tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-369766122024-03-07T19:18:22.720+01:00I got an ideaI got this idea some time ago, for a web site. But these projects need patience and other favourable factors. The blog is clearly student-oriented. Stories from English-language media will give the students opportunities to read extensively about the topics dealt with at school.
Sir Winston Churchill once said "I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught."
Here, I hope, students will be able to teach themselves.Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-23485534348549748172007-02-04T22:20:00.000+00:002007-02-04T22:26:03.158+00:00Did you know some bears like beer?<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39974000/jpg/_39974458_blackbear203ap.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39974000/jpg/_39974458_blackbear203ap.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><strong>A black bear went on a binge at a campsite in the US state of Washington - <span style="color:#000000;">80 miles (129km) northeast of Seattle </span>- guzzling down some 36 cans of beer. </strong></span><br /><br />Campground workers were <strong>stunned</strong> to <strong>come across</strong> the bear <strong>sleeping off the effects in</strong> their grounds, <strong>surrounded by dozens of empty beer cans</strong>.<br /><br />He had apparently <strong>tried out</strong> and rejected the mass-market <strong><span style="color:#660000;">Busch</span> </strong>beer in favour of local brand <strong><span style="color:#660000;">Rainier</span></strong>.<br />The bear appeared to have got into campers' cool boxes and used his teeth and claws to puncture the cans.<br /><br />Fish and wildlife enforcement Sgt Bill Heinck said the bear tried one can of Busch and ignored the rest - then got stuck into three dozen cans of Rainier.<br /><br />"We noticed a bear sleeping on the common lawn and <strong>wondered what was going on</strong> until we discovered that there were a lot of beer cans lying around," camp worker Lisa Broxson was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.<br /><br />She said the bear was chased away by wildlife agents, but returned the next day.<br /><strong>The agents decided to trap the bear with doughnuts, honey and, of course, two cans of Rainier beer. It did the trick and he was captured.<br /></strong>"This is a new one on me," Sgt Heinck said in an Associated Press report. "I've known them to get into cans, but nothing like this. <strong>And it definitely had a preference</strong>."<br /><br /><br />Read the whole BBC story <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3580626.stm">here</a>.Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-7219862990932855272007-02-02T13:37:00.000+00:002007-02-02T13:42:18.126+00:00The Festival in the Desert<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42514000/jpg/_42514527_pd_camel6666.jpg"><span style="color:#000099;"><strong><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 92px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 66px" height="138" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42514000/jpg/_42514527_pd_camel6666.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><span style="color:#000099;"><strong> The BBC offers you a wonderful audio slideshow about the Festival in the Desert: music, voice and great photos.</strong></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The Festival in the Desert, in Essakane, northern Mali, has become an increasingly prestigious event. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Thousands of international visitors travel for days to join local tribes people and artists among the dunes of the Sahara, in celebration of the music and culture of Mali and beyond. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Hear and see it <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6310685.stm">here</a>. Superb! </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Why are we destroying this wonderful planet? </span>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-26982324035104952582007-02-01T19:32:00.000+00:002007-02-01T19:37:19.613+00:00PARALLEL LIVES<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42517000/jpg/_42517959_composite2.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 478px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 102px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="92" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42517000/jpg/_42517959_composite2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>The BBC has published three very interesting texts about migrants in the UK.</div><div></div><div>Read them <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/6317165.stm">here</a>.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The children of migrants in three of Britain's long established ethnic communities recount the experiences of their parents and describe the difficulties of growing up in a closed society. </div><br /><div><br />Read their stories and then use the form at the bottom of the page to send your comments.<br /></div><br /><div>Chinese in Belfast: Wai Kuen Mo<br /><a class="bodl" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/6299043.stm">Most of the Chinese in the UK who are over 60 years old don't speak English, like my mother</a><br />Somali in Cardiff: Hussain Noor<br /><a class="bodl" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/6316995.stm">In order to avoid verbal abuse and hassle in the streets, my mother wouldn't leave the house, unless she really had to</a><br />Turkish in London: Mehmet Dikenli<br /><a class="bodl" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/6306329.stm">The Turkish community in London is full of hard-working people but they have suffered from not really integrating</a> </div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-56427666721154310622007-01-31T22:20:00.000+00:002007-01-31T22:24:00.945+00:00Liberia gets all-female peacekeeping force<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42516000/jpg/_42516369_liberia.