World Leaks

‘Shattered’ players were on the brink of tears on the field before the emotions spilled over in the rooms.

Several students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) are reportedly trapped after an off-campus hostel collapsed after a heavy rainfall. Videos of the building collapse making the rounds on social media show students trying to pull out their colleagues from beneath the rubble. According to eyewitnesses, the affected hostel was a three-storey building located in …

A storey building at  Ekosodin, Edo State housing students from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has collapsed, trapping scores of students. The building, theNewsGuru. com (TNG) learnt  collapsed on Saturday, 14th September after a heavy downpour trapping some students. Ekosodin borders the University of Benin and has a huge student population as those who cannot …

Having quickly established itself as one of the world’s leading streaming services, the best Apple TV+ shows include some of the most talked-about current series. Apple started producing its own original content in 2016, ramping up production after launching its own streaming service, Apple TV+, in 2019. Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including …

The Bay Area schools are happy with their home in the ACC and cannot break a 12-year contract.

Dramatic video captures the moment a man punched a suspected DUI driver following a crash that injured a woman at a food truck in downtown Los Angeles.  Preliminary information indicates that the alleged driver who was under the influence was trying to make a U-turn when they crashed their Tesla into another vehicle just before [...]

A POPULAR holiday destination has been dubbed “the shark capital of the world”.

New Smyrna Beach is a seemingly idyllic paradise known for its pristine sands and perfect surf, but beneath the waves lurks a darker reality.

CBS Miami

Drone footage shows the moment dozens of sharks swarm New Smyrna Beach – known as the ‘shark bite capital of world’[/caption]

FOX 35 Orlando

A shark lurks just metres from a surfer at the notorious beach in Florida[/caption]

Fox 35

AP:Associated Press

Warning signs at New Smyrna Beach in Florida[/caption]

Here, where thrill-seekers flock for a taste of the ocean, bloodthirsty predators lurk just out of sight, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. 

With alarming frequency, swimmers and surfers find themselves in terrifying encounters, as these underwater hunters shred limbs and leave behind a trail of fear in the water. 

Experts say that unlike anywhere else on Earth, including Spain and Egypt, Florida’s New Smyrna Beach is a prime hotspot for shark bites.

The surf destination claims the ominous accolade, with five shark attacks recorded last year, according to International Shark Attack Figures.

And another two shark attacks occurred in two days just last month, USA Today reports.

One targeted a 26-year-old male who was wading through five feet of water, while the other targeted a 21-year-old who was playing American football in knee-deep water.

And in August, a firefighter from Florida was bitten by a shark that saw him suffer two torn tendons.

The seven attacks so far recorded in 2024 are already in a scary rampage towards the 16 bites recorded in the entire state of Florida in 2023, according to Pensacola News Journal.

Although the beach is a picturesque location on the Atlantic Ocean, it is also dangerously with hurricanes and rip currents.

Shark researcher Dr Gavin Naylor believes that New Smyrna Beach holds the eerie title due to a “confluence of factors”.

He told the Daily Star: “You find so many bites [in Volusia County] and not so many in other places, it tells you that something about that region is conducive toward shark bites, which is not in other places.”

“You need a bunch of sharks, and they need to be in the mood to bite things, and you need a bunch of people in the same area at the same time.”

The evolutionary biologist clarified that there is a 40ft-deep dredge in the Ponce Inlet outflow, which enters the Atlantic directly north of New Smyrna Beach.

Dr Naylor explained: “Water comes in and out with the tide, and it brings a lot of nutrients.

“As it curves down, it mixes with the other current, and there is a really great surf break.”

Great surf and nutrient-rich water combine to make the nearby beaches “a perfect spot” for fish and surfers alike, the shark expert said.

Blacktip sharks, in particular, prey on the mullet and menhadens that swim in the seas.

Dr Naylor added: “Blacktip sharks go to that little patch of water, because there are all sorts of food in there.

“Also, because of the surf, it’s very turbid and the sharks can’t see very well.

“So now you’ve got these sharks that are all jingled up and trying to find their lunch, swimming all over the place chasing mullet and menhaden in low visibility water, plus 50 or 60 people with arms and legs dangling off the edge of their boards looking for their perfect wave.”

The expert believes that it’s only a matter of time until famished blacktip sharks confuse a foot or limb for a fish.

“Fortunately, most of the sharks in that area are highly piscivorous sharks, such as blacktips and spinners,” Dr Naylor said.

“If they were bull sharks or tiger sharks, they might stick around a little bit more and the injuries would be a lot worse.”

DANGEROUS REPUTATION

According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), Volusia County, where New Smyrna Beach is located, consistently records the highest number of shark bites annually.

