Obituary: Jeremy Beadle

The star called himself an "imagineer"

Jeremy Beadle, who has died at the age of 59, was probably Britain's best-known practical joker.

He was a staple of Saturday night television for more than 15 years - in many ways ITV's foil to Noel Edmonds during the 1980s and 1990s.

In his most famous hidden camera stunt, he managed to convince Dorset homeowner Janet Elford that an alien spaceship had landed in her back garden.

She was so sucked in to the scenario that she sang a hymn to the visitor from outer space before asking it into her house for tea.

"The scale was huge," Beadle told Channel 4 in 2005. "We literally cut off half of Dorset."

You'd quite enjoy being Jeremy Beadle, I promise you Jeremy Beadle on audience's reaction Beadle dies at 59

"We had police, the marines, the air corps. It was the biggest stunt that I've ever been involved in."

But despite his meticulous planning, Beadle always attributed the success of his pranks to the hapless victims.

The alien sketch was only funny, he admitted in 2003, "because the person we played it on was so wonderful".

Game For A Laugh

Beadle was born in Hackney, east London, in 1948. His father, a Fleet Street journalist, left before he was born - and the star never made an attempt to contact him out of respect for his mother.

After school, Beadle tried his hand at rock music promotion, masterminding the 1974 Bickershaw rock festival.

He also became northern editor of listings magazine Time Out, but finally came into the public eye in 1981 as one of the original presenters of Game For a Laugh with Matthew Kelly, Sarah Kennedy and Henry Kelly.

The star worked on local radio before launching his TV career

With its "Watching us, watching you... Watching us, watching you" catchphrase, the show set the template for Beadle's future TV success - putting ordinary people in extraordinary situations.

His hidden camera programme, Beadle's About, later became one of ITV's top-rated shows, as was You've Been Framed, which featured viewers' video howlers.

But they were easy targets for critics, and Beadle became a byword for cheap laughs and tacky television.

In the mid-1990s he was replaced as You've Been Framed host by Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley, and Beadle's About was axed because of falling ratings.

'Cruelty'

He was philosophical about his public vilification, telling The Sunday Times: "I think people are guilty about enjoying the cruelty of comedy which is always at someone else's expense."

But, he insisted, people were always affectionate when they met him in person.

"You'd quite enjoy being Jeremy Beadle, I promise you," he told London's Metro newspaper.

"People are very welcoming. They want to chat. Considering the tone in the press, it seems like a contradiction, but it's not."

In recent years, the star concentrated on corporate and fundraising events, while writing a weekly trivia quiz for the Independent newspaper.

He also worked with US author Irving Wallace on a series of million-selling reference books, including The People's Almanac and the Book of Lists.

In 1998, he caused a storm of controversy when he revealed he had helped a friend dying of motor neurone disease to commit suicide.

"Trying to talk him out of it wouldn't have been helpful," he told the Mirror newspaper. "If he was going to go through with it, he needed to do it properly."

"I feel privileged to have been his friend and proud that I was able to assist his dignified exit. I was his sole confidant and I admired his courage."

Charity award

Beadle was made an MBE in 2001 for his charity work

Although his star faded, audiences' love-hate relationship with Beadle ensured he was never too far away from a TV studio.

In 2002, six members of the public were locked away with the star for a week at a time as part of an endurance test for Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

He also appeared on Celebrity Mastermind, where his specialist subject was London Murders 1900-1940 and, in 2005, he partnered Sir Alan Sugar on a charity edition of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

But perhaps his proudest moment came in February 2001, when he was made an MBE for his services to charity.

"I was quite moved to be honest. My eyes welled up," he admitted.

Beadle's charitable efforts included helping children with Poland's Syndrome, which stunted the growth of his right hand during childhood, and raising more than £13m for the Foundation for Children with Leukaemia, in Barnet, north London.

The star downplayed his contributions, saying he gave over his time for "selfish reasons".

"It's very easy just to sit back and feel sorry. Well, I hate that, I hate pity.

"So I turn it into something very positive. It's very selfish. It's actually stopping me from feeling pity."

In recent years, Beadle was plagued by ill health. In 2004, he lost a kidney to cancer and, a year later, he was diagnosed with a mild form of leukaemia.

His death comes after a battle with pneumonia.

He leaves behind his partner, Sue, and two daughters.

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Cells' internal clocks revealed

Genes may influence waking and sleeping patterns

A person's preference for being a "lark" or a "night-owl" is largely determined by genes, a study suggests.

Scientists have found that each cell of the body has an internal "clock", which can be affected by various genes.

Research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that skin cells can be used to measure the speed of a person's body clock.

The work could lead to better diagnosis of sleep disorders and conditions such as Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Master clock

It has long been known that the body has a biological clock that regulates sleeping, digestion and brain performance to fit in with the different demands of day and night-time living.

It now appears that virtually all cells in the body have their own ticking circadian clock, including skin cells Dr Simon Archer University of Surrey

The brain has overall control of this time-keeping mechanism, but individual cells appear to have their own "clocks", which can be affected by a series of clock genes.

A German-Swiss team led by Dr Steven Brown of the University of Zurich took skin biopsies from 28 volunteers and grew their cells up in the lab.

They measured how fast the "clocks" in the skin cells "ticked", then compared these results with questionnaires showing whether each subject was an early type ("lark") or a late type ("owl").

They found that the "clocks" in the skin cells matched up with behaviour in most of the subjects.

Some of the remaining volunteers appeared to be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (Sad), a type of winter depression.

Sleep disorders

The work could be used as a basis for the diagnosis of certain sleep disorders, said Dr Simon Archer, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Neuroscience at the Surrey Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey, Guildford.

He said previous research at the University of Surrey had shown that genetic differences in clock genes could explain why some people are night lovers and others are early risers.

His group has identified a mutation in a gene known as Period3 that makes someone more likely to be a morning person.

The mutation makes them more prone to tiredness during the day, so they prefer to go to bed early.

Traditional studies of such genes have been carried out in controlled conditions in specialised sleep labs, and these are time-consuming and costly to perform.

"What Steve Brown has developed is a much more economic way of making some of those clock period measurements without having to keep people in a lab for three days," Dr Archer explained.

"He basically takes a sample of their skin cells, keeps them alive in culture and measures the period of the oscillating clock genes."

Molecular clues

The central circadian clock resides in the hypothalamus in the brain, he added.

It keeps in touch with the outside world by means of light signals from the eyes, and then synchronises numerous other peripheral clocks in tissues around the body such as the heart, liver and gut.

"The reason why the Brown experiment works is because it now appears that virtually all cells in the body have their own ticking circadian clock, including skin cells," said Dr Archer.

"So, the skin cell assay is just a way of easily getting a handle on someone's body clock. But in more molecular detail than just knowing if they are a lark or an owl, which can be determined quite easily."

Asteroid to make close approach

An asteroid some 250m (600ft) across is about to sweep past the Earth.

There is no chance of it hitting the planet, but astronomers will train telescopes and radar on the object to learn as much about it as they can.

The asteroid - which carries the rather dull designation 2007 TU24 - will pass by at a distance of 538,000km (334,000 miles), just outside Moon's orbit.

Scientists who study so called near-Earth objects say similar-sized rocks come by every few years.

The moment of closest approach for 2007 TU24 is 0833 GMT. The asteroid is only expected to be visible through amateur telescopes that are three inches (7.6cm) or larger.

Detailed observations of 2007 TU24 could reveal whether the asteroid is a solid object or simply a loose pile of space rubble.

Knowledge of how asteroids are put together will be key to working out how we might defend ourselves against future, more threatening rocks.

An explosive attack - so popular with Hollywood scriptwriters - may not be the most effective approach. Many scientists believe that giving a hostile object a gentle nudge over a long period of time may in fact be our best strategy.

Given the estimated number of near-Earth asteroids of this size (about 7,000 discovered and undiscovered objects, says the US space agency), an object similar to 2007 TU24 would be expected to pass this close to Earth, on average, about every five years or so.

The average interval between actual Earth impacts for an object of this size would be about 37,000 years, Nasa adds.

A little over a year-and-a-half ago, a 600m-wide (2,000ft) asteroid known as 2004 XP14 flew past the Earth at just about the Earth-Moon distance.

The asteroids' names include the year in which they were first identified.

Blackpool to host Veterans' Day

National Veterans' Day was established in 2006

Blackpool has been named as the host of this year's National Veterans' Day.

Thousands of people are expected in the resort on 27 June, after it beat off Liverpool, Glasgow, Manchester and Edinburgh for the event.

The announcement was made by Derek Twigg, the minister for veterans, at the Imperial War Museum in London.

Mr Twigg said that a number of "excellent bids" had been put forward for the national event but that Blackpool's "stood out".

"I congratulate them on the excellence of their bid," he added.

"Veterans are of all ages with a variety of different backgrounds, and they all deserve our recognition.

Blackpool has a special place in the hearts of many veterans Robert Wynne Mayor of Blackpool

"Not only have they honoured their commitment to defend our country's interests in service, they have also used their skills and experiences to enrich their local communities."

Blackpool has been holding an annual Veterans' Week since 2005.

It was given £3.5m by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) to support events over a three-year period.

This year's Veterans' Week will run from 21 to 29 June.

'Historical links'

Mayor of Blackpool, Robert Wynne, said: "Blackpool is absolutely delighted to have been chosen as the host for National Veterans' Day 2008.

"It's a great honour for the town.

"Blackpool has many historical links with the Armed Forces and has a special place in the hearts of many veterans."

The National Veterans Day was established in 2006 and is designed to thank ex-servicemen and women for their service.

Germany's 'last' WWI veteran dies

Germany has no organisation to keep track of war veterans

The man believed to have been Germany's last World War I veteran has died peacefully at the age of 107.

Erich Kaestner, who at 18 was sent to the Western Front but served only four months in the army, died in a Cologne nursing home, his son said.

The death on Sunday of Louis de Cazenave, France's second-last World War I veteran, made global headlines.

But in a country that keeps no record of its veterans, Kaestner's death on 1 January went largely unnoticed.

"That is the way history has developed," said Peter Kaestner, the soldier's son. "In Germany, in this respect, things are kept quiet - they're not a big deal."

Erich Kaestner was unrelated to the writer and poet of the same name.

End of an era

Reports in Die Welt daily and Der Spiegel magazine identified Kaestner as Germany's last World War I veteran, but verification of the claim was difficult as the country keeps no record of its war veterans.

The German public was within a hair's breadth of never learning of the end of an era Der Spiegel

In a country where the shame of the Nazi genocide and memories of two world war defeats still cast long shadows, both publications focused more on the German national psyche than the death itself.

"The German public was within a hair's breadth of never learning of the end of an era," wrote Der Spiegel, until someone updated his death notice on the internet encyclopaedia site, Wikipedia.

In its obituary for Kaestner, Die Welt noted: "The losers hide themselves in a state of self-pity and self denial that they happily try to mitigate by forgetting."

Officer, judge, husband

Born in 1900, Kaestner had joined the army when he left school in 1918.

He rejoined the military as a Luftwaffe first lieutenant in 1939, where he served mainly as a ground support officer in France.

After the war, he became a judge in Hanover, where his work earned him Lower Saxony's Merit Cross.

His 75-year marriage was recognised by Germany's president in 2003 shortly before his wife, Maria, died aged 102.

SEE ALSO

France's oldest WWI veteran dies
20 Jan 08 | Europe

Veteran, 109, revisits WWI trench
30 Jul 07 | Europe

Surviving WWI: Veterans' stories
09 Nov 07 | UK

Memorial marks French battlefield
13 Oct 06 | Lincolnshire

France's oldest WWI veteran dies
10 Nov 06 | Europe

France rediscovers WWI veterans
03 Mar 06 | Europe

The race to remember
11 Nov 05 | Magazine

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UK's bird watching event begins

The number of house sparrows counted has also fallen by 52%

Thousands of people are expected to spend an hour this weekend taking part in a national survey of garden birds.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds's annual Big Garden Birdwatch aims to find out which species are the most common visitors to UK's gardens.

In 2007, some 400,000 people took part in the survey and counted six million birds in 236,000 gardens.

The RSPB says the goldfinch is likely to make it into the top 10 of species spotted in gardens and parks.

During the past 30 years goldfinch numbers have increased by half in the survey.

Gemma Rogers from the RSPB told the BBC the bird was benefiting from warmer temperatures.

"Goldfinches usually would go to Southern Europe for the winter but they just haven't really needed to as much this year, so we're expecting that more will be around the UK in January than usual."

The RSPB expects people to see fewer blue tits because they are laying their eggs earlier and because of the wetter weather.

Important habitat

RSPB birdwatch record sheet

"The caterpillars will have been washed off the leaves and their food generally will have been harder for them to find," said Ms Rogers.

While chaffinches and great tit numbers have grown in the past three decades, other birds such as the starling and the once-common sparrow have seen a serious drop in the average seen per garden.

Since the event began in 1979, the number of starlings counted has fallen by 76%.

The number of house sparrows counted has also fallen by 52%.

According to the RSPB, gardens are a vitally important habitat for wildlife, and many garden birds are doing well because people provide them with safe havens with food, water and shelter.

The scheme originally began as an activity for children who were members of the Young Ornithologists Club.

Participants are asked to submit their results online and the results will be published in March 2008.

The RSPB will use the information to record patterns in bird numbers and prioritise conservation efforts.

10 things we didn't know last week

Snippets from the week's news, sliced, diced and processed for your convenience.

1. Swedes have a word for a man who visits prostitutes - torsk.
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2. Using a mobile before bedtime can delay you getting to sleep.
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3. A bear helped carry ammunition for Polish troops during World War II.
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4. Moleskin clothes used to be made of moles' skins.
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5. Wealthy people are more likely to drink than those in low-income homes.
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6. Ships emit twice as much CO2 as planes.
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7. "Plain vanilla" is a term for basic financial instruments such as shares.
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8. Only offal-free versions of haggis are available in the United States.
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9. Super-fast broadband fibres are laid in the sewers.
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10. "Fischer chess" is a game in which the pieces are placed on the board in random order.
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Force reveals four-legged recruit

The progress of the puppy's training can be monitored online Puppy training diary

Tayside Police have revealed their latest recruit in the fight against crime.

He is a six-week old German Shepherd from the first Lothian and Borders Police dog breeding programme.

The name of the pure black puppy will be chosen by pupils at St Ninian's Primary School in Dundee.

Training will not begin in earnest for another year-and-a-half, but the pooch is already being prepared for life as a general purpose working police dog.

Members of the public can monitor his progress online by looking at his training diary on the Tayside Police website.

PC Mike Keenan will be in charge of moulding the puppy into a crime fighting force.

He said: "The benefits of using German Shepherds are that they are generally very loyal and hard working, as well as being intelligent.

"From that point of view they are excellent to work with.

"As far as I am concerned the training starts straight away, in that they are conditioned from day one.

"Their specialised upbringing will prepare them for the jobs they will do in the future.'"

Royal Canin has sponsored the new dog and will provide the force with free specialist puppy food for the next year.

Brewer S&N agrees £7.8bn takeover

Carlsberg and Heineken were finally successful with their fourth offer

UK brewer Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) has agreed to be bought by Carlsberg and Heineken for £7.8bn ($15.3bn).

S&N is the UK's largest brewer, with brands such as Newcastle Brown Ale and Foster's, and is the world's seventh largest brewer by sales volume.

The company is set to be split up between Carlsberg and Heineken when the takeover is completed.

S&N employs about 3,300 staff in the UK, with breweries in Manchester, Reading, Dunston and Tadcaster.

'Transformational'

S&N received its first bid approach from Carlsberg and Heineken in October last year, when the two firms offered 720p-per-share. The approach was rejected, as were two further offers.

PLANNED S&N BREAK-UP Heineken to own S&N's UK operations including Strongbow cider, John Smith's beer, Newcastle Brown Ale and Foster's Heineken to acquire S&N's operations in Portugal, Ireland, Finland and Belgium Carlsberg to take full control of BBH, which includes the Baltika beer brand Carlsberg to acquire S&N's assets in France and Greece Carlsberg to acquire S&N's assets in Asia, notably in Vietnam and China Scottish & Newcastle's share price

However, last week S&N said it had begun talks with the two firms when they proposed an 800p-per-share offer, an offer it has now agreed to.

"The S&N board believes that the consortium's offer delivers a fair value for S&N, reflecting its growth prospects, and will be recommending that shareholders accept," S&N said.

Heineken said it would achieve savings of £120m annually, new distribution in the UK and access to the UK's fast-growing cider market, as well as access to developing markets.

The break-up plan means Heineken will acquire S&N's British operations, including Strongbow cider and John Smith's beer.

Carlsberg said the benefits of the deal included full ownership of BBH - the Russian-based joint venture between it and S&N - plus exposure to growth markets and cost savings.

"For Carlsberg, it is a transformational transaction, which will deliver a major increase in its operational scale and long term growth prospects," said the firm's chief executive Jorgen Buhl Rasmussen.

"In a single step, we have created the world's fastest-growing global brewer."

"We now have full control of our destiny in Russia and other BBH territories and I am truly excited about the new opportunities this will present to us," he added.

Ownership of BBH, which owns Baltika beer, had led to a row after S&N said Carlsberg's role in the takeover approach had broken the joint-venture agreement.

Pension

S&N BACKGROUND 1749: William Younger brewery established in Edinburgh 1913: William Younger and William McEwan merge to form Scottish Brewers 1960: Scottish Brewers merges with Newcastle Breweries to become Scottish & Newcastle October 2007: S&N rejects first takeover approach from Heineken and Carlsberg January 2008: After rejecting three bid approaches, S&N finally agrees to an 800p-a-share offer from Heineken and Carlsberg

S&N said guarantees from Heineken would be put in place regarding the company's UK pension scheme.

"As part of the agreement, Heineken will also accelerate the deficit payments previously agreed with S&N, with an injection shortly after closing £50m into the plan," the firm said.

The deal still requires approval by the European Commission as well as other competition bodies and is tipped to be completed by the second quarter.

Shares in Carlsberg, Heineken and Scottish & Newcastle all climbed more than 2% after the announcement.

Fake 'mummy' still awaits burial

The "mummy" went on display in Karachi after its discovery

The dead in Pakistan are usually buried within hours - but the mummified body of a woman that sparked a diplomatic row has lain unburied for seven years.

Pakistani police discovered the mummy in 2000, during a murder investigation.

Script on the sarcophagus dated it to 6th century BC Persia. Both Iran and Pakistan claimed the mummy as their own - until tests showed it to be a fake.

A charity that agreed to perform the last rites on the body says red-tape is delaying the burial.

The body is now being kept in the mortuary of the Edhi Trust, which is waiting for the police departments of Balochistan and Sindh to authorise the burial.

"Keeping a body in the mortuary for three days costs us 500 rupees ($8.3; £4.2) and this body has been lying here for seven years," Anwar Kazmi, a trust spokesman says.

Murder investigation

The woman was apparently mummified by antiques smugglers and touted as an archaeological find.

The discovery generated immense international interest at the time, attracting journalists and collectors from around the world.

It also led to a diplomatic row between Iran and Pakistan, with both claiming its ownership.

But subsequent examination by experts found that the body was not more than a few years old.

"It was of a middle-aged woman who probably died in 1996 or 97 because of a broken back," says Dr Asma Ibrahim, an archaeologist who was then curator of the Karachi Museum and a member of the team that examined the mummy.

"There were flaws in the ancient script, and a physical examination showed that the process of mummification was also not the same as that followed in ancient Iran," she says.

Edhi Trust has since written to Karachi Museum for permission to bury the body, but has been told that a clearance must come from the police because the body is property of a criminal case, says Mr Kazmi.

But, he says, the police seem to have lost all interest in the case.

"We have been writing to the authorities in Sindh and Balochistan, but there has been no reply," he says.

Japan looks to step beyond HD

The ultra HD format requires a big screen

In a research laboratory in Japan, the country's public broadcaster is working on a successor to the familiar high-definition broadcast system.

NHK doesn't expect its Super Hi-Vision video format to make it to actual broadcast until 2025.

But with screens getting ever bigger and people demanding better quality pictures, it does believe it can have a future.

That future might not be the living room though.

Art galleries

Masuru Kanazawa, a research engineer at NHK's Science and Technical Research Laboratory, told delegates at the BBC's Festival of Technology that the format might not be suitable for the average viewer.

"It requires a screen size of at least 60 inches which means there are limits on the usage of the system. It will depend on the viewing situation," he told delegates at the two-day conference.

Watching fast-moving images at close quarters could "make people feel sick," he said.

The average size of a TV in the home has increased from the 12 inches seen in the 1950s. The recent CES show in Las Vegas saw the debut of screens topping 150 inches.

NHK is working with the manufacturers who are developing such enormous screens but it does see other uses for its technology.

