British PC users face 'internet doomsday' as FBI shuts off servers

Hundreds of thousands may have been affected by the FBI's battle against computer crime

                                                      

More than 250,000 people, including many in the UK, may have been affected, after the FBI shut down servers today as part of their fight against computer crime.

In November 2011 the FBI brought charges against an Estonia-based gang who used a malware known as "DNS Changer" to net more than £9m. The virus hijacked web searches, forcing victims to see certain adverts.

The FBI had delayed shutting down the servers until today to allow time for victims to disinfect their computers. Millions of users have since been alerted, but it is feared that around 250,000 unaware victims worldwide will have lost internet access when the FBI shut down the servers at 00.00 EDT (5am GMT) this morning.

The FBI arranged for a private company to run a website, http://www.dcwg.org, which PC users could visit to instantly check if their computer has been infected. By now it's too late for those who have already lost access. They will have to rely on telephone helplines set up by internet service providers.

UK Remploy plants closure confirmed

The Government today confirmed the closure of 27 factories employing disabled workers, saying the loss-making sites could not be subsidised any longer.

Maria Miller, minister for disabled people, told MPs the £320 million budget for disabled employment services could be spent more effectively.

She also announced a further consultation on the future of nine other Remploy factories which have been the subject of bids.

Union sources said the 27 factories will close between August and mid-December.

Workers at Remploy's 54 factories are due to stage two 24-hour strikes in the coming weeks in protest at an announcement by the Government earlier this year of closures.

The GMB union said the strikes would go ahead despite today's announcement.

The minister, who was heckled by opposition MPs during her statement to the Commons, said Remploy workers had been informed of the announcement this afternoon.

"This is difficult news. We are doing everything we can to ensure that Remploy workers will receive a comprehensive package of support and guidance to make the transition from Government-funded sheltered employment to mainstream jobs," said Ms Miller.

The Government announced in March that Remploy was planning to close 36 of its 54 factories, putting more than 1,700 jobs at risk.

The factories were established 66 years ago as part of the creation of the welfare state.

Workers are employed in enterprises that vary from furniture and packaging manufacturing to recycling electrical appliances and operating CCTV systems and control rooms.

The Government said money from the disability employment budget should be reinvested into other schemes to help disabled people find work.

The move follows a review conducted by Liz Sayce, chief executive of Disability Rights UK, into the way in which the Government spends its disability employment budget.

Her report recommended that the Government funding should focus on support for individuals, rather than subsidising factory businesses.

The minister told MPs that the report had made it clear that subsidised employment was not consistent with equality for disabled people.

By spending money more effectively, thousands more disabled people can be helped into work, she said.

The minister said: "Our approach has been led by disabled people's organisations and disabled people themselves, many of whom have welcomed the move to end the pre-war practice of segregated employment."

Phil Davies, national officer of the GMB union, said: "GMB is very angry with the Government's confirmation today that it will close 27 Remploy factories in the first wave by December with the rest to follow shortly afterwards.

"To close these factories that employ disabled people in the present economic climate is a sentence to life of unemployment and poverty.

"The strikes will go ahead on July 19 and 26 as planned and should be a rallying point giving for each local community, the opportunity to stand behind these disabled workers who will be facing the scrapheap."

Kevin Hepworth, Unite's national officer, said: "Remploy workers will be taking strike action to defend their jobs as the axe is wielded by the Government.

"By taking strike action they are trying to avoid their certain destiny of being chucked on the economic scrapheap. They deserve the support of all trade unionists and the public in Britain."

The list of the 36 factories that were announced in March to close were: Aberdare, Aberdeen, Abertillery, Acton, Ashington, Barking, Barrow, Birkenhead, Bolton, Bridgend, Bristol, Chesterfield, Cleator Moor, Croespenmaen, Edinburgh, Gateshead, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Merthyr Tydfil, Motherwell, Newcastle, North London, North Staffs, Oldham, Penzance, Pontefract, Poole, Preston, Southampton, Spennymoor, Springburn, Swansea, Wigan, Worksop and Wrexham.