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42516000/jpg/_42516369_liberia.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>A unit of United Nations peacekeepers</strong> with a difference has arrived for work in Liberia - they are all women. More than 100 female peacekeepers from India are there to work as an armed police unit <strong>to help stabilise Liberia which, after years of war, is trying to rebuild its own police force from scratch.</strong><br /></div><br /><div>Stepping off the chartered plane <strong>in immaculate blue uniforms and berets</strong>, the 103 women were immediately on parade and probably bewildered <strong>by the media frenzy</strong>. It is just a coincidence that the first all-female peacekeeping force is in Liberia, <strong>the first African country to elect a female president,</strong> Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.<br /><br /><strong>Crime is high</strong> especially in Monrovia and the war has left a degree of violence simmering just below the surface.<br /><br />But having served in turbulent areas, including parts of northern India, the commander Seema Dhundiya says they are well prepared. </div><div><br />"These girls are experienced and have been trained. They have worked in areas of India where there was <strong>insurgency</strong>. <strong>They will do a good job</strong> and the Liberian ladies will get <strong>motivated and inspired</strong> to come forward and join the regular police." </div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-2000924517470157812007-01-31T22:13:00.000+00:002007-01-31T22:16:54.105+00:00Excellence, excellence, excellenece<div align="justify">Non-learners 'may lose benefits'<br /><br />The Chancellor, Gordon Brown, has said <strong>he would seek to take away benefits</strong> from young people <strong>who refused to take up education</strong> or training opportunities. In a BBC interview he <strong>advocated a "carrot and stick" approach</strong> - education maintenance allowances balanced by "compulsion if necessary".<br /></div><div align="justify"><strong>He wanted to ensure</strong> all aged 16 to 18 were in some form of education, <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>as part of a drive to improve the UK's skills. </strong></span>His priorities would be "excellence, excellence, excellence", he said. </div><div align="justify"><br />Earlier this month, the Department for Education and Skills confirmed <strong>plans to raise</strong> the <strong>school leaving age</strong> in England, in effect, by 2013.<br /></div><div align="justify">Statistics indicate 267,000 of those aged 16 and 17 are not in education or training. </div><div align="justify"><br />Mr Brown said <strong>young people must realise they could not receive benefits unless they were "contributing to their own training".</strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>He also called for employers to take a more active role in training young people. </strong></span></div><div align="justify">Read the whole text: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6314491.stm">BBC NEWS</a>.</div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-77000590221459381762007-01-31T22:05:00.000+00:002007-01-31T22:10:25.124+00:00UK sees second warmest January<div align="justify"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">This January is on course to be the second warmest in the UK since records began and the fifth warmest in central England for 350 years.</span></strong> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">The average UK temperature so far for the month - <strong>which experts say is unlikely to change</strong> - is 5.9C (43F). The average Central England Temperature (CET), which has been measured <strong>since 1658</strong>, is 7.1C (45F). The Met Office began recording UK weather in 1914, with the warmest January since that time coming in 1916. </div><div align="justify"><br />During that record month, the average temperature was 6.3C (43F).<br />The Met Office said temperatures had been pushed up by winds blowing warm air in from the west. </div><div align="justify"><br />This month's average is 2.5C above the Met Office's long-term January average, measured between 1971 and 2000.<br /><strong>This January has also seen 17% more sunshine and 21% more rain than normal. </strong></div><div align="justify">Read the BBC story <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6318231.stm">here</a>.</div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-71450767490022707032007-01-16T19:24:00.000+00:002007-01-16T19:29:38.520+00:00<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42456000/jpg/_42456083_icestorm_sathish_416.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 284px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 174px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="144" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42456000/jpg/_42456083_icestorm_sathish_416.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42456000/jpg/_42456135_icestorm_bryanmackenzie2_.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 270px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 174px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="144" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42456000/jpg/_42456135_icestorm_bryanmackenzie2_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42456000/jpg/_42456077_icestorm_heyesten_416.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 348px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 224px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="144" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42456000/jpg/_42456077_icestorm_heyesten_416.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Ice storms in the USA have given people wonderful chances for extraordinary pictures.</div><div>See more BBC photos <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6267273.stm">here</a>.