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Applause for the crew of Virgin flight to Las Vegas follows ‘non-standard landing procedure’ after landing gear fails
A detailed view
of the undercarriage of the Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 as it passed
overhead at Gatwick airport, before landing safely. Photograph: Jordan
Mansfield/Getty Images
A Virgin Atlantic plane carrying 447 passengers was forced to
make an emergency landing at Gatwick after landing gear problems hit a
US-bound flight.
Hundreds of holidaymakers applauded in relief after their pilot
returned the Boeing 747 to base safely following an unconventional
journey that included dumping fuel at sea and flying low over the
Gatwick control tower twice so that air traffic controllers could
scrutinise the main undercarriage with binoculars.
A spokesman for Gatwick airport said that all the passengers had
disembarked from the plane – originally headed to Las Vegas – and that
“some minor injuries” had been reported.
The runway at Britain’s second largest airport was closed for several
hours, with incoming flights diverted to alternative airports and
departing aircraft delayed as the drama affected the travel plans of
thousands of passengers.
Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Atlantic president, praised the crew
of flight VS43. In a Twitter posting, he said: “Well done
VirginAtlantic pilots & team for safe & skillful landing of
VS43. Thoughts with passengers & crew, thanks for support &
patience.”
Emergency services had been on standby as the giant aircraft came into land.
Eyewitnesses reported that the jet was flying at a relatively low
altitude, as the pilot appeared to be trying to shake the landing gear
down.
Describing the mood on the plane, Dan Crane, 24, from Bromsgrove,
Worcestershire, said it was “anxious, a lot were worried, some crying.
The mood was quiet and [we were] just waiting for the captain’s next
announcement.” A close up of
the landing gear of a Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet landing at Gatwick
airport after the plane developed a landing-gear fault.Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA
Fellow passenger Holly Jackson said the crew tried to “deliberately
bounce” the plane to get the faulty landing gear back into position.
She told Sky News: “They said this was a precautionary procedure, or
something like that. But it didn’t work and we were told we would have
to get into the brace position for a landing and it was then that
everybody did start to get scared.”
The passengers’ ordeal began four hours previously, when Flight VS43
left for Las Vegas at 11.44am with 447 passengers and 15 crew on board.
However, it hit problems before it reached the edge of UK airspace. The
pilot had identified a problem with the landing gear, a technical issue
that meant one of the five wheel sets would not descend. Instead of
completing its transatlantic journey, the plane would, the captain
announced, be turning back. The flight crew are helped to disembark the Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 at Gatwick airport.Photograph: Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images
The vagaries of landing one of the world’s biggest passenger jets
meant that fuel had to be dumped en route, to bring it down to the
target weight for a safe return. But the pilot was also attempting
another part of what Virgin Atlantic termed a “non-standard landing
procedure” – hoping the movement of the plane could shake down the
landing gear where automation had failed. So began hours of circling
around Gatwick and the South Downs, tracing a dense, bright green circle
on flight tracking websites and alerting a small army of planespotters.
At the airport there came the relatively routine statement that
emergency services were on standby “purely as a precaution”. But
passengers reported that the mood on the aircraft had changed when the
announcement came that there would, after all, be an emergency landing,
and that they would have to adopt the brace position. Crane said some
passengers had cried.
Passenger Mike Kaufman, speaking to Sky News from his seat on the
plane back at Gatwick, said: “This was one of the greatest emergency
landings in history. It was very smooth.” Emergency vehicles attend to the Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 at Gatwick airport.Photograph: Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images
He praised the pilots and the cabin crew, saying the landing at just
before 4pm had been “textbook”. But, he admitted: “We didn’t realise
there would be such a fuss, because it had been such a calm experience.
It was probably less dramatic than watching it on the TV.”
He said: “The fact everything went so well shows just how
professional the flight crew were. The crew were calm. We had a safety
briefing two hours before we landed and when we were told we would have
to go into the brace position for landings a sigh went around the
plane.”
He added: “We were talking about going on a rollercoaster ride when we got to Las Vegas. That is off the menu now.”
A spokesman for the British pilots’ trade union, Balpa, said: “Pilots
train hard for exactly this kind of situation. It goes to show that
well-trained pilots are vital.”
