Flu vaccine works better than feared, but it's still not great

The flu vaccine is working better than doctors feared, but still is not especially effective, health officials said Thursday.

Overall, this year’s vaccine is 36 percent effective, meaning it reduces the number of doctor visits by 36 percent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

“Early estimates indicate that influenza vaccines have reduced the risk of medically attended influenza-related illness by about one-third in vaccinated persons so far this season,” the CDC says in its first report on how well the vaccine is working.

It’s only 25 percent effective against the most common strain circulating this year, the H3N2 strain, CDC’s Dr. Alicia Fry and colleagues found.

Scientists have found that shampoo is a source of the same dangerous form of air pollution made by cars

A new study has shown how household products such as shampoo are sources of the same air pollution as traffic fumes.
However, rather than being bad news, this is becoming apparent because of the headway countries in Europe and the US have made to reduce car pollution.
We've known for a long time that traffic fumes are very bad for our health. But according to new research, there are other sources of pollution that should also be a concern.

A new study, published in the journal Science, has found that household products such as shampoo, oven cleaner, and deodorant could all be a significant source of air pollution — the same form as that which is released by car fumes.

Parkland school shooting: Football coach Aaron Feis died shielding students

This is Aaron Feis, a Football coach at Parkland High School who stepped in front of students when the shooting began taking several bullets. He's currently in critical condition. Make him more famous than the shooter.

Aaron Feis had several titles at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School: Football coach. Security guard. Proud alumnus.

Now, after the mass shooting at the Parkland, Florida, school, a grieving community is calling him something else: a hero.

"It is with Great sadness that our Football Family has learned about the death of Aaron Feis. He was our Assistant Football Coach and security guard," Marjory Stoneman football said on Twitter. "He selflessly shielded students from the shooter when he was shot. He died a hero and he will forever be in our hearts and memories."

Feis was one of the 17 people killed at the school on Wednesday, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters on Thursday.

Oxfam to set up independent commission to investigate claims of sexual exploitation

Oxfam is to set up an independent commission to investigate claims of sexual exploitation.

Oxfam International executive director Winnie Byanyima promised to root out any wrongdoing at the charity and provide justice for anyone abused by its staff.

In an interview with the BBC, Ms Byanyima apologised for the scandal which has seen the charity accused of concealing findings of an inquiry into claims staff used prostitutes while delivering aid in Haiti in 2011.

Earth is currently being battered by solar storm that could hit power grids and satellites

This storm could affect satellites, power grids and some spacecraft with energetic particles. It’s being caused by a solar flare that occurred on February 12 in the sun’s atmosphere following a massive explosion.
Particles from the flare are to blame for the possible disruption. Bill Murtagh, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said: ‘Depending how the CME and the Earth’s magnetic field couple, those energetic particles will come flowing in, penetrating into the atmosphere and striking the atoms and molecules in our atmosphere’
 ‘Those energetic particles excite the atoms in our atmosphere [like oxygen and nitrogen], stripping electrons away from them, and that causes them to light up.’

IOC defends decision to send home Adam Pengilly from Pyeongchang

The International Olympic Committee has defended its decision to send home Adam Pengilly from the Winter Games after an incident with a security officer.

The 40-year-old, a British member of the IOC, has apologised.

At a media briefing, journalists pointed to instances of alleged misbehaviour among other IOC members that had not been addressed.

"You'll appreciate that this is actually something during the Games," said an IOC spokesperson.

"It needs to be dealt with immediately."

Details of the incident have not been made public but IOC president Thomas Bach will meet with the security officer to apologise.

Winter Olympics 2018 medal table

Wondering when Lindsey Vonn is going to ski at these Winter Olympics? Well, Friday is your day. Make sure you've checked out everything you need to know about the 2018 Winter Olympics,

Ryan Donato’s two-goal effort helped Team USA earn their first win in PyeongChang, defeating Slovakia 2-1.

