Explorers accidentally find a graveyard of more than 40 perfectly preserved ancient shipwrecks at the bottom of the Black Sea

In the depths of the Black Sea lies a landscape of complete darkness, where there is no light and no oxygen.

Archaeologists have long believed this 'dead zone' holds of a perfectly preserved graveyard of shipwrecks.

Now, a mapping expedition has proved them right, after accidentally uncovering more than 40 ancient shipwrecks from the Ottoman and Byzantine periods.  

More than 40 shipwrecks have been discovered from the Ottoman and Byzantine periods, many of which provide the first views of ship types known from historical sources. Pictured is a shipwreck from the Ottoman period

BLACK SEA'S 'DEAD ZONE'

With no light and no oxygen in the Black Sea's lower, anoxic layer, no life can survive.

This means the environment cannot support the organisms that typically feast on organic materials, such as wood and flesh.

As a result, there is an extraordinary opportunity for preservation, including shipwrecks and the cargoes they carried.

The expedition has been scouring the waters 5,900ft (1,800 metres) below the surface of the Black Sea using an off-shore vessel equipped with some of the most advanced underwater equipment in the world.

The vessel is on an expedition mapping submerged ancient landscapes which were inundated with water following the last Ice Age.

The project, known Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project (Black Sea MAP), involves an international team led by the University of Southampton's Centre for Maritime Archaeology.

Professor Jon Adams, principle investigator on the project, said: 'We're endeavouring to answer some hotly-debated questions about when the water level rose, how rapidly it did so and what effects it had on human populations living along this stretch of the Bulgarian coast of the Black Sea. 

'The primary focus of this project is to carry out geophysical surveys to detect former land surfaces buried below the current sea bed, take core samples and characterise and date them, and create a palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of Black Sea prehistory.'

5-week-old baby girl dies in Queens; parents found her unconscious in middle of night

A Queens couple woke up to a parent’s worst nightmare early Monday when they found their 5-week-old baby girl unconscious and unresponsive in their bed, police said.

The parents called police after they discovered little Sophia Garcia wasn’t breathing in their Queens Village home on 99th Ave. near Springfield Blvd. at about 3:55 a.m., officials said.

Emergency responders rushed Sophia to Long Island Jewish Hospital, but doctors were unable to save her.

The Medical Examiner will determine what caused her tragic death.

A preliminary police investigation found no history of domestic violence or calls for the Administration for Children’s Services to the family’s home, cop sources said.

Britney Spears suffers wardrobe malfunction during concert in Las Vegas (video)

Britney Spears' latest concert almost turned toxic after she suffered a wardrobe malfunction onstage.

The pop icon was forced to hold her bra in place after one of the top straps came undone midway through her performance in Las Vegas on Sunday.

A backup dancer rushed up behind the "Toxic" singer and attempted to refasten the garment as she performed a cover of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," but the strap broke loose once again moments after Spears walked away.

Another dancer then joined the first and tried to fix the broken lingerie as Spears, 34, continued to sing and dance in place.

The strap came undone one more time shortly after while Spears' began her hit "Gimme More." One of her male dancers ultimately just lent his button-down shirt, which she put on mid-song.

President Obama Threw A White House Party With Common, De La Soul & Mobb Deep

With the White House at his disposal for the next couple of months until Hillary Clinton takes over as the upcoming presidential election will decide the next occupants, President Barack Obama is ensuring he goes out with a bang after eight years in office as commander-in-chief.

And apparently, that means throwing parties of epic proportions with all his Hip Hop friends.

Last night at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, several celebrities packed the halls of the White House for BET’s Love and Happiness: A Musical Experience, which would serve as the grand finale for concerts during Obama’s tenure. According to ABC News, The “no-phone policy” was in full effect, just like previous shindigs as guests had to pass through three security checkpoints and surrender their cellphones to brown paper bags until the end of the night.

Scottie Pippen Divorcing His Wife Of 19 Years Over Future?

Ballers and rappers mix and align in various qualities but in the case of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, he may want to avoid the Hip Hop scene for a bit as it’s being written as fact that his soon-to-be-ex-wife, Larsa (née Younan) got a little too close to the Future Hive and she fully realized what a time it was to be alive.

TMZ claims that over the past couple of months, Larsa, 42, had been a VIP passenger on Future’s private jet (including impromptu trips to Vegas among other cities) and was spotted at Miami’s Komodo nightclub with the superstar rapper in a scenario that wasn’t ideal for a married woman.

