How We See The World

Henman set to confirm retirement Henman will soon be out of the world top 100 Tim Henman is expected to confirm he is calling time on his career at a news conference in New York on Thursday. Britain's Davis Cup tie against Croatia from 21-23 September is set to be the 32-year-old's final competitive outing. The British number two and former world number four is currently preparing for the US Open, which begins next week. Henman, whose wife is expecting their third child, has won just three matches on …

Scientists uncover truth behind 'pink for a girl, blue for a boy' By FIONA MACRAE - More by this author » Last updated at 17:43pm on 20th August 2007 Comments It will come as no surprise to any parent who has given into their daughter's demands to paint her bedroom her favourite colour. Scientists have shown girls prefer pink. In research that gives substance to the saying "Pink for a girl and blue for a boy", psychologists found that women favour pinks and purples, while men are happiest surrounded by shades of blue. It is thought the difference has its roots in evolution and the activities of our hunter-gatherer forbearers. Scroll down for more...…

Katie blames Tom Cruise's snoring for sleeping in separate bedrooms Last updated at 16:31pm on 24th August 2007 Comments (4) It's an age old problem, and many a wife has suffered because of it - but not Katie Holmes. Tom Cruise and wife Katie Holmes are reported to sleep in separate bedrooms, so she doesn't have to suffer his snoring. A source told US magazine, Star: "It's a situation that works for both of them". Scroll down for more... Tom Cruise and wife Katie Holmes are reported to sleep in separate bedrooms, so she doesn't have to suffer his snoring "In fact, they even joke about having separate bedrooms to their friends – Katie say…

Paxman attacks TV bosses over loss of 'soul in television' Last updated at 10:50am on 24th August 2007 Comments (9) Lecture: Jeremy Paxman A series of scandals over rigged phone-in contests and manipulated documentary footage has sparked a crisis of public trust in television, two high-profile BBC figures have warned. Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman will warn of a "catastrophic loss of nerve" in the industry in tonight's flagship MacTaggart lecture. Paxman is expected to demand a statement of "greater purpose, or moral drive" from television executives. A source close to Paxman said: "Jeremy feels there has been a fairly catastrophic lo…

Crash test fatties: dummies getting larger to match expanding waistlines As we get bigger, a 16 stone dummy takes the wheel By NEIL SEARS - More by this author » Last updated at 00:53am on 23rd August 2007 Comments Crash test dummies are getting fatter as our waistlines expand. The models, which are used to assess car safety standards, have remained largely unchanged since the 1950s. Then, the standard dummy was created to resemble the average 12st 4lb American male. But to make the crash risks more realistic, the independent body which tests most European cars is also planning to use a dummy weighing just under 16st, which stands at almost 6ft …

Some of you probably use it already or just new to it like me who just heard of it from my sister. Anyway, thought it was something some might find interesting. The only real downsite is it doesn't have the usual pic or video search tabs, but you can still use it for everything else. http://www.blackle.com

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3762264.stm :stunned:

£40m waste of the 'Mickey Mouse' degrees By STEVE DOUGHTY - More by this author » Last updated at 20:44pm on 20th August 2007 Comments (6) "Mickey Mouse" university degrees are costing taxpayers more than £40million a year, a report said yesterday. Researchers found more than 400 lightweight courses on offer at 91 different educational institutions. In each case, the subject matter was judged intellectually threadbare and inferior to on-the-job training. Scroll down for more ... Graduates - but are their degrees of any real use? (Posed by models) Ministers had promised that soft courses would be driven out of universities. But the rep…

Big Brother's Jade Goody banned from driving for six months Last updated at 08:58am on 5th July 2007 Comments (3) Reality television star Jade Goody was today given a six-month driving ban after admitting to a series of motoring offences. The 26-year-old, of Chipping Ongar, Essex, appeared at Basildon Magistrates Court today where she admitted driving her £40,000 BMW car with a provisional driving licence on November 3 on the M1 motorway at Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. Scroll down for more Banned: Jade Goody received a six-month driving ban after she admitted to a series of motoring offences including driving her BMW on a provisional licenc…

