How We See The World

There have been a number of recent high-profile shootings More people from black communities should be stopped and searched to help tackle knife and gun crime, a leading black police representative says. Keith Jarrett, the outgoing president of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), said he would be pressing police for such an approach. His call goes against the NBPA's stance but he said: "The black community is telling me we have to... look at this." Some senior black police officers have distanced themselves from his remarks. 'Limited tool' The NBPA's legal adviser, Ch Supt Ali Dizaei, told the BBC the comments were Mr Jarrett's personal vie…

Dollar plunges to fresh euro low The US dollar fell to a new low against the euro after the latest piece of US economic data. Labour department figures showed the number of people seeking unemployment benefit had leapt by the largest amount since February. The data boosted expectations that US interest rates could be cut further before the end of the year. The euro hit a high of $1.4305 on Thursday, before settling at 1.4293 in late US trade. It broke the previous record, set on 1 October, when one euro bought $1.4282. Expectation that the US will lower borrowing costs - while intended to boost the economy - can also make the currency less attractive. T…

Yeah, this looks good. I wanna see it.

Diesel costs more than £1 a litre Average diesel prices have risen above £1 a litre to a record high as the cost of crude oil continues to forge higher. A litre of diesel, which fuels around a third of UK vehicles, now costs an average of 100.15p, according to the AA and industry researchers Catalyst. With oil prices now above $90 a barrel, experts says it is only a matter of time before petrol prices follow suit. The average price of a litre of unleaded petrol is now 97.92p, just below its record high of 98.54p. The price of oil is rising amid tension over possible military action by the Turkish army against Kurdish rebels in Iraq and as a weak dollar makes …

Ant and Dec show among ITV programmes named and shamed for duping viewers Last updated at 09:06am on 18th October 2007 Comments ITV shows including Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway are to be named and shamed for duping viewers who made up to ten million calls to ITV phone-ins. A report into the scandal will show how ITV viewers were conned out of tens of thousands of pounds by the early closing of competition phone lines and wrong winners being chosen. More follows... Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway is to be named and shamed for duping viewers Read more... BBC inflicts MORE repeats on viewers as it slashes programme making by 10…

Oil prices fall from record highs Oil prices ended lower close of trade in New York, after investors locked in earlier profits after crude oil hit record highs earlier. But analysts say the downward trend is likely to be temporary, as the factors triggering recent highs remain, notably supply fears and the lower dollar. US light sweet crude fell 87 cents to $88.60 after an earlier $90.07 record. And London Brent crude settled 81 cents lower at $83.79, after reaching an all-time high of $84.88 on Thursday. "The petroleum markets are seeing some short-term profit taking," said Citigroup analyst Tim Evans following Friday's falls. But the overall trends in re…

'Don't let Iran cause World War Three', warns George Bush Last updated at 00:05am on 18th October 2007 Comments George Bush: Stop World War Three Iran must be stopped from developing a nuclear weapon to avoid World War Three, George Bush warned yesterday. He claimed that Iran would pose a "dangerous threat to world peace" if it was allowed to continue with its nuclear ambitions and urged other leaders to take responsibility for failing to admonish the Islamic republic. The US was "disappointed" with the Iranian government and its president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but bore no resentment towards the Iranian people, he added. In a press conference at …

Organisers are hoping to use ponies instead of reindeers Reindeer have been cancelled from a major Christmas festival because of bluetongue disease restrictions. The animals have been banned from heading the festive parade in Beverley, near Hull, after the disease protection zone was extended to the East Riding. Organisers said the reindeers were used to pull Santa's sleigh through the town centre and attracted lots of children. They said they were "extremely disappointed" but were hoping to use Shetland ponies instead. Councillor John Bird said: "It is very sad, particularly for the children who absolutely love to come and see the reindeers." Highli…

DEBKAfile Exclusive: Warning letters delivered to thousands of Jewish families in Iran advise them to leave the country without delay October 17, 2007, 11:04 PM (GMT+02:00) The letters, according to DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources, have been posted to Jewish families in Tehran (where the community numbers some 13,000), Isfahan (under 2,000) and Shiraz (some 4,000). They are captioned: Danger! Danger! Danger! and tell recipients to try and reach the West with all possible speed. Iranian Jews like the rest of the population face grave danger from impending events, the anonymous writers warn. Wednesay, Oct. 17, President George W. Bush spoke of World War Three if…

For example Greece winning Euro 2004, should they have got automatic entry into Euro 2008? Italy, should they get automatic entry into South Africa 2010? Brazil, should they have gotten automatic entry into Germany 2006? The rules changed a few years ago to stop the reigning champion's getting automatic entry into the next edition of the finals, so should the rule be reversed to allow champions to join hosts as automatic entrants or should it remain the same?

