Harry has a ball in Brazil: Rugby, volleyball and a fond salute to his big brother as Prince takes charm offensive to the beach

By George Arbuthnott


Hit: Wearing a shirt and baseball cap in the Brazilian colours and his name, Prince Harry gives it his all in a game against some of Brazil's top beach volleyball players


It's possibly not the first time that a game of beach volleyball has raised Prince Harry’s pulse rate.

But yesterday, the sport got the 27-yearold hot and sweaty when he took part in a spirited game in the 88F (31C) heat of Rio de Janeiro.

After diving and lunging across the sands of Copacabana beach in his yellow and green Brazilian shirt, Harry declared this was ‘my kind of game’ – even though he admitted it left him exhausted.

The 27-year-old royal was clearly having a ball during the match amid stunning scenery

Double world champion Adriana Behar, who had given him some coaching tips, asked: ‘Will you be watching the beach volleyball at the London Olympics because it’s so near your home?’

Harry replied: ‘I’ve already bought the tickets.’

Adriana, 43, said: ‘I’m really happy. I can’t wait to meet him again in London. He was really good and he’s clearly played before.’

The match was part of a day of sport for the Prince, which also included a mile-long fun run in aid of Sport Relief, which he competed in 8 min 32 sec.


Drama: Prince Harry sinks to his knees to save a shot as the crowd looks on and thanks his opponents, who are some of Brazil's top beach volleyball players

The game took place in the shadow of Rio de Janeiro's iconic Sugar Loaf mountain

In one of many moments of levity, he was handed a cardboard mask of his brother.
Putting it on, he ran for a while disguised as Prince William alongside blind athlete Alice de Oliveura Correio, 17.

Harry also taught local children to play rugby on the beach – although his technique of slowing down his young opponents by tugging at their shirts might be frowned upon by the sport’s governing bodies.

Luckily the vice-president of the Rugby Football Union is unlikely to complain – since it’s one HRH Prince Harry.

The young Royal was keen to promote the sport in Brazil because it will be included for the first time in the Olympics during the 2016 Rio games.


Catch! Prince Harry enjoys a game of rugby with children on Rio's Flamengo Beach


Get off! Prince Harry tries to stop his young opponents getting their hands on the ball by pulling at their shirts


Mine! It doesn't matter if they're half his height; Prince Harry's young rivals at the Flamingo Beach match in Rio are still not allowed a look-in


Prince Harry gives some direction during his rugby game with the children on the beach

After giving his lessons, Harry joked: ‘One plea to all Brazilians, though. Please, please, if we show you how to play rugby, don’t do what you’ve done with football, and leave us wishing we hadn’t!’

Last night he was due to finish his sporting day with a game of cricket in the notorious Complexo de Alemao – a group of 13 favela slums in the north of Rio, which until a police and army push in November 2010 was controlled by heavily armed drugs gangs comprising thousands of men.

There are now at least 1,800 soldiers permanently patrolling the favelas and extra military were drafted in to provide security around the Prince.


Joker: Prince Harry (centre) wore a mask of his brother Prince Wiliam during the Sport Relief Mile in Rio de Janeiro

Jogging along: British woman Hettie Allison runs wearing a Prince William mask - perfect for Prince Harry to wear for the Sport Relief event

Today, Harry will end his official visit to Brazil with a polo match in the city of Campinas, raising money for his Sentebale African children’s charity.

Sport was a big part of Harry’s trip since it is an important strand in a £25 million marketing campaign designed to use the London Olympics and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to woo more tourists to Britain.

On Friday night, the Prince launched the campaign on Sugarloaf Mountain by lifting the FA Cup. David Beckham spoke by video link, telling Prince Harry to ‘get the party started as only he can’.


All in hand: Prince Harry has spotted the mask of his brother and continues the race holding it

Family affair: Hettie Allison (centre), with friends who have also dressed for the occasion. Hettie gave her mask to Prince Harry, who wore it as he crossed the finishing line

Harry responded: ‘That was David Beckham. Apparently he used to play football. Thank you, David.’

The Prince has also been promoting British business in Brazil – a country he said he had a special affection for.

