Wednesday, March 21, 2012

One Direction top US album charts

BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills describes One Direction's success

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Former X Factor contestants One Direction have become the first British group to go straight to the top of the US music charts with their debut album.
The group shifted 176,000 copies of Up All Night, which only went to number two in the UK charts back in December.
The five-piece act were formed in 2010 by the X Factor judges after they failed to impress as solo artists.
Band member Harry Styles said reaching number one was a "dream come true" for the group.
"We simply cannot believe that we are number one in America. We want to thank each and every one of our fans in the US who bought our album and we would also like to thank the American public for being so supportive of us."
Fellow band member Niall Horan added: "As you can imagine, we are over the moon.
One DirectionOne Direction recently appeared on the US breakfast programme The Today Show
"When we got put together as a group, we couldn't imagine ourselves coming to America, let alone releasing our album here, so for us to be sitting at the top of the US album charts is unbelievable."
X Factor judge and music executive Simon Cowell signed the band to his record label Syco Music last year.
"I couldn't be happier for One Direction, it is an incredible achievement. They deserve it. They have the best fans in the world," Cowell said.
The feat comes in the same week it was announced the band have secured their own US TV show.
On Monday children's channel Nickelodeon confirmed on Twitter that Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson would be starring in their own show.
Chart success
The group have been busy with their US promotional tour, which has included playing a series of gigs with US boyband Big Time Rush and an appearance on breakfast programme The Today Show.
"It's more than unusual, it's unprecedented," said Music Week magazine reporter Paul Williams about their chart achievement.
He added that being managed by Cowell had helped boost the band's profile.
"He [Cowell] has a hell of a lot to do with it. He is one of the most famous people on TV in America and he's been associated with Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle, both of whom have had number one albums in America, so he has a lot of influence.
The WantedThe Wanted recently became the highest charting UK boy band in the US charts
"When Simon Cowell drives an act, people are going to listen and pay attention. Although you have got to have the goods, as well as having someone like Simon championing you."
One Direction's number one follows their successful debut in the singles chart with What Makes You Beautiful last month, which went to number 28 in the Hot 100.
"Historically it's always been American boybands who have led the way, going back to the end of the 80s and the early 90s with the likes of New Edition, New Kids On The Block, BackStreet Boys and N-Sync," said Mr Williams.
"But there's not much in the way of homegrown boybands in America at the moment."
The sales figure for Up All Night may appear low given the size of the US music market, but album sales have plummeted in recent years.
Big releases by acts such as Jay-Z or Lil' Wayne can expect to shift somewhere between 600,000 and 900,000 copies in their first week, but the number one album often sells less than 200,000 copies.
Last year, the record for the lowest-selling number one was broken on three separate occasions. Singer-songwriter Amos Lee fared worst, shifting just 40,000 copies of his album Mission Bell in January.
Lady Gaga's Born This Way was one of the only records to break the one million barrier in its first week, and it was sold at heavy discounts by online retailers.
Another British boyband, The Wanted, are also enjoying chart success in the US.
Earlier this month the group became the highest charting UK boy band in the US singles chart after they reached number five with Glad You Came.
"There hasn't been sustained success by a British boyband until this year," said Mr Williams.
"And now we're in this strange situation where there's not one, but two boybands doing extremely well in America."
Ernie D, the creative director of Radio Disney, said such bands were finding success much more quickly than their predecessors in the 1990s.
"The way it's happening now, it's a little more sudden. Back then, you had to build your fan base, get a following. Now with all social media, you have a fan base immediately.
"Bands like One Direction and The Wanted, they're just coming out of nowhere and it's kind of taking everybody by surprise."
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Mercury has been 'dynamic world'

Mercury's northern plains (Nasa). False colour elevation information - white is high; blue is lowA broader view: Some areas (white) have clearly been deformed and risen over time

