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Honeymoon funded by trash
A couple spent three months collecting and recycling litter to pay for their honeymoon flights.
John and Ann Till, from Petersfield, in Hampshire, took thousands of cans and bottles to a recycling center at a nearby Tesco supermarket.
For every four recycled items, they earned a reward point which was then converted into BA air miles.
They amassed 36,000 miles, which they used to fly back in business class from their US honeymoon.
The Tills came up with the idea while buying petrol at Tesco in Havant, where an automated recycling unit that gives loyalty-card points had been installed for a trial period.
They had enough money for a Queen Mary 2 cruise to New York but could not afford the flights home, so the couple started scouring the streets of their home town for rubbish, clocking up the miles for their dream honeymoon.
There was enough rubbish out there to fly us to the moon and back A couple spent three months collecting and recycling litter to pay for their honeymoon flights. ... more -
Herpes linked to brain cancer
Cancer researchers are finally taking seriously a young surgeon’s decade-long hunch that brain tumors are linked to a strain of herpes that lies dormant in 80% of Americans. The physician speculated that brain cancer patients—many of them affluent and educated—were more vulnerable to common viruses such as the herpes CMV strain because of their "hyper-hygienic" lives, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
"I stopped to think, If I was going to cause a brain tumor, what would I be? CMV made a lot of sense,” he said. The link has now been confirmed in at least three new studies, and CMV vaccine trials have begun for chemo patients. Several of them are tumor-free after two years, rare for a cancer that returns within months of treatment in 95% of cases. Cancer researchers are finally taking seriously a young surgeon’s decade-long hunch that brain tumors are linked to a strain of herpes... more -
Taliban split with al Qaeda
Taliban leaders are holding Saudi-brokered talks with the Afghan government to end the country's bloody conflict -- and are severing their ties with al Qaeda, sources close to the historic discussions have told CNN.
King Abdullah of Saudia Arabia hosted meetings between the Afghan government and the Taliban, a source says.
King Abdullah of Saudia Arabia hosted meetings between the Afghan government and the Taliban, a source says.
The militia, which has been intensifying its attacks on the U.S.-led coalition that toppled it from power in 2001 for harboring Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, has been involved four days of talks hosted by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, says the source.
The talks -- the first of their kind aimed at resolving the lengthy conflict in Afghanistan -- mark a significant move by the Saudi leadership to take a direct role in Afghanistan, hosting delegates who have until recently been their enemies. Taliban leaders are holding Saudi-brokered talks with the Afghan government to end the country's bloody conflict -- and are sever... more -
Pupil, 15, gives hash cakes to teachers
A 15-year-old girl has been forced to change schools after she gave drugs-laced cakes to teachers.
Two teaching assistants in Leeds suffered from dizziness and headaches after eating the hash cakes which the girl took into school last month. They pair were taken to hospital for emergency check-ups where doctors said that they had probably been drugged with cannabis.
The GCSE pupil was suspended while the incident was investigated and she has now been moved to a different school. A 15-year-old girl has been forced to change schools after she gave drugs-laced cakes to teachers. ... more -
Dow and FTSE hit lowest levels since 2004
The U.S. stock markets fall down in early trading; The Dow Jones lost 300 points, reaching below 10,000 for first time since 2004.
Update::
2:38 PM EST
The Dow plummeted 700 points. Investors fear that this global economic crisis will intensify. The U.S. stock markets fall down in early trading; The Dow Jones lost 300 points, reaching below 10,000 for first time since 2004. ... more -
Poland have 'resolved' dispute with Fifa
UEFA, the governing body of European football, said they were likely to withdraw Poland's right to host Euro 2012 if the country didn't reinstate their football association this morning.
A Polish arbitration tribubal suspended the PZPN (the equivalent to the Football Association) and named an administrator last week after the country's Sports Minister filed a motion saying it had broken the law a number of times.
"They (Polish government) have to realise they are playing with Euro 2012. How can we trust a government to host the tournament .... if they fail to meet the deadline then it is likely we cannot go on," a UEFA spokesman said.
FIFA, whose rules forbid government interference, said Warsaw must reinstate the FA or risk being suspended from this month's two World Cup qualifying matches.
