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

Daily Diamond - Cancun - The best of both worlds

Unlike any other city in Mexico, Cancun truly offers the best of both worlds. No other city can claim the unique distinction of being a glamorous, modern resort destination right in the middle of the ancient Mayan kingdom and vibrant nature of the Yucatan Peninsula. With ease, you can explore the ancient Mayan ruins or nature preserves during the day and enjoy world class shopping and dining in the evening. The following is a sample itinerary for a day in Cancun, incorporating both the city’s rich history and luxurious modern offerings. As we have skipped the beaches, the water sports and numerous other activities for this itinerary, it must be said that these options only scratch the surface of what Cancun has to offer.

A great way to start a day in Cancun is with a trip to the historic Ruinas de Coba. Between 400 and 1100 A.D., this sprawling Mayan city boasted a population of over 100,000. Though Coba is known to have been a center of commerce in the Mayan Kingdom, much of city’s history, including its eventual fall, remain shrouded in mystery. Located between the equally entrancing sites of Chichen Itza and Tulum, Coba offers the most tropical experience of any Mayan site.

Tours of the ruins are available through many of the major resorts and generally disembark from the Hotel Zone early in the morning. As you arrive you might see spider monkeys frolicking on the steps of the pyramids and tropical birds drifting overhead. You can ride a bicycle along the paths of this massive city or climb the Nohoch Mul, the tallest pyramid in the Mayan kingdom, for a breathtaking view of the adjacent lakes and surrounding forest. With more than 6,500 total structures, most dating between 500 and 900 A.D, there is certainly plenty to explore.

Another great activity just outside of Cancun is the picturesque Isla Contoy. Beyond serving as the Yucatan Peninsula’s most valuable ornithological preserve, this small island is also one of Mexico’s most pristine national parks. Located off the eastern-most point of the Yucatan Peninsula, the prevailing currents support incredible marine life and the preservation of coral reefs. To maintain the island’s diverse ecosystem, only 200 visitors are allowed at the site each day. As a result, the four-hour tours offered by official guides are known for their intimacy and wealth of information.

In addition to bird watching and simple enjoyment of tropical splendor, visitors can view a number of exhibits about the area’s plant and animal life in the visitor center. To conclude your visit to Isla Contoy, climb the visitor center’s open-air observation tower for a magnificent view of the park and an always-pleasant sea breeze.

When you return to the city, it should be time to shop. With a number of shopping centers containing all of the world’s finest retailers, you will find everything you are looking for at prices below similar stores in the U.S. The Plaza Caracol, the largest of these shopping centers, houses over 200 boutiques and galleries with everything from the finest European fashion to unique local art and jewelry. After browsing the racks at Ralph Lauren and Gucci, you can even settle down in one of the complex’s many elegant cafes.

Cancun’s most luxurious shopping center is probably the 500,000 square-foot Plaza Kukulkán. In addition to all types of great local products, all the best stores like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo and Rolex are located within these walls. The plaza even features a scuba diving center where shoppers can hop in water for a lesson or two. When you are finally ready to unwind after your exciting day in Cancun, there are also plenty of great restaurants and bars in this area.

Sit back, relax and plan the next day’s adventures.

Cancun - The best of both worlds

Daily Diamond - Over 9% rise in children finding a loving home

The annual rates of adoptions in England and Wales have rose by almost 10 per cent between 2011 and 2012, new figures from the Office for National Statistics  have confirmed.

The increase represents the highest annual rate of adoption since figures started being compiled fifteen years ago. The statistics show that approximately 5,200 children have found a loving home during 2012, which indicates a 9.8 percent rise from the previous year.

Priority in adoption has been given to toddlers. Almost 3,200 of the children that have been adopted were aged between one and four, the highest number recorded for this age group over the past four decades. Comparatively, the number of children aged from 10 to 14 adopted last year went as low as 434, and was the lowest figure registered since 1976.

Newborns have not been so fortunate either. Only 113 babies up to twelve months have been offered a family, but that still represented an improvement since the previous year, when the number of adoptions among newborns was 76.

The Office for National Statistics acknowledged that it was extremely likely “the increased number of adoptions in 2012 could be a consequence of the recent drive to improve the adoptions process in England and in Wales.”