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The planet Mercury was once an active and dynamic planet, according to new evidence from a Nasa spacecraft.
Data from the American Messenger probe shows that impact craters on the planet's surface were distorted by some geological process after they formed.
The findings, reported in Science magazine, challenge long-held views about the closest world to the Sun.
Another study looking at Mercury's gravity field shows that the planet has an unusual internal structure.
As well as being published in the journal Science, the research has also been presented here at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas.
"Many scientists believed that Mercury was much like the Moon - that it cooled off very early in Solar System history, and has been a dead planet throughout most of its evolution," said Maria Zuber, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
"Now, we're finding compelling evidence for unusual dynamics within the planet, indicating that Mercury was apparently active for a long time."
Dr Zuber and her colleagues used laser measurements from Messenger to map out a large number of impact craters, and found that many had tilted over time.
This suggests that geological processes within the planet have re-shaped Mercury's terrain after the craters were created.
Observations of Caloris Basin, the planet's largest impact feature, show that portions of the crater floor stand higher than its rim, suggesting that forces within Mercury's interior pushed the surface up after the initial collision event.

Mercury: The inner-most planet

  • Mercury was visited first by the Mariner 10 probe in the 1970s; and by Messenger currently
  • The planet's diameter is 4,880km - about one-third the size of Earth
  • It is the second densest planet in Solar System; 5.3 times that of water
  • The Caloris Basin is the largest known feature (1,300km in diameter)
  • Scientists speculate there is water-ice in the planet's permanently shadowed craters
  • Mercury's huge iron core takes up more than 60% of the planet's mass
  • It is an extreme place: surface temperatures swing between 425C and -180C
  • Mercury is the only inner planet besides Earth with a global magnetic field
  • Messenger is the first spacecraft to go into orbit around the planet
The researchers also identified an area of lowlands near Mercury's north pole that could have migrated there over the course of the planet's evolution. A process called polar wander can cause geological features to shift around on a planet's surface.
In theory, the process of convection going on within the mantle could drive such changes. But Dr Zuber said this would be unusual in Mercury's case, because the mantle is so thin.
Another potential explanation could be that features on the surface were distorted as the planet's interior cooled and contracted. This fits in with observations that some surface features on Mercury have been exposed to high levels of strain.
Scientists had long known that the planet possessed a large, iron-rich core and relatively thin outer shell.
Several theories had been put forward to explain this, including the idea that Mercury was struck early in its history by a large space rock, stripping away much of the original crust and mantle.
Messenger's measurements of the planet's gravity field have now confirmed an exceptionally large iron core which is partially liquid.
This core makes up about 85% of the planet's radius, with the outer shell occupying about 15% - about as thin as the peel on an orange. But this thin outer shell is also surprisingly dense.
Planet's surface (Nasa/The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington)An enhanced colour view shows the smoother northern volcanic plains on Mercury to have a different composition (yellow) to the surrounding material
In order to explain this, Dave Smith, from Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center, and colleagues propose that the core is surrounded by a solid layer of iron sulphide - a type of structure not known to exist on any other planet.
The iron sulphide layer is in turn encased by a thin mantle and crust made from silicate rock.
"We had an idea of the internal structure of Mercury, [but] the initial observations did not fit the theory so we doubted [them]," said Dr Smith.
"We did more work and concluded the observations were correct, and then reworked the theory... it's a nice result."
Mercury Messenger is the first ever mission to orbit the first planet from the Sun. Messenger took up that position in March 2011, and has since circled the planet twice a day, collecting nearly 100,000 images and more than four million measurements of the surface.
Throughout its mission, the spacecraft has had to contend with tidal forces from the Sun, which have tugged the probe out of its preferred orbit, as well as "sunlight pressure" in which photons, or packets of light, from our star "press" on the spacecraft.
The team has periodically had to adjust the probe's orbit and apply corrections to its measurements to account for the Sun's effects.
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Daily aspirin 'prevents and possibly treats cancer'

Taking a low dose of aspirin every day can prevent and possibly even treat cancer, fresh evidence suggests.
The three new studies published by The Lancet add to mounting evidence of the drug's anti-cancer effects.
Many people already take daily aspirin as a heart drug.
But experts warn that there is still not enough proof to recommend it to prevent cancer cases and deaths and warn that the drug can cause dangerous side effects like stomach bleeds.
Prof Peter Rothwell, from Oxford University, and colleagues, who carried out the latest work, had already linked aspirin with a lower risk of certain cancers, particularly bowel cancer.
But their previous work suggested people needed to take the drug for about 10 years to get any protection.