Over the years, the sheer number of incidents, albeit mostly minor, has cemented New Smyrna Beach’s reputation.

New Smyrna Beach is close to Ponce Inlet, a narrow waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Intracoastal Waterway.

This inlet creates strong tidal flows, which attract a variety of fish and, consequently, sharks.

The concentration of prey fish in this area makes it an ideal hunting ground for the water beasts.

The warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean along New Smyrna Beach are home to an abundant array of marine life, which includes fish, rays, and other sea creatures that sharks feed on.

The high density of prey species in these waters is another major factor in the presence of sharks.

New Smyrna Beach is a popular destination for surfers due to its consistent waves.

Surfers spend a lot of time in the water and, from below, their silhouettes can resemble the prey of many shark species.

This increases the likelihood of sharks mistaking them for food, leading to more frequent encounters.

The beach is also one of Florida’s most visited, attracting locals and tourists alike.

With so many people in the water, the probability of shark encounters naturally rises.

New Smyrna Beach consistently records a high number of shark bites each year.

In some years, it has accounted for more than half of all shark attacks in the entire state of Florida.

For instance, in 2020, Volusia County, where New Smyrna Beach is located, accounted for 50 per cent of all shark bites in Florida.

But despite the frequent incidents, fatalities are extremely rare.

The vast majority of shark bites at New Smyrna Beach are minor, involving only one or two quick bites before the shark swims away.

THE first Strictly Come Dancing star to be “axed” has been “revealed” – juts hours before the 2024 launch show.

This weekend, loyal viewers of the BBC One series will see the programme kick off its 20th instalment.

PA

A Strictly Come Dancing star has been tipped as the first one for the ‘axe’[/caption]

PA

It comes ahead of the BBC One programme’s launch show this weekend[/caption]

Getty

Paul Merson has been ‘revealed’ as the first to be given the boot in the live eviction[/caption]

BBC

The ex Arsenal ace is placed at odds of 5/2 to be the first famous face out of the door[/caption]

The will see the Strictly Come Dancing celeb cohort in full – as well as learn which professional they are partnered up with.

Yet speculation is mounting as to who will be booted off in next week’s live show – with the unlucky star tipped to be ex footballer Paul Merson, 56.

Bookies Ladbrokes have placed the sports ace at odds of 5/2 to be the first dancefloor casualty.

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes told The Sun: “Before a move is even made, punters are backing Paul Merson to be the first star axed from Strictly.

“He’s not the only one in the danger zone though, with Nick Knowles and Punam Krishan also expected to underperform.”

Tipping the other end of the scales, Tasha Ghouri, Jamie Borthwick, JB Gill and Shayne Ward are all placed with odds of 4/1 to take home the Glitter Ball trophy.

We exclusively revealed ex Arsenal star Paul, who has overcome drink, drug and gambling addictions, had signed up for the series in July.

At the time, sources told how the Sky Sports pundit would be “a popular addition.”

They added: “Footballers always do well with fans, whether they can dance or not.

But he also has a past, having had to battle ­addictions to drugs, booze and gambling.”

Paul played for Arsenal for 11 series and earned 21 England caps.

Earlier this week, we reported how he was left fuming at show bosses after they selected his first dance song.

He was reportedly left irked after the song Vindaloo was chosen for his opening routine.

Vindaloo is a song by British band Fat Les, and the music was co-written by Blur bassist Alex James and part-time Pink Floyd bassist Guy Pratt.

It was released as a single in 1998 and recorded for the FIFA World Cup that same year.

The song was originally written as a parody of football chants, but was adopted as one in its own right and became a cult classic.

But in recent years, Vindaloo has been seen as a controversial World Cup anthem and has been deemed racist.

An onlooker at the filming of Strictly’s first episode has now told The Mail on Sunday that the star had to re-do his reaction to being told he’d dance to Vindaloo, after he appeared noticeably “cross.”

They said: “Paul looked really cross. The celebrities and their partners were being told what songs they would have. Lots of them were given lovely classics – then he got Vindaloo.

“You can’t blame him for thinking he is being set up to be the joke act, but also the connotations of it [the song] are also not exactly positive either.

“It’s pretty thoughtless of the BBC to give it to one of their stars of Strictly, particularly given all of the scandals that have engulfed the show for the last nine months.

“The BBC clearly forgot its woke agenda on this occasion.”

Getty

Police are skeptical of the officer's story, in part because one eyewitness identified him as the man who crashed into multiple parked cars, dragged a tree onto the road, hit a stop sign, and then fled on foot through a passenger door.

The pin depicting a vintage sign from the San Jose strip club is one of a dozen new designs being sold by the Preservation Action Council, which has found the pins to be a surprising source of revenue.