AIRCRAFT STORIES - Plane carrying 200 people forced to circle over Norway for THREE hours to burn off jet fuel before making an emergency landing with a suspected flat tyre

Plane carrying 200 people forced to circle over Norway for THREE hours to burn off jet fuel before making an emergency landing with a suspected flat tyre

• Novair Airbus A321 landed safely at Oslo's main airport on Sunday night
• A tyre may have been punctured when the plane was taking off
• Plane was filled with holidaymakers en route to Greek island of Crete  

By CHRIS KITCHING FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 09:10 GMT, 1 September 2014 | UPDATED: 12:38 GMT, 1 September 2014

A passenger plane with a suspected flat tyre was forced to circle over Norway for nearly three hours before making an emergency landing at the capital's main airport.

The plane circled the skies to burn off fuel before attempting the landing at Oslo Airport in Gardermoen.

The Novair Airbus A321 was carrying almost 200 passengers and crew when it landed safely on Sunday night.

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A Novair Airbus A321 with a suspected punctured tyre makes an emergency landing at Oslo Airport

A tyre may have been punctured when the plane was taking off while en route to Chania on the Greek island of Crete.

The flight crew declared an emergency and the airport activated a full alert, The Local reported. 

 

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The plane was carrying mostly Norwegian citizens who were heading to Greece for their holidays.

After the plane landed, Lasse André Vangstein, press officer at Oslo airport, told the Norwegian News Agency (NTB): 'It went very well. The plane landed normally without any indications of any errors.

'It is too early to say whether there really was a puncture or just an [instrument] indication of a puncture.' 

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Emergency: The Novair Airbus A321 is believed to have suffered a punctured tyre upon take-off

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The plane's flight crew declared an emergency and circled over Norway for almost three hours to burn off fuel

Worried mother Jane Andersen, whose 11-year-old son, Magnus, was on the plane with his father, rushed to the airport when she learned of the emergency landing.

She heard the plane landed safely while she was en route to see him: 'It was a relief. Now the only thing I want to do is just give [Magnus] a hug.'

The passengers were offered hotel rooms and were scheduled to make the four-hour flight to Chania on Monday morning. 

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2739594/Plane-carrying-200-people-forced-circle-

MONEY MATTERS - Bulldozed casinos, uninhabited islands and empty theme parks: The world's most expensive tourist-attraction failures

Bulldozed casinos, uninhabited islands and empty theme parks: The world's most expensive tourist-attraction failures

By JOHN HUTCHINSON FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 15:41 GMT, 31 August 2014 | UPDATED: 12:09 GMT, 1 September 2014

When designing a tourist attraction, longevity, costings and appeal, you would think, are crucial elements to work through.

However as we will see from these sites from around the world, a dream can turn into a disaster for developers and tourists alike.

Uninhabited islands, locked up gates and amusement parks that are devoid of 'fun' show the sad state of affairs when plans fall through and management goes awry.

MailOnline has selected seven developments that cost the proverbial arm and a leg, yet have seen little or in some cases, no return.

Scroll down for video...

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The tower was designed by Foster & Partners as a non-gaming boutique hotel. Serious construction defects to the building were 

discovered in 2008, and the project was halted indefinitely

Harmon Hotel, Las Vegas - cost £170m

It was designed as a glamorous 48-storey tower, complete with boutique hotel, in America's Sin City.

But the Harmon Hotel was indefinitely put on hold in 2008 after serious construction defects were detected with the building. Flaws in the steel structure prompted experts to warn that the skyscraper could collapse in the event of a strong earthquake.

Originally part of a £5billion development, the building then became the subject of a £241million lawsuit.

Now MGM, the company behind the construction, is dismantling the tower, at an estimated cost of £20million.

That's a lot of cash for a hotel that never opened.

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The tower is now mainly used for advertising after defects inside the building halted construction in 2008

The World Islands, Dubai - Cost estimated at £8bn

Following the success of Dubai's Palm, a man-made island designed to look like a tree, the wealthy emirate decided to take over the world.

Work began on the scattering of 300 islands in 2003, with the idea of selling each 'country' off to a wealthy buyer so they could construct their own properties.

But when the financial crisis hit in 2008, construction was halted. More than half of the islands had already been sold, but development halted, leaving many of them abandoned.

In 2011, it was reported that some of the islands were sinking due erosion and tribunal cases were brought against the state-owned company Dubai World that was behind the project and had to be bailed out of debts of up to £15billion in 2009.