An Action Plan for Adoption has been released in March 2012, which stated that local authorities should speed up their process of putting children on the register for prospective parents, and reduce the waiting time for adoption to six months.

In May 2012, the Government said they would offer each local authority a score card which would rate the effectiveness and professionalism they demonstrate in each adoption case.

The Department for Education has been working closely with adoption agencies, whom they urged to refer prospective adopters to the Adoption Register within three months of approval.  The DfE had also worked towards a faster approval rate, as a measure to speed up the adoption process.

The decision followed a report published last year in which the DfE announced they were “determined to see more children considered for adoption, particularly those that were previously overlooked.”

In a recent interview, Hugh Thornbery, chief executive of the Adoption UK charity, highlighted the positive outcomes of an adoption: “It is encouraging the number of adoption orders increased in 2012. Adoption offers positive outcomes for children from the care system, providing them with a permanent family that many of them might not have if they remained in the care system.”

He insisted that continuous support needed to be provided to each new prospective parent: “We need to remain committed to recruiting more adoptive parents, but it is important to remember that any focus on recruiting adopters must go hand-in-hand with good support packages, both to encourage new adopters and ensure the long-term success of adoptive placements.”

According to a spokeswoman, the Department for Education welcomes “any rise in the rate of adoption. In England, too many children are waiting too long for loving, stable families- especially those children whom we know can be hardest to place.”

“We are overhauling the system – simplifying the process for parents who want to adopt and giving them clear, independent information about adopting in one place,” she added. “We have also been clear that we expect councils to recruit more adopters and provide children with loving homes swiftly.”

 

Over 9% rise in children finding a loving home

Daily Diamond - Nintendo Announces 2DS

Japanese electronics company Nintendo has recently announced the launch of Nintendo 2DS, a dedicated portable gaming system that plays all Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS games in 2D.

Nintendo 2DS is the newest member of the Nintendo 3DS family, and it is specifically targeted at enthusiastic game players searching for a more reasonably priced entry point into the world of Nintendo hand-held video games.

Reggie Fils-Aime, chief executive of Nintendo in the United States, has fervently described the new gaming console as “one of the strongest and most diverse video game lineups in our history”.

“Today we’re making those unique Nintendo experiences more accessible and affordable. However you play, and whatever you play, Nintendo has you covered,” he added.

A more comprehensive description has been published on the company’s official website: ” Nintendo 2DS maintains many of the same hardware features as Nintendo 3DS: dual screens, game-play controls and touch-screen features.”

“The system also has backward compatibility with the existing library of more than 2,000 Nintendo DS games, as well as access to wireless connectivity features like multiplayer online game play, fun Nintendo Video content and great digitally delivered games in the Nintendo eShop.”

Nintendo 2DS runs the whole catalogue of ready-made and downloadable video games for Nintendo 3DS but in 2D. The system features an unique set, slate-type form factor, for which additional carrying cases will be available in Red or Blue at launch.

Gamers keen to try out the new system will have the opportunity starting with October, when Nintendo 2DS joins a sampling tour in association with Simon Malls, during which it will visit many different marketplaces before it wraps up on November 3rd. Additional information about the tour can be found on their official website.

Nintendo 2DS is due out for launch on October 12th, date which coincides with the official release of Pokemon X and Y. DS2 will be available for $130.

Nintendo Announces 2DS

Daily Diamond - Hope for New Ovarian Cancer Screening

A new screening programme for ovarian cancer might soon be implemented in the United Kingdom as scientists in the United States have successfully undergone a methodical research at the University of Texas, on a new way of detecting the disease.

According to the Journal Cancer, the medical trial of over four thousand women who have gone through the proposed method, has showed positive results, thus making it possible to be approved and carried through in the UK in the next few years.

The identifying method is currently subject to a test from the British government, due for results in 2015.

Every year in the United Kingdom, approximately 4,500 women die of ovarian cancer. Detecting the disease in its early stages, when it is most responsive to an efficient treatment, is, however, extremely difficult. Tumors in the ovaries are particularly hard to detect in an inception stage, thus making it practically impossible for patients to be treated on time.

