing them to live independent lives within their communities.......
Read the full story at: Independent Living Fund here to stay

Daily Diamond - University of Leicester offers paid student internships

The first ever scheme in the UK to provide undergraduates with paid internships is to be launched by the University of Leicester next year.
Paid internships will be offered by the university to students based in the UK or EU, with 500 available, and each internship will be about 12 weeks......
Read the full story at: University of Leicester offers paid student internships

Daily Diamond - Childhood music lessons give brain boosts

Children and their noisy toys: a new study suggests that the drum kit or piano lessons your child wanted may not be such a frivolous thing.
According to scientists at Northwestern University in the US, children who are learning to play a musical instrument are giving their brain a boost that......
Read the full story at: Childhood music lessons give brain boosts

Daily Diamond - "Hybrid" Solar Eclipse for Africa, America and Europe

A solar eclipse occurred earlier this month, drawing millions of people to gaze at the sky. Partial and complete solar eclipses occur on average about twice a year, but this one was different. This one was a hybrid.
The moon’s distance to Earth varies, so there are different kinds of solar......
Read the full story at: "Hybrid" Solar Eclipse for Africa, America and Europe

Daily Diamond - Biggest ever Platypus fossil found in Australia

A creature of contradictions, the platypus looks like the strange combination of an otter, beaver, duck, and many more besides, has venomous spurs on its legs and is one of only five types of mammal to lay eggs, with the other four being species of echidnas, known as spiny anteaters.
It was......
Read the full story at: Biggest ever Platypus fossil found in Australia

Daily Diamond - New Breast Cancer test identifies seven types of cancer

Scientists from the University of Nottingham have developed a new test that identifies seven out of the ten known types of breast cancer.
Funded by the charity Breast Cancer Campaign, the new check could lead to more accurate testing for women, and doctors will be able to modify treatment......
Read the full story at: New Breast Cancer test identifies seven types of cancer

Daily Diamond - Spain emerges from two year recession

Only a year ago, Spain was stuck in the middle of both an economic and constitutional crisis. Madrid had to seek help for its declining banks from eurozone partners. The fragile relationship between Catalonia and the central Spanish government was threatened.
Now, the Spanish economy is slowly......
Read the full story at: Spain emerges from two year recession

Daily Diamond - Immigrants receive less benefits and pay more taxes

According to a new study, immigrants actually pay more tax and receive fewer benefits than people from Britain, contributing a substantial amount to the British economy.
The study carried out by University College London’s Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration found that newcomers to......
Read the full story at: Immigrants receive less benefits and pay more taxes

Daily Diamond - The positive influence of Internet chatrooms

We’re always hearing about the negative impact the Internet has on people, particularly teenagers, but what about the positive side of things? Experts have recently discovered that it is not only bad that comes from the internet, and people should hear about the good things that come from it,......
Read the full story at: The positive influence of Internet chatrooms

Daily Diamond - Greenland awards London mining with huge iron ore project

Greenland has awarded a groundbreaking and exclusive 30-year licence to UK-based London Mining, allowing it to build and run a huge iron ore mine in what is being called the largest commercial project in Greenland’s history.
London Mining states on its website that it is expecting the £1.5......
Read the full story at: Greenland awards London mining with huge iron ore project

Daily Diamond - Gold deposits found in trees

Gold grows on trees! Well, although scientists have confirmed that gold has indeed been found in some plants, it is not the fruit of the plant but rather the poison.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) made the revolutionary discovery of traces of gold in the......
Read the full story at: Gold deposits found in trees

Daily Diamond - Syria destroys it's chemical weapons

Syria has disabled all of its chemical weapons facilities, making sure they can no longer produce the banned armament, in accordance with a deal made with Russia and the US.
This was the second stage of the operation and needed to completed by November 1, a deadline which inspectors from the......
Read the full story at: Syria destroys it's chemical weapons

Daily Diamond - Million Mask March - A Peaceful Protest

Many our readers read us because we focus on good news, people who are fed up with all the negativity in the world.
They aren’t the only ones. Thousands of people around the world took part in the Million Mask March on November 5th to protest against everything they feel is wrong in the world,......
Read the full story at: Million Mask March - A Peaceful Protest

Daily Diamond - Female prisoners will be given sentences close to home

There are currently around 4,000 women in prison in England and Wales, and many of them are too far from home to receive family visits. This means that children are separated from their mothers for extended lengths of time. Although many people will consider the women to be at fault for breaking......
Read the full story at: Female prisoners will be given sentences close to home

Daily Diamond - Frank the bionic man

The first ever “bionic man” built completely out of artificial body parts made his Washington debut at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum late October.
Frankenstein, or Frank for short, is a 6ft (1.83m) tall robot with a synthetic human face, created by Shadow Robot Co in......
Read the full story at: Frank the bionic man

Daily Diamond - First UK trial of heart failure operation

Around 68,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed in the UK each year, and now an operation has just performed for the first time in the UK that can improve the function of failing hearts – while they are still beating.
Heart failure doesn’t mean your heart is just going to stop, or......
Read the full story at: First UK trial of heart failure operation

Daily Diamond - Stonemasons rebuild Hadrian's wall

One of Britain’s oldest landmarks, Hadrian’s Wall, will have sections rebuilt as part of a conservation project commissioned by the Hadrian’s Wall Trust.
Parts of the English Heritage site are listed on a ‘heritage at risk’ register, leading the trust to instruct that these sections......
Read the full story at: Stonemasons rebuild Hadrian's wall

Daily Diamond - Man shot by robber is saved by his phone

Picture the scene: you’re a shop assistant working out back in a petrol station when you idly walk onto the shop floor, only to be confronted with a gun-wielding man demanding the safe be opened.
This is what happened in Florida, when an American man’s life was saved by his mobile phone, and......
Read the full story at: Man shot by robber is saved by his phone

Daily Diamond - EU and Canada agree trade deal

A multibillion-dollar free trade agreement has been made between the European Union and Canada in a bid to boost growth and employment by merging two of the world’s biggest economies. Britain can expect a £1.3 billion boost from the deal and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) have estimated that......
Read the full story at: EU and Canada agree trade deal

Daily Diamond - Marmosets engage in polite conversation

Marmosets are considered the most primitive of the monkeys because they lack even the ability to change their facial expressions, but marmosets may be more polite than humans when it comes to courteous conversation.
Scientists conducted a study which involved recording pairs of marmosets calling......
Read the full story at: Marmosets engage in polite conversation

Daily Diamond - Computer Powered by "Electronic Blood"

Companies are always looking for ways to build smarter computers that are more power-efficient, with many developers turning to the best computer in the world: the human brain.
One company has managed to develop a prototype of a computer inspired by the brain that is run by the computer......
Read the full story at: Computer Powered by "Electronic Blood"

Daily Diamond - Wales launches bone marrow donor campaign

Have you ever thought about becoming a blood or bone marrow donor? A new campaign was launched in Wales this week with the aim of raising awareness for bone marrow donation.
Bone marrow is the tissue inside our bones with the important purpose of producing blood cells: red blood cells that carry......
Read the full story at: Wales launches bone marrow donor campaign

Daily Diamond - Diamond rain on Saturn and Jupiter

It’s raining diamonds! Scientists say the little shiny rocks of highly pressurised carbon, which are both highly rare and highly expensive, are falling out of the sky. But if you want to get your hands on them, it’s a hundreds-of-millions-of-miles-long trek. Sadly, the diamond rain is not......
Read the full story at: Diamond rain on Saturn and Jupiter