<br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-55043377904228099572007-01-15T22:10:00.000+00:002007-01-15T22:13:48.684+00:00Can chewing gum be used to tackle obesity?<span style="color:#000066;">Scientists are looking at whether <strong>an appetite-suppressing chewing gum</strong> could be used to tackle obesity. The Imperial College London team are <strong>developing a drug based</strong> on a natural gut hormone that mimics the body's "feeling full" response. An injectible treatment could be <strong>available in five to eight years</strong>, </span><span style="color:#000066;"><strong>but the long-term goal is to produce a form that can be absorbed in the mouth.<br /><br />One in five adults are obese, but that could rise to one in three by 2010.</strong> </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000066;">The hormone in question is called pancreatic polypeptide (PP), which the body produces after every meal to ensure eating does not run out of control. <strong>There is evidence that some people have more of the hormone than others</strong>, and becoming overweight reduces the levels produced. <strong>A vicious circle then results</strong>, causing appetite to increase, an inability to resist the temptation of food, and further increases in weight.<br /><br />Early tests have shown moderate doses of the hormone, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), can reduce the amount of food eaten by healthy volunteers by 15% to 20%.<br /><br />The team have now been given funding of £2.2m from the Wellcome Trust <strong>to take it forward</strong>. As well as chewing gum, they believe it could be incorporated in a nasal spray.<br /><br />Lead researcher Professor Steve Bloom said: "We have got a problem and we don't know what to do about it.<br />"We hit on the idea of a chewing gum because obese people like chewing."</span><br />BBC story - Read more <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6262347.stm">here</a>.Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-82138134491940394772007-01-11T20:08:00.000+00:002007-01-11T20:13:02.877+00:00Jaywalking and crossing roads in the UK and USA<div align="justify"><a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42437000/jpg/_42437679_arrest203ap.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42437000/jpg/_42437679_arrest203ap.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div align="justify">Distinguished historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, visiting professor of global environmental history at Queen Mary College, University of London, <strong>tried to cross the road while in Atlanta</strong> for the conference of the American Historical Association, <strong>only to find himself in handcuffs</strong> and surrounded by armed police.<br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">"I come from a country where <strong>you can cross the road where you like</strong>," said the visiting professor of global environmental history at Queen Mary College, University of London. "<strong>It hadn't occurred to me</strong> that I wasn't allowed to cross the road between the two main conference venues."<br /></span><br />The bespectacled professor says <strong>he didn't realise</strong> the "rather intrusive young man" shouting that he shouldn't cross there was a policeman. <strong>"I thanked him for his advice and went on."<br /></strong><br /><strong>The officer asked for identification. The professor asked for his, after which Officer Leonpacher told him he was under arrest and, the professor claims, kicked his legs from under him, pinned him to the ground and confiscated his box of peppermints.<br /></strong><br />Professor Fernandez-Armesto then <strong>spent eight hours in the cells</strong> <strong>before the charges were dropped</strong>. He told the Times that his colleagues now regard him as "as a combination of Rambo, because it took five cops to pin me to the ground, and Perry Mason, because my eloquence before a judge obtained my immediate release".<br /><br />Not every <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">jaywalking</span></strong> Brit abroad will be similarly blessed, nor enjoy the intervention of the city mayor.<br /></div><div align="justify">Just because you can do something in the UK doesn't mean it's OK in another country. <strong>Jaywalking is an offence</strong> in most urban areas in the United States - although <strong>enforcement</strong> <strong>varies between states</strong> - and Canada, and in places such as Singapore, Spain, Poland, Slovenia and Australia. </div><br />Read the whole BBC story<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6251431.stm"> here</a>.Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-64535972353588128672007-01-10T15:06:00.000+00:002007-01-10T15:11:46.639+00:00EU plans 'industrial revolution'<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42434000/jpg/_42434533_turbines2.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42434000/jpg/_42434533_turbines2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42434000/jpg/_42434075_mill_203_ap.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42434000/jpg/_42434075_mill_203_ap.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#000099;">The European Commission has <strong>unveiled a new energy strategy</strong>, <strong>calling on member states</strong> to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 20% by 2020. </span></div><span style="color:#000099;"><div align="justify"><br /><strong>EC President Jose Manuel Barroso</strong> said there must be a common European response to <strong>climate change</strong>. New policies were needed "to face a new reality" - to make Europeans' energy supplies more secure, he said. </div><div align="justify"><br />The urgency of the change was stressed by Russia's oil row with Belarus which hit EU states Germany and Poland. </div><div align="justify"><br />The EU's civil service wants more investment in <strong>renewable energy</strong>, arguing that the old fuels have <strong>a political as well as clear environmental cost</strong>.