Fuelling the flames of the games: Golden Olympic 2012 torch unveiled that will be carried by 8,000 runners

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Golden triangle: London 2012 chairman Lord Coe holds the three-cornered torch aloft as he unveils the design today


Lord Coe forced to defend ticket allocation process

This is the golden torch that will be carried by the 8,000 runners on the London 2012 relay, it was announced today.

The Olympic Flame will burn from a curved triangular aluminium tube which has a lace-like mesh complete with 8,000 holes - one to represent each torchbearer.

The triangular shape of the torch also symbolises the three times that London has staged the Games - 1908, 1948 and 2012. This is a special feat in Olympic history.



New and old: The 2012 torch, left, contains 8,000 holes to represent every runner, and right, the 1948 versions from the last time London hosted the Games


The torch, which will carry the Olympic Flame to the London 2012 Games opening ceremony, has been created by design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said: 'The torch that carries the Olympic Flame during the Olympic Torch Relay is one of the most recognisable and significant symbols of an Olympic Games.

London 2012's Olympic torch relay will start on May 19 in Land's End and travel as far as the outer Hebrides.


Denise Lewis, who won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2000 Olympics in sydney, with London 2012 torch


An average of 110 people a day will take centre stage by carrying the Olympic Flame on its journey around the UK before it arrives at the Olympic Stadium on July 27 for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

They won a competitive tender, run by London 2012 and the Design Council, to create the torch.



They described it as 'quite simply the best project going - to design an icon for the Games'.

In a statement they said: 'We've wanted to be involved since July 2005 when we were celebrating winning the bid with the rest of the UK.

'We have worked hard to develop a torch that celebrates the relay, and reflects the passion for London and the Olympic Games.

'We wanted to make the most of pioneering production technologies and to demonstrate the industrial excellence available in the UK - it's a torch for our time.





Lord Coe and Denise Lewis at St Pancras station in London for the launch of the torch design



Visits: The 8,000 runners will carry the torch across Britain taking in these major areas during the 70-day relay


source: dailymail

Now that's got to hurt: Drunk goes tumbling head over heels down two flights of stairs... and still walks away

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Steady approach: It starts off well for dinner-suited man as he grabs the hand-rail, left, but he is soon in trouble, right, as he falls flat


Most people like to let their hair down once in a while during a big night out on the town.

But this dinner-suited reveller took things to extremes when he rolled down two flights of stairs after being thrown out of an awards ceremony.

CCTV footage of his antics has now been posted online, showing the unfortunate middle-aged man's attempt to make his way home in all its glory.


Keep on rolling: The drinker tries to use his leg as leverage in his quest to stand up, left, before regaining some composure, right, half-way down the stairs


Starting behind the Savoy Hotel in central London where he had earlier been ejected from a theatre awards ceremony hosted by Stephen Fry, the man at first grips a hand-rail as he attempts the first few steps.

But his pace quickens and he falls on his face for the first - but not the last time.

Regaining his feet on the middle section of the steps, the middle-aged drinker is quickly in trouble again, rolling head-first over the hand rail.


Pole-axed: This time the man falls in style, falling over the central rail before landing on his head, right


Ouch: It's going to be a case of a very sore head in the morning for this chap as he lands flat, and right, he heads for home, his work on the stairs done


Worryingly, the man falls directly on his head before rolling to the bottom of the steps.

However, the ill-effects of concrete to the face appear only temporary as the mystery man dusts himself down, wipes blood from his head and weaves his way home.


Drunken man falls down steps and stumbles off


source: dailymail

'It was my mom's dying wish': Man, 23, loses almost half 459lbs body weight in just a YEAR

By FIONA ROBERTS

Half the size: Alex Respess reveals his astonishing weight loss next to a cardboard cut-out showing him at his heaviest, when he weighed 459lbs


When Alex Respess's mother died after a battle with cancer, she made one last request - for her son to be happy and healthy.