The nine factories to be subject to further consultation are: Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Springburn, Barrow, Bristol, Chesterfield, Poole, Bridgend, Croespenmaen.

Unite accused the Government of showing a "callous disregard" for disabled workers and attacked Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith for not making the statement himself.

National officer Sally Kosky said: "Today's announcement has come totally out of the blue with the Government and Iain Duncan Smith showing a callous disregard for vulnerable disabled workers.

"He's lived up to his own description of being the 'quiet man', by getting a junior minister to try and bury bad news ahead of the Lords reform debate.

"Our members are desperate to work in an environment that takes account of their disability, where they can make a valued contribution to society and pay their way. They do not want to be thrown on the scrapheap and relying on handouts."

A Welsh Government spokesman said: "This statement is a hammer blow for Remploy workers and factories in Wales.

"When the UK Government made their closure announcement we asked them to devolve the Remploy budget and factories to the Welsh Government so that we could create our own sustainable future for this organisation. The Department for Work and Pensions has refused to consider this.

"We will continue to work with Remploy, the unions and other interested parties - of which there are many - to see whether we can find a viable option for the workers. We will strive to find the best solution we can and to save as many jobs as possible."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "We have been absolutely clear that the £320 million budget for specialist disability employment services has been protected. But by spending the money more effectively, we can support thousands more disabled people in work.

"That is why we accepted the recommendation from disability expert Liz Sayce, to focus support on individuals through services like Access to Work, rather than institutions like Remploy, so more disabled people can work in mainstream employment rather than segregated factories.

"All disabled Remploy staff affected by the change will be guaranteed a package of tailored support to help with the transition; £8 million is available for this support which includes a personal case worker with one-on-one sessions and access to a personal budget.

"They can also access support from Remploy Employment Services which has found 35,000 jobs for disabled and disadvantaged people since 2010 - many with similar disabilities to those working in Remploy factories."

Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society, said: "The closure of the Remploy factories will be devastating for those people currently working there and every effort has to be made to help them find new employment. The change in routine will be particularly challenging for people with autism and steps must be taken to ensure that they are adequately equipped to deal with the transition.

"With 2.61 million people already unemployed in the UK and 59% of adults with autism telling us that they don't believe or don't know if they will ever get a job, the Government must ensure that the right support is in place for those with autism. Otherwise they risk depriving many more adults on the spectrum of making the valuable contribution to society that they want and deserve, potentially for the rest of their lives."

Former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Peter Hain said: "This is a callous, shameless betrayal of thousands of disabled workers who will never work again in areas like Neath where 10 people are chasing every job vacancy. The Government is out of touch and arrogant.

"It is also cynically misrepresenting the truth when it says that the modernisation programme I announced as Secretary of State in December 2007, funded by a £555 million subsidy over five years has 'failed'.

"It was never allowed to succeed by this Government because the plan depended on Remploy factories getting more government and public sector orders. Instead the Government just washed their hands of Remploy."

SNP Work and Pensions spokesman Dr Eilidh Whiteford said: "This is a devastating blow to the employees at Remploy in Wishaw and my thoughts are with all those affected. It is crucial that meaningful, specialist employment advice is available and a fair support package is put in place for those facing redundancy.

"Any efforts to assist disabled people into mainstream work are to be commended, but there is little in the UK Government's plans to show how this will happen in practice."

(Latest in Climate Change) Study forecasts global increase in freak weather

Heatwaves and flooding are more likely in coming decades because of climate change, according to a new report which found that global warming probably caused freak weather around the world last year.

The burst of heat in the UK in November and Texas’s driest summer for 100 years were more likely to have happened because of climate change, according to the study.

However other freak weather events such as floods in Thailand were unlikely to have been caused by an increase in man-made greenhouse gases, the scientists explained in the Bulletin of the American Metereological Society.

They calculated that the chances of the exceptionally cold December experienced in the UK in 2011 had halved; but it still happened – as a result of natural variations in the weather.

The research into “climate attribution”, which included a contribution from the UK Met Office’s Peter Stott, looked at six key weather events shortly after they happened.