Is This Real Footage of a Dragon in China?

A YouTuber has posted eerie footage of what appears to be a dragon flying through the air in China. The unidentified winged creature resembles the fire-breathing menace of legend to an unsettling degree, but many skeptics have been quick to discredit the footage.

In the clip, the “dragon” can be seen looming large against a cloudy backdrop as it flaps its large, leathery wings and flicks its long tail. ApexTV, the YouTube channel that uploaded the footage, claims that it was obtained by “a man in China near the border of Laos.”

The video only lasts thirty seconds and does not show the mysterious creature doing anything other than simply flying.

Naysayers believe that the video is the product of deceptive editing, especially given the lack of contextual information. Users have pointed out that the dragon looks too detailed and sharp in relation to the grainy footage of the clouds around it.

The footage has also sparked a number of conspiracy theories. One of them claims that the dragon is actually a mechanical creation that represents a group of scientists and engineers trying to artificially replicate the aerodynamics of bird flight.

Yet others simply want to believe that there is still magic and mystery in the world, and have pointed out that China – known as the Land of the Red Dragon – is the perfect place for such a sighting.

What do you think: fact or fiction?

Billionaire Virgin boss Richard Branson recounts a vindictive Trump at 'bizarre' lunch meeting in Manhattan where The Donald vowed to 'destroy' the lives of five people who 'refused to help him'

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson published a blog post recalling his 'bizarre' one-on-one meeting with Donald Trump at his Manhattan apartment a few years ago.

Branson wrote that the Republican presidential nominee invited him to lunch and because the two had not met one-on-one before, Branson accepted. 

In the blog post Branson published Friday, he recounts Trump speaking of vengeance on a number of people.

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson (pictured) published a blog post recalling his 'bizarre' one-on-one meeting with Donald Trump at his Manhattan apartment a few years ago

Branson wrote that Donald Trump (center next to Melania in 2002) invited him to lunch and because the two had not met one-on-one before, Branson accepted. In the blog post Branson (right) recounts Trump speaking of vengeance on a number of people

The billionaire wrote: 'He began telling me about how he had asked a number of people for help after his latest bankruptcy and how five of them were unwilling to help. 

'He told me he was going to spend the rest of his life destroying these five people.'

Branson wrote that Trump 'didn't speak about anything else', which he said, he found 'very bizarre'.

50 Cent's baby mama, Shaniqua Tompkins blasts him, claims he abused her, posts domestic violence report

50 Cent and the mother of his first child, Shaniqua Tompkins have had a very public and very bitter feud going on for years after they broke up. The mother of the rapper’s oldest son Marquise Jackson put him on blast on Instagram by sharing a domestic violence report from an altercation she had with 50 Cent in May 2008. She also shared proof of the home she sold, after 50 Cent claimed 2 days ago, that the home had been foreclosed on, after he shared a newspaper clipping with the address of the home. Read what she wrote and the evidence after the cut..

Police foil London Underground bomb plot: 'viable improvised explosive device' is found on a train - with 'further attacks planned'

 

A 'viable device' found on a London Underground train was part of a larger plot to attack the transport network, it is believed. 

The suspicious package was found on a London Underground train on Thursday. Bomb disposal experts soon carried out a controlled explosion and the remains were taken away for forensic examination. 

Then yesterday, armed police swooped in and arrested a 19-year-old man in North London  after Tasering him as he walked along a street. 

The teenager was detained under the Terrorism Act at 12.20pm in Holloway, North London, one day after the item was detonated in a controlled explosion at North Greenwich station.

And the Ministry Of Defence warned its staff in a memo that the culprit could have planted more devices, according to The Telegraph.

It said: 'This increase is in response to the discovery of a suspected viable improvised explosive device (IED) on a London Underground train.

'It is unknown who placed the device and what their motivation was. Therefore it remains possible that the perpetrator may attempt to place further devices. The threat level will continue to be reviewed as further information is received.'

Witnesses described how officers shouted 'armed police, don't struggle´ as they arrested the white bearded man wearing a hoodie, jacket, jeans and trainers.

Security has been ramped up on London's public transport network since with more officers, including armed police, on patrol at travel hubs and high-visibility patrols. 

On Thursday, passengers were evacuated from the station near The O2 Arena in East London as alarm bells rang and a huge section of the Jubilee line was suspended.

Shortly after 11am, travellers were told to leave the station which was closed for more than seven hours while the item was made safe underground.