And now, four years later, the 23-year-old can proudly say he fulfilled his mother's dying wish after he lost almost half his body weight in just 12 months.

He showed off his astonishing transformation on ABC's Good Morning America today, where he revealed his new 243lbs figure next to a cardboard cut-out showing him at his heaviest, 459lbs.



Before and after: Alex Respess, left, at his first weigh-in a year ago, and right, today on Good Morning America after he lost an astonishing 216lbs


The audience gasped as he held up one of his old shirts, and showed how he could now fit his whole body into one leg of a pair of shorts he wore before he shed the pounds.

Mr Respess, of Duluth, Georgia, said: 'The one thing I think [my mom] would say is she's proud of the man I've become.

'Because I'm not that kid that was overweight that she remembers - now I'm grown up.'
He added: 'Now in her memory I am happy and healthy and helping my brothers get that way too.'


Inspiration: Alex Respess pictured with his mother, Kim, who died four years ago. She told him she wanted him to be happy and healthy


Last year he was literally double the size. After a lifetime of unhealthy eating, Mr Respess, an ardent baseball fan, was too big to play, and was too mortified to go out to eat after once breaking a chair at a restaurant.

He said:' I was very introverted, I just didn't get out there, now I have the confidence to talk to anyone, to do anything.'

So, in desperation, Mr Respess wrote to personal trainer Chris Powell, who agreed to help him on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.

At the beginning Mr Respess was so big he had to be weighed on a freight-scale, and could only enter his bathroom door sideways.


Morbidly obese: At the beginning of the programme, Alex Respess was 459lbs, and had to be weighed using a pair of freight scales


First he travelled to Los Angeles, where he began his training - and learned how to make a healthier turkey version of his favourite bacon cheeseburger.

For the next 90 days Mr Powell lived with Mr Respess at his Duluth home, staying with him for 24 hours a day to help him meet his initial target, of losing 100lbs in just three months.

At his first weigh-in, he missed his goal - and the prize of a season ticket to his favourite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves - by just three pounds.


Astonishing transformation: Alex Respess demonstrates how he can fit inside one leg of his old shorts, left, and disappears behind an old shirt, right


Strict regime: Alex Respess meets Chris Powell, who spent the last year training him. Mr Powell even moved into his Georgia house for three months


But after Mr Powell moved out Mr Respess began to struggle, and worked out less and less. He said it gave him too much time to think about his mother's death, and he was angry about his father's impending marriage to his new fiancée.

The turning point came three days after the wedding, when Mr Powell took Mr Respess to an Army base in Georgia for a 24-hour boot camp.

He said the encouragement from the other soldiers as he trained alongside them spurred him on, and he went away with a coin to symbolise his goal: 'Get to it and fulfill your mission!'


Desperate measures: Alex Respess even let the Army shave his hair off so he could attend a 24-hour boot camp. He described it as a turning point


By January, he had lost a whopping 195lbs, and was able to undergo skin removal surgery to complete the transformation.

The end of the programme shows Mr Respess attending a ceremony with all his family and friends at a baseball field where he used to play little league - the last time he thought he made his mother proud.

He officially renamed a corner of the field Kim's Corner in her honour, and as he celebrated his 216lbs weight loss said: 'That number means a new life.'







sourc: dailymail

We're up here: Looking like ants in a giant rock garden, intrepid climbers become the first to scale uncharted 1,000ft structures in a land that time

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Making history: Two of the climbers ascend the 'Wine Bottle' rock for the first time in Chad's remote Ennedi desert after travelling hundreds of miles across desert


If you blinked, you might miss these two intrepid climbers, looking like ants in a giant rock garden.

But they made history by being the first mountaineers to ascend an awesome formation in a remote part of Chad.

Untouched by humans, this is the stunning desert home to the stacks, arches and 1,000 feet walls of rock that dominate the Ennedi Plateau - long regarded as the holy grail of the climbing community.