Update: According to FA bigwig Sepp Blatter the Polish Football Association has settled a dispute with its government that threatened its right to co-host Euro 2012. UEFA, the governing body of European football, said they were likely to withdraw Poland's right to host Euro 2012 if the country ... more -
Human tower collapses during traditional Spanish festival
Yesterday, hundreds of Spaniards took part in a traditional human tower building competition in Tarragona. Members of the Castellers de Sants constructed a number of towers that teetered on collapse throughout the day during the 22nd Tarragona Castells contest.
Surprise surprise, the inevitable happened. Yesterday, hundreds of Spaniards took part in a traditional human tower building competition in Tarragona. Members of the Castellers d... more -
Live brain-cell action captured for first time
A tiny microscope has managed to watch brain cell action as it goes on for the first time.
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Seas turn to acid as they soak up CO2
The Bay of Naples is renowned for its breathtaking beauty and glittering clear waters. For centuries, tourists have flocked to the region to experience its glories.
But beneath the waves, scientists have uncovered an alarming secret. They have found streams of gas bubbling up from the seabed around the island of Ischia. 'The waters are like a Jacuzzi - there is so much carbon dioxide fizzing up from the seabed,' said Dr Jason Hall-Spencer, of Plymouth University. 'Millions of litres of gas bubble up every day.'
The gas streams have turned Ischia's waters into acid, and this has had a major impact on sea life and aquatic plants. Now marine biologists fear that the world's seas could follow suit.
'Every day the oceans absorb more than 25m tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,' said Hall-Spencer. 'If it were not for the oceans, levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would be far higher than they are today and the impact of climate change would be far worse. However, there is a downside: it is called ocean acidification.'
Scientists calculate that the seas are absorbing so much carbon dioxide that they are 30 per cent more acidic than they were at the start of the Industrial Revolution. The change is three times greater and has happened 100 times faster than at any other time during the past 20 million years.
Tomorrow hundreds of scientists will gather in Monaco for the 'Second International Symposium on the Ocean in a High CO2 World'. One focus of debate is likely to be the Plymouth study. The seas off Ischia - which are affected by carbon dioxide from volcanic activity - offer a first-class opportunity to investigate what might happen in the next few decades.
Scientists found that in Ischia's highly acidic water:
• Biodiversity of plants and fish has dropped by 30 per cent
• Algae vital for binding coral reefs have been wiped out
• Invasive 'alien' species, such as sea-grasses, are thriving
• Coral and sea urchins have been destroyed, while mussels and clams are failing to grow shells.
The conference will also tackle the dangers posed to fish larvae, which are sensitive to high levels of acid, as well as the threat to commercial fish stocks.
'Many developing countries have seafood as their prime source of food,' said Dr Carol Turley, of the Plymouth Marine Laboratory. 'If they lose that, the result could be famine.' The Bay of Naples is renowned for its breathtaking beauty and glittering clear waters. For centuries, tourists have flocked to the reg... more -
German bank clinches rescue deal
A top German bank was on the brink of collapse after a 35bn euro ($48bn; £27.2bn) rescue plan collapsed.
Germany's second-largest commercial property lender, Hypo Real Estate, said a banking consortium had withdrawn their support for the deal. Correspondents say its failure will put further strain on financial institutions in other countries. The news came after EU leaders at a Paris summit refused to commit to a US-style rescue plan for banks.
Hypo Real Estate, which has large amounts of bad debt, has suffered from the credit squeeze in international markets. The bank said a consortium of German financial institutions involved in a government-led rescue plan pulled out of the negotiations after refusing to come up with nearly 35bn euros ($50bn; £28bn) for a bail-out.
The reasons why the consortium pulled out are unclear but a Hypo Real Estate spokesman said the property lender was fighting for its survival. Some analysts are saying the bank will not last more than a few days without a rescue package, so action must be taken before the markets open on Monday. Another meeting of government representatives and private bankers is expected to take place on Sunday.
(continues at link) A top German bank was on the brink of collapse after a 35bn euro ($48bn; £27.2bn) rescue plan collapsed. ... more -
Dubai aims to top its own world's tallest tower
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - With its world's tallest building nearing completion, Dubai said Sunday it is embarking on an even more ambitious skyscraper: one that will soar more than 10 American football fields.
That's about two-thirds of a mile or the height of more than three of New York's Chrysler Buildings stacked end-to-end.
Babel had nothing on this place.
"This is unbelievably groundbreaking design," Chief Executive Chris O'Donnell said during a briefing at the company's sales center, not far from the proposed site. "This still takes my breath away."