Families are getting on their bikes to escape on holiday Last updated at 22:00pm on 21st August 2007 Comments 450,000 Britons took to the saddle for a break in 2006 Britons are getting on their bike at holiday time, spending £120million on cycling breaks in the past year. Some tour operators have reported a 30 per cent rise in bookings for cycle holidays since 2005. Last year, 450,000 Britons took to the saddle for a break. A further 2.25million holidaymakers hired a bike to spend the day sightseeing. Experts put the rise down to an increased awareness of health and fitness issues and the growing popularity of events such as the …

Boy, 12, charged with assault after throwing cocktail sausage in 'Just William' prank Last updated at 16:59pm on 22nd August 2007 A 12-year-old boy has been brought before the courts for throwing a cocktail sausage at a neighbour District Judge Tim Devas compared the incident to a story from boys' adventure book Just William. The case has been brought before Manchester City Magistrate's Court A boy of 12 has been hauled before a court and charged with assault - after throwing a sausage at an elderly neighbour. The boy, who cannot be named, was accused of throwing the cocktail sausage at his neighbour, hitting him on the shoulder. When …

Why fatties say everyone's to blame but themselves By DANIEL MARTIN - More by this author » Last updated at 09:01am on 22nd August 2007 Comments (2) We blame everything but ourselves for tucking into fatty meals and putting on weight Being unhappy. Being happy. Friends who eat like a horse and never put on weight. Childhood admonishments to think of the starving in Africa. These are some of the reasons the overweight give to explain their size because they are too ashamed to admit they simply eat too much, according to a study. Researchers found there is such a stigma attached to being overweight that over-eaters are desperate to find something -…

Women have evolutionary gene which makes them born to shop, experts say Last updated at 12:23pm on 22nd August 2007 Female talent for finding the household goods is in their evolutionary genes, experts say With their talent for sniffing out a bargain and elbowing a safe path through the sales, women have long suspected they were born to shop. Now scientists have proved them right. Women are apparently much better than men at finding their way around stores and locating products. They excel at remembering the location of fruit, vegetables and high-calorie treats. The researchers say the phenomenon has its roots deep in evolution, i…

Homer makes it into the Oxford D'oh-ctionary with his quotable quips By BETH HALE - More by this author » Last updated at 22:00pm on 21st August 2007 Comments Homer's words of wisdom in the Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations: 'Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is never try.' Until now, he's probably been best-known for one memorably straight-to-the-point quote - "D'oh!" But today, we can hail Homer Simpson as he takes his place in the pantheon of the world's greatest word-weavers. For the loveable slob from Springfield has secured himself not one, but two listings in the latest edition of the Oxford Diction…

iPod generation struggling to read and write By LAURA CLARK - More by this author » Last updated at 22:11pm on 19th August 2007 Comments CBI director-general Richard Lambert says 52 per cent of bosses think youngsters struggle to communicate School-leavers are experts in using iPods and the Internet but often cannot add up or follow basic instructions, business leaders have claimed. They said literacy and numeracy standards are so low that some young recruits need remedial lessons. The warning from the Confederation of British Industry casts a shadow over the release on Thursday of what are expected to be record GCSE results. A survey …

After 'shark' watch now Cornwall is on alert for deadly Man O' War By JAYA NARAIN - More by this author » Last updated at 17:49pm on 21st August 2007 Comments The deadly Portuguese Man O' War was washed up on Porthmeor beach in St Ives Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water comes another threat to keep you out of the briney. Instead of fabled sharks, swimmers and surfers have been warned to look out for killer jellyfish this weekend. The warning comes after a Portuguese Man O' War was washed up on the shores of one of the most popular beaches in the UK. It can deliver a sting from it long tentacles which can be fatal t…

Rugby player paralysed for life after 'tombstoning' stunt goes wrong By CHRIS BROOKE - More by this author » Last updated at 15:52pm on 21st August 2007 Comments (1) Tragic: Darren Fletcher has been left paralysed after stunt went wrong A 25-year-old rugby player has been paralysed for life after he injured himself while impersonating Baywatch star David Hasselhoff during a drink-fuelled beach game. Superfit Darren Fletcher broke his neck when he sprinted down to the water's edge and dived dramatically into the sea, not realising how shallow it was. His friends had been "tombstoning" off a harbour wall just feet away. While they pretended to be "drownin…