'It's fair to say we were like kids in a candy store', said climber and photographer Jimmy Chin. 'This was like finding a new continent for climbers, literally. I was stunned at the rugged nature of the landscape.'


Climbing: James Pearson is seen making the first ascent of the 'Citadel' formation in the Ennedi desert in Chad


He travelled last December with a crack team from his home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to the 20,000 square miles of virgin African climbing territory in central Chad that are reminiscent of Utah's Monument Valley.

Equipped with three trucks and provisions for three weeks, Jimmy, 38, and his team slept in the desert and braved armed bandits - just so they could make each climb there the first.

After flying 8,000 miles to the country, the team spent four days driving hundreds of miles across the desert on dirt roads to reach the remote and almost inaccessible Ennedi Plateau.

Occasionally, they would cross paths with nomadic camel troupes.


Is it much further? James Pearson climbing the Arch of Bishekele with the backdrop of the stunning Ennedi desert


'There was some element of a long shot about this, but you know if you go on a trip with Mark it is going to be difficult, it is going to pose problems, it is going to question you as a climber.'

Likening the journey into the wastelands of the plateau as like travelling back in time, Jimmy and the team came across the local people who spent their days hiding from the 38-degree heat in straw huts.

'Even in December the temperature was extreme,' said Jimmy. 'In summer the thermometer can exceed 47 degrees. '

Able to support themselves with petrol, food and shelter the adventurers were stunned when the open expanse of the desert exploded into the land that time forgot.

'Visually it was just like the canyon lands of Utah,' explained Jimmy.


Swinging time: An awesome shot of Alex Honnold and James Pearson rappelling off the Arch of Bishekele after climbing to the top


'We saw arches, stacks and walls that we knew had never been ascended before. This was a dream scenario, there was unlimited potential there.

'You are talking about 200ft high stacks, 1,000ft high walls, all there ready to be climbed.'

Faced with an enormous amount of choice, Jimmy and his team approached the Ennedi methodically. 'We decided to climb the 12 most impressive features we could see in the three weeks we had.

'We climbed the fabled Aloba Arch, which at 700ft tall and 300ft wide is the tallest free standing arch in the world.'

In the middle of their ground-breaking tour, the team faced off against possibly their greatest challenge - bandits.


Ready to rock: Crack climber Mark Synnott racking up gear for the ascent in the Ennedi desert which is located in a remote North African region of Chad


Jimmy said: 'At one point after a climb, all of us but James were confronted by a gang of four armed with ten-inch daggers.They were trying to edge us away from our cars, which were still some distance away.

'They were gesturing for our cameras and equipment, dressed in head scarves and they were extremely aggressive. James appeared on the scene off the side of one of the rock formations and I indicated to him to run back to the cars.

'I managed to document over 5,000 photographs during my time there and it was one of the pleasures of my life to be the first to explore such pristine and virgin climbing routes.'



Base camp: One of the climbing team gazes at the stars during the four-day drive across the desert to the Ennedi Plateau in Chad

source: dailymail

When all hell breaks loose: Lightning tears the sky apart above the glow of the Chilean volcano

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Spectacular: A time-lapse photo shows lightning bolts striking around the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain in Patagonia


Flames reach up to the heavens as lightening flashes criss-cross the sky.

These extraordinary images show the full force of Mother Nature as a Chilean volcano erupts for the first time in 50 years.

Ash has been thrown six miles up into the sky and the South American government has ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents.

Winds fanned the ash toward neighbouring Argentina, darkening the sky in the ski resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche, in the centre of the country, and its airport has also been closed.



Nature's force: Lightning and volcanic fire is seen amid and underneath a towering cloud of ash. Puyehue volcano erupted for the first time in half a century on June 4


Incredible lighting bolts strike around the plume of volcanic ash and smoke


The dramatic scenes above the volcano makes an incredible cloud formation as smoke rises several miles into the air


The eruption in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain, about 575 miles south of the capital, Santiago, also prompted authorities to close a busy border crossing into Argentina.