Ethiopian prime minister resigns after mass protests

Ethiopia’s prime minister has submitted a letter of resignation in a surprise move that comes amid protracted anti-government protests.

The resignation of Hailemariam Desalegn, who has been in power since 2012, was reported by the state-affiliated broadcaster Fana on Thursday and follows a nationwide state of emergency last year. His stepping down is unprecedented in the east African country.

Hundreds of people have died in violence sparked initially by an urban development plan for the capital, Addis Ababa. The unrest spread in 2015 and 2016 as demonstrations against political restrictions and human rights abuses broke out.

Breaking News: South Africa's Jacob Zuma resigns, Cyril Ramaphosa sworn in as South Africa’s president

South Africa's embattled President Jacob Zuma has resigned after intense pressure from his own party.

In a televised statement he said he was quitting with immediate effect but said he disagreed with his ANC party's decision.

The ANC had told him to step down or face a vote of no confidence in parliament.

The 75-year-old has been facing calls to give way to Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, the ANC's new leader.

Mr Zuma, who has been in power since 2009, faces numerous allegations of corruption.

Earlier on Wednesday, police swooped on the Johannesburg home of the powerful and wealthy Gupta family with whom Mr Zuma has close ties.

Jacob Zuma: The survivor whose nine lives ran out
How Zuma's presidency shaped SA speech
What next for South Africa?
How did Mr Zuma announce his resignation?
He began his speech by laughing and joking with members of the press, asking them why they looked so serious.

Valentine Day Massacre : Ex-student kills 17 in shooting spree at Florida high school

  

A former student opened fire at a Florida high school Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, sending students running out into the streets and SWAT team members swarming in before authorities took him into custody about a mile away.

Sheriff Scott Israel identified the suspect as Nikolaus Cruz, 19. A law enforcement source briefed on the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School said the suspect appears to have pulled the school fire alarm, causing chaos, and then started shooting,
The violence erupted shortly before dismissal at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, about 45 miles north of Miami. Live television footage showed students streaming out of the building as dozens of police and emergency services personnel swarmed the area.

Abuja Events : LinQ Up Party Sun 18/18

Looking for something to do in Abuja ?
Whether you're a local, new in town or just cruising through we've got loads of great Fun Treat @ The LinQ Up events.

You will be hosted to an evening of fine music and great ambiance with some good people.

Music | Art | Food | Drinks | People | Pamper

We look forward to hosting YOU in your city and bringing out some good people and good vibes in Abuja.

Date : Sunday 18 Feb 2018
Venue: @ Signature restaurant wuse2 Abuja.
           #38 lingu cresent off aminu kano wuse 2 abuja
 Time : 5pm
Admission is FREE!!!

Prince Henrik of Denmark dies aged 83 but won't be buried alongside wife due to bitter disagreement

Denmark's Prince Henrik, the husband of Queen Margrethe, died on Tuesday night at the age of 83.

"His Royal Highness Prince Henrik died peacefully in his sleep ...," the Royal House said in a statement.

"Her Majesty the Queen and the two sons were at his side."

The 83-year-old French-born prince was diagnosed with a benign tumour two weeks ago.

He had been hospitalised following an illness that began during a private trip to Egypt.

16-year-old Japanese snowboarder suffers horrifying fall in men's halfpipe and gets taken out on stretcher

16-year-old Japanese snowboarder Yuto Totsuka suffered a horrifying fall in the men's halfpipe final at the Winter Olympics on Wednesday in Pyeongchang.

On his second run of the final, Totsuka dropped in and went for his first jump, twisting several times in the air. Totsuka missed his landing, however, crashing into the lip of the halfpipe, which NBC described as "frozen concrete."

Totsuka smacked into the ground, falling face-first into the middle of the halfpipe, lying still.

Here's a sense of how high Totsuka had gotten:

South Korea sentences Ex-President's best friend to 20 years Imprisonment

The secret confidante of ousted South Korean president Park Geun-Hye was convicted on Tuesday and jailed for 20 years for her key role in the scandal that brought down the head of state.