Aspirin

  • Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) has been used for many years as a painkiller. It has an anti-inflammatory action
  • Low-dose (75mg) aspirin is already recommended for people with known cardiovascular disease to prevent stroke and heart attack
  • The benefits for healthy people are still unclear
  • Aspirin can cause fatal internal bleeding, although this is relatively rare
Now the same experts believe the protective effect occurs much sooner - within three to five years - based on a new analysis of data from 51 trials involving more than 77,000 patients.
And aspirin appears not only to reduce the risk of developing many different cancers in the first place, but may also stop cancers spreading around the body.
The trials were designed to compare aspirin with no treatment for the prevention of heart disease.
But when Prof Rothwell's team examined how many of the participants developed and died from cancer, they found this was also related to aspirin use.
Halting cancer spread
Taking a low (75-300mg) daily dose of the drug appeared to cut the total number of cancer cases by about a quarter after only three years - there were nine cancer cases per 1,000 each year in the aspirin-taking group, compared with 12 per 1,000 for those taking dummy pills.
It also reduced the risk of a cancer death by 15% within five years (and sooner if the dose was higher than 300mg)
And if patients stayed on aspirin for longer, their cancer death risk went down even further - by 37% after five years.
Low-dose aspirin also appeared to reduce the likelihood that cancers, particularly bowel, would spread (metastasise) to other parts of the body, and by as much as half in some instances.
In absolute numbers, this could mean for every five patients treated with aspirin one metastatic cancer would be prevented, the researchers estimate.
At the same time, aspirin cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but it also increased the risk of a major bleed.
However this elevated bleeding risk was only seen in the first few years of aspirin therapy and decreased after that.
Critics point out that some of the doses given in the study were much higher than the 75mg dose typically given in the UK. Also, some very large US studies looking at aspirin use were not included in the analysis. The researchers acknowledge both of these points in their published papers.
Prof Rothwell says for most fit and healthy people, the most important things they can do to reduce their lifetime cancer risk is to give up smoking, take exercise and have a healthy diet.
After that aspirin does seem to reduce the risk further - only by a small amount if there is no risk factor, but if there is a family history for something like colorectal cancer, it tips the balance in favour of aspirin, he said.
Prof Peter Johnson, of Cancer Research UK, said it was still a good idea for people thinking of taking aspirin to discuss it with their GP because of the possible side effects.
But he said the work was exciting and suggested aspirin might be beneficial for treating and preventing cancer, which is something the charity is exploring in its own research.
"We now need some definitive advice from the government as to whether aspirin should be recommended more widely," he said.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), which issues treatment guidelines for the NHS, has not yet been asked by the government to look at the topic but a spokesman for the Department of Health said they were considering how best to advise the public about the benefits and risks of aspirin.
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Jaguar Land Rover agrees joint venture with Chery in China

Jaguar in ChinaJaguar believes there is great appetite for its models in China
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Chery Automobile have agreed a joint venture that should pave the way for production of Jaguar and Land Rover cars in China.
A new, jointly owned company will be formed, with a view to also establish a research and development facility.
The company will also aim to develop and manufacture new models, as well as set up engine manufacturing operations and create a sales network in China.
The two firms said they wished to "leverage" their respective strengths.
"Demand for Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles continues to increase significantly in China," JLR's chief executive Ralf Speth and Chery's chief executive Yin Tongyao said in a joint statement.
"We believe that JLR and Chery can jointly realise the potential of these iconic brands in the world's largest car market."
Chery predominantly makes smaller, less luxurious cars than JLR, but has good knowledge of the Chinese market.
JLR is owned by Indian Tata Motors.
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Victory for Mitt Romney in Illinois Republican primary