As the financial crisis eased, work began again and some islands have been developed since late 2013.

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The World Islands, so called as they are constructed in the rough shape of a map of the world, are an artificial archipelago of various small islands located in the waters of the Persian Gulf

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The development is located near the palm island, one of the most sought after areas of real estate in the Emirate state

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The islands - which are supposed to be filled with properties - are virtually empty after potential investors did not buy up the space

Berlin Brandenburg airport - Cost between £2bn - £5bn

It was supposed to hail a new era of travel in Germany, a slick new airport in Berlin to replace the current Schonefeld and Tegel hubs.

But despite an opening date of June 2012, airlines had already scheduled to re-route all their fights to Berlin Brandenburg when suddenly the project was delayed with just three-and-a-half weeks notice.

Despite a host of new proposed opening dates, the airport has stood as a white elephant ever since, due to problems with the building's fire detection system.

The airport, originally set to cost £900million, went enormously over budget at £2.8billion, and following a request for an £800million bailout earlier this year, the costs keep soaring.

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The plan for Brandenburg is to replace both the Schonefeld and Berlin Tegel airports. It was projected to be the one of the busiest in Europe with estimates of 27 million annual passengers. Poor construction, planning and management has meant that the airport is some way from its projected 2010 opening. 

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The deserted terminal building at the airport that was supposed to be one of the busiest in Europe

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It is believed it could be as late as 2019 when the airport is open to the public

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Only two years after opening for trading, the Revel Casino is closing its doors next month. Innovative planning was hoped to counter the declining gambling industry - yet two bankruptcies later after never turning a profit, the game is over for this organisation

Revel Casino, Atlantic City - Cost £1.5bn

The idea for the Revel Casino, complete with 3,800 hotel rooms, was launched to great fanfare back in 2007.

However, by 2009, Revel Entertainment started running out of money half-way through the project and laid off 400 workers.

The company said it would finish the exterior while looking for money to build the rest. However, by 2011, Revel had to scale down its plans, limiting the development to a 1,100 hotel before finally opening to the public in 2012.

But its woes didn't end there. Revel was forced to file for bankruptcy in May 2013 and the hotel and casino are closing down this month.

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The seats in front of the slot machines have been left empty following a number of bankruptcies

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A man stands against the wall of the deserted casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Wonderland Amusement Park, Beijing - Cost £80m

It was to be China's answer to Disneyland - a magnificent theme park attracting millions of visitors a year with state-of-the art rides in a chintzy fairytale setting.

But Wonderland, now little more than an eerie Ghost town on the outskirts of Beijing, is finally to be torn down after a catastrophic history stretching over 15 years.

Construction work at the 120 acre site ground to a halt in 1998 due to a dispute between the developers and the landowners and a corruption scandal that went right to the heart of the communist party.

Back in the mid 1990s, developers Huabin foresaw a bustling theme park attracting some three million visitors and generating 6 billion RMB ($1 billion) a year.

Crucially they had secured the backing Chen Xitong, then the Beijing Party Secretary who was being tipped to become the country's next leader.

But when Chen was jailed for corruption in 1998, his successor, perhaps scared of being tarred with the same brush, refused to support the project.

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Situated 20 miles north of the hive that is Beijing, there was a lot of excitement about the theme park.It was to be China's answer to Disneyland

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Wonderland, now little more than an eerie ghost town on the outskirts of Beijing, is finally to be torn down after a catastrophic history stretching over 15 years

Ryugyong Hotel, North Korea - Cost £450m

The 1,082ft-high Ryugyong Hotel was due to open last summer, an astonishing 24 years behind schedule. But it has been put off indefinitely once again.

Work on the bizarre triangle building actualy began in 1987 under the regime of Kim Jong-Un’s grandfather, Kim Il-Sung. It was meant to open in glory and overshadow South Korea hosting the 1988 Olympics, but money ran out and work slowed. It finally ground to a halt in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union - part of an economic disaster which plunged the country into famine.

Over the decades the building became known as the 'Hotel of Doom' and a laughing stock in the West until work suddenly began once again in 2008.

A Egyptian developer came in, Kempinski signed up to operate the hotel and it was scheduled for a 2013 opening. But that date has passed, Kempinski appears to be distancing itself from the project and the Ryugyung Hotel remains the Guinness World Record as the tallest unoccupied building in the world.