Daily Diamond - Irish Prime Minister says bailout will end in December

It’s November 2010, and the Republic of Ireland is seeking help as its economy plummets in a crash that leaves even the banks without enough money. Ireland appeals to the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and is issued with a ‘bailout’.
Fast-forward three years and the Taoiseach......
Read the full story at: Irish Prime Minister says bailout will end in December

Daily Diamond - Inexperienced passenger lands plane after pilot falls ill mid-air

Imagine you are flying through the evening sky in an aeroplane that your friend is flying. Suddenly, the pilot falls ill and collapses at the controls. What would you do? If you are John Wildey, you take control of the plane, radio in a distress call, and follow instructions until you are safely......
Read the full story at: Inexperienced passenger lands plane after pilot falls ill mid-air

Daily Diamond - Study reveals kissing helps us find perfect partner

Do you think your partner is a good kisser? Most people will say yes when asked and a study by Oxford University has revealed that kissing is one of the ways of determining if someone will be the one for us – and a way of keeping them that way.
There has been much contention over years......
Read the full story at: Study reveals kissing helps us find perfect partner

Daily Diamond - Building firms set up compensation fund

What would you do if you found out the reason you hadn’t been able to find work was because your name had been secretly blacklisted – and you had no idea why?
This is what happened to more than 3,200 people when it emerged in 2009 that their names had been put on a building industry......
Read the full story at: Building firms set up compensation fund

Daily Diamond - Small investors favoured in Royal Mail privatization

In the widely publicised privatisation of the Royal Mail, it seems that small investors will be getting the best deal when it comes to allocating shares.
Although it was thought that everyone who applied for the shares would be getting them, Business Secretary Vince Cable said an astounding......
Read the full story at: Small investors favoured in Royal Mail privatization

Daily Diamond - Disney Develops Way To 'Feel' 2D Touchscreen Images

If you thought Disney was just a company that makes lots of films and theme parks – think again! Coming a long way from bringing you their first animated feature film in 1937, Disney has now come up with it’s most amazing invention yet: Flat touch screens that help people feel a 2D image......
Read the full story at: Disney Develops Way To 'Feel' 2D Touchscreen Images

Daily Diamond - Volunteers help maintain monument during shutdown

The disputes among the House, Senate, and President are reflecting terribly on America’s government.  Congress has an all-time low approval rating, which is impressive given just how low that approval rating has been the last several years, and President Obama is finding himself in the......
Read the full story at: Volunteers help maintain monument during shutdown

Daily Diamond - Lagos to be powered by garbage.

Lagos, Nigeria, one of the world’s largest cities and second only to Cairo in Africa, is about to turn a problem into an opportunity.  The city has earned the title “the garbage capital of the world”.  Up to now, that has been an unwanted moniker, making people think of dumps and......
Read the full story at: Lagos to be powered by garbage.

Daily Diamond - Could there be a cure for Jet Lag?

Jet lag could be a thing of the past – we just have to tinker with our body clocks, say Japanese scientists.
At Kyoto University, scientists have gotten one step closer to developing a drug that could cure jet lag and their findings are published in Science. Jet lag is that annoying......
Read the full story at: Could there be a cure for Jet Lag?

Daily Diamond - Has a new species of Owl been discovered on Oman?

Have you ever heard bird song and wondered which bird it was? Magnus Robb could tell you, but then he’s an expert in that kind of thing – which is why he was so sure he had discovered a new species of owl when he was in Oman.
Magnus Robb is an ornithologist and one of the founders of......
Read the full story at: Has a new species of Owl been discovered on Oman?

Daily Diamond - America and Vietnam sign nuclear trade agreement

A pact signed on Thursday between the United States and Vietnam can pave the way for the latter to develop a nuclear energy industry.
The US-Vietnam Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement will allow Vietnam to have access to nuclear technology as long as used for peaceful means while US companies......
Read the full story at: America and Vietnam sign nuclear trade agreement

Daily Diamond - New shape changing metals developed

There are metals that can be morphed into whatever shape needed, do its job, then be morphed into something else. It sounds amazing, but after too many changes the metal degrades and can’t be used any more.
Now US scientists at the University of Minnesota have published their findings in......
Read the full story at: New shape changing metals developed

Daily Diamond - UK Scouts to welcome Atheists with new pledge

For the first time in 106 years, atheists will be able to become a Scout without having to pledge to a God they don’t believe in.
A 10-month consultation between the Scout movement and religious leaders led to the decision that a new version of the Scouts’ promise will be introduced for......
Read the full story at: UK Scouts to welcome Atheists with new pledge

Daily Diamond - Ikea to start selling solar panels

Along with their famous flat-pack furniture and hot dogs, Ikea stores all over the UK will be having a little addition to their already expansive family: solar panels. Ikea will be the first large retailer in the UK to have a proper impact on its customers’ energy-saving.
An Ikea rooftop solar......
Read the full story at: Ikea to start selling solar panels

Daily Diamond - World's first Malaria vaccine by 2016

After 60 years of research and trials, there is definitive hope for a vaccine for one of the deadliest diseases in the world: Malaria.
Malaria is one of the world’s biggest killers – about 800,000 people die from it every year. For over 60 years, scientists have been trying to find a way......
Read the full story at: World's first Malaria vaccine by 2016

Daily Diamond - Scientists gain new insights into Autism

A study of more than 800 people’s genes has led to the ‘deleted’ genes offering possible insight into autism and how it develops.
US scientists from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, have been studying the genetic profiles of 810 people – 431 with an Autistic Spectrum......
Read the full story at: Scientists gain new insights into Autism

Daily Diamond - Tiger Quoll thought extinct, seen 141 years later!

There is always one, isn’t there? A tiger quoll has managed to squash the fear that its species no longer resides in the Grampians, by fulfilling its lifelong dream to be captured on film.
That might not actually be the case, but there hasn’t been evidence of tiger quolls living in Grampians......
Read the full story at: Tiger Quoll thought extinct, seen 141 years later!

Daily Diamond - Low income families to receive free education at Harvard

Recently, Harvard University confirmed that students coming from families with a low income and attend Undergraduate Honours programmes will not have to pay any tuition fees.
The scheme, known as the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative, ensures thorough support for students whose annual family......
Read the full story at: Low income families to receive free education at Harvard

Daily Diamond - Wilson Kipsang breaks world marathon record

In an event that was largely ignored late last month, Wilson Kipsang broke the marathon world record in Berlin.  He beat the previous mark of 2:03:38, which was held by fellow Kenyan Patrick Makau, by fifteen seconds.  Makau had held the record for two years and four days since he broke it in......
Read the full story at: Wilson Kipsang breaks world marathon record

Daily Diamond - 60 new species found in Suriname

There are thought to be millions of species in the world yet to be discovered, but scientists in the US may just have struck 60 of them off the list.
Last year, 16 scientists trekked through the heart of Suriname’s rainforest as part of their Rapid Assessment Program. Their purpose was to......
Read the full story at: 60 new species found in Suriname

Daily Diamond - Roman skulls discovered in old riverbed

Finding skeletons while working on the new Crossrail project was something construction workers may not have expected, but they had ample warning with the discovery of Bedlam’s 16th century burial ground on the site earlier this year. They were not, however, expecting 20 Roman skulls.
The......
Read the full story at: Roman skulls discovered in old riverbed

Daily Diamond - "Frankenstein" Phone Powered By Lightning

Scientists have proven that Mary Shelley was right – a bolt of lightning can bring something to life! Okay, so it might just be a mobile phone battery and not a person, but pretty impressive nonetheless.
An experiment was carried out by scientists at the University of Southampton, working......
Read the full story at: "Frankenstein" Phone Powered By Lightning

