CaaC (John)

Bloody hell, you never mentioned me and I am older than the Wolf Man.

I don't like wind and rain but I love the wind if its snowing and blowing all the snowflakes everywhere. Not a bad morning so far as when I woke up at 05.00 it was misty and drizzly but now it's become sunny and cloudy but the rain has moved on...so far, better for me as I am heading off later to pick the grandson up from school and bring him back here, he loves the rain and splashing around in the puddles with his wellies on.

Planet Venus may have been habitable for billions of years, says Nasa © Nasa Venus may have been warm and wet for billions of years, long enough for life to become established The planet Venus may have been habitable for billions of years, Nasa scientists have calculated. New computer models of the climate history of the second planet from the Sun, show that until around 700 million years ago temperatures ranged from 68F (20C) to 122F (50C), cool enough for liquid water. In the 1980s, Nasa’s Pioneer Venus mission found hints that the planet once had a shallow ocean, but because it receives far more sunlight than Earth, scientists believed it had quickly evaporated before life could become established. Video: Venus's Asymmetrical Cloud Tops May Explain Mysterious 'Super Rotation' (Amaze Lab) With no water left on the surface, carbon dioxide rose in the atmosphere, triggering a runaway greenhouse effect that created current conditions. Today Venus has a crushing carbon dioxide atmosphere 90 times as thick as Earth’s and temperatures at the surface reach 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462C), making life impossible. But new computer modelling by Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Science suggests that the ocean may have lasted for two to three billion years. Not only does it suggest that life could have once evolved on Venus, but it opens up new possibilities about where aliens may exist outside of our Solar System. “Our hypothesis is that Venus may have had a stable climate for billions of years,” said lead researcher Dr Michael Way. “It is possible that the near-global resurfacing event is responsible for its transformation from an Earth-like climate to the hellish hot-house we see today. “Our models show that there is a real possibility that Venus could have been habitable and radically different from the Venus we see today. “This opens up all kinds of implications for exoplanets found in what is called the ‘Venus Zone’, which may, in fact, host liquid water and temperate climates.” At around 4.2 billion years ago, soon after its formation, Venus would have completed a period of rapid cooling and its atmosphere would have been dominated by carbon-dioxide. © Nasa Today the surface of Venus is too hot for life If the planet evolved in an Earth-like way over the next 3 billion years, the carbon dioxide would have been drawn down by rocks and locked into the surface. By around 715 million years ago, the atmosphere would have been dominated by nitrogen with trace amounts of carbon dioxide and methane – similar to the Earth’s today – and these conditions could have remained stable up until present times. However, Dr Way believes that intense volcanic activity around 700 million years ago transformed Venus. One possibility is that large amounts of magma bubbled up, releasing carbon dioxide from molten rocks into the atmosphere. The magma solidified before reaching the surface and this created a barrier that meant that the gas could not be reabsorbed, causing runaway global warming. © Nasa Images taken by Nasa's Pioneer mission hinted that Venus once had an ocean Most researchers believe that Venus is beyond the inner boundary of our Solar System’s habitable zone and is too close to the Sun to support liquid water. But the new study suggests that this might not be the case. “Venus currently has almost twice the solar radiation that we have at Earth. However, in all the scenarios we have modelled, we have found that Venus could still support surface temperatures amenable for liquid water,” said Dr Way. The research was presented at the European Planetary Science Congress. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techandscience/planet-venus-may-have-been-habitable-for-billions-of-years-says-nasa/ar-AAHFBoq?ocid=chromentp