<br />"We need new policies to face a new reality - policies which maintain Europe's competitiveness, protect our environment and make our energy supplies more secure," said Mr Barroso.<br />"<strong>Europe must lead the world into a new, or maybe one should say, post-industrial revolution, the development of a low-carbon economy</strong>."</div><div align="justify"><br />But the EU should also adopt a unilateral commitment to reduce EU greenhouse emissions by at least 20% by 2020 as compared to 1990 levels.<br />"This will send a clear signal on how seriously we take the future of our planet," Mr Barroso added. Mr Barroso also said it was unacceptable that the supply of energy from Russia through transit countries should be interrupted without prior consultation.<br />He said this raised a real problem of credibility and Europe must act to guarantee that it did not happen again. </div><div align="justify"><br />Environmental <strong>pressure group</strong> Friends of the Earth said the policy was "completely inadequate" and that it "failed to provide the low-carbon blueprint that is urgently required"."If the EU is serious about tackling climate change <strong>it must make far greater cuts in its carbon dioxide emissions</strong>. The proposed 20% cut does not demonstrate any intention to stay below the two degree limit," Catherine Pearce, the group's international climate co-ordinator, said. </div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>There are three central pillars to this integrated energy policy, Mr Barroso said.<br />-A true internal energy market<br />-Accelerating the shift to low-carbon energy<br />-And energy efficiency through the 20% target by 2020<br /></strong></span></div>Read more ….BBC story <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6247199.stm">here</a>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-82540802806310119342007-01-08T17:37:00.000+00:002007-01-08T17:43:32.216+00:00Japanese mark Coming of Age day<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42424000/jpg/_42424129_ap_photo203.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42424000/jpg/_42424129_ap_photo203.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000066;">Japan has been marking Coming of Age day, <strong>celebrating the transition into adulthood</strong> of those who turned 20 last year. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#000066;">But in another sign of the country's <strong>demographic difficulties</strong>, <strong>the number of youths being honoured is the smallest in nearly two decades. </strong></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Twenty is the age when <strong>you can vote and drink alcohol legally</strong> here.<br />The celebrations take place at city halls, temples and other public venues like Tokyo Disneyland. Many of those taking part wear formal outfits, such as traditional kimonos, to mark the occasion.<br />This year though, there is more evidence of the <strong>country's declining birth rate</strong>. <strong>Official figures show that</strong> just under 1.4m adults turned 20 over the last 12 months. That is only 30,000 more than the smallest group ever, recorded in 1987. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#000066;">In fact, taken as a percentage of the total population, <strong>the 2006 group is the smallest ever</strong>.<br />That is why experts say the government has to find new ways to persuade these young adults to have families of their own. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000066;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><strong>Japan is facing a labour shortage and a pensions shortfall</strong>. This is the year that millions of the country's baby boomers start to retire. Many of them who have had jobs for life will be looking forward to a relatively comfortable retirement.<br /><strong>The generation who have just entered adulthood will probably find life is much harder</strong>. </span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6240109.stm">BBC story</a>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-85796258844031074722007-01-07T16:40:00.000+00:002007-01-07T16:52:20.466+00:00Playing rugby wearing size 18 bootsA teenager forced to quit rugby because his feet were too big is playing again, thanks to <span style="font-size:180%;">size 18</span> boots from America.<br /><br />Carl Griffiths' feet grew <strong>while taking life-saving medication for leukaemia</strong> and the 14-year-old <strong>was relegated to water-carrier</strong> for his team.<br /><br /><strong>Well-wishers</strong> helped by bringing Carl, from Trimsaran, Carmarthenshire, large boots and trainers from the US. The 6ft 4in teen, <strong>who was given the all clear last month</strong>, said: "I'm just glad to be out there again. <strong>I'm chuffed</strong>."<br /><br />Rugby-mad Carl, whose feet are now nearly size 19, was forced to quit playing for the Trimsaran under-15s team for a year because he could not find boots to fit him.<br /><br />"It was frustrating because I couldn't play with all my friends <strong>on the pitch</strong>," said Carl, whose team face Ystradgynlais on Sunday.<br /><br />Carl still <strong>struggles</strong> to fit into size 14 socks - the biggest his parents can find. His mum Michelle Griffiths, 34, said: "They're the biggest available, but <strong>we have to replace them all the time</strong> because his heels go through them. We can't find any others.<br />"The hospital has said <strong>he's coming to the age where</strong> his growth should be slowing down, but <strong>there's no sign of that happening yet</strong>."<br /><br />Carl's 11-year-old sister Shannon takes size eight women's shoes and his brother Matthew, who is 6ft 1in, has size 13 feet. Their father Wayne is 6ft and takes size 12 shoes and Mrs Griffiths has size nine feet.<br />Trimsaran Under-15s team coach Martin Evans welcomed Carl's return to the team.