Daily Diamond - Flowering Plants Began 100 Million Years Earlier Than Expected

Scientists from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, have found evidence that flowering plants have been around a lot longer than anyone thought possible.
The Swiss and German team at the University analysed core samples obtained by drilling into the ground and found six different types of......
Read the full story at: Flowering Plants Began 100 Million Years Earlier Than Expected

Daily Diamond - Gromit Unleashed auctions raise over £2 million

A cracking night for Bristol’s children’s hospital as Gromits fetch £2,357,000 When these fantastic sculptures first lined our streets back in July of this year, the slogan for the highly anticipated Gromit Unleashed trail read, “80 Gromits, 10 weeks, 1 city”. However as the final......
Read the full story at: Gromit Unleashed auctions raise over £2 million

Daily Diamond - Chimpanzees beat humans in memory test

Over the past few years, scientists have been studying chimpanzees’ memory skills in the hope that they can shine light on some of the mysteries of the human mind.
Back in 2007, after spending six months teaching his chimpanzees to count from one to nine, Professor Tetsuro Matsuzawa from Kyoto......
Read the full story at: Chimpanzees beat humans in memory test

Daily Diamond - Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers Meet

Just three days after a pair of attacks by separatist rebels on Indian security forces in Kashmir, the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan met at a hotel in New York during a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.  It was the first such meeting between Manmohan Singh and newly elected......
Read the full story at: Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers Meet

Daily Diamond - Rare Pink Bottle-nose Dolphin in Louisiana

Bottle-nose dolphins are grey… Aren’t they? They are – except for Pinky, who just so happens to be pink.
In 2007, a pink dolphin was spotted in the Calcasieu Ship Channel, which connects Lake Charles, Louisiana, and the Gulf Mexico. Six years later and the pink dolphin is still in......
Read the full story at: Rare Pink Bottle-nose Dolphin in Louisiana

Daily Diamond - Youngster Leads Clare to All-Ireland Glory

Nineteen year old Shane O’Donnell wasn’t selected to play for his county when they met up with favorites Cork back on the 8th of September.  He was considered a future star, but the student’s time had not yet come.
Manager Davy Fitzgerald instead opted for a more experienced player with......
Read the full story at: Youngster Leads Clare to All-Ireland Glory

Daily Diamond - Shanghai launches free trade zone

In a brave attempt to overhaul their economy, China opened a free-trade zone in Shanghai on Sunday. The second-largest economy in the world announced last July that a free-trade zone would be developed in Shanghai, in the hope of giving their economy a boost.
A free-trade zone is a specific area......
Read the full story at: Shanghai launches free trade zone

Daily Diamond - Water found on Mars

In the famous words of David Bowie: “Is there life on Mars?” Well… We don’t know yet, but there is water.
On Thursday, the journal Science published five papers from Nasa: one about the discovery of water on Mars, three papers covering the soil analysis, and one study about a......
Read the full story at: Water found on Mars

Daily Diamond - ACA - The Affordable Care Act

The time is nearly here, the moment that millions of Americans have been anxiously waiting for – the official launch of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.
Passed by Congress in March, making it a law, the ACA officially opens its metaphoric doors today. This marks the......
Read the full story at: ACA - The Affordable Care Act

Daily Diamond - Sugar gel helps premature babies

Premature babies already have enough to put up with, but did you know that one in ten otherwise healthy early babies end up with problems caused by dangerously low blood sugar levels?
We now have a solution – well, a gel – that can help a good majority of these cases.
A dose of......
Read the full story at: Sugar gel helps premature babies

Daily Diamond - 25 Year old sea turtle gets a new lease of life

In February A sea turtle named Yu-chan, was given a vest attached with fake flippers. For Yu-chan this means getting her livelihood back and being able to swim without pain or discomfort.
Weighing in at an impressive 14 stone, or 90 kg, 25-year-old Yu-chan a Loggerhead turtle was rescued after......
Read the full story at: 25 Year old sea turtle gets a new lease of life

Daily Diamond - Rio De Janeiro to become worlds first smart city

Rio de Janeiro is well on its way to becoming the world’s first smart city.  Back in 2010, Mayor Eduardo Paes opened an operations center that was intended to enable city employees to respond rapidly in the event of emergencies.  That operations center was just the first step in an effort to......
Read the full story at: Rio De Janeiro to become worlds first smart city

Daily Diamond - Hiroshi Yamauchi, Innovator, Husbands, Father, Legend.

In the spirit of good and positive news, we at the Daily Diamond don’t want to look upon the passing of Hiroshi Yamauchi with sadness, but instead celebrate his life and amazing achievements.
For those of you who don’t know, Hiroshi Yamauchi was the third president of Nintendo, and the man......
Read the full story at: Hiroshi Yamauchi, Innovator, Husbands, Father, Legend.

Daily Diamond - Could this be the end of the flu jab?

Many people catch the flu, and then they get better – but did you know that seasonal flu kills between quarter and half a million people every year? And that’s not even including the pandemics that spring up on us.
Scientists now think they have found the secret to creating a vaccine......
Read the full story at: Could this be the end of the flu jab?

Daily Diamond - Kaesong to re-open

Throughout the last half century, the two Koreas have carried out what can at best be called a rocky relationship.
Officially still at war, the two have gone in radically different directions.  South Korea has become one of globalization’s success stories, building an economy that barely......
Read the full story at: Kaesong to re-open

Daily Diamond - Brain Scan Advances for Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s affects the lives of many, with families feeling they have lost their loved ones years before they physically leave us. But there is good news on the horizon! Scientists have now developed a way to detect the protein associated with Alzheimer’s – in a living brain.
The main......
Read the full story at: Brain Scan Advances for Alzheimer's

Daily Diamond - Rise in maths and literacy levels

S.A.T’s results are in! According to the Department of Education, more 11-year-olds have managed to get the levels expected of them in maths and writing than in recent years.
Sats are the national tests taken by every child in their last year of primary school, and for the first time, the......
Read the full story at: Rise in maths and literacy levels

Daily Diamond - Standing Ovation For Swansea After Beating Valencia

Swansea City astounded fans at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium on Thursday, after securing a 3-0 win against the home side, in what is being called one of their best games of all time.
The Group A fixture for the Europa League had supporters on the edge of their seats when in the 9th minute Adil......
Read the full story at: Standing Ovation For Swansea After Beating Valencia

Daily Diamond - Scientists get crucial insights into why some women miscarry

For years scientists have been trying to figure out why some women miscarry for no apparent reason. One out of seven women lose their babies during pregnancy, and one in 100 will plough through the traumatic experience three or more times in a row. Now scientists think they finally have the......
Read the full story at: Scientists get crucial insights into why some women miscarry

Daily Diamond - Free school meals for all infants

As of next September, all infants in primary school will be entitled to free school meals – regardless of how much their parents earn.
At the moment, free school meals are only available to those families who receive certain benefits or earn below £16,190 a year. But according to Deputy......
Read the full story at: Free school meals for all infants

Daily Diamond - Syria - Changes for a better future

Just a week ago, the situation in Syria looked dire. The international community agreed that chemical weapons had been used, but there was no consensus on whether the government or the rebels had used them. The Obama administration said that it had evidence that the weapons had been used by the......
Read the full story at: Syria - Changes for a better future

Daily Diamond - The power of vaccines

A UNICEF report has confirmed the massive difference that childhood vaccinations and adult vaccinations are making on the world’s population. Besides the addition of clean water, vaccinations have saved more lives than any other medical breakthrough in history.
You may already be aware of what......
Read the full story at: The power of vaccines