Dr Stott, head of climate monitoring and attribution, said: “While we didn’t find that climate change has affected the odds of all the extreme weather events we looked at, we did see that some events were significantly more likely. Overall, we’re seeing that human influence is having a marked impact on some types of extreme weather.”

He said the extremely warm November was 60 times more likely to have occurred as a result of climate change than in the 1960s.

Germany's oddest tourist attractions

Valhalla temple, Bavaria

This neo-classical structure perches high on the banks of the Danube and is an almost perfect copy of the Parthenon in Athens. Housing over 200 busts and plaques of eminent Germans, the Valhalla temple is a 169-year-old who’s-who of German history and is visited by over one million people annually.

German Hygiene Museum, Dresden

Less soap and scrubbing brushes, and more social and scientific revolution, The Hygiene Museum in Dresden receives over 300,000 visitors a year. Main exhibitions centre now centre around the human body, and the promotion of bodily awareness and health over the past century. During the Third Reich, however, it was used to produce material in support of eugenics.

Surfing on the Isar River, Bavaria

For the past 30 years, water sport enthusiasts in Munich have been turning their hand at city centre surfing on a tributary of the Isar River. A one metre high standing wave can be found just beyond the Haus der Kunst and during sunny days, queues of people can be found waiting for their turn to carve it up.

As Slow As Possible - John Cage performance, Saxony-Anhalt

One for the music aficionados, John Cage’s composition As Slow As Possible is being played one note at a time in St. Burchardi church, Halberstadt, Saxony-Anhalt. Played normally, the piece should last between 20 and 70 minutes, but in St. Burchardi’s the piece will end in 2640, making it the longest performance ever, lasting a whopping 639 years long. The next note change is scheduled for July 5 2012, when crowds are expected to gather to hear it.

Wave-Gotik-Treffen, Leipzig

One of the largest Goth events in the world takes place every spring in Leipzig, where 20,000 dark revellers will be getting their freak on. The global meet-up started in old East Germany, but was swiftly banned. Restarted again in 1992, Goths worldwide have been descending on the Saxon city over Whitsun weekend ever since.

Hermann memorial, North Rhine-Westphalia

Deep in the Teutoburg forest near Detmold stands a 54 metre tall homage to ancient Germanic war chief Hermann. The monument, atop of which stands a 26 metre tall figure of Hermann himself, was built in the 19th century to commemorate several battles in the area, in which German tribes triumphed over Roman legions in 9 AD.

Tropical Islands, Brandenburg

A (not so genuine) touch of the exotic in Brandenburg; Tropical Islands is the world’s largest indoor pool complex nestled in a 66,000 metre square airship hangar. And for just €29 visitors can enjoy a day exploring the tropical rainforests, playing mini golf and swimming in the Balinese lagoon. Tropical Islands is open every day of the year and stays at a pleasant 26 degrees Celsius in deepest winter.

Teufelsberg, Berlin

Teufelsberg, or "the devil’s hill" in English stands at 80 metres over Berlin and was built by the Allies post World War II using the mounds of rubble left over from bombing raids. The site was originally earmarked by Hitler as the location of a new military training school, but now hosts an abandoned Cold-War listening station. The stunning views from the top and sloping sides make it popular with both thrill-seekers and those looking to relax.

Mud Olympics, Schleswig-Holstein

North of Hamburg, around 500 contestants in the annual Mud Olympics – Wattolümpiade – throw themselves around on the soggy banks of the river Elbe. Teams take part in events such as mud volleyball, tug of war, and a wriggly eel relay race in this unorthodox battle of the fittest. Getting filthy isn’t just in the name of fun, however, as proceeds are donated to local charities.

Pope blocks magazine over 'leaks' stain picture

Pope Benedict was obviously not amused when he saw himself pictured with yellow stains down his cassock on a German satire magazine in a nod to the Vatican leaks scandal. He has taken legal action to stop publication.


Hamburg district court said on Tuesday afternoon it would issue an injunction preventing further publication of the Titanic magazine, although copies already on the market can still be sold. 