The format could be useful for big screen broadcasts

Big screen broadcasts of concerts and sporting events or galleries wanting to show off works of art were among uses suggested by Dr Kanazawa.

Super Hi-Vision - or Ultra High-Definition TV as it is sometimes known - carries some impressive statistics.

It has a screen resolution of 7680x4320 pixels, 16 times greater than current HD.

To watch the format NHK has a purpose-built 500 inch screen in its labs, along with the world's only 22.2 multi-channel surround sound system, which the format also supports.

Currently there are only two cameras capable of recording the format.

They are extremely bulky and heavy and are capable of shooting less than 20 minutes of film each day.

To transfer just 18 minutes of video requires some 3.5 terabits of data.

Government interest

So far the technology has been put through its paces in a theatre in Japan.

Over a six-month period some 1.5 million visitors were shown what the format could do, viewing shots of themselves as they entered the building on a 600 inch screen.

The technology also drew the crowds, including members of the Hollywood hierachy, at the annual NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show in Las Vegas.

The Japanese government is interested enough in the research NHK is undertaking to provide 300m yen (£1.46m) for farther research.

It hopes to make it a broadcast standard by 2015.

UB40 singer Campbell quits group

Ali Campbell is to concentrate on his solo career

UB40 lead singer Ali Campbell is to quit the group after almost 30 years, the band has confirmed.

Campbell, who sang on hits such as Rat In My Kitchen, and Red, Red Wine, intends to concentrate on his solo work, the band said in a statement.

The Birmingham reggae band's last gigs together will be next month in Australia, New Zealand and Uganda.

A spokesman for the band said they would continue to record and perform with the existing seven members.

A decision on who will replace Campbell has not been made.

'Naturally disappointed'

The band's spokesman said: "Ali Campbell has taken the decision to focus on his solo career and in doing so, could not give his full commitment to UB40.

"The other band members of UB40 are naturally disappointed and saddened after being together as a band unit and as good friends and a family unit for almost 30 years."

He added "UB40 will continue to record and perform with the existing seven members.

"UB40 has never been about any one individual, but more a collective of band members, who have all contributed to create the unique sound that UB40 have become renowned for over the last three decades."

The band's next album 24/7, which features Campbell, will be released as planned.

Formed in 1978, UB40 have sold in excess of 70 million records, including three UK number one singles in Red, Red Wine, I Got You Babe, and Can't Help Falling In Love.

They also had two UK number one albums in Labour of Love and Promises and Lies.

Gone with the wind on 'kite ship'

Ms Beluga is now on its way to Guanta in Venezuela Kite in action

There is something rather magical about being up on deck of a giant cargo ship as it pushes its way out to sea.

Ten thousand tonnes of metal heaving through the water, the ship's giant masts glistening in the winter sun.

But there is something even more magical about being aboard MS Beluga SkySails.

On the face of it, this vessel - which is carrying parts of a timber production line to Venezuela - looks like any other cargo ship. The kind of vessel that would burn lots of fuel and produce heaps of carbon emissions.

See how the kite ship works

After all, it is no secret that when it comes to greenhouse gases, commercial shipping is normally the villain of the transport world. Of all the CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere today, 4% comes from ships.

In fact, shipping produces more emissions than the aviation industry.

Twisted spaghetti

MS Beluga SkySails, though, is different.

We can demonstrate that you can combine economy and ecology Verena Frank, Beluga Shipping

Once the ship has reached the open sea, it reveals its brand new weapon in the fight against global warming - a kite.

The 160sq m (1,722sq ft) blue-and-white kite is winched up a mast, strings dangling like twisted spaghetti.

For half-an-hour or so, it sits there at the top of the mast, not doing a great deal.

Wind power is a wonderful thing, but you do actually need some wind to make it all work - and there is not very much at this particular moment.

Half-an-hour later, though, the wind has picked up and the kite is flying hundreds of metres in the air - and helping to tug the ship along.

Kite power means the ship's engines down below can work on reduced power: and that means fewer carbon emissions.

It also means smaller fuel bills. With the price of shipping fuel having doubled in the past two years, kite power is promising big savings.

MS Beluga SkySails believes its fuel bill will be cut by £800 ($1,560) a day.

"We can demonstrate that you can combine economy and ecology," Verena Frank of Beluga Shipping explains.

"Economy, because you can reduce fuel consumption and fuel costs, and on the ecological side of things, we reduce emissions."

Magic wears off

The kite is controlled by computers. One computer helps it to fly in figures of eight in the sky - maximising the power it produces. Another computer adjusts the kite's direction.

If the project is successful, expect to see even bigger kites soon - some up to 5,000sq m (53,820sq ft) in size pulling ships across the seas and oceans.

After several hours on board the ship, the magic starts to wear off.

The sun has gone down, it is freezing cold. To warm myself up I start thinking of the ship's final destination - Venezuela.

But I will not be seeing the South American sun. By the evening, the ship has returned to chilly Bremerhaven to drop off the journalists, before setting sail - again - on its transatlantic journey.

HOW THE KITE SHIP WORKS The kite sail will help reduce annual fuel costs by 10-35%. Reduced fuel also means fewer harmful carbon emissions The large towing kite resembles a paraglider and is shaped like an aircraft wing, to enable it to take advantage of different wind directions It operates at 100-300m above surface level - much higher than a normal sailing craft - where winds are stronger and more stable The kite can be used in winds of 12-74km/h (7-40 knots) and not just when the wind is blowing directly from behind the ship

Panel picks Clough statue design

Mr Clough's family helped to pick the winning design

A design has been chosen for a statue of former football manager Brian Clough planned for Nottingham City Centre.

Three miniature statues went on display in the city's Council House to help decide which design to choose.

Sculptor Les Johnson's design of Brian Clough standing with his hands clasped above his head will be made into an eight foot (2.4m) bronze statue.

A selection panel, including members of the Clough family, chose the statue which will cost £70,000 to make.

The money for the memorial has been raised by the Brian Clough Statue Fund.

Clough won the League Championship at Derby County and at Forest and went on to win two European Cups with the Nottingham club.

'Iconic figure'

Hampshire-based sculptor Les Johnson said he was delighted his design had been chosen.

"It's a real pleasure and honour to be selected. I came from Australia around the time of Brian Clough's heyday when he won all the championships.

"Brian has taken such an important place in the history of Nottingham so there's a certain amount of pressure there to get it right.

"I feel confident I can achieve the likeness of Brian as well as a very iconic figure that will stand in the centre of Nottingham."

A seven-foot (2.13m) statue showing Clough aged 24 was unveiled in his home town of Middlesbrough in May 2007.

Clough was a prolific goal scorer, playing for Middlesbrough from 1955-1961 where he scored 197 goals in 213 league games and moving to Sunderland from 1961-1964 where he scored 54 goals in 61 league games.

Virgin unveils spaceship designs

SpaceShipTwo is pictured slung beneath its carrier, White Knight Two Animation of the Virgin Galactic spaceliner in flight

Virgin Galactic has released the final design of the launch system that will take fare-paying passengers into space.

It is based on the X-Prize-winning SpaceShipOne concept - a rocket ship that is lifted initially by a carrier plane before blasting skywards.

The Virgin system is essentially a refinement, but has been increased in size to take eight people at a time on a sub-orbital trip, starting in 2010.

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson said the space business had huge potential.

"I think it's very important that we make a genuine commercial success of this project," he told a news conference in New York.

"If we do, I believe we'll unlock a wall of private sector money into both space launch systems and space technology.

"This could rival the scale of investment in the mobile phone and internet technologies after they were unlocked from their military origins and thrown open to the private sector."

The 'experience'

Virgin Galactic has contracted the innovative aerospace designer Burt Rutan to build its spaceliners. The carrier - White Knight Two (WK2) - is said to be very nearly complete and is expected to begin flight-testing later this year.

SpaceShipTwo under construction in California

SpaceShipTwo (SS2) is about 60% complete, Virgin Galactic says.

Both vehicles are being constructed at Mr Rutan's Scaled Composites factory in California.

The rocket spaceliner will carry two pilot astronauts and six ticketed passengers. They will fly initially from a new facility called Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert.

The journeys will last about two-and-a-half hours from beginning to end.

Eight individuals will be aboard each flight Enlarge Image

Passengers on SS2 will climb to an altitude of 110km, from where they will get to experience weightlessness for a few minutes, and see the curvature of the Earth and the black of space.

Seats cost $200,000. Virgin Galactic says more than 200 individuals have booked, and another 85,000 have registered an interest to fly.

Tens of millions of dollars in deposits have already been taken, the company adds.

Satellite potential

Sir Richard said the launch system would also be made available to industrial and research groups.

"The fact that this system will have the capability to launch small payloads and satellites at low cost is hugely important," he told the launch event at the American Museum of Natural History.

"As far as science is concerned, this system offers tremendous potential to researchers who will be able to fly experiments much more often than before, helping to answer key questions about Earth's climate and the mysteries of the Universe."

Others, such as EADS Astrium, have competing concepts

The designs released on Wednesday are a clear evolution of the concept that won the $10m Ansari X-Prize in 2005 for the first successful, privately developed, sub-orbital human launch-system.

The most obvious difference is the scale. At 18.3m (60ft) in length, SS2 is twice as big as its predecessor.

Virgin Galactic said in a statement: "It incorporates both the lessons learned from the SpaceShipOne programme and the market research conducted by Virgin Galactic into the requirements future astronauts have for their space flight experience.

"It also has built-in flexibility to encompass future requirements for other scientific and commercial applications."

An SS2 simulator is now available to train the pilots.

WK2 is 23.7m-long (78ft). Its wingspan is unchanged at 42.7m (140ft), but it will now sport four Pratt and Whitney PW308 engines.

Virgin Galactic is one of several companies hoping shortly to offer space trips.

Amazon.com entrepreneur Jeff Bezos has his own scheme, as does the Paypal founder, Elon Musk. Even Europe's EADS Astrium, the company that coordinates the manufacture of the Ariane 5 rocket, is developing a commercial suborbital ship.

Currently, the only way to buy a trip into space is to pay for a seat on the Russian Soyuz launcher. Tickets purchased through Space Adventures cost a reported $20m and take the recipient to the International Space Station for a short holiday.

UK homes to get super-fast fibre

Laying fibre in sewers saves costly and disruptive road digging

The UK's first "fibre town" could go online in the autumn, delivering speeds of about 100Mbps (megabits per second) to consumers' homes.

Fibre firm H2O provides super-fast broadband via the sewers and either Bournemouth, Northampton or Dundee will be offered the service first.

It will compete with more established companies, such as Virgin Media, which is speeding up its cable network.

It follows government concerns that the UK is not embracing next-gen broadband.

Transforming services?

While other countries' plans for next generation broadband - offering speeds of up to 100Mbps - are well advanced, the UK has slipped down the speed league tables.

For consumers, super-fast net connections could create a range of new applications including on-demand high definition (HD) TV, DVD quality film downloads in minutes, online video messaging, CCTV home surveillance and HD gaming services.

Last month BT announced that its own fibre to the home trial at Ebbsfleet in Kent would see the first homes connected by August of this year.

But this will initially be limited to around 600 new houses. The development will eventually have some 10,000 homes connected via fibre with speeds of up to 100Mbps but the project will take until 2020 to complete.

We are talking here about fibre speed; not that dreaded word broadband Elfed Thomas, H20 Future broadband technologies

While BT has pledged to provide all new housing estates in the UK with fibre connections it has not yet made clear its plans for existing homes.

The current telecommunications system was never designed to carry data and many have called for an urgent fibre upgrade.

BT has argued that with costs of up to £15bn to roll out such a network it needs to be convinced of demand and have assurances from the government that it will be able to recoup its investment.

At the end of last year, Virgin Media announced that it would be upgrading its entire cable network - which covers half of UK homes - to provide speeds of up to 50Mbps (megabits per second) and this is expected to begin towards the end of this year and be completed in 2009.

London-based firm Geo, which also offers fibre via the sewers, serves mainly businesses but also leases its fibre to consumer providers such as Tiscali and Carphone Warehouse.

Broadband caution

Antony Walker, head of the UK's Broadband Stakeholder's Group, cautioned that the H20 scheme could not create a fibred Britain alone.

"There are clearly benefits to using the sewers and this fibre deployment is good news but it is only a small piece of the jigsaw," he said.

The burgeoning fibre market is going to be a tough one for providers, according to Ian Fogg, an analyst with JupiterResearch.

"An optimistic view is that they will need penetration rates of between 15 and 20% of households in a particular area and with so many providers offering services that makes the business case very challenging," he said.

Mr Thomas of H2O is confident that its mega-fast service will have instant appeal for consumers and is pleased to be the first to offer such high speeds.

"We are talking here about fibre speed; not that dreaded word broadband," he said.

The service will be delivered to individual homes via a four-inch box attached to the house.

It will also serve local businesses and council services.

Bournemouth, Northampton and Dundee have been selected because H20 has already installed its fibre service to local council buildings.

The fact that the sewer-based fibre takes advantage of existing ducting means there is no need for expensive and disruptive road digging, making the system faster and cheaper to deliver.

"While deploying traditional fibre over a two-kilometre area would be six to 12 months in the planning. We can do it in four hours," said Mr Thomas.

Mr Thomas said the sewers solution was a lot cheaper than the conventional route of digging up roads.

"An average town of 75,000 homes would cost someone deploying traditional fibre between £50m and £70m. We can do it for 20 to 30% of that," said Mr Thomas.

H20 said it is in "advanced talks" with media partners and internet service providers who will offer the service to consumers. The first of these partners is due to be announced next month.

Roll-out in the chosen town will begin in September and take 18 months to complete.

Mr Thomas hopes to add another 14 towns over the next five years.

Last.fm debuts free music service

Last.fm says it wil fund the service via ads and a share of sales

Social music site Last.fm has launched what it describes as the world's biggest free music service.

It is promising to pay unsigned artists royalties every time a user streams a track to their computer.

The website has done deals with the four major record companies as well as more than 150,000 independent labels to offer access to their catalogues.

Users will be able to listen to any track - streamed rather than downloaded - up to three times.

Changing times

After that period Last.fm members will be encouraged to buy the track via links to iTunes and Amazon and other download services. A share of any resulting sales, coupled with advertising, will fund the service.

Last.fm, founded in London in 2002, was bought by the American media giant CBS last year for $280m (£143m).

Richard Jones, one of Last fm's three founders, told the BBC: "We want to make music available free and legally to whoever wants it, while rewarding the artists at the same time."

Asked whether users would not prefer to own music - and be able to put it on a portable player - rather than just being able to stream it, he said: "The way people consume music is changing - sometimes you just want to listen to it there and then."

Unsigned artists who use the scheme will get a payment from Last.fm every time someone listens to one of their tracks.

This is just the latest attempt to find a new model for an industry struggling with falling physical sales, while attempting to earn money from online music.

Last year saw the launch of Spiral Frog, another free service supported by advertising. Unlike Last.fm, it offers free downloads but has failed to make a major impact.

Mr Jones from Last.fm said that may be because users are forced to listen to an advert with each track, whereas his service will be supported by banner advertising.

Last.fm is launching its on-demand service in the US, UK and Germany immediately, and plans to roll it out globally over the coming months.

The big record labels will be watching closely to see how great the demand is for streamed music - and how many of the customers then go on to pay for downloads.

Heath Ledger is found dead in US

Ledger's life in film

Hollywood actor Heath Ledger has been found dead at his home in Manhattan.

"He was found unconscious at the apartment and pronounced dead," the New York Police Department said, adding that pills were found near the body.

Police are reportedly investigating if the Australian actor - nominated for an Oscar for Brokeback Mountain - died of an overdose of prescription pills.

Father Kim Ledger said that the death of his 28-year-old "dearly loved son" had been "tragic" and "accidental".

Speaking in the actor's home town of Perth, in Western Australia, Mr Ledger said that his son had been a "down to earth, generous, kind hearted, life-loving, unselfish individual".

"Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life that few had the pleasure of truly knowing him."

The actor was found dead in the apartment he had been renting for several months at 1526 (2026 GMT) on Tuesday.

Split

New York police said they did not suspect foul play and that his body had been discovered with prescription pills nearby.

"We are investigating the possibility of an overdose," police spokesman Paul Browne told Reuters news agency. "There were pills within the vicinity of the bed."

He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss Mel Gibson Obituary: Heath Ledger

The BBC's Matthew Price in New York says the exact cause of death was still being investigated, but suicide has not been ruled out.

Police, journalists and crowds of fans gathered outside the Broome Street apartment in the fashionable SoHo area.

Investigators said Ledger had been due to have a massage at the flat.

His family said Heath was "generous" and "life-loving"

The housekeeper went to tell him the masseuse had arrived and found him dead on Tuesday afternoon.

The medical examiner's office said an autopsy would be carried out on Wednesday.

In September the Perth-born actor split from his girlfriend Michelle Williams, with whom he has a two-year-old daughter, Matilda.

Williams played his wife in the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain.

Hollywood mourning

Hollywood stars were quick to offer their tributes and mourn Ledger's death.

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Terrible to see his young daughter lose her father. I've been looking forward to seeing him in the new Batman movie

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"I had such great hope for him," said Oscar-winning actor-director Mel Gibson. "He was just taking off and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss."

In 2001, Mr Gibson had cast Ledger to play his son in the American war of independence epic, The Patriot.

"What a terrible tragedy. My heart goes out to his family," said fellow Australian actress Nicole Kidman.

American actor John Travolta, who was in Australia at the time of Ledger's death, said the young actor had been one of his favourite performers.

"His abilities are rare...it's a tremendous loss," said Mr Travolta.

Brokeback breakthrough

Ledger had split up with fellow Brokeback star Michelle Williams

Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee said Ledger's performance had been a "miracle" of acting, echoing a young Marlon Brando.

He won an Oscar nomination for his role as a gay cowboy in the film but the award went to Philip Seymour Hoffman for his role as Truman Capote.

Ledger starred in I'm Not There, as one of several actors in a role representing singer Bob Dylan.

He also plays the Joker in yet-to-be-released Batman film, The Dark Knight.

Ledger also starred in A Knight's Tale and The Patriot, and played a suicidal son in Monster's Ball.

RAF alert as Russia stages huge naval exercise in Bay of Biscay

A Russian Bear-H bomber

RAF fighters scrambled to track Russian long-range bombers joining a naval task force yesterday as Moscow practised strike tactics off the coast of France and Spain and test-launched nuclear-capable missiles.

The fleet of Russian warships, supported by fighter jets and the bombers, engaged in Russia’s biggest naval exercises since the end of the Cold War.

The war games close to two Nato member states were the most forceful reminder to date of President Putin’s determination to flex Russia’s military muscles as relations with the West have deteriorated. The navy boasted that they were Russia’s largest Atlantic exercises since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Nato F16 and Tornado jets tracked two strategic “Blackjack” bombers as they approached the Bay of Biscay to test-fire missiles. A Russian navy spokesman said that SU33 fighterswould make training runs alongside them from the flagship Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.

The Admiral Kuznetsov is leading a carrier strike group of 11 vessels backed by 47 aircraft that began exercises in the Mediterranean before moving to the Atlantic.

A naval spokesman said: “This is the biggest exercise of its kind in the area since Soviet times.” All the warships and aircraft, which are drawn from Russia’s Northern and Black Sea fleets, were carrying full combat ammunition loads. Long-range “Bear” bombers, ordered by Mr Putin to resume round-the-clock missions in August for the first time in 15 years, will join the exercises today alongside Tu22M3 Backfire strategic bombers and airborne early warning aircraft.

Colonel Aleksandr Drobyshevsky, an aide to the commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force, said: “The air force is taking a very active part in the exercises.”

Captain Igor Dygalo, assistant to the navy commander-in-chief, said: “The Russia Navy’s carrier strike group has arrived to the assigned region in the Atlantic and aircraft based on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier will soon take off for their training mission.”

Captain Dygalo reported that the Moskva battleship had successfully hit a target with a Bazalt supersonic cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead over a range of 350 miles. He said: “The missile system used for launches has no match in performance terms.” Vice-Admiral Nikolai Maksimov, who is heading the task force, has said that its tour of duty is aimed at restoring Russia’s naval presence “in key operational areas of the world’s oceans”.

The Ministry of Defence and its counterparts in Europe were informed about the exercises a month ago.

Pavel Felgengauer, one of Russia’s leading defence analysts, told The Times that the display of power was much less impressive than it appeared. Russia’s navy was so depleted that perhaps only 30 out of 300 vessels could go to sea at any time.

“They have put them all together and sent them to the Atlantic. This is just an attempt to show the flag before the presidential elections and to tell people at home that Putin’s eight years have restored Russia’s imperial greatness,” he said. “The Admiral Kuznetsov is due to go in for repairs when it returns home. There are two tugs with it now because everybody understands that it could go bust at any moment.”