It was not immediately clear which of the chain's four volcanoes had erupted because of ash cover and weather conditions. The chain last saw a major eruption in 1960.
Local media said the smell of sulphur hung in the air and there was constant seismic activity.

'The Cordon Caulle (volcanic range) has entered an eruptive process, with an explosion resulting in a 10-kilometre-high gas column,' the state emergency office ONEMI said.


Above cloud level the plume looks like a nuclear bomb has just exploded with its mushroom cloud bursting towards the skies


As a precaution, the government said it was evacuating 3,500 people from the surrounding area.

This development is the latest volcanic activity to affect the country. Three years ago, Chile's Chaiten volcano erupted spectacularly for the first time in thousands of years, spewing molten rock and a vast cloud of ash that reached the stratosphere and was visible from space.

It also drifted over neighbouring Argentina, coating towns. Chile's Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, also erupted that year and again in 2009.

Chile's chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.


The ash makes driving hazardous as it creates a thick layer on people's cars



One could be forgiven for thinking this was a wintry scene covered in snow, but in fact it is all ash


It was the latest in a series of volcanic eruptions in Chile in recent years.

Chile's Chaiten volcano erupted spectacularly in 2008 for the first time in thousands of years, spewing molten rock and a vast cloud of ash that reached the stratosphere.

The ash also swelled a nearby river and ravaged a nearby town of the same name.
The ash cloud from Chaiten coated towns in Argentina and was visible from space.

Chile's Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, erupted in 2008 and 2009.

Chile's chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.


Caught in the sunlight: Beautiful but deadly, the toxic cloud turns fiery red in the sunshine as the eruption continues to belch ash skyward


Smiling lightning: As molten rock and gases are ejected from the core of the volcano below, what appears to be a 'have a nice day' face is formed from the electrically charged air


Protection: One man wears a gas mask to avoid breathing in ash


As darkness falls the centre of the Argentinian town looks like it could be a wintry wonderland in the Austrian mountains



A car drives through a street covered by ash from Chile's Puyehue volcano - 100 miles to the west - in the Argentine resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche


PUYEHUE VOLCANO - Threat To Thousands From Chilean Volcano


source: dailymail

Armchair astronaut discovers Mars 'space station' using Google earth

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Uncovered: David Martines believes he has found a structure on the surface of Mars - by looking at Google Mars


We have all heard of little green men from Mars.

But now an American 'armchair astronaut' claims to have discovered a mysterious structure on the surface of the red planet - by looking on Google earth.

David Martines, whose YouTube video of the 'station' has racked up over 200,000 hits so far, claims to have randomly uncovered the picture while scanning the surface of the planet one day.


The white dot in the centre of the screen has set the blogosphere alight with rumours of a secret base


Describing the 'structure' as a living quarters with red and blue stripes on it, to the untrained eye it looks nothing more than a white splodge on an otherwise unblemished red landscape.

He even lists the co-ordinates 49'19.73"N 29 33'06.53"W so others can go see the anomaly for themselves.

In a pre recorded 'fly by' video of the object, Mr Martines describes what he thinks the station might be.

He said: 'This is a video of something I discovered on Google Mars quite by accident.

'I call it Bio-station Alpha, because I'm just assuming that something lives in it or has lived in it.


NASA and Google have both yet to respond to the 'finding', circled here


'It's very unusual in that it's quite large, it's over 700 feet long and 150 feet wide, it looks like it's a cylinder or made up of cylinders.

'It could be a power station or it could be a biological containment or it could be a glorified garage - hope it's not a weapon.

'Whoever put it up there had a purpose I'm sure. I couldn't imagine what the purpose was. I couldn't imagine why anybody would want to live on Mars.

'It could be a way station for weary space travellers. It could also belong to NASA, I don't know that they would admit that.

'I don't know if they could pull off such a project without all the people seeing all the material going up there. I sort of doubt NASA has anything to do with this.
'I don't know if NASA even knows about this.'


