Children of 10 obtain gun licences in east of England
Children as young as 10 are being given shotgun licences in the east of England, the BBC has learnt.
In figures released to the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act, it has been revealed that across the East more than 1,000 under 18s have licences.
Anti-gun campaigners have expressed concern at the figures, but shooting enthusiasts have argued that it is a responsible sport.
The minimum age for holding a shotgun licence is 10.
And the minimum age for obtaining a firearms licence is 14.
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Staring at women's breasts is good for men's health
To the deilght of men around the world ~
Quote:
"A rather bizarre study carried out by German researchers suggests that staring at women's breasts is good for men's health and increases their life expectancy.
"According to Dr. Karen Weatherby, a gerontologist and author of the study, gawking at women’s breasts is a healthy practice, almost at par with an intense exercise regime, that prolongs the lifespan of a man by five years.
"She added, 'Just 10 minutes of staring at the charms of a well-endowed female, is roughly equivalent to a 30-minute aerobics work-out.'"
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US school road marking spelt wrongly
http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/2082/school.jpg
Workers have misspelled the word school on a road approaching a high school in North Carolina in the United States.
Crews painted "shcool" on the approach road to Southern Guilford High School.
The road had been recently repaved and crews were working to mark out the school zones.
The company which was responsible said it had "made a mistake" and it would be fixed. A spokesperson said the paint was "interim paint" that is used before the final paint is applied.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-10936604
JetBlue Airways flight attendant storms from plane after row with passenger
Cabin pressure proved too much to bear for a flight attendant when he reacted to an argument with a passenger yesterday by swearing at the offending customer, activating the emergency exit slide, and disembarking on to the tarmac at John F Kennedy international airport with a beer in hand.
Steven Slater was arrested yesterday at his home in Queens, New York, on charges of criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and trespassing.
The 39-year-old was working on JetBlue flight 1052 from Pittsburgh when he got into an argument with the passenger, who was pulling down baggage from an overhead bin as the plane came in to land, the Port Authority said.
The luggage apparently struck the attendant in the head and Slater asked for an apology but the passenger refused, the agency said.
As the plane was landing, Slater went on to the public address system and swore at the passenger, the authority said. He then grabbed at least one beer, activated the slide, slid down and went to his car.
The New York Times quoted a police officer who said: "Mr Slater asked for an apology. The passenger instead cursed at him. Mr Slater got on the plane's public address system and cursed out the passenger for all to hear. Then, after declaring that 20 years in the airline industry was enough, he blurted out, 'It's been great!' He activated the inflatable evacuation slide at a service exit and left the world of flight attending behind."
Port Authority police were notified. An eyewitness told the New York Times that police swarmed around Slater's house and he was eventually brought out with a smile on his face.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010...attendant-exit
'Author JD Salinger's toilet' put on sale for $1m
JD Salinger became reclusive after Catcher in the Rye came out in 1951 A toilet described as once having belonged to US author JD Salinger has been put on sale on the online auction site eBay for $1m (£644,000).
The vendor says he obtained the "used toilet commode" from a couple who now own the former home of the Catcher in the Rye author.
It comes "uncleaned and in its original condition", the ad for it states.
"Who knows how many of [his] stories were thought up and written while Salinger sat on this throne!", it adds.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11044329
New Zealand trucker 'blown up like balloon' by air hose
Mr McCormack said his skin now felt "like a pork roast" A New Zealand truck driver who fell on a compressed air hose that pierced his buttock has survived being blown up like a balloon.
Steven McCormack had fallen between the cab and the trailer of his truck, breaking the air hose.
The nozzle pierced his buttock and began pumping air into his body, which expanded dramatically.
As he screamed, Mr McCormack's colleagues turned the air off and laid him on his side, saving his life.
The accident happened at Opotiki on the North Island on Saturday.
Mr McCormack, who is 48, is still in hospital in the nearest town, Whakatane.
He said that doctors had told him they were surprised that his skin had not burst, as the compressed air - pumping into his body at 100lb/sq in - had separated fat from muscle.
"I felt the air rush into my body and I felt like it was going to explode from my foot.
"I was blowing up like a football... it felt like I had the bends, like in diving. I had no choice but just to lay there, blowing up like a balloon," he told the local newspaper, the Whakatane Beacon.
He said his skin feels "like a pork roast", hard and crackly on the outside but soft underneath.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13537084
Marmite: Denmark says spread could be illegal Marmite - you either love it or hate it
British savoury spread Marmite could be illegal in Denmark if it fails to meet safety requirements, officials say.
By law, the Danish authorities must give their approval for food fortified by vitamins or minerals before sale.
Products with such additives need to be assessed for any potential dangers, the Danish Food and Veterinary Administration says.