Chief Superintendent Martin Walker of Sussex police said: “Our
co-ordinated partnership response is part of a well-rehearsed emergency
procedure. We are delighted that the plane has landed safely and we will
continue to support the operation where we’re needed.”
Return fraud is an increasing trend during the holidays but it’s not
individual shoppers. Organized crime groups are taking advantage of
stores’ return policies
Most consumers
who return gifts want money back, but that’s not what worries retailers.
More than 78% of US retailers were targeted by crime rings in 2014, up
from 60.3% in 2013.Photograph: Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters
Got a “meh” gift this holiday? Forget re-gifting. Return it.
That seems to be the thinking for an increasing number of
Americans. This year, US retailers expect that about $64.67bn in gifts
will be returned. More than one fifth of all returns take place over the
holidays, according to the National Retail Federation 2014 survey.
Yet it’s not the return of the unwanted gifts that troubles
retailers. It’s the return fraud – return of stolen merchandise – that
costs them $10.9bn a year. This holiday season alone, US retailers are
set to lose $3.58bn on such fraudulent returns.
Gift returns: where cash is king
Few Americans actually admit to returning their gifts. Thirty-two percent of shoppers say they have returned a holiday gift, according to a survey by RetailMeNot.
When they do, 40% of them prefer to swap them out for cash. Just 16%
want to swap out their unwanted gifts for gift cards, 13% for other
items and 11% for store credit.
Returns aren’t all bad for the industry – especially if they
take place inside the actual store. As people are in the store, those
who are there to return gifts might end up splurging on themselves.
Eight in 10 shoppers were planning to take advantage of the
year-end-sales and more than half of them were planning to spend about
$160 on themselves, RetailMeNot found.
Grinch, the retail edition
Talk about stealing presents. The National Retail Federation
estimates that about $3.58bn of holiday returns are fraudulent – items
that were either stolen from the store and then returned, or were paid
for with fake or stolen credit cards and then returned.
Individual shoppers are usually not the culprit when it
comes to such scams. An increasing number of these returns are carried
out by organized crime groups, says Bob Moraca, the National Retail
Federation vice president of loss prevention.
“Return fraud has become an unfortunate trend in retail
thanks to thieves taking advantage of retailers’ return policies to
benefit from the cash or store credit they don’t deserve,” Moraca said.
“Many of these return fraud instances are a direct result of a larger,
more experienced crime rings that continue to pose serious threats to
retailers’ operations and their bottom lines.”
More than 78% of US retailers were targeted by these crime
rings in 2014, up from 60.3% in 2013, according the federation’s survey.
Despite the fraudulent returns, 70% of the retailers do not plan to change their return policy this year.
Falling oil prices, sanctions and collapsing rouble take toll, with GDP in November 0.5% lower than in same month year ago
A board with
exchange rates on a street in Moscow on Monday. Russia’s rouble slumped
against the dollar in early trading. Photograph: Sergei
Karpukhin/Reuters
The Russian economy has contracted for the first time in five years
after falling oil prices and sanctions imposed by western governments
began to take their toll.
The prospects for the country’s economy are expected to remain weak
after President Vladimir Putin’s government revealed that GDP in
November was 0.5% lower than in the same month a year ago.
It is the first time since October 2009 that the Russian economy has
shrunk and comes at a time when the rouble has been collapsing on
foreign exchange markets after a near halving of the oil price since
June.
Manufacturing, construction, agriculture and service sectors all
contracted in November, although energy, mining and the retail trade
showed continued growth.
Economists are warning that Russia – one of the world’s biggest
energy exporters – could be facing its first recession in five years.
The central bank fears the economy could shrink by up to 4.8% next year
if oil prices fail to recover from five-year lows.
The repercussions are starting to be felt. A week ago
Russia’s central bank threw a £340m lifeline to Trust Bank – a Moscow
bank that uses the Hollywood star Bruce Willis to advertise its credit
cards – and the government has agreed to a 1tn-rouble recapitalisation
of the nation’s banks.
The guarantee on bank account deposits has also been raised to try to quell people’s concerns about the safety of their savings.