The exercises are taking place in an atmosphere of growing friction between Russia and the West, however, as Mr Putin adopts an increasingly belligerent stance in disputes over independence for Kosovo, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and American plans for a missile defence shield in Eastern Europe.

In a further sign of assertiveness, last week the Kremlin ordered the revival of Soviet-era military parades in Red Square. The latest Topol-M nuclear missiles will join a tank parade on May 9, marking victory over Nazi Germany, for the first time since 1990.

Flush with money from oil and gas sales, Russia has embarked on a rearmament programme and will spend $189 billion (£96.3 billion) to upgrade half of the army and navy’s equipment by 2015. Defence spending has quadrupled since Mr Putin came to power in 2000. It will rise by 16.3 per cent this year to $36.8 billion (£18.8 billion) and to $45.5 billion (£23.2 billion) by 2010.

Some analysts say that Mr Putin’s sabre-rattling is part of domestic politics to project an image of strength for voters and bolster support for his chosen successor, Dmitri Medvedev, in the presidential election on March 2.

60 Questions - 004

What name is given to the roof of the mouth? The palate
What nationality was Oscar Wilde? Irish
What passes through the alimentary canal? Food and drink
What sort of animal is a chamois? A goat
What sort of bands originated in Trinidad? Steel bands
What sort of city is Chicago known as? The Windy City
What sort of creature is a klipspringer? An antelope
What sort of creature is a Red Mullett? Fish
What sort of creature is a seahorse? A fish
What sort of creature is a Whipoorwill? A bird
What sort of fibre makes astrakhan? Wool
What type of food are spaghetti, macaroni and lasagne? Pasta
What type of music can be Bluegrass? Country
What was Alfred Nobel's most famous invention? Dynamite
What was Joan of Arcs nickname? The maid of Orleans
What was Lindburgh's famous first? To fly across the Atlantic
What was Sri Lanka's former name? Ceylon
What was the first name of the scientist Einstein? Albert
What was the former name of Thailand? Siam
What would a parr grow into? A salmon
Where are the smallest bones in your body? The ear
Where was the scene of Custer's last stand? Little Bighorn
Where would a member of the armed forces be tried? Court Martial
Which actor had a hit with "Silver Lady?" David Soul
Which actress starred in the film"Rosemary's Baby?" Mia Farrow
Which alcoholic drink is named after a town in Mexico? Tequila
Which artist produced many paintings of Venice? Canaletto
Which boxer was known as the Louisville Lip? Mohammed Ali
Which branch of painting shows inanimate objects? Still life
Which canal connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas? Suez
Which Charlton Heston film won Oscars? Ben Hur
Which city was formerly known as Byzantium? Istanbul
Which country first developed the martial art of aikido? Japan
Which country was ruled by Hirohito? Japan
Which country was ruled by the Romanov empire? Russia
Which country's spiders include the funnel-web and red-back? Australia
Which cowboys horse was called Champion? Gene Autrey
Which dance goes 1, 2, 3, hop? The Polka
Which duo first flew the Atlantic non-stop? Alcock and Brown
Which duo had a hit with Bye Bye Love? The Everly Brothers
Which film featured Quasimodo? The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Which fish can be rainbow, sea or brown? Trout
Which game came from cricket and rounders? Baseball
Which game uses 22 balls? Snooker
Which grow fastest, finger or toe nails? Finger nails
Which is Mexico's main language? Spanish
Which is the central colour in a rainbow? Green
Which is the least valuable piece on a chess board? The pawn
Which is the next prime number after 47? 53
Which is the next to last consonant in the alphabet? Y
Which is the Red Planet? Mars
Which Italian navigator discovered America? Columbus
Which Italian structure leans ft off centre? Leaning Tower of Pisa
Which jazz musician was nicknamed Satchmo? Louis Armstrong
Which liquid metal is used inside thermometers? Mercury
Which number is represented by the Roman numeral C? 100
Which organisation helps people with drink problems? Alcoholics Anonymous
Which organisation owns the Rainbow Warrior? Greenpeace
Which organism is used by brewers and bakers? Yeast
Which planet is farthest from the Sun? Pluto

Currys stops selling analogue TVs

Parent company DSG International suffered poor sales at Christmas

Currys, Dixons and PC World are to stop stocking analogue televisions and will instead promote "integrated" sets with built-in digital Freeview tuners.

The chains said more than 90% of the TVs they sold were already digital.

The move was welcomed by Digital UK, the body managing the analogue switch-off, which will finish in 2012.

"Retailers of all sizes have a vital role to play in ensuring their products and their customers are ready," Digital UK chief executive Ford Ennals said.

A major push to inform viewers about the move to digital began last year, when Whitehaven in Cumbria became the first area to have its analogue signal switched off.

The Scottish Borders will be the first full geographical region to lose its analogue signal, starting on 6 November 2008. The rest of the UK will follow suit over the next four years.

'Future-proof'

"We believe that it is appropriate to ensure that our customers are able to select from a future-proof range of televisions," said Currys managing director Peter Keenan.

The Digit Al character was used to promote Whitehaven's switchover

"Integrated digital televisions are relatively simple to operate, offer superior technology and are an important window on the digital future."

The shops will also stop selling DVD recorders featuring only analogue tuners.

The move comes just over three years after Dixons announced it would no longer stock video cassette recorders, another sign of changing times in technology.

The parent company of the three chains, DSG International, admitted earlier this month that its profit margins in the run-up to Christmas had been lower than expected. It had cut prices of goods such as flat-panel television sets to drive demand.

Men 'drink far more than women'

Men still drink more than women

Men are drinking twice as much alcohol as women, figures for 2006 suggest.

Data from the Office for National Statistics suggest men drink an average of 18.7 units a week, compared with 9.0 units for women.

Some 21% of men, and 11% of women had drunk on at least five of the seven days before the survey was carried out.

Alcohol consumption in 2006 was higher in England (13.7 units a week), than in Wales (13.5 units) and Scotland (11.6 units).

Customers have a right to make decisions on the basis of accurate information Frank Soodeen Alcohol Concern 'I couldn't stop drinking'

The figures also suggest that alcohol consumption is increasingly a problem among the middle classes.

Men and women in "managerial and professional" households drank an average of 15.1 units a week.

In households classified as "routine and manual" the average consumption was 11.6 units a week.

Among men in households with a gross weekly income of over £1,000, 83% had had a drink in the previous week, and 51% had drunk more than four units on at least one day.

But among men in households with an income of £200 or less, only 61% had had a drink and only 32% had drunk more than four units on any one day.

The same pattern was found in women. Among those in large employer/managerial households 19% had drunk heavily on at least one day in the previous week, compared with 11% from "routine" households.

Possible decline

The figures - the first to use a new method of assessing intake - suggest that overall alcohol consumption may be in decline.

See table of new units

The researchers warn that it is not possible to make direct comparisons between data assessed under the old and new methods.

Methods for calculating alcohol consumption have been updated to reflect the trend towards larger measures and stronger alcoholic drinks, especially wine.

But sticking with the old method, which almost certainly underestimates true alcohol consumption, the proportion of men drinking more than the recommended top limit of 21 units a week on average fell from 29% in 2000 to 23% in 2006.

For women, the proportion drinking more than the recommended top limit of 14 units a week fell from 17% in 2000 to 12% in 2006.

Frank Soodeen, of the charity Alcohol Concern, said new measures were needed to ensure people could keep tabs on what they were actually drinking.

He said: "While we've had some progress this year when it comes to the issue of bottles now obliged to carry a unit count, we need to go further, with drinks menus in bars carrying the same sort of data.

"Customers have a right to make decisions on the basis of accurate information."

Smoking

The figures also show the overall prevalence of cigarette smoking among the adult population fell to 22% cent in 2006 - its lowest recorded level.

Male smokers smoked an average of 15 cigarettes a day in 2006, compared with an average of 13 for female smokers.

Just over two thirds (68%) of cigarette smokers said that they wanted to give up - but 59% said it would be difficult to go without smoking for a whole day.

In 2006, 16% of smokers had their first cigarette within five minutes of waking up.

The ONS report on smoking and drinking is based on data from its 2006 General Household Survey of around 16,500 households across Britain.

New units for alcoholic drinks

Drink	Volume	Strength	Units
Normal beer/lager/cider
half pint	284ml	4%	1
large can/bottle	440ml	4.5%	2
Strong beer/lager/cider
half pint	284ml	6.5%	2
large can/bottle	440ml	6.5%	3
Table wine
small glass	125ml	12.5%	1.5
medium glass	175ml	12.5%	2
large glass	250ml	12.5%	3
bottle	750ml	12.5%	9
Spirits
single shot	25ml	40%	1
bottle	750ml	40%	30
Alcopops
bottle	275ml	5%	1.5
Office for National Statistics

Oscar nominations to be announced

Daniel Day-Lewis played an oil prospector in There Will Be Blood

The films and stars shortlisted for this year's Oscars will be announced in Los Angeles later.

The nominees are expected to include Daniel Day-Lewis, Johnny Depp and Cate Blanchett for movies There Will Be Blood, Sweeney Todd and I'm Not There.

There is still some doubt about the impact the ongoing US writers' strike will have on the format of the 80th Academy Awards ceremony on 24 February.

Jon Stewart, the face of TV's satirical Daily Show, is to host the event.

The nominations will be announced at 0530 Los Angeles time (1330 GMT) at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

They were selected during a two-week ballot of more than 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

A total of 24 categories will be announced, including the best acting performances of the year, technical awards in areas such as editing, design and music, and the prestigious prize for best picture.

Picket threatened

Among the other likely nominees are Atonement, the World War II romantic drama starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, which was named best film at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month.

The other main winners at the Golden Globes were the Coen brothers' production No Country for Old Men and French film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

Atonement told of an injustice which took place just before World War II

However, the results were announced during a low-key press conference rather than at the traditional glittering ceremony.

This was because members of the Writers Guild of America - on strike over royalties since 5 November - had threatened to picket the awards if they went ahead.

In a show of support, actors' union The Screen Actors Guild stated its members would not cross any picket lines, meaning any ceremony would have gone ahead with few celebrities.

It is rumoured that the Academy has a back-up plan so the Oscars can be held without the endorsement of writers or actors, the Associated Press reported, but no details have been released.

"We are planning to have our show on 24 February at the Kodak Theatre with an audience of 3,300 people and a television audience significantly larger than that," academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger has said.

The nominations will be screened live on BBC News 24 and BBC World from 1330 GMT on Tuesday.

Kite to pull ship across Atlantic

The technology is aimed at cutting CO2 emissions

The world's first commercial cargo ship partially powered by a giant kite is setting sail from Germany to Venezuela.

The designers of the MS Beluga Skysails say the computer-controlled kite, measuring 160sq m (1,722sq ft), could cut fuel consumption by as much as 20%.

They also hope the state-of-the-art kite will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as it tugs the ship.

Fuel burnt by ships accounts for 4% of global CO2 emissions - twice as much as the aviation industry produces.

The MS Beluga SkySails' maiden transatlantic voyage is from the northern port of Bremerhaven to Guanta in Venezuela. The ship is expected to leave the German port at 1700 local time (1600 GMT).

It's kind of back to the future Verena Frank, Beluga Shipping

The BBC's Steve Rosenberg, on board the vessel, says the computer will enable the kite to harness the full power of the wind.

"The maiden voyage marks the beginning of the practical testing during regular shipping operations of the SkySails System," says Stephan Wrage, managing director of SkySails GmbH.

"During the next few months we will finally be able to prove that our technology works in practice and significantly reduces fuel consumption and emissions," he said on the company's website.

Free energy

"We're absolutely excited," said Verena Frank, project manager at Beluga Shipping GmbH, SkySails GmbH's partner.

She told the BBC's World Today programme that the project's core concept was "using wind energy as auxiliary propulsion power and using wind as a free of charge energy".

"Nevertheless, it differs very much from traditional sailing, as we do not have any bothersome mast on deck which might be a hindrance to cargo-loading operations."

Ms Frank said the efficiency of the kite depended on wind and weather conditions.

But the advantage of the SkySails system "is that you do not need only backward winds - there can also be side winds and you can still set sail," she said.

She said the kite could be used on medium-size cargo ships, cruise liners and trawlers.

'UK pubs closing at rate of 67 a month'

Britain's pubs are closing at the rate of 67 a month as beer sales slump to a record low. Bars are selling 50 million fewer pints of beer a month than they were a year ago. Alarming new figures show beer sales dropped by almost 10 per cent during December - normally the busiest time of the year. The UK's £6bn-a-year pub industry has been hit by a growing move toward drinking at home with cheap supermarket booze and the smoking ban. In the 1970s, 90 per cent of beer was drunk in pubs, compared with just 58 per cent today. – Sunday Mirror

Drive to save weird and endangered amphibians

British scientists have launched an ambitious conservation project to protect some of the weirdest and slimiest creatures on the planet from extinction.

The Zoological Society of London's Edge project has identified 100 species of amphibians that have the fewest living relatives, making them evolutionary rarities and precious examples of Earth's biodiversity. The project will focus on the 10 most endangered, including the Chinese giant salamander, which can grow to the size of a human, the Malagasy rainbow frog that inflates itself when threatened, and the Kenyan Sagalla caecilian, a limbless amphibian with a tentacled head.

The project's leader, Helen Meredith, said that by highlighting unique species they hoped to reverse their slide towards extinction. "These species are neglected by current conservation and they will continue to be if we don't highlight them. They represent the cornerstones of the tree of life, the most unusual species on Earth. If we can protect these, we will preserve a much greater proportion of the tree of life than we would by preserving more common species," she said.

Climate change, habitat loss and outbreaks of disease have taken their toll on amphibians around the world. Half of all amphibian species are in decline, while a third are threatened with extinction.

"There is a dearth of conservation activity, especially for species that aren't so charismatic. Biodiversity is something that's been generated for millions of years and it sustains future biodiversity. If we end up in a world where we've only managed to conserve a few charismatic mammals, the future of evolution looks pretty bleak," Meredith added.

The critically endangered Chinese giant salamander has suffered a devastating decline of 80% since the 1960s. It is used in traditional medicines and its habitat has been damaged by dam projects and river pollution. Also on the list is Chile Darwin's frog, whose eggs are held in the male's vocal sac until they hatch into tadpoles; and Europe's Olm, a cave-dwelling blind salamander with transparent skin that hunts by scent and electrosensitivity.

Progress can be tracked on the project's website at edgeofexistence.org

One fifth of the species on the scientists' list are missing in action, with no recent sightings recorded. The Chile Darwin's frog has not officially been seen since the 1980s and may already be extinct.

· To see photographs of the world's strangest amphibians visit our gallery

Warning on rising Med Sea levels

Scientists noted sea temperatures had also risen significantly

The level of the Mediterranean Sea is rising rapidly and could increase by up to half a metre in the next 50 years, scientists in Spain have warned.

A study by the Spanish Oceanographic Institute says levels have been rising since the 1970s with the rate of increase growing in recent years.

It says even a small rise could have serious consequences in coastal areas.

The study noted that the findings were consistent with other investigations into the effects of climate change.

The study, entitled Climate Change in the Spanish Mediterranean, said the sea had risen "between 2.5mm and 10mm (0.1 and 0.4in) per year since the 1990s".

If the trend continued it would have "very serious consequences" in low-lying coastal areas even in the case of a small rise, and "catastrophic consequences" if a half-metre increase occurred, the study warned.

Global climate change

Scientists noted that sea temperatures had also risen significantly by 0.12 to 0.5C since the 1970s.

Sea level rise is a key effect of global climate change. There are two major contributory effects: the melting of ice, and expansion of sea water as the oceans warm.

Last month, a study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said the world's sea levels could rise twice as much this century as UN climate scientists had previously predicted.

The Nobel Prize-winning IPCC predicted a maximum sea level rise of 81cm (32in) this century.

How Scrabulous has ameliorated our vocab

Facebook asked to pull Scrabulous

What's the difference between Scrabble and its online equivalent, Scrabulous? Its developers, being sued by the game's makers, say it's that you can look up words. It might not be in the spirit of the game, but cheating has opened our eyes to some little known words.

Oolite. Sarodist. Psionic. Autopen. Avifauna. Graviton.

Come again? These words have all been deployed in Scrabulous games after being gleaned from a cheat site.

When faced with seven randomly picked letters and stuck for inspiration, reaching for a dictionary is frowned upon in the board game Scrabble (unless it's an unusually friendly bout). But in the online versions, it is impossible to know if your opponent is cheating.

"One of my friends takes me apart every time," says Shelley, a keen Scrabulous player. "She comes up with these bizarre words, yet she's not that intelligent. She cheats but she won't admit it. I cheat too, but say I don't."

Sarodist - someone who plays a sarod, a many-stringed lute from northern India - is Shelley's most recent cheat word, found on one of the many websites that show the highest scoring word to be made from any given letters.

Game of trust

"Scrabulous is essentially an open-book game," says Stewart Holden, of the Association of British Scrabble Players. "You just don't know if your opponent has used a word they know or if they have looked it up online. It's a bit of fun, so does it really matter?"

Scrabble champ Stewart Holden

He adjudicates on another online version of Scrabble - the Internet Scrabble Club, which has also heard rumblings from Hasbro and Mattel's lawyers - and says that most complaints involve accusations of cheating.

"These are all just deleted. We don't have webcams on everyone's computer to tell if they are looking up words. If you don't like it, you can choose not to play that person again. You can either agree to play an open-book game or agree to trust that you each just go on your knowledge."

Martin, another Scrabulous zealot, says he's never discussed the use of electronic performance enhancement with his opponents, but has no problem with its occasional deployment.

"If they come up with a string of outlandish - and improbably high scoring - words, I'll probably resort to more computerised help, but as a matter of honour, I will try to use words I've heard of. I recently played 'oolite' - my opponent was a bit surprised but I did know it, a kind of limestone I'd come across in a sculpture class."

Anne Ramsay, also of the Association of British Scrabble Players, says it's easy to spot an opponent who is using a word finder or anagramer.

"The way that they play is totally different. They come up with wonderful seven, eight or nine letter words but miss the basic two or three letter words that would score much more highly. In one game my opponent put 'psionic' in a space at the bottom. I thought 'wow' but a few moves later they missed out on 'xi' for 52."

Does cheating in online Scrabble bother her? "No. I learned a new word."

Psionic is used in fiction and games to denote paranormal psychic abilities. And here are the definitions of the other words at the top of this article:
OOLITE - type of limestone
AUTOPEN - machine for automatically signing signatures
AVIFAUNA - birds
GRAVITON - hypothetical particle in physics.

Medical plants 'face extinction'

Magnolias are one of hundreds of plants under threat

Hundreds of medicinal plants are at risk of extinction, threatening the discovery of future cures for disease, according to experts.

Over 50% of prescription drugs are derived from chemicals first identified in plants.

But the Botanic Gardens Conservation International said many were at risk from over-collection and deforestation.

Researchers warned the cures for things such as cancer and HIV may become "extinct before they are ever found".

The group, which represents botanic gardens across 120 countries, surveyed over 600 of its members as well as leading university experts.

MIRACLE CURES MOST AT RISK Yew tree - Cancer drug paclitaxel is derived from the bark, but it takes six trees to create a single dose so growers are struggling to keep up Hoodia - Plant has sparked interest for its ability to suppress appetite, but vast quantities have already been "ripped from the wild" as the search for the miracle weight drug continues Magnolia - Has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for 5,000 years as it is believed to help fight cancer, dementia and heart disease. Half the world's species threatened, mostly due to deforestation Autumn crocus - Romans and Greeks used it as poison, but now one of the most effective treatments for gout. Under threat from horticulture trade

They identified 400 plants that were at risk of extinction.

These included yew trees, the bark of which forms the basis for one of the world's most widely used cancer drugs, paclitaxel.

Hoodia, which originally comes from Namibia and is attracting interest from drug firms looking into develop weight loss drugs, is on the verge of extinction, the report said.

And half of the world's species of magnolias are also under threat.

The plant contains the chemical honokiol, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat cancers and slow down the onset of heart disease.

The report also said autumn crocus, which is a natural treatment for gout and has been linked to helping fight leukaemia, is at risk of over-harvest as it is popular with the horticultural trade because of its stunning petals.

Many of the chemicals from the at-risk plants are now created in the lab.

But the report said as well as future breakthroughs being put at risk, the situation was likely to have a consequence in the developing world.

It said five billion people still rely on traditional plant-based medicine as their primary form of health care.

Report author Belinda Hawkins said: "The loss of the world's medicinal plants may not always be at the forefront of the public consciousness.

"However, it is not an overstatement to say that if the precipitous decline of these species is not halted, it could destabilise the future of global healthcare."