‘Over the years, I’ve seen and heard so much about this extraordinary place,’ he said in speech. ‘In fact, ever since my father told me about a certain dance he once had with a beautiful girl called Pina. It just seems to have stuck in his mind, for some reason . . .’


Prince Harry chatted to model and actress Lily Cole last night after making a speech praising British-Brazilian relations at the launch of the Great Campaign on the top of Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio De Janeiro

It was a light-hearted reference to the famous image of Prince Charles dancing enthusiastically with a scantily clad samba dancer named Pina de Beija-Flora during his visit to Rio in 1978.

‘Everything about Rio makes you want to dance,’ Harry said. ‘I’m just so thankful that my brother isn’t here because he might actually do it – and that would not be cool.

‘I feel that it’s going to be a great era for our two countries, for the friendship between us – something like a marriage. Now, there’s an idea . . .’




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Amazing video captures moment sunbathers rescue 30 beached dolphins in Brazil

By Simon Tomlinson


Race for life: Sunbathers frantically drag a pod of around 30 dolphins back into deeper waters after they became perilously stranded on a Brazilian beach

Dragging them desperately by their tails, this is the dramatic moment beachgoers leapt into the sea to save around 30 dolphins from certain death.

The rescuers had been sunning themselves on the Rio de Janeiro coastline in Brazil when the dolphins appeared out of nowhere and suddenly beached en masse.

Initially stunned, the sunbathers soon realise the impending danger and race into the surf as the mammals let out piercing squeals of distress.

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Minutes from death: The marine mammals suddenly beached en masse on Monday after being pulled to shore by strong currents

Collective effort: Dozens of people dashed into the water as the dolphins let out high-pitched squeals in their distress


As this video shows, they make frantic efforts to grab the animals by the tails to pull them into deeper waters.

And it appears their attempts were successful as all the dolphins were rescued to rapturous cheers from onlookers.

The footage, filmed on Monday by a German tourist, has received more the one million hits on YouTube.

The dolphins were apparently caught in a strong current which meant they were unable to swim to safety.


Shock: The rescuers hjad been sunning themselves no the beach when the dolphins appeared out of nowhere


Pitching in: A man strips down to his swimming costume as he goes to lend a hand. The beachgoers were shocked to find the sudden mass arrival on the shoreline


Success: All the dolphins appeared to survive after being dragged back into the ocean, where they were able to swim off

One viewer, edpati1, said: 'Very good job! Congratulations to all involved! I wish I was there too.'

Rombilly1 added: 'Humanity at it best. Everyone who helped rescue should be very proud of themselves.

'Warmed my soul this morning.there is hope for us yet.'




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Homeward bound! Springer spaniel is reunited with her owner FIVE years after she went missing

Daisy was spotted foraging for scraps 40 MILES from home
She wagged her tail as soon as she saw delighted owners Colin and Margaret Froggatt


By Rob King


When Colin Froggatt heard his beloved springer spaniel Daisy had been found after more than five years, he thought it was nothing more than a shaggy dog story.

But the call he had been waiting so desperately for was true.

Now the pair have been reunited after the missing dog was discovered wandering the streets 40 miles from home.

And Daisy immediately showed that she recognised her owner by wagging her tail.

Reunited: Daisy the English springer spaniel is back at home with owner Colin Froggatt five years after she went missing

Mr Froggatt, 62, and his wife Margaret, 60, feared the worst after Daisy and her brother Flynn ran off while going for a walk in a park in 2007.

They found Flynn nearby but there was no trace of Daisy - until she was seen foraging for scraps on a street in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, two weeks ago.

Daisy had been micro-chipped in case she got lost which meant her owners, from Toton, Nottingham, could be traced.

Mr Froggatt, a retired plumber, said: 'We were over the moon when we got the phone call.

'We were on the way home and got a mobile call from a couple in Doncaster who had found Daisy wandering with another dog.

'We were wondering if it was a hoax at first but when we got back home there was a message from the dog warden.

'After the couple phoned him, he had checked Daisy’s microchip and got in touch with us.

'We phoned the kennels where she had been taken and arranged to collect her the next day.