The front cover bears a photograph of the pope with a large yellow stain on the front of his cassock and the headline, “Hallelujah in the Vatican - the leak has been found!”

The back cover has a photo of him from behind with a large brown stain and the headline, “Another leak is found!”

Matthias Kopp, spokesman for the German Bishops’ Conference said was an infringement of Benedict’s personal rights and was illegal. The magazine had overstepped “any acceptable mark” with the pictures, he said. 

But Titanic editor Leo Fischer said he was pursuing personal contact with the pontiff and was prepared to fight the case all the way through the courts. 

The German Press Council said on Tuesday afternoon that it had received one complaint from a reader about the picture. 

The last time the Vatican took legal action against the Titanic was in 2010 when it complained against a cover which showed a Catholic priest kneeling in front of a crucified Jesus – who was blushing. 

That cover, which referred to the sex abuse scandals in the church, provoked around 200 complaints to the Press Council, which nonetheless decided not to take action. 

An initial statement from the magazine quoted Fischer saying, “Benedict must have misunderstood us.” 

He suggested that the cover showed the pope, “who was celebrating after the leak affair was solved and in his excitement has spilled a glass of lemonade over his cassock.” 

The "Vatileaks" scandal has seen whistleblowers copying and leaking private documents straight from Benedict's desk, causing deep embarrassment to the Vatican.

The leaked documents shed light on many Vatican secrets, including the Church's tax problems, paedophile priest scandals and negotiations with hardline traditionalist rebels.


                       

The German Red Cross_Blood money - is it okay to pay donors?

The German Red Cross (DRK) has called for new blood donors to keep stocks filled, but say private institutes offering cash could deprive them of the precious red stuff. Is paying for blood okay or should it remain an honour system? Have your say.

There is a strong European tradition that blood donors get no more than a cup of tea and biscuit – and the priceless knowledge that they have helped to save a life.

But increasingly, the DRK has warned, donors are being paid by private clinics, pharmaceutical firms and even universities for their blood. 

This could leave the DRK, with its feel-good biscuits, out in the cold – and the bought blood in the hands of those conducting commercial research rather than in the veins of accident victims. 

One alarming point made by the DRK was that the €25 usually on offer for blood was three times the daily allowance for those on the lowest level of unemployment support in Germany. 

Should those in need of some extra cash be able to sell their blood to supplement miserly income? 

Should all blood donors be offered payment perhaps? Or is the principle of voluntarism a valuable one in our increasingly commercialised society? Is there something special about literally opening a vein to help others that should be kept free of money? 


                     

BMW, Porsche 'quality drops' as US sales soar.Germany

German carmakers are enjoying unprecedented success in the US, but while sales are exceeding CEOs' dreams, the number of recalls has shot up - particularly for exclusive brands BMW and Porsche.


Auto giants BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen all broke sales records in the US in the first half of 2012, partly compensating for weakening demand in crisis-stricken Europe. 

But even as the car business booms, German firms are also facing their biggest manufacturing problems across the Atlantic. As many as 4.8 million cars had to be recalled in the US because of flaws in the first half of the year, Die Weltnewspaper reported on Tuesday.

Citing a report from the Center of Automotive (CoA) at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, western Germany, the paper said that BMW had a recall rate of close to 300 percent - in other words, nearly three times as many BMWs had to be brought back to the workshop as were sold. Luxury sports carmaker Porsche also had a worrying recall rate of 130 percent. 

In absolute figures, that meant that 458,000 BMWs were recalled, and 21,500 Porsches. 

Though the figures only apply to the US market, they are considered a valuable reference point for the global auto industry. "The US market is the world's biggest, and it has the highest safety standards, and so the risk of complaints is the biggest," CoA head Stefan Bratzel told the paper. "What happens in the US can be used to draw conclusions about general trends and other markets."

What makes the figures particularly alarming is that they are way above the US average recall rate of 66 percent - and that in 2011 and 2010 BMW and Porsche were among the firms with lowest US recall rates.