And Richard Ley, of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, added: "Nature has provided us with many of our medicines.

"Scientists are always interested in what they can provide and so it is worry that such plants maybe at risk."

Blair in first official portrait

Tony Blair sat for two hours for the portrait

The first official portrait of Tony Blair has been unveiled.

The oil painting by artist Jonathan Yeo shows the former prime minister wearing a commemorative poppy, to represent his leadership role during the Iraq war.

Yeo said Mr Blair, 54, "came bouncing in" for sittings and described his subject as having "Tigger-like energy".

Mr Blair, who refused previous official portrait requests, agreed to the painting before leaving office. It will be displayed at London's Lincoln's Inn.

Of all the things that people remember him for, the war in Iraq is going to be one of the main things that people discuss Artist Jonathan Yeo

Yeo, son of the Conservative MP and former minister Timothy Yeo, said the poppy featured in the painting was symbolic, but was not meant to be judgemental.

"Of all the things that people remember him for, the war in Iraq is going to be one of the main things that people discuss," he said.

"I was thinking that I had to find some kind of representation of that, but that it shouldn't be trite or too judgemental.

"It was November and of course when he came in he was wearing a poppy. I thought that was perfect."

'Ravages of power'

Yeo, who has painted portraits of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the Duke of Edinburgh, claimed he understood the reason for Mr Blair's upbeat mood during his sittings.

"It was a few weeks into Gordon Brown coming off the rails," he said.

"I can't help but think that his hugely positive good humour and Tigger-like energy might have had something to do with his successor having trouble in the job."

He said he had expected Mr Blair to look like he had a year previously when he "was appearing pale, drawn and old".

"That would have made my job easier in a way. It would be a wonderful explanation of the ravages of power.

"But he came bouncing in, looked incredibly healthy, and had colour in his cheeks."

Meaning

Yeo previously painted a triptych of Mr Blair with the then Conservative leader William Hague and Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy during the 2001 election, but is was not regarded as an official portrait.

Yeo added that it was down to those looking at the portrait to make their own conclusions about its meaning.

"Some people see the portrait and say 'oh you've made him look incredibly thoughtful, remorseful, and respectful', and others say 'you've put him in the dock as a warmonger'. It depends on what you think of him really."

The 75cm by 75cm portrait was commissioned by the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn - one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong. It will be on display from March.

Previous portraits of prime ministers at Lincoln's Inn include William Pitt, Spencer Perceval, Herbert Asquith and Margaret Thatcher.

The genius who re-invented chess

Bobby Fischer's IQ was estimated at over 180

Bobby Fischer was the man who put chess on the map.

After he beat Boris Spassky in Iceland in 1972 to become world chess champion, the game would never quite be the same again.

A lone American had defeated the might of the Soviet chess machine.

Chess was suddenly on newspaper front pages across the world. In New York a reporter went from bar to bar and discovered that of the 21 he visited, 18 had their televisions tuned to the chess - and only three to the Mets baseball game.

'Communism vs. capitalism'

Why such unprecedented attention to this ancient board game?

It is really the free world against the lying, cheating, hypocritical Russians Bobby Fischer on his match against Boris Spassky in 1972 Life in pictures Obituary: Bobby Fischer Send us your comments

1972 saw the height of detente, but Mr Fischer portrayed his match as a proxy for the Cold War.

"It is really the free world against the lying, cheating, hypocritical Russians... This little thing between me and Spassky. It's a microcosm of the whole world political situation," he said.

Mr Fischer hated the Soviets with a passion - they had conspired against him for years, he claimed.

For the Soviets, chess was a vital propaganda tool. Their superiority at the game proved communism's superiority over capitalism - or so they thought.

There were literally millions of registered Soviet chess players, and the elite grandmasters were privileged members of society.

Kissinger's calls

Then there was Mr Fischer's eccentric - to put it mildly - personality.

Bobby Fischer (left) became a grand master at the tender age of 15

Since the age of six chess had been his life. He spent hour after hour, day after day, studying the game.

At the age of 11, he - in his own words - "just got good". By 15, he was a grand master, the youngest in history - and it dawned on the Soviet chess authorities that their pre-eminence was finally under threat.

An evident genius - his IQ was estimated at over 180 - Fischer had no interest in school work and his solitary nature, and brusque manner, was already landing him in trouble.

Twice prior to 1972 he had dropped out of the game - as his demands to tournament organisers became ever more extravagant.

He complained about prize money, about the lighting, the size of the board and pieces, the noise from audiences.

It was unclear whether the 1972 match - the so-called match of the century - would ever take place.

It took a couple of calls from Henry Kissinger, the then US national security adviser, to persuade him to continue.

"This is the worst player in the world calling the best player in the world," one of these telephone calls was reputed to begin.

Total recluse

Victory in Reykjavik should have transformed Mr Fischer into a multi-millionaire. Offers flooded over. A million dollars alone was offered if he would endorse a chess set.

But Mr Fischer would not sign contracts, and within a year he had disappeared, almost without trace.

In 1975, he refused to defend his title against Anatoly Karpov, though the International Chess Federation had conceded to all but two of his 179 demands.

He became a total recluse - his life a fertile ground for rumour.

There was a bizarre episode in 1981 when he was picked up by the police apparently mistaken for a bank robber, and thrown behind bars for two days.

He later published a pamphlet, graphically depicting the indignities he suffered: "I was tortured in the Pasadena jailhouse."

Icelandic sanctuary

Then, in 1992, he defied US sanctions and played a re-match against Mr Spassky for $5m.

At a press conference he spat on a warning letter from the US treasury department.

He proceeded to beat Mr Spassky again - but from this moment on, he was on the run.

By this time he had descended into an abyss of unreality, the world of Holocaust denial, persecution complexes and conspiracy theories.

He raged against the Jews, though his mother was Jewish, and - as released FBI documents later showed - his biological father probably was Jewish too.

His anti-communism transmuted into a rabid anti-Americanism. America, he said after the 11 September 2001 attacks, had got what it deserved.

Finally picked up in Japan, this by now sad, forlorn, ragged character eventually found sanctuary in Iceland.

After all, many Icelanders remembered him with affection. He had not only put chess on the map. For a short period, in 1972, he put this tiny country of only 250,000 people on the map too.

10 things we didn't know last week

Snippets from the week's news, sliced, diced and processed for your convenience.

1. The Scottish crossbill is the only bird unique to the UK.

2. Barack Obama attended a stag party in Wokingham.

3. Nicolas Sarkozy never had dinner at home in eight years, according to his ex-wife Cecilia.

4. Christopher Columbus introduced syphilis to Europe.
More details

5. Carrots used to be purple.
More details

6. Both men and women find long legs in the opposite sex attractive, but not too long.
More details

7. Rodents used to weigh a tonne and have skulls half a metre long.
More details

8. MPs can claim up to £250 a month without producing receipts.

9. There is no such thing as pure black.
More details

10. Brazil has more people of African descent than any country outside of Africa.
More details

Sources: 1 - Times, 15 January; 2 - Sunday Mirror, 13 January; 3 - Independent on Sunday, 13 January; 8 - Daily Telegraph, 17, January;

What happened to the Branscombe booty?

Jack hopes to make £5,000 from the bike Rescued booty

In January 2007, scavengers swarmed to Branscombe in Devon in search of plunder. But what happened to the booty they took away?

A year on, the MSC Napoli still casts a shadow over Branscombe - literally.

Half of its stern, still waiting to be removed by salvagers, is still visible from the shore.

When it ran aground off the coast of Branscombe, the villagers could not have predicted what the wreck would bring them.

Containers washed from the stricken vessel delivered BMW motorbikes, pet food, anti-wrinkle cream, empty wine barrels, copies of the Bible in Xhosa - and a horde of scavengers eager for booty.

Cider brandy Shipwreck, £28 a bottle

Most were disappointed. Only 17 motorbikes - by far the most valuable item of cargo - came ashore, and most beachcombers could only fill their pockets with soggy cosmetics.

But a select few were lucky. Contrary to portrayals of them as lawless looters, the Receiver of Wreck has been informed, as the law requires, of the whereabouts of 13 bikes.

Two undocumented bikes were seized in a police raid and a further two are unaccounted for.

Jack Pyne, 23, a bar manager from nearby Sidmouth, was one of the lucky handful who managed to get his hands on one, shared with two friends. After hearing about the Napoli on the local news, they went down to Branscombe out of nothing more than curiosity.

"We didn't realise that motorbikes had come ashore until we saw the container," Jack recalls. "There was a crowd around it and someone said, 'Help everyone else and you'll get one too.'

"I didn't go down there with the intention of stealing anything and I wouldn't have taken the bike if the policeman on the beach hadn't said it was ok. I've filled in all the forms and done everything by the book."

Seawater 'damage'

If he is given the all-clear to keep the bike, Jack hopes to sell it for around £5,000 ("it is second hand, after all"), after replacing several parts to make it road-legal in the UK - the vehicle having been built for the South African market.

"I'm just glad to have been part of history," Jack says. "And I suppose I'm quite proud that people came from all over the country to try and get a bike, but I was one of the few to have managed it."

BMW says it wants the bikes back, but the scavengers have turned down the £260 it has offered them for each vehicle. The company says the motorbikes are not roadworthy because of damage from seawater.

Scavengers swarmed on the beach a year ago

But Jack, who has stored the bike in a secret hiding place, retorts: "I know it works because I had a go on it down on the beach - there was a tiny amount of petrol in the tank. We'll get a mechanic to check it out, anyway."

Another local man who benefited from the Napoli's fate was fisherman Jim Newton, 37, from Beer, the next village along the coast from Branscombe.

Jim rowed out to fetch back, one at a time, six wooden barrels - destined for a South African vineyard - which were floating in the sea.

He kept two for himself - one of which he has fitted with chairs and converted into a table for his garden - and gave the rest away to neighbours.

Villagers had mixed feelings about the wreckage

"Everyone talked about how much they were worth, but I didn't have any intention of selling them," Jim says.

"They were in excellent condition, and if we hadn't taken them away they would have just ended up as landfill.

"The Napoli caused a lot of disruption, but at the end of the day it put this area on the map. It's been good for the local tourist trade."

One trader who has made the most of the wreck is Julian Temperley of the Somerset Distillery, 20 miles across the county boundary.

Julian was not a scavenger himself. But he paid those who were between £60 and £100 each for 18 barrels, in which he matures 10-year-old cider brandy - labelled Shipwreck, and selling for £28 a bottle.

He admits that his attempts to profit from the Napoli's fate has not been universally well-received in the area.

"There are some pompous gits who say it shouldn't be allowed, that it's vandalism," he says. "But wrecking is a great west country tradition.

"The Napoli is a great story, a modern-day Whisky Galore. People will talk about it for years. We should be making the most of it."

It's unbelievable how much it hurt in our hearts that people do things like that Anita Bokdal

That's not a view shared by Anita Bokdal and her husband Jan, who were horrified to see their crate being ransacked on the television news as they sat at home in South Africa. They watched as items worth more than £47,000, but of huge sentimental value, were plundered.

Twelve months on, she estimates only about 2% has been recovered. Pictures embroidered by her late father-in-law and most of a fine bone china tea set which was a wedding present to her in-laws are still missing.

"Some things were only available in our hearts, it's very sad," she says. "We still cry about those copper trays and embroidered paintings.

"It's like we lost our parents for a second time. It's unbelievable how much it hurt in our hearts that people do things like that."

She received a small insurance payout but hopes to get a sum from the shipping company. And she's fulsome in her praise of the villagers who welcomed her on a visit back to the beach last May.

Well fed - Mackerel and Conkers

Barbara Farquharson, 68, a retired archaeology professor whose home overlooks Branscombe beach, is reminded of the wreck every time she looks out of her window.

But she only took only two bags of catfood from the beach - both of which she fed to pet felines Mackerel and Conkers.

"The authorities told us it would be inedible because of the seawater," she laughs. "But the cats seemed to enjoy it.

"There were very different opinions within the village about the scavenging. Some argued that if you found sixpence on the beach and took it away, that would be theft. Others said it was legal, so what's the problem?

"I felt that after all the chaos that we endured, a few bags of catfood each was the least we deserved."

Pins and passwords boggle our minds

One in four consumers said they keep Pin details in their wallet

UK consumers are having to remember an increasing number of security codes and passwords, and are taking risks with this key information, a survey claims.

According to financial advertising agency @www, the average adult needs 15 different security codes and passwords.

Almost one in ten of us has to memorise information for more than 50 accounts.

With so many numbers floating about, some people are writing down their details, or using the same words and numbers, increasing the risk of fraud.

Sixty percent of those questioned in the survey admitted using the same numbers or words for multiple accounts.

The banking industry warned consumers they must keep such data secure.

'Unsafe' practice

Barnaby Hobbs, UK general manager of @www, said people are struggling to cope with the "exponential" growth in the number of companies requiring personal security data.

"We are drowning in Pin numbers and security codes," he said.

"Whilst companies have standardised the requirements to access their sites, most usually require a username and a password, and most people have simply too many to try and remember them without writing them down.

"Too many people are now writing their numbers down in unsafe locations," he added.

The survey found that eight percent of those questioned had codes written down within ten feet of their computer, whilst almost a quarter kept them in their wallets or bags.

If you do write down your pin or disclose it and a thief uses it, your bank is within their rights to hold you liable for any fraud Jemma Smith, Apacs

Two thirds of those who carried their Pin codes with their cards did take the precaution of jumbling the numbers up, but the majority who did so simply reversed the digits.

People typically need to learn a new password or pin every three months, Mr Hobbs said.

Those surveyed also highlighted difficulties with back-up security questions used to verify Pins or passwords.

Many companies offer a range of prompt questions, such as your mother's maiden name, first school attended or pet's name.

But more than a third of those questioned admitted they struggled to remember which they had selected, meaning account access was regularly denied.

'Belt and braces'

Jemma Smith, from the UK payments association Apacs, said the onus was on consumers to ensure their security data is kept safe.

"The belts and braces advice is that you should use different pins and passwords for every card and account you use," she said.

"However, if you can't do this and intend to write down your password or Pin it would always be less risky to use the same pin or password for them all," she added.

She warned of the dangers of storing Pins and other information in a wallet or next to a computer where they could be found.

"If you do write down your Pin or disclose it and a thief uses it, your bank is within their rights to hold you liable for any fraud losses that are incurred.

"Equally this applies to your online or phone banking security information," she added.

Anyone who thinks a Pin or password has been compromised is advised to contact their bank or card company immediately and change them.

Squirrel Fun

Lockheed Martin tests it's new hybrid airship

Giant palm tree puzzles botanists

The plant is said to be so big it can be seen on Google Earth Enlarge Image

Botanists have discovered a new species of giant self-destructing palm in Madagascar which is so large that it can be seen in satellite photos.

The plant, which only exists in the remote north-west of the island, is unlike anything else ever found on the island before.

Although villagers had known about it for many years none had seen it flower.

When this finally happened last year, botanists found that the tree spent so much energy flowering that it died.

'Spectacular'

The palm is 20m high with leaves 5m long, the tallest tree of its type in the country, but for most of its life - around 100 years - it is fairly unremarkable apart from its size.

It was only when botanists from Kew Gardens in London were told of its extraordinary flowering pattern that they began to be interested.

"It's spectacular," says Mijoro Rakotoarinivo, who works with Kew and has seen the tree.

"At first there's only a very long shoot like asparagus from the top of the tree and then, a few weeks later, this unique shoot starts to spread.

"At the end of this process you can have something like a Christmas tree."

Baffling location

The branches then become covered with hundreds of tiny flowers, which are pollinated and turn into fruit.

But the tree expends so much energy on flowering that it eventually collapses and dies.

Dr John Dransfield, who is announcing the new discovery, is baffled as to how the tree came to be in the country.

It bears a resemblance to a species of palm found in Asia but that is 6,000km away.

It is possible that the palm, which now numbers less than 100 examples, has quietly gone through a remarkable evolution since Madagascar split with India some 80m years ago.

It is now hoped that the plant will be conserved and that selling seeds can generate revenue for the people living nearby, as well as allowing gardeners across the world to own their very own self-destructing Malagasy palm tree.

Why men and women find longer legs more attractive

Men are not alone in finding the leggier form more attractive. Women consider longer-legged men more physically appealing than their stumpier counterparts, a study has found.

Research involving more than 200 men and women revealed that people whose legs are 5% longer than average are considered the most attractive, regardless of their gender.

Studies into sexual attraction have already shown that taller people are generally perceived as being more physically appealing to the opposite sex, but until now little was known about the effect a person's leg length had on their overall attractiveness.

Psychologists led by Boguslaw Pawlowski at the University of Wroclaw in Poland investigated by asking 218 male and female volunteers to rank the attractiveness of seven men and seven women from digitally altered images.

While all of the people were the same height, the length of their legs was altered to make them equal to the Polish average or longer by 5%, 10% or 15%.

The team found that regardless of the volunteers' own body shape and leg length, people whose legs were 5% longer than average were rated as the most attractive. The next most appealing was an average leg length, or those that were 10% longer than normal.

The scientists believe there are good evolutionary reasons for the preference. "Long legs are a sign of health," Pawlowski told New Scientist magazine.

Previous research has linked shorter legs with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity-related type 2 diabetes in both sexes.

Shorter-legged men are also more likely to have higher levels of triglycerides, which are linked to arterial disease and strokes.

Although the study only looked at Polish people, Pawlowski suspects the effect to be common across cultures.

Martin Tovee, a reader in visual cognition at Newcastle University, said longer legs were one of many subtle cues that suggest good health, especially in women.

"Leg length is a good indicator of childhood nutrition in women because their legs stop growing once they reach puberty. So if a woman has long legs it suggests she grew up in a good environment and that has a positive effect on fertility.

"The effect in men is more subtle, because their legs continue to grow beyond puberty," he said.

60 Questions - 003

In which Italian city is La Scala opera house? Milan
In which Italian city is the Bridge of Sighs? Venice
In which language do the letters omega, pi and lambda appear? Greek
In which month is the first day of Spring in Europe? March
In which month is the Northern Hemisphere's longest day? June
Into what was a pumpkin transformed for Cinderella? A carriage
King William IV's queens name is used for which Australian city? Adelaide
Marcel Marceau is expert in which field of entertainment? Mime
Name the white mausoleum found at Agra in India? The Taj Mahal
Nitrous oxide is better known as which happy vapour? Laughing Gas
Of what would a mahout be in charge? An elephant
Of which country is Piraeus the main port? Greece
Of which country is Seoul the Capital? South Korea
Of which group was Diana Ross a member? The Supremes
Of which ocean is the Sargasso Sea a section? Atlantic
Of which race was Montezuma the leader? The Aztecs
Of which vegetable is the Savoy a variety? Cabbage
On what did Barry Sheene become a World Champion? Motorbikes
On which continent is the Yangtze river? Asia
On which of New Yorks islands is Wall Street found? Manhattan
Other than a dance, what is a bolero? A short jacket
Pompeii stands at the foot of which volcano? Vesuvius
Under which temperature scale does water boil at 212º? Fahrenheit
What are kept in an apiary? Bees
What are the Russian Urals? Mountains
What colour is the dye extracted from woad? Blue
What did North American colonies become in 1776? The USA
What did Ettore Bugatti manufacture? Cars
What do doctors use as a listening instrument? A stethoscope
What do we call a sided figure? A pentagon
What do we call a fear of enclosed spaces? Claustrophobia
What do we call a group of monkeys? A troop
What do we call dried plums? Prunes
What does a fletcher make? Arrows
What does the I in CIA stand for? Intelligence
What games are held at Braemar in Scotland? Highland Games
What goes with Shake and Rattle in the 50s song? Roll
What Greek drink is aniseed flavour? Ouzo
What instrument is played by the leader of an orchestra? Violin
What is a Boatbill? A bird
What is Brazil's national language? Portuguese
What is brought on by a narcotic? Sleep
What is Fred Flintstone's catchphrase? Yabba dabba do
What is safeguarded at Fort Knox? US gold bullion
What is the capital of Argentina? Buenos Aires
What is the capital of Norway? Oslo
What is the chemical symbol for nickel? Ni
What is the chief ingredient in the production of glass? Sand
What is the day after Shrove Tuesday called? Ash Wednesday
What is the green pigment found in plants? Chlorophyll
What is the Japanese art of flower arranging? Ikebana
What is the name for the fear of enclosed spaces? Claustrophobia
What is the name of Batman's butler? Alfred
What is the name of Liz Hurley's baby? Damian
What is the national flower of Austria? Edelweiss
What is the shortest distance between 2 points? A straight line
What is the subject of the film The Longest Day? D Day
What kind of elecric current is AC? Alternating
What name is given to a fork's prong? A tine
What name is given to a mixture of metals such as brass? An alloy

How to spot a Banksy

By Tom Geoghegan BBC News Magazine

A mural by graffiti artist Banksy has sold for more than £200,000 on eBay. But with so many imitations out there, how can you distinguish the real from the fake?