Scientists find 125 million-year-old fossilised remains of superpterosaur with 20ft wingspan that could have been one of the biggest species ever to take to the skies SLIDES - 1/4 With a 20-foot wingspan and weighing a colossal 650lbs, the giant pterosaur cast an imposing figure swooping through the skies of the Jurassic Age. And 125 million years later, the beast's massive size continues to marvel scientists who have discovered the remains of one of the beasts wedged deep into the cliffs of the Isle of Wight. The Hatzegopteryx fossil has shed new light on this magnificent species which some believe was the biggest flying creature of the period. These winged monsters are believed to have ruled the skies for roughly 150 million years, during which time they evolved from rodent-sized to a figure akin to a modern-day fighter jet. © Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited With a 20-foot wingspan and weighing 300kg, the giant pterosaur cast an imposing figure swooping through the skies of the Jurassic Age The find was made by British Fossils chief Robert Coram who said: 'It might have been the largest flying creature that had ever lived up to that time,' according to the Sunday Times. The Isle of Wight is rich with fossils and is flocked to by dinosaur enthusiasts who comb the south side for remains. Mr Coram added: 'We think this is one of the first superpterosaurs. The Isle of Wight is incredibly heavily prospected by people almost on a daily basis, so it's a matter of being able to spot the little things that they can't.' Equipped with an extended jaw, the giant pterosaur - which hunted dinosaurs - would snap up and kill its prey. In a paper co-authored with Professor David Martill of Portsmouth University, he wrote: 'A morphometric analysis suggests an original wingspan of approximately 5.6m. © Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited The Hatzegopteryx fossil found on the south-west coast of the Isle of Wight (pictured) has shed new light on this magnificent species which some believe was the biggest flying creature of the period. 'With an early Barremian age, this pterosaur would have been a giant for its time.' Pterosaurs - sometimes known as pterodactyls - co-existed among at the same time as, but were not classed as, dinosaurs. Because of their mammoth size, paleobiologists have long wondered how the creatures managed to take off, as their mass would suggest generating enough momentum would be impossible. © Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited These flying monsters are believed to have ruled the skies for roughly 150million years, during which time they evolved from rodent-sized to a figure akin to a modern-day fighter jet But 3D modelling has now revealed that bulging leg muscles and flexible wing structure allowed the giant pterosaur to vault itself into the air. Michael Habib, from the University of Southern California, wrote: 'Unlike birds, which walk and jump into the air using only their hind limbs, pterosaurs walked on all fours. 'Mathematical modelling indicates that launching from a quadrupedal stance — pushing off first with the hind limbs and then with the forelimbs — would have provided the leaping power giant pterosaurs required for takeoff.' https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/scientists-find-125-million-year-old-fossilised-remains-of-superpterosaur-with-20ft-wingspan-that-could-have-been-one-of-the-biggest-species-ever-to-take-to-the-skies/ar-AAHGFiJ#image=1

Sad to hear that @Spike, sounds like you and your nan are very close, keep your chin up buddy and I hope she gets better.

Sign him up for United and play him in m/f and as a goalie.

@Harry @Toinho @Spike any feedback's on this? Moment 'fireball' meteor 'size of a football' lights up the night sky over southern Australia VIDEO A ‘fireball’ meteor has lit up the skies and caused a clap of thunder over southern Australia. Residents from Tasmania and Victoria shared footage of the object that flew across the horizon just before 8.30 pm Saturday AEST (11.30 am BST). Video shows the night sky lit up by a bright light as the meteor passes overhead with a tail trailing behind, and lasting only a few seconds. Experts believe it was a “fireball” meteor, which may have been the size of a football. Astronomer Martin George from the Queen Victoria Museum's Planetarium told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation when the meteor faded from view it would have only been 12 to 18 miles above the earth’s surface. "We think this object was at least about the size of a soccer ball; it may have been larger," he said. "We are certainly talking about a significant event, something that we don't often see." Adrian from Mole Creek told the broadcaster he heard what “sounded like thunder” and a vivid light. "I was outside and it was all nice and dark and suddenly the backyard lit up, like a helicopter going over with a spotlight, quite low," he said. "The front of it was orange and had a really long whitetail. It was pretty quiet going over but about 20 seconds later we heard the rumble." Dominic McAlinden said he expected an explosion. "Night turned to day, and a blue-and-white streak turned red and orange as it burnt up," he said. Victor was driving in northern Tasmania when "just out of the corner of my eye to the east I saw what appeared to be like a skyrocket shooting down to the ground". "It appeared to be only half a kilometre away. I was very surprised to hear it was so far away because it appeared [to be] within several hundred metres." While in Victoria, Rachel Kazakis said: "It was amazing! I honestly thought we were all goners!". Others wondered if the meteor was “the aliens” seeking revenge for the supposed secrets at Area 51, a once-secret military base that was “stormed” this weekend by alien hunters. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/moment-fireball-meteor-size-of-a-football-lights-up-night-sky-over-southern-australia/ar-AAHDExn?li=BBoPWjQ