<br />"His very presence in the line-out, being head and shoulders above the rest, is intimidation itself," Mr Evans told the South Wales Evening Post. <br /><br />To understand shoe sizes go <a href="http://www.i18nguy.com/l10n/shoes.html#adult">here</a>.<br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6236705.stm">BBC story</a>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-50102020561085669752006-12-28T18:09:00.000+00:002006-12-28T18:16:32.410+00:00Tongan royal mourning is broken<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40795000/gif/_40795020_tonga_map203.gif"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40795000/gif/_40795020_tonga_map203.gif" border="0" /></a><br />Tradition in <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1300742.stm">Tonga</a>.<br /><br /><div align="justify"><strong>Tonga's royal family is preparing to end 100 days of mourning for the late king by releasing 40 royal undertakers from a three-month captivity.<br /></strong><br />The undertakers, known as <em>nima tapu</em>, meaning sacred hands, are <strong>forbidden from using</strong> their hands after preparing King Tupou IV's body for burial. </div><div align="justify"><br />The <em>nima tapu</em> have spent the last three months confined in a special house where they are fed by other people. After an end-of-mourning ceremony, the undertakers are allowed to return home.<br /><br />Having touched the late king's body during the funeral preparations, the royal undertakers are strictly forbidden from using their hands for any other purpose until the period of mourning is over.<br /><br />The current generation of <em>nima tapu</em> are more fortunate than their predecessors.<br /><br />Until 300 years ago <span style="color:#660000;">they would have been strangled</span> or <span style="color:#660000;">had their hands cut off</span> following the king's funeral. </div><div align="justify"><br />Tonga's royal end-of-mourning ceremony is characterised by <strong>gift-giving</strong>. However, the new King Tupou V has decreed that, in a change of protocol, the traditional gifts of food, pigs and the fermented root drink <em>kava</em> <strong>should be presented to</strong> his mother Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho rather than to himself. </div><div align="justify"><br />Correspondents say <strong>the break with tradition</strong> may indicate King Tupou V's willingness to reshape Tonga's semi-feudal monarchy. King Tupou V has already promised more democratic reforms following pro-democracy rioting in November.</div><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6213843.stm">BBC News</a>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-3135254594492486712006-12-28T17:56:00.000+00:002006-12-28T18:03:08.042+00:00Figo to join Saudi Arabian club<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42390000/jpg/_42390577_figo203.jpg"><span style="color:#000066;"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42390000/jpg/_42390577_figo203.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000066;"><br /></span><div><span style="color:#000066;">Luis Figo is poised to join Al Ittihad for an undisclosed fee from Inter Milan, according to the Saudi Arabian club's team manager.<br />"It's official now," said Hamad Al Sanie. "Figo will sign on Friday or Saturday and he'll arrive in Jeddah on 5 January when he'll join the team." </span></div><div><br /><span style="color:#000066;">The 34-year-old former Portugal winger will sign a 17-month contract. </span></div><div><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Al Ittihad are historically one of the most successful Saudi teams and are based in the Red Sea port of Jeddah. </span></div><div><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Al Sanie added: "We chose Figo because he's a big star and the coach asked us to look for a midfielder and, after we suggested Figo, he welcomed the idea." </span></div><div><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Figo retired from internationals after the World Cup third-place play-off with Germany in July - in which he earned a record 127th cap for Portugal. Before signing for Inter in 2005, Figo played for Sporting Lisbon, Barcelona and Real Madrid.</span></div><div><span style="color:#000066;"></span> </div><div><span style="color:#000066;"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6211969.stm">BBC News</a></span></div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-29626174368034411372006-12-27T12:41:00.000+00:002006-12-27T12:45:03.836+00:00US ex-President Gerald Ford dies<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42390000/jpg/_42390049_fordap.jpg"><strong><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42390000/jpg/_42390049_fordap.jpg" border="0" /></strong></a><strong><span style="color:#000066;">Former US President Gerald Ford has died aged 93.<br />Last month he became the longest-living US president when he reached 93 years and 122 days, passing the record held by Ronald Reagan. </span></strong><br /><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Mr Ford was never elected president. He took office after Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal in 1974 but lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976. </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000066;">President George W Bush paid tribute to Mr Ford, a fellow Republican, praising his "integrity and common sense". </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000066;">Gerald Ford was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and lived with Betty, 88, at Rancho Mirage, about 130 miles (210km) east of Los Angeles in southern California.<br />The former president suffered ill health this year and he was taken to hospital four times for tests and angioplasty. He suffered a stroke in 2000. </span><br /><br /><strong>The BBC has published</strong> Mr Ford's obituary. Read it <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/863634.stm">here</a>.Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-64313449000363906622006-12-27T12:06:00.000+00:002006-12-27T12:11:09.153+00:00How will hi-tech criminals attack Vista?<div align="justify"><strong>Vista will be the big event in computer security in 2007, say experts and add that it will have a profound effect on both sides of the security world.<br /><br />Many organised hi-tech criminals and crime gangs are already tearing the new version of Windows apart looking for ways to exploit its weaknesses, say some.<br /></strong>Others are expecting to see Vista attacked soon after it debuts.<br /><br />While Microsoft's business customers have been able to buy Vista since 30 November, consumers <strong>are being forced to wait until late January 2007</strong> to <strong>get their hands on</strong> the next version of the Windows operating system.<br /><br />Microsoft has said that the whole development process of the operating system <strong>has been run with better security in mind.</strong> Within Vista are several technologies that could stop many people <strong>falling victim to</strong> the most common sorts of malicious attack, said Kevin Hogan, director of security operations at Symantec. </div><div align="justify"><br />In particular, he said, the way Vista handles user accounts will limit the freedom malicious programs have to run and install themselves surreptitiously.<br /><br /><span style="color:#993300;">Increasingly, said Mr Hogan, hi-tech criminals were booby-trapping benign looking webpages with code that slips through vulnerabilities in the various versions of Windows. It should also help stop people being caught out by malicious attachments on e-mail messages.<br /></span><br />"That'll deal with a lot of the current threats we are seeing," said Mr Hogan.<br /><br />Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at security firm F-Secure, said the warnings that these account controls display when malicious code tries to install itself will prove useful.<br />"It'll become much more obvious when they get infected," he said.</div><div align="justify">For more innformation check <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6198121.stm">this BBC News article</a>.</div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-9306138892743138512006-12-26T12:19:00.000+00:002006-12-26T12:21:56.965+00:00Worship God not technology, Pope says on Christmas<div align="justify"> <span style="color:#000066;"><strong>VATICAN CITY (Reuters) –<br /> Mankind, which has reached other planets and unraveled many of nature's secrets, should not presume it can live without God, Pope Benedict said in his Christmas message on Monday.<br /><br />Speaking to tens of thousands of people in a sunny square, he wished the world a Happy Christmas in 62 languages - including Arabic, Hebrew, Mongolian and Latin - but his speech highlighted his preoccupation with humanity's fate.<br /><br />In an age of unbridled consumerism it was shameful many remained deaf to the "heart-rending cry" of those dying of hunger, thirst, disease, poverty, war and terrorism, he said.<br /><br />"Does a 'Savior' still have any value and meaning for the men and women of the third millennium?" he asked in his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message to the faithful in St Peter's Square. "Is a 'Savior' still needed by a humanity which has reached the moon and Mars and is prepared to conquer the universe; for a humanity which knows no limits in its pursuit of nature's secrets and which has succeeded even in deciphering the marvelous codes of the human genome?"<br /><br />He appealed for peace and justice in the Middle East, an end to the brutal violence in Iraq and to the fratricidal conflict in Darfur and other parts of Africa, and expressed his hope for</strong> <strong>"a</strong></span><strong> democratic Lebanon".</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.topix.net/content/reuters/0954266300108735864024957825151303819417">For more of the Reuters story</a></div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-46019679872273084832006-12-26T12:16:00.000+00:002006-12-26T12:19:38.381+00:00"For Christ's sake, it's Christmas Eve!"BERLIN (Reuters) - A German taxi driver who shouted "Oh, for Christ's sake, it's Christmas Eve!" when a robber put a gun to his head <strong>scared the thief away</strong>.<br /><br />The teenager opened the parked taxi's door in the western town of Bielefeld and demanded money Sunday evening, police spokesman Michael Mehler said.<br /><br />The driver refused and jumped out, shouting for help. The two <strong>scuffled</strong> briefly before the thief <strong>fled</strong>.<br /><br />"The taxi driver's resistance and reference to Christmas evidently <strong>unsettled the bandit</strong>," Mehler said Monday.<br />An 18-year-old and his 16-year-old accomplice were later arrested.<br />The whole story <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061225/od_nm/germany_christmas_robbery_dc">here</a>.Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-27116076056394488172006-12-26T12:13:00.000+00:002006-12-26T12:16:47.634+00:00Chinese students against Western cultural invasion<div align="justify">BEIJING, Dec 22 (Reuters Life!) - <strong>Ten doctoral students from three of China's top universities have posted an online petition slamming local Christmas celebrations and calling on people to "resist Western cultural invasion," state media said on Friday.<br /></strong><br />The students railed against "American and European culture" expanding throughout China along with "<strong>their technological and economic domination</strong>," the China Daily said.</div><div align="justify"><br />"Occidental culture has been <strong>more like storms sweeping through the country rather than mild showers</strong>," the paper quoted the petition -- dated with China's traditional lunar calendar -- as saying.</div><div align="justify"><br />It was a "failure on the part of the government to maintain Chinese traditions, while encouraging the economy."