Cheney, Obama 'distant cousins' (Like John Kerry & G.W Bush are - It's called Elite Interbreeding) They may be polar opposites politically but US Vice-President Dick Cheney and Democratic candidate Barack Obama are related, Mr Cheney's wife says. Lynne Cheney said she had discovered while doing family research for a new book that her husband and the Illinois senator were eighth cousins. She said she traced a common ancestor of the two men to be a 17th century immigrant from France. She described the connection as "amazing". "This is such an amazing American story that one ancestor... could be responsible down the family line for lives that have take…

...Walks upto the stage at some Apple conference and announces the new range of iPods for the coming year. If rumours are to be believed, the big story will be the 6th generation iPod video with a larger (3.5 inch) screen with touch controls, with a new iPod to fit in the gap between the 8GB Nano and the 30GB Video, with some minor changes to the Nano & Shuffle. We will find out tomorrow :)

Having a whale of a time: The little boy who goes swimming with a gentle giant By PETER SIMPSON - More by this author » Last updated at 21:42pm on 17th October 2007 Comments There is no mistaking the excitement on the four-year-old boy's face as he swims alongside a beluga whale many times his size. And the whale seems to be enjoying the company, too. The boy, named Yang Yang, will ride his playmate bareback to entertain the crowds between the sailing events at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Yang Yang, who has been swimming since he was one, was chosen to swim with the five-year-old whale by staff at Qingdao Polar Ocean World in China's eastern Sh…

Junkies offered rounds of golf to keep off drugs - and taxpayers foot the bill Last updated at 15:05pm on 15th October 2007 Comments (1) Junkies are being offered rounds of golf at the taxpayers' expense under a drugs rehabilitation programme. Drug users have been kitted out with free shoes, gloves and clubs through the Drugs Intervention Programme (DIP). Opponents have dubbed the move as "barking mad" and said the cash should be spent elsewhere. Under the scheme Hartlepool's worst drug offenders are targeted to get drug treatment and guidance from re-offending. Scroll down for more... Drug users have been kitted out with free shoes, gloves …

Trinny and Susannah reveal 12 women's body types - which are you? Last updated at 00:53am on 18th October 2007 Comments Well dressed: Susannah and Trinny show how to transform yourself It's always hard to find clothes to suit you. But now TV style gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine say they have found the formula that will enable every woman to transform herself. In their brilliant new book, The Body Shape Bible, they have identified 12 body shapes - not just the classic Pear, Apple and Hourglass - which they say are the real key to looking great. In the first part of our exclusive series we show you how to identify your shape, and t…

Retirement is old hat as more senior citizens opt for 'returnment' back to work By BETH HALE - More by this author » Last updated at 00:01am on 18th October 2007 Comments (5) For many workers the future is all about retirement. But there are growing numbers of older employees who would much rather talk 'returnment'. These are the men and women who discover that finally taking it easy after years of hard work leaves them bored and unfulfilled. The appeal of returnment has been highlighted in a report entitled Living Britain, which examines the trends affecting the country at the beginning of the 21st century. Scroll down for more... Back to wor…

Friends, dignity, self respect ... weight wasn't all I lost at my slimming club By LOWRI TURNER - More by this author » Last updated at 00:32am on 18th October 2007 Comments Slimming clubs sound such a brilliant idea: instead of a dieter sitting alone in their barren fat-free (heck, food free!) kitchen night after night with only a Rosemary Conley DVD and a calorie counter to keep them company, why not get groups of would-be weight losers together to give each other moral support? Hire a church hall, weigh them all once a week, add a friendly chat and before you can say "steamed broccoli", you'll have a room-full of happy skinnies. That's the theory and a…