The tower, which will take more than a decade to complete, will be the centerpiece of a sprawling development state-owned builder Nakheel plans to create in the rapidly growing "New Dubai" section of the city. Foundation work has already begun, O'Donnell said.
The area is located between two of the city's artificial palm-shaped islands, which Nakheel also built. The project will include a manmade inland harbor and 40 additional towers up to 90 floors high.
About 150 elevators will carry employees and workers to the Nakheel Tower's more than 200 floors, the company said. The building will be composed of four separate towers joined at various levels and centered on an open atrium.
"It does show a lot of confidence in this environment" of worldwide credit problems and a souring global economy, said Marios Maratheftis, Standard Chartered Bank's Dubai-based regional head of research.
As part of government-run conglomerate Dubai World, Nakheel has played a major role in creating modern-day Dubai, a city that has blossomed from a tiny Persian Gulf fishing and pearling village into a major business and tourism hub in a matter of decades.
Besides the growing archipelago of man-made islands for which it is best known, Nakheel is responsible for a number of the city's malls, hotels and hundreds of apartment buildings.
The company said the new project is inspired by Islamic design and draws inspiration from sites such as the Alhambra in Spain and the harbor of Alexandria in Egypt.
"This is nothing like it in Dubai," said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Nakheel's chairman.
Perhaps not quite. But Dubai is already home to the world's tallest building, even if it remains unfinished.
That skyscraper, the Burj Dubai, or Dubai Tower in Arabic, is being built by Nakheel's chief competitor, Emaar Properties.
Emaar has kept the final height of the silvery steel-and-glass tower a closely guarded secret, saying only that it stood at a "new record height" of 2,257 feet at the start of last month. It's due to be finished next September.
The final height of Nakheel's proposed tower is likewise a secret, as is the price tag. The company would only say it will be more than a kilometer (3,281 feet) tall.
O'Donnell said he was confident that Nakheel could pay for the project despite the financial troubles roiling the world's economy.
He also brushed aside concerns by some analysts that Dubai's property market is becoming overheated and due for a potentially sharp correction.
"In Dubai, demand outstrips supply," he said. "There might be a slowdown, but there definitely won't be a crash." DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - With its world's tallest building nearing completion, Dubai said Sunday it is embarking on an even ... more -
UK government will spy on every call and e-mail
Ministers are considering spending up to £12 billion on a database to monitor and store the internet browsing habits, e-mail and telephone records of everyone in Britain. GCHQ, the government’s eavesdropping centre, has already been given up to £1 billion to finance the first stage of the project.
Hundreds of clandestine probes will be installed to monitor customers live on two of the country’s biggest internet and mobile phone providers - thought to be BT and Vodafone. BT has nearly 5m internet customers.
Ministers are braced for a backlash similar to the one caused by their ID cards programme. Dominic Grieve, the shadow home secretary, said: “Any suggestion of the government using existing powers to intercept communications data without public discussion is going to sound extremely sinister.”
MI5 currently conducts limited e-mail and website intercepts which are approved under specific warrants by the home secretary.
Further details of the new plan will be unveiled next month in the Queen’s speech.
The Home Office stressed no formal decision had been taken but sources said officials had made clear that ministers had agreed “in principle” to the programme.
Officials claim live monitoring is necessary to fight terrorism and crime. However, critics question whether such a vast system can be kept secure. A total of 57 billion text messages were sent in the UK last year - 1,800 every second. Ministers are considering spending up to £12 billion on a database to monitor and store the internet browsing habits, e-mail and telep... more -
Afghan war cannot be won
Commander of the British 16th Air Assault Brigade Mark Carleton-Smith admits that the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) is unable to “achieve a decisive victory”. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Mr. Carleton-Smith warned the British society against over expectations in terms of the successful outcome of the ISAF campaign. The British ISAF contingent is comprised of 7800 men. Commander of the British 16th Air Assault Brigade Mark Carleton-Smith admits that the International Security Assistance Force in Afgha... more
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Teachers' union wants sex with students to be allowed?
Teachers should not be prosecuted for having sex with pupils over 16, claim union bosses from NASUWT, claiming there should be a clear differentiation between "errors of professional judgement" in consensual relationships, and child abuse.
Intimate relations between teachers and students under 18 were made illegal in 2001, and professionals found guilty may be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for defying the law.