Due to the significantly misleading results coming from the blood tests used in the United Kingdom for the detection of ovarian cancer, no National Screening Programme is currently performed.

During the comprehensive study carried out at the University of Texas and the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston, ten women have undergone surgery based on an ultrasound scan, and the types of cancer detected were in a relatively early stage.

The outstanding research demonstrated it was possible to diagnose a patient with an ovarian tumor correctly, through a screening strategy of blood tests and ultrasound examinations.

Researcher Dr Karen Lu, leader of the medical experiment, declared that the “clinical practice definitely should not change from our study, but it gives us an insight – we didn’t get a lot of false positives.”

Dr Lu added “the results from our study are not practice-changing at this time; however, our findings suggest that using a longitudinal screening strategy may be beneficial in post-menopausal women with an average risk of developing ovarian cancer.”

“We are currently waiting for the results of a larger, randomised study currently being conducted in the United Kingdom that uses the same Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm in a similar population of women. If the results of this study are also positive, then this will result in a change in practice,” she concluded.

Ovarian cancer is most commonly detected through symptoms like pelvic and abdominal pain, and persistent bloating, which are often mistaken as symptoms of other less significant conditions, thus preventing a severe form of cancer from being efficiently and timely treated.

In comparison with the early stages of the disease, when approximately 90 per cent of the patients are completely cured, a late diagnosis leads to a survival rate of as low as 30 per cent.

Dr Annwen Jones, chief executive of the Target Ovarian Cancer organization, has further supported the statements: “The results of this study are without doubt very positive, and we should take hope from that. Early detection of ovarian cancer will be the key to transforming survival rates. However, this study is very small, and there is no guarantee that the results will be replicated on a larger scale.”

Hope for New Ovarian Cancer Screening

Daily Diamond - UK Government, Search Engines and Social Networks Combat Internet Abuse

As the number of victims of online abuse escalated in the past few months, Internet providers have recently decided upon taking strong measures against online harassment.

Even though social networks such as Twitter and Facebook have been linked to cases of online abuse in the past, with a particular increase in the last four years, it had not been until recently that both websites along with search engines including Microsoft, Google and Yahoo, have taken serious action.

The series of measures implemented by online platforms come as an outcome of the recent cases of sexual harassment and child abuse warnings issued by Twitter and Microsoft Bing, and in response to the government’s decision to filter the Internet search engines.

The decision was made after Prime Minister David Cameron declared he would enforce new laws on Internet providers should they fail to restrict access to illegal material.

In a recent press conference, Cameron highlighted the importance of blocking certain abusive terms, which can link to a high number of sources of child abuse images, particularly when used in Search Engine Optimized systems.

“There are some searches which are so abhorrent and where there can be no doubt whatsoever about the sick and malevolent intent of the searcher,” said the Prime Minister. He insisted that these companies should put more effort into fighting Internet abuse.

An immediate measure was taken by Microsoft, who introduced a child abuse warning in their Bing search engine. The pop-up facility, which is the first of the kind in the United Kingdom, warns users against their search for illegal images, and provides useful links to counselling services for those who have developed an online addiction.

In an official statement, Microsoft declared that it remains “a strong proponent of proactive action by the technology industry in the fight against child exploitation. The Bing Notification Platform is just one way Microsoft is working to tackle the scourge of online child abuse content.”

A Microsoft spokesman added “this is in addition to Microsoft’s existing and longstanding policy of removing any verified links to illegal content of this sort from Bing as quickly as possible.”

Andy Baker, deputy chief executive at Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP), agreed that the Bing notification was the first step towards restricting access to illegal content, and also admitted that Microsoft’s initiative has not solved the problem completely: “This is a positive step in the right direction to deterring potential offenders from accessing indecent images of children on the internet. While the Bing project isn’t the whole solution, I hope it goes some way to making those curious about searching for indecent images think again.”

It has been confirmed that both Google and Yahoo are planning on taking similar action against online child abuse. A spokesperson for Yahoo confirmed that the company has “a zero tolerance policy when it comes to child abuse images online,” and added that their “governance and safety teams work hand-in-hand with the product, engineering, and customer care teams to remove these illegal images.”