The fail in the oil price comes at a time when western sanctions
imposed over Russia’s backing for separatists in Ukraine are making it
tough for the country’s banks to raise finance in the international
money markets, leading to billions of dollars being withdrawn from the
country.
The GDP data was said to be the first signal that further contraction
in the economy is likely. “This is the beginning of a recession,”
Ruslan Grinberg, director of the Institute of Economics at the Russian
Academy of Sciences, told the AFP news agency.
Dmitry Polevoy, the chief economist for Russia and the Commonwealth
of Independent States at ING Bank in Moscow, told Reuters that things
would get worse with oil prices at their current levels.
“There is no cause for optimism,” Polevoy said. “This is linked to
sanctions first of all, oil and the panic we saw on the market in
December.
“The damage to the banking system and consumer sentiment will take a long time to repair.”
Oil prices have fallen after the oil producing cartel Opec refused to
cut production to shore up the price, which has slipped below $60 a
barrel from its recent high of $115. Oil and gas account for 70% of
Russia’s exports and Moscow needs an oil price in the region of $100 a
barrel to balance its budget.
This dependency on oil has led to a rout of the rouble on the foreign
exchange markets, prompting an emergency rise in interest rates to 17%
from 12.5% earlier this month. As a result, the currency has recouped
some of the ground lost against the dollar - where it was trading at
historic lows earlier this month – although it slipped back yesterday
after the data was released.
Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, has said that the
failing oil price should help fuel economic growth – the price of petrol
has been falling at pumps and inflation in the UK is running at its
lowest level for 12 years. But he has given a warning too about the
risks caused by rising geopolitical tensions.
The Bank of England has also said that failing oil prices could have
repercussions for shale oil developers in the US making payments on
their debts.
“A sustained lower oil price also has the potential to reinforce certain geopolitical risks,” the Bank of England said earlier this month.
NB This is not a hand job (Picture: Ibrakovic)
Ah the hand job.
In these heady days of pterodactyl porn and avatar girlfriends, ‘manual labour’ can seem pretty tame.
But, whether these are part of your standard sexual smorgasbord or
you haven’t given or received one since you were 17 underneath a pile of
coats at your best friend’s house party, there’s certain things that
cross a lady’s mind when she’s giving one.
And, let’s face it, she must be a lady because this is the good girl’s bj.
1. Well this is retro.
2. Is he disappointed? ‘He’ does look a bit disappointed.
Too bad – if he wanted head we should have gone to bed two episodes of AHS ago.
3. I need longer arms.
4. Wow, my balancing abilities are pretty horrendous.
5. Ok, I’m just going to have to shift on down there.
6. Kind of hard to know where to look now.
Looking at him seems needy/off putting. Staring at it intently seems creepy.
Guess I’ll just glance off nervously to the side.
7. Should have used lube.
8. My wrist is already sore. How does his wrist not get sore?
9. And my other arm’s getting pins and needles.
10. I’m not even going to pretend to be enjoying this. I could essentially be milking a cow.
11. Plus, I’m still worried about grip. How is saying ‘it’s all good’ ever helpful?
12. Seriously, you must have wrists of steel.
13. Oh God, my whole hand is cramping. Can you get RSI from this?
14. Ok, other hand, try to keep up same momentum.
15. Wow, things are happening. That’s always a surprise. Could
explain why you think doing exactly the same movement on me for 15
minutes is the pathway to nirvana.
16. Oh God, yet again I haven’t thought this through.
17. Men use socks don’t they? Do we have any clean socks? Possibly not the sexiest option.
18. Let’s face it, this could go anywhere. Yet another argument for condoms.
19. Ha, it’s all on you. Good luck getting that out of your leg hair.
20. My mistake, the bedding’s ruined. Bagsy the dry side.
New Year’s Eve is all about parties, festivals and trendy makeup
looks. Makeup trends for 2015 fall into three camps: natural, classic,
and bold. Fortunately, most of the trends are easy to duplicate. Just
don’t go overboard. You can look gorgeous with a little effort. Here are
10 looks to try this year.