Archaeologists pull 'incredibly well-preserved' 3,200-year-old sword from a rock near megalith site in Majorca SLIDES - 1/5 Archaeologists working on the Spanish holiday island of Majorca (Mallorca) have accidentally stumbled across a 3,200-year-old sword, one of only a few weapons from the Bronze Age found on the island better known for its sunny beaches. The sword was found near a stone megalith known locally as a talayot (or talaiot), which were built by the mysterious Tailiotic culture that flourished on the islands of Majorca and Menorca some 1000-6000 BC. The team was preparing the location for a museum site when two archaeologists picked up a rock and saw something protruding from the ground. To their amazement, a sword emerged after they carefully removed mud and earth from the item. 'It was a huge surprise. We did not expect to find anything like this because the area had already been excavated,' Jaume Deya one of the head archaeologists told CEN. The megalith had been looted in the ancient past, by Romans and others, and has been thoroughly excavated since the 1950s, so no one expected to find any further remains. Apart from a broken tip, the sword is in good condition despite being over 3000 years. The team thinks it dates to around 1200 BC. They believe the sword was deliberately left at the site, possibly buried as an offering from a noble or an aristocratic family at the megalith which is thought to had been an important religious and ceremonial site. What was the Talayotic culture? The prehistoric Talayotic civilization existed in the Balearic island in the Bronze age It is a prime example of a pre-Roman culture from this time, comprising building sites, pottery, and weaponry The word ‘talayotic’ is related to one of the most typical elements of this culture, buildings in the form of a tower and known by the island's inhabitants as ‘TALAYOT’ Talayotic Culture of Minorca, which it is made up of 25 archaeological sites, has been proposed for inclusion in the tentative list of World Heritage of the Spanish State Talayots in nearby Majorca and Minorca are similar, but also differ in technical building solutions: for example, the Minorcan ones had inner chambers crowned with a false dome, something not present in Majorca The sword could have also been left there for defence; experts believe that the weapon was buried was made when the Talaiotic culture was in serious decline. Only around ten such weapons from the Talaiotic culture have been found before, mostly by farmers and builders who typically unearthed them by accident and then handed over to authorities. This meant that experts were unable to properly research the artefacts as they did not know where and how they had been found'. The fact that the sword was found at an archaeological site, researchers now know the context in which it was found, which is essential to understand the origin of the sword and its possible symbolic role in the Talaiotic civilization. For example, the find seems to demonstrate that weapons were used as offerings and it also underscores the role of the talaiots as places of religious worship rather than as signalling towers or defensive strongholds as some have suggested. The sword is expected to be on display soon at the Museum of Majorca. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/archaeologists-pull-incredibly-well-preserved-3200-year-old-sword-from-a-rock-near-megalith-site-in-majorca/ar-AAHDE5J?ocid=chromentp#image=5

History buff finds ships that sank in 1878 in Lake Michigan © Provided by The Associated Press In this Aug. 24, 2019, photo provided by John Janzen, diver John Scoles manoeuvres around the wreckage of the schooners Peshtigo and St. Andrews, lost in 1878 near Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan. A group of maritime history enthusiasts led by Boyne City, Michigan diver and explorer, Bernie Hellstrom have announced the discovery of the schooners. The site was located in 2010 by Hellstrom during one of his many trips to explore the Beaver Island archipelago. (John Janzen via AP) A diver and maritime history buff has found two schooners that collided and sank into the cold depths of northern Lake Michigan more than 140 years ago. Bernie Hellstrom, of Boyne City, Michigan, said he was looking for shipwrecks about 10 years ago when a depth sounder on his boat noted a large obstruction about 200 feet (60 meters) down on the lake bottom near Beaver Island. "I've made hundreds of trips to Beaver Island and every trip I go out the sounder is on," he told The Associated Press on Friday. "But if you happen to see something that's not normal, you go back. A lot are nothing but fish schools. This was 400 feet of the boat. There's nothing out there that big that's missing." © Provided by The Associated Press This Aug. 24, 2019, photo provided by John Janzen, shows part of the wreckage of the schooners Peshtigo and St. Andrews, lost in 1878 near Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan. A group of maritime history enthusiasts led by Boyne City, Michigan diver and explorer, Bernie Hellstrom have announced the discovery of the schooners. The site was located in 2010 by Hellstrom during one of his many trips to explore the Beaver Island archipelago. (John Janzen via AP) He returned to the area in June with a custom-made camera system and discovered the Peshtigo and St. Andrews about 10 feet (3 meters) apart with their masts atop one another. The hull of one of the ships has a huge gash. It had been believed the ships sank in 1878 farther to the east in the Straits of Mackinac in Lake Huron. But only one ship could be found and that was thought to be the St. Andrews. "They never found the second boat," said Hellstrom, 63. Hellstrom brought technical divers in to record video of the wrecks. Madison, Wisconsin-based marine historian Brendon Baillod was recruited to help solve the mystery. Baillod said he searched through old news reports and learned that the Peshtigo and St. Andrews did hit each other and sink between Beaver and Fox islands, northwest of Charlevoix, Michigan. The Peshtigo was 161 feet (49 meters) long and carrying coal. The St. Andrews was 143 feet (43 meters) long and carrying corn. The collision was blamed on confusion in signal torches, he said. Two of the Peshtigo's crewmen were lost. Survivors from both ships were rescued by another passing schooner, according to Baillod. Wayne Lusardi, Michigan's state maritime archaeologist, calls finding the actual resting place of the Peshtigo and St. Andrews a "fantastic discovery." "You can argue that any new discovery is important because it really gives you a first-time look at something that has been lost and missing for such a long time," Lusardi said. He added that the Peshtigo and St. Andrews "had been mistakenly identified as two vessels up in the Straits for decades." "Now, it begs the question: What are those wrecks?" he said. An estimated 6,000 shipwrecks sit on the bottoms of the Great Lakes, according to Cathy Green, executive director of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc. "If you think about it, cities like Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee would never have been able to develop without the water highway," Green said. "When material remains of that history is found, it's a big deal to historians and archaeologists." https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/history-buff-finds-ships-that-sank-in-1878-in-lake-michigan/ar-AAHDkts