While Google does not plan to install the same notification feature on its search engine, it insisted that it will continue to report abusive and illegal content: “We use purpose-built technology and work with child safety organisations to find, remove and report it because we never want this material to appear in our search results,” a company representative declared.

Twitter is known to have received the highest number of requests for restricting their online abuse after feminist campaigner Caroline Criado Perez has recently received an alarming number of threatening tweets. Ms Perez became a target of social networking abuse after she successfully campaigned for a woman personality’s face to be featured on the new £10 bank note, receiving nearly 50 abusive tweets every hour.

She reported them to the Metropolitan Police, who detained a 21-year-old man in Manchester, on suspicion of Internet abuse offences. He was arrested and later released on bail.

After receiving a record number of complaints from feminist campaigners, and being the subject of an online petition which gathered over twelve thousands signatures, Twitter ensured that a report abuse button would be available on each of their tweet updates.

A Twitter spokesperson noted “the ability to report individual tweets for abuse is currently available on Twitter for iPhone, and we plan to bring this functionality to other platforms, including Android and the web.”  He confirmed that Twitter will immediately suspend the accounts that are found to be in breach of their terms and conditions and that each user is strongly encouraged to report any unusual behaviour on their social network by simply filling a report form.

Although the newly implemented measures are thought to be highly effective upon Internet companies and Social Networking websites, it is also widely known that the issue of social networking crime was relatively minor a few years ago, with only 550 reports being made in 2008, a number that has escalated to almost 5,000 in 2012. It is of  tremendous importance, therefore, that Internet providers continue to put their best efforts in protecting their users from online harassment.

UK Government, Search Engines and Social Networks Combat Internet Abuse

Daily Diamond - Daily Diamond - Officially launched

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the Daily Diamond! We’re a new media publication aimed at providing positive, unbiased news in contrast to the doom and gloom of the mainstream media.

It’s been a long journey getting to this point and we have lots of news to share with you over the coming days, months and years.

We hope you enjoy the site and if you any questions or a story you might interest us, please e-mail at hello@daily-diamond.com

Also it would be great if you could share us with your friends, we’re on most social media networks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DailyDiamondNews

Twitter: https://twitter.com/

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Are just a few

We hope you enjoy reading

 

Daily Diamond - Officially launched

Victorias Secret Opens First Stores outside London

Luxury lingerie label Victoria’s Secret is set to open new stores outside London, in Northern England, this month.

The American label, famous for their alluring Angels and the exquisite lingerie pieces they model on the catwalks every season, has recently opened doors to a new store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre on Thursday, August 8, with further store openings set to take place later this month in Sheffield and Leeds.

The news has sparked an immense enthusiasm in both customers and organizational teams. Caroline Aikman, Marketing Manager at the Trafford Centre expressed her high expectations towards the opening of such a successful and influential lingerie shop, and detailed the extraordinary experience customers would have in store.

“As the world’s most successful lingerie chain, we expect fashionistas from across the region to be beating a path to Victoria’s Secret, keen on their high-end garments and the luxury shopping experience they offer,” she said.

According to Ms Aikman, Victoria’s Secret’s PINK! line will also be available to younger customers in the store.

“Teenage shoppers will be introduced to the brand via the PINK! store, aimed at a slightly younger customer.”

The manager confessed that both Victoria’s Secret and PINK! departments will “add a whole new dimension to our ladies’ apparel, and join the likes of Boux Avenue and La Senza at the top of Manchester’s shopping list.”

Occupying a space of over 1,100 square feet, the newly-opened branch in Trafford Centre features most of the brand’s best-selling collections, including Very Sexy, Body by Victoria, Dream Angels and Bombshell.

Dedicated customers will also be delighted to find an extensive range of luxury fragrances and body care products, from the iconic lines launched by the American brand throughout the years: Victoria’s Secret Angel, Victoria, VS Fantasies, Dream Angels Heavenly and Bombshell.

With over 1,000 branches only in the United States, Victoria’s Secret will also debut its highly adored garments in Leeds, on August 29th.

Last year, the luxurious lingerie brand opened its first UK flagship store in London, on Bond Street, followed by a smaller branch in Westfield Stratford.

Victorias Secret Opens First Stores outside London