Daily Diamond - Andy Murray Brings Great Britain back to the World Group

Great Britain has done it again. We’ve all heard about Murray being the first British person to win Wimbledon since Virginia Wade did 36 years ago – this time he has helped the Great British team find its way back into the elite World Group for next season’s Davis Cup.
In the final tie......
Read the full story at: Andy Murray Brings Great Britain back to the World Group

Daily Diamond - Stem Cells to help the burden on organ transplant waiting lists

For the first time, scientists have made stem cells inside the bodies of living creatures, spawning hope for the regeneration of cells in people.
A newly published study has shown that scientists have made the stem cells inside genetically modified bodies of mice – without having to insert......
Read the full story at: Stem Cells to help the burden on organ transplant waiting lists

Daily Diamond - Drink to your health

There’s no denying that excessive drink in the UK is a matter worthy of serious attention.  The NHS estimates that binge drinking (basically drinking a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time in order to get drunk) is responsible for some harrowing statistics.
In June 2012, the Daily Mail......
Read the full story at: Drink to your health

Daily Diamond - Geothermal heating on the horizon

Tapping into underground energy, harnessing the power from within Earth, to heat our homes. Something out of science fiction? or is it?
The power would come from geothermal energy, converted from hot water underground and with the potential to heat all the homes in Britain.
Unfortunately, only......
Read the full story at: Geothermal heating on the horizon

Daily Diamond - Speculation Apple will launch New iPad in October

Alongside Apple’s announcement that It will be launching the latest version of it’s operating system OS X, code named “Mavericks” next month.
There have also been claims it will be launching the latest range of it’s new iPads, iMacs and MacBook Pros.
The claims come from French site......
Read the full story at: Speculation Apple will launch New iPad in October

Daily Diamond - When the media is a force for good

There is so much doom and gloom about health in the press these days, and every other story seems to be about cancer – super food cancer products and hair raising stories about the causes of cancer and how just about everything these days can cause cancer.
But the good news is that the never......
Read the full story at: When the media is a force for good

Daily Diamond - South Africa – The Ultimate Eco-Tourism Destination

South Africa is a stunning country, full of amazing places of natural beauty and home to an eclectic and diverse culture. But its real gem is that it is an incredible eco-tourism destination, with many hidden away regions just waiting to be explored. In fact tourism alone, makes up for some 3%......
Read the full story at: South Africa – The Ultimate Eco-Tourism Destination

Daily Diamond - London Fashion Week

The glitz and glamour that is London Fashion Week opened its doors this weekend, with designers showing off their spring/summer collections for 2014.
People have come from all over the world to feast their eyes on the latest creations to hit the catwalk after LFW opened on Friday, and will leave......
Read the full story at: London Fashion Week

Daily Diamond - European car sales bounce back from rock bottom

Automotive sales have suffered across the planet, due to the global economic downturn. European automotive sales have hit rock bottom as sales dip to a two-decade low. The idea that the situation cannot possibly get any worse has altered slightly, as things suddenly started to improve in the......
Read the full story at: European car sales bounce back from rock bottom

Daily Diamond - Schools improving according to Ofsted

In a week that has had the news filled with talk of teacher strikes, some great news about schools has been unveiled – over three-quarters of the schools in England have boasted rapid improvements that have even been commended by the Ofsted Chief Inspector.
Sir Michael Wilshaw – who......
Read the full story at: Schools improving according to Ofsted

Daily Diamond - Britain On Mend With Great Year For Jobs

The employment drought is over! Well… nearly. The end of this year will see Britain’s highest number of people in work since 2007.
According to Chancellor George Osborne in a speech he gave on Monday, the fact that the private sector is hiring more people shows the economy is getting better,......
Read the full story at: Britain On Mend With Great Year For Jobs

Daily Diamond - Rickie Lambert - Beetroots to Brazil

Tuesday night was a night of firsts for the Southampton front man as England took on their main rivals in the group stages; Ukraine. Not only was it Lambert’s first time in the starting eleven for his national team, but it was also his first ever game of football outside of England.
The match......
Read the full story at: Rickie Lambert - Beetroots to Brazil

Daily Diamond - Samsung Galaxy Gear - The new watch on the block

It seems like only yesterday Samsung introduced their flagship phone to us all, the Galaxy S. But now 3 years on and in almost two weeks time they will be introducing their brand new product range the Samsung Galaxy Gear – an Android watch.
Smart watches aren’t anything new to the......
Read the full story at: Samsung Galaxy Gear - The new watch on the block

Daily Diamond - Kenya discovers huge water source

Can the water crises in Africa finally be drawing to an end? After the recent discoveries of mass amounts of water under the surface of Kenya, it can no longer be considered just a pipe dream.
The thirsty region of Turkana, in Northern Kenya, is considered one of the hottest, driest parts of......
Read the full story at: Kenya discovers huge water source

Daily Diamond - Escape the winter blues

With winter just around the corner,  you’re probably thinking of wrapping up warm, settling in front of a warm fire and sharing another year of memories with your family.
With record numbers every year escaping to a nice warm climate at Christmas why not beat those winter blues by warming......
Read the full story at: Escape the winter blues

Daily Diamond - Artificial Intelligence takes the next leap forward

Artificially-intelligent supercomputers that answer questions in an IQ test. No, this isn’t the plotline of a new science fiction movie, but an exciting reality being developed at MIT.
For the past few years, researchers at MIT have been working on an artificial intelligence project called......
Read the full story at: Artificial Intelligence takes the next leap forward

Daily Diamond - New pay policies to reward best teachers

A new policy means that schools will now have the power to reward their best teachers – through their wage packet.
The policy, put in place at the beginning of this term, enables headteachers to link their teachers’ pay with their performance in the classroom – something that......
Read the full story at: New pay policies to reward best teachers

Daily Diamond - New EU Cosmetics Regulation enters into force

As of 11th July 2013, the new Cosmetics Regulation has entered into force, following a four year transition period which has allowed the cosmetics sector to comply with the new legislation.
The new legislation promotes the protection of the consumer and looks carefully at the ingredients,......
Read the full story at: New EU Cosmetics Regulation enters into force

Daily Diamond - Are E-cigarettes a good alternative?

Ever sat in a pub and had to double take as you see someone sat there smoking before you realise they actually hold an electronic cigarette to their lips? Legal to ‘smoke’ indoors, and with little harm done to the smoker or people around them, e-cigarettes are becoming more popular with......
Read the full story at: Are E-cigarettes a good alternative?

Daily Diamond - Cruise Holidays: A phase, or here to stay?

The large number of advertisements for cruise holidays currently on display throughout the United Kingdom, along with the airing of the six part documentary ‘The Cruise: Life at Sea’ on BBC2, have once again drawn attention to the exponentially growing popularity of cruise holidays. This......
Read the full story at: Cruise Holidays: A phase, or here to stay?