We get that with wee Kaiden who turns 6 this Tuesday, bought him this Wigwam, it sits in the corner of the lounge and if we tell him off for being naughty he will get the 'hump' go into his Wigwam and close the flap and play with his Star War toys for ages.

Euclid space telescope to study 'dark Universe' makes progress Europe's space mission to uncover the secrets of the "dark Universe" has reached a key milestone. The test model of the Euclid telescope has just emerged from a chamber where it was subjected to the kind of conditions experienced in orbit. It was a critical moment for engineers because the successful trial confirms the observatory's design is on track. Euclid, due for launch in 2022, will map the cosmos for clues to the nature of dark matter and dark energy. These phenomena appear to control the shape and expansion of the Universe but virtually nothing is known about them. The €800m venture, led by the European Space Agency (Esa), will be one of a group of new experiments to come online in the next few years. Scientists are hopeful these next-generation technologies will provide the insights that have so far eluded them. Powerful X-ray telescope launches to map cosmos Gravitational waves: So many new toys to unwrap Gaia clocks speedy cosmic expansion FULL REPORT

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is considering former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso as a potential replacement for manager Zinedine Zidane. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

We've heard of the Pink Panther but... Black panther found roaming French rooftops A black panther found roaming the rooftops near the northern French city of Lille like a stray cat on Wednesday evening was captured after being cornered inside a home, local authorities said. The regional fire department tweeted pictures of the big cat, one of which showed it peering in the top-floor window of a three-storey red-brick building. Another showed it staring out over the city, ears pricked, like one of the stone gargoyles that jut out over the facade of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris. "Called out... for a dangerous animal, the northern fire service was confronted with a big feline roaming the gutters," the fire service tweeted. The regional La Voix du Nord newspaper reported that the panther, which had escaped from a private apartment, "stopped sometimes to watch a train pass or a cat slinking by on the pavement below." The police first threw up a security cordon around the building, and when the cat slipped into the window of an apartment believed to be its home, a veterinarian was called in to dart it with a tranquillizer. The panther's owner meanwhile is believed to have escaped through the same window, fearing being charged with illegal ownership of a wild animal. After being tranquilised, the ink-black feline, which is believed to be five to six months old, was taken away in a cage and handed over to France's animal protection league. French police regularly report finding big snakes, lion cubs and other wild animals in private homes. They are often alerted by videos circulating on social media offering the creatures for sale. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/black-panther-found-roaming-french-rooftops/ar-AAHxkOA