Not everyone has a couple of hundred thousands pounds to spend on graffiti art, plus a few thousand more to remove the wall that it's scribbled on.

Yours for £208,100

So the latest buyer of Banksy's work, purchased in an online auction, would no doubt have checked that he's forking out for the real deal.

With hundreds of street artists adopting the stencilled style of the most famous and secretive spray-can expert around, there are more and more imitations appearing.

Many of Banksy's murals only last a few days before death by scrubbing brush, except in his native city. Bristol Council has made a pledge to preserve the work of its famous son, but it removes daubings thought to be fake.

So how do you know if the mural at the end of your street is a genuine Banksy?

SEND YOUR BANKSY PICS Email: yourpics@bbc.co.uk, subject BANKSY Tell us in 50-100 words what the mural means to you MMS from UK: 61124 Int MMS: +44 7725 100100 Terms and conditions

What Sotheby's does when it has a painting attributed to Banksy is ring his dealer, Steve Lazarides, who owns a gallery in Soho.

But that's no good to someone who stumbles across a Banksy-like scene under a railway bridge or on the side of a house and wants to know if it's real.

Trademark style

Bill "Kilo" Pengelly, a legal graffiti artist who works on street-art projects with teenagers, is something of an expert. In the past year there has been an explosion in Banksy imitations, he says, some of which seek to fool the viewer by including the Banksy logo and recurring motifs such as a monkey.

BANKSY FACT AND FICTION Became a freehand graffiti artist aged 14 in Bristol Parents still think he's a decorator Designed cover of Blur album Think Tank In 2005 put subverted works in famous galleries in US and UK Painted nine images on West Bank barrier in same year Exhibition in Los Angeles had real "elephant in the room" Reported buyers include Christina Aguilera and Brad Pitt

Two key signifiers of a genuine Banksy work are a busy location and a political subject, he says. While other graffiti artists go for railway lines or rundown areas to reach their community, Banksy aims for the wider public.

"He would do something in the middle of Oxford Street, but others get the areas where the walls either have permission or no-one bothers about them, in the middle of the worst housing estate or an abandoned warehouse."

Banksy's work is bigger, bolder and more elaborate than others, says Kilo, but technically not very advanced.

"If you look in a graffiti stencil book you will see work like this or better, but the difference with Banksy is where he's doing it and the topics."

Areas like Old Street and Vauxhall are full of Banksy imitations, but the works lack detail, partly because Banksy uses multi-layered stencils while others use just one.

Bristol Council deemed this a fake

Another option is to knock on the door of the nearest house and ask if Banksy has been by, says David Lee, editor of The Jack Daw, a newsletter of the visual arts.

"Ask the owner of the property and ask if it's by him because he always asks permission. They are usually by him, it seems to me. If you have an eye for style then you'll see if it's one of his. There usually isn't very much colour, it's monochrome with spots of colour.

"The drawing will be reasonably competent, not brilliant, he's not a great artist. And it will be making a small jokey point about something. It's very difficult to fake that authentically. I don't doubt people will try but he'll distance himself from it."

Banksy's prints sell for thousands of pounds but he signs the authentic ones. And in the only interview he appears to have given, he said he did not care if people ripped off his work.

School of ...

The art world has long discovered that works officially classed as "authentic" may not be at all.

The committee that verifies Andy Warhol's work has been accused of getting it wrong, rejecting works that are clearly real - although Warhol delegated some of the production, making it a complex question.

Andy Warhol churned out art, imitating the mechanical processes of industry, so the difference between the real and a reproduction and a copy is difficult to determine Richard Dorment

Yet authenticity is the single most important thing you can say about a work of art, says the Daily Telegraph art critic Richard Dorment.

"Until you know who made the work of art, it's very difficult to say anything else about it. If it's a copy, it has no meaning within that artist's group of works."

Auction houses have teams of experts analysing the artworks for sale, but even they make mistakes. Last year Christie's was forced to withdraw a ceramic sculpture the day before auction because Grayson Perry told them that he had not made it.

The techniques of artists such as Warhol and Banksy are more easily imitated than a painter like Renoir, says Mr Dorment, and mass production makes validation an increasingly difficult issue.

"Andy Warhol churned out art, imitating the mechanical processes of industry, so the difference between the real and a reproduction and a copy is difficult to determine."

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STENCILLING

Banksy uses stencils which saves time and gives his work sharp edges that are hard to replicate freehand. Stencilling used to be rare in the UK, more a technique seen on the streets of France, but Banksy's success means it's become very common. Acetate is a common choice of material but a cereal box will do the job too.

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DETAIL

Banksy has a greater degree of detail than most artists because his stencils are multi-layered. Critics say he is a competent rather than brilliant technician.

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SIGNATURE

His signature does not appear on all his works but on many of his pieces in the UK. In this piece, it's larger than normal. A fake Banksy in Bristol had his signature but some fans indicated it wasn't real because the paint ran.

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MONOCHROME

Most of Banksy's pieces are monochrome, with a splash of colour. This one is no different.

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POLICE

The police officer is a Banksy motif - kissing another officer, questioning a child or generally being overzealous. Here there are three in riot gear trying to apprehend a teddy armed with a firebomb.

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TEDDY BEAR

Teddies appear in some of his work, notably as a witness to a child being frisked by a police officer. Banksy never explains his work but the implication in this work, as in many others, is that a figure perceived as weak and innocent is fighting back against the heavy hand of authority.

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Antarctic lake may hold life clue

Lake Ellsworth is under the ice in West Antarctica

An Edinburgh scientist's study of a 15 million-year-old lake buried under the ice of Antarctica could yield clues on climate change and the origins of life.

Edinburgh University researcher Neil Ross is part of a four-man team camped on an Antarctic ice sheet.

The group, which also includes members of the British Antarctic Survey, are to explore an ancient subglacial lake about the size of Loch Katrine.

Lake Ellsworth, in West Antarctica, is buried under 3.2kms of ice.

About 150 lakes have been discovered beneath the Antarctica's vast ice sheet and so far little is known about them Professor Martin Siegert Edinburgh University

The scientists believe the 10km-long lake could give scientists vital insights into climate change, future rises in sea-levels and the origins of life on earth.

It is one of more than 150 lakes locked beneath Antarctica's vast ice sheets that have been discovered using radar and satellite technologies.

Professor Martin Siegert, principal investigator on the International Polar Year project that is investigating the lake and head of Edinburgh University's School of GeoSciences, said the lake could show signs of ancient life.

He said: "We are particularly interested in Lake Ellsworth because it is likely to have been isolated from the surface for hundreds of thousands of years.

"Radar measurements made previously from aircraft surveys suggest that the lake is connected to others that could drain ice from the West Antarctic Ice sheet to the ocean and contribute to sea level rise.

"About 150 lakes have been discovered beneath the Antarctica's vast ice sheet and so far little is known about them."

He said the lakes were important for a number of reasons.

Extraterrestrial environment

He said: "For example, because water acts as a lubricant to the ice above, they may influence how the ice sheet flows.

"Their potential for unusual life forms could shed new light on evolution of life in harsh conditions; lake-floor sediments could yield vital clues to past climate."

He added the lakes could also help to give insight into the extraterrestrial environment of Europa - one of Jupiter's moons.

Dr Andy Smith, of the British Antarctic Survey, who is leading the expedition, said: "This is the first phase of what we think is an incredibly exciting project.

"We know the lake is 3.2km beneath the ice; long and thin and around 18 kilometres squared.

"But as we don't know how deep it is that will be the focus of our experiments this time.

"If the survey work goes well, the next phase will be to build a probe, drill down into the lake and explore and sample the lake water."

Citroen regrets Mao ad 'insult'

In the ad, Mao looks disparagingly down at a sporty car

French carmaker Citroen has withdrawn an ad featuring a doctored portrait of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, after complaints it was an insult.

In the ad, carried in Spanish newspaper El Pais, Mao scowls at a hatchback.

"It's true, we are leaders, but at Citroen the revolution never stops," reads the text below the portrait.

Citroen apologised for the "inappropriate" ad, which Chinese chatroom users had complained "hurts our national pride".

"This is no small thing," said one visitor to a chatroom about the ad - based on the famous portrait of Mao which hangs in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

"It has an influence on the whole country. It damages the whole Chinese people."

Reverence

Another writer pointed out that other national leaders - such as US President George W Bush - had also been made fun of in the media.

The ad was based on this original, which hangs in Tiananmen Square

"But our traditions and customs must nonetheless be respected," the writer added.

Nearly 32 years after his death, Chairman Mao remains revered by some Chinese, despite his promotion of policies such as "Great Leap Forward" which ended in the deaths of millions, and the profound social and economic changes China has since seen.

In a statement, Citroen said it regretted any "displeasure" caused, and said it had ordered the advert to be pulled immediately.

"We repeat our good feelings towards the Chinese people, and confirm that we respect the representatives and symbols of the country," said the statement in Chinese.

Mercury's unseen side is revealed

The first pictures taken by the Messenger probe as it passed Mercury on Monday have started to arrive at Earth.

They include images that show parts of the surface missed by the Mariner 10 spacecraft when it flew by the planet in the 1970s.

Like the previously mapped portions of Mercury, the new sections appear heavily cratered.

Messenger needs to perform another two fly-bys and a number of engine firings to get itself into orbit in 2011.

Monday's manoeuvre took the probe to within just 200km (125 miles) of the planet at closest approach.

Messenger was programmed to collect more than 1,300 images and make other observations during the encounter.

The 700GB of data began transmission to Earth on Tuesday.

Tudor hair is 'brought back home'

The lock of hair is thought to be about 500 years old

An almost 500-year-old lock of hair thought to have come from one of Henry VIII's wives has sold for £2,160.

Its buyer, Charles Hudson, lives on the Wyke Manor estate in Worcestershire, which he said was once home to the hair's original owner, Catherine Parr.

The blonde hair, which is mounted in an oval frame, sold for almost 15 times the estimated price of £150.

Mr Hudson, 56, said he was "pleased to be able to bring it home". Catherine Parr outlived her Royal husband.

He added that Wyke Manor had been given to Catherine, Henry's sixth wife, as a present from her husband.

Mr Hudson said that after Catherine died, the estate passed to Anthony Babington, who was later executed for treason after plotting to kill Queen Elizabeth I.

The property then passed to Sir Walter Raleigh, who was also executed.

'Happy ending'

Mr Hudson's family have lived in the estate since the mid-18th Century.

He said: "It was rather touching to be able to buy the hair and bring some part of her back to a place where she had happier times.

"It's nearly 500 years old, which is really quite terrific."

Auction house Bonhams in central London held the sale.

Spokeswoman Charlotte Wood said the authenticity of the hair had been checked and they believed it had belonged to Catherine Parr, even though it had not had a DNA test.

She added: "It's such a happy ending to the story that the lock of hair will return to her old estate, which is obviously steeped in history."

Parr married Henry VIII in 1543 aged 31, and remained with him until his death in 1547.

The story of 'Britain's Sputnik'

"To Britain - a Sun is Born", "H-power everlasting", "A triumph as great as the Russian Sputnik"... just some of the headlines to greet the announcement of the British Zeta nuclear fusion experiment 50 years ago on 25 January 1958.

The experiment promised to tame the power of the Sun - or the hydrogen bomb - and to make it possible to generate electricity using hydrogen from the sea, in 20 years according to most of the papers.

Journalists had been invited to the UK's nuclear research establishment AERA Harwell just days before to see the miraculous Zeta for the first time.

A hollow aluminium doughnut, or torus, three metres across, Zeta had been running in secret since the previous summer, heating gases to 5 million degrees, a third of the temperature at the centre of the Sun, in the hope of creating nuclear fusion reactions.

I think what the press couldn't get their heads around was the fact that the scientists didn't know Alan Gibson, Zeta scientist

Currents of 200 000 amps were used to heat the gases, in pulses lasting just a few thousandths of a second.

The experiments looked like a great success, and the fanfare that followed was tremendous, spiced up by a utopian belief in the power of science - largely untainted by the cynicism that developed in the 1960s - and by national pride.

Public need

The Zeta scientists were described as "the atom men who won Round One in the race with the scientific big brothers, Russia and America".

This was "a triumph as great as the launching of the Russian Sputnik", the Daily Mail told its readers.

"Britain was faltering on the world stage," explains science historian Jon Agar of University College, London.

Zeta: For a short while it seemed the answer

"The Suez crisis in 1956 made it very clear that Britain was no longer a world power. One thing they could do was celebrate the achievement of science and technology.

"Zeta was one example of that; the Jodrell Bank radio telescope was another. This was Britain's great public spectacle of science."

Unfortunately, the claims at the Zeta press conference went too far.

It was already known that heavy hydrogen (or deuterium) atoms accelerated in electric fields and collided together would fuse and release a tiny amount of energy.

That was how the nuclear process had been discovered in the 1930s; but that process would always consume power, not generate it.

What was needed was a hot gas of deuterium, with countless trillions of nuclei whizzing around, to change the energy balance.

Only this thermonuclear fusion could be scaled up to a reactor. The scientific paper describing the Zeta results was non-committal. So were the prepared statements at the press conference.

Media demands

More experiments were needed to see what kind of fusion was going on inside Zeta. The assembled press were not satisfied by this prevarication.

"I think what the press couldn't get their heads around was the fact that the scientists didn't know," recalls Dr Alan Gibson, a veteran of the original experiments.

It's limitless. Once it works, it really will solve an energy problem for ever Bas Pease, Zeta scientist

"It wasn't that they wouldn't tell them, they didn't know, and that was a foreign concept."

Eventually, the director of AERA Harwell, Sir John Cockroft cracked, and confessed that he was 90% certain there was thermonuclear fusion.

"It was a reasonable, honest estimate," says Dr Gibson, "but the journalists took it as gospel. If Sir John thinks they're thermonuclear, they must be thermonuclear."

The Joint European Torus has taken fusion a step forward

Thus the Zeta myth took wing; and when the more detailed analysis showed that in fact the reactions were not thermonuclear, the fall was all the harder.

Instead of being a British triumph, Zeta was soon being called a fiasco, a blunder, an embarrassment.

But for the Zeta scientists, the thermonuclear reactions were not the most important thing - obtaining the high temperatures and controlling the hot gas was the technical challenge; controlled fusion could come later.

Culham moment

My father, Bas Pease, was on the team, and often spoke of the ups and downs of the experiment's fortunes. In 1992, on the BBC's Horizon programme, he made it clear he was in no way embarrassed.

"The more I look back on Zeta, the more I think it was a great pioneering experiment. It broke into completely new ground, and laid the foundation for the experiments we went on to do."

The expectation of press and public could not be met

Dr Gibson is equally forthright: "[Zeta] was a huge success. It was technically successful. It was the predominant machine - certainly in Britain, maybe in the world for 10 years. It developed the techniques that were used in machines many years afterwards. But it was unfortunately a public relations disaster."

Nevertheless, taming the hot hydrogen gases sufficiently to produce thermonuclear energy has proved a phenomenally difficult task.

The true "Zeta moment" eventually came in 1991, at an experiment not far from Harwell in Oxfordshire.

Researchers at the Joint European Torus (Jet) at Culham, held gases at 100 million degrees for periods of two seconds, and generated a peak energy of two megawatts. Six years later, repeat experiments raised this to 14 megawatts.

These figures are still far short of anything that could contribute to the grid, but the experiments laid the groundwork for the next international collaboration: Iter (the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) currently being built in southern France.

Grand prize

Many observers remain sceptical that fusion energy will ever satisfy our energy needs; "success" has always been "20 years away" or more. And the sceptics argue that money spent on it is wasted, when easier goals like solar and wind energy remain to be fully developed.

But having lived close to many fusion scientists throughout my youth, and having met them again recently, I'm convinced those doing the work believe the ultimate target is worth striving for.

ITER - NUCLEAR FUSION PROJECT Fusion is the nuclear process that operates at the core of the Sun Project estimated to cost 10bn euros and will run for 35 years It will produce the first sustained fusion reactions Final stage before full prototype of commercial reactor is built

The fuel for fusion is heavy hydrogen from the sea and, as the paper headlines stressed 50 years ago, two grams of it can yield as much energy as 10 tonnes of coal.

In the words of Bas Pease: "The important thing about fusion is that it will last for ever.

"It's a source of energy from hydrogen which is distributed all over the world, so that the fuel will be available to everybody.

"It's limitless. Once it works, it really will solve an energy problem for ever."

You can listen to Britain's Sputnik on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday 16 January at 2100 GMT. You will also be able to hear the programme later on the BBC Radio 4 website.

Facebook asked to pull Scrabulous

Scrabble makers are claiming intellectual property theft

Facebook has been asked to remove the Scrabulous game from its website by the makers of Scrabble.

The Facebook add-on has proved hugely popular on the social network site and regularly racks up more than 500,000 daily users.

Lawyers for toy makers Hasbro and Mattel say Scrabulous infringes their copyright on the board-based word game.

The move has sparked protests by regular fans of Scrabulous keen to keep the add-on running.

Fan protests

Scrabulous is currently one of Facebook's ten most popular applications - little programs that Facebook members can add to the profiles they maintain on the site.

The request to remove the add-on came from both Hasbro and Mattel because ownership of the Scrabble trademark is split between the two. Hasbro owns rights to the game in the US and Canada while Mattel has rights everywhere else in the world.

Facebook told the PA newswire that it had no comment to make at this stage.

The Scrabulous add-on was not created by Facebook but was built for the site by Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla - software developers based in Kolkata.

According to the Scrabulous website it has 594,924 daily active users - about a quarter of the total that have signed up to play it.

The game has spawned a host of "scrabble cheat" sites which work out every possible word that can be made from the available letters.

The threat to the game has spawned a new facebook group "Save Scrabulous" that already has more 600 members.

One message read: "I didn't have any Scrabble sets when I started playing Scrabulous a few months ago. Since I got hooked on that I have bought two sets."

Links have also been posted to the customer service areas of the Hasbro and Mattel websites so fans can register their protests with the toy makers.

Producer hails UK wins at Globes

Keira Knightley and James McAvoy missed out on acting gongs

The Golden Globes were "a great night" for British cinema, according to Tim Bevan, producer of best film Atonement.

The romantic wartime drama clinched top honours - but stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, and director Joe Wright, failed to pick up individual awards.

Knightley lost out to British acting legend Julie Christie, who won the best actress gong for Away From Her.

There was also British success in the TV categories, in particular Channel 4's Longford which won three awards.

"We are all thrilled," said executive producer Andy Harries. "The recognition of the film is what makes it all worthwhile."

Elsewhere, though, it was a night of mixed fortunes for the UK at the Los Angeles event.

'Brilliant cast and crew'

British misses included Sir Ridley Scott, who lost to Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly in the best film director category.

BRITISH WINNERS Atonement - best film (drama), best original score Daniel Day-Lewis - best actor (drama) Julie Christie - best actress (drama) Extras - best series (musical or comedy) Longford - best mini-series or film made for TV Jim Broadbent - best actor (mini-series or film made for TV) Samantha Morton - best supporting actress (mini-series or film made for TV)

Atonement, the adaptation of Ian McEwan's best-selling novel set around World War II, also scooped best original score after receiving seven nominations.

Mr Bevan said: "We're delighted that a British film should win best picture in a year where there are some fantastic films out there.

"It's the right award to have won as well because it's a collective award, and we've had a brilliant cast and crew, everyone who's been involved.

"This movie was inspired by the imagination of Ian McEwan, and it's extraordinary that we were able to put together such a talented group of actors and crew that were able to remain true to the story.

Andy Serkis and Samantha Morton starred in Longford

"Lastly, none of this would have been possible without the unique talents and vision of our director, Joe Wright - this award is truly his."

Sweeney Todd's Helena Bonham Carter lost to Marion Cotillard for the best actress in a musical or comedy award.

Tilda Swinton, meanwhile, missed out on the best supporting actress gong, despite her well received performance in Michael Clayton.

Tom Wilkinson also failed to win the best supporting actor award for Michael Clayton.

TV awards

In the TV categories Channel 4's Longford won three gongs, including a best supporting actress prize for actress Samantha Morton.

"Who could have predicted that the tale of an eccentric English peer's obsession with Britain 's most famous serial killer would strike such a chord with audiences in America," said Harries.