Daily Diamond - Raikkonen set for a dramatic return to former team Ferrari

Kimi Raikkonen seems to be closing in on a return to Ferrari, despite the Maranello team insisting a decision on their 2014 driving team has not yet been made.
Rumours are running rampant in the fuel injected world of motor sport, as it seems Ferrari are gearing up to resign their last......
Read the full story at: Raikkonen set for a dramatic return to former team Ferrari

Daily Diamond - Down's Syndrome cure - new research shows promise

There are 6 million people in the world with Down’s syndrome. 60,000 of those are in the UK, with 750 babies born each year with the condition. Now imagine the possibility of being able to cure those babies as soon as they are born – with only one injection.
There isn’t currently a......
Read the full story at: Down's Syndrome cure - new research shows promise

Daily Diamond - UK Growth better than anyone expeced

The second quarter of this year has shown better growth than anyone expected. The reasons for this are unclear, but some think that since the global economic downturn has started to creep out of the news that people have simply started spending again. This is based on the idea that people kept......
Read the full story at: UK Growth better than anyone expeced

Daily Diamond - New research shows video games can improve childrens development

For years parents have been telling their children that they can’t play their computer games for too long because it’s bad for them. How do you think they are going to feel when children find out that some studies published recently suggest just the opposite?
It has long since been drilled......
Read the full story at: New research shows video games can improve childrens development

Daily Diamond - Icelandic bank customers rescued by British Banks, building societies and credit unions

Customers who have faced significant losses during the Icelandic banking crisis can put their mind at ease as British banks, building societies and credit unions have recently announced that they will pay out over £1 billion to help them.
The payments fell due as a consequence of the Financial......
Read the full story at: Icelandic bank customers rescued by British Banks, building societies and credit unions

Daily Diamond - Evans breathes new hope in to British Tennis

As the final tennis grand slam of the season got underway on August 26th, the camera crew of British Sport didn’t tune in until day three of the US open, when the spotlight was turned back to the defending champion, and most recently Wimbledon champion, Andy Murray.
The Scotsman marched......
Read the full story at: Evans breathes new hope in to British Tennis

Daily Diamond - Sea otter return boosts ailing seagrass in california

A new study conducted by scientists from the University of California has revealed that the come back of sea otters to an estuary on the main Californian coast has turned out to be considerably beneficial for the ocean’s seagrass.
According to researchers, the seagrass was presumed to be......
Read the full story at: Sea otter return boosts ailing seagrass in california

Daily Diamond - OECD Raises UK Growth Forecast

Since May, the OECD has increased its growth forecast for the UK economy from 0.8% up to 1.5% and has tentatively promised that the figure will continue to rise.
After recently completing its latest assessment of global prospects, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has...
Read the full story at OECD Raises UK Growth Forecast

Daily Diamond - New miniature brain could help solve the mysteries of rare conditions and diseases

Scientists at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology have achieved an outstanding breakthrough, as their venture of growing miniature human brains in a laboratory has been a success.
Scientists have managed to recreate some of the very first phases of the brain’s development in a...
Read the full story at: New miniature brain could help solve the mysteries of rare conditions and diseases

Daily Diamond - University application process to be upgraded

Fifty years ago a system was devised and launched into action by the “University and College Admission Service” to accommodate the then small number of students who wished to proceed from secondary school into higher education.

The application process imposed, required students to enter personal details, a short explanation as to why they wanted to study the course they were applying for and the grades that they were predicted to achieve when they finished school.

Institutions would receive these applications and then conditionally offer the applicant a place at their university.

The same system in place to this very day, however the number of applicants using this system couldn’t be more different.

With the number of people applying to university almost ten times greater than when the system was first introduced, professors, vice-chancellors and chancellors all over the country are calling for an overhaul in the arguably outdated system.

The reason the current application process has lasted as long as it has is because it has not been until very recently that the number of students pursuing higher education has increased. These new students heading on to campus range from A-level graduates to retraining professionals. This has a hugely positive impact, not just on the universities themselves but also the employability of the postgraduates coming out the other side of university life.

This surge in university interest has led authority figures to reach the conclusion that amendments to the application system need to be made.

Amendments to the application process could be made as early as September 2016. This will leave students from eighteen to eighty-eight with a less intimidating, stress free and clear-cut challenge ahead of them, when applying for university.

The main change being called for in the system revamp is the timing, currently, university hopefuls apply on campus, several months before they even sit their entry examinations resulting in universities offering places to candidates solely based on the predictions of their teachers.

This as with any prediction can be incorrect and could be due to the complacency of the teacher or doesn’t account for students achieving better than expected at the end of the year.

Moving the application deadline to until after exams have been completed will provide a more accurate and definitive result for the student after they have submitted their application.

Another significant change is the ‘UCAS points’ system, at present universities will set a required total of UCAS points which are needed in order to participate in the course.

These points are achieved by obtaining grades at A-level or equivalent, Professor Alan Smithers of Buckingham University stated “some aspects of the tariff are concerning, particularly the imbalance between A-levels in difficult subjects and some vocational qualifications”. His concerns can be found in examples such as holding a new style diploma in hair and beauty, which can grant a candidate up to the equivalent of three and a half top A-level grades in UCAS points.

The overhaul of the application process will look to address these sorts of imbalances while also making the application process as a whole, a lot smoother for both universities and students to undergo.

University application process to be upgraded

Daily Diamond - Record £630 million spent by Premier League clubs

Bale, Özil and Fellaini on their travels as the record books are re-written on deadline day.

Twice a year without fail, football fans stay glued to their televisions, radios and computers, right up to the eleventh hour, all waiting to learn where the big names will be playing their football for the remainder of the season.

If previous years are anything to go by, this years transfer deadline day was nothing for sporting fanatics to lose their head about with preceding years boasting just one or two big signings and nothing more.

Things would play out much differently on September 2nd as a record total of £630 million was spent by Premier League clubs alone.

This mammoth spend saw Marouane Fellaini switching clubs to be reunited with his old boss David Moyes and Mesut Özil switching countries, making the trip from Real Madrid to Greater London, to join Arsenal.

Not to mention the world record breaking £86 million Tottenham Hotspur netted for Welshman Gareth Bale.

The major headlines on September 2nd were all written for Gareth Bale as he fulfilled his childhood dream of being able to pull on a Real Madrid for the shirt for the season.

When Bale arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to sign the deal which has been anticipated all summer,he gleefully retorted that it was an “absolute dream to be here (Real Madrid)” and thanked Florentino Pérez for “making my dream come true”.

Elsewhere Arsenal fans were overjoyed at the prospect of Arsène Wenger finally following through on one of his promises to spend big, as Real Madrid secured £42.5 million in exchange for attacking, midfielder; Mesut Özil.

The London club aren’t exactly lacking in midfield, with players like Arteta, Ramsey and Wilshere generously fitting the bill, Arsenal fans will be thrilled with the  attainment of Özil as it finally demonstrates that the London club can be, and will be contenders for the Premier League title.

As always the day wasn’t without its losers and although Everton can take solace in the form of 20 year old striker Romelu Lukaku, signing a season long loan deal from rivals Chelsea.

The harshest critics amongst the football world, will argue that the loanee will not fill the hole of fellow Belgian Marouane Fellaini, who departs from Goodison Park to defending champions Manchester United for £27.5 million.

All in all, the money that has been splashed out by top flight clubs during this record breaking transfer will pave the way for the season of 2013/2014 to be a season that lives long in the memory of football fans all over the world.

Record £630 million spent by Premier League clubs

Daily Diamond - New Gene Found Linked To Ovarian Cancer

A cure for ovarian cancer – doesn’t that sound incredible? With the research of a new gene, we are another step closer to that hope becoming a reality.

Known as “Helq”, the gene aids the body in fixing any damage to the DNA that might happen when cells multiply. If both copies of the gene are missing or broken more problems can build up with the DNA, furthering the chance of tumours developing.

Cancer Research UK’s scientists are the ones responsible for this exciting find, after studying Helq in mice, and they have written about their recent work in the September 4th online issue of an international science journal, Nature. Their senior author, Dr Simon Boulton, said: “Our findings show that if there are any problems with the Helq gene in mice, it increases the chance of them developing ovarian and other tumours.” The mice were also more likely to show signs of being infertile.

Dr Boulton went on to say that the next step is to investigate whether or not women with an altered Helq gene also had a higher chance of developing tumours, like the mice: “If it plays a similar role in humans, this may open up the possibility that, in the future, women could be screened for errors in the Helq gene that might increase their risk of ovarian cancer.”