Britain to make land grab for thousands of miles of Antarctic seabed By JANE MERRICK - More by this author » Last updated at 00:59am on 18th October 2007 Comments (23) Britain has joined the rush to carve up one of the world's last great wildernesses by staking a claim to a vast oil-rich area of Antarctica. The Foreign Office's move to earmark 386,000 square miles of South Atlantic seabed for British sovereignty has angered Argentina and Chile, which between them lay claim to most of the same territory. In Argentina, Britain was accused of making 'imperialist demands' as the old wounds from the 1982 Falklands conflict risked being reopened. Scroll down …

The fish that can survive for months in a tree By DAVID DERBYSHIRE - More by this author » Last updated at 22:20pm on 17th October 2007 Comments It's one of the golden rules of the natural world – birds live in trees, fish live in water. The trouble is, no one bothered to tell the mangrove killifish. Scientists have discovered that it spends several months of every year out of the water and living inside trees. Scroll down for more ... Adaptable: The killifish can alter the way it breathes Hidden away inside rotten branches and trunks, the remarkable creatures temporarily alter their biological makeup so they can breathe air. Biologist…

'Blacks Are Stupid' Comments Betray Dark Mindset Of Eugenics Geneticist says blacks inherently less intelligent than whites Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Controversy surrounding the comments of geneticist James Watson, who told a Sunday Times newspaper interviewer that black people are inherently less intelligent than whites, should come as no surprise to those who are aware of Watson's role in pushing the dark pseudo-science of eugenics. Watson told the interviewer that he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours - whereas all the testing says not really…

Britons may be forced to only drink UHT milk 'to save the planet' Last updated at 11:47am on 15th October 2007 Comments DEFRA only wants 10 per cent of milk on sale to be fresh by 2020 It's enough to make you choke on your cornflakes. Britons may be banned from drinking fresh-milk in a Government inspired effort to save the planet from global warming. Officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have put forward a proposal to switch 90 per cent of consumers onto UHT milk by 2020, to cut down on refigeration in stores. Officials have calculated that carbon emmissions can be cut by switching to UHT or Ultra-High…

Campbell quits as Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell has resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats with immediate effect. In a letter to party president Simon Hughes he said questions about his leadership were "getting in the way of further progress by the party". Mr Hughes said the party owed Sir Menzies "a huge debt of gratitude". Deputy leader Vincent Cable will take over as acting leader until a new leader is elected - a decision is expected by 17 December. The official announcement was made by Mr Cable and Mr Hughes, who said Sir Menzies had taken the decision in the "interests of the party and of Liberal Democracy". In his letter, Sir Menzie…

Council spent £5,000 on new toilet for the Queen - which she didn't even use Last updated at 17:57pm on 16th October 2007 Comments Royal wee: Queen Elizabeth A council has been caught short of cash after spending £5,000 on a toilet for the Queen - which she didn't even use. Officials were left staggered when they totted up the cost of Her Majesty's visit to their town and realised it had cost them an astonishing £20,000 an hour. Royal officials told trip organisers Her Majesty would not use an old toilet and insisted a new one be installed in the town hall before her visit - in case she needed a "royal wee". But the brand new toilet remained unuse…

A speed camera on every corner to enforce new 20mph limit By RAY MASSEY - More by this author » Last updated at 08:07am on 16th October 2007 Comments (20) Speed blitz: Limits could be reduced to 20mph in urban areas Hundreds of speed cameras should be put up to enforce a reduced urban limit of 20mph, says an influential road safety group. It also calls for a blitz on motorists more likely to cause accidents - such as fat drivers who are prone to dozing off and elderly drivers who may no longer be safe behind the wheel. The report from the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety - which advises MPs and the Government - says local au…

Man fined £75 for dumping his rubbish - in a litter bin Last updated at 00:46am on 16th October 2007 Comments Ludicrous: £75 fine for dumping his rubbish - in a litter bin With ten days to go until his next fortnightly rubbish collection, John Richards wanted to avoid a stink in his kitchen. So he neatly packaged his food scraps in a carrier bag and deposited it in a public bin. A few days later a letter arrived announcing he had been fined £75 - for misusing' the bin by putting domestic refuse in it. Council snoopers traced him after rummaging through the bag's contents, in which they found an envelope addressed to him. Yesterday 84-y…