The infamous 'Face on Mars' image from 1976 caused a huge stir when it was released


The 'discovery' is similar to that of the infamous 'face on Mars'

Uncovered by the Viking 1 probe in 1976, a quirk of geography threw shadows over a small hill on the Cydonia region of Mars, making the inanimate rock look like a carved face.

The picture was heralded as proof of an alien civilisation by some but was dismissed as a mere trick of the light by scientists at NASA.

MailOnline has tried to contact both NASA and Goggle for a response to the image, but neither has replied.


Bio Station Alpha on Mars. The latest discovery by David Martines. Original Video


Interview with David Martines, the creator of the Utube video Bio Station Alpha.



source: dailymail

Surf's pup dude! The amazing dogs who take to the waves like ducks to water

By RICHARD HARTLEY-PARKINSON

Bedraggled: Dogs from across the US flock to the beach to take part in the event


Hundreds of people took to a beach in the US over the weekend to cheer on a dog race of a different kind.

Rather than going for 'walkies' these incredible canines enjoy going for 'surfies' as they take part in the sixth annual Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf Dog competition.

More than 60 dogs from across the country took part in the competition where they had 10 minutes to catch two decent waves.


The competition is in its sixth year at the Loews Coronado Bay resort


Taking a tumble: One unfortunate pooch goes for an early bath after falling off his board


They were then judged on their confidence level, length of ride and overall ability to 'grip it and rip it'. The winners then get the ultimate holiday at the resort along with exclusive bragging rights to being the best dog surfer.

There are three categories for small dogs, large dogs and tandem dogs. The most decorated dog was Abbie Girl, an Australian Kelpie, which won the small dog category and came third in the tandems section.

Money from the event goest to donorschoose.org where school teachers in San Diego can post classroom needs and request and receive funding for school supplies from private sponsors.


Despite its size, this young dog manages to keep control of its oversized surfboard


Champion: Happy with his days work, this dog sits on the beach enjoying the sun and all the attention


Three's not a crowd on this surfboard while another dog rests on its owners shoulders before heading into the water to catch more waves


Dogs and their owners competed in the annual Surf Dog Competition at the weekend


Surf dog Ricochet - Loews Coronado Bay Resort Surf competition


Dogs take to the waves for Californian surfing competition



source: dailymail

Rehabilitated Royals: After THAT wedding fashion debacle, Beatrice and Eugenie pick winners at Epsom

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Picked winners: The Princesses of York, Eugenie (L) and Beatrice (R) stood out for the right reasons at Epsom


The Queen's horse may not have taken first place at Epsom but her nieces Beatrice and Eugenie certainly picked winners on Derby day.

Following the infamous 'Pretzel-gate' fascinator debacle at the Royal Wedding, the two young Princesses turned heads for all the right reasons on a day when everyone was dressed to the nines.

Kate - as expected - dazzled in a collarless off-white jacket over a diaphanous white frock which showcased long legs shod in this season’s nude platform shoes.


Hold on to that hat! Eugenie keeps a careful hand on the brim of her headware


On her head she wore a Forties-style cappuccino-coloured hat with her hair rolled tightly to the nape of her neck.

But there was no repeat of the wedding fiasco for Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, who looked chic and summery in their outfits on the Royal Balcony.

Eugenie wore a classic-looking white dress with black polka dots, topped off with a wide-brimmed white hat with black rim.


Hats better! The girls looked radiant in their milinery


Concentrate: The Princesses join their father Prince Andrew in the Royal box


Beatrice opted for an eye-catching floral-print dress with a white rose-style fascinator.

This big day in the sport of Kings has been historically unlucky for the Queen and once again she had to be satisfied with third place as her much-fancied colt Carlton House couldn't quite come up to the big occasion.

But the classic flat race, one of the highlights of the equestrian calendar, proved to be a joyous family day out and the biggest gathering of the Royal Family since the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.


Fashion faux pas: The Princesses were roundly criticised for their Royal Wedding outfits

source: dailymail