All Things News

Straight from News of the World: “A chill ran up Commando Matthew Croucher’s spine as his foot brushed a hidden tripwire in the black silence of the Taliban compound.

In a split second came the tell-tale ping of a pin being pulled from a booby-trap GRENADE.

The young Lance Corporal frantically scanned the ground through his night vision goggles. And there it lay. He and his three comrades had SEVEN SECONDS to live…

What brave Matt did next could make him the first Royal Marine since 1945 to win a VICTORIA CROSS.

In an astonishing act of self sacrifice he FLUNG himself at the grenade, FLIPPED on his side next to it and lay there with only his backpack for protection as he prepared to SAVE his pals by SMOTHERING the blast with his body.

Matt, 24, recalled: “I thought, ‘I’ve set this bloody thing off and I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect the others’.

“So I got down with my back to the grenade and used my body as a shield. It was a case of either having four of us as fatalities or badly wounded—or one. I brought my legs up to my chest in the brace position and waited for the explosion.

“When it went off the bang was the loudest I’ve ever heard. There was a flash of light and a big plume of smoke and orange sparks jetted into the air.

“I was flung through the air. My head was ringing. Blood was streaming from my nose. It took 30 seconds before I realised I was definitely not dead.”

Amazingly Matt’s backpack and body armour absorbed the full impact of the blast—and they ALL escaped with just a few cuts and bruises.

Soon the story of his heroics was the talk of his comrades back at base.

He smiles: “The two behind me at the time were convinced they would have died, as they were facing the grenade with their necks exposed. It only takes a little bit of shrapnel to sever an artery, and you’re a goner.

“It’s a pretty unusual thing but the lads put me forward for the VC themselves. It’s entirely out of my hands. But if it was to happen it would be a massive honour not just for me but for the regiment and all my comrades.”

Friends have revealed his citation has been passed up the chain to the Commanding Officer of 40 Commando, Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Birrell. It will now go to the powerful committee who decide on the awarding of VCs.

If Matt is given the top bravery award it will be very rare. Just nine have been handed to Brits since World War II and only two in this century.”

Straight from Gizmodo: “The dust has settled on PWN 2 OWN and Linux FTW! The Ubuntu-equipped Sony VAIO was the only computer to get through the tournament unscathed, managing to elude the assembled hackers. On Thursday the MacBook Air was the first to go, followed the next day by the Vista-running Fujitsu, conquered by Shane Macaulay. No one, but no one, however, was able to bring down the penguin. [ PWN 2 OWN via PC World ]“

Straight from the Astronomy Picture of the Day: “Explanation: Could life exist beneath Enceladus? A recent flyby of Saturn’s icy moon has bolstered this fascinating idea. Two years ago, images from the robotic Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn led astronomers to the undeniable conclusion that Saturn’s moon Enceladus was spewing fountains of gas and ice crystals through cracks in its surface dubbed tiger stripes. Last month, Cassini dove through some of these plumes and determined that they contained water vapor laced with small amounts of methane as well as simple and complex organic molecules. Surprisingly, the plumes of Enceladus appear similar in make-up to many comets. What’s more, the temperature and density of the plumes indicate they might have originated from a warmer source — possibly a liquid source — beneath the surface. A liquid water sea containing organic molecules is a good place to look for life. Pictured above is a vertically exaggerated close-up of some long, venting tiger stripes. The computer composite was generated from images and shadows taken during the recent Cassini flyby. Nine more flybys of Enceladus by Cassini are planned.”