Parents demand cartoon heroes banned from junk food ads By SEAN POULTER - More by this author » Last updated at 09:49am on 21st August 2007 Comments (3) Parents want junk food firms to be banned from using cartoon heroes to promote products which are high in fat, sugar and salt. Research has highlighted popular brands using characters from The Simpsons, Bratz, Shrek and Spider-Man as among the worst culprits. The consumer group Which? found the vast majority of parents support a ban and has called on the Government to act. Scroll down for more... A spokesman said: "Cartoons are seen as a surefire way to attract children. "Our research s…

Mind your language: the fascinating secrets of our native tongue Last updated at 23:38pm on 20th August 2007 Comments Do you remember learning your ABCs? As children we are taught to recite the alphabet forwards, backwards and inside out. Twenty-six letters which can be arranged in upwards of half a million combinations, many seemingly random, to form the basis of the English language. A billion people speak English worldwide, making it the third-largest language, behind Chinese and Spanish. But how well do we understand its idiosyncrasies? For example, can you name a word that contains only consonants? Do you know where the word potato originated? A…

Sat-nav uniforms will help keep track of school truants By LAURA CLARK - More by this author » Last updated at 00:27am on 21st August 2007 Comments School uniforms could be fitted with a satellite tracking system School uniforms could be fitted with a satellite tracking system to allow parents and teachers to keep tabs on children, it has emerged. A major supplier is planning a range of uniforms equipped with a global positioning device to ensure pupils turn up safely to lessons. It is investigating how to stitch tags into items of clothing such as blazers, ties or the waistbands of trousers. Parents would log into a secure website to follo…

Boris Becker gets frisky with his doppelganger girlfriend Last updated at 17:47pm on 20th August 2007 Comments He has a reputation for his lookalike lovers - and former tennis ace Boris Becker enjoyed a beachside frolic with the latest in a long line of women who share more than a passing resemblance to his ex-wife. Father-of-three Boris and model girlfriend Sharley Kersenberg continue their holidays in Ibiza, after stopping off in St Tropez. Scroll down for more... Doppelganger: Boris Becker with girlfriend Sharlely Kersenberg Up close and personal: The couple get affectionate on the beach in Ibiza She bears a striking resemblanc…

The real designer babies: As more top labels launch children's ranges, is it much too young? By DAVID HAYES - More by this author » Last updated at 23:39pm on 19th August 2007 Comments (5) Already fretting over which V-neck sweaters to splash out on in Matalan as the back-toschool frenzy starts to build? Then spare a thought for anyone caught up in the sartorial one-upmanship at the gates of some of Britain's most sought-after schools next term. The uniform may be standard issue but what label hat, shoes and coat will your little darling be hanging on her cloakroom peg this season? Something from the gorgeous new just-in-store Chloe Bebe range perha…

As girls get richer and richer, make way for the new PINK pound By EILIDH MacASKILL - More by this author » Last updated at 17:47pm on 20th August 2007 Comments (2) The future for women is pink - as endorsed by Barbie (above) Though it may sound more like a scene from the film Legally Blonde, picture an airline of pink planes, travelling between the world's top shopping venues offering manicures and pink champagne pre-take off. No doubt the in-flight movies would be pure chick flick and the average customer would resemble Big Brother twins Sam and Amanda. Oh, and men are not allowed. This Utopian dream (for some) is the brainchild of 24-year-old e…

Britain invaded by deadly disease-carrying Tiger mosquito By LUKE SALKELD - More by this author » Last updated at 18:23pm on 20th August 2007 Comments A voracious mosquito which carries a host of deadly diseases has entered Britain. Two Asian tiger mosquitoes, which can transmit up to 23 infections - including West Nile virus and dengue fever - were found in a suburban back garden. Illnesses passed on when the aggressive insect bites humans include a parasitic worm which attaches itself to one of the lung's arteries, causing serious breathing complications. Scroll down for more Britain has been invaded by the Asian tiger mosquito which carries p…

Is fat catching? Scientists discover the cold virus that makes you obese By FIONA MACRAE - More by this author » Last updated at 18:07pm on 20th August 2007 Comments (10) Forget crash diets and expensive gym memberships, the key to keeping trim could be simple as washing your hands. Scientists have shown that obesity may be caused by a virus that causes colds and sore throats - and is spread through dirty hands. The research - which supports other studies linking the extremely common adenovirus to weight gain - could hasten the development of an anti-obesity vaccine. Scroll down for more... Obesity could be due to more than just over-eating - the …