Mitt Romney has won the Republican primary in Illinois, his latest win on the road to decide who will contest November's poll against Barack Obama.
Mr Romney has won 47% of the votes, compared with 35% for Rick Santorum, with nearly all votes counted.
Sending a message to President Obama at a victory party in a suburb of Chicago, Mr Romney said: "We've had enough."
Ron Paul polled 9% in Illinois and Newt Gingrich was on 8%; neither candidate campaigned extensively in the state.
"I'm running for president because I have the experience and the vision to get us out of this mess," said Mr Romney, as his victory became evident.

Delegate totals

05001000
  • Mitt Romney
  • Rick Santorum
  • Newt Gingrich
  • Ron Paul
  • 563
  • 263
  • 135
  • 50
A candidate needs 1,144 delegates to win
Illinois sends 54 delegates to the Republican convention, and Mr Romney hopes to maintain his momentum.
However, Illinois's delegates are not determined by the statewide vote.
Individual delegates are listed on the ballot in each of the state's 18 congressional districts and are identified by the candidate they support.
'Big issue'
Mr Santorum's campaign did not successfully file for the primary ballot in parts of Illinois, meaning he automatically cedes 10 of those delegates.
However, addressing supporters on Tuesday evening, Mr Santorum said he had polled well in Illinois in areas "that conservatives and Republicans populate".

Illinois primary results
SOURCE: AP
Photo: Romney Romney
47%
Photo: Santorum Santorum
35%
Photo: Paul Paul
9%
Photo: Gingrich Gingrich
8%

99% of precincts reporting

"We're very happy about that and we're happy about the delegates we're going to get, too," he said.
The candidates had clashed in Illinois over the economy.
On Monday Mr Santorum had said he "didn't care about the unemployment rate", and told supporters the presidential campaign was about smaller government and winning back individual and social freedom.
Mr Romney jumped on those remarks later in the day, telling students in Peoria, Illinois "one of the people who is running also for the Republican nomination today said that he doesn't care about the unemployment rate".
"It does bother me. I want to get people back to work," Mr Romney said.
Later Mr Santorum told supporters: "The economy is a big issue. Unemployment is a big issue."
'Magic number'
image of Mark MardellAnalysisMark MardellNorth America editor
Romney's victory in Illinois means the gruelling Republican marathon goes on, the candidates straining on towards a finishing line that seems to recede further into the distance with every week that passes.
All logic, all projections, all commentators suggest that in the end he is going to win, that the maths mean he is nearly unbeatable. That "nearly" is the point. Rick Santorum is clearly now Mitt's only serious rival, and while he does not have much of a chance, his hope has not been extinguished.
What is his strategy for eventual victory? Search me. He now has to win just about every prize on offer to pull it off. If he takes Louisiana at the weekend it would boost his confidence -and probably put paid to Newt Gingrich. Results in early April are likely to go Romney's way so the next date that matters is 24 April when five more states vote. That may be a turning point, although perhaps not that elusive finishing line.

Mr Romney won a convincing victory in Puerto Rico's primary over the weekend, amassing 83% of the votes, but lost to Mr Santorum in recent contests in the South.
A candidate needs to accumulate 1,144 delegates to the August convention in order to secure the nomination.
Analysts say the current figures make that an almost impossible task for Mr Santorum, who has spoken openly in recent weeks about winning enough delegates to stop Mr Romney taking the crown.
Such an outcome would lead to a competitive vote at the Tampa convention, in which Mr Santorum feels he could overcome Mr Romney.
Mr Santorum has vowed to continue, "competing in every state", citing tepid support for Mr Romney even in states the former Massachusetts governor has won.
On Monday, Mr Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, said he would "go out and compete in every state".
"I think it's going to be very difficult as this goes on for anybody to get that magic number," Mr Santorum said in an interview with CBS News, adding that chances were increasing of the nomination being decided at the convention.
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