1. Pastel brows
Pastel
hair extensions in colors chosen to complement clothing were paired
with pure pigments in matching hues. The pigments were swiped across
eyebrows, giving the models a soft yet edgy look. Although it’s a New
Year’s Eve party, try to avoid too bright colors.
2. Bright eyes
This
year, Ralph Lauren is showing a lot of sparkles, and the look doesn’t
stop with fabrics and jewelry. Makeup artists used shimmery gold tones
just over the lashes and in the corners of the eye. This is one trend
that is simple to duplicate.
3. Slept-in eyes
DVF
showed a glam look inspired by Brigitte Bardot. First, the models’ eyes
were lined in deep, rich black. Next combinations of browns, blacks,
and greys smudged together to create a glamorous look. To stay current,
avoid sweeping color past the eyelid and into a cat-eye shape.
4. Tiny stenciled tattoos
This
year, Tommy Hilfiger was inspired by 1960s pictures of pretty girls at
outdoor music festivals. Make-up artists drew stars, moons, and even
tiny constellations on models’ cheeks, arms, and midriffs, adding a
British invasion look to the runway. Maybe this idea is not for every
woman, but if you want to surprise your partner or friends, then why not
give it a try?
5. Glitter
Get
ready for some glitter. Designers are showing actual glitter, not
sparkling shadow, around the eyes. One artist used three dots of glitter
on each eye. A small dot rested on the inside crease while larger dots
accented the center of the eye both above the upper lashes and below the
lower lashes.
6. Deep black eyeliner
Defined
eyes are classically presented this season with deep black, matte
eyeliner. The look is perfected with clean, not smudged, lines that
extend only slightly beyond the lid and end suddenly. If you’ve never
used black eyeliner, be sure to experiment a little now so that you
won’t have any problems on New Year’s Eve.
7. Bold lips
Designer
Tanya Taylor showed dramatic lips in shocking orange. To complement
their lips, the models wore peach on their eyelids and delicate orange
along their cheekbones. A little less shocking but equally as bold,
Carolina Herrera showed models with deep red lips that dominated the
face. For extra boldness, some designers matched bold red lips to the
models’ manicures.
8. White eyeliner
Nanette
Lepore highlighted extra-long eyelashes with white eyeliner. This look
kept the long lashes from becoming too dramatic. To achieve the look,
swipe the liner above the eye, below the eye, and into the inner crease.
Finally, slightly wing it outward in two lines that do not meet.
9. Opaque eye shadow
Leave
subtle behind for this look. Designers showed a decidedly cat-eye shape
that began with a deep colored liner paired with a bright white liner.
To achieve the opaque shadow, begin with loose shadow in a bold color,
such a cobalt blue. Apply with a wet brush.
10. The natural look
This
year Marc Jacobs is showing no makeup at all. There are many
celebrities who are not afraid to go out without makeup, so why not? If
the thought of going completely natural scares you, try Tory Burch’s
approach. Swipe some bronzer on the cheeks and add a natural rosy color
to the lips.
Whether you are comfortable with the bohemian, beach-swept look of
the natural trend or ready to rock glitter and opaque eye shadow, this
year is the year to try something new. With such a variety of makeup
options, there is surely one that will make you feel pretty and draw
glowing comments from friends and admirers. What’s your favorite makeup
look for New Year 2015?
The England attacker has featured in 24 of Liverpool's 25 matches this season, only missing the Capital One Cup fourth round victory over Swansea
Rest: Sterling will be given a lay-off in the new year
Brendan Rodgers has promised to give Raheem Sterling a break in the new year.
On the weekend when the Liverpool forward was officially recognised as one of Europe’s hottest young prospects, the Reds boss has confirmed that he will be handed a rest in 2015, reports Steve Bates in the Sunday People.
But Rodgers – while admitting there are dangers attached – is determined to protect his young star.
He said: “Raheem will have a rest even though he hasn’t been looking tired, either the other night or over the last number of games.
"But he is in a similar mould to Wayne Rooney – who I think is brilliant – in that if you take him out of a rhythm, it takes him a while to get going again.
"If you look at Rooney, he is better in rhythm. Take Rooney out for a couple of games and he is not the same player.