</div><div align="justify"><br />The authors <strong>criticized retailers for using the festival to boost business</strong> and local people for reveling without knowing the origin of the occasion, the paper said.</div><div align="justify"><br />"On Christmas Eve, people must wait for seats at nearly every restaurant in Beijing and other cities in China," the authors lamented.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">For more of the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061222/od_nm/china_christmas_students_dc">Reuteurs story</a></div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-72343792431227340552006-12-24T18:45:00.000+00:002006-12-24T18:49:04.748+00:00Christmas goes digital for many<strong>Christmas is a time for family but it is also a time for playing with new gadgets and toys received during the festive period. </strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>More than $30 billion (£17bn) in consumer electronics is expected to be bought worldwide in the run up to Christmas and mobile phones have broken into the top 10 most wanted children's presents, according to analysts Deloitte.<br /><br />The BBC asked six of their panel of technology addicts to reveal how they will be spending their digital Christmas.</strong><br /><br />Read more <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6190543.stm">here</a>.Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-84621295550832294692006-12-24T18:36:00.000+00:002006-12-24T18:41:41.525+00:00My Christmas wish for you<strong>Dear Friends,</strong><br /><strong>This is a beautiful Christmas poem. I don't know its author, but whoever wrote it so simple did a great job. I wish you a Merry Christmas.</strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;">My Christmas Wish For You</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">My Christmas wish for you, my friend</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Is not a simple one</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">For I wish you hope and joy and peace</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Days filled with warmth and sun</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">I wish you love and friendship too</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Throughout the coming year</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Lots of laughter and happiness</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">To fill your world with cheer</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">May you count your blessings, one by one</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">And when totalled by the lot</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">May you find all you've been given</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">To be more than what you sought</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">May your journeys be short, your burdens light</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">May your spirit never grow old</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">May all your clouds have silver linings</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">And your rainbows pots of gold</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">I wish this all and so much more</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">May all your dreams come true</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">May you have a Merry Christmas friend</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">And a happy New Year, too …</span></strong>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-62657886187313127572006-12-23T19:48:00.000+00:002006-12-23T19:51:16.865+00:00London fog, but spectacular views<div align="justify"><a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42372000/jpg/_42372785_london220ge.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42372000/jpg/_42372785_london220ge.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Thick fog covers the London Eye - one of the main tourist attractions in the British capital.<br /></strong><br /><strong>Fog has caused a lot of trouble all over London in the past few days.</strong><br /><strong>British Airways domestic flights have resumed at Heathrow after being cancelled since Wednesday due to fog. The first flight to take off following the suspension left at 1322 GMT, bound for Newcastle. </strong></div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-75700197473459815422006-12-23T19:43:00.000+00:002006-12-23T19:48:10.314+00:00Olive oil 'can cut cancer risk'<a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42372000/gif/_42372299_oliveoil203spl.gif"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42372000/gif/_42372299_oliveoil203spl.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#000066;"><strong>Adding plenty of olive oil to a diet could help protect against cell damage that can lead to cancer, experts say. A study of 182 European men found those who had 25 millilitres of olive oil per day had reduced levels of a substance which indicates cell damage. </strong></span></div><br /><div><br /><span style="color:#000066;">The Danish team said it may explain why many cancer rates are higher in northern Europe than the south, where olive oil is a major part of the diet. </span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000066;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000066;">The Copenhagen University Hospital researchers looked at 182 healthy men aged between 20 and 60 from five European countries. The scientists added either virgin, common or refined olive oil to their diets over two weeks. </span></div><span style="color:#000066;"><br /><div><br />At the end of study, scientists measured levels of the substance which indicates oxidative damage to cells, called 8oxodG, in the men's urine. </div><br /><div><br />Oxidative damage is a process whereby the metabolic balance of a cell is disrupted by exposure to substances that result in the accumulation of free-radicals, which can then damage the cell.