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It was set to be opened in 1989, comprising of seven restaurants that would spin, as well as marketing itself as the tallest building in the country

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After 1992 the building stood topped out, but without any windows or interior fittings. In 2008 construction resumed and in 2011, the exterior was reported to be complete. The opening has been scheduled several times but postponed

One minute look at Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea

Mirny Diamond Mine, Russia - Cost Free (If you can get there)

A source of diamonds, you would think, can always be a good thing. However, the Mirny Diamond Mine in Russia comes with a special hazard. 

The hole opening has been declared so big that planes are barred from flying over it in case they get sucked in. So this is a case of it being profitable - but only if you can get there!

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A source of diamonds, you would think, can always be a good thing. However, the Mirny Diamond Mine in Russia comes with a special hazard 

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The hole opening has been declared so big that planes are barred from flying over it in case they get sucked in. So this is a case of it being profitable - if you can get there!

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

INFO FOR SMOKERS - E-cigarettes 'contain higher levels of certain toxins than regular cigarettes'

E-cigarettes 'contain higher levels of certain toxins than regular cigarettes' 

• U.S. researchers found vapour from e-cigarettes contains toxic element chromium and four times more nickel than found in normal cigarettes
• They were also found to contain lead, zinc and other toxic metals
•  World Health Organisation has called for e-cigarettes to be banned indoors and advertising stopped until industry provides evidence for claims
• British Medical Association has called for tighter regulation of the gadgets so they can't be aggressively marketed to minors
• BBC investigation found toxic chemical dialectyl in one brand of e-cigarettes, which when inhaled can lead to serious lung disease
• 
  

By MADLEN DAVIES FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 10:00 GMT, 1 September 2014 | UPDATED: 11:54 GMT, 1 September 2014

E-cigarettes can contain higher amounts of certain toxins than regular cigarettes, according to U.S. scientists.

Researchers at the University of South California found vapour emitted by the gadgets contains the toxic element chromium, which is not found in traditional cigarettes, as well as four times more nickel than found in traditional tobacco.

The electronic replacements also contain lead, zinc and other toxic metals, although in lower levels than cigarettes.

Professor Constantinos Sioutas, from the University of South California said the raised levels of toxic metals found in electronic cigarettes are concerning, although overall his research found e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes.

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Researchers at the University of South California found vapour emitted by the gadgets contains the toxic element chromium, which is not found in traditional cigarettes, as well as four times more nickel than found in traditional tobacco

He said: ‘Our results demonstrate that overall electronic cigarettes seem to be less harmful than regular cigarettes, but their elevated content of toxic metals such as nickel and chromium do raise concerns.’

Lead author of the study, Arian Saffari, added: 'The metal particles likely come from the cartridge of the e-cigarette devices themselves – which opens up the possibility that better manufacturing standards for the devices could reduce the quantity of metals in the smoke.

'Studies of this kind are necessary for implementing effective regulatory measures. E-cigarettes are so new, there just isn’t much research available on them yet.'

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For this study, the researchers conducted all of the experiments in offices and rooms.

 While volunteer subjects were smoking regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes, the researchers collected particles in the indoor air and studied the chemical content and sources of the samples.

'Offices and rooms– not laboratories – are the environments where you’re likely to be exposed to second-hand e-cigarette smoke, so we did our testing there to better simulate real-life exposure conditions,' Dr Saffari said.

The research comes after the World Health Organisation issued a report advising that the use of e-cigarettes should be banned indoors and all advertising stopped until the industry produces ‘convincing supporting scientific evidence and obtains regulatory approval’.

Professor Constantinos Sioutas, from the University of South California, branded the findings a 'concern'

Backing this call, Ram Moorth, deputy chair of the British Medical Association’s board of science called for further regulation of e-cigarettes. 

He told Forbes tight controls are needed so that they aren't aggressively marketed towards young people and so that their sale doesn't normalise the act of smoking.

He said: ‘Tighter controls are needed to ensure their use does not undermine current tobacco control measures and reinforces the normalcy of smoking behaviour.

'There is a need for research to understand the health impacts of e-Cigarettes on both the user and bystanders, and it is vital that the sale of e-cigarettes is appropriately regulated to ensure they are not sold to minors, and are not aggressively marketed to young people as tobacco was in the past.’

He added that health claims made by companies selling e-cigarettes need to be backed up by independent scientific evidence.

He said: ‘Any health claims must be substantiated by robust independent scientific evidence to ensure that the consumer is fully informed regarding potential benefits and risks of e-Cigarettes.’ 