Denmark has previously banned several popular items, including the drink Ovaltine and some breakfast cereals.
A shop in Copenhagen was recently asked to remove its supplies of Marmite following a phone call from Danish authorities, the owner says.
A spokesman for the Danish Food and Veterinary Administration said: "We have no record of an application for the sale of the product, so we have neither forbidden or accepted it."
Marmite Ingredients
Yeast Extract
Salt
Vegetable Extract
Niacin (Vit B3)
Thiamine (Vit B1)
Spice Extracts
Riboflavin (Vit B2)
Folic Acid
Celery Extract
Vitamin B12
Source: Marmite website
The procedural checks needed before a final decision is reached could take up to six months.
If a ban is put in place, outraged fans of the spread in Denmark are threatening a campaign of civil disobedience, the BBC's Europe correspondent Chris Morris says.
Nutritionist Melanie Brown told the BBC she believed a ban on Marmite, which is rich in B-vitamins such as riboflavin and niacin, would be counterproductive.
"Marmite plays such a useful part in many people's diet, and in my practice it's incredibly useful for older people...who are short in vitamin B12.
"It's full of folic acid, and there's lots of evidence that many women, young women of child-bearing age are deficient in folic acid," she said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13544266
Human brain's 'bat sight' found
The part of the brain used by people who can "see like a bat" has been identified by researchers in Canada.
Some blind people have learned to echolocate by making clicking noises and listening to the returning echoes.
A study of two such people, published in PLoS ONE, showed a part of the brain usually associated with sight was activated when listening to echoes.
Action for Blind People said further research could improve the way the technique is taught.
Bats and dolphins bounce sound waves off their surroundings and by listening to the echoes can "see" the world around them.
Some blind humans have also trained themselves to do this, allowing them to explore cities, cycle and play sports.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13539921
Toronto couple defend move to keep baby's sex secret
A Toronto couple are defending their decision to keep their infant's sex a secret in order to allow the child to develop his or her own gender identity.
Kathy Witterick and David Stocker have been widely criticised for imposing their ideology on four-month-old Storm.
The family were the subject of a recent profile in the Toronto Star newspaper.
In an e-mail, Ms Witterick wrote that the idea that "the whole world must know what is between the baby's legs is unhealthy, unsafe, and voyeuristic".
Ms Witterick, 38, and Mr Stocker, 39, have also been criticised for the manner in which they are raising their two sons Jazz, five, and Kio, two.
The boys are encouraged to choose their own clothing and hairstyles - even if that means wearing girls' clothes - and to challenge gender norms. Jazz wears his hair in long braids, and the boys are "almost exclusively assumed to be girls," Mr Stocker told the Toronto Star.
The child's grandparents do not know Storm's sex, the Toronto Star reported, and have grown weary of explaining the situation, but are supportive.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13581835
Tesco mistake leads to beer rush
An error which slashed the price of beer and cider led to a stampede of customers at a number of Tesco supermarkets in Scotland.
A deal offering three boxes of various alcoholic drinks for £20 was going through the tills at three for £11.
Police were called to Tesco in Greenock after heavy congestion was reported in the car park as customers rushed to get the deal.
A spokesman for Tesco said the pricing error was quickly spotted.
He said till operators changed the prices manually until the system was corrected.
It is understood the offer was supposed to be "buy three boxes of beer and save £11".
Instead customers were able to purchase up to 45 small bottles of lager or 36 cans for £11.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13621315
Leonard Cohen wins Prince of Asturias award
Veteran songwriter Leonard Cohen has won a top Spanish literature award for a body of work which has "influenced three generations around the world".
The Prince of Asturias awards jury said the Canadian, 77, had created "imagery in which poetry and music are melded into an unchanging worth".
The 50,000 euro (£44,000) prize is one of eight given in different fields by the Asturias Foundation each year.
They will be presented at a ceremony in Oviedo, northern Spain, in October.
Winners also receive a sculpture designed by the late Catalan artist Joan Miro.
The foundation said Cohen's poems and songs explored "with depth and beauty the major questions concerning humanity".
Cohen is known for songs including Suzanne, Hallelujah and So Long, Marianne.
Previous winners of Prince of Asturian awards have included Woody Allen, JK Rowling and pianist Daniel Barenboim.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13625379
China: Teenager 'sells kidney for iPad
A teenager in China has sold one of his kidneys in order to buy an iPad 2, Chinese media report.
The 17-year-old, identified only as Little Zheng, told a local TV station he had arranged the sale of the kidney over the internet.
The story only came to light after the teenager's mother became suspicious.
The case highlights China's black market in organ trafficking. A scarcity of organ donors has led to a flourishing trade.