Choi Soon-Sil, who became close to Park through her father, a shadowy religious figure was vilified during the massive nationwide protests that rocked Asia’s fourth-largest economy and culminated in Park’s impeachment last year.

The Seoul Central District Court found Choi guilty of abuse of power, bribery and interfering in government business. The verdict is a potential pointer to the decision in Park’s separate trial since 15 of the 18 charges Choi faced mirror counts on the ex-president’s own indictment. Judge Kim Se-Yoon told a packed courtroom that Choi took advantage of “long private ties” with Park to force companies to donate funds to foundations she controlled and used for personal gain.

United Airlines engine disintegrates over Pacific, forcing emergency landing

A United Airlines plane flying to Hawaii was forced to make an emergency landing after its engine began to fall apart mid-air.

After what was described as “the scariest flight of my life” by one passenger, photos and videos taken through the windows showed an exposed engine shaking in mid-air after the “engine cowling” broke away.

The drama on board the Boeing 777-222 began after a loud bang was heard roughly 35 minutes before the flight was scheduled to land in Honolulu. The pilots immediately sent out a distress call and were forced to make an emergency landing.

A Google engineer on board the flight, Erik Haddad, who had a clear view of the exposed engine, apparently remained calm throughout the incident, uploading a series of photos to Twitter and quipping: “I don’t see anything about this in the

manual.”

Climber killed in fall, others stranded on Mount Hood, Oregon

A climber was killed after falling up to 1,000 feet on Mount Hood in Oregon and up to 15 other people remained stranded on the face of the mountain in difficult conditions on Tuesday, authorities said.

The injured man was airlifted off the snowy 11,000-foot mountain in northern Oregon to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland and pronounced dead on arrival, Brian Jensen of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said.

The Portland Oregon newspaper, citing state search and rescue coordinator Scott Lucas, reported that by the time rescue crews had arrived, the climber was bleeding, had injuries to his face and that his respiration was on and off.

Man slit step-grandmother's throat and tried to remove her head as he 'thought she was a witch'

A paranoid schizophrenic slit his step-grandmother’s throat with a hunting knife because he believed she was a witch, a court heard.

Jonathan Griffiths, 23, admitted manslaughter after killing Janice Griffiths - also known as Rose.

The 59-year-old victim had raised Griffiths, who is being held at Ashworth Hospital in Liverpool, since he was a baby.

Sentencing him at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Eleri Rees said: “It is shocking and tragic that she should die at the hands of someone she did so much for during her life.”

The court heard the incident occurred at their home at Ty Rhiw in Taff's Well, near Cardiff , on June 12 last year, Wales Online reported .

Michael Jones QC, prosecuting, said Mrs Griffiths was the defendant’s legal guardian.

Cancer-fighting robots thinner than human hair are able to fight cancer by destroyed tumours in the body

Robots one-thousandth the width of a human hair are now able to fight cancer by destroying tumours in the body.

Scientists have built nano-robots from DNA sheets shaped into tubes and injected into the bloodstream.

The tubes carry a blood-clotting enzyme, thrombin, and are painted with proteins which home in on a separate protein found only in tumour cells.

When the robots reach their target and bind to its surface they spring open and deliver the enzyme which clots the blood supply to the tumour and causes it to have a mini heart attack and die. The nanorobots work fast, congregating in large numbers to surround a tumour just hours after injection.

They were found to be safe in tests on mice and pigs, with no evidence of spreading to the brain where they could cause a stroke. The treatment blocked tumour blood supply and generated tumour tissue damage within 24 hours, while having no effect on healthy tissue.

Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte orders soldiers to shoot female rebels 'in the vagina'

President Rodrigo Duterte has been branded a misogynist and “macho-facist” after he ordered soldiers to shoot female communist rebels in the vagina.

In a speech to over 200 former communist soldiers in Malacañang last week, the Philippines president gave a directive of what to do with female guerrilla fighters.