Cancer Research UK’s scientists, at their London Research Institute, had already carried out studies on the Helq gene in flies and nematodes – a type of worm – and had already worked out that Helq had a part in the repair of DNA. The scientists didn’t know how differences in the gene could affect people or other mammals, so that urged them to study Helq in mice. They particularly focused on those that only possessed one copy of the gene, but they also some mice that had both copies missing.

In the UK, ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women, with about 7,000 diagnosed each year, and over 50% of those cases are fatal. Clearly the chance of developing tumours can be significantly higher if there is a strong family history of ovarian or breast cancer, but normally there is only a 2% chance of someone getting the disease in their life.

Dr Julie Sharp is Cancer Research UK’s senior information manager and she knows that in the fight against cancer, knowledge is power: “Ovarian cancer can be hard to diagnose early and treat successfully, so the more we know about the causes of the disease, the better equipped we will be to detect and treat it.”

It has been a good week for cancer research, especially after the Daily Diamond’s recent report about a new ovarian cancer screening programme that will hopefully start soon in the UK.

It will be an even better week when we finally rid the world of one of its biggest killers.

New Gene Found Linked To Ovarian Cancer

Daily Diamond - Playstation 4 Sony's next gen console

Console: Playstation 4
Price: £349.99
Launch date: 29th November 2013 (Friday)
Comes with: black console, one wireless controller, a headset, power cord, HDMI cable and USB cable for charging controller.

What you should consider: As with the Xbox One, many of the launch titles for the Playstation 4 are new entries in long established franchises, promising a solid experience for veteran gamers exposed to Playstation 3 games, and for those new to the system, high quality introductions to said franchises. There are crossover titles with the Xbox One, including Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Just Dance 2014, Need for Speed: Rivals, and Watch Dogs to name but a few.

There are also notable titles exclusive to Playstation 4, not least #DriveClub offering a shared, more co-operative style of racing game. Created by Evolution Studios who impressed many with their Motorstorm series on the Playstation 3, the game has a pedigree behind it sure to attract racing fans. Killzone: Shadow Fall is another established franchise key to Sony’s launch, and will differentiate itself from the other two first person shooter games launching at the same time: Call of Duty: Ghosts and Battlefield 4, or indeed may help appeal to fans of the genre who simply cannot get enough action from their shiny new system.

Equally of note is Sony’s strategy to include free-to-play titles on its system, including Warframe and Blacklight: Retribution, promising third and first person action respectively. This gives greater parity between the PC as a games platform and traditional consoles, and is a great way to provide gamers with choice, reducing some of the risk of buying a brand new game retailing for £40-50, only to find out you either finish it in a week or dislike it after two. Of course, the free-to-play games will offer incentives and transactions of their own but these come after the player has had time to decide whether they are enjoying what they are playing. With the advent of phone and tablet gaming, customers are used to being confronted with pay-to-play content in games such as Candy Crush Saga and so Sony are blending the best elements of mobile and PC gaming here.

The Playstation 4’s specifications have been explicitly designed to please game developers, in addition to making the machine a real powerhouse versus its competition. This comes from the legacy of the Playstation 3, which had a custom chip, named “Cell” at its heart. Whilst it was indeed a powerful machine, developers found it sometimes tricky to program for, and so the Xbox 360 often became the standard platform developers used to showcase games. In some cases, performance differences were noted between certain games running on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, with Playstation 3 faring the worst. Happily, Sony have altered this approach; a prime example of this is the RAM in the new Playstation 4, which is able to access and push through data far quicker than the GDDR3 RAM seem in the Xbox 360. This should ensure developers feel empowered rather than daunted, and in later years should mean high quality results in game features, graphics or load times that may not be replicable on the Xbox 360. The official Playstation website promises that the Playstation 4 is “tuned specifically to their [developers] needs.”

Two promising features that Sony have ready to unleash are integration and connection between Playstation 4 and the PSP Vita, and their online gaming network, Playstation Network. The Playstation Network has developed into a worthwhile paid service, predominantly because of Playstation Plus. It offers an Instant Game Collection service, whereby subscribers can download highly-rated or recently released games as part of their annual or monthly charge. This is a service well-received by gamers and will only become stronger as the march towards Playstation 4 continues.

Connectivity with the PSP Vita will enhance the features already seen between Playstation 3 and PSP Vita where users can save games or compete in multiplayer across the two platforms. This is not dissimilar to the approach Nintendo have taken by allowing their new tablet controller to continue playing games away from the television screen. Sony and Nintendo are taking gaming down new and exciting avenues, and it remains to be seen the exciting prospects this kind of portable-to-console play has in store for gamers.

Key specifications:

CPU: AMD “Jaguar” 8 cores, x86-64

GPU: AMD RaedonTM based, 1.84 TFLOPS

RAM: 8GB GDDR5

Storage: 500GB HDD

Optical: Blu-Ray/DVD drive

Full list of games* available at launch**:

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Basement Crawl

Battlefield 4

Blacklight

Call of Duty: Ghosts

Contrast

DC Universe Online

Doki-Doki Universe

DriveClub

FIFA 14

Flower

Hohokum

Just Dance 2014

Killzone: Shadow Fall

Knack

Lego Marvel Superheroes

Madden NFL 25

Minecraft

N++

NBA Live

NBA 2K14

Need for Speed: Rivals

Pinball Arcade

Planetside 2

Pool Nation Extreme

ResoGun

Skylanders: Swap Force

Super Motherload

The Playroom

Tiny Brains

Warframe

War Thunder

Watch_Dogs

* – Some titles are downloadable only.

** – Sony have explicitly said all titles will be available by the end of 2013.

Playstation 4 Sony's next gen console

Daily Diamond - Your daily cuppa does more good than you imagine

When the British made afternoon tea popular little did they know that this is not only a nice way to relax and take a much needed break, but it is also a great way to improve overall health. Drinking tea—especially on a daily basis—has some very potent health benefits. In fact, current research is now showing that tea can help you fight fat. Researchers from the Duke School of Medicine in Singapore discovered that the caffeine found in tea reduces fatty liver problems that are often linked to obesity and diabetes. By drinking four cups of tea every day, you would keep this problem under control.

However, not all caffeine is created equal. Drinking coffee—more than four cups a day—does more harm than good. Some experts believe it could even shorten your life. Ironically, it is younger people who should watch their coffee intake as drinking large amounts of it did not have the same negative effect on older people. The study showing the consequences of drinking coffee was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings and included more than 43,000 U.S. adults ages twenty to eighty-seven years.

Green tea has long been considered one of the best teas to drink due to its high level of EGCG—an antioxidant that has been thoroughly studied and shown to disrupt the growth of many cancers including breast, colorectal, lung, bladder and pancreatic cancers. Many people drink it because of its known ability to burn fat. It can also prevent your arteries from clogging and can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Black tea happens to have one of the highest amounts of caffeine and is usually the basis for some flavored teas like chai. Black tea can potentially reduce your stroke risk and protect your lungs from cigarette smoke damage. White tea is another powerhouse as studies have shown it is the most potent anticancer tea compared with other processed teas.

Of course, the younger population is also discovering the powers and great taste of tea. Matcha and rooibos tea are becoming more and more popular. Match green tea is said to offer even greater benefits than regular green tea because you are getting the whole green tea leaf and not just a hint of it in the water. This means you are not getting short changed on all the outstanding health benefits. Matcha green tea is also high in fibre, fights bacteria, and viruses, boosts your metabolism, so you burn more calories, packed with powerful antioxidants and can even enhance your mood. If you drink one cup of matcha green tea, it is the antioxidant equivalent of drinking ten cups of regular green tea.

