Smiley News Blog

On the final day of Winter Olympics 2010 FEMEN went out on ice to show the national despair on complete failure of Ukrainian National Olympic Team.

Scientists investigating a large crater initially believed to have been caused by a meteorite said a closer analysis today revealed it was a hoax.

Experts in the Baltic country rushed to the site after reports that a metorite-like object had crashed late last night in the Mazsalaca region near the Estonian border.

This is not a real crater. It is artificial,  Uldis Nulle, a scientist at the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center, said after inspecting the site today.

Earlier Uldis had said his first impression late last night was that the crater had been caused by a meteorite. He said there was smoke coming out of the hole when he arrived.

But on seeing the hole in daylight today, he and several other scientists changed they mind.

They said it was too tidy to have been caused by a meteorite.

It’s artificial, dug by shovel, said Girts Stinkulis, a geologist at the University of Latvia.

Dainis Ozols, a nature conservationist, said he believes someone dug the hole and tried to make it look like a meteorite crater by burning some pyrotechnic compound at the bottom. He added he would analyse some samples taken from the site.

Sigita Pildava, a spokeswoman for the State Police, said it wasn’t immediately clear whether police would open an investigation into the hoax.

Inga Vetere of the Fire and Rescue Service said they received a call about the alleged meteorite on Sunday evening from an eyewitness. She said a military unit was dispatched to the site and found that radiation levels were normal.

Experts outside Latvia said it would be unusual for such a large meteorite to hit the Earth. The planet is constantly bombarded with objects from outer space, but most burn up in the atmosphere and never reach the surface.

In 2007, a meteorite crashed near Lake Titicaca in Peru, causing a crater about 40 feet (12 meters) wide and 15 feet (five meters) deep.

Asta Pellinen-Wannberg, a meteorite expert at the Swedish Institute of Space Research, said she didn’t know the details of the Latvian incident, but that a rock would have to be at least three feet (one meter) in diameter to create a hole that size.

Henning Haack, a lecturer at Copenhagen University’s Geological Museum, said when it comes to alleged meteorite crashes, there always is a pretty large margin of error.

If billboards can be used to give out free samples of scarves, caps and gloves, why not a little sympvertising in the form of a branded dinghy? Which is just what Indian mobile provider Aircel recently did in Mumbai in the days leading up to this year’s monsoons.

Aircel’s billboard, erected by outdoor agency Primesite near Mumbai’s Milan Subway, bore a large, inflated dinghy along with the line, “In case of emergency, cut rope.” And on July 15, such an emergency did indeed arise when monsoon floods made the Milan Subway virtually impassable. The rope was cut on Aircel’s billboard, the boat was released, and stranded pedestrians were ferried to safety. The result? Near constant local media attention for Aircel, even including the headline, “Aircel did what [government agency] BMC did not.” Reportedly, Aircel now plans to implement something similar in Delhi and Kolkata as well, according to afaqs.

Beyond generating free publicity, of course—glowing as it was—Aircel’s effort is also a prime example of the corporate generosity that’s increasingly being expected by today’s consumers—referred to by our sister site as Generation G. Whether it’s helping wildfire victims find a bed for the night or generating support so financially strapped families can keep their homes, there are countless ways companies can show that they care. Help consumers, and you help yourself!

Solving our energy crisis requires serious manpower— and serious incentives. That’s why Scotland has launched the $15 million (€10 million) Saltire Prize Challenge to create commercially viable wave or tidal power.

In order to win the award, teams have to prove out their technology in Scottish waters. The winning team is required to supply sea power for a two year period.

Ocean power is a big deal for Scotland, which has been called the “Saudi Arabia of marine energy”. The country holds a quarter of Europe’s wave power potential.

But while Scotland will certainly reap the majority of the benefits from the contest, other countries with lesser ocean power potential will still be able to make use of the technology— once marine power is economically viable, it will become much more attractive to nations around the world.

KYLIE Minogue’s X2008 tour has been confirmed for Europe between May and August but, so far, the star has kept her local fans in limbo with no Australian dates confirmed.

“Hopefully the tour will come here. No doubt it will happen,” Minogue told the Herald Sun yesterday.

“I’m sure everyone’s wary of overloading me when I haven’t even gone into rehearsals yet.

“The last thing I would want to do is have people buy tickets and me not make it, like last time (Minogue’s 2005 Homecoming tour was postponed after she was diagnosed with breast cancer).

“That sounds dramatic but I just need to take it one step at a time. So far I think it’s fair.

“I’m going to some countries I’ve never been to before.”

The singer was scheduled to meet promoter Michael Gudinski in Sydney last night about a possible Australian leg for the tour.

Minogue albums will be in Germany for her 40th birthday on May 28 and her tour itinerary has kept the date free.

“I haven’t planned anything yet but I’m always last-minute with my birthdays,” she said.

“I do know I don’t want to stay in my hotel that night.”

The pending milestone has reignited rumours about plastic surgery.

“You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t,” Minogue said of the constant speculation about her looks.

“If you look terrible people say, ‘Oh my God, she looks horrible!’ If you look great people say, ‘Hmmmm, she looks too great’, so you might as well do what you want.”

After a holiday in Melbourne, Minogue embarked on a Sydney jaunt yesterday to promote her X album.

She made a visit to Sydney’s Children’s Hospital, which stretched to 2 1/2 hours.

“Kids who hadn’t smiled in ages had a smile on their face as soon as they saw her,” a Minogue spokeswoman said.

Minogue’s year began with an OBE for services to music.

“It was a total surprise, really amazing. My mum and dad were thrilled. The phone didn’t stop ringing,” she said.

Today she flies to LA to film back-to-back videos for her next two singles, Wow and In My Arms.

While in LA, Minogue will be honoured at the G’Day USA gala on January 19.

Grease fan Minogue’s award will be presented by John Travolta, while Olivia Newton-John will also sing.

“I grew up with Grease — I’ve been waiting for this moment since I was eight years old,” Minogue said.

Minogue Showgirl Homecoming Live enjoyed a low-key Christmas-New Year.

She stayed off the radar at her French Island retreat, before being spotted in Melbourne over the past week.

“I was extremely boring,” Minogue said.

“I went to all my regular haunts — Cafe E Cucina, Il Bacaro, Nobu and Rockpool.”

Minogue I Believe In You (Live In Australia, November 2006) was also a regular at the Greville St headquarters of designers J’Aton, who have made the dress she will wear at G’Day USA.

Her fansites were swamped with sightings in Prahran.

“That (dress) took three fittings, I was in Greville St a lot,” Minogue joked.

She also saw the exhibition of her friend Nick Cave at the Arts Centre.

But Minogue didn’t find time to examine the sculpture of her in Docklands.

“I would like to see it. I do feel very honoured to have a statue in my hometown,” she said, adding she was surprised at its hands-in-the-air pose.

“I’m not sure that’s one of my poses.“