BRITS WHO MISSED OUT Ridley Scott - best director James McAvoy - best actor (drama) Keira Knightley - best actress (drama) Helena Bonham Carter - best actress (musical or comedy) Tom Wilkinson- best supporting actor Tilda Swinton - best supporting actress Christopher Hampton - best screenplay The State Within - best mini-series or film made for TV Hugh Laurie - best TV actor (drama) Ricky Gervais - best TV actor (comedy) Jason Isaacs, James Nesbitt - best TV actor (mini-series or film made for TV) Minnie Driver - best TV actress (drama) Anna Friel - best TV actress (comedy) Ruth Wilson - best actress (mini-series or film made for TV) Andy Serkis - best supporting actor (mini-series or film made for TV)

The Nottingham-born actress, who gave birth to her second child earlier this month, plays Moors Murderer Myra Hindley in the drama, which also won the award for best TV film or mini-series.

But while Jim Broadbent took the best actor gong for his role as prisons campaigner Lord Longford, Andy Serkis lost out for his portrayal of Ian Brady to Entourage star Jeremy Piven.

Also nominated in Broadbent's category were Jason Isaacs, who starred in The State Within, and James Nesbitt, who won plaudits for his role in the BBC drama Jekyll.

Ricky Gervais took the best comedy or musical gong for Extras, but missed out in the acting category to US actor David Duchovny, who won for Californication.

Last year's best actor winner, House star Hugh Laurie, was beaten by Mad Men's Jon Hamm, while former Brookside star Anna Friel failed to win a best actress Globe for Pushing Daisies.

Newcomer Ruth Wilson, who starred in the BBC's Jane Eyre, lost out to Queen Latifah for Life Support in the best actress in a mini-series award.

The world's first trainspotter

John Backhouse drew the first steam-hauled passenger train

As the National Railway Museum in York opens a new £4m visitor centre, it claims a 14-year-old in 1825 as the world's first trainspotter.

Long before Clapham Junction, anoraks and binoculars, trainspotting was born in the North East.

For a 14-year-old boy, the sight of the world's first steam-hauled passenger train in 1825 was a revelation.

John Backhouse, a Quaker from County Durham, wrote to his sisters in London a month after seeing the opening of the Stockton to Darlington railway.

John Backhouse's letter, 1825 Enlarge Image

His neatly-written letter includes an illustration of the train, complete with annotations to point out the locomotive steam engine at the front, the freight wagons, the passenger coach and the flags.

Failing to find enough words to describe the exciting new phenomenon, he drew the steam-hauled train that caught his imagination so intensely.

It was a very grand sight to see such a mass of people moving on the road from Stockton to Darlington, 600 people were said to be in, on and about the wagons and coaches! And the engine drew not less that 90 tons!!!!!

There was an excellent dinner prepared at Stockton for the railway gentry. I could tell you a great many more particulars but suppose that you are tired of it by this time.

The letter is a key item in the National Collection housed in the National Railway Museum's new interactive archive and research centre called Search Engine.

Spotting heyday

Nick Brodrick, of Steam Railway magazine, says that the boy's annotations suggest he may indeed be the world's first trainspotter.

Pupils line up to spot trains in 1979

"It sounds like he was the first enthusiast and could conceivably count as the first trainspotter. Maybe that was really the birth of it, although it didn't take off in a massive way until much later.

"Trainspotting as we know it today probably began in the 1930s but didn't become big until the late 40s, early 50s. Then in the early 1960s it really reached its peak.

"People recognised that steam was on its way out and wanted to record it and record what they saw."

In the 1930s, the introduction of faster engines like the Royal Scot and Mallard generated interest in individual engines rather than the broader railway as a whole, says Mr Brodrick.

In the heyday of trainspotting, large numbers of schoolboys could be seen on platforms before and after class, clutching their Ian Allan-published log books that had all the engine numbers, plus added details like boiler pressure.

It was the first time they had seen anything faster than a galloping horse Christian Wolmar, rail historian

Those were the days when rail travel played a huge part in people's lives, so the hobby could be pursued as people went about their daily routine.

But the end of steam engines in the UK in 1968 deprived trainspotting of its romance and signalled the start of a decline in numbers that continues today.

Michael Palin and WH Auden are among the more famous names associated with trainspotting and Alfred Hitchcock was a huge rail enthusiast who regularly featured trains in his films. Maybe they owe a small debt for their enjoyment to young John Backhouse for starting it all off.

There was a shared sense at the time that this was the beginning of something huge, says railway historian Christian Wolmar.

"What this shows is that once people started seeing trains and locomotives going by it was the first time they had seen anything faster than a galloping horse and the first time anyone had attempted mechanical motion in any way, although there were some prior experiments."

The Stockton-Darlington railway captured the imagination

Stockton to Darlington was the first significant step in creating a railway, he says. It was longer than previous railways, it had both passenger and freight transport and it had engines pulling trains, which was crucial.

"What this boy saw was quite revolutionary. I think there was quite a realisation quite early on that Stockton-Darlington and Liverpool-Manchester weren't going to be the be all and end all.

"They were part of a wider network and before the 1920s there were people putting forward plans for lines between London and Scotland, so although these were still railways, they were starting something much bigger. There was an awareness of that."

Etiquette quiz

Brighton College has introduced a compulsory etiquette course for its pupils covering such topics as when to remove one's jacket at dinner, which fork to use when and how to waltz.

But how's your grasp of modern manners?
Test yourself - Click Here

The joy of nano

The Tata Nano is 3,100,000,000 nanometres long

We listen to our music on nanos, we style our hair with nanos, with the arrival of the Tata Nano people will even be driving nanos, but why are so many products called nano?

This is a story of two nanos.

Over the course of the last 12 months, the LexisNexis database of newspaper articles records 239 stories referring to nanotechnology in the British press. In the same period there have been 239 stories referring to "iPod" and "nano".

On the one hand, there is considerable concern represented in the newspapers about the possibilities of nanotechnology. At the same time it has become a manufacturers' shorthand for things that are really, really small.

What has this...

As well as the obvious, the iPod Nano and its competitor the Creative Zen Nano, you have the Logitech nano mouse. In the world of haircare you have the Remington Nano Silver Groomer PG400 and the splendidly-titled Philips TRESemmé HP4669/17 Salon Shine Nano Diamond Digital Slim Straightener. The latter boasts "nano-diamond ultragliss ceramic plates".

Now Tata of India has made a very cheap car that also happens to be very small, so it's the Nano. But what exactly is a nano?

Once upon a time the Greeks used the word "nanos" to mean dwarf. This term was used in science in the 20th Century and in 1960 it was recognised when the term nanometre came into use, meaning a billionth of a metre. Crudely put, it could be thought of as about 10 atoms long.

...got to do with this?

In 1959 the legendary physicist Richard Feynman gave a speech about the possibility of machines being used to build smaller machines which would in turn build smaller machines until you reached a near atomic scale of machine.

He asked "Why cannot we write the entire 24 volumes of the Encyclopedia Brittanica on the head of a pin?"

Feynman didn't use the term nano, but in 1974 Norio Taniguchi used the word "nanotechnology" to describe ultra-precision engineering.

It is this meaning that attracts the technology marketers. If something has been designed on a near-atomic level then it must be a pretty nifty piece of kit. Sometimes there are genuinely nano-engineered components, but not always.

Massive pressure

And, as editor of Stuff Magazine Fraser Macdonald says, the naming of consumer technology is a business of outdoing the previous generation of gadgets.

"A lot of it comes out of the fact that there're a lot more products available than 10 years ago. There's massive pressure to come up with product names that are exciting and dynamic.

In Germany people think it's magical to have nano in their products Ottilia Saxl Institute of Nanotechnology

"For a while there were a few things called mini. 10-15 years ago people wouldn't have really known what the word nano was. Now nanotechnology isn't as dark and mysterious. They have come to assume it just means small."

But it has certainly gone through dark and mysterious periods in the popular mind.

In 1986, K Eric Drexler wrote Engines of Creation, popularising the idea of nanotechnology and also coining the famous "grey goo" term to address the possibility of nano-sized replicating robots multiplying exponentially to frightening numbers.

This scare scenario has proved a popular one in science fiction and the term has been widely used to describe fears over nanotechnology.

Ottilia Saxl, chief executive of the Institute of Nanotechnology, says there is a geographic and cultural split over acceptance of the term, with the US and Germany often supportive while the UK is sceptical.

Scientists claim "nano water" allows fresh and seawater fish to live in the same tank

"It is a cultural thing. In some countries nanotechnology is seen as providing benefits.

"In the UK we are far more cautious. The UK product developers are sensitive. In Germany people think it's magical to have nano in their products."

The uses of nanotechnology are now many and varied and tend not to involve self-replicating robots, Dr Saxl says. Much that is nano is now in chemistry. An example might be a self-cleaning window which uses a film that has been manipulated at a nano level to be hydrophilic (attracted to water) on one side so it sticks to the glass, while being hydrophobic on the other. Nano-textiles that have inherent water-repelling properties are now available.

Nanotechnology opens up the possibility that one day most medicines will consist of particles engineered to target the ailment being treated, rather than being absorbed by many parts of the body unnecessarily.

But the critics are worried that not enough is known about these engineered particles and what happens when they are ingested. Prince Charles generated mass media interest in 2003 when he asked the Royal Society about the matter.

The Institute of Nanotechnology is particularly keen to promote understanding of the use of nanotechnology in food. It's not hard to see why.

Only this month, the Daily Mail ran the headline "ALERT OVER MARCH OF THE 'GREY GOO' FRANKENFOODS". To the casual observer it appears that nanotechnology in everyday objects frightens people much less than the prospect of actually ingesting nanotechnology.

"It is going to be a long journey to convince people," Dr Saxl says.

But it looks like the nano boast is here to stay in consumer technology.

At least that is, until an MP3 manufacturer decides to call their product "pico" in reference to a trillionth.

The femto, zepto and yocto are unlikely to follow. They just don't sound right.

10 things we didn't know last week

Snippets from the week's news, sliced, diced and processed for your convenience.

1. Circumcision does not reduce sexual satisfaction.
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2. The UK has only one polar bear, at Edinburgh Zoo. Its name is Mercedes.
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3. Window cleaners who work on very tall buildings are trained to lie flat if their platform comes loose - a tactic which appears to have saved the life of Alcides Moreno, who tumbled some 500ft (150m) to the ground in New York.

4. At school, Sir Edmund Hillary was in a gym group for those lacking co-ordination.
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5. Siblings who are separated when adopted may be naturally attracted to each other in later life.
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6. Etiquette dictates that at dinner parties, a man should always talk to the woman on his left during the first course, and right during the main course.
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7. One in three British adults is on a permanent diet.
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8. Octopuses need mental stimulation.
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9. Liverpool is not Europe's only capital of culture this year.
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10. Half of men aged 16-24 haven't read a single book in the past 12 months.
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Ant and Dec 'most watched hosts'

Ant and Dec met working together on the children's show Byker Grove

I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! presenters Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly were the most-watched TV hosts of last year, a survey has shown.

The duo, who also fronted Britain's Got Talent and Saturday Night Takeaway, were seen by 51% of the nation at least once, said the media agency MPG.

The report revealed that X Factor host Dermot O'Leary was watched by half of the UK on more then one occasion.

In third place was This Morning's Phillip Schofield.

Footballer pundit Gary Lineker was next at number four with Strictly Come Dancing's Tess Daly - the only woman in the top 10 - in fifth place.

Saturday Night Takeway was among several ITV shows which were found to have rigged competition phone lines, a report revealed last year.

Despite that the show won McPartlin and Donnelly the best entertainment programme gong at the National Television Awards in November.

THE MOST WATCHED PRESENTERS IN 2007 1. Ant and Dec 2. Dermot O'Leary 3. Phillip Schofield 4. Gary Lineker 5. Tess Daly 6. Richard Hammond 7. Bruce Forsyth 8. Jeremy Clarkson 9. James May 10. Jonathan Ross Source: Barb

Top Gear's Richard Hammond, who also fronted the Sky programme Brainiac, debuted in sixth place with another newcomer, Bruce Forsyth, making it to number seven.

Hammond's Top Gear colleagues, Jeremy Clarkson, who also guest hosted Have I Got News For You, and James May, followed in eighth and ninth place respectively.

Jonathan Ross, who presents his own Friday night chat show and Film 2007, rounded off the top 10.

Lineker took the top spot previously, thanks to the 2006 World Cup.

MPG's Martyn Stokes said: "Our analysis shows that Ant and Dec are the new kings of British TV presenting."

Figures for the survey have been compiled by using Barb - Broadcasters' Audience Research Board.

Warning on stealthy Windows virus

The creators of the virus are after bank logins and personal data

Security experts are warning about a stealthy Windows virus that steals login details for online bank accounts.

In the last month, the malicious program has racked up about 5,000 victims - most of whom are in Europe.

Many are falling victim via booby-trapped websites that use vulnerabilities in Microsoft's browser to install the attack code.

Experts say the virus is dangerous because it buries itself deep inside Windows to avoid detection.

Old tricks

The malicious program is a type of virus known as a rootkit and it tries to overwrite part of a computer's hard drive called the Master Boot Record (MBR).

This is where a computer looks when it is switched on for information about the operating system it will be running.

"If you can control the MBR, you can control the operating system and therefore the computer it resides on," wrote Elia Florio on security company Symantec's blog.

Mr Florio pointed out that many viruses dating from the days before Windows used the Master Boot Record to get a grip on a computer.

Once installed the virus, dubbed Mebroot by Symantec, usually downloads other malicious programs, such as keyloggers, to do the work of stealing confidential information.

Most of these associated programs lie in wait on a machine until its owner logs in to the online banking systems of one of more than 900 financial institutions.

The Russian virus-writing group behind Mebroot is thought to have created the torpig family of viruses that are known to have been installed on more than 200,000 systems. This group specialises in stealing bank login information.

Security firm iDefense said Mebroot was discovered in October but started to be used in a series of attacks in early December.

Between 12 December and 7 January, iDefense detected more than 5,000 machines that had been infected with the program.

Analysis of Mebroot has shown that it uses its hidden position on the MBR as a beachhead so it can re-install these associated programs if they are deleted by anti-virus software.

Although the password-stealing programs that Mebroot installs can be found by security software, few commercial anti-virus packages currently detect its presence. Mebroot cannot be removed while a computer is running.

Independent security firm GMER has produced a utility that will scan and remove the stealthy program.

Computers running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 that are not fully patched are all vulnerable to the virus.

Obituary: Sir Edmund Hillary

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay conquered Everest together

Sir Edmund Hillary, who has died at the age of 88, made it to the summit of Everest in 1953, and became the first man on the planet to reach its highest point.

As a boy in New Zealand, Edmund Hillary's fragile appearance belied his ground-breaking potential.

At school, he was in a gym group for those lacking co-ordination and admitted to feeling a "deep sense of inferiority".

But the 40-mile journey to school in Auckland each day gave young Edmund many hours to pore over adventure stories and travel ever further in his mind.

Unrecorded achievement

Early ideas of following his father into beekeeping were shelved soon after a school mountain trip in 1935.

Seeing snow for the first time as well as learning to climb, Sir Edmund found his vocation.

After spending two years as a navigator in the New Zealand Air Force, he joined a local Alpine Club to take on all the national peaks.

Unsatisfied by these local triumphs, he also travelled to the Himalayas and started wrestling to improve his strength.

This was all with the idea of taking on the ultimate challenge, becoming the first man to climb Everest.

Part of the Everest ascent involved climbing a 40ft ice-wall

By the time Sir Edmund attempted his ascent, seven previous expeditions to the top of the world's highest mountain had failed.

Sir Edmund recalled: "We didn't know if it was humanly possible to reach the top."

Despite this general trepidation, the determined New Zealander joined a trip led by British climber, Sir John Hunt, up the south-west ridge of the edifice.

By the latter stages, all but two climbers were defeated by exhaustion and the effects of high altitude and bad weather.

Only Sir Edmund and his Nepalese Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, were able to continue.

'All this - and Everest too!'

When they finally reached the top Sir Edmund, who lost four stone on the expedition, reported his first sensation as one of relief.

He took the famous photo of his Sherpa companion posing with his ice-axe, but refused Tenzing's offer to take one of him, so his ascent went unrecorded.

Well, George, we've knocked the bastard off How the laconic Sir Edmund reported his ascent of Everest to a team mate

On the morning of Queen Elizabeth's coronation in May 1953, her subjects were told that Sir Edmund had made it to the summit.

As he was a New Zealander and therefore a citizen of the Commonwealth, British subjects celebrated his achievement as their own.

On the day the Queen was crowned, one newspaper headline crowed "All this - and Everest too!"

Sir Edmund was knighted for his efforts, and Tenzing given a medal.

The pair initially reported the ascent as one made in unison. Only after the Sherpa's death in 1986, did Sir Edmund reveal that he had been about 10 feet ahead at the final ridge.

Personal tragedy

Sir Edmund was apparently so shy that he even proposed to his wife with a message via her mother.

In the years that followed his famous ascent, he shunned the celebrity that had become his overnight.

Sir Edmund declined the Queen's invitation on the 50th anniversary

On the 50th anniversary of his achievement, he even turned down an invitation from the Queen, so that he could instead travel to Kathmandu to be with lifelong Sherpa friends.

He was made an honorary Nepalese citizen in 2003.

Sir Edmund was far happier exploring.

During the next two decades, he led expeditions to the South Pole, searched for the fabled Yeti, and completed six Himalayan ascents.

And he became increasingly concerned by the plight of the Sherpa people he had met on his expeditions.

HAVE YOUR SAY A man of true virtue and courage whose life and work should serve as an inspiration Ian, Leicester Send us your comments

He spent two years as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India, and founded the Himalayan Trust in 1964, which helped establish clinics, hospitals and nearly 30 schools.

It also supported the construction of two airstrips, bringing in more tourists than Sir Edmund liked.

He continued this work after personal tragedy in 1975, when his wife and daughter died in a plane crash on their way to meet him at a construction site.

Although the explorer was inconsolable for a long time, he found solace in the Nepal landscape and its people.

"Life's a bit like mountaineering..."

He was a vociferous opponent of what he considered the commercialisation of the mountain, rich tourists paying their way to the ultimate altitude thrill, and often leaving rubbish behind them.

Sir Edmund enjoyed the friendship of Norgay and the Sherpa people

Seemingly forgetting his own determination to conquer the high ridges, Sir Edmund urged these later climbers to "leave the mountains in peace".

Although he will always be remembered for reaching the world's highest plateau, for the explorer himself, his greatest satisfaction came with the Nepalese people he befriended.

He said: "My most worthwhile things have been the building of schools and clinics. That has given me more satisfaction than a footprint on a mountain."

Sir Edmund Hillary remained philosophical about living with such an early achievement. He explained: "I've had a full and rewarding life. Life's a bit like mountaineering - never look down."

Sir Edmund Hillary dies aged 88

Sir Edmund Hillary was made an honorary Nepalese citizen Hillary and Tenzing

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, has died aged 88.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark described the explorer as a heroic figure and said all New Zealanders would deeply mourn his passing.

Sir Edmund's health had reportedly been in decline since April, when he suffered a fall while visiting Nepal.

He was the first man to climb the 8,850m (29,035ft) peak with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953.

Returning to Everest base camp, he famously greeted another member of the British expedition group with the words: "Well, George, we've knocked the bastard off."

After the ascent, Sir Edmund led a number of expeditions to the South Pole and devoted his life to helping the Sherpas of Nepal's Khumbu region.

His Himalayan Trust has helped build hospitals, clinics, bridges, airstrips and nearly 30 schools. He was made an honorary Nepalese citizen in 2003.

'Quintessential Kiwi'

Announcing Sir Edmund's death in Auckland after a brief illness, New Zealand's prime minister described him as a "heroic figure who not only 'knocked off' Everest but lived a life of determination, humility and generosity".

He was an heroic figure who not only 'knocked off' Everest but lived a life of determination, humility and generosity New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark Obituary: Sir Edmund Hillary Sir Edmund: Your tributes

"The legendary mountaineer, adventurer, and philanthropist is the best-known New Zealander ever to have lived," Ms Clark said in a statement.

"But most of all he was a quintessential Kiwi."

"He was ours - from his craggy appearance to laconic style to his directness and honesty. All New Zealanders will deeply mourn his passing."

National pride

The British adventurer and environmentalist, Pen Hadow, said Sir Edmund's death "closes one of the great chapters of planetary exploration".

"He was physically and metaphorically at the pinnacle of high adventure," the Dartmoor-based Arctic and Antarctic explorer told the Press Association.

Sir Edmund's fellow climber, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, died in May 1986

Born 19 July 1919, in Auckland, New Zealand, Sir Edmund began climbing mountains in his native country as a teenager and earned renown as an ice climber.

He also served as a pilot during World War II and as New Zealand's ambassador to India in the 1980s.

The BBC's Greg Ward in Auckland says Sir Edmund was arguably the most respected man in New Zealand.

His death has prompted an immediate outpouring of sympathy in New Zealand, with messages of condolences flooding in from around the globe, our correspondent says.

