WOW! GERMANY TRASHING OF BRAZIL TOPS LIST OF UK MOST TWEETED MOMENTS IN 2014

Football they say is a language the whole world understands. Reports from the most tweeted moments in UK for 2014 saw mostly the world cup moments topping the chat. Big up to the beautiful game.

TWO HOSTAGES DEAD AS POLICE KILL MUSLIM GUNMAN IN SYDNEY CAFE SIEGE

An Iranian-born gunman was killed, two of his hostages are dead and four injured after a dramatic and chaotic firefight brought an end to a terrorist siege at a Sydney cafe.

Teams of heavily armed police swooped on the Lindt Chocolat cafe in a hail of gunfire, ending a tense stand-off where a jihadist had been holding around 20 people captive for around 17 hours.

Police issued a statement describing the event as a confrontation with a 50-year man, who they said died after shots were fired. The man was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital, police said.

A man, aged 34, and a woman, aged 38, also died, the police said in their statement.

Of the injured, two women have non life-threatening injuries and a police officer was injured by gunshot pellets, the police said. Another woman has a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

Live television coverage earlier showed at least two people being taken away from the scene on stretchers, while one hostage was seen being carried out of the building. She appeared to be in pain and blood flowed down her legs.

Nine News reported that eleven hostages had been accounted for after the police raid, which occurred shortly after 2am. 

Seven Network reporter Chris Reason, who was watching the siege from his newsroom across the road, said Monis was attempting to usher the hostages from one side of the café to the other when a group broke away.

Initially one man emerged from the cafe with his hands up and lay down on the ground in front of police. Seconds later, a group of at least five hostages escaped from the cafe.

It is believed that Monis then fired his shotgun, reportedly killing one of his captives. This appeared to be the trigger for tactical police to move in. Within seconds, they had blasted through the cafe door and opened fire with automatic weapons, also hurling what appeared to be stun grenades. The sounds of explosions echoed through the city, and the flashes of rifle fire and the grenades lit up the area.

The gunfight lasted less than two minutes, and more hostages emerged after the police raid.

As the scene calmed down, a bomb disposal robot was seen entering the cafe. 

The dramatic end to the siege came after the gunman was revealed as self-proclaimed Islamic cleric Man Haron Monis.

Monis, a 49-year-old man living in southwest Sydney, came to Australia from Iran as a refugee in 1996. 

He first came to the attention of authorities when he started sending hate mail to the families of Australian dead soldiers between 2007 and 2009, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The siege in the Lindt cafe in Martin Place on Monday reportedly followed an unsuccessful effort to have a conviction related to penning those letters overturned in the High Court on Friday, according to The Age.

Monis received 300 community service hours and a two-year good behaviour bond for the correspondence, which he claims were his version of sympathy cards and sent with the help from his girlfriend Amirah Droudis. 

KIM KARDHASHIAN STUNS IN A CLASSY GREEN PUSH-UP BRA

Super Kim looking smoking in a green push-up bra at the19th Annual ACRIA Holiday Dinner in New York City on Wednesday.

Kim enhanced her already very ample assets by squeezing them into a textured green push-up bra top, which allowed her to show off a lot of cleavage.

The 34-year-old teamed the sexy top with a long peach satin pencil skirt – one of her favourite wardrobe items that is so well-loved, the hem was coming undone.

Petite Kim gave herself a boost with heeled gold chain sandals, and wore her raven locks down, glossy and full of volume.

WEARING MAKE UP IS DANGEROUS DURING PREGNANCY; BEAUTY CHEMICALS CAUSES LOWER IQ IN KIDS STUDY SHOWS

A controversial study claims to have found a link between wearing make-up during pregnancy and lower IQ scores in children.

Exposure to the highest levels of two phthalate chemicals led to a lowering of IQ scores at age seven by more than six points, US scientists found.

The scientists claim the link remained after taking account of known factors that can influence child IQ, such as the mother's intelligence and the quality of the home environment.

Exposure to the highest levels of two phthalate chemicals, which can be found in lipstick and other cosmetics, led to a lowering of IQ scores at age seven by more than six points, US scientists found

Phthalates are man-made chemicals thought to interfere with the natural hormones that are crucial to overall health.

They are found in everything from PVC flooring and shower curtains to car dashboards – and may also be in our food. Tiny particles can enter our systems either through breathing or eating. 

Researchers in the New York investigated four phthalates and demonstrated an association with two, known as DnBP and DiBP.

Both are found in a wide range of consumer products including dryer sheets, vinyl fabrics, lipstick, hairspray, nail polish and some soaps.

Children of mothers whose exposure to DnBP and DiBP was in the top 25 per cent had IQ scores 6.6 and 7.6 points lower, respectively, than those of mothers exposed to the lowest concentrations

'The magnitude of these IQ differences is troubling,' said Professor Robin Whyatt, from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, who took part in the study.

'A six or seven-point decline in IQ may have substantial consequences for academic achievement and occupational potential.'

The scientists assessed the pthalate exposure of 328 New York City women and their children, all of whom were from low-income communities.

Break down chemicals from the compounds left after they had been processed in the body were measured in urine samples during the last three months of pregnancy.