Bratzel puts the quality deficit down to higher turnover and cutting corners in production. 

"Maintaining the highest quality despite growing sales is one of the central challenges of the car industry, considering the increasing number of generic parts in cars and the use of automated construction sets," he said.

But a BMW spokesman disputed this analysis. "These recalls are often voluntary," he told Die Welt. "We don't save on quality. Our cars have never been so safe and reliable."

Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery and Retreat Centre

buddha from bodhgaya

Bodhgaya is a city in Bihar, India. It is famous for being the place of Gautama Buddha's attainment of nirvana (Enlightenment). There is a Mahabodhi Temple, a World Heritage Site and next to it is a colossal statute called the Great Buddha Statue. This statue is 80 ft high and it features the Lord Buddha in meditation pose or dhyana mudra seated on a lotus in open air.

"Bodh Gaya is the place where Gautama Buddha attained unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment. It is a place which should be visited or seen by a person of devotion and which would cause awareness and apprehension of the nature of impermanence".

Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha-to-be, had been dwelling on the banks of the Nairanjana River with five ascetic followers for six years practicing austerities. Realising that austerities could not lead to realisation he abandoned them. His five ascetic companions disgusted at his seeming failure, deserted him and left for Sarnath.

He then moved towards the village of Senani where he was offered rice milk by a Brahmin girl, Sujata. Accepting from a grass-cutter a gift of kusa grass for a mat, the Bodhisattva took a seat under a pipal tree facing east. Here he resolved not to rise again until enlightenment was attained.


"Here on this seat my body may shrivel up,
my skin, my bones, my flesh may dissolve,
but my body will not move from this seat
until I have attained Enlightenment,
so difficult to obtain in the course of many kalpas".

As Gautama sat in deep meditation, Mara, Lord of Illusion, perceiving that his power was about to be broken, rushed to distract him from his purpose. The Bodhisattva touched the earth, calling it to bear witness the countless lifetimes of virtue that had led him to this place of enlightenment. When the earth shook, confirming the truth of Gautama's words, Mara unleashed his army of demons. In the epic battle that ensued, Gautama's wisdom broke through the illusions and the power of his compassion transformed the demons' weapons into flowers and Mara and all his forces fled in disarray.

