Fans splash out 3,000 pounds for plane-carried ‘Come home Ronaldo’ message
London: Manchester United fans” plane-carried messages obsession has taken a step ahead with their latest effort reportedly attempted to bring their former forward Cristiano Ronaldo back home to Old Trafford.
The Real Madrid forward, who left United back in 2009 after six successful years with the club, is rumored to be thinking about a return to United in the summer, and the club”s fans are ramping up their efforts to seduce the Portuguese international back with their latest airborne banner. A United fans group have splashed out nearly 3,000 pounds for a plane to fly over Real Madrid”s game with Villarreal on Saturday while carrying the message ”Come home Ronaldo”, Metro.co.uk reported.
The group”s founder, Oli Grandidge, said that they have active supporters on every continent of the world and they are all united by their love for Ronaldo both as a football player and as a person. Grandidge added that they would not stop until they bring Ronaldo home.
He said that members from all over the world have donated their own money and resources to fund a mid game message, flown by plane, in a bid to demonstrate to Ronaldo how much the United faithful still love and support him. (ANI)
Tibetan mastiff cloned for commercial use
Beijing: China’s first commercial cloning company hopes to improve the country’s pet market through more high-quality breeds.
The joint venture between Boya Life, based in Wuxi City in Jiangsu Province, and Sooam Biotech Research Foundation of South Korea, was set up in Weihai City in east China’s Shandong Province Wednesday, Xinhua reported.
On the same day, three pure-blooded Tibetan mastiff puppies cloned by the company were born to a surrogate mother.
The puppies were cloned from an eight-year-old hound named Jiama. The shaggy, lion-like mastiff, native to southwest China’s Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, has won several championships in China for the breed.
The Tibetan mastiff is one of the world’s most expensive dog breeds. A pure pedigree pup was sold for a record 15 million yuan ($2.4 million) last year.
The breed, known for its loyal but fierce disposition, has traditionally been used as a shepherd and watchdog by Tibetan herders. In recent years, these have been preferred pets and guardians for the country’s nouveau riche.
The issue of cloning is still controversial. Prior to the firm’s establishment, cloning in China had been limited to scientific research. More and more companies have shown interest in investing in the technology for commercial use, such as in the animal husbandry industry. (IANS)
Robot cheerleading squad showcases sensor technology
Tokyo: A team of cheerleading robots made their dancing debut in Tokyo on Thursday as creator Murata Manufacturing demonstrated its cutting-edge sensor technology. With curtains pulled back and Japanese pop music pulsing in the background, 10 doll-like robot girls with illuminated pom-poms rolled out onto a stage to perform their choreographed routine.
The cheerleaders stand just 36 centimetres tall with matching bob hairstyles that hide the complicated machinery inside their heads. The team’s advanced gyro sensors, which are usually found in cars and digital cameras, keep them from falling off the balls that they wobble on during their routine, Murata said. The cute creations have LED eyes that shine in different colours as they manoeuvre into various formations including a heart shape, diagonal lines and a moving figure of eight.
“Of course they cannot jump like true cheerleaders,” said Koichi Yoshikawa, a Murata engineer involved developing the technology. “But the idea is that they are doing their best to stay stable on their little ball, as if they were telling the team, ‘hang on, do your best’!” Group-control technology, developed in collaboration with Kyoto University, makes sure that the robots move in a synchronised way and don’t crash into each other.
That promise got off to a shaky start, however, as several dolls collided and fell over during the first take in front of assembled media – prompting assistants to remove clumsy members of the squad. (PTI)
US preschool teacher arrested on charges of biting toddler
WASHINGTON: A Virginia preschool teacher has been arrested and charged with assault and battery after she allegedly punished a 13-month-old boy by biting his shoulder, police said on Monday.
Theresa Brown, 24, is accused of biting the toddler on September 11 at The Goddard School in Woodbridge, Virginia, a private school about 22 miles (35km) southwest of Washington, according to Prince William county police.
Brown bit the child who was enrolled at the school, leaving a visible mark, as punishment after he had bitten another teacher, police said.
A witness reported the incident to the school’s 24-year-old co-owner, Nadia Choudhry. Choudhry did not report the incident and was charged with failing to report the offense to authorities, which state law requires, police said.
Officials at the school, described on its website as serving infants to school-age children, declined to comment.
As of Monday, Brown was no longer listed online as a member of Goddard faculty. (Reuters)
US woman accused of chewing up back seat of police car
SALMON (Idaho): An Idaho woman accused of chewing up the back seat of a police cruiser after being arrested in a pepper spray incident could face up to five years in prison if convicted of a felony charge linked to the damage, authorities said on Tuesday.
Staci Spence, 42, is expected to enter a plea in coming days to a charge of malicious injury to property tied to allegations she gnawed through the upholstery and foam cushioning of the back seat of a patrol vehicle, according to Bonner county sheriff’s deputy Josh Florea.
He said deputies were called to a rural neighborhood outside the northern Idaho city of Sandpoint last week after a couple accused Spence, of nearby Colburn, of dousing them with pepper spray,
Officers seeking to arrest Spence for battery found her “highly intoxicated, kicking and fighting and screaming profanities,” leading to additional misdemeanor charges of assaulting an officer and resisting arrest, Florea said.
Deputies learned of Spence’s attack on their vehicle after driving her to the county detention facility, where she is jailed on $32,000 bond, he said.
Spence has been assigned a public defender, who declined comment on Tuesday. (Reuters)
US TV reporter quits on air to promote marijuana
ANCHORAGEL: A reporter for an Alaska TV station revealed on the air that she owns a medical marijuana business and was quitting her job to advocate for the drug.
After reporting on the Alaska Cannabis Club on Sunday night’s broadcast, KTVA’s Charlo Greene identified herself as the business’s owner and said she would be devoting all her energy to fighting for “freedom and fairness.” She then used an expletive to quit her job, and walked off-camera.
In a statement on KTVA’s website, news director Bert Rudman apologized for Greene’s “inappropriate language” and said she was terminated.
Alaska voters decide November 4 whether to legalize recreational pot. Measure 2 would be similar to Washington and Colorado’s legalization laws. (AP)