“‘There’s a new order coming from the mayor, ‘We will not kill you. We will just shoot you in the vagina,’ ” said Duterte. He went on to say that without their vaginas, women would be “useless”.

Duterte mentioned the Visayan word “bisong”, meaning vagina, repeatedly throughout the speech, although it was later censored from an official Palace transcript, replaced simply with a dash. However, the remarks were recorded as having drawn laughter from the audience.

Fire crews battle warehouse blaze in Northolt

More than 100 firefighters are tackling a blaze at an industrial estate.

Crews were called to Long Drive, Northolt, north-west London at around 11.30pm on Monday and multiple units are alight.

London Fire Brigade said 15 engines were sent to the area.
Station manager Ben King said: "This is a very visible fire.

"We would advise nearby residents to keep their windows closed as there is a lot of thick smoke in the area.
"We have a lot of fire engines on the scene so people should avoid the area where possible."

smoke forced a Southwest Airlines plane to return to John Wayne Airport after takeoff

Reports of smoke forced a Southwest Airlines jet to make an emergency landing at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, California, after takeoff on Monday night.
The carrier said flight 2123 had departed John Wayne on its way to San Jose. It returned to John Wayne and emergency slides were deployed.
Images posted by KABC-TV showed the aircraft surrounded by emergency vehicles on the tarmac.

Kendrick Lamar Is Reportedly Banning Cell Phone Use During His Live Shows

Don’t worry about charging your cell phone if you’re heading to Kendrick Lamar concert this year. A new report on The Guardian claims the TDE artist is prohibiting the use of cell phones at his live shows.

According to the U.K. publication, K. Dot new policy was established in order to “protect his brand and ensure the appetite for tickets remain keen.” It’s also possible that the rapper wants fans to be totally present and aware during his shows instead of their eyes glued to their screens.

While Kendrick allowed professional photographers to take shots throughout the North American leg of his DAMN. Tour, he has reportedly decided against letting them take photos during his European tour dates.

The “King’s Dead” rapper isn’t the only artist who is making efforts to eliminate cell phone use from their concerts. Alicia Keys, Guns N’ Roses, and more have also banned the use of mobile devices. Bruno Mars also jokingly criticized viewers for being on their phones at the 2017 BET Awards.

Japanese speed skater Kei Saito reportedly has positive doping test at Olympics

Japanese short-track speed skater Kei Saito reportedly tested positive for an unnamed substance at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Saito, 21, has yet to take the track at the Pyeongchang games and the test results were reported Monday by Kyodo News, according to USA Today.

The news agency said Japan’s Olympic Committee scheduled a Tuesday morning press conference to talk about the test results.

'Olympic Destroyer' malware may have been behind the cyber attack that disrupted servers during the opening ceremony, security researchers say

Organizers of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea confirmed on Sunday that hackers targeted the event's opening ceremony.

But, they didn't disclose who was behind the cyber attack.

Now, researchers from Cisco's Talos Intelligence Group believe they've discovered a piece of malware, referred to as the 'Olympic Destroyer,' that may have been used in the attack.

Additionally, researchers from cyber security firms CrowdStrike and FireEye confirmed similar findings in statements to Reuters.

Before the opening ceremony began, the official Pyeongchang website went down, which meant customers were unable to print tickets or access other information.
The attack also left the Olympic stadium without WiFi, while internet and television were disrupted in the press center.

The website wasn't brought back online until 12 hours after servers had been hit.

'We know the cause of the problem but that kind of issues occurs frequently during the Games,' Pyeongchang organizing committee spokesman Sung Baik-you told Reuters.

Villagers chop-up python lovers for STIR FRY meal after catching tiny male and massive 20ft female snake mating

This is the moment villagers captured a male python and the huge 20ft-long female it was mating with - before chopping them up for a STIR FRY meal.

Locals came across the pair while they were out hunting on Saturday afternoon on the Malaysian island of Borneo.

They heard strange noises coming from inside a fallen tree and when they went to look saw the reptiles - which are considered a delicacy in the remote Sarawak region.