How We See The World

Government plans to turn school into the new mum and dad with police and social workers in the classroom By LAURA CLARK - More by this author » Last updated at 10:43am on 12th December 2007 Comments (50) A vision of schools where teachers work side by side with police, social workers and nurses was revealed yesterday. Education Secretary Ed Balls unveiled an extraordinarily-detailed ten-year blueprint spelling out policies affecting virtually every single area of children's lives including sexual health and youth justice. He vowed to widen the free nursery places scheme to thousands of two-year-olds, and pledged to "make this country the best place in th…

The rise of the suburban high: Gangs are setting up cannabis farms in prosperous neighbourhoods By WINIFRED ROBINSON - More by this author » Last updated at 00:33am on 16th December 2007 Comments The view over the detached houses off Nottingham Road on the outskirts of the Derbyshire town of Ripley takes in mature, well kept gardens with their brimming shrubberies and rows of clipped holly and fir. Lying close to a golf course, these houses date from the Thirties and have been home to generations of stable, affluent families who have invested money and effort into preserving them, planning and tending the landscaped gardens, putting up ornamental shutters …

A football club had to call air traffic control after a promotional inflatable blimp was cut free. Burnley Football Club flew the airship, bearing the club logo, above the Turf Moor ground ahead of their Queens Park Rangers clash on Tuesday. But within 90 minutes, someone scaled a wall and cut through the reinforced steel tether to free the blimp. Police were called and a reward has been offered for its return, but there have been no confirmed sightings. A club spokesman said: "We called air traffic control because quite often these blimps get spotted by pilots first, but there has been no news so we are really still waiting. "It was flying on a 200f…

Parky's last show after 26 years is a two-hour celebrity marathon Last updated at 20:09pm on 15th December 2007 Comments Michael Parkinson ends his 26-year chat show career tonight with a two-hour programme featuring a host of celebrities. Billy Connolly kicks off the finale by begging Parky: "Don't go, don't go," then adding mischievously, "it's the only TV I get. Nobody else will have me." Scroll down for more ... Hat's it: Parky on his last show Parkinson, 72, wears a party hat for the show and says interviewing 2,000 people has been a "great joy". At the end of the show, to be screened at 9pm on ITV1, he says: "Thanks to all of my guest…

Chelsea stars step out in bizarre outfits at club's Christmas fancy dress party Last updated at 09:09am on 14th December 2007 Comments (7) It seems the romance is back on for Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard and his fiancée Elen Rives at the football club's Christmas party. The England star and his Spanish lover came dressed as King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to the seasonal bash at Stamford Bridge Stadium. Scroll down for more... Is Lampard's romance enjoying a renaissance? Your carriage awaits Ma'am: Elen Rives Rives - mother of Lampard's two children Luna, two; and Isla, seven months - couldn't take her eyes of her millionaire man…

A million women drink DOUBLE Government alcohol guidelines Last updated at 15:31pm on 13th December 2007 Comments Almost one million women are drinking double the recommended amount of alcohol Britain's alcohol crisis is up to three times worse than the Government has suggested, it emerged today. Almost one million women are drinking double the recommended amount and nearly one in 10 men consumes 50 units a week. The new figures from the Office for National Statistics - which updates information contained in the official General Household Survey for 2005 - provide the first accurate picture of middle-class dependence on alcohol. For the fi…

The hi-tech football that tells referees when it has crossed the line By NIALL FIRTH - More by this author » Last updated at 16:15pm on 13th December 2007 Comments It's the technology that could be the final word on arguments between football supporters and could end constant griping by managers over disputed goals. Hi-tech footballs fitted with special chips that tell officials whether a ball has crossed the line could soon be a regular feature at Premiership football matches after they were successfully trialled in a match in Japan. Tests during a recent tournament show the system is working and officials must now decide whether to approve the technology…

'Back from the dead' canoeist tells police: 'It's all coming back to me now' Last updated at 15:32pm on 7th December 2007 Comments (24) John Darwin faced a court today as police revealed he is finally beginning to remember the last five years of his life. He was photographed after a hearing at Hartlepool magistrates' court where Cleveland police were granted a further 36 hours to detain and question him. Detective Inspector Andy Greenwood said after the brief hearing: "John Darwin is presently being interviewed. He is putting forward some sort of account." He said Mr Darwin was "calm and relaxed" in court. Scroll down for more ... John Darwin ar…