Another popular tea is rooibos tea which is also known as red tea. The herb comes from South Africa and is brimming with cancer-fighting flavonoids. There are other herbal teas like chamomile, Echinacea and hibiscus that offer a slew of health benefits in addition to their great taste.

Do not think of tea as just an afternoon delight or something that only your grandparents drink. Drinking tea is more mainstream now than ever. And with all the health benefits it provides, including its fat fighting powers, why would you not want to drink it? Next time you are in the coffee shop, swap out that cappuccino for a chai tea latte.

Your daily cuppa does more good than you imagine

Daily Diamond - Clean, renewable energy, a dream of fusion back on track

Clean, clear, safe sustainable energy. Isn’t that what we all want – without worrying about whether or not we are harming the environment, or if it is going to run out anytime soon? Now that the Iter project is back on track, it is a distinct possibility.

Iter, or International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, is located at the Cadarache facility in the south of France and is the world’s largest experimental nuclear fusion reactor. The reactor will essentially copy the process that the sun uses to generate energy – fusing atoms together that ultimately leads to transferring energy as heat.

Engineers have completed designs for the last major part of the Iter called the “blanket”, which is the part that will handle the superheated nuclear fuel. Now that the blanket has been designed, the project can move to the construction stage.

At the moment, the energy that we see today in nuclear power plants is nuclear fission. Fission is the process of splitting a large atom into two or more smaller pieces, whereas nuclear fusion is a reaction that fuses two smaller atoms into a larger one with the release of energy.

If Iter is a success it has the potential to be far safer than nuclear plants around at the moment – fusion power generating a lot less radioactive waste than fission power and providing three-to-four times the amount of energy. Many energy experts argue that, although a slow process, nuclear fusion is the only possibility for creating the amount of continuous energy that the world needs, without having to resort to fossil fuels or fission nuclear power.

The coordinator of Iter assembly, Ken Blackler, says that the construction is taking so long because the whole system is very complicated. The individual parts of Iter are made all over the world and then have to be shipped to Cadarache, with added problems with import taxes. All parts of Iter need to arrive in the right order so that it can be built each step at a time. Blackler said, “We’ve now started for real. Industrial manufacturing is under way so the timescale is much more certain – many technical challenges have been solved.” The actual building of Iter is due to start later this year and hopefully completed by May 2021.

Iter’s deputy director, Dr Carlos Alejaldre, is responsible for safety and has said, “It is the largest scientific collaboration in the world. In fact, the project is so complex we even had to invent our own currency – known as the Iter Unit of Account – to decide how each country pays its share.”

He went on to say, “We’ve passed from the design stage to being a construction project. We will have to show it is safe. If we cannot convince the public that this is safe, I don’t think nuclear fusion will be developed anywhere in the world.”

We could be enjoying the safe and clean energy provided by Iter in under a decade, and doing something positive for our environment and our children in the future.

Clean, renewable energy, a dream of fusion back on track

Daily Diamond - Xbox one - Microsofts next generation console

Price: £429.00
Launch date: November (date TBC)

Comes with: a black console, Kinect sensor, one wireless commemorative controller, headset, power cord, HDMI cable, FIFA 14.  (N.B. This is for the limited “Day One” edition of the console currently on offer for pre-order).

What you should consider: After a somewhat difficult showing at the annual E3 games convention in May, Microsoft have altered how their console will function and are adding tempting offers to sweeten potential customers.  They have shied away from digital licensing of games which had a slightly unfavourable reaction with long-term Xbox fans, despite the idea becoming better accepted through Valve’s Steam client for PC games and Apple’s iTunes for music.  Instead, Microsoft have confirmed they will use a dual strategy, offering disc-based games via retail and digital downloads via Xbox Live.

In their efforts to recapture consumer interest, Microsoft have announced that a “Day One” edition of Xbox One will come with a code to download FIFA 14, a clever move clearly designed to win over European customers.  The Xbox One is retailing for £80 more than the Playstation 4, and this is down to the inclusion of the Kinect sensor with every Xbox One sold, rather than being sold as an add-on as it was initially with the Xbox 360.  Undoubtedly, this is a new, more powerful version of the peripheral, promising greater accuracy in motion control and player recognition.  It is a smart move in terms of appealing to a range of consumers like families, promising new iterations of games such as Just Dance and a new Zumba fitness game.  The greater functionality the console has, the more likely it is to attract serious gamers and standard users alike.  This is also a showing of Microsoft’s long-term strategy, promising the consumer that everything they require is included in the box right from the word go and is a shrewd move to avoid confusion amongst customers over versions of the same console.

The lineup of games available at launch is spread across genres reasonably well, with a number of big-hitting franchises receiving new titles.  These include Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Forza Motorsport 5, FIFA 14, Dead Rising 3 (exclusive to Xbox One), Need for Speed: Rivals and new NBA and Madden entries.  A new franchise, Watch Dogs, continues to generate interest, as you play a hacker in Chicago, able to use his smartphone for all sorts of clever tricks, not least controlling traffic light systems to cause accidents or otherwise slip away from the scene of a crime unnoticed.  Ubisoft worked hard to ensure its previous big franchise, Assassin’s Creed, truly was a next generation game that couldn’t have been made on the Playstation 2 or original Xbox.  Watch Dogs is already generating chatter and hype amongst critics and gamers alike, and is a prime example of something bold and new.

‘The Cloud’ is a phrase thrown around by Microsoft when discussing the Xbox One: this means that data stored at Microsoft will enable users to have quicker access to, theoretically, greater numbers of applications and features.  Microsoft is promising “Xbox One and games grow with you over time” thanks to this new development.  It’s easy to imagine exciting possibilities: downloadable maps and new features could be taken further and game engines could be fundamentally altered at Microsoft’s end so that players do not have to commit to annual updates of a game series, instead having the existing game upgrade.  This is not dissimilar to a massively-multiplayer online gaming approach and is welcome news indeed.

Elsewhere, tablet and phone integration is promised, adding extra features such as facts behind the films you may be watching, or companion apps for games you play to keep track of statistics of games you’re playing.  This has arguably been a long time coming, but will ensure the work bringing Xbox Live to mobile phones will not go to waste on Microsoft’s part, and will also ensure consumers are thinking about their Xbox One even when not at home.  The ability to record footage and share with others is also present, which seems like a feature aimed at the seasoned player to share replays or “Wow!” moments of multiplayer games.

With all that said, what’s important are facts, not speculation.  Below are hard statistics about specifications and games.

Key specifications:

CPU: 8 core, x86 processor

GPU: Not confirmed

RAM: 8GB DDR3

Storage: 500GB HDD

Optical: Blu-Ray/DVD drive

Full list of games available at launch*:

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag

Battlefield 4

Call of Duty: Ghosts Crimson Dragon

Dead Rising 3

FIFA 14

Fighter Within

Forza Motorsport 5

Just Dance 2014

Killer Instinct

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

Lococycle

Madden NFL 25 NBA 2K14

NBA LIVE 14

Need for Speed: Rivals Peggle 2

Powerstar Golf Ryse: Son of Rome

Skylanders: Swap Force

Watch Dogs

Zoo Tycoon

Zumba Fitness: World Party

* – Microsoft use the phrase “launch window” which could mean during November and December 2013.

Xbox one - Microsofts next generation console

Daily Diamond - Politicians discuss lobbying reform to prevent scandal

Recently In a political report, a Downing Street spokesperson announced that the Government’s newly proposed lobbying reform could still be subject to further changes.

The Government’s plans to impose  new legislation on the British lobbying industry have been received with huge criticism and have sparked an ardent controversy among several politicians.