"There is a period already mapped out for Raheem when he will come out and have that breather and recovery after Christmas.”
The former England midfielder spent seven years at the German side, but believes Sterling is too young to make a move to the Bundesliga
Too soon: Sterling would be better off staying at Anfield, according to Hargreavesm
Former Bayern Munich star Owen Hargreaves has urged Raheem Sterling to reject the overtures of the German giants.
Hargreaves spent seven years at Bayern, winning four league titles and the Champions League before joining Manchester United in 2007.
Sterling’s deal with Liverpool expires in 2017, but he is stalling over a new contract which could see him earn £70,000 a week.
“I think he should stay at Liverpool for another four years,” said Hargreaves. “It will be good for his development.
“He is far too young mentally to make that move.”
Pep Guardiola has expressed an interest in the 20-year-old England star, who is seen as a contingency plan if he fails to sign Marco Reus.
Hargreaves said: “Bayern are one of the best clubs in the world. Pep is a great manager. There is no better place in the world for a player like Sterling to be. He would fit in as good players always do,
“It would benefit him to play in such a team.
“But he should stay at Anfield a bit longer. Brendan Rodgers is also a great manager and will really develop him as a player.”
The Blues were eight points adrift of Chelsea in November and City's boss said: “Two months ago nobody would have believed we would be in this position"
Form: City have won eight games on the bounce
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini warned the rest of football they had better start believing in the sky blue peril now.
David Silva’s first home league goals for a year and Yaya Toure’s strike made it 18 points from 18 for the champions.
And victory at West Brom on Boxing Day would be their ninth in a row in all competitions to equal a club record.
Chelsea can regain a clear lead at Stoke tomorrow evening, but Pellegrini insisted he wasn’t thinking about putting pressure on his old adversary Jose Mourinho’s side.
Pellegrini said: “I don’t think of Chelsea and whether we give them pressure or not. It was important to get the three points and show we can be involved in the title.
In pictures - Manchester City 3-0 Crystal Palace:
“Two months ago nobody would have believed we would be in this position in the Premier League and in the Champions League.”
City were in danger of losing contact with Chelsea and upset the odds by beating Bayern Munich and Roma to reach the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition.
Even without their three recognised senior strikers and using James Milner in a centre-forward role, City were too good for a Palace team with one win in 11.
Pellegrini said: “We had to show patience. Milner is a player who creates space for team-mates. We planned this all week.”
Palace boss Neil Warnock admitted his side wasted early chances, but insisted they were denied a valid James McArthur goal at 2-0.
He said: “It was a disgraceful decision. We had a goal chalked off that was two yards onside. In the end they won at a canter, but it shouldn’t have been like that.”
Good Samaritan: Khan wants to help out in Pakistan after the sickening atrocity
The Black Cats have recorded two 3-0 away victories in a row over their neighbours but Cattermole has been absent for both of them
Charlie Crowhurst Hard-hitter: Cattermole will be looking to stamp his authority on tomorrow's game
Lee Cattermole admits Newcastle will always have a ‘special’ place in his heart – but don’t expect Sunderland’s kingpin to show any kindness in the heat of derby battle.
The tough-tackling midfielder has a liking for St James’ Park after making his league debut there with Middlesbrough as a teenager.
Now, having missed out on the Black Cats’ 3-0 wins on Tyneside in the last two seasons, Cattermole is eager to get in on the act – and play a part in a victory at St James’ for the first time in his career.
If he does, it will be an unprecedented fourth consecutive success for Sunderland over their arch-rivals.
Cattermole, 26, has experienced eventful times at Newcastle. He was in Steve Bruce’s Sunderland side who suffered a 2010 Halloween horror there as they were thrashed 5-1.
Emotion: Two seasons ago Paolo Di Canio provided us with this image as Sunderland won 3-0
And Cattermole was sent off AFTER the final whistle by referee Mike Dean for foul and abusive language in a 1-1 draw three seasons ago when Sunderland also had Stephane Sessegnon red-carded. Newcastle boss Alan Pardew blamed Cattermole for an ‘ugly’ struggle after he was booked for a first-minute foul on Cheick Tiote.