'Margaret couldn’t stop crying, she was astonished.'

Daisy is already settling in at home and preparing herself for more adventures with Flynn.

Mr Froggatt said: 'When Daisy was back, she was really obedient and really friendly and she got on with Flynn as if nothing had happened.

Roaming: Daisy was found wandering with another dog in Doncaster, South Yorkshire - 40 miles from where she went missing

'After a couple of days they were inseparable again. It was like she had never been away.'

The couple, who have been married for almost 23 years, gave up hope of finding Daisy after she vanished during a walk in April 2007.

Daisy was only a year old then and, because she and Flynn could be lively, the Froggatts would put one of them on a lead and let the other run free for a while.

Mr Froggatt said: 'On that particular day I had Flynn on the lead and Daisy off, but Flynn managed to back out of his collar.

'The both of them just looked at each other as if they were telepathic and did a bee-line for the exit of the park. They just disappeared.

'A couple of hours later we found Flynn but Daisy was nowhere to be seen.

'Every time someone rang with a sighting of her we would go off in the car and look but there was never any sign of her, until the phone call.'

Best behaviour: Daisy, right, has been more obedient since her return and gets on with her brother Flynn, left, as if nothing happened

Mr Froggatt said it was an 'amazing feeling' to have Daisy back.

'She had certainly not been living wild for five years, somebody had been looking after her,' he added.

'I think she was picked up by somebody shortly after she went missing. She is a very pretty dog.

Cosy: Daisy and Flynn were inseparable as puppies, as these pictures, taken before the ran away from their owners, show

'Whether she was sold on or kept, and then ran off again, I don’t know.

'She is very lively so she could have been working on a farm.

'I can’t see how she could get to Doncaster by her own power.

'
Mr and Mrs Froggatt run company Animals at Home, which cares for pets while their owners are on holiday.

Mrs Frogatt, a retired nurse with two children from a previous relationship, said they 'searched everywhere' after Daisy went missing.

'We made up posters, did a door-to-door hunt, went online and even asked the local radio station to ask if anyone had seen her,' she said.

'We thought we would never see her again and just hoped that someone kind had got her and was looking after her.

'It was a very emotional reunion. We took her home feeling as if we had won the lottery.

'We have no real idea about her life up to the time she was found.'

Mrs Froggatt said Daisy was 'truly part of the family once more'.

'Flynn realised that the boss was back but, despite a few moments early on, they get on well now.'



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Mini-muscleman: Meet the UK's only dwarf body builder who can lift more than twice his own body weight

By Suzannah Hills


Contender: Dwarf bodybuilder Jason Owen taking part in the under 70kg body building competition in London

At just 4ft 5in tall, Jason Owen is the UK's only dwarf body builder, but that doesn't stop him bench pressing more than twice his own body weight.

The 30-year-old doorman, who works in bars around Essex and Surrey, tips the scales at 11 stone but can bench-press a staggering 26 stone - the same weight as an adult gorilla.

Known as 'Mini Arnie' after his hero Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason spends four hours a day working out in the run up to bodybuilding competitions.

Inspiration: Jason, pictured with his trainer Del during a workout session, is often told by fellow gym-goers he is an inspiration for never letting his size get in the way of what he wants to do

Jason, 30, from Mitcham, Surrey, said: 'Pound for pound I'm one of the strongest guys at the gym.

'People say I'm amazing but I just love the buzz of competing.

'Occasionally I do get grief for being a dwarf when I'm working the doors.

'I don't let it get to me and often by the end of the night I have them over my shoulder when I chuck them out.

'People are always surprised by my strength.'
Jason also works part-time as a bingo caller and cares for dwarf mum, Babs, 68.

But he still finds time to follow a gruelling training regime - including hours of body building at the gym and a strict diet.

Pumping iron: Jason has a strict training regime, which involves working out in the gym for four hours and consuming 4,000 calories in protein rich food and power shakes every day to help build up his muscles

He eats 4,000 calories a day in protein-rich food and power shakes to build up his muscles.

For breakfast he eats porridge followed by six egg whites and then he has up to four meals of chicken, broccoli and rice throughout the day.