The Maha Bodhi Temple
The historical place at which the Enlightenment took place became a place of pilgrimage. Though it is not mentioned in the scriptures, the Buddha must have visited Bodh Gaya again in the course of his teaching career. About 250 years after the Enlightenment, the Buddhist Emperor, Ashoka visited the site and is considered the founder of the Mahabodhi Temple. According to the tradition, Ashoka, as well as establishing a monastery, erected a diamond throne shrine at this spot with a canopy supported by four pillars over a stone representation of the Vajrasana, the Seat of Enlightenment.
The temple's architecture is superb but its history is shrouded in obscurity. It was constructed with the main intention of making it a monument and not a receptacle for the relics of the Buddha. Several shrines were constructed with enshrined images for use as places of worship.
The basement of the present temple is 15m square, 15m in length as well as in breadth and its height is 52m which rises in the form of a slender pyramid tapering off from a square platform. On its four corners four towers gracefully rise to some height. The whole architectural plan gives pose and balance to the observers.
Inside the temple there is a colossal image of the Buddha in the "touching the ground pose", bhumisparsha mudra. This image is said to be 1700 years old and is facing east exactly at the place where the Buddha in meditation with his back to the Bodhi tree was enlightened.
The Bodhi TreeFor seven days after the Enlightenment, the Buddha continued to meditate under the Bodhi tree without moving from his seat. During the second week he practiced walking meditation. A jewel walk, Chankramanar, was built as a low platform adorned with nineteen lotuses which are parallel to the Maha Bodhi temple on its north side. For another week the Buddha contemplated the Bodhi tree. In this place a stupa was built called Animeschalochana situated to the north of the Chankramanar.
On the back of the main temple situated to the west (see picture) there is an ancient pipal tree Ficus religiosa or Bodhi tree. It was under this tree that Gautama sat for enlightenment. The present tree is considered only as the descendant of the original tree. There is a tradition that Ashoka's wife had it secretly cut down because she became jealous of the time Ashoka spent there. But it grew again and a protective wall was also built at the time. Many sacred trees in India and other countries are originally raised from seeds brought from the ancient Bodh Gaya tree. A shoot of the original Bodhi tree was taken to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century B.C. by Bhikkhuni Sangamitta, daughter of Ashoka, where the Lankan king Devanampiyatissa planted it at the Mahavihara monastery in Anuradhapura where it still flourishes today. While the Vajrasana was the specific site of the enlightenment, the Bodhi tree, closely linked to the Buddha's accomplishment, became a central focus of devotion early in the history of the Sangha. Pilgrims sought the Bodhi Tree's seeds and leaves as blessings for their monasteries and homes.
Around the Bodhi tree and the Mahbodhi temple there are quadrangular stone railings around 0.2m high with four bars including the top piece. These are of two types and can be distinguished from each other in style and material used. The older set is dated to about 150 BC and made of sandstone while the latter set is probably of the Gupta period (300-600 AD) and constructed from course granite. The older set has a number of designs representing scenes from the purchase of Jetavana by Ananthapindika at Sravasti, Lakshmi being bathed by elephants, Surya riding a chariot drawn by four horses, etc. On the latter set there are figures of stupas, Garudas, etc. In most of these railings lotus motifs are commonly used.
Bodhgaya Revitalised
Since 1953, Bodh Gaya has been developed as an international place of pilgrimage. Buddhists from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Tibet, Bhutan and Japan have established monasteries and temples within easy walking distance of the Mahabodhi compound. The site of the enlightenment now attracts Buddhists and tourists from all over the world.
At any time during the cooler months between December and March, a visitor to Bodh Gaya can observe a continual stream of Indian and international pilgrims walking the roads or arriving in buses, circumambulating the temple, performing prostrations and offering prayers in a multitude of languages. For those who aspire to awaken their full potential, Bodh Gaya today is truly a field vibrant with the potentiality of enlightenment. Enriched by devotion of Buddhists of all traditions, this holy site is emerging as a powerful inspiration to the modern world, awakening people of all nations to the real possibility of enlightenment.

incredible india pictures

Park Ji-Sung: I will never forget my time at Manchester United

The South Korean completed a move to QPR on Monday and has issued an emotional farewell to the Old Trafford outfit where he enjoyed a successful seven-year spell

The South Korean, who joined the Red Devils from PSV Eindhoven in 2005, officially announced his departure to Loftus Road on Monday for an undisclosed fee.

And the four-time Premier League-winning midfielder described playing for the Old Trafford outfit as a "privilege".

"My time at United will last in my heart for the rest of my life," he told the club's official website.

"It’s been a great privilege to be part of such a great team, to have won so much and to have played with special teammates and for the greatest manager in the game.

Park, who enjoyed cult status amongst the club's fans, also had kind words for the Old Trafford faithful upon his departure."I would like to thank everybody at the club who give their best every single day to put every player in the best condition to enjoy their football and achieve success."

“The fans have been fantastic to me and I will always remember them with great affection," he added.

"Now, I’m looking forward to giving everything for a new challenge at QPR, where I will bring all my ambition and spirit I have gathered at United. [Those qualities] will be with me forever."

Man Utd star joins QPR

Queens Park Rangers have completed the signing of midfielder Park Ji-sung from Manchester United.
The 31-year-old has signed a two-year contract with QPR and joins the club for an undisclosed fee.

"This is a real coup for QPR," QPR boss Mark Hughes told the club's official website. "We are delighted Ji is going to join us because his record speaks for itself.

"He has been a big player for Manchester United and played a big part in their success in recent years.

"He is hugely respected there because of what he has achieved, his application to his work and the impact he has on games.

"He was always picked for the big matches because they could rely on him, and we are going to reap all those qualities.

"I think it is fair to say Ji has been attracted not to where QPR are, but where QPR are going.