Submerged for Decades, Spanish ‘Stonehenge’ Reemerges After Drought © Image: Pleonr/CC BY-SA 4.0 Low water levels due to drought conditions have fully exposed the Dolmen de Guadalperal, Spanish monumental site dating back to between 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Receding water levels in Spain’s Valdecañas Reservoir has exposed a stone monument dating back to between 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. Unusually warm weather produced drought conditions across much of Europe this past summer, including Spain. The lack of rain, while a headache for farmers and gardeners, has resulted in the complete re-emergence of an ancient megalithic site known as the Dolmen of Guadalperal, as reported in The Local. The site is located near the town of Peraleda de la Mata, and it’s normally submerged, either completely or partially, by the waters of the Valdecañas Reservoir. Originally constructed in Francoist Spain during the 1960s, the reservoir brought fresh water and hydroelectricity to underdeveloped regions in Spain, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory. At the same time, however, the reservoir required the flooding of some inhabited areas along the Tagus River—and also the Dolmen of Guadalperal. For nearly 60 years, the site has largely remained underwater, though the tips of the rocks have poked up through the surface when water levels are low (see, for example, this photo taken in 2012). Photos of the Dolmen of Guadalperal taken this past July, however, show the entire megalithic site liberated from its aquatic confines. So rare is the sight that locals are flocking to the Dolmen of Guadalperal to see it for themselves, reports The Local. Images taken by the Operational Land Imager on the Landsat 8 satellite show the extent of the drying along the Peraleda de la Mata coast. In a series of images provided by NASA’s Space Observatory, the reservoir can be seen on July 24, 2013, and July 25, 2019. The site dates to around 2,000 BCE to 3,000 BCE, and it presently consists of 144 stones, some reaching as high as 2 meters (6 feet). Some stones are etched with engravings of serpents. Like England’s Stonehenge, this megalithic monument is arranged in a circle-like pattern. Its purpose isn’t entirely clear, but Angel Castaño, a member of Raíces de Peralêda—a group dedicated to the preservation of the site—suspects it served a dual function, serving as both a religious site and a trading hub, reports The Local. © Image: Landsat/USGS A satellite photo showing water levels at Valdecañas Reservoir on July 25, 2019. Castaño and his colleagues told The Local that now’s the time, when the water is exceptionally low and the monuments are fully exposed, to relocate the site. Not only will this relocation help to preserve the stones, which are already showing signs of degradation, but it will also establish a new tourist attraction for the region, where few come to visit, Castaño told The Local. Removing and reinstalling the monuments would require some work, such as documenting the position, angle, and depth of each stone, but a task certainly within the realm of possibility. According to Repelando, ancient Romans looted the site, and some elements were removed by a German archaeologist in the 1920s. Aside from these disruptions, most of the stones are still resting in their original position, which will allow for a faithful reconstruction and ongoing scientific investigations of the site. © Image: Pleonr/CC BY-SA 4.0 A close-up of the freshly exposed monuments. The excessive heat and drought experienced across much of this Europe this summer may or may not be linked to human-induced climate change (spoiler alert: it is), but the odd juxtaposition of a warming climate and its penchant to expose previously hidden archaeological sites is not without precedent. In 2010, for example, retreating ice exposed 3,400-year-old pre-Viking hunting gear in Norway, and it’s possible that retreating ice caps also exposed Ötzi the Iceman, whose well-preserved remains were found in 1991 in the mountains along the Italian-Austrian border. These finds, along with the recent exposure of the Dolmen of Guadalperal, are certainly fortuitous, but climate change has the potential to inflict more evil than good as far as archaeology is concerned. Research from 2017 warned that sea-level rise could threaten as many as 32,000 prehistoric and historic archaeological sites in North America, depending on how high the waters rise. So yes, climate change still sucks. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/submerged-for-decades-spanish-stonehenge-reemerges-after-drought/ar-AAHyz1m