More than half of all British babies 'are born out of marriage' Last updated at 13:34pm on 13th December 2007 Comments More babies will be born outside of marriage for the first time this year since records began More than half the babies born to British mothers this year will have been born out of marriage, shocking new figures have revealed. The statistics are a result of the fact that marriage among Britons has slumped to its lowest levels since records began, according to new figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The figures show a steady decline in the number of Britons begin married since the 19070s when fewer than …

Cloned cats glow red in the dark Last updated at 14:46pm on 12th December 2007 Comments (4) Cat's eyes are no longer the only things about them that glow in the dark, after scientists cloned a fluorescent feline. South Korean Kong Il-Keun's team cloned cats after modifying a gene to change their skin colour. Scroll down for more... One of the cats glows red under the ultraviolet light The two Turkish Angora cats now glow red when exposed to ultraviolet light. The scientists believe the process could be used to develop treatments for human genetic diseases and could help reproduce rare animals. To clone the cats, Kong's team used skin cells …

Man's best friend: The reindeer that loves the pub and swaps his sleigh for the train Last updated at 21:51pm on 12th December 2007 Comments At first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking Rudolph had arrived a little early this year. But maybe the absence of the red nose - and a certain jolly white-bearded gentleman - should be a clue. For this reindeer hails not from Santa's home at the North Pole but from the somewhat less Christmassy surrounds of Enfield, North London. Five-year-old Dobbey has been raised from birth by 65-year- old Gordon Elliott, a builder who has spent 15 years rearing an array of animals. "Dobbey is just one of seven …

McDonald's drive-through customers face £125 fine for taking too long to eat Last updated at 09:43am on 11th December 2007 Comments (18) Customers of fast food chain McDonald's are used to getting their food served up in minutes. Now, however, the firm appears to be expecting them to eat and digest it almost just as fast. Motorists are being given a 45-minute limit to finish their food in some drive-throughs before they have to leave the car park - or face a £125 fine. Scroll down for more... Fined: Hungry drivers are having to pay £125 if they take too long to eat their meal Failure to pay results in the fine swiftly escalating, followed …

Blair makes cameo in bizarre Bush holiday video - starring Barney the White House dog Last updated at 13:25pm on 13th December 2007 Comments (4) Political commentators thought the Bush and Blair show had died when Tony Blair stepped down as British prime minister earlier this year. But you can't keep a good friendship down, and now the new Middle East envoy has made a cameo appearance in the U.S. president's bizarre annual Christmas "comedy" video - starring Barney the White House dog Read more... See Tony Blair make his cameo in the Bush holiday video here There he is!: Former PM Tony Blair makes a cameo appearance in the video, telling Barne…

The end of the tin can as Sainsbury's pioneer non-metal 'green' alternative By SEAN POULTER - More by this author » Last updated at 21:39pm on 9th December 2007 Comments (1) On the way out? The £1.7million industry is under threat A supermarket is to replace some of its tin cans with cardboard cartons in a green-friendly initiative. The packs, which are made from wood pulp, will help reduce Sainsbury's carbon emissions by cutting down on transport costs. They are two-thirds lighter than metal canisters and more can be loaded on to a single lorry because they are rectangular rather than round. Manufactured by Tetra Pak, the cartons will initially be …

so. i've downloaded a film and i wanna watch it but i "don't have the license" to do so. so how can i watch the film without getting that license? :uhoh:

Trout leap to freedom in incredible escape from pond through eight-inch pipe By NICK McDERMOTT - More by this author » Last updated at 15:01pm on 12th December 2007 Comments (14) Down on the fish farm, workers could not understand why the number of brown trout had suddenly taken a dive. But close observation revealed the reason - an aquatic version of the Great Escape. The resourceful fish are leaping 3ft out of the water and into an eight-inch pipe which brings fresh water into the farm near Alresford, Hampshire. Following their instincts the trout, cousins of the Atlantic salmon, then swim against the flow for 30ft before finding freedom at the …

'This is a big one': US Midwest reels from ice storm that killed 24 Last updated at 10:57am on 12th December 2007 Comments (1) Patriotic: Even the Stars and Stripes were immobilised by the ice Much of America's centre was in the icy grip of a deep freeze today that has been blamed for the deaths of at least 18 people and left more than 600,000 homes and businesses without power. Trees snapped, flights were canceled and roads closed as the National Weather Service posted ice and winter storm warnings today for parts of the five states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois. The waves of frozen rain left at least 18 dead in Oklahoma and Mis…