He then heads to Pinks Gym in Carshalton, Surrey, where he stuns gym-goers with his incredible feats of strength.

He said: 'I got called Mini Arnie because I had a haircut like Arnie's and the name just stuck. He's one of my bodybuilding inspirations.

'I have been told by people at the gym that I am an inspiration because I never let my size get in the way of doing what I want.


Superman: Jason, who weighs 11 stone, can lift an incredible 26 stone - the equivalent of a fully-grown gorilla


Muscleman: Jason shows off his hard-earned muscles alongside his trainer Del

'Occasionally I need assistance when my legs are too short to do leg presses - but I just get on with it.

'I don't get treated any differently by the other guys at the gym.'

Jason is now in training for the Kent Klassic bodybuilding competition in Gravesend in August.

He said: 'I haven't won a competition yet but this summer I'm hoping to get in shape and bring home a trophy.

'I love bodybuilding because after you put your body through all the pain of training and competing, there can be a prize at the end of it all.

'There's a sense of satisfaction that you get from having a body you have worked hard for.

'I do get some female attention, but often women ask for tips about losing weight.'



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The day Flash Harry beat Usain Bolt in 100m sprint: Royal takes gold in race in Jamaica (with a little help by jumping the gun)

By Rebecca English


When you are facing the fastest man who has ever lived in a 20 yard dash then there is only one thing for it. Cheat.

Not the most sporting option, admittedly. But the grin on Prince Harry’s face as he crossed the finishing line ahead of world record holder Usain Bolt in Jamaica yesterday said it all.

The two men met at an athletics track in the capital Kingston on the first of a four day visit to the Caribbean Island on behalf of the Queen.

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Taking gold: Prince Harry leaves Usain Bolt in his wake as he races him in Jamaica

Harry had already privately admitted to being slightly nervous at the showdown with Bolt, who is royalty in his home country. And with good reason.

The poster boy of athletics holds five world records and three Olympic golds.

His 9.58 second time in the 100m is unlikely to be beaten for some time – if ever.

He also holds the world record over 200m of 19.19.

Called to the starting blocks to limber up, Harry – who was sportingly wearing a tracksuit, running top and trainers in the Jamaican national colours of black, gold and green – took a cheeky sidelong look at his rival and then sprinted off before the officials could even utter the words ‘ready, steady go’.


Ready: The Prince Harry concentrates in the blocks against Usain Bolt at the University of the West Indies


All systems go: Both Harry and Usain burst out of the traps


Odds against: The beaming royal takes an early lead after Bolt fails to live up to his name

Playing for the crowd: Bolt stops and allows Prince Harry to race ahead

To Bolt’s astonishment, he jumped the gun and hared down the track roaring with laughter, flinging his arms out in triumph as he crossed the finish line - and leaving one of the finest athletes the world has ever seen jogging helplessly after him with his hands in the air in mock indignation.

Aides insisted that the race hadn’t been stunted. ‘It was just a spur of the moment thing,’ said one. ‘Prince Harry just went with it. That’s what he is like.’

Fortunately the champion’s ego wasn’t remotely dented and the pair hugged and slapped each other’s backs as they walked, laughing, back to the start.

To make up for his trick, Harry good naturedly agreed to mimic the track star’s famous ‘lightning Bolt’ pose for the cameras.

‘Come on man, let’s do it,’ the prince laughed.

Afterwards Bolt told the Mail: ‘Yeah, man, he cheated. He knew he couldn’t beat me but wanted to go back to London saying he did. I’ve told him I want a rematch at London 2012 but Harry said ‘I’m busy’.


This is how it's done: Bolt shows Harry how to pull off his trademark celebration


He's got the moves: Harry joins Bolt - with the same aplomb as his night club moves


Plan: Harry and Usain discuss race tactics beforehand, left, and afterwards the prince gloats over his victory

‘It was good, though. He cheated, but it is good, he was cool. He is very down to earth and charming. It was an honour and a pleasure to meet him. He is a really laid back guy, a wonderful person. He is professional but no like a lot of the dignitaries you meet.