<br />The men were found to have around 13% less 8oxodG compared with their levels at the beginning of the study. </div><br /><div><br />At the beginning of the study, men from northern Europe had higher levels of 8oxodG than those from southern Europe, supporting the idea that olive oil had a reductive effect. </div><br /><div><br />Olive oil contains a number of compounds, called phenols, which are believed to act as powerful antioxidants. </div><br /><div><br />But the Danish researchers said the men in the study used the three different oils, which had different levels of phenols, so that was unlikely to explain the protective effect.<br />They said that, instead, the monounsaturated fats in olive oil were probably behind the effect.<br /></div><br /><div>The scientists, led by Dr Henrik Poulsen, wrote in the FASEB journal: "These data provide evidence that olive oil consumption explains the difference in cancer incidence between north and southern Europe."<br /></div><br /><div>Dr Anthea Martin, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "The effect of diet on cancer risk is very complex because of the many different components of the food we eat.<br /></div><br /><div>"Although this study suggests that olive oil can reduce DNA damage that could lead to the development of cancer, more long-term research is needed to confirm these effects." </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>She added: "We do know that a healthy, balanced diet, including plenty of vegetables and fruit and limited amounts of red and processed meat, can help reduce the risk of cancer."</div><br /><div>BBC story <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6195895.stm">here</a>.</span></div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-59990402927362504712006-12-22T20:48:00.000+00:002006-12-22T20:51:40.846+00:00Europe's 'biggest dinosaur' found<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/sci_nat_enl_1166722253/img/laun.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/sci_nat_enl_1166722253/img/laun.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#663366;"><strong>Fossils found in Spain belong to what was probably Europe's biggest ever dinosaur, according to scientists.<br />Turiasaurus would have been 30 to 37 metres long, and would have weighed between 40 and 48 tonnes. </strong></span></div><span style="color:#663366;"><strong><div align="justify"><br />Writing in the journal Science, researchers say the beast is probably the only member so far discovered of a European group of Jurassic reptiles. </div><div align="justify"><br />The world's biggest recorded dinosaur is Argentinosaurus, a South American reptile twice as heavy. Like the rest of the giant long-necked sauropods, Turiasaurus riodevensis was a herbivore, despite the fierce appearance of its teeth.<br /><br />Fossils came to light in 2004 at Teruel in eastern Spain, and the scientists responsible, from the Fundacion Conjunto Paleontologico de Teruel-Dinopolis, have just published a formal analysis.<br /></div><div align="justify">At 1.79m long, its humerus (upper arm bone) is one of the largest ever recorded, while one of its claws is comparable with a rugby ball or American football.<br />The discovery site also contains teeth from theropod dinosaurs, Stegosaurus remnants, and fragments from fish and turtles. </div><div align="justify"><br />By comparing its features with other European dinosaurs, the scientists deduce that it belongs to a previously unknown clade, or grouping, which evolved in the Jurassic period (200 to 145 million years ago). </div><div align="justify"><br />Teeth excavated in France, Portugal and the UK are similar, indicating that Turiasaurus , or more likely its close relatives, ranged across the continent. </strong></span></div><div> </div><div>BBC story: Read more <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6201251.stm">here</a>.</div>Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36976612.post-78026085257690771052006-12-22T20:41:00.000+00:002006-12-22T20:48:12.249+00:00Sweet shop boss fired!<div align="justify"><span style="color:#003300;">The manager of a chocolate shop <strong>has been forced to leave</strong> Barrow-in-Furness after he <strong>outraged</strong> locals by branding it rough and boring in an online diary. The town has over 50,000 inhabitants and is a centre of excellence for nuclear submarines.<br /><br />Steve Beall, 20, moved from his home town to run the new cafe in Thorntons in Barrow-in-Furness. However, his comments about the town on a weblog <strong>so annoyed local residents</strong> <strong>they descended on the shop</strong> and the police had to be called. He has now left his post and the head of the chocolate firm has apologised.<br /><br />When <strong>vandals smashed the shop window</strong> before it even opened, Mr Beall <strong>vented his frustration on a popular file sharing website</strong>. He said the town was rough and boring, and had no idea how people could bear to live in it. When the comments were printed in a local paper, residents visited the shop and invited him to go elsewhere.<br /><br />Mr Beall has now left the town, and Thorntons has apologised to its residents.<br />Mike Davies, chief executive, said: "On behalf of Thorntons, I would like to apologise for the disparaging comments made by one of our employees about the town of Barrow-in-Furness.<br />"These comments do not reflect the company's views or those of its other employees."<br /><br />Councillor Terry Waiting, leader of Barrow Council's Labour group said that Barrow was a very friendly place.<br />"It's a town that's like a big village, everyone knows everyone else.<br />"There's also a great location near the sea and the Lake District. It's the best place God made."</span> </div>BBC story <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6204243.stm">here</a>.Alípio Barrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346298516022395657noreply@blogger.com0