Should a teacher who has a relationship with a 17-year-old student be labelled a sex offender? Teachers should not be prosecuted for having sex with pupils over 16, claim union bosses from NASUWT, claiming there should be a clear... more -
Europe agrees bank crisis action - without bailout fund
The thinking politician's answer to the US bailout package.
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Non-profit offers $100k reward for info tying Rove to election rigging
A non-profit organization has offered a $100,000 reward to anyone who can supply information tying Republican strategist Karl Rove and computer expert Michael Connell to illegally manipulated elections, according to a Friday press release.
The group is called Velvet Revolution and is looking for evidence of criminal activity and Connell's relationship with Rove.
Citing testimony from another technology expert named Stephen Spoonamore, Velvet Revolution accuses the Republican Party of rigging elections for years by using Connell to exploit electronic voting systems.
Spoonamore filed an affidavit warning that the coming presidential election will be stolen by the GOP unless it is exposed. A colleague of Connell, Spoonamore gives evidence explaining Connell's involvement with past election rigging.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Nonprofit_offers_100k_rew... A non-profit organization has offered a $100,000 reward to anyone who can supply information tying Republican strategist Karl Rove and... more -
Saudi cleric favours one-eye veil
A Muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia has called on women to wear a full veil, or niqab, that reveals only one eye.
Sheikh Muhammad al-Habadan said showing both eyes encouraged women to use eye make-up to look seductive.
The question of how much of her face a woman should cover is a controversial topic in many Muslim societies.
The niqab is more common in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, but women in much of the Muslim Middle East wear a headscarf which covers only their hair.
Sheikh Habadan, an ultra-conservative cleric who is said to have wide influence among religious Saudis, was answering questions on the Muslim satellite channel al-Majd. A Muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia has called on women to wear a full veil, or niqab, that reveals only one eye. ... more -
Deceased Israeli astronaut's diary goes on display in Jerusalem
The diary of an Israeli astronaut who lost his life in the space shuttle Columbia's crash in 2003 fell to earth and landed in a place called Palestine.
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"Pages from an Israeli astronaut's diary that survived the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia and a 37-mile fall to earth are going on display this weekend for the first time in Jerusalem.
The diary belonged to Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut and one of seven crew members killed when Columbia disintegrated upon re-entering the atmosphere on Feb. 1, 2003. Part of the restored diary will be displayed at the Israel Museum beginning Sunday.
A little over two months after the shuttle explosion, NASA searchers found 37 pages from Ramon's diary, wet and crumpled, in a field just outside the U.S. town of Palestine, Texas.
"It's almost a miracle that it survived — it's incredible," Zalmona said. There is "no rational explanation" for how it was recovered when most of the shuttle was not, he said."
You can check out more under the link. The diary of an Israeli astronaut who lost his life in the space shuttle Columbia's crash in 2003 fell to earth and landed in a p... more -
Somalia: Four pirate attacks in 24 hours
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- There have been four failed pirate attacks in the last 24 hours off the lawless Somali coast despite the presence of six American warships guarding a hijacked ship full of weapons, a U.S. Navy spokeswoman said Saturday.
The U.S. Navy released this observance photo of the MV Faina, which is loaded with weapons and tanks.
Navy Cmdr. Jane Campbell, from the 5th Fleet in Bahrain, says three attacks were averted because crew members escaped at high speed.
Another attack was foiled because the pirates were badly prepared: The ladder they had brought to climb on to the ship was too short.
The Navy says three of the attacks were in the heavily patrolled corridor within the Gulf of Aden. The location of another was not precisely known but was somewhere off the Somali coast.
Last week's attack on a Ukrainian ship laden with 33 Soviet-designed tanks and weapons has focused international attention on piracy in Somalia. American officials have expressed fears the weapons onboard the MV Faina could fall into the hands of Somalia's al Qaeda-linked Islamic insurgency. Watch Russian warships move to confront pirates »
Eight European countries have offered to help form an anti-piracy force. On Friday, Russia called for greater efforts to protect the Gulf of Aden waters, one of the world's most important shipping lanes. There have been nearly 70 pirate attacks this year and some 26 ships successfully hijacked. MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- There have been four failed pirate attacks in the last 24 hours off the lawless Somali coast despite the pr... more -
Art or porn?
Supermodel Lily Cole appears in this month's Playboy, but is it tasteful?
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