REVEALED: LIQUID FOUND IN E-CIGARETTES LINKED TO SERIOUS LUNG DISEASE

E-cigarettes sold in the north east of England were found to contain a chemical called diacetyl, which can cause serious lung disease when inhaled

E-cigarettes sold in the north east of England were found to contain a chemical called diacetyl, which can cause serious lung disease when inhaled.

Diacetyl- used to add butterscotch flavour to liquid tobacco- is harmless to eat, but when inhaled is known to cause a serious condition called ‘popcorn lung’, or bronchiolitis obliterans. 

‘Popcorn lung’, which struck workers in popcorn factories who inhaled large amounts of diacetyl, is an irreversible disease which scars the lung and makes it impossible to breathe properly.

The e-cigarettes were being made by one of the country’s biggest e-cigarettes firms VIP, and have been withdrawn following an investigation by the BBC.

VIP have withdrawn the product, and Lynne White, head of retail for the company said VIP was investigating how this happened.

She told the BBC: ‘This is our first issue in five years. We sell millions of bottles a year. We are very sorry it has happened, we are investigating how it has happened.’

Dr Graham Burns, consultant physician in Respiratory Medicine at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust told the BBC that popcorn lung can sometimes be so severe it leads to a lung transplantation.

He said: ‘That particular chemical - diacetyl - is associated with an unusual but well-established lung condition called popcorn worker’s lung.’

‘It has been inhaled in significant quantities in people who worked in popcorn manufacturing factories.’

‘In those individuals it has caused a very serious lung condition, serious enough to warrant lung transplantation.’ 

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

VIDEO - Ungka Buli Kucing

SLEEP BETTER - The Real Reason You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

HOW TO GET MORE SLEEP

The Real Reason You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

Clock more Zzz’s before you burn out

PUBLISHED: NOVEMBER 1, 2013  |  BY KENNY THAPOUNG

JOHAN LARSON/SHUTTERSTOCK

It’s time to give your Twitter refresh button a break: Web browsing throughout the day may cut into your sleep time, according to a new study conducted by the Technology Policy Institute.

Researchers collected data from the American Time Use Survey, which tracks the time people spend doing different activities such as work, volunteering, and socializing. The findings? Every minute someone surfs the web—checking social media, watching online movies, reading e-mail—was correlated with a seven-second sleep loss. 

While that number might not seem like a big deal, consider this: If you spend three hours online in a day, that means you’re likely to lose 20 minutes of sleep that night—which can seriously screw with your body. And although the study doesn’t prove computer time causes sleep deprivation, it does show a relationship between online activity and sleep deprivation.

Sure, it’s hard to disconnect and live offline with today’s technology—but it’s not as hard as you may think to get more sleep. Try a few sleep postures to get comfy and cozy between the sheets. 

Source: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/

PENDEDAHAN - Sampai bunuh anak sendiri

Harian Metro

Melaka: Bermula dengan siasatan kes curi kenderaan, polis membongkarkan rahsia sepasang kekasih yang dipercayai membunuh seorang kanak-kanak dengan penemuan rangka mangsa ditanam di belakang sebuah rumah di Taman Bayan, Bukit Katil, di sini, semalam.

Dalam kejadian jam 7 pagi itu, rangka kanak-kanak lelaki itu ditemui berbalut dengan kain batik yang ditanam pada kedalaman 0.3 meter di belakang rumah teres dua tingkat yang disewa pasangan terbabit pada awal tahun ini.

Menurut sumber, rahsia pasangan itu terbongkar selepas mereka ditahan polis dalam satu serbuan di sebuah rumah di Muar, Johor jam 2 pagi, semalam.

Siasatan lanjut mendapati suspek lelaki itu terbabit dengan satu laporan curi kereta dan pada mulanya siasatan tertumpu kepada kes itu dengan memanggil pemilik kenderaan iaitu bapa saudaranya.

Ketika memberi keterangan, bapa saudara suspek yang berusia 50 tahun memaklumkan cucu saudaranya disyaki dibunuh,” katanya, di sini, semalam.

Sementara itu, Pemangku Ketua Polis Daerah Melaka Tengah Superintendan Razali Abu Bakar berkata, suspek berusia 25 tahun dan pasangannya berusia 24 tahun itu dibawa ke lokasi untuk membantu siasatan.

Katanya, rangka mangsa ditemui di dalam sebuah lubang berhadapan pintu belakang rumah teres dua tingkat itu selepas digali sepasukan anggotanya.