Children of mothers whose exposure to DnBP and DiBP was in the top 25 per cent had IQ scores 6.6 and 7.6 points lower, respectively, than those of mothers exposed to the lowest concentrations.

Associations were also seen for specific aspects of IQ, such as perceptual reasoning, working memory and processing speed.

None of the women had been exposed to unusual levels of the chemicals, the researchers said, whose findings were reported in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.

Lead author Dr Pam Factor-Litvak, also from Columbia University, said: 'Pregnant women across the United States are exposed to phthalates almost daily, many at levels similar to those that we found were associated with substantial reductions in the IQ of children.

'While there has been some regulation to ban phthalates from toys of young children, there is no legislation governing exposure during pregnancy, which is likely the most sensitive period for brain development.

'Indeed, phthalates are not required to be on product labelling.'

The scientists urged pregnant women not to microwave food in plastic containers, to avoid scented products as much as possible, and not to use certain recyclable plastics.

In an earlier study, the same researchers found negative associations between exposure to DnBP and DiBP in the womb and children's mental and motor development and behaviour at age three.

Earlier this year, the same group found that babies exposed to high levels of phthalates while in the womb are up to 78 per cent more at risk of getting asthma. 

Dr Whyatt, said: 'These chemicals are very widely used in very high volume and they are not generally listed on labels.

'There are some simple steps families can take. Avoid using plastic containers and as much as you can store your food in glass jars in the fridge.'

She also suggested women check their make-up on the internet for phthalates.

Phthalates are thought to be ‘endocrine-disrupting chemicals’, or EDCs, capable of interfering with the way our glands produce hormones. 

The cosmetics industry is particularly sensitive to suggestions that some ingredients might be EDCs.

In 2012, the Danish Consumer Council asked manufacturers to stop using 17 EDCs.

The makers of 58 brands agreed, but companies behind some of the world’s biggest brands did not, and found their products named and shamed by the council.

Last year a World Health Organisation study concluded, to do nothing now was to ignore a vital lesson from the past.  

We should ‘ban chemicals in order to reduce exposure early, even when there are significant but incomplete data but before there is significant and long-lasting harm’.

Not all experts agree — in September, 18 editors of pharmacology and toxicology journals signed a letter saying the EU’s proposals were driven by ‘scientifically unfounded precaution’, defying ‘common sense, well-established science and risk assessment principles’.

It has since been revealed that 17 of the 18 editors had worked with the chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, tobacco, pesticide or biotechnology industries.

CHRISTIANO RONALDO TOPS LIST OF GLOBAL ATHLETES WITH MOST TWITTER FOLLOWERS

Ronaldo tops yet another list. This time on twitter. It can not be argued that the Real Madrid star is getting more popular by the day. Congrats to him, unfortunately Lionel Messi didnt make the top ten.

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EBOLA FIGHTERS NAMED TIME'S PERSON OF THE YEAR

Foday Gallah saw the sick child was distressed and felt he had to do something. So he picked the kid up to comfort him.And with that act of kindness, the 37-year-old ambulance supervisor in Monrovia, Liberia, contracted Ebola himself."Of course, he got vomit all over him and that's how he got Ebola," said photographer Jackie Nickerson, who shot Gallah's image for Time's "Person of the Year" magazine cover, which honors those on the front line of the Ebola epidemic.

They're "the ones who answered the call," the magazine said on its website Wednesday morning.
Nickerson expanded on why Gallah was chosen for one of the magazine's five covers: "He's the shining example of what the right thing to do is. He's a shining example that we should all try to follow. He really did touch me with his story. I don't usually like to use the word hero, but I have to use it here."

According to the latest World Health Organization figures, about 6,300 people have died from the disease, mainly in West Africa. Health workers are still battling more than 11,000 confirmed cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and more than 6,000 suspected and probable cases loom, according to WHO.

CHELSEA BRINGS XMAS CHEER TO WEST LONDON HOSPITAL AS MOURINHO, TERRY, COSTA SURPRISE YOUNG PATIENTS

Members of the Chelsea squad brought some festive cheer to children at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on Monday as the club continued a long-standing tradition.

Players including John Terry, Diego Costa and Petr Cech surprised young patients as they visited the London hospital to hand out some early Christmas gifts.

The kids were treated to signed photographs and replica shirts and even got the chance to pose with the players for some Christmas snaps.

Luis, Ramires, Costa and Cech pose with a young child as they pay a festive visit the hospital


Manager Jose Mourinho as also spreading the joy as he posed with members of his squad


The Chelsea boss chats with nurses at the hospital as a patient looks a little starstruck

Captain Terry and left back Filipe Luis shared pictures on Instagram of the squad visiting the children around the wards.

Terry posted a picture of himself with a patient wearing a Chelsea scarf alongside Gary Cahill, Andre Schurrle and Kurt Zouma, and the skipper had some words of encouragement for the young fan.

'Honoured to meet some very brave kids and families today at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital,' Terry wrote on Instagram.

Kurt Zouma, Andre Schurrle, Gary Cahill and John Terry were also visiting patients with gifts


A child poses with (left to right) Nathan Ake, Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christenson and Loic Remy

One lucky patient received a signed football and was snapped with Zouma, Cahill, Schurrle and Terry