‘I’m the still the fastest man in the world, so he still has a long way to go.

‘I told him that he better make time for a rematch. Because it’s on.’

Harry is half way through his first week-long visit on behalf of the Queen, to mark her Diamond Jubilee, and has already taken in Belize and the Bahamas.

He was visiting the Usain Bolt Track at the University of the West Indies to pass on the monarch’s best wishes to the Jamaican national team ahead of the London Olympics.

In a question and answer session before the race, Harry and Bolt appeared to get on famously, teasing each other mercilessly.

Bolt told the prince that he had been told to let him win, while Harry, 27, on learning that the athlete was two years younger than him, replied: ‘Yeah, well I was in my prime at 25.’

The prince also wished the Jamaican team luck and promised to meet them in the Athlete’s Village over the summer, saying: ‘You should be massively proud of your country and of him.

‘I know that when I was at school sport was the best thing, being stuck in a classroom wasn’t. I probably shouldn’t have said that!

'If you have got talent use it and don’t go running off to America because you have a clear talent your country needs.’

Pointing to Bolt and rolling his eyes he added: ‘And they tell me that this man hasn’t even reached his full potential yet.’

It was clear that Harry is something of a fan of the champion as, after the race, he pulled out a giant poster of a horse for him to sign.

Aides revealed that the prince has bought a 100th share in a racehorse with some friends that he has, amusingly, called Usain Colt.

The three-year-old bay male – whose sire is Royal Applause - won its maiden race at Newbury last October and is being trained by Richard Hannon, one of the Queen’s trainers.

The syndicate which owns the horse includes Harry’s pals Guy Pelly, Jake Warren (son of the Queen’s racing manager) and folk star Marcus Mumford.


Bolt welcomed Prince Harry to Jamaica by handing him a portrait of himself during the photocall in Kingston. The Prince and the world record holder then posed with a specially made t-shirt which declared that, 'Harry can Bolt'


Namesake: Usain Bolt was happy to pose alongside the Prince with a poster of British racehorse Usain Colt


Getting to know you: Prince Harry and the fastest man on Earth appeared at ease in each other's company as they chatted after their 'race' this afternoon


Blowing in the Windies: Buffeted by Gale force winds, Prince Harry arrived at Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston where he inspected a Police Guard of Honour

The look of love? Prince Harry talks with Miss Bahamas 2011 Anastagia Pierre during a reception for youth leaders, held at the Sheraton Hote in Nassau, Bahamas, yesterday

Bolt, who gave Harry a pair of signed trainers and a Jamaican running top with the name ‘Harry Bolt’ on the back, explained that prince had asked him to sign the poster so he could show his fellow owners.

‘It was meant to be a secret but he has bought a share in the horse which he has named after me. It’s a real honour. He is going to go great, I think. He has already had a couple of wins. ‘

The sprinter later sounded a little worried that he may have given away some secrets Harry could pass on to Britain's Olympic team. ‘I think I taught him a few things about the start, he may just tell the people back home,’ he said.

‘I just can’t wait to get to London, though.’




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'How I killed the biggest fox in Britain': Monster measured 4ft 9in and weighed 38lbs

By Larisa Brown BEN ARCHIBALD


Haul: Alan Hepworth holds up the giant fox he shot in Aberdeenshire


Hunted down after savaging a farmer’s lambs, this is the largest fox ever recorded in the UK.

The beast weighed almost three stone and was nearly five feet long – more than double the average size of the species.

It was shot and killed by farmer Alan Hepworth who, at just 5ft 7in himself, was only just able to haul his catch up for a photograph.


He said: ‘I was out with my son. We have to shoot foxes to keep on top of them, and stop them from killing the lambs.

‘It was late at night, and this particular fox caught our eye because it was such an incredible size.

‘We made a squeaking noise to get its attention, and then shot it.

‘When we went over to pick it up, we were amazed by quite how big it was. I could only hold it for a while because it was so heavy and was nearly as big as a roe deer.’

Mr Hepworth later decided to weigh the fox after realising it would probably be the largest he had ever shot.

And the 69-year-old found it weighed a staggering 38lb 1oz and was 4ft 9in from its nose to the tip of its tail.