Denisovans: Face of long-lost human relative unveiled Researchers have provided the first glimpse of what an ancient group of humans looked like. Denisovan remains were discovered in 2008 and human evolution experts have become fascinated with the group that went extinct around 50,000 years ago. One of the biggest questions had been over their appearance, with no full sketches of the Denisovan drawn up. But now a team of researchers have produced reconstructions of our long-lost relatives. Who were the Denisovans? Around 100,000 years ago there were several different groups of humans including modern humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans. "In many ways, Denisovans resembled Neanderthals but in some traits they resembled us and in others they were unique," said Prof Liran Carmel, a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Denisovans are thought to have been based in Siberia and eastern Asia. Scientists have found evidence that the Denisovans lived at high altitudes in Tibet, passing on a gene that helps modern people cope at similar elevations. It is not yet known why they disappeared. They only came to the attention of the world after archaeologists investigated remains in a cave in Siberia little over a decade ago. So far, the only Denisovan remains discovered are three teeth, a pinky bone and a lower jaw. About 5% of the ancestry of people from Oceania can be traced to Denisovans, according to studies. What do the new reconstructions tell us? The reconstructions - based on complex DNA analysis of Denisovans, Neanderthals, Chimpanzees and humans - show that the Denisovan skull was probably wider than that of us or Neanderthals. They also appeared to have no chin. The experts predict many Denisovan traits that are similar to that of Neanderthals including a sloping forehead, long face and large pelvis and others that are unique among humans, like a large dental arch. Denisovans lived at high altitudes Prof Carmel told the BBC he was delighted to find that some of their predictions had been confirmed by the discovery of a Denisovan jawbone by separate researchers. "The jawbone was reported and we were very excited to see how it matched. It was kind of an independent confirmation of our method," he said. The reconstructions were just the start in Denisovan research, Prof Carmel said. "They were humans very similar to us so pointing out the differences between us is critical to understand what makes us human and what might have led to the way we adapted to the world," he said. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-49760240

Switzerland winger Xherdan Shaqiri, 27, says he feels "a little downbeat" at his lack of playing time at Liverpool this season but insists he is "comfortable" at Anfield. (Liverpool Echo)

Science & Environment Giving birth two million years ago was 'relatively easy' Human childbirth can be a long, painful, drawn-out process, needing assistance and sometimes taking days. So why do close living relatives like chimps have an easier labour, giving birth in hours and on their own? In an attempt to answer this evolutionary question, scientists have been looking at how ancient members of the human family tree gave birth. Human-like relatives two million years ago had it "pretty easy", according to birth reconstruction in a fossil. For Australopithecus sediba, which lived 1.95 million years ago in South Africa, we see "a relatively easy birth process", says study researcher Dr Natalie Laudicina. "The foetal head and shoulder breadth have ample space to pass through even the tightest dimensions of the maternal birth canal," she says. It's a different story today, where the size and shape of the modern pelvis (a trade-off needed for walking upright), and the large size of a baby's head, make for a tight fit. Human infants have to make several rotations through the birth canal during labour, rather than popping straight out. By studying the few female pelvises we have of our ancient human-like relatives - only six spanning more than three million years of evolution - researchers can get an idea of what birth might have been like further back in the human family tree. It's not the case, though, that birth became progressively more difficult during the course of human evolution. As the University of Boston anthropologist explains, the fossil "Lucy" (Australopithecus afarensis) had a more difficult birth process than A. sediba, in terms of a tighter fit between the foetus and the birth canal, but lived about a million years earlier. Caesarean births 'affecting evolution' Human origins story takes a new turn Advanced ape skull find changes human origin ideas "There is a tendency to think about the evolution of human birth as a transition from an 'easy', ape-like birth to a 'difficult', modern birth," says Dr Laudicina, who reports the team's findings in the journal, Plos One. "Instead, what we are seeing is that is not the case. " Answering the question of when modern childbirth evolved is complicated, she says, because each fossil in the human family tree exhibited their own obstetric challenges. And even today we see a variation in how women give birth: some women have relatively easy births that take no time at all, while other women have births that last more than 20 hours with extreme pain. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49733888

UK weather forecast: Hurricane Humberto to batter Britain with wind and rain Hurricane Humberto is heading directly for the UK, with the remnants of the storm expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds, according to the Met Office. The ex-tropical storm is due to make landfall in Britain next week, marking an end to the summer weather. Temperatures should reach 25C on Saturday on what will be the final day of a mini-heatwave across the UK. But the country will get a soaking on Sunday as temperatures start to drop and conditions will finally begin to feel more Autumnal. FULL REPORT

The media like the bullshit Sun Teso were hailing Zidane as the next messiah when he won the UEFA Championship Cup 3 years on the trot, now he is just plain Zidane and nothing else, I have always liked the guy.

Any more about this floating around in the Spanish press @SirBalon or any truth in it?...or is just the normal Sun bullshit Fuming Real Madrid fans have called for Zinedine Zidane to be sacked as Real Madrid boss after Paris St-Germain thrashed his side in the Champions League. (Sun)

Gunners boss Unai Emery sent his players on a team bonding night in London hours after their woeful display against Watford on Sunday. (Mirror)

Chelsea have opened talks with forward Tammy Abraham and defender Fikayo Tomori to give the English 21-year-olds new five-year contracts. (Guardian)