"We were able to show him where the club is heading and he embraced it. Ji gets what we are trying to do. This is a huge signing for this football club."

Park told QPR player: "The project was simply too good to resist and I am excited about getting started in pre-season and going on tour to Asia in the coming days.

"I am joining a club that is very much on an upward curve - a club that has a very bright future."

"I am overjoyed and can't wait to see him in a QPR shirt," QPR owner Tony Fernandes added.

"It shows our determination and our ambition to build this club.

"Ji is a global star with a Champions League winner's medal to his name, and he is as excited about this move as we all are."


Read more:http://www.ontheminute.com/news/news.php?news=39169#ixzz209dNMW00

Dos Santos could stay with Spurs

Giovani dos Santos claims he would be prepared to stay on at Tottenham, with no move away from White Hart Lane arranged as yet.

It was expected that the Mexico international would be among those offloaded by Spurs this summer as they usher in a new era under Andre Villas-Boas.

Dos Santos has struggled for games throughout his time in England and has taken in regular loan spells as a result.

A permanent switch would be beneficial to all concerned, but the 23-year-old says he will continue to fight for a first-team role if he remains in north London.

"The window closes at the end of August and I am calm, I'm not getting desperate," Dos Santos told Record.

"I'm still a Tottenham player and if there is no other option, I'll stay and do my best like I have always done.

"I can't complain. I have learnt a lot at Tottenham, the team have great quality, and it won't be a bad thing if I have to stay."

Reports have suggested that La Liga outfit Malaga are keen to take the former Barcelona playmaker back to Spain, but Dos Santos claims no official approach has been made.

"Nothing concrete has come as yet, we expect that will happen within the next few days," he said.

"I'm very relaxed here with the national team (at a pre-Olympic training camp), my head is here and my agent is dealing with everything.

Dos Santos added: "I am trying to keep myself away from it all and focus here, to be 100 per cent and not get worried about the clubs.

"There are obviously options, but I'm relaxed. I talk to my agent every day and he has told me to stay calm and that there will be news soon."

Chelsea bid for Schurrle turned down

Chelsea have had an offer in excess of £16million for Germany forward Andre Schurrle rejected by Bayer Leverkusen, according to a report in Germany.

The 21-year-old has established himself as one of Germany's most exciting young talents since joining Leverkusen from Mainz last year.

He has already won 16 caps for Germany and was a member of their Euro 2012 squad.

Leverkusen chief executive Wolfgang Holzhauser was quoted as saying by German news agency SID: "We were presented with a very concrete offer from Chelsea for Andre of beyond the 20 million euro mark. The sum was pushed back and forth between the two clubs. We ultimately chose Andre.

"Andre is very valuable for us. He has also made it clear he would like to stay with us."

Hockey: India beat South Africa 6-5

The Indian hockey team defeated South Africa 6-5 in a thrilling third test at La Albericia in Spain.

 

Strikers Shivendra Singh (13th, 38th minutes), Dharamvir Singh (19th, 21st), Tushar Khandker (36th) and penalty corner specialist VR Raghunath (53rd) were on target for India.

The goal-scorers for South Africa were Austin Smith (17th, 69th), Tim Drummond (42nd), Ian Haley (48th) and Justin Ried Ross (67th).

Shivendra put India ahead in the 13th minute. South Africa - who qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games winning the last qualifier at Kakamigahara in Japan - equalised four minutes later through Smith.

The South Africans then played a defensive game, but some sharp moves by the Indians helped Dharamvir score twice in the span of three minutes to help India lead 3-1 at the half time.

The Men in Blue added two more after the lemon break, with goals from Khandker (36th minute) and Shivendra (38th minute).

South Africa reduced the margin through Drummond and Haley in the 42nd and 48th minutes, respectively (5-3).

India added one more goal in the 53rd minute through a penalty stroke by Raghunath, while Ross and Smith converted two penalty corners in the dying moments of the match to round off a 5-6 finish.

India will now play South Africa again on Wednesday.

World bodypainting festival

Artists create colorful costumes from paints at the 15th World Bodypainting Festival in Poertschac, Austria.