Monster: To give a sense of scale, seven-year-old Archie Wright stands next to a 26.5lb fox, which up until now had been the largest recorded in Britain

Experts say it is the biggest to have been recorded in the UK.

He said: ‘I’m 5ft 7in, and it was 4ft 9in. When I held it up, it was almost the same size as me.

‘It was a big beast and much heavier than anything I’d killed before, so I knew it would be the heaviest I’d found when I weighed it.

‘I was surprised to hear it was the biggest fox ever recorded in the UK, though.

‘If I’d have thought more about it at the time I’d have maybe taken it to a taxidermist, and kept it as a memento, but we just buried it like all the other foxes we shot.’

Stark contrast: Foxshooter Roy Lupton displays a normal fox beside the 26lb monster shot by Keith Talbot to show the difference in size

Mr Hepworth, from Moray in north-east Scotland, said he killed the fox on a friend’s farm in neighbouring Aberdeenshire.

He added: ‘When I showed people the picture of me holding up the fox, they didn’t believe it. Especially how long it was. But I can definitely say it’s real. You never forget holding an animal that size.’

The Handbook of British Mammals says foxes usually weigh up to 15lb.

Brazen: Foxes are increasingly losing their fear of humans and more and more like this one have been spotted in people's homes

Experts believe the find is further evidence that foxes are increasing in size.

Jonathan Reynolds, senior research scientist at the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, said: ‘A 38lb fox would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

‘We don’t know why they are getting bigger, but one possible explanation is that they are getting better fed in urban areas.’

Derek Yalden, president of the Mammal Society, said many foxes were getting bolder in towns and cities because they were ‘more used to seeing humans’.


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A fallen giant of the seas: Huge 35ft-long sperm whale is found dead drawing crowds to Lincolnshire beach

-Animal has large gashes across its back and has started to let off a pungent smell
-East Lindsey District Council will cover the 30-tonne carcass with sand until they work out how to dispose of it


By Jill Reilly


Main attraction: Crowds of people gathered to see the 35ft (10.7m) whale today, which was first spotted near the bottom of Skegness Pier yesterday

A massive sperm whale carcass is causing a stink after washing up on a Lincolnshire beach.

Crowds of interested people gathered to see the 35ft (10.7m) whale today, which was first spotted near the bottom of Skegness Pier yesterday.

But they were repelled by the repugnant smell of the animal, which has large gashes across its back and may have been dead for several days.


Hold your nose: Although it has attracted hundreds of interested spectators, the animal, which has large gashes across its back and may have been dead for several days, has started to let off a pungent smell

Big decision: East Lindsey District Council said it will cover the 30-tonne carcass with sand until they work out how to dispose of it

East Lindsey District Council said it will cover the 30-tonne carcass with sand until they work out how to dispose of it.

Emma Burgess, from the council, said: 'Obviously as it is decomposing, the smell is getting worse.

'So we have covered it with sand until we can remove it from the beach, which should be early next week.'

Experts believe the whale collided with a boat and could have been dead for several days before finally washing ashore.

Naturalist Tony Burgess, who visited Skegness to witness the spectacle, said: "If they get into shallow waters the weight of their bodies on their lungs makes it difficult for them to breathe.

'It's always so sad when you see a great creature like that dead.'
Whales were last spotted on Skegness Beach in 2006, when two bottled nosed whales washed ashore.

Male sperm whales are abundant in nearly all of the earth's oceans and undertake vast migratory journeys.

But they prefer deep waters to hunt their predominate prey - the deep sea squid.

Julie Hamilton, who was visiting Butlins from Leicester, said: "We came down to have a look because it's a once in a lifetime experience to see such a rare thing but it's really sad.

'I love animals and it's always awful when you see any wildlife destroyed.'

Skegness resident Ivan Frost said: 'It's unbelievable - I've never seen anything so large washed up on the beach before.'


Accidental death: Experts believe the whale collided with a boat and could have been dead for several days before finally washing ashore


Rare sight: Whales were last spotted on Skegness Beach in 2006, when two bottled nosed whales washed ashore



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