Deep red scar
It all started when the high school student saw an online advert offering money to organ donors.
Illegal agents organised a trip to the hospital and paid him $3,392 (£2,077) after the operation.
With the cash the student bought an iPad 2, as well as a laptop.
When his mother noticed the computers and the deep red scar on his body, which was caused by the surgery, Little Zheng confessed.
In 2007, Chinese authorities banned organ trafficking and have introduced a voluntary donor scheme to try to combat the trade.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13639934
Spitting and urinating chimps 'replay Aesop's fable
Chimps have "replayed" an ancient fable, a team says in Plos One journal.
In Aesop's 2,000-year-old tale, a crow uses stones to raise the water level in a pitcher to reach the liquid so as to quench its thirst.
But when given a similar set up, chimps were able to attain an out-of-reach, floating peanut by spitting water taken from a dispenser into a vertical tube.
One hungry chimp went even further by urinating into the vessel to get hold of the prized snack.
"He was spitting water into the tube, then got frustrated," explained lead researcher Daniel Hanus from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Leipzig, Germany.
"So he started peeing and then he realised: 'Wait a minute, if I move in that direction, that fills up the tube'."
The chimp's unusual method proved successful, the scientist said. The fact that the peanut was urine-sodden did not deter the animal from eating it, he added.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13560247
London Marathon snail crawl man Lloyd Scott sacked
A charity worker who crawled the London Marathon dressed as Brian the Snail from The Magic Roundabout has been sacked for not raising enough money.
Action for Kids fundraiser Lloyd Scott hoped to raise at least £100,000 for the charity but received about £20,000.
The 49-year-old former footballer from Essex, who has raised more than £5m for charity over the years, said he was "shocked" by the decision.
Action for Kids said Mr Scott was given his notice "due to losses incurred".
The charity said that expenses incurred by the charity included publicity and support costs.
Mr Scott was accompanied around the course by people dressed as other characters from the Magic Roundabout including Florence, Dylan and Zebedee.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13751871
Lt. Moses Hightower dies at 66.
Football great and 'Police Academy' star Bubba Smith dies
He was a good actor. He was Lt. Moses Hightower in "Police Academy." :(
German police seek help over mystery 'forest boy'
Berlin police have appealed for information to help them establish the identity of a teenager who appeared in the city saying that he had been living in the woods for five years.
The teenager is about 17, and speaks English and a little German.
He told the police that he and his father went to live in the woods after his mother died.
He said he left the woods in August when his father died, and walked for two weeks before reaching Berlin.
He said he couldn't remember where his family came from, but that his name was Ray.
"We have sent appeals for help to all European countries via Interpol... we really have no idea where he comes from," Michael Maas, a spokesman for the Berlin police said.
The boy appeared at a youth emergency centre in Berlin on 5 September. He and his father had taken to the woods about five years ago after his mother's death, he told police.
The boy said he and his father did not set up a home, but slept in a tent, and huts they found in the woods.
Police say the boy claims he followed his compass and went northwards after his father died, reaching Berlin.
The boy has been medically examined and is physically healthy.
Police say they have no evidence of a crime having been committed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14950656
Council makes 12 visits to change a lightbulb - with police officer's help
Homeowner Jack Doran was amazed at the number of council staff who tried to change a lightbulb in a broken street lamp near his house.
The 74-year-old reported the problem to authorities, who sent a repair team.
But the workers could not get to the junction box, which was surrounded by a hedge, so parks department staff came to cut the foliage. A third team was sent with a cherry picker, only to be thwarted by water leaking into the light.
This was followed by a policeman who checked the darkened road because of fears it was a security risk.
A worker then replaced the bulb – but it blew out because of a fuse problem.
The light finally worked on September 30, six weeks after the fault was reported.
‘There were at least 12 visits and I started to wonder what on earth had gone wrong,’ said Mr Doran, of Cheltenham.
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Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/879230-...#ixzz1bRNRRKH5
First rule of Fight Club is...
...You will not tell mummy and daddy about fight club
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/21...ler-fight-club
Quote:
Three Delaware day care employees have been accused of encouraging toddlers to fight each other while the children were under their care.
CBS Philly reported that Tiana Harris, 19, Lisa Parker, 47, and Estefania Myers, 21, employees of the Hands of Our Future Daycare in Dover, were arrested after a cellphone video emerged of them allegedly encouraging two 3-year-olds to fight in an organized battle.
Police said in the video one child is heard yelling, "He’s pinching me!" A day care worker allegedly responded, "No pinching, only punching."
"It was a difficult video to watch," Dover Police Capt. Tim Stump told FoxNews.com. "One of the kids involved ran over to one of the adults for protection, but she turned him around back into the fight."