World told to act now on climate change as 'Arctic is screaming' Last updated at 14:16pm on 12th December 2007 Comments (5) The United Nations secretary-general today urged the world to agree a sweeping new treaty to tackle climate change. Ban Ki-moon urged developed countries to take the lead and said developing nations needed to be given incentives to curb emissions. He added: "Together, we can spur a new era of green economics, an era of truly sustainable development based on clean technology and a low-emission economy." Scroll down for more ... Moral challenge: Ban Ki-moon speaks during the conference yesterday Party for the planet: …

Taxpayer-funded £4.2m 'Radio Brussels' to send EU propaganda across the continent Last updated at 13:09pm on 12th December 2007 Comments (14) The European commission is so set up its own radio station for distributing EU propaganda. Dubbed "Radio Brussels", the station will be financed by the European taxpayer and will broadcast to up to 20million listeners from next year. It official remit is to "encourage the development of a European public area" with programmes including news show "Europe in perspective" and culture show "Europe Live". It will be subsidized to the tune of £4.2 million per year or of £11,500 a day, and will broadcast original content…

The birth of the blues - study claims children make you miserable By GWYNETH REES - More by this author » Last updated at 14:23pm on 12th December 2007 Comments Mothers with children between the ages of three and five were found to be less satisfied with life The patter of tiny feet has long been thought of as the key to happiness. But according to a study, having children makes men less satisfied with their life, while women only enjoy motherhood once their offspring are old enough to be packed off to school. Between the ages of three and five, children were found to make mothers less satisfied with life, while being the father of a child u…

Girls 'would rather look pretty than have brains' By GWYNETH REES - More by this author » Last updated at 09:27am on 10th December 2007 Comments In years past, education and equality were highly valued by women. But today, it seems, all teenage girls want is to look pretty. Celebrities such as Paris Hilton are brainwashing young women into believing good looks, promiscuity and a lavish lifestyle are synonymous with success, claims a leading female academic. American lawyer and analyst Carol Platt Liebau claims there is 'scant' recognition or respect for women's achievements unless they revolve around sex. Scroll down for more... A leading academic…

Is Lembit Opik set to make his Cheeky Girl a bride? By JULIE MOULT - More by this author » Last updated at 00:04am on 12th December 2007 Comments Only three days ago his former fiancee announced her surprise engagement. Now it seems Lembit Opik also has marriage in mind. Friends believe the LibDem MP, 42, is ready to propose to his 25-year-old girlfriend, Cheeky Girl singer Gabriela Irimia. On Sunday his ex-fiancee, ITV weather girl Sian Lloyd, revealed she was engaged to motor racing entrepreneur Jonathan Ashman, 59, after a ten-month romance. Scroll down for more... Ready for Christmas: Do Lembit Opik and Gabriela Irimia have marriage in mind f…

Facehooked: British women are Europe's keenest users of social networking sites By PAUL REVOIR - More by this author » Last updated at 08:58am on 12th December 2007 Comments The site allows people to share pictures and information British women are hooked on social networking sites like Facebook, spending more time on them than any of their European counterparts, new research has revealed. The craze amongst females - which also encompasses similar websites MySpace and Bebo - means four in 10 UK adults are now visiting this type of site, putting us well above our European neighbours. In addition, site users spend an average 5.3 hours a month on them.…

Street gear: Goggle jackets hide the face completely, leaving two plastic discs to see through Anyone who feels intimidated by youths wearing hoodies should probably look away now - it's the goggle jacket. The latest incarnation of the hooded top, called a goggle jacket, appears to have more in common with a gas mask than designer wear, leaving just small plastic discs for users to see through. Basic goggle jackets cost £70, although others have been sold by Armani and Stone Island for up to £600. Marc Chapman, store boss at Arrival menswear in South Shields, Tyneside, said he was struggling to cope with demand for the new hoodies. 'They're fantastic, c…

Pupils to be able to book their own holidays in radical new school plans By SARAH HARRIS AND LAURA CLARK - More by this author » Last updated at 15:22pm on 10th December 2007 Comments (1) Pupils will be treated like employees and able to book their own holidays at a new breed of school being backed by the Government. The traditional school day, fixed holidays and school uniforms will be scrapped in an attempt to give students a realistic introduction to the world of business. Instead, youngsters will be expected to work overtime when deadlines loom and encouraged to apply for time off as if they have real jobs in a workplace. Scroll down for more... …