Scribbles

What's the worst daytime TV programme ever? Where do we start?
According to a poll by www.alljoinon.com, a social networking site
for people stuck at home, it's the Jeremy Kyle show. The Daily
Politics and Trisha Goddard followed in second and third place.

Catchphrase!

Huge animal audit gets under way

How to count identical penguins and other audit tips

Around the UK zoo keepers are steeling themselves for a mammoth task.

During the next few weeks they will carry out the painstaking job of counting each and every animal that lives in their collection - from gorilla to gecko, frog to flamingo, shark to spider.

British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (Biaza) director Miranda Stevenson says: "Once a year, zoos around the country need to check that the number of animals that they have on their computers is the same as the number of animals in their collection."

Creature accountancy In pictures

This annual "stock-take" falls under the Zoo Licensing Act, legislation that governs all zoos and aquariums.

But of course, Dr Stevenson adds, some animals are more tricky to tot up than others.

Dr David Gibson is director of husbandry at The Deep, an aquarium in Hull. He thinks counting schools of identical fish poses the ultimate challenge.

"Some of the animals we have in the aquarium are really simple to count - a 3.5m-long [12ft] shark, for example. But the problem comes when you have the schooling species that look identical," he says.

The job requires a keen eye and a lot of patience.

I would be fibbing if I said it wasn't hard work for some species Warren Spencer, Bristol Zoo

Dr Gibson says: "A member of staff will be assigned to a particular species, like the horse-eye jack, and they will stand at the window of the tank and use clicker counters to count the number of fish in the school that they see at any one time.

"They'll do this six, seven or eight times until they get a consistent number."

The technique is surprisingly accurate.

"We know we have 208 horse-eye jacks", Dr Gibson says with confidence.

Birds wear identification bracelets with unique numbers on

Warren Spencer is somebody else facing some challenging counting.

He is the curator of invertebrates at Bristol Zoo Gardens, looking after the 67 different species that live in Bug World.

Mr Spencer says: "We love these animals and these censuses are very very important, but I would be fibbing if I said it wasn't hard work for some species, because it is."

Luckily groups of insects such as ants or locusts are counted as a single colony rather than requiring the laborious task of being checked off as individuals.

"But for others like stick insects and beetles we do have to count them one by one," Mr Spencer adds.

The number-crunching is complicated further still by having to determine the tally of the insects at their various life-stages, separating them into adults, larvae and eggs.

But, says Mr Spencer, although audits are tough work they are vital.

He explains: "We need to have very specific records of all of our animals.

All hands are going to be on deck David Field, ZSL London Zoo

"And although we do this annual census, there are lots of audits taking place throughout the year - for us the job of counting our invertebrates is ongoing and continuous."

David Field, zoological director at ZSL London Zoo and Whipsnade, adds that keeping stock of the animals is key for conservation.

He says many zoos' inventories will be submitted to an international database called the International Species Information System (Isis), which gathers information about animals held in zoological institutions around the world.

He said: "It is a real priority to make sure our figures are correct so we can best manage conservation.

Animal numbers are submitted to an international database

"Some of the species we keep here, like Socorro doves, are now extinct in the wild, so the only populations exist in zoos.

"So when zoos submit data to these central databases, it means that we can run detailed and scientifically based breeding programmes."

Mr Field admits that the next few days are going to be busy for those working in zoos around the country.

"All hands are going to be on deck," he says.

"It is going to be a challenging job, but once we have done stock-take and produced the whole inventory for the year, we are going to be able to sit back and see what we have been able to breed and to see what we have been able to achieve during the year."

Tata Motors unveils cheapest car

The car is designed for family use in India Enlarge Image

Tata Motors has unveiled the world's cheapest motor car at India's biggest car show in the capital, Delhi.

The vehicle, called the Tata Nano, will sell for 100,000 rupees or $2,500 (£1,277) and enable those in developing countries to move to four wheels.

The four-door five-seater car, which goes on sale later this year, has a 33bhp, 624cc, engine at the rear.

It has no air conditioning, no electric windows and no power steering, but two deluxe models will be on offer.

Tata will initially make about 250,000 Nanos and expects eventual annual demand of one million cars.

The price will be slightly more than the 100,000 once tax and other costs are taken into consideration.

The Nano release comes as India's domestic car market is predicted to soar in the coming years on the back of the country's fast-growing economy and increased consumer wealth.

'People's car'

Indian car sales are predicted to more than quadruple to $145bn by 2016.

Company chairman Ratan Tata said the launch of the Nano was a landmark in the history of transportation.

Tata Motors' engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realise this goal Ratan Tata, Tata Motors

He said the car was "a safe, affordable and all weather transport - a people's car, designed to meet all safety standards and emissions laws and accessible to all".

Environmental critics have said that the car will lead to mounting air and pollution problems on India's already clogged roads.

But Tata said the car had passed emission standards and would average about 50 miles to the gallon, or five litres per hundred kilometres.

The firm also said it would introduce a diesel version of the Nano at a later date.

'Family transport'

At the unveiling ceremony Mr Tata said: "I observed families riding on two-wheelers - the father driving the scooter, his young kid standing in front of him, his wife seated behind him holding a little baby.

"It led me to wonder whether one could conceive of a safe, affordable, all-weather form of transport for such a family.

"Tata Motors' engineers and designers gave their all for about four years to realise this goal.

"Today, we indeed have a People's Car, which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel efficient and low on emissions."

60 Questions - 002

Who invented the electric light bulb? Thomas Edison

Who is Popeye's arch rival? Bluto

Who lived at 221B Baker Street? Sherlock Holmes

Who played the Fonz in TV's "Happy Days?" Henry Winkler

Who played the title role in the film? Kevin Kostner

Who preceded King Juan Carlos as Spain's Head of State? General Franco

Who starred in the Every Which Way films? Clint Eastwood

Who starred in the film The Italian Job? Michael Caine

Who was Fred Astaire's famous dance partner? Ginger Rogers

Who was known as The Old Groaner? Bing Crosby

Who was Starsky's police partner? Hutch

Who was the first leader of Communist Russia? Lenin

Who was the Greek god of War? Ares

Who went to sea with the Owl in a beautiful pea-green boat? The Pussycat

Who were Athos, Porthos and Aramis? The Musketeers

Who were the parents of Cain and Abel? Adam and Eve

Who won an Oscar for his role in The African Queen? Humphrey Bogart

Who wrote the novel Black Beauty? Anna Sewell

Whose last film was The Shootist? John Wayne's

Whose national airline is Qantas? Australia's

With what is a penguin's body covered? Feathers

With which domestic pet is rabies associated? Dogs

Fahrenheit is used to measure what? Temperature

Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario are of what? The Great Lakes

What is the albumen of an egg? The white

A flautist is found in which orchestral section? Wind

A ruby wedding is celebrated after how many years? 40

Bohemian Rhapsody was a hit for which group? Queen

Competitors in a 50 metre freestyle event are doing what? Swimming

Faye Dunnaway played Bonnie to whose Clyde? Warren Beatty

For what do the letters CD stand? Compact Disc

For what is ET an abbreviation? Extra Terrestrial

From what rock are curling stones made? Granite

Hey diddle, diddle - what ran away with the spoon? The dish

How did Vincent van Gogh mutilate himself? Cut off part of his ear

How do we describe lines which never meet? Parallel

How is Peking now more commonly known? Beijing

How is the clavicle commonly known? The collar bone

How many hulls has a trimaran? Three

How many laps are completed in a Speedway race? 4

How many legs would a pig, a spider and a fly have in total? 18

How many squares are there on a chessboard? 64

If a long bow fires arrows, what do crossbows fire? Bolts

If speech is silver, what is silence? Golden

If the Spaniel is Lady, who is the Mongrel? Tramp

If you were told "Ready about," what would you be doing? Sailing

In Camelot, who was Guinevere's king? King Arthur

In computing, which letter word is used for binary digit? Bit

In France, what name was given to the kings eldest son? Dauphin

In mythology, who was leader of the Argonauts? Jason

In tennis, what is a score of 40 each called? Deuce

In the Aesop fable, who befriended a lion? Androcles

In the bible, who were the parents of Cain? Adam and Eve

In which city would you find Statten Island? New York

In which continent is Namibia? Africa

In which continent is the Kalahari desert? Africa

In which country did the chow chow dog originate? China

In which event did Dick Fosbury win Olympic gold? High jump

In which film did Clint Eastwood play a DJ? Play Misty For Me

In which hand is the Statue of Liberty's torch? Right

Are the old ones the best ones?

By Neil Hallows

Some of the world's oldest travel guides have been updated for the 21st Century traveller. But how far would a 100-year-old edition get you on today's tourist trail?

Tourists were once as wedded to a little red book as they now are to the screens of their camcorders.

Stranded in a church in Florence without her Baedeker in EM Forster's A Room with a View, heroine Lucy Honeychurch starts to cry because she has no-one to tell her what was beautiful.

When the novel was published in 1908, Baedekers were at the peak of their influence over where and how the middle classes found their tea, culture and lodgings abroad.

You must be exact in the execution of my orders, and if you happen to get drunk, I shall dismiss you at once Baedeker's 1890s phrase book on addressing servants

The first guide was published in 1832, and by the early 20th Century, editions in English, French and German covered virtually all of Europe and as far as Tehran and Mexico City.

But the publisher has followed a similar path to many of the doomed empires it has chronicled.

The world wars were disastrous for a German company reliant on the free flow of wealthy Europeans, but the books did prove useful to soldiers and airmen. The Baedeker raids of 1942, the bombings of historic English cities, were so-called because the Luftwaffe had supposedly vowed to destroy every British building marked with three stars in the guide.

Changing tone

After the chaos of war, the company was re-established in 1948 and has continued ever since, although this week's new guides for the UK market are the first in five years.

Comparing Baedekers old and new, it is their tone that has changed even more profoundly than the destinations they cover.

The emphasis of the new guides is about treading softly. In Egypt, visitors are advised to ask before they take pictures, wear discreet clothing, and not to drink alcohol in public. In Italy, we are told compliments work better than threats.

The Luftwaffe allegedly used the books to pick targets

Travellers a century ago were also advised how to keep out of trouble. Don't be rude in Spain, they were advised in 1913, because it serves only to "excite the inflammable passions of the uneducated Spaniard".

Unlike many modern tourists in their air-conditioned coaches, they could not simply avoid interactions with the locals, because they were used to having servants at home and wanted similar comforts abroad.

Lines had to be clearly drawn. In a Baedeker phrase book from the 1890s, potential servants were greeted with the words: "You must be exact in the execution of my orders, and if you happen to get drunk, I shall dismiss you at once."

Similarly stern were the judgements on whole populations. The Italians cared little about dirt, Americans spat too much, while ordinary people were judged on a scale from docile (Egyptians) to uppity (the Spanish).

Dwindling detail

But Baedekers have usually been overwhelmingly full of facts rather than opinions.

Baedeker's London gave 32 pages to the National Gallery in 1896, with descriptions of virtually every painting on display. In 2008, it gives only seven, despite larger print. This is why a century-old Baedeker is often a more useful guide than a new one.

Baedeker old and new: two maps of Alexandria, 1929 and 2008 Enlarge Image

Such guides were written for travellers who were educated, but lacked the resources or pretensions of those who had gone to Europe a century earlier on the Grand Tour.

It is hardly surprising that the new guides have only a fraction of the detail and are full of photographs. But in place of the facts are a few too many cliches, and they lack the cool and knowing feel of Rough Guides or Lonely Planet books.

Baedeker's London says Piccadilly Circus is the "hub of the world" for Londoners, yet to many who live in the city it is a complete armpit.

With their dutiful reading, and retinues of servants, one might imagine the travellers of a century ago to be more delicate than their modern counterparts. But their Baedekers encouraged them to take risks and live robustly.

Ten-day treks by horse or camel needed only careful shopping and a reliable guide, and there are far more warnings about high prices than high mountains. Mexico's 5,600m Mount Orizaba is neatly summed up as "exhausting but not difficult".

Evening dress

But this was the age of long, heavy travel. Readers were often advised to take full evening dress, a pith helmet and a medicine chest as well as a large number of suits and dresses.

Although Baedekers would sometimes cover in detail the living conditions of those considered exotic, labour was considered cheap, dispensable and not really worth worrying about. The new guides in contrast give lengthy coverage to inequalities, education and health.

The difference in attitude is summed up by how the Egypt guides describe the thousands of labourers who built the Suez Canal. The 1929 guide says they were paid "at an inexpensive rate". In the 2008 guide, they are rightly described as being forced labour.

Is Piccadilly Circus really the hub of the world?

With their prejudices and pedantry, Baedekers were not always appreciated as travelling companions. When Lucy Honeychurch got over the shock of losing her copy, it was a liberating experience. "Instead of acquiring information, she began to be happy."

But this only underlines the importance that Baedekers used to have. These days, she might not even have a guidebook to lose.

Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, says the guide market faces huge problems, as people taking short breaks are more likely to consult the internet than buy a guide.

"There may still be a certain amount of loyalty towards the Baedeker name," he says, "but they have been out of the market for a long time and there are plenty of others in their place."

Florence without a Baedeker, or any other sort of guide, is now no big deal. Even if we do take a guide on holiday, they seem to have less to tell us, and we have less reason to listen to them.

But if you are the kind of person that wants to know about every painting hanging in the gallery, take the oldest

Dancing with wolves no more

Our regular column covering the passing of significant - but lesser-reported - characters of the past month.

Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman

• Floyd Red Crow Westerman was a singer, actor and campaigner for Native American rights. Born on a reservation in Dakota, he became a noted country and western singer working with artists such as Joni Mitchell and Willie Nelson. He later began acting, his best-known role being Ten Bears in the Kevin Costner epic Dances with Wolves. He also appeared in a number of TV advertisements for Lakota brand pain reliever, usually wearing traditional dress.

West End Queen, Pat Kirkwood

• Acting also lost Patricia Kirkwood, the first woman to be given her own TV show by the BBC. She started off in music hall before her big break in Black Velvet at the London Hippodrome in 1940, when she was dubbed Britain's first war-time star. She was offered a contract with MGM but suffered a nervous breakdown in the United States. On returning to the UK she began a series of TV performances culminating in The Patricia Kirkwood Show in 1954.

• A more controversial performer was Ruth Wallis whose songs, full of double entendres and references to sex, scandalised American audiences in the 40s and 50s. Many of her songs, which dealt with themes such as homosexuality, were banned on US radio stations. Some of her most famous numbers were combined into a production entitled Boobs, which ran for 300 performances in New York where it opened in 2003.

• Less controversial, but no less endearing, was Irish singer Joe Dolan. He held the distinction of being the first western pop singer to perform in the Soviet Union where he gave a concert in 1978. A former newspaper compositor he began singing in Irish show bands in the 60s. His biggest hit was the Albert Hammond penned single Make Me An Island, which reached number three in the UK in 1969.

• A singer from a different genre was Paul Imbaya, a Kenyan reggae singer better known as The Mighty King Kong. He contracted polio as a child and was begging on the streets of Kisumu when he began singing. He recorded three albums between 1999 and 2004 and was a fervent supporter of Raila Odinga's opposition Orange Democratic Movement. He died on Christmas Day with one local newspaper alleging he had been poisoned.

Nonja opening a Christmas present of raisins and popcorn

• From King Kong to another primate, Nonja was alleged to be the world's oldest orang-utan when she died in a Miami zoo at the age of 55. She was born in the wild in Sumatra in 1952 and was shipped to Miami from Holland in 1983. During her lifetime Nonja gave birth to five offspring. Orang-utans rarely live beyond their mid-40s and are now classed as a critically endangered species.

Among others who died in December were: Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan; Ike Turner, musician and former husband of Tina; Oscar Peterson, jazz pianist; and Kevin Greening, former Radio One DJ.

Blu-ray supporters scent victory

The two formats have battled for supremacy

The backers of the Blu-ray high definition DVD system are predicting victory in the format wars with HD DVD.

The two rival camps have divided consumers since the two incompatible systems were launched.

But Blu-ray supporters are touting the decision by Warner Bros to shift allegiance as a tipping point.

Andy Parsons, of the Blu-ray Disc Association, said: "It's much clearer to consumers now which of the formats is going to prevail."

Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, he added: "We still have a little bit more work to do before we can say the format war is over."

Howard Stringer, chief executive of Sony, the creators of Blu-ray, was also unwilling to declare outright victory.

"I never put up banners that say 'Mission Accomplished'," he said.

In North America, films on Blu-ray disc are outselling those on HD DVD by more than two to one.

The formats have also divided Hollywood film studios

HD DVD, which is backed by Microsoft and Toshiba, now has support from only Universal and Paramount among the big film studios.

No-one from the HD DVD promotion group was available for comment after the organisation cancelled all press interviews at the show.

"Nobody likes a format war - it's not fun, it's very time consuming and it confuses consumers," said Mr Parsons.

The battle between HD DVD and Blu-ray has echoes of the rivalry between Betamax and VHS in the 1980s.

The cheaper format, VHS, prevailed while 20 years on it seems as though Blu-ray, the more expensive system, is winning the race.

David Bishop, president of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said the Warners' decision was "a great message for consumers".

Mr Bishop said the Blu-ray camp would welcome any move by Universal and Paramount to shift formats.

"We'd love to have them over and hopefully they will in the short term so we can act as a single industry."

Sony has been talking to retailers about the possibility of helping HD DVD owners who now wanted to move to Blu-ray.

"We haven't had any meaningful dialogue as yet. But it is something we have considered."

Kevin Tsujihara, president of Warner Bros Home Entertainment Group, said the decision to back Blu-ray exclusively had been driven by consumers.

He said sales of the studio's movies on Blu-ray were outselling the same title on HD DVD by three to one.

He said that a disc unveiled by Warner last year at CES which could hold both formats had been dropped because none of the other studios would support it.

"As a result retailers would not stock it," he said.

Plan to dig up Padre Pio attacked

The Vatican has reportedly granted permission for the exhumation

Plans to exhume Padre Pio - one of Italy's most popular saints - on the 40th anniversary of his death have been attacked by relatives and followers.

Church authorities say they want to display the body for veneration by the faithful for several months from April.

But Pio's relatives have threatened to take their local bishop to court if the corpse is removed from the church crypt in San Giovanni Rotondo in south Italy.

The Franciscan monk was canonised by the late Pope John Paul II in 2002.

Saint Padre Pio was credited with thousands of miraculous cures during his lifetime, and 40 years after his death he is still venerated as a miracle-worker.

His image is displayed in homes, shops, garages - even on the backs of trucks - in many parts of Italy.

'Profanation'

The bishop of San Giovanni Rotondo announced at the weekend that the corpse would be exhumed and put on display for several months in the town where he spent most of his life.

This caused outrage among some Padre Pio followers, who are threatening to take the bishop to court to prevent the body being removed from its resting place.

Padre Pio's canonisation in 2002 attracted to the Vatican one of its largest crowds ever recorded.

The archbishop says he has the Vatican's permission for the exhumation, but a lawyer for the saint's niece, who is also the head of an association of Padre Pio devotees, says he will do anything necessary to stop what he regards as a profanation of the remains of the monk.

The hands of the saint, who lived to the age of 81, often bled copiously. His followers said he bore the wounds of the crucified Christ.

For years the Vatican opposed the cult which grew up around Padre Pio, but then changed its attitude, granting him the highest honour possible after his death: full sainthood.

Healthy living 'can add 14 years'

All social classes are at risk from an unhealthy lifestyle

Taking exercise, not drinking too much alcohol, eating enough fruit and vegetables and not smoking can add up to 14 years to your life, a study says.

Research involving 20,000 people over a decade found those who failed on all criteria were four times more likely to have died than those who succeeded.

The findings held true regardless of how overweight or poor they were.

The Public Library of Science Medicine study suggests many could increase their lifespan through simple changes.

The research was carried out by the University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council in the English county of Norfolk between 1993 and 2006.

Participants were aged between 45 and 79. They were socially mixed although overwhelmingly white, and as far as they were aware at the time, did not have cancer or any heart problems.

Taking off the years

A point was awarded for each of the following: not currently smoking, consuming between one and 14 units of alcohol per week (the equivalent of between half a glass and seven glasses of wine), eating five servings of fruit and vegetables each day and not being inactive.

It means a large proportion of the population really could feel health benefits through moderate changes Professor Kay-Tee Khaw University of Cambridge

This last category was defined as either having a sedentary occupation and taking half an hour of exercise a day, or simply having a non-sedentary job like a nurse or plumber.

Not only did the team find that those with four points were significantly less likely to have died over the period than those with none, they also found that a 60-year-old person with a score of zero had the same risk of dying as a 74-year-old with the full four points.