The legislation, issued by Prime Minister David Cameron, aims at preventing lobbying scandals during the campaigns organized before  political elections. The new bill must undergo another reading by the Commons in September before it can be approved by the House of Lords and, consequently, instated as a law by the end of the year.

British politicians are confident that Number 10 will successfully pass through the House of Lords, a spokesman confirmed that if the bill has to be refined following the evaluation, they will do so.

“If we feel the need to refine the legislation then of course we will,” he said.

In response to the continuous debate over the new legislation, government officials have issued a report claiming that the bill will not ban any form of campaigning during elections, including unions and annual conferences.

A Cabinet Office representative said that the bill is all about “extending transparency to further give the public more confidence in the way third parties interact with the political system.”

He added that the new legislation “will ensure that we know who lobbyists lobby for and how much money is spent on third party political campaigning.”

“Where third parties campaign in a way which supports a particular political party or its candidates, they will be required to record and disclose expenditure on those campaigns.

“This bill does not include campaigning by third parties – charities, trade unions, or other organisations – that are not intended to promote the electoral success of any particular party. So a third party campaigning only on policy issues would be exempt,” he concluded.

Graham Allen, chairman of the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee, has strongly dismissed the bill: “Instead of addressing the prime minister’s promise to ‘shine the light of transparency’ on lobbying, this flawed legislation will mean we’ll all be back in a year facing another scandal. It is a dog’s breakfast.”

He added that the new legislation is “ineffective” and “ridiculous”, insisting that it lacked credibility and ”would not open up the £2 billion lobbying industry to effective scrutiny.”

Commons leader and MP Angela Eagle had also expressed her disappointment towards the badly structured reform: “It is rushed, incoherent and looks likely to make things worse not better. The proposals on lobbying are so narrow they are laughable.”

According to officials, the bill raised concerns that only lobbying organizations that list campaigning as their main activity would need to register under the new legislation.

The dispute determined Head of the Commons committee Graham Allen to organize a series of special meetings, in order to determine whether further actions is required before the bill goes through the Parliament for evaluation next month, when MPs return to Westminster.

Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith criticized the reform as an “outrageous attack on freedom of speech worthy of an authoritarian dictatorship”, while Allen hopes that their initiative would determine ministers to reconsider their plans.

Politicians discuss lobbying reform to prevent scandal

Daily Diamond - Cosmetic vending machines Benefit airports in Amercia

Food, drink and even SIM card vending machines have become fairly commonplace, but now we welcome the new generation of automated vendors: the beauty machine. Benefit Cosmetics has launched a new initiative in airports over America and they call them Glam Up And Away cosmetic vending machines.

Benefit is the brainchild of twin sisters in San Francisco who sought to solve beauty issues. The brand has evolved over the past 30 years and now with its consistent and appealing retro branding, catchy and desirable slogans and high quality products, Benefit have secured a comfortable seat for themselves in the cosmetics market.

Their new beautifying machines bring Benefit’s revered beauty solutions one step closer to us as the stations are stocked full of  Benefit’s 30 best-selling products, including POREfessional primer and They’re Real mascara. The vending machines offer both full-sized and travel-friendly cosmetics, thereby allowing customers to pick up their last minute beauty fixes before they fly out.

Jean Andre Rougeot, Benefit’s CEO, said: “High traffic airports are the next beauty battleground for prestige cosmetics brands. Benefit is grabbing first mover advantage,” and he did just that; pipping Sephora to post as the multi-brand makeup giant announced plans to open Sephora stores within airport terminals.

“Once the TSA [Transportation Security Administration] changed the rules, people started having to arrive at the airport much earlier, and they’re looking for ways to shop and have fun,” said Julie Bell, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing for Benefit. “Airports used to be these doom-and-gloom places—now I view them as the new shopping mall.”

And indeed if the idea of a beauty vending machine wasn’t novel enough, the aesthetic of the pink beauty stations are fun and fanciful too – inspired by food trucks and combined, of course, with Benefit’s signature 1960′s glamour influence; the machines do resemble an ice cream truck of sorts; or even a minivan, packed and ready to go on holiday.

The pink vending kiosks also come equipped with interactive screens that allow customers to browse through tips and tricks on using the products before they make their purchase. This interactive approach was designed to blend traditional in-store shopping with online shopping – and this is good news, not only for the customer, but for the brand too as these convenient machines will generate revenue without the overheads of regular stores.

Benefit partnered with ZoomSystems to bring about these ingenious cosmetic vendors. Jack Lawrence, the ZoomSystems President & CEO, stated, “ZoomSystems and Benefit Cosmetics are giving travelers on-the-go access to the beauty products they need and love” – and that is just what is happening in American airports including JFK, Austin and Las Vegas, with further plans to open in a total of 25 major airports across the US this Autumn.

By placing these interesting and progressive vendors in airports, Benefit hope to further raise brand awareness with a view to expanding both domestically and internationally. Although the Glam Up And Away vendors are yet to be installed in all 25 airports, the aspiration of international expansion may not be that far off as there has been a call to bring the beauty vendor to London Heathrow’s state-of-the-art Terminal 5.

The Glam Up And Away automated vendors are not only a great marketing initiative, but also a much more convenient way for those who are on-the-go to get their hands on their favorite beauty products in mere minutes.

Cosmetic vending machines Benefit airports in Amercia

Daily Diamond - New Protein discovery could be good news for asthmatics

The medical industry welcomes a new scientific breakthrough as scientists discover a new blood clotting protein that contributes to allergic asthma. The protein interacts with immune system components that already play a part in an allergy, thus reducing the risk of respiratory attacks.

According to researchers, the recent discovery could benefit the development of more efficient asthma treatments in the future.

Allergic asthma is a disease most commonly recognised through the inflammation of the respiratory tract, which leads to symptoms like difficulty in breathing, wheezing and coughing. Asthma can be triggered by many different environmental factors, such as dust, mold or animals. Immune protein TLR4 and other allergens known as proteinases are among those responsible for the reaction.

Co-author David Corry explained “asthma is part of a battle that takes place as the immune system marshals its forces to fight off an invading organism, or what mimics such invaders.”

Undergoing an experimental study, researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston induced allergic asthma reactions in mice in order to observe their behaviours when coming into contact with the proteinases found in mold. These proteinases break down a blood-clotting protein called fibrinogen, and the resulting pieces bind to activate TLR4, a receptive protein found among immune cells.

Additional tests and research conducted by study coauthor Dr. David Corry showed that the fibrinogen fragments that compose the blood clotting process can also result in clotting that creates a barrier to breathing and inflammation, thus triggering the symptoms of allergic asthma.

“We suspect asthma is a protective response against fungi in many people,” he said. “It is an aberrant response induced by extreme sensitivity to the proteinases.”

At a particular stage during the experiment, the scientific team at the Medicine College in Houston stopped the fibrinogen protein before it broke down. The result was that the little animals had a reduced reaction to proteinases present in mold.

The fact that the same reaction was observed on mice who did not have TLR4 in their bodies suggested that both proteins were part of a protective series of biological processes that were only found in certain living organisms.

According to Dr. Corry, the current findings on TLR4 represented “only half of the story”. The doctor explained that while the immune system might still be influenced by allergic reactions to proteinases, the specifics are still unknown, and further research and investigation will need to be conducted.

Stephanie Eisenbarth, a physician and immunologist at the Yale School of Medicine, said that the current scientific findings “made perfect sense”, and added “fibrinogen may be a canary in a coal mine, acting as a detector of something pathogenic that may not be detected by classic mechanisms.”

New Protein discovery could be good news for asthmatics