But Cattermole maintained: “With making my debut there, it’s a special ground for me and I have good memories. Barring the 5-1 defeat, it’s been decent.
“I went there with Boro when I was 17 and obviously that was a buzz when I saw Alan Shearer coming out of the tunnel.
“That was brilliant, it was massive. We nearly won – it was 2-2, Lee Clark scored their equaliser in the last minute.
Last time around - Sunderland win 3-0 at St James' Park last season:
“In my time with Sunderland, when we went back to Newcastle after the 5-1, we had to make sure the first thing we did was turn up.
“I remember Cheick Tiote made a meal of a challenge when Sessegnon was sent off and I got frustrated with that. That’s the point I was making to the referee at the end.
“It was a really harsh sending-off.”
Cattermole welcomes hostility from Toon fans. He added: “There’s a bit of a rough reception and that’s nice. It’s a big game and you have to enjoy it.”
Cattermole faces former Sunderland team-mate Jack Colback, who made a controversial close-season move to Newcastle as a free agent.
The midfielder scored one of Sunderland’s goals in last season’s 3-0 win, and Cattermole confessed: “Jack’s a friend and a good player – we’ve missed him.”
Here’s a list of paid iPhone, iPad and Mac apps that have gone free for a limited period. Read on after the jump and save yourself some dollars!
The weekend is here, and there’s nothing like a free taste of some paid apps to keep the geek in you busy. And if you have decided to go on an app hunting spree to try and check out some new ones for your Mac or iOS device in the run up to Christmas, then this list shall help check off a few items.
Mac Apps iScanner ($14.99 – FREE / Mac)
A simple file and junk cleaner for your Mac, iScanner has a beautiful UI to make sure even the most novice user understands how to use it.
iScreenShot ($3.99 – FREE / Mac)
Meant to be a developer tool, this app lets you add an iOS device frame around your screenshots.
Look and Guess a Word! ($10.99 – FREE / Mac)
Up for a mind twister? You have four pictures which denominate to one word, and you have to guess that, keeping you busy and entertained.
DotPass Password Generator ($1.99 – FREE / Mac)
This nifty little app allows you to generate passwords translated from pattern based ones.
BrowseShot ($4.99 – FREE / Mac)
A simple app that lets you take full page screenshots of webpages.
Icon Resize ($0.99 – FREE / Mac)
Meant to be a developer tool, Icon Resize lets you quickly resize icon art for both iOS and Mac.
BezierCode Lite ($4.99 – FREE / Mac)
Again a developer only tool, it translates your vector drawings into Objective C code. iOS Apps MyBrushes Pro ($2.99 – FREE / iPhone)
A self-explanatory name, this paint like app not only offers an array of fancy painting tools, but once you’re done creating your work of art, you can play back each and every step made towards creating it.
Discovr ($3.99 – FREE / iPhone and iPad)
One of the best music discovery app for iOS, users can find and play 30 second previews of the latest music, play full length videos via YouTube, read tweets, biographies and much more.
InstantSave ($2.99 – FREE / iPhone and iPad)
If you wish to easily save pictures and videos from Instagram, Vine, and Snapchat on your iPhone or iPad then this one-of-a-kind app will do the trick for you.
Rune Gems ($2.99 – FREE / iPhone and iPad)
A tricky colorful puzzler with fantastic animations, the game requires users to quickly match similar gems.
Big Bad Sudoku Book ($2.99 – FREE / iPhone and iPad)
If you’re a Sudoku fan, then this is a must download for you.
Instaflash ($1.99 – FREE / iPhone and iPad)
Another photo editor? Yes, but with some very powerful features, including advanced shadows, lighting adjustment and more.
Do Not Move ($1.99 – FREE / iPhone and iPad)
This weekend, you can challenge your friends to a dual with this game, which simply gives you points for holding your iPhone or iPad absolutely still.
All of the above listed apps are available directly to download from the App Store and Mac App Store.
Note: These apps are available for free for a limited time only. Download them as soon as possible since such deals don’t ordinarily last for more than 24 hours after posting.
Be sure to check out our iPhone Apps Gallery and iPad Apps Gallery to explore more apps for your iPhone and iPad.
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