"We've know that individually, measures such as not smoking and exercising can have an impact upon longevity, but this is the first time we have looked at them altogether," said Professor Kay-Tee Khaw, who led the research.

"And we also found that social class and BMI - body mass index - really did not have a role to play.

"It means a large proportion of the population really could feel health benefits through moderate changes."

BEHAVIOUR AND LIFESPAN The chart above shows survival rates during the follow-up study Cumulative survival was about 75% for those who did none of the four health behaviours People who undertook all four behaviours reached 95%

It was in the reduction of deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease where the findings were most pronounced, with those scoring zero five times more likely to succumb than those scoring four.

But there was also a relationship between score and cancer deaths.

While the main analysis excluded people with known disease, the researchers found that those with serious conditions fared better the higher they scored than those who scored lower.

Health campaigners welcomed the study.

"This is good news and shows that by living a healthy life, people can reduce their risk of dying from heart and circulatory disease," said Judy O'Sullivan of the British Heart Foundation.

"By not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, taking regular physical activity and eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, people can improve their chances of living longer."

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Everyone has responsibility for their own health, which was highlighted last year when we kickstarted the Small Change, Big Difference initiative to show people that there are simple changes they can make in their lives that will have a direct impact on their health."

Bogus university scam uncovered

The university staged an award ceremony in Oxford

An international education scam that targets foreign students who come to study in the capital has been exposed by a BBC London investigation.

The bogus Irish International University (IIU), which offers sub-standard and worthless degrees, has been allowed to flourish in the UK - virtually unchecked by the government - for the last seven years.

Although the organisation is unaccredited, hundreds of students have been given educational visas to enter Britain and take its exams at private colleges in London.

The IIU, which has 5,000 students worldwide and thousands of graduates, maintains the illusion of a valid education through its elaborate but highly misleading website.

This illusion is enhanced by the university's continued use of Oxford and Cambridge facilities to stage its award ceremonies.

After each event photographs appear on the IIU website showing happy students receiving awards at the UK's best seats of learning.

Our investigation took us from London to Dublin, Oxford and finally Monte Carlo in search of those behind the IIU.

A BBC journalist and an actor posing as fake academic were invited to the IIU's award ceremony which, surprisingly, was held at the Divinity School, next to the Bodleian Library, in the very heart of Oxford University.

The ceremony was due to go ahead at Cambridge, but after BBC London alerted the university authorities the event was cancelled. That did not stop the IIU switching venues to Oxford at the last minute.

Dublin campus?

In Oxford, our journalist and actor secretly filmed the award ceremony and recorded meetings with university boss and Executive President Professor Hardeep Singh Sandhu, a Malaysian businessman and faculty member Dr Edwin Varo.

Dr Varo, told us that the IIU was not bogus and was registered in Ireland and that it had applied to the government and had been given approval to use the word university.

In Dublin, Sean O'Foghlu, Chief Executive of the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland, told BBC London: "To use the word university in a title it needs approval from our Department of Education and Science - no such approval has been given by our department."

The university website clearly stated that the university had a campus in Dublin. We visited the address given by the IIU on its website - there was no campus, just a mailbox.

When you look at the website, it's a figment of someone's imagination. Professor Jeffrey Wooller

The website also claimed that the IIU's educational programmes were accredited and quality controlled by the impressive sounding QAC-UK Ltd - the Quality Assurance Commission, based in North London.

During secretly filmed meetings, Professor Sandhu told our undercover team that the QAC was an "independent body" that maintained the quality of education in the UK and elsewhere.

Faculty member, Dr Varo explained that the QAC staff: "Focus more on your curriculum - on your teaching; focus on your evaluation - they focus on your faculty - who are your faculty - what amount of real teaching takes place."

The QAC website listed an impressive roll-call of staff including the QAC Commissioner General and an Acting Commissioner General.

Our reporter visited the QAC and instead of finding a commissioner general we found four telephonists fielding calls for countless companies at yet another virtual office.

A further check at Companies House revealed that far from the being "independent" the QAC is in fact owned by university boss Professor Dr Sandhu.

The UK has some of the toughest regulations in the world governing the award of higher education qualifications. Bill Rammell Higher Education Minister

Bona fide academic, Professor Geoffrey Alderman, gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on the subject of bogus institutions.

He told us: "Some of these colleges will say, 'sure we're accredited', but when you say 'by whom?', they name an accrediting institution which in fact they themselves own."

University boss Professor Sandhu, who sits on the governing council is a Doctor of Letters, a doctorate awarded by another unaccredited university based in the Caribbean.

His professorship is "honorary", awarded by a European association set up to give out professorships.

On the website he also called himself "Sir H Sandhu" but his knighthood was not bestowed on him by the Queen.

One person missing from the Oxford award ceremony was the university's Honorary Chancellor, His Excellency Baron Knowth - real name Professor Jeffrey Wooller - a successful chartered accountant from London.

Professor Wooller, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, owns a £1.2m townhouse in Kensington but spends most of his time living as a tax exile in Monte Carlo.

Our actor, again posing as a fake academic, arranged to meet Professor Wooller, at a hotel in Monaco. We secretly filmed this meeting.

'Dreamt up'

He told our fake academic that the IIU was not "recognised anywhere".

He admitted to our actor that the website was an illusion: "When you look at the website, it's a figment of someone's imagination. Someone's dreamt up what a university should look like, and that's what's on the website."

Professor Wooller told us that students paid a lot of money to attend the award ceremonies, adding: "If you can mention Oxford, Cambridge then the whole world thinks that it must be a good university."

He then said of the university's operation: "The whole thing's dodgy." He even said that the IIU's governing council, of which he and Professor Sandhu are both members, did not exist.

A BBC London reporter then confronted Professor Wooller:

Reporter: You said the whole thing is dodgy.

Mr Wooller: It is dodgy!

Reporter: Oh so you admit it's dodgy?

Mr Wooller: Of course it's dodgy.

He also told our reporter that he had been given his professorship by the IIU and that he had bought his "Baron" title.

Professor Wooller refused to quit as honorary chancellor stating that most IIU students were happy and that the university was good value for money.

Professor John Arnold of Loughborough University has seen coursework from an IIU graduate.

He said: "Students are paying for this, what I would regard as worthless and bogus qualifications. I would say buyer beware from the point of view of students.

"You know I really think that they'll probably be getting qualifications which are unlikely to be taken seriously at least in Western Europe."

'Banned'

Following BBC London's investigation the IIU will now no longer be allowed to use Oxford and Cambridge's facilities to stage their award ceremonies.

Oxford University issued a statement stating that they would not be renting its facilities to the Irish International University in the future.

The IIU website survives but since our investigation it has undergone a radical overhaul.

The reference to a Dublin campus has been removed, the QAC is "no longer involved with the Irish International University" and its logo no longer appears on the website.

Professor Sandhu told BBC London that the university will not renew its affiliations with any private colleges in London.

The government is promising that by 2009 all colleges wishing to bring overseas applicants into the country will need to be accredited.

Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell said: "Our universities are rightly regarded as world class and any attempt by bogus institutions or conmen to tarnish this hard won reputation will not be tolerated.

"The UK has some of the toughest regulations in the world governing the award of higher education qualifications. The vast majority of private colleges in London operate lawfully and provide a high-quality service to their students.

"We are working very hard on behalf of students to ensure that all private institutions meet strict quality standards.

"Where we are not satisfied that this is the case with a particular college, we will not hesitate to investigate and if necessary, close it down.

"I would encourage all new students to carefully check the credentials of the college they wish to enrol at and if they have any concerns, contact their local trading standards team."

A Quiz isn't just for Christmas!

www.brainboxquizzes.com

A quiz isn't just for Christmas! - with our quiz packs you can hold a great quiz night at any time of the year. Coming up soon there's Burns Night and Valentine's Day

We've also added a range of new TV picture quizzes

Best Wishes and Happy Quizzing for 2008!

How do they know when to grit roads?

When snow is forecast, local councils send out the gritters. Trouble spots are identified by networks of sensors embedded in the asphalt. How does this early warning system work?

On roads and highways across the UK, discs are embedded in the road surface to measure climatic conditions. Each is connected by cable or mobile phone technology to an automatic weather station, an unassuming grey box by the roadside.

THE ANSWER Sensors measure road and air temps, rain, dew and salt levels GPS is now being used to provide detailed ice predictions Authorities use data to decide when to send out gritters Freezing weather hits UK

It's a system developed in the 1970 and 80s and now widely used across the country to track and predict road conditions throughout inclement months. To have accurate information about driving conditions is invaluable to road authorities and local councils to decide when - and where - to send out the gritters.

The sensors are sited either on a representative stretch of road (no nearby trees, buildings or bridges, which offer some protection from the cold), or traditional cold spots. The weather stations then beam back data about air and road temperatures, wind speed and direction, and the wetness of roads.

This is posted on an intranet for officials to monitor, along with analysis by meteorologists using local weather forecasts.

Here's what to look for

Salt levels are also measured to ensure that grit already spread has not been blown away by wind or washed away by rain, says David Sparks, of the Local Government Association.

Sensors link to this automatic weather centre (grey box on right)

"What we don't want is a worst-case scenario such as we had in the Midlands a few years ago. Cold weather was forecast and the gritters went out. But then the weather changed. The snow turned to rain, which washed away the grit, then the temperatures suddenly dropped again and the rain froze on the roads.

"If you have a sensor measuring wind temperature, you'd know to send the gritters out again if it drops cold again."

Cold spots

With the UK's changeable weather, where sudden cold snaps can follow balmier days and vice versa, councils have gritters on standby from October to early April.

WHO, WHAT, WHY? A regular part of the BBC News Magazine, Who, What, Why? aims to answer some of the questions behind the headlines

At Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council in the heart of the Black Country, the council is responsible for keeping the roads clear in the city and the surrounding hilly district.

Its sensors are placed on the outskirts of the urban area and at traditional cold spots, and are linked to four weather stations throughout the borough.

"At times like this when the weather may change quite quickly, we're looking out for it 24 hours a day, and exchanging information with other authorities in the Midlands," says John Millar, the director of the urban environment.

Gritters load up as forecasters predict snow and chills

The council has been using the sensors - which are constantly getting more sophisticated - for about eight years.

And new systems that use GPS technology are available, such as one developed at the University of Birmingham that combines geographical data from satellites with weather forecasts to provide more detailed ice predictions. The system is used by local councils such as East Sussex, Falkirk and Stirling, and the Highways Agency as part of a trial in northern England.

"It doesn't do away with sensors entirely as it's sensible to have eyes on the road to complement the forecasts in case of any hiccups," says Steve White of WSI, the company which bought the system from the university.

Return to top

10 things we didn't know last week

Snippets from the week's news, sliced, diced and processed for your convenience.

1. Police are not required to clean up a crime scene once evidence has been gathered.
More details

2. Networks of sensors are embedded in road surfaces to beam back information to councils on ice, rain, wind and temperatures.
More details

3. Japan's justice ministry surveys ex-cons on topics such as whether they liked the design of their prison-issue pyjamas.
More details

4. Raila Odinga's first name means "stinging nettle".

5. Immunity to norovirus the annual winter vomiting bug, is only short-lived.
More details

6. Britons are keenest on fast food, more so than even Americans.
More details

7. It's the first time in 50 years that neither the president nor his deputy will be seeking re-election in the United States.
More details

8. The Royal Marsden was the first hospital in the world to be dedicated to cancer when it was founded in 1851.
More details

9. Victorians believed smoking cleared the lungs - and struck off Dr Thomas Allinson, who founded the bakery of the same name, for describing nicotine as a "foul poison" and advocating healthy eating.
More details

10. Malaysian hotel rooms may be fitted with CCTV.
More details

Airports set to ease bags limit

Every piece of hand luggage will still have to be checked by scanners

Twenty-two UK airports are preparing to let passengers take more than one piece of hand luggage on flights from Monday, to coincide with extra security checks.

Heathrow, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh are among the airports where two luggage pieces will be permitted.

But some restrictions remain at Gatwick and other airports which have not met government requirements for the relaxation of the one-bag rule.

Some airlines, including Easyjet, are also keeping the one-bag limit.

Extra bags

From 7 January, the Department for Transport says, travellers can carry more than one piece on board, providing the airport has installed improved security scanners, and depending on their airline's policy.

APPROVED AIRPORTS Aberdeen Benbecula Birmingham Cambridge Cardiff Edinburgh Glasgow Heathrow Inverness Islay Kirkwall London City Manchester Newcastle Plymouth Prestwick Southampton Southend Stansted Stornoway Sumburgh Wick Source: Department for Transport

Most of the UK's major airports, including Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham, now have the scanners.

Some, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, only received the go-ahead in the last few days, but several, among them Bristol, Luton, Leeds/Bradford and Liverpool John Lennon airport, have yet to meet the standards.

They still have to prove they can cope with extra cabin bags without compromising security.

At Gatwick, Britain's second busiest airport, only passengers using the South Terminal for connecting flights from Monday will be able to travel with more than one piece of hand baggage if their airline allows.

BAA, which runs Gatwick, says restrictions will remain in place at the North Terminal while engineering works continue to bring the airport up to standard.

However, from 11 February passengers using the North Terminal on connecting flights will also be able to take more than one piece of cabin luggage.

Luggage policy

Size limits on liquids and cabin baggage will still apply and airlines can place their own restrictions on the amount of hand baggage that can be taken in to their aircraft.

The government has stressed it is up to passengers to check hand-luggage policy with individual airlines.

British Airways will allow two pieces of hand luggage per passenger.

Virgin Atlantic will allow one piece of cabin luggage per passengers in Economy and Premium Economy Class (plus laptop, handbag or similar); and two pieces of luggage per passenger travelling first class.

This is the policy the airline operated before the restrictions came in.

'Customer confusion'

Easyjet is keeping the one-bag rule in place because it says too many airports still have the rule to justify abandoning it.

Easyjet's Chief Executive Andy Harrison said: "There is massive scope for customer confusion in an environment where UK airports are adopting different policies.

"The only way to maintain a simple and standard policy is to maintain our one bag policy."

A spokesman for Ryanair could not be contacted for comment.

The dimensions of hand luggage must not exceed 56cm x 45cm x 25cm (22in x 17.7in x 9.8in approx), including wheels, handles and side pockets. This is equivalent to the size of a small roller suitcase.

Radiohead CD tops UK album chart

Fans could pay anything up to £100 to download In Rainbows online

Radiohead have entered the UK album chart at number one with In Rainbows, while X Factor winner Leon Jackson has the top single for a third week.

The indie band released In Rainbows for download in October, with fans invited to pay what they thought it was worth.

However, this week was the first opportunity to obtain the album on CD.

Radiohead finished one place ahead of Take That's Beautiful World, while last week's best-selling album - Spirit by Leona Lewis - fell to number three.

UK ALBUM CHART 1. Radiohead, In Rainbows 2. Take That, Beautiful World 3. Leona Lewis, Spirit 4. Mika, Life in Cartoon Motion 5. Michael Buble, Call Me Irresponsible 6. Amy MacDonald, This is the Life 7. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black 8. Hoosiers, The Trick to Life 9. Cascada, Perfect Day 10. Timbaland, Shock Value Source: Official Charts Company

Mika, Amy MacDonald, The Hoosiers, Cascada and Timbaland all rose to positions within the top 10.

But it was a quiet week for album releases, meaning that Radiohead had the only new entry within the top 40.

On the singles chart, it was When You Believe by Jackson which outsold all other tracks this week.

Soulja Boy's Crank That climbed one to number two, while former X Factor champion Lewis dropped to third with Bleeding Love.

Lewis's single was the biggest-selling release of 2007, it was confirmed this week.

Nickelback's Rockstar moved up seven places to number eight, while the highest new entry was Basshunter's house track Now You're Gone, at 14.

UK SINGLES CHART 1. Leon Jackson, When You Believe 2. Soulja Boy, Crank That 3. Leona Lewis, Bleeding Love 4. Timbaland, Apologize 5. Take That, Rule the World 6. Mark Ronson/Amy Winehouse, Valerie 7. Girls Aloud, Call the Shots 8. Nickelback, Rock Star 9. T2, Heartbroken 10. Alicia Keys, No One Source: Official Charts Company

Britney Spears, in the news this week after being treated in hospital in Los Angeles and losing custody of her children, was new at 19 with Piece of Me.

And Mika's single Relax, Take it Easy entered the chart a place below Spears.

The only other new entry was for the White Stripes, as Conquest went in at 30.

There was also a clearout of festive favourites on the first chart of 2008.

None of the three Christmas hits in last week's top 40 - by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, Mariah Carey and Wham! - remained on the chart.

Cage film stays top of US chart

Cage stars as a history expert trying to solve an ancient puzzle

National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which stars Nicolas Cage, continues to top the US and Canada box office.

The sequel, which sees Cage reprise his role as a treasure hunter, reached the top of the chart three weeks ago. It has taken a total of $171m (£86.8m).

Will Smith's action thriller I Am Legend followed in second place.

Teen pregnancy comedy Juno made it to third place, with Alvin and the Chipmunks at number four and One Missed Call rounding off the top five.

US AND CANADA BOX OFFICE 1. National Treasure: Book of Secrets - $20.2m (£10.2m) 2. I Am Legend - $16.4m (£8.3m) 3. Juno - $16.2m - (£8.2m) 4. Alvin and the Chipmunks - $16m - (£8.1m) 5. One Missed Call - $13.5m (£6.8m) Source: Media By Numbers

The horror movie, starring Edward Burns and Shannyn Sossamon, was the weekend's only new major release and made $13.5m (£6.8m).

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts star in Charlie Wilson's War, which made sixth place.

The drama is based around a Texas congressman called Charlie Wilson and his covert dealings in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

Romantic drama PS I Love You, which stars Hilary Swank, is at number seven and in eighth place is fantasy film The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep.

Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter reached number nine and Oscar-nominated movie Atonement completes the top 10.

60 Questions - 001

Which animal represents the star sign Capricorn? A goat

Which Asian kingdom was once known as Siam? Thailand

Which biblical character was famed for playing the harp? David

Which blood vessels cary blood from the heart? Arteries

Which bodily organ has the thinnest skin? The eye

Which car company made the Siver Ghost? Rolls Royce

Which car company makes the Corolla? Toyota

Which cereal is grown in paddy fields? Rice

Which city was once known as Constantinople? Istanbul

Which constellations name means "The Water Carrier?" Aquarius

Which countries name ends in Q? Iraq

Which country has the Bald Eagle as its national bird? USA

Which country is home to gorgonzola cheese? Italy

Which country was ruled by the Romanoffs? Russia

Which country was ruled by the Romanovs? Russia

Which country was the birthplace of Lawn Tennis? England

Which country's currency is the yen? Japan

Which country's Secret Police is the Mossad? Israels

Which creatures are also known as hogs or swine? Pigs

Which dictator opened the 1936 Olympiad? Adolf Hitler

Which Duke of Normandy conquered England? William

Which emperor met his match at Waterloo? Napoleon

Which fibre is taken from the angora goat? Mohair

Which film featured Lara's theme? Dr Zhivago

Which film features Jamaica's bobsleigh team? Cool Runnings

Which horror character was first played in a talkie by Bela Lugosi? Dracula

Which is the heaviest seabird? The Emperor Penguin

Which is the largest of the Great Lakes? Lake Superior

Which is the least valuable chess piece? Pawn

Which is the second largest country in South America? Argentina

Which major feature was carved out by the Colorado river? Grand Canyon

Which major river flows through Paris? The Seine

Which member of the horse family is known as an ass? The donkey

Which oceans are linked by the Panama Canal? Pacific and Atlantic

Which of the tropics lies south of the equator? Capricorn

Which part of his body did Van Gogh cut off? His ear

Which part of the United Kingdom became a separate state in 1921? Eire

Which planet lies between Jupiter and Uranus? Saturn

Which river was used for Jesus' baptism? Jordan

Which Russian ruler was known as The Terrible? Ivan

Which sea separates Europe and Africa? Mediterranean

Which soap is set in a suburb of Melbourne? Neighbours

Which Spanish word is used to address a married lady? Senora

Which spirit is flavoured with juniper berries? Gin

Which stroke is usually used in freestyle swimming? Front crawl

Which style of jazz originated in New Orleans early last century? Dixieland

Which tennis star was named after Martina Navratilova? Martina Hingis

Which town's newspaper is the Daily Slate? Bedrock

Which toy was named after Theodore Roosevelt?

Which US Civil War General became President? Ulysses S Grant

Which US National Holiday is celebrated in November? Thanksgiving

Which vegetable is the Welsh emblem? The leek

Which wartime leader was known as Il Duce? Benito Mussolini

Which was the 8th month in the Roman calendar? October

Which waterfall lies on the Zimbabwe/Zambia border? Victoria Falls

Who came up with idea of railway sleeping cars? Pullman