Married Zimbabwean Policeman commits suicide after being dumped by girlfriend

A Zimbabwean police officer, identified as Constable Marapira, has hung himself after being dumped by his girl friend. Marapira sent a WhatsApp message to his girlfriend Clarice Sagiya, on Wednesday night, directing her to where to find his body.  According to reports, the victim, who was stationed at Masvingo Rural Police Station in Zimbabwe; said he funded Sagiya’s education, noting that she is a final year trainee teacher at Morgenster Teacher’s College.
It was revealed that this incident followed after Clarice’s decision to dump him on claims that she couldn’t be with a police officer anymore as he wouldn’t afford her upkeep. The officer responded by killing himself a few metres off the Mvuma-Gweru Road on Wednesday night.

Reports also revealed that Marapira sent message about his intended suicide at about 21:59PM to Miss Sagiya’s Econet line. The message read: “Vanhu vasanetseke kutsvaga body yangu. Mukasvika paMvuma vanotena ne Gweru road less than a kilometre pane mota pa side pe road chisango to the left (don’t bother yourselves looking for my body. When you get to Mvuma, turn towards Gweru. Less than a kilometre away, there is a car by the road side to the left,” the victim wrote.

Trump abruptly ends interview after question about people calling him sexist, racist (video)

Donald Trump walked away from a reporter mid-interview Thursday after he was asked about people who’ve called him a racist and a sexist.

In a one-on-one interview ahead of his campaign rally in Ohio, local NBC4 reporter Colleen Marshall questioned the Republican presidential nominee about his widely disputed voter fraud claims, criticisms of his tax plan and even the string of prominent Republicans who’ve withdrawn their support for his campaign following the release of the now-infamous “Access Hollywood” videotape earlier this month.

But when the conversation turned to accusations of racism and sexism, it was clear Trump had had enough.

Watch Hillary Clinton roast Donald Trump at a New York charity event

Hillary Clinton took a few jabs at Donald Trump during a charity dinner in New York on Thursday night, making light of some of the most memorable moments of this year's presidential election.

In keeping with the tradition of the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner, an annual Catholic charity event, the two candidates poked fun at each other during their respective speeches — but Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, didn't pull any punches.

"It’s amazing that I’m up here after Donald. I didn’t think he’d be OK with a peaceful transition of power," Clinton said, referring to the GOP nominee's refusal to say whether he would accept the results of the election at Wednesday's presidential debate.

Clinton went on to joke about Trump's controversial affinity with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, suggesting Trump's jokes were prepared by the Kremlin.

Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump at his own debate game

Donald Trump's strongest moment suddenly turned into one of his weakest.

Hillary Clinton was on the defensive. The candidates were talking about immigration. One ofher paid speeches to a Brazilian bank, a transcript of which WikiLeaks released as part of hacked Clinton campaign emails, was under the spotlight.

Then she changed the subject.

She veered off the discussion of "open borders," which she had praised in her speech, and instead started talking about Russian President Vladimir Putin. She accused Putin and the Russian government of meddling in the US election, and called on Trump to disavow "Russian espionage against Americans."

Trump responded with a zinger, marveling at how Clinton had shifted gears. And then, for some reason, he took the bait."Now we can talk about Putin," he started.

Hong Kong shuts down as Typhoon Haima edges closer

Fierce winds and rains lashed Shanwei city in China's Guangdong province as Typhoon Haima made landfall Friday at 12:40 p.m local time.

Nine cities in south China's Guandong province have issued the highest red typhoon alert, according to Guandong province's meteorological center.

In Shenzhen, all schools, offices and businesses have been closed. The city's office of Disaster Prevention has urged people to remain indoors.

Hong Kong remained on high alert Friday morning as Typhoon Haima edged closer, with the city's weather Observatory issuing a Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal Number 8.

My vision, my mission, by monarch

Speaking to the people for the first time after is coronation, Oba Ewuare II promised to initiate cultural renaissance that would focus on tourism production through arts and crafts by establishing the Benin Royal Trust and Benin Royal Academy for Performing Arts.

Oba Ewuare II said he would carry out reforms in palace administration in order to adequately respond to the peoples’ sincere and deep-longing for justice, equity and stability.

He promised to discharge the sacred responsibility of being the channel through powers of the ancestors guide and protect the kingdom and the people.

The Oba described the late Oba Erediauwa as a true symbol of cultural identity.

Oba Ewuare said: “The Benin people recognise Oduduwa and his origin but it is not in our place to force this recognition on others outside out boundaries. The history of the world is a shared one and there will certainly be unexpected connections in the future.