Brits 2015: Critics' Choice Award shortlist is unveiled

Three new acts are being tipped for success in 2015 after being shortlisted for the Brits Critics' Choice Award.

George The Poet, James Bay and three-piece group Years and Years will battle for the honour.
The winner will be announced on 4 December and will receive their trophy, designed by Tracey Emin, at the main Brit awards ceremony on 25 February.
Previous Critics' Choice winners include Emeli Sande, Jessie J and Adele, who won the first award in 2008.
"I still can't believe it. As much as I hoped, being nominated for the Brits Critics' Choice Award is not something I ever imagined would actually happen. What a huge honour," 24-year-old Bay said.
The singer-songwriter has been supporting acts including 2013 winner Tom Odell and John Newman.
George The Poet, 23, said: "I feel privileged to have been shortlisted for the Brits Critics' Choice Award. I always dreamed of reaching people and this nomination shows me that I'm on track."

Sabah, Lebanese singing legend, dies aged 87

Sabah was nicknamed "Shahroura", Arabic for "singing bird" by her millions of fans

Lebanese singer and actress Sabah, one of the Arab world's best-known entertainers, has died aged 87.

Sabah, whose real name was Jeanette Gergis al-Feghali, first came to prominence in the 1950s as star of Egyptian movies.
During her more than six-decade long career, she released over 50 albums and acted in 98 films.
She died at her home in Beirut of an unspecified illness, reported Lebanon's National News Agency.
Sabah was the first Arab singer to perform at Olympia in Paris, Carnegie Hall in New York, Piccadilly Theatre in London and the Sydney Opera House.

Ebola vaccine 'promising' say scientists after human trial

A 39-year-old woman was the first volunteer to receive the experimental Ebola vaccine

The first human trial of an experimental vaccine against Ebola suggests that it is safe and may help the immune system to combat the virus.

Twenty volunteers were immunised in the United States. Scientists at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) described the results as "promising".
The research is published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
None of those immunised suffered major side-effects and all produced antibodies.
Dr Anthony Fauci of the NIH told the BBC: "On safety and on the ability to produce an appropriate immune response we can call this trial an unqualified success, even though it was an early Phase One trial."
The volunteers were divided into two groups, receiving either a low or high dose. The antibody response was stronger among those receiving the higher dose.
The investigators found that seven of the high dose and two of the lose dose volunteers produced T-cell immune responses, which may be important in protection against Ebola viruses.
The vaccine uses a chimpanzee cold virus which has been genetically engineered to carry a non-infectious Ebola protein on its surface.

Arsenal vs dortmund

• Arsenal in second stage for 15th successive season
• Sanchez scores third goal in five CL games
• Dortmund beaten for first time in Group D

Yaya Sanogo scored his first goal for Arsenal as they defeated Borussia Dortmund and ensured their passage into the Champions League knockout stage.

The 21-year-old netted after 19 appearances without a goal when he finished off a one-two with Santi Cazorla with a low shot early on.
Alexis Sanchez made it 2-0 after the break with a superb low curling shot.
Sanchez also had a shot pushed away, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struck the crossbar with a dipping volley.
It was a mature performance by the Gunners who, like their opponents, have found solace in this competition this season from the struggles of the domestic league.
They quelled the threat of Dortmund on the counter-attack, with Jurgen Klopp's side only seriously troubling keeper Emiliano Martinez once, in stoppage time.
The Bundesliga outfit had named a strong side despite having secured their berth with four wins from four games but before they had a chance to establish themselves at the Emirates, they were a goal down.
That was scored by a player who was the source of some ridicule on social media when the teams were announced before the match.
Sanogo's ungainly style has irked some fans and there was further astonishment when he was named ahead of Germany World Cup winner Lukas Podolski.
But he finally managed to temper some of that criticism when he converted his first effort after starting the move with a ball-juggle and backheel to Spaniard Cazorla.
With the Germans already qualified and Arsenal almost there, the tempo of the game was sedate at times, although the Gunners picked up the pace after the break.
First Sanchez tested the Germany international keeper Roman Weidenfeller with a low shot after battling past two challenges, before the pacy Oxlade-Chamberlain produced a beautiful volley that failed to dip enough.
They finally managed a second when Sanchez, who flitted in and out of the game, cut inside from the left and bent an effort that beat Weidenfeller's reach. It was the Chile international's seventh goal in his last six matches for the Gunners.
Martinez was finally forced to make a big save in stoppage time when he dived to keep out substitute Adrian Ramos's effort.
The win moves Arsenal to 10 points in Group D and a victory over Galatasaray coupled with Dortmund losing to Anderlecht in the final round of games would see Wenger's side go through as winners.

Balotelli: I'm a 7/10 player

Cape Town - With just two goals to his name since his arrival at Liverpool, Mario Balotelli has commented on his form.

Fox Sports Australia interviewed the mercurial Italian talent and Balotelli was asked to rate himself out of 10.
"Seven," answered Balotelli.

Two years ago, the Italian striker rated himself as a 6.5 out of 10 player and was asked his reasons for the improved rating.

"Because I run more than before." replied Balotelli.
"Because goals, they will come. They're something that are just not coming at the moment, but it's not something that has gone.
"But run, like I'm running now, I've never run like this. So it's something I've got. So I give half a point more. " I try to press more. For sure, I'm not pressing like (Luis) Suarez because he is different.

"He runs a lot. I cannot run like this. But I'm trying to run more than what I normally do."

Balotelli did not travel with the Liverpool side for Sunday's 3-1 loss at Crystal Palace.

The 24-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in training which forced him out of the clash.

Barca defender Vermaelen may need surgery

Barcelona - Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen may need an operation to cure his thigh injury, sports director Andoni Zubizarreta said on Monday.
The Belgium centre half is still waiting to make his competitive debut after joining from Arsenal in the close season and his signing is turning into something of an embarrassment for the board.
"We don't know if Vermaelen is now going to need surgery, we are studying the situation," Zubizarreta told reporters ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game at APOEL Nicosia.
"We are worried for him and the medical staff are evaluating what is best."

Emergency Team Supporting Health Workers on Ebola Front Lines

AmeriCares Emergency Team on the front line of West Africa’s Ebola outbreak continue to expand the scope and scale of their efforts to protect health workers who are at greatest risk in the relentless spread of the deadly virus. This international public health emergency, as proclaimed by the World Health Organization, has infected more than 570 health workers and killed 324, including doctors and nurses. The overall death toll from Ebola has reached more than 5,400 with the greatest number of fatalities occurring in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
From the beginning of the crisis we recognized that the region’s under-resourced and under-staffed health care systems would not only be challenged by Ebola, but that other patients – still needing care for malaria, typhoid, complicated childbirth and other illnesses would risk having those conditions unattended. AmeriCares is committed to the fight against Ebola, and also supporting local health care workers in Africa